David Sheeks

Okay, so you've made your interview checklist, you've sorted through the fake job scams out there, you've met with a recruiter to help you search, and now you've finally found someone who may want to hire you.  Congratulations!  Now comes the part that very few people like: the interview . But don't worry! This is not the time to be alarmed; it is instead a chance for you to really strengthen yourself in the job market.  An interview isn't just your chance to convince someone to hire you--instead it's a chance for you and a potential employer to learn about each other and determine if you are the best fit for each other. In a lot of ways it's like a relationship.  Many of us may remember trying to impress the popular person in school in hopes that we could convince them that we were "worthy" enough to date.  It was a status thing--trying to seem "cool" enough to get to hang out with someone you thought was of a higher social statu...

This week's article will focus on the job search--specifically creative ways to increase your chances of being noticed, getting the interview, and ultimately--getting the job you want.  Today I will focus on using recruiting firms to maximize your chance of getting an interview. Many people miss out on extremely good opportunities because they bypass recruiters entirely, or have no idea what they are.  Simply put, a recruiter is a representative who acts on your behalf to help you find a job.  He or she is someone who has made a career of placing people in positions that are perfect for them, and they are very good at what they do. Finding a recruiter is easy.  When you search the online job ads, you may see something like this: "Widget Assembler - 123 Staffing."  In this case, the fictional "123 Staffing" company is a recruiter.  They do not own the widget shop, but instead find employees to work for that shop.  The widget shop then pays the staff...

I must admit, I completely laughed when the iPad came out.  An enormous iPhone without the ability to make phone calls.  But when I sat down and used one for the first time, I thought, "Wow! An enormous iPhone, without a required cellular plan!"  Of course the iPhone is a little different from its iPhone counterpart (mostly as far as its technical specs), but essentially they are the same--running a similar operating system and capable of running the same applications. But is this necessarily a bad thing?  I use an iPhone myself, and I enjoy the versatility of being able to download and use applications with extreme convenience.  I don't have to boot up, wait for things to load, and so on.  It's just there, waiting for me to use whatever application I need in my work to get the job done. Tablets are essentially the same.  Both the Apple-branded and Android-based tablets run similar versions (and in Android's case, often the SAME version) of the smar...

In 2005, over 99 million TONS of paper and paperboard were used in the United States alone (source:  http://www.epa.gov/ne/green/paperuse.html ).  The amount of junk mail, fliers, books and so on require massive amounts of paper to be generated--and only a fraction of that is ever recycled. But in recent years, many IT departments have begun moving to a "paperless" environment.  ISO standards call for reduction or removal of printed materials from the workplace--all data is stored online and accessed electronically, ensuring that data is always up-to-date.  Even bulk mailers are getting more environmentally friendly, choosing to overload your email inbox instead of your physical mailbox, inadvertently saving paper in the process. But what about books?  Sure, books in digital format have existed for years.  But reading on a bright, backlit monitor can be a pain.  Staring at a computer screen for hours at a time can be exhausting, and the desire to g...

The job market out there is definitely tough.  I've had my share of let-downs on the roller coaster that is the job market.  In times like this people are often tempted to make themselves extremely available and extremely open-minded--even if that open-mindedness means compromising ones values. When there are a handful of job-seekers and a plethora of open positions, it's easy to take a stand for what you believe in.  When the chips are down and there are few guarantees, however, it's a bit harder.  I haven't been in the situation where I had to decide on a company I didn't agree with, but I did have a recent opportunity to take a stand for what I believed in nonetheless. Several years ago, I was certified as the youngest sponsor for a Christian leadership program.  The one-day seminar involved bringing teenagers in from all over Lexington, and was very successful.  Because of the amount of leadership work involved with this (securing finances, organizi...

Unemployment is near 9% and has been for the last couple years. "real" unemployment (unemployment applications plus those no longer eligible) is potentially something closer to 20%.  It is *hard* to find a job these days.  The facts are against you. The statistics are against you.  But there is one thing that should always be on your side, fighting in your corner: YOU. At risk of coming off as some over-the-top inspirational speaker, there are a few things I want every job seeker out there to keep in mind as part of their job search: as long as there is ONE job available in your field, you still have a chance. Take this example: The Tour de France allows a certain number of teams to compete and qualify every year.  Let's say that last year 500 applicants qualified.  News comes out that now, only 300 individuals will be allowed to qualify for next year's tryouts.  If you're someone who is struggling to make the cut in the first place, it is a pretty depr...

