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While I am not a big believer of horoscopes, my most recent career horoscope was right on the dot. According to my horoscope, I should hear really good news on September 16. September 16 was the day when I was offered a position at the company I most desired to work for. The company is called DRS Technologies.

DRS Technologies is the fastest growing defense technology company that provides integrated products, services and support to military forces, homeland security, intelligence agencies and prime contractors worldwide. The company has a lot to offer and I am glad to be part of it. I would be working as a Systems Administrator for the DRS Power Technology group which specializes in power systems and propulsion turbines mainly for the US Navy. Needless to say that I will require a security clearance.

The office is conveniently located 8 miles from my residence in the neighboring town. One of the best benefits is the flexible 9/80 work schedule that allows for every other Friday to be off. This should definitely allow me to balance my personal life and professional life. I still plan on pursuing MBA. After all, the company will pay for it.

The position is extremely challenging and I must admit that I am very nervous. But then again, there is not a position I have walked into without being overwhelmed. I have taken big risks in the past. They paid off in the end. This situation is no different and I am confident that I will do well. I am very excited about this opportunity and can’t wait to get back in business.

Cheers

Here we go again. Yet another win for the Patriots in the season opener against the Bills. It was absolutely thrilling. I love Brady. He said he was going to score right before the two minute warning, get the ball back and win this game; and he did it. That is Brady!

I was nervous to see Bills leading with 24-13 with only about 5 minutes left on the clock. When we lost the two point conversion, I wanted to call it a game. To tie the game was no longer an option. We had to get a touch down and the clock was running out. There was no way we could win this game in the two minute warning. However, in the back of my mind, I knew Brady was going to win this game! Call it a gut feeling… I was even willing to bet my life on it… Looking at the history, somehow Pats always get the much needed fumble or interception when they are desperate. That was it. When we recovered the lost ball from the Bills, I knew we were gonna win it.

With less than a minute on the clock, Ashwin and I were sitting at the edge of our sofa. Thanks to Tom Brady and dear Ben Watson, we were able to celebrate yet another victory by the Patriots.

Go Pats!!!

Today was my third round of interviews with the company in Bedford, MA. I did my best and believe that the interview was successful. I was happy receive positive feedback from the IT manager and Director of Engineering. Now, we just have to wait and see if I managed to come on top of the other candidates. At least I am one step closer… Closer??? Well, not really! The company is moving to Burlington by the end of the year. Far away from my nest… But who cares. We want to move closer to the city in a couple of years.

I would be advancing my career if I get this role but as much as this is an opportunity of a lifetime, I’m not very thrilled about the commute. After working 20 minutes away from home for last two yrs, I had forgotten the pain of commuting down Rt 2, I495, Rt 3 and I95. Yes, that’s how far it is… 38 miles and 4 highways down… full of congestion… Driving down for the interview this morning brought back awful memories of commuting to greater Boston neighborhood. More scary is the thought of being the only person responsible for supporting the office. Imagine driving to work in the middle of the night when there is a problem? I wish we didn’t live out in the country! I am willing to overlook the commute just because I feel very strongly about this position after chatting with the management. This looks like a long term opportunity and the IT Manager seemed absolutely wonderful (over the video conference on a high definition 50 inch television). That’s what I am talking about… I wanna work for a high-tech company!

I guess only time will tell what happens. For now, my focus is on the other two companies I am scheduled to interview with. One of them is in Sudbury, right down from my hubby’s office and the other is in Fitchburg, 8 miles down the street on Rt. 12. Ideal locations, great positions, and I am still in the running… However, I really ‘want’ the job in Bedford because we plan on moving to that area in a couple of years.

I really hope I’ll have a position secured by the end of the month. It would be rather embarrassing to interview with three companies and not get an offer If it doesn’t work out, I will focus on plan B – go to school full-time for MBA

Cheers!

Economy is showing signs of improvement and many economists are confident that we are past the recession. At least, we hope so. I notice positive signs in the job market.

Being laid off from my company was not the worst thing that happened to me. It couldn’t have happened at a better time. I was able to focus on my health and go overseas for an extended period of time to get the necessary medical treatments that are otherwise not offered in the US. I was able to focus on my physical therapy over the summer and I am doing great now. I have been looking for a job for about two months. At first, I could hardly find a decent job to apply for. For unemployment sake, I even applied for a few positions that were not very appealing to me. However, in the last few weeks, the number of job openings have gone up. It is also evident from the fact that I went from not interviewing to suddenly interviewing with three companies for three great positions. I didn’t have to compromise. All three positions are very interesting and a big step forward in my career. I hope something will work out. Even if it doesn’t, the mere fact that companies are showing interest, is a good sign.

