I've learned a lesson while searching for a job. I mean, I've learned several things, but one came up again yesterday.

I've been contacted twice by Infinite regarding positions in Cedar Rapids, IA. Which Becky and I are okay with. Her uncle lives in Cedar Rapids, we've visited once and driven through a couple times on our way out west. It seems like a nice place. After the initial contact, resume sharing, position specific information sharing exchange of e-mails occurred, I was called back by Vinay asking me for a detailed list of projects I'd worked on. So I modified the resume I'd originally sent to include a sampling of a dozen or so brief project descriptions. Vinay then called me back again to clarify that he meant a complete list of all projects I'd worked on, my responsibilities, technologies used, length of project, budget and results.

As far as I know, no such list exists. At ACUITY I worked as an in house maintenance developer. I was assigned to a team responsible for several home grown systems. When the systems needed updating (and they always needed updating), a project was estimated, run by a committee and if approved, assigned to me to complete. Over the 12 years at ACUITY I probably worked on 30-40 such projects along with a whole slew of small maintenance activities. But I didn't keep track. I just did them. So I wracked my brains and came up with the best I could remember for Vinay, but it was woefully short of everything I did in over a decade of work.

It was Vinay who contacted me for the second position as well and we went through the whole rigamaroll again. "Here's my resume with a sampling of projects." "We need more details." "I'll try, but quite frankly there is no more detailed document than what you're already holding."

It was kind of frustrating. Did Infinite just not know what it was like to work in a mid size shop? Or is there some standard within the programmer profession that says we should track all the projects we work on? I don't recall ever learning any such standard. No other agencies had asked me for such a list. At least, not until yesterday.

After talking to Tami about the positions recruiters had contacted me for in the Madison area, it appears that they really are two positions. She's going to submit me for a 6-9 month contract at Land's End. She didn't recognize the other one, though, so I got responded to Muthu from Technosoft with a resume and other information he requested so he could submit me to an unspecified client of theirs. Then Muthu responded asking me for a more detailed list of my project history.

Gah. At least the work was mostly done already from when Vinay asked me for it. I just had to put it together and send it off to Muthu.

But lesson learned. Wherever I end up working, I'll keep a list of projects I work on. I mean, I may never need it. Ideally, I'll get a job at the place where I'm going to retire right? But that's what I thought about ACUITY, too. So you know, just in case.