The market has flipped, and it will stay this way through 2025. Employers are getting hundreds of resumes for one role. That means you have to match the job description “word for word” to have a real shot.

Here’s another thing to think about – location. Suppose the office that the company wants you in is in San Diego, California. In that case, that company has every right to decline the candidacy of everyone NOT living in and around San Diego. They may say “remote” or “hybrid”, but that is ONLY if you are within 50 miles of that office. I have seen 5 job postings for the same role, meaning you can sit in any of those 5 locations. BUT, the company may really want you in the DFW area. They don’t need to tell YOU that. Trust me, they are getting hundreds of resumes in each of those 5 locations. Can you find out which site the company wants you in? YES, follow what Amanda Drws did. Look at their LinkedIn page and even their website. You will get all of the location information you need.

If you live in San Diego, California, my advice is to look for jobs there. No employer wants to pay for relocation right now because those employers know that there are hundreds of people in large cities, like Dallas, Austin, or San Antonio, who have people who match the job description “as close as you do”. If you know someone inside the company who will push hard for you, that’s great. But, remember – people still working at a company don’t want to jeopardize THEIR OWN JOB either. Unfortunately, those people “on the inside” are starting to get network fatigue.

Public and Private sectors have laid off thousands. Strange times, indeed. I see several people in my LinkedIn network announcing that they have a new job every week. Now, it’s time to pay it forward.

It’s rough out there. The numerous layoffs in the private and public sectors (yeah, that’s the reality of 2025) are bad enough. Couple that with RTO (return to office) mandates that have current employees questioning whether they want to stay with their current employer, and you now have the perfect storm! Remote and Hybrid are no longer words employers care about because they are getting local candidates to apply for the needed roles.

Don’t lose hope if you are still looking for a good role! Think globally but act locally. If you are not in the proper city or state, you may want to get up and move first and then apply for jobs in your new city or state with a brand new address. IT budgets have opened up for organizations, but they expect hiring to be more deliberate.

All 4 of us left on December 21st to attend my nephew’s wedding. The kids had never witnessed a typical Maharashtrian wedding before, so they looked forward to the trip. KLM flights were great on this trip, especially the food. I always find that airport food leaves something to be desired. This trip was ok, but better than the past. Maybe the airlines are listening?

We landed in Mumbai on December 23rd at 12:30 AM IST and took a 3-hour car ride to Chinchwad. Yes, we got hit by jet lag, but only for a day. The two-day wedding was on December 25-26. The wedding was spectacular – all ceremonies were well attended. The food at the wedding was the best I have had in a long time. We were part of the “groom’s” side and were all called on to help. When you are in India, and you are family, you help out!

December 27-29 was spent visiting other “family” in the metropolitan Pune area. Pune is considered an IT city, so I have friends in town. Unfortunately, I can’t visit everyone in 3 days 😦

Lots of shopping in those 3 days – clothes, shoes, books! Got back to Houston yesterday and spent New Year’s Eve with family and friends. Back to work on DevOps and IT Service Management.

For years, we would travel to India from Houston and we would have to tell the airline to serve us an Asian Vegetarian meal. That’s because we are Asian-Indians and we prefer vegetarian food. For the first time, KLM has decided to offer vegetarian options as a standard option on all their flights from Amsterdam to India. You don’t have to special order an Asian Vegetarian meal anymore. Surprised it took so long, but happy to know that the airlines have decided to listen.

What’s going on with hiring in 2024? Hiring Managers want to make a good decision and would like everyone in the company to appreciate the hire. The combination of those two conditions is causing these same hiring managers to say no to “great fit” candidates. Inexperienced hiring managers – that’s the problem. Here’s how I hire in today’s market: (1) contract to hire, 6 months on contract, and (2) three touches max from initial conversation to hire decision. If the person doesn’t work out, both parties can walk away in a CTH setting.

You know what I am talking about if you have seen Ted Lasso. At the end of Season 3, Episode 7, Sam’s Dad, Ola, does a simple dance while cooking with his outstanding footballer son.

Why you must ask permission to “enjoy yourself” is part of the problem. We all need to stop and “enjoy ourselves” occasionally.

Hope that makes sense. 🙂

Yeah, four years. I always thought I would post regularly – but something always got in the way. After stints at Tokio Marine HCC and Pye Barker Fire & Safety, I am back trying to determine where I want to go. Fractional CTO and Board Member are two areas I am pursuing.

The kids are home from Arizona State – the grades are reasonable, and their mental state is excellent. They are excited about ASU’s first major bowl game on Jan 1. Since we live in Houston, we want to play Texas in Atlanta! It would be great for the Sun Devils to tame the Longhorns, especially with Skattebo in the backfield.

This morning, I remembered the song “Never Gonna Give You Up,” especially the eulogy scene in Ted Lasso. I never thought the waterworks would start, but they did. Every once in a while, I need waterworks in my life. It helps make me feel “human.”

Yeah, we’re still in quarantine, but who can’t help but celebrate their daughter’s birthday. We had a ton of Zoom calls planned, starting with Satsang at our beloved Chinmaya Mission. We then spoke to relatives from around the world and did curbside pickup from Olive Garden. We watched a couple of movies and called it a night.

She got a computer for her birthday. I figured if these kids are going to be online for most of the school year next year, they better have good equipment to do so. No, I didn’t get the latest model or anything, but it’s good enough to last her 4 years of high school.

So, now we head into Memorial Day. A holiday to celebrate the lives we have lost fighting for our nation. A time to reflect on the lives we continue to lose today due to a pandemic. I have said this to friends before and I’ll say it again. Social distancing has shown signs of effectiveness; why stop now? Why are people venturing to the beaches of Galveston or even heading inside a restaurant to celebrate? Because they can. I don’t agree but that’s the notion of this country: freedom in excess, or should I say “INXS”? 🙂