After eleven months of fun I am pleased to announce my new employment as an MVS batch processing anal-yst using CA-7, with Insight Global on assignment at the Verizon Wireless data center in Irvine.

    Last Tuesday I was cold called by an agent with Insight asking if I would be interested in a CA-7 job in Irvine.  I said, hell yeah!  This was a person with whom I spoke a month ago about some other job.

    She submitted me on Thursday morning using a one-page resume I wrote which highlighted my CA-7 experience (1984-2001), plus a synopsis of each of my four jobs since.  Three of those I used Control-M in a similar role as what Verizon was looking for.

    Then at noon Thursday, Insight called, saying the director and a supervisor would like to interview me via phone at 2.  I said dang, that’s pretty quick, I usually like to have a day to review tech manuals so I can bone up first, as I haven’t used CA-7 in quite a while.  Within two hours I found a pdf of the CA-7 primer and read the whole thing.  Since I used the product for 17 years, my memory refreshed instantly.

    The recruiter said these guys are looking not only for tech skills but also personality, so don’t hold back.  After the boss called I poured it on but also tried not to get fired before even landing the job.  The phone interview went very well, I was scheduled to meet face-to-face next Tuesday.

    Later Thursday I was bombarded with calls and emails from six other head hunters about this same job.  I replied or called back saying sorry, I already have been submitted for this position by another agency.  One asked when, I said two days ago, she said dam, we just got the req. this morning.  I said, I guess you’ll have to find another CA-7 guy and put them up against me.  She said, with your resume I likely will not be able to compete.  I enjoyed that.

    I met with my agent fifteen minutes early in the lobby.  We chatted; she said, remember, they want personality so don’t hold back.  She doesn’t know me as well as I know me.  I have to hold back, otherwise I can go over-the-top quickly, as many of you know.

    I asked her if she spoke with all four of the references I gave her, two management from my last job and two CA-7 colleagues from the past.  She spoke with the management types and said they were so good she didn’t need to check with anyone else.  Thanks guys, I owe you a lunch, maybe at the Corona Oggie’s?

    I had all weekend to refresh with the CA-7 primer and also the data base maintenance manual, the latter of which is more detailed.  By the time I met with the director and two supervisors I was full of it and had all the right answers.  I even had an idea of how they might do one of their processes a little bit differently.  The director looked at his two people and said, Michael has a point here, we should look into it.  I enjoyed that.

    They were mentioning they have many NDM processes scheduled.  I said good deal because back at Hughes in 1990 I set up all of EDSG’s NDM jobs, which eliminated the hand delivery of tape data sets between data centers.  I maintained it all until we merged with C&DP in Fullerton, where I handed everything over to the NDM guy there and gave his name, knowing all too well that person currently works for the director with whom I am speaking.

    They all got a kick out of that, saying you know that guy is a big fisherperson.  I said I know, his email id is sandbasser.  Also he was born in Hilton Creek in the Eastern Sierra.  He makes the best smoked stocker trout I ever tasted.  Then it got fish crazy.  They said Mr. Creek wants to put together a fishing charter out of one of the OC landings soon.  I said I can be your charter master and set it all up for ya.

    After the Q and A portion of the interview concluded, we went on a tour of the machine room, with a quick stop to Mr. Creek’s cube, where I said hey dude, how’s fishing.   He looked, it took him 30 seconds to recognize me (I’m clean shaven and in a suit), then says, MIKE WHATS UP!  If you guys want a fisherman, this guy’s the greatest!  I said, yeah, they’re picking me up to be your charter master and maybe do a little CA-7 on the side.  I enjoyed that.

    Upon returning home I phoned my agent, saying the interview went well, they seem to like me and I really like them.  I could tell none of whom I met were cranky or phony, like I have run into the past six years.  She said I got great feedback, they already interviewed a few people they didn’t like, there will be a decision tomorrow by 10am.

    So this morning around 9:15 my agent phoned.  She said, alright, the boss really likes you, he wants you to come in.  I said, you mean come in, like, for another interview?  No silly, you got the job!  Woo hoo, yee haw and the like, I yelled.  This afternoon I will go in to fill out the paperwork.

    Details: 2^nd shift (my preference, no traffic) 2pm until 10:30pm, Tue and Wed off (good fishing days, no crowds), descent pay with benefits from the agency (a rarity) on a six month contract-to-hire basis.  It is 43 miles from home, it took me 35 minutes to get there at 13:00.  There will be no Unix or answering user calls; none of that.  It will only be mainframe batch monitoring using CA-7.  They have a separate scheduling crew, who, they say, are open to my every suggestion.  I LOVE IT!  I only have to focus on one thing.  I figure after three months I’ll know everything about the schedules and their CA-7 setup, then I’ll stick my nose into a side project or two.  They mentioned their CA-1 tape library might need some lookin’ into.

    Considering all the $13 to 15-per-hour jobs 100 miles away I have sifted through the past year, and in an economic climate where we have 11-something-percent unemployment here in California, this is a coup and I feel very fortunate.