Life goes on - but is also picking up!

For those of you on the job hunt (whether you are “just looking” or “actively seeking”), you probably find that you never hear back from about two-thirds (three-fourths?) of the applications. I have sent out around of 4-7 applications per week so I think I have a pretty decent sample size over the last 3-6 months. You may also hear from your friends with MBAs that when they look for jobs, they don't go through the traditional application process but rather find a connection through their network or through the school's network of contacts. This doesn't necessarily mean that these folks are able to get jobs much more quickly, but it does mean that their applications are actually seen and considered by a human that is not just in HR. While I have leveraged my network of contacts (as well as other's - just about everyone I have talked to has generously offered to make introductions for me if needed), I'm finding that going through the numerous applications, creating cover letters, and customizing your resume (after a relatively high threshold value) gives you a better feel of how you want to present yourself and what types of jobs are out there. You become a little less detached from the process - instead of thinking along the lines of “they should want me for what I can offer from my vast experiences”, I am thinking “what sort of impact can I make and what barriers will I face if they hired me?” There is undoubtedly large uncertainty from geopolitical trauma which hampers, or at least delay, some strategic business decisions which were based on previously considered fundamental assumptions. Businesses that survive all adapt with a bit of luck. We will see if any “leftover luck” trickles my way.

Here's a quick snapshot of other things going on in my life. The consulting company (Inverseoutsights.com) is developing structure - with multiple planned conversations to find mutual and complementary benefits; summer camp scheduling for the kids which involve some travel over the summer months; board work and event participation with C2ST and the Menomonee Club; my father passing mid-April which required some quick (and somewhat chaotic) action to travel to China - encountering interesting folks with aligned as well as divergent world views, and a quick tour of Kunming, China. I also got to start reading  Lewis Dartnell’s book: Origins. 

InverseOutsights is getting traction with potential clients as well as interested parties who want to learn more. We are setting up an informal partnership with Advanced Dynamics - a talented local design and product consulting shop very good at prototyping and systems integration (contacts were from previous connections and my gym), and we are looking to find some synergy with local co-working spaces. The kids have summer plans which involve mandarin immersion as well as college prep plans which will keep them busy as well as creative and resourceful. The board work seems to be fund raising centric (not really a surprise for non-profits) but it's a relatively new area for me that I'm enjoying (the experiential aspects) learning about. My father passed mid-April in China. He had late stage Parkinson's disease so it wasn't unexpected but his quality of life was certainly declining so it was almost a relief.  Of course, this meant that I had to make a bereavement trip halfway across the globe on very short notice. On top of being there to support my mother, I met two interesting people during the legs of the trip - one was a professor of finance (who sat next to me on the trip out to China) at IIT. Apparently he invented (or significantly advanced) ETFs in some way, and he was interested in learning more about Inverse Outsights. So, we have a conversation set up when he returns to Chicago (turns out he lives pretty close to me!). The other interesting person was a late 20's early 30's guy I happened to sit next to at the Goose Island taproom in the Beijing airport (while I was enjoying my fish and chips). He was traveling back from Japan from a Star Wars convention and is a travel agent who specializes in higher end travel to Italy, the Mediterranean, and surrounding areas and was on his way back to his home in the UK (he grew up in Kansas). I asked how was able to compete now that a lot of travel information is available online or through an AI. What he does is similar to what Rick Steves started about 30 years ago (and still does!). He travels often to these areas, maps out places of interest, notes details of relevance and interest to higher end travelers, and is able to give them a solidly grounded assessment of exactly what they are looking for. I might pick his brain for travel advice next time I go to that part of the world. Lastly, I got started in Lewis Dartnell's book Origins: How the Earth Shaped Human History. It's been fascinating and I look forward to finishing it.