Bay Area Living

  

Are you thinking about relocating to the San Francisco Bay Area?  Considering moving here for the nice weather and great start-up opportunities?  I thought I’d share a few insights into life out here that may help you think about whether or not Bay Area life is for you…

Opportunities

If relocating here is something you are already considering, I’m going to assume that you already know about the start-up culture here, the many high-tech job opportunities there are, and how established companies such as Apple, Google, and Facebook have their headquarters here as well.  This blog post will mainly focus on the “other” aspects of Bay Area living.

Location

There’s no doubt about it – we are located in a great part of the US.  The weather leaves little to be desired (we do have seasons, but winter and summer are mild) as you won’t be rained out most days and you will never need to shovel snow out of your driveway here. 

This is a beautiful part of California, less than an hour to our spectacular coastline with beaches, cliffs, and wildlife.  We are only a few hours drive from the majesty of Yosemite or some fantastic skiing in Lake Tahoe.  Napa is also just a few hours away, if touring the vineyards and enjoying wine is of interest.  It’s a non-stop flight to Hawaii, and if you travel to the Far East for business you can get direct flights from San Francisco.

If you like to hike or bike, there are lots of paths and mountain roads, plus plenty of open-space preserves to explore.  Some of us complain when it’s cold (in the 50’s in winter) or hot, but in all honesty we are truly spoiled.

Entertainment

As far as dining is concerned, the Bay Area offers many amazing restaurants, cafés and coffee houses, and due to the multi-cultural nature of the area there are endless ethnic dining options as well.  We have some great sports teams, from the SF Giants, to the SF 49’ers, to the San Jose Sharks.  There are also some fantastic science and art museums in the area, as well as the SF Symphony, Ballet, and Opera House. 

Housing

There has to be a down side to all this, doesn’t there?  Well, most people who move here have to downsize.  If paying over 1 million dollars for a postage stamp lot and a small house doesn’t sound appealing to you, you may want to reconsider a move.  Housing prices throughout Silicon Valley are exorbitant, causing many workers to seek housing farther out where it’s still expensive but not quite as outrageous. 

This leads us to another potential downside:  the commute.

Transportation

If you can manage to live close to your work, you are one of the lucky ones!  Unfortunately, California does not have a robust public transportation system, so you may find yourself spending much more time with your car than you thought possible.  Of course, a bad commute may be ameliorated if you are able to work from home a few times a week or if you can drive during “off” hours.  However, many people have figured this out, leading to a long “rush hour” starting at 3pm most days. 

Final Thoughts?

So, is it worth it?  Only you can decide.  The Bay Area is definitely a wonderful place to live, but it isn’t for everyone.  If it weren’t such a great place to live, it wouldn’t cost so much!   But first, come for a visit and check it out to see if you feel that the Bay Area is a cultural match for you; how well could you fit into this extremely diverse and intellectually intense environment?  So come for a visit, check out what we life here has to offer, and see for yourself if this is a place you could call home.

Put a Positive Spin on It (Part 3)

Lately we’ve been sharing how you can put a positive spin on a difficult or negative work experience.  Today we’re going to share a third story, one that shows that you can learn from your mistakes.

Negative Spin

My last position was at a small company that had created an interesting and innovative product.  The goal was to negotiate a contract with a large corporation and to eventually sell the company.  The product wasn’t complete and it had some weak spots that we tried to hide.  Most of the employees at my company spoke Russian, but the other company’s representatives were all American.  During one of the joint meetings, one employee said to his peer sitting next to him, in Russian, “They are such idiots!  Let’s hope they don’t ask us about the “black box!”  At the conclusion of the meeting, one of the members of the other team thanked everyone for meeting, in Russian!  We were not able to make a deal with them, most likely because of that comment.  This is not a company I am happy to be a part of and thus I’m seeking a new position.

Positive Spin

While the facts of the story above remain the same, you can put a positive spin on it by explaining how even a big mistake can have a positive outcome:

As a result, we had to work harder as a team and re-focus our efforts on improving the product.  Personally, I have learned several things from that experience.  I don’t make assumptions about people I meet and I have learned to never underestimate a team that I am negotiating with.  

Furthermore, while the loss of this deal was devastating at the time, we were eventually able to spin-off the department and create a new successful company!

Conclusion

Even though this story highlights a big lapse in judgment, the ability to learn from your mistakes, or those of your team, is an important and valuable skill.  Furthermore, the ability to re-group and re-focus one’s efforts after such a “failure” shows both resilience and a positive attitude.

Put a Positive Spin on It (Part 2)

 In our last blog entry we gave an example of how to spin what could have been a negative work story into a positive one.  Today we will share another example of how you can discuss a difficult or challenging work experience in a way that will highlight your ingenuity and resilience.

Negative Spin

I was put in charge of writing an installer for a product with two separate components that needed to “talk” to one another.  Testing the installer was incredibly difficult because each component was created at a different office and it was not easy to coordinate my testing schedule with two other people in two different locations.  I could see that finding a time we could all work on this simultaneously was going to be an ongoing and consistent problem.  This was exacerbated when each person blamed the other and my management didn’t seem to care that we were “set up” to fail.  My frustration that the process, by design, was not working and that nobody listened to my suggestions has led me to seek better opportunities elsewhere.