Hopefully, the worst is behind us. I wish good luck to all job seekers. Hang in there and stay positive.

Cheers

Retuning to college was a difficult decision especially considering the cost associated with higher education. However, there will be no better time to do it.

After being laid off from my last job, I have been looking for new opportunities. Although there are jobs out there, I don’t want to take one up out of desperation. One might call me ‘picky’ but I have had a pretty successful and progressive career thus far and I hesitate to to just do any job. I want to move one step forward. Thankfully for me, I am in a better financial state than some others. At first, it was difficult to accept that i had been laid off for over two months. Now, after 6 months, I realize that I am not the only one. There are millions of other people who are sailing in the same boat as I am. Some have been unemployed for over a year. Many with multiple degrees and decades of experience. In times when thousands of companies are going through layoffs, salary and hiring freezes and pay cut, it is not hard to imagine that it could take as long as a year or two to find a job. I remember speaking with a hiring manager about a position that I had applied for and the manager told me that he’d received over 700 applications in just over two days. Gone are the days when you could choose between offers. In the past, my job search never lasted beyond 3 to 4 weeks but these days, it is difficult to even land an interview.

One of the great things about not working is the ability to fulfill your hobbies and participate in activities which you would otherwise not have time for. In that regard, I am having a wonderful time. However, part of me (my brain) disagrees. It is important for me that i use my intellectual abilities to accomplish something meaningful. I have therefore decided to take continuing education courses towards a degree in MBA.

I had forgotten just how much I like to study. I am very excited about pursuing higher education.  I just began preparing for GMAT and am hoping to start school full-time by Spring unless something changes in terms of my employment status. Doing part-time MBA would be rather difficult.

My courses begin in September. I am a little anxious about returning to school primarily because I have never studied the the US. This would be a whole new experience for me. Secondly, I have been out of school for seven years and am not sure if I can manage the stress like I used to when I was young Yes, I feel old at 28!

My hope is that the economic situation should stabilize if not get better over the next few years. When I come out of college, I should have better prospects that I do today.

I really thank my dear husband for being so supportive in all phases of my life. I couldn’t have made this decision without his support.

Now it is time for some back to school shopping. What say?

Now as a citizen of the United States, I have the privilege to vote. I have already made up my mind about who I would elect for our next President. There is no doubt in my mind that we need a democratic leader who is willing to bring on ‘change’ that this country really needs. 

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Ashwin, Riana and I are looking forward to our trip to India next month. A lot has changed since the last time we visited our families in 2005. Mom and dad were here last year for Riana’s birth. When they left, Riana was almost six months old. My sisters are yet to meet Riana. I missed weddings of both my sisters. When my sister Soni got married, I was seven months pregnant and was restricted to travel by air. When my other sister Surekha got married, I was a consultant at my company and did not have vacation benefits. I am looking forward to meeting my brother-in-laws and other family additions. I have a sweet 6 month old nephew. I am sure Riana will have fun with him. My older sister Surekha is expecting to have a baby in Feb ‘09. There is a lot of catching up to do… and not enough time…Three weeks is just not enough. We will try to make the best out of the time we have.

The count down has begun…

A lot of you have asked me why I haven’t blogged in a little while. Life’s been too busy lately. I have however been posting on Riana’s website. I will try to keep up with my blogs too. It’s good to know that people are actually interested in reading!

Riana turns one today and I am amazed on how fast her first year went by. I distinctly remember the day she was born and it feels like yesterday. Since then, life’s been full of joy and a lot of hard work. With each passing day, I grow fonder of her. I wish her a very happy birthday. I look forward to another year of craziness and fun. Oh yeah!

Cheers

Riana is on par with other babies of her age as far as developmental milestones are concerned. She began rolling over at 4 months, started eating solid foods at 5 months, began sitting up without support at 6.5 months, started mastering her crawling skills at 7.5 months. Now at 9 months, she can stand up and has figured out how to climb stairs. She can only climb as many as 2 or 3 steps but it is a big achievement for her. She know how to pull herself up to a standing position using various kinds of support. Some of the more interesting supports that she uses is a 2 year old kid and a small dog at her daycare! She is now starting to feed herself simple finger foods such as baby cereal and toast.

So why do I think she is a child prodigy? Well, amongst all her skills are very good computer skills. Ashwin and I have let Riana type on our computers several times. She loves the keyboards. She has done some things that have amazed both of us. She has, not once but twice, inserted date and time stamp into Notepad. That cant be a fluke… She has managed to launch the help menu and find tool in Notepad. In Firefox, she has decreased the font size without using the mouse wheel, she has opened home page in existing window, opened a new tabbed window, opened a information box indicating the window size. In Picasa, she has zoomed into a picture and deleted a picture. What’s next?

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