Welcome!

Hi! I'm glad you decided to stop by! This is the inaugural opening of The Southbound Geek blog.

My main purpose for creating this blog was threefold:

1. The next year or so will be the most exciting, and perhaps the most terrifying for me personally. Not because of what I know is happening, but the unpredictable nature of the job hunt.
   
2. I wanted a common place to send everybody to track my progress.
3. I really want to document my feelings and experiences, not just "interviewed at X, applied at Y, got rejected from Z".
   

For those who are not aware, here's a quick-and-dirty background...

My name is [redacted]. I'm 28 years old, and have lived in Western New York all my life, mainly in the distant suburbs of Buffalo (read: farm country). I've had a tough run at college - I did really well for a few years at UB, had some academic trouble for 2 semesters, and have spent the rest of the time trying to pick up the pieces. Although it wouldn't seem like it on paper, I'm actually a competent programmer in C, C++, Java and PHP. I've finally gotten a stranglehold on my past, and after a quick transfer to ECC, I've completed an Associates in Computer Science with a Certificate in Web Network Technology (I only needed to take 30 credits for residency requirements - I transferred enough credits to complete the degree).

In late December 2005, I met a wonderful girl at a conference in Albany, NY. In August 2006, she made the move to Northern Virginia to take a teaching position at an elementary school. By Thanksgiving 2006, I proposed to her for a July 2008 wedding. We've been through a lot with our long-distance relationship, but my love for her has never wavered.

So, with my pending graduation at the end of December, I will be packing up my life here and becoming a Virginian. It's a big move for me, and although I know that my future wife will be there to support me in whatever career I end up in, I'm terrified. I know that I have marketable skill, and even with the massive amount of work experience, I'm in fear of being pigeonholed as "just another community college grad." From what I've witnessed over two semesters and three summer sessions, I'm far from the average community college grad. I'm just hoping I can convince potential employers otherwise.

Thanks for reading!

P.S. - I've decided to remain anonymous for several reasons. First, I do not want any potential employers to locate me through this blog. I'd rather they find me through other channels. Second, I want to be completely objective with my analysis of the whole process. I would like the ability to critique (within reason) without fear of repercussions. The last thing I want to do is complicate the process with a silly blog. Work is more important than blogging.