Positive Spin

I was given the task of writing an installer for a product with two separate components.  I could see that this situation was not going to work, since each component was created at a different office and it was not easy to coordinate my testing schedule with two other people in two different locations.  I realized that something had to change in order for my project to succeed, so I took the initiative to create a “work-around” in the installer.  While my work around allowed me to create the installer, it wasn’t the most efficient way for the company to proceed in the future.  I was able to find people within my company who noticed what I had done and asked me what changes we needed to make for the next release.  While this was a challenging time for me at work, it gave me the opportunity to learn new skills, allowed me to make a positive change in the way the company works, and even led to a promotion!

Conclusion

We have all had challenging and difficult work experiences we can share, but finding a way to spin those stories in a positive way will make you stand out as a creative and positive candidate.

Put A Positive “Spin” on It

Everyone has interesting stories to tell.   But HOW you tell your story can make all the difference in the world.  Think about how you want others to view you, and also about how you can make the best out of a less-than-ideal situation.  Here’s an example of two different ways a candidate can put a spin on a prior work experience.

First Perspective

When I took the job with “Company X”, I immediately found myself in the middle of a political battle between two divisions, the one that I joined and a rival.  These two groups were fighting for control over a core business in this company and it was a very unpleasant start with the company.  Our group eventually won the competition and then spent the next two years constantly working with the rival team, trying to integrate and adapt their complex technology into the final product.

In the end, after all of these battles and compromises, the final product was unsuccessful.  The industry itself suffered a downturn after the “dot com bust” and my workplace atmosphere declined as well.  For three years I dealt with management changes, layoffs, and a depressing work environment.  I decided I had to leave and seek a more dynamic and positive opportunity.

Second Perspective

When I joined “Company X” the company was in the middle of choosing whether to go with one group’s technologies and approach to a problem or that of a rival team.  There was an open opportunity for someone to lead the decision-making process and merge the two departments into one cohesive team.

Since I was new to the program, I was able to take a more neutral role between the teams, urging them to take small steps and provide small deliverables so that we could merge the two approaches and see if it could really work.  Within two weeks we were able to see that it was not going to work easily.  This led us into a two-year-long exploration of major technologies and innovation, as well as collaboration with a Canadian team. In the end, the new product and the whole infrastructure were created and used across one of the major divisions of the Company X.

After the “dot com bust” there were many changes in the company, including layoffs and re-organizations.  These changes also opened up new opportunities, and I was able to work with groups in France, HCI groups, and graphic designers as well as actively participate in usability studies.  This exposed me to new ways of thinking and allowed me to seek broader experiences than I would have had in a more prosperous economic climate.

Summary

While both of these stories are true, and in fact are really the same story, they send very different messages.  Which message would you prefer?

During an interview you don’t want to send out any negative hooks or appear to be a complainer.  Put a positive and constructive spin on your stories and not only will you seem like a more upbeat person, but you will also show your ability to make the most of any opportunity that presents itself to you and come across as a creative and optimistic person.

Tips on Preparing Your “Stories” for Interviews

In past blog entries, we have mentioned that it’s very important to have some interesting but concise stories to use during your interviews.  It’s critical to walk into your interview prepared for the questions you will be asked, and choosing and preparing your stories ahead of time is a vital part of that process.  Here are a few tips to help you prepare.

•Why Tell A Story?

So, why do you want to tell a story?  When someone asks you a question during your interview, it’s more personal and interesting if you can use an example of a particular work project or problem that you have faced and describe how you handled that situation.  Telling a story will be more compelling and genuine that simply listing your accomplishments – make sure that your voice comes through and that it doesn’t sound rehearsed or cliché. 

•Which Stories Should You Choose?

Think of at least 3 great stories that you can use to answer several questions that you would expect to be asked during your interview.  Take a careful look at your resume and find 3 instances where you are proud of your work and that illustrate your unique skills and expertise.  Make sure these stories are relevant to the position for which your are interviewing.  These 3 stories should showcase your motivation, creativity, positive attitude, intelligence, and spirit.

•Preparing Your Stories

Prepare each story ahead of time, keeping in mind that each should be concise and no longer than 3-4 minutes. After you choose 3 stories, ask yourself the following questions about each one:

-- What was this project about? (Be as specific as possible by including the numbers instead of adjectives).

-- What challenges did you face?

-- What were your individual contributions (not the team)?

-- How did you solve the challenges presented?

-- Why did you choose to utilize specific technologies?

-- What was the outcome?

-- What did you learn from this experience?

•Make Sure to Follow Through

Make sure you conclude each story with a lesson that was learned, a successful outcome, or something else that highlights the relevance of this particular work experience.  For example, if speaking about a “failure” or problem you faced, make sure to include what you learned from it and how you have managed to approach things in a different way because of this incidence.  This “follow through” will not only wrap up a story, but also show your ability to learn and grow from your experiences.

•Keep your Goal in Mind

It is essential to continuously keep your goal in your mind when preparing and telling your stories.  A good story is not only compelling but will tell the listener more about you.  Are you the kind of person who would fit well in this company? Would this team enjoy working with you?  Your goal is to meaningfully discuss your own projects and to make certain that your interviewers get a good understanding of your accomplishments even if they are not familiar with the specifics.