This time around in my job search is the first time I've used sites such as Monster, Careerbuilder and Craigslist to search for jobs.  In the time I've been on these websites I have been amazed at the sheer amount of garbage that hits my SPAM email folder on a daily basis. With unemployment currently high and a large number of job seekers out there, it is crucial to know what to look for.  With a few easy tips you can skip over the spam and get to what you really want--the legitimate job offer emails. 1: The Work from Home scam These almost never work.  Why?  Because they tell you that you will work a little bit and make TONS of money.  Most people think, "Well hey, even if they are only half-right, I'll still make more than enough to live on!"  The problem is that the companies offering the get-rich-quick schemes are not just doubly inflating their figures.  While they may show testimonials from "real people" who make $5000 a month, the average...

Cloud computing is to this decade what the World Wide Web was to the 1990's.  A new and unknown giant, cloud computing is growing exponentially to provide services to thousands of companies worldwide.  An estimated 80% of companies will be in the cloud in the next few years, and approximately 20% of those will own zero digital assets--all of their servers and storage being in the cloud instead. So what is the cloud?  We've all seen the "To the cloud!" commercials where someone uses their laptop to access a video from their computer half a country away.  While that represents one form of cloud computing, it is a little more complicated than that.  And that complication is where the problems come in. Put simply, cloud computing focuses on using multiple servers and computers to store data online in one of many locations, so that it can be accessed by users worldwide.  But instead of companies renting a certain number of servers, they instead subscribe to ...

After weeks of hard work, the arcade machine project is finally complete.  The display is installed, the trim is painted, the locks are secured, and everything is finally working at 100%. I have provided pictures of the final project below: The controller board is now surrounded with durable wood trim to prevent rough edges, and the door contains two locks to prevent unauthorized entry.  This machine is ready to go, ready to play, and ready to do almost anything you want it to. It is fully compatible and pre-configured to work with Netflix, Hulu, Youtube, over a dozen game systems, over 5000 arcade games, and more.  Included are a wireless keyboard and mouse that can be locked in the machine if the machine is put in a commercial environment. Interested in one for yourself?  This machine is currently on sale for $1200--a steal when similar machines cost over $2000 and make you supply the computer and monitor.  If you are interested, give me a call and l...

Today's mini-blog is going to be focused on LinkedIn.  A type of social networking site, LinkedIn allows professionals to connect in a way that is similar to Facebook or Myspace, but for business. LinkedIn is used by many in the IT, engineering, teaching and technical industries, and allows professionals to meet and reconnect with those in their chosen career field.  Friends on LinkedIn can post job openings, give references to others, and help each other with job searches. To join LinkedIn, simply go to their website, www.linkedin.com.  You will be asked to give some information about yourself, your work history, and your experience.  This information will be displayed on your profile page so that potential employers and friends can get a better idea of your relevance in the workforce. LinkedIn is not guaranteed to find you a job.  However it does give you an easily-accessible online presence that employers and business leaders can look at.  People y...

I'm taking a small deviation from the current series on employment to show you guys a little trick I've recently come across for Windows 7.  By creating one little desktop folder, you can unlock a "god mode" for your Windows 7 PC.  Special thanks to Doug for the tip. Now this tool doesn't give you any extra power than you already had.  Instead it's all about convenience.  It takes every control panel option and variation and puts them in a categorized list.  No need to sit there thinking, "Now where the heck did Microsoft hide the settings for that program in *this* version of windows?"  Simply double click your god mode icon, and save yourself a LOT of time. To activate this feature for windows: Create a new folder. It can be placed anywhere, but we used the desktop for the sake of convenience. Name the folder "GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}" (without quotes) Hit enter. The folder should now look something like th...

