[geeks] Jobs?

[Geoffrey S. Mendelson]

On Sun, Dec 09, 2007 at 12:16:48PM -0500, Jonathan Katz wrote:
> I've wrestled with this one. I was there 4 weeks and they told me it  
> wasn't working out. I left a stable, good job for the challenge of a  
> startup and was somehow railroaded out of the startup with very  
> little reasoning. 

That's a real tough call. Startups are like that. People think they
will get rich going to work for a startup, but 95% of the crash and
burn, 85% in the first year. 

> Either their budget went bad or I rubbed someone  
> the wrong way; it just didn't line up and I have yet to get a good  
> explanation. While I was there I did some good work, but I don't want  
> to leave a big gap on the resume, either. So I either have a 1-2mo  
> job or a 1-2mo gap. When we were evaling resumes at the last job both  
> of those issues were red flags but as long as they were explained  
> there wasn't an issue.

True. 

> I'm damned if I do and damned if I don't. I have no problem being up- 
> front about the situation. My past work history speaks for itself.  
> Almost 4 years at one company and 3.5 at Sun before that.

Yes, but you need to learn to "spin" it. If the company goes under
or publicly is emabarressed, it's better for you. If it is still going
strong, then spin it so that you left because you did not fit.

One startup I worked for, who asked me to leave, which I was going
to do anyway, has continued to raise funds and grow. They are one
of the best privately capitalized startups in Jerusalem. On the other
hand they claimed to have their product ready by June of 2003, and
it still is not on the market. 

So in reality, they have done nothing but raised more money, printed more
stock and never quite gotten it to work "on the street". 

I don't really care because it was the start of an education on
startups and how to and not to do them. :-)

You could always say that you realized it was a bad fit the first day,
but since you had made a comitmement, you decided to stick it out.

Geoff.

-- 
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel gsm at mendelson.com  N3OWJ/4X1GM
IL Voice: (07)-7424-1667 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838 
Visit my 'blog at http://geoffstechno.livejournal.com/