Its Blog Time

I’m just a normal guy that has had a normal experience, and I have a desire to share what I’ve learned (and what I learn every day) with people that are still in the rat race.

First, a little about me. My name is Jason Alba, and I have been professionally involved in information technology for about 9 years. I got my start as a web intranet programmer at Simplot in Pocatello, Idaho. It was a trememdous experience for me, as I learned a lot about new technologies and their use in business settings. I later went on to work as an IT Manager, CIO, VP and finally General Manager (not at Simplot). During that time I earned a BBA in Computer Information Systems and and MBA from Idaho State University.

After 6 years at the “same company”, I was let go in a strategic downsizing. I thought that my biggest problem would be that I would have to *choose* between four (or more) different job offers – what a dilema that would be! What I found was that, even though it was a “job seeker’s market”, and my state had a terrific 3.5% unemployment rate, getting my next job was not that easy.

I spent hours and hours doing the wrong things. Even though I had friends and family review my resume, I found it still had some issues that were precluding me from getting any call-backs. I thought that my education, job titles and experience would get me where I needed to go, and finally realized that what a job seeker needs to do is different than the credentials that a job seeker has.

In short, I have learned a lot about being a job seeker, what works, what doesn’t, and everything that goes with it. This blog is my little corner to share my observations with you – it is my hope that your job search will be personally rewarding.