Networking and Climbing

I spent a very lovely Memorial Day playing life sized Frogger on HWY-26 just east of Sandy after too many miles and too many feet of climbing left Drew and Me without enough water to continue on to Estacada. Fortunately the Frogs won and nobody lost, the reward at the end of the road was a delicious subway sandwich of mass quantities.

While in Subway I came to the realization that American consumption habits really have gotten out of hand. I know that to people who have their eyes open, this is nothing new, but to me I just assumed that I was someone who just enjoyed large drinks and there were options for those (like children) who didn't need 20 ounces of coke. Little did I know when I have been ordering a 20 ounce soft drink I was litterally odering the smallest possible size. At the register I asked for the smallest possible soda fountain drink and was handed what was once known as a medium or regular (or a large "back in the day"). When I asked if that was really the smallest size, the cashier gave me a look like I was asking for her first born, in her defense it probably didn't help that I was super sweaty and wearing too much spandex.

That being said, a ice cold coke is quite refreshing and invigorating in the middle of a long workout ride. Something about the mix of caffeine and sugar gets your legs going. At the completion of the ride I laid down on the couch with Kona and took a nap.

Today it has been less about bikes and more about paying for them. I took the oportunity to visit career services at UP and talk about my resume and job hunting. The director of Career Services, Amy Cavanaugh, was very helpful and gave me some good feedback on improving my resume. However, the most interesting thing I learned today was not about my resume, it was about networking. In her opinion, most jobs, excluding gov't agencies, never get posted. The key to these jobs would networking, I have always found networking to be a bogus M.B.A. favorite phrase, but now I find myself lacking in networks. Her recomendation was for me to spend at least 50% of my job hunting efforts in networking. Specifically setting up a Link'd In account and a UP Affinity Circles account as well.

So for all of you networking types out there, let me into your network, I need a job!