Current status Posted February 13, 2005 at 12:05 am

I would say that, on the whole, it’s been a pretty productive week. On the job front, I’ve applied to Google (the definitive search-all company), Cerner (a Kansas City health care technology firm), UDA Technologies (a construction management software developer in Auburn, AL), and Top Flight Concepts (a small software company located at the Cobb Galleria here in Smyrna). I also had a pretty good exchange over the phone with the manager of the local Consoles & Systems Integration unit for Barco. After I hear from their HR department, I should be headed out to Duluth for an on-site visit.

I also set up a meeting on Thursday with George Riley, one of my favorite professors from Georgia Tech. He has always shown a genuine concern for students and he taught a number of courses coinciding with my areas of interest; namely, software and computer architecture. We talked about a variety of subjects from how to sell oneself as a Tech graduate to MBAs and academia. I felt like I got a lot out of it. I took a few significant things away from it. For one, Prof. Riley encouraged me not take a job that isn’t what I really want (i.e., just to have a job). Also, he suggested considering a small, startup company rather than a larger, well-established corporation (the reasoning being that I could get more out of it).

It was also after this meeting that I began to seriously consider pursuing a career in the gaming industry. I can say without any shame that, at 22 years old, I still love video games. They’re the reason I got into computers and the passion for games that I had as a kid has never really faded. So, how do I make that work for me? The obvious answer is that I should try applying to some game developers. I’m not sure it’s that simple, though. Maybe I’m just making excuses.