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

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!!!

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!

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

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?

We had a major federal budget surplus during Clinton’s administration. In the economic history of the United States, Clinton is a legend. United States as a nation was the leader in the business world. Those were the times when this country owned the international trade market by owning nearly one quarter of the world’s total economic output. The unemployment rate was cut down in half and the stock markets grew to new horizons. Gone are the days…Since Bush took over the oval office, we’ve seen nothing but downturn. I agree that we did not have 9/11 during Clinton’s administration and that President Bush was faced with some of the most difficult decisions in the recent past. This is when you can truly gauge the competency of a good President. The amount of money we’ve spent in the Afghanistan and Iraq wars is just mind-boggling. Even if you ignore the military expenses, which are hard to dismiss, there are other policies laid by Bush that I do not quite agree with including tax cuts for the wealthy. I think it is time for a Democratic Party to lead this country in the right direction. My top most personal interest during this phase of economic crisis lies in what the new President is going to do to boost our economy, promote new jobs and save social security.

This was an easy decision made even easier when McCain out of the blue chose Palin as his running mate. It is obvious why he chose to do so. Palin is a woman, who is appealing to the eyes, can talk to the general public at their level and given some ‘keywords’ can run the campaign by spitting out crap. I personally find her body language and winks very distracting! Her incompetency for the role of VP was on the air during her encounter with Kathy Couric of CBS news where she gave nonsense answer on her expertise on foreign policy based on proximity of Alaska to Russia. She likes rambling answers that are completely irrelevant to the subject in question. The McCain campaign has given her a list of ‘keywords’ that she must use and that is exactly what she is doing, except out of context. Since the series of interviews with CBS, we’ve seen numerous such comments from the lady. Palin is utterly unqualified to be the Vice President of the United States let alone run the white house should something happen to McCain. Recently she said that the role of the VP is to ‘run’ the senate. It is not hard to imagine why the local Alaskan newspaper ‘Anchorage Daily News’ endorsed Obama instead of Palin. It is needless to say that she is a political liability for McCain. The polls have steadily fallen since she was nominated by him. I also read that the republicans have spent over $150,000 on her wardrobe with expensive clothes and accessories for her political campaign. The party donors are outrageous. I think that money could have been well spent on training Palin on the role of VP.

I strongly urge my friends, my family and all others to look at the reality and make the right judgment!

I am ready for Nov 4 and my vote goes to Obama!

The count down has begun…

Cheers

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?

Perhaps she is not a baby prodigy. She simply has our genes! I am yet to find out the shortcut to insert date and time in Notepad. I think I will do that after posting this article.

It is great to see her do so well but at the same time, she is terror. She is a little devil who likes to get into trouble. We’ve tried to baby proof the house but she is now using the drawer hardware as support to stand up. And oh, did I forget to mention that she is a drama queen. Why, of course! As I said earlier… She has my genes!

For all her latest pictures and videos, please log into my gallery.

Cheers.