The next article in my current series on employment is all about organization.  When you want a job in the professional field, you may be applying to a dozen or more positions.  While it may be easy at first, keeping track of all those employers can eventually get overwhelming, especially if your job search drones on in the slow market. To increase productivity and prevent lost time, consider an employment worksheet.  It doesn't have to be anything special, just an organized spreadsheet to keep track of who you applied to, when you applied, what info you sent, and whether or not they have contacted you back. As you can see, it isn't an overly complicated document. But it helps you keep track of the people you have contacted, and can avoid an embarrassing situation (such as you emailing your resume to the same person multiple times because you forgot who you had already contacted).  It only takes a few minutes to set up a job search worksheet, and the benefit can...

A vast percentage of laptops produced today are based on the Intel 945 chipset.  If your laptop uses a GMA900 or 950 graphics accelerator (hint: if your laptop says Pentium, Celeron, or Intel anywhere on it, and you didn't shell out an extra $200 or so for upgraded graphics, it probably does), you absolutely need to get the GMA Booster program. What is GMA booster?  Put simply, it changes the clock speed of your graphics processor in your laptop. It isn't "overclocking," it is making it run at the speed it is built for.  The Intel 9xx chipset underclocks its graphics processor to 166mhz, while it is natively built to run at 400mhz.  The general idea is to squeeze every bit of battery life out of your laptop as possible, but this two to three percent power change sucks more than half of your graphics ability. To put it more simply, imagine if you had a brand new Mustang, but could only run it in first gear.  Anyone who saw you would think, "Wow, that isn't...

As I will be getting back into the job market in the next couple weeks (after I graduate on May 7th), I decided it would be a good idea to post a few tips and tricks for those wanting to become more relevant in the job market.  Today, I am focusing on certifications. In the IT industry, certifications often require no specific education, and can be obtained by anyone from high-schoolers to college graduates.  Instead of requiring attendance at an institute of higher learning, applicants must generally pass a difficult examination to become certified. Recently I acquired my COMPTIA A+ certification.  This particular certification requires one to take two tests (the 220-701 Essentials and the 220-702 Practical Examination).  A score of 675 or higher on the first test and 700 or higher on the second merits certification through COMPTIA. While being able to pass these tests comes easy for some who have worked in the field for years, not all of us have such an advantag...

Have my blogs helped you in the past?  I'm planning a "Feedback" section to go on the side of my Sheeks.net website.  References would be short and to the point, and include your name as you'd like it printed as well as your location if you are okay with that.  For example: David's information was extremely helpful; I'll definitely go to him again for my technology needs. -John Doe, Richmond, KY. Just send me a message via the comment box or on my Facebook (if you are on it) and help me out!

While I'm waiting on the final touches of the Mame project, I figured I'd share a little bit older of a project.  A few months back, I increased the productivity and effectiveness of my computer by upgrading to not two, but three monitors. The setup is fairly simple, and many modern motherboards can easily achieve such a setup.  You will need the following: 3 monitors An external PCI Express x16 video card with at least two outputs Cables to hook everything up LOTS of desk space  Setting it all up was pretty simple.  After hooking up the video card (In this case a 9800GT fanless card), I hooked the center monitor up through the HDMI port, the second through the DVI-D port, and the third on the integrated (onboard) DVI-D port.  Your ports may vary (my previous 3-monitor setup used one DVI output and two VGA outputs), but you will need at least three (although for is even better!) Restart your computer, and while it is booting up, hit whatever key allow...

I had some time this weekend to work on the innards of the arcade machine.  Because this machine needs to be "industrial-quality," it needs to be built like a tank.  Were it to be sold to someone, chances are they aren't going to like breaking open the case, soldering iron in hand, to start working away at a fix.  Therefore the machine needs to be built as securely as possible. I've intentionally left the controller board open until the very end.  Because it has the most things that can go wrong, it needs to be kept in perfect condition.  I'll be closing it up shortly as soon as some of my stress tests are complete. The other side of this week's work was software.  I've installed GameEx on the arcade machine to give it a much more arcade-like feel. GameEx is a free program that allows users to launch not only arcade games, but a myriad of other entertainment programs from a single interface.  Similar to the Xbox or Playstation GUI, it allows users ...

The cantenna project is finally completed and had its first test today.  Of all antennas tried in our test, including a commercial dipole antenna, the Cantenna surpassed every other antenna in quality of signal. When pointed directly at its target, the antenna should get between 5 and 10 miles when attached to a high-quality wireless card.  Even with several trees in the way, the antenna was able to find our test router and hold around 4 bars (although the trees made it difficult to get a clear signal and figure out exactly where to point the dish). I'll be adding a few more modifications to the antenna in the future, but the prototype design is below. The completed antenna.  Still a bit shabby with the electrical tape holding it on, but I've recently added an adjustable clamp to it instead to allow for better flexibility. Closeup of the antenna.

