Warming-Up

Today looks like a real spring day here in the suburbs of Boston. The last day of April brings hope, because it means the cold weather is mostly behind us. In about three weeks we can safely plant those marigolds and tomato sets outside. Memorial day marks the last-frost-date for old time farmers, but nowadays we cheat a little and plant in mid-may.

Cleaning day. But instead of evacuating to the library today, I think I will do some garden chores. I have hostas that need to be divided and replanted, shrubs that need pruning, and a lawn full of incipient dandylions that need to be exterminated.

I look at my lawn and garden as a metaphor for the job scene. Things are warming up. A Promise of fecundity lays in the air like a friendly fog. Or is it smoke from a careless fire? I try not to watch the war news, because every piece of bad news translates into a drop in the stock market indices, and this does nothing to promote job growth.

Some recent activity on the job hunting scene:

- Call from a headhunter who did not speak comprehensible English. From the quality of the connection I surmised that she was calling from India. I did not understand most of what she said. Methinks the outsourcing thing is getting out of hand. I told her a lie: that I was no longer looking for work - just to get her off the phone.

- No follow-up from Phone interview from two weeks ago, despite the PM's promise to let me know. Good. That was a daily commute 30 miles to Shrewsbury. Who needs that?

- Assorted Spam from people who have picked up my email from job boards. I must declare that I have not received a single promising inquiry as a result of posting my vitae on any job board. Most of the spam wants to sell me job hunting advice and counseling, insurance sales, or work at home scams.

- Response to job boards. I see one or two promising jobs every day, and dutifully send my resume and a killer cover letter. Sooner or later, one of these seeds will sprout.

That reminds me, I have work to do: as Voltaire says "Il faut cultiver notre jardin."