The cantenna project has had a bit more work done in the last few days.  To keep cost down, and to make the end result as efficient as possible, we are using an old school compass (you know, one of those things you made circles with in math class instead of paying attention?) to adjust the angle of the can with the dish.  In this way I can record the angles that provide the best range with the device. More data will be coming soon including some pictures of the finished project.  Also soon to come is more pictures of the arcade cabinet in its completed glory.

The arcade machine is almost complete.  I took a few days off to work on other classwork, but will begin Tuesday with the final little bit of trim on the cabinet.  I've got a few more pictures to show off the marquee and completed paint job on everything but the control panel.  Loading screen of Street Fighter 3: Third Strike. Intro movie as the game is loading up.  You can see the coin door here as well; one of the two lights is not working; I'll snag a replacement bulb from the hardware store when I pick up the extra trim for the controller board.  Title screen of game before coins have been put in.  The coin door works perfectly now (and since I have the key, I can always get my quarters back!). Zoomed out to show the coin door, keyboard shelf (still without the cover so far), top marquee with backlight (I'll probably use some translucent colored paper later), etc.

After weeks of work the machine is FINALLY functional!  The first game: Street Fighter 3: Third strike.  And I got my butt kicked by the computer. But the joys of having my own cabinet: infinite coins and infinite replays. I'll have more pictures later on; the cabinet isn't done yet (needs some trim, luan for the controller board, a couple wiring bits done, and some more paint).  But IT WORKS!  The speakers are insanely loud as well, with a nice subwoofer that really adds to the experience. The cabinet sitting in my office.  Maybe after this project I can work on a new one: getting rid of that old '70's trim on the stairs.

The arcade machine is nearing its completion.  The following things are still on the list: 1: Finish etching the marquee 2: put the speakers, computer, and surge protector in the cabinet 3: Put the keyboard/mouse drawer in. 4: Finish the trim on the control board and add the luan to the front of it. 5: Mount the TV And that's it!  It should be one more full day's work and the project should be finally finished.  I've added a couple pictures of today's progress, one after the first coat of paint and the second after the painting was done and it was moved to our living room. First coat of paint on.  Still haven't added paint to the bottom trim for the door. Final painting is done for the cabinet.  I will be hand painting the controller board before attaching it permanently, but I need to attach the microswitches for the left and right paddle switches (for pinball games) and the coin door switches first.

Worked on the arcade project a little bit more today (around 5-6 hours).  A layer of luan plywood was installed around every part of the cabinet, the plywood for mounting the TV on was placed, and a cutout has been made for the keyboard/mouse shelf. The next step (which will start on Tuesday) will be the addition of trim around the entire cabinet, and the installation of the lighting and speakers (which is why the top and marquee panels have not been installed yet, as the lights and speaker pair will attach to them).  More pictures have been posted below.  View from above showing the graphic, the luan backing, and the keyboard insert.  Note that a drawer will be installed below the controller board, and unlocking the key will allow for the drawer to open and display the keyboard and mouse for troubleshooting purposes. Front view of the cabinet showing the opening where the access door will be located.  I've installed the first two pieces of trim on the bot...

The arcade cabinet is coming along pretty well, and I have a few pictures to show off of the cabinet itself.  The shell of the cabinet is finally done, and now I can move on to adding trim, doors, the coin door, and paint before adding the bells and whistles. The cabinet before adding the front panel. Detail view of the bottom showing the USB cable trailing from the controller board. Detail of the top half showing the controller board and area where the widescreen TV will be mounted.  Image of the cabinet with the front panel installed.  The area that is cut out is where the front door will be located. This door can be unlocked so that it swings open, and holds the coin door assembly. When opened, the coin assembly swings out of the way and the computer and other components can be accessed.  Higher quality image (thanks to Ashley for using her camera for a better pic) of the top half.  I'll have some more images to upload once it is light out and...

The next stage of the cabinet design was to install a graphic under the fiberglass to really make the arcade controller board stand out. I scoured the local Hastings electronics store but the only thing I could find was a Halo Reach poster.  Oh well; it looks good anyway.  Tomorrow work on the trim will begin, and if I have time I'll work a little bit on the cabinet itself.

The control panel for the arcade project is nearly finished, and I finally have some pictures of the design.  I still need to add the joysticks (the mounts for these are already installed), and wire the micro switches from the back.  In addition, a nice graphic will be added between the plexiglass and wood, and trim will be added to the sides to give it a smooth, finished look.  Note: Picture taken with substandard camera in substandard lighting, but hopefully should be smooth enough to give a good idea of how it's coming along. The completed board, showing the P1 and P2 buttons as well as the joystick mounts and button configuration for each side. Detail view of the Player 1 side. The most difficult part so far was cutting the fiberglass.  One crack did appear in the fiberglass edge during the drilling of the button holes, but there will be a decal covering that particular part so it may not be necessary to redo the fiberglass entirely.

The arcade projected continued on today with a few updates.  Legacy Engineer, the company that I had ordered my Arcade32 interface card from, failed to respond to any of my queries or give me any kind of update on the product I ordered for the last 8 days. Finally today after half a dozen calls to their answering machines, they sent me a response via email: apparently they are "out of stock" and it'll be a week or so before they come in. A company that takes almost a week and a half to find out they don't have something in stock isn't one I plan to do business with any time soon. I've requested a refund and will be using the money on an Ipac-2 interface from Ultimarc, which is the most recommended keyboard controller for this project in the first place. For about three hours today I worked on the controller panel; it now has both joysticks and all 18 buttons mounted on it (1 and 2 player start buttons, and 8 buttons for each player).  The last two buttons ...

The AT&T Microcell seems to be working as good as advertised (or better).  As of today I have officially dropped my Windstream landline service (a whopping $70 a month after taxes and features).  Remember guys: this generous offer probably isn't going to last long with AT&T; they can (and do) charge customers $200 for this thing normally, and while it is probably worth the $200 for many people, it's still a steep charge when other users are getting it for free.  So I highly recommend anyone who has AT&T and is in a bad service area to get ahold of their local rep, or talk to them on the phone, and see if you can work out a deal for a free or reduced Microcell.

After a pretty decent testing period it seems that the AT&T 3g Microcell is doing extremely well.  I drop down to only 4 bars when I am in the opposite corner of my house (around 28 feet and 4 walls between the phone and antenna), but even then the signal is stellar. Of course it's using my Internet's bandwidth, but overhead seems to be pretty minimal and I can surf the web or talk on the phone without any noticeable slowdown.  I'll post more information as I continue my testing.

I got an interesting letter in the mail today from AT&T, my cellular service provider.  The letter was pretty straight and to the point: I have bad coverage where I live, so I am entitled to a (completely free) "microcell." After checking to make sure this wasn't just some scam (yes, it's legit, and yes, they are being offered to certain qualifying customers in poor coverage areas), I headed out to the sore with the paper. They took it, and handed me the box.  I went home, plugged it in, and typed the serial number into my online account page, and within 15 minutes, I had something I never had before from my house: Perfect signal. AT&T's Cisco-powered 3G Microcell uses your broadband internet to give you perfect quality voice and data service, emulating a cellphone tower.  I have 5 bars anywhere within 40 feet of the transmitter, and a full 3G signal.  In addition, it has a boosted GPS and as my home address already programmed in for 911 purposes. ...

The parts for the MAME cabinet were supposed to come in today, but the severe weather in many parts of the country seem to have caused considerable delay.  Hopefully the package with the microswitches, buttons and joysticks will arrive tomorrow, but at this point I'm at the mercy of the weather and FedEx.  Work on the coin separator has begun, however.  I have created my first prototype, a slide-style separator, but will probably move to a roll-style separator instead just for greater accuracy (where the coin rolls down a plastic ramp, and anything below the height of a quarter will fall off the ramp into the REJECT slot.  Any quarter that makes it to the end will hit an electrical switch, signaling a successful coin addition). The coin mechanism has an anti-theft device installed as well (also of my own design).  This should stop individuals who try the "quarter on a string" trick to get free plays out of the machine.  The overall design won't be perfe...