For those of you I haven't met at the single PLUG and handful of
AZLOCO meetings, I've recently moved to the area and am looking for
work. I'd like to eventually move to a position either application
development or some form of computer engineering. For now, the
experience I can vouch for leaves me better off applying for help desk
or system admin position. Once I have steady employment, I'll have
time to organize projects that demonstrate skills and experience
needed for my desired work.

Attached is my general resume. I also have a linkedin page at
https://www.linkedin.com/in/pscion

I'm currently researching Honeywell, Microchip Technology, Intel,
GoDaddy, JDA Software, Phoenix NAP, Limelight, or Jobing.com, ASU, and
GCU. Also, I've already applied for help desk type positions at
Phoenix NAP, Limelight, GCU, and have submitted a general resume to
ASU.

Does anyone work at one of these places, or know someone that does? If
so, who would be a good person to contact to get a better idea of what
each company is looking for, and what their job culture is like?
Scouring each company's 'about us/careers', linkedin, and glass door
pages only give so much info, and it's no substitute to making direct
contact with the people determining what jobs need filling from the
inside. I don't need the publicly available information, I need a way
to build a presence with them.

On paper, JDA Software, Phoenix NAP, and Limelight sound more like
places to get verifiable experience on my resume, but not places to
stick around long term. All of these have next to no, or actually zero
information about corporate culture anywhere on their website or
linkedin company profile, and have poor reviews on Glassdoor. What
little is implied is your typical "equal opportunity employer, great
place to work" blurbs, which I take with a grain of salt when that's
all you publicly advertise.

I'm hearing mixed things about GoDaddy, and how the culture is
advertised isn't adding up to things I have been hearing from people
with prior experiences with them. I'm getting the impression that they
are in a transitional period, and that the bad I have heard may be
growing pains or things the company is moving away from.

I've heard Intel is incredibly competitive, and if true, it's not a
place I'd consider working. I'm fine with fast paced and busy, so long
as the emphasis is more on cooperation. I don't care for super
competitive corporate cultures.

Honeywell and Microchip look like places I could form a long term
career with, especially if I go more towards engineering, though I'd
love better insider insight to how these companies are run.

I've read that Jobing.com is a place of constantly shifting work and
goals, which appeals to me if true. I'd love a career with a place
that encourages traveling multiple paths, requires quickly adapting
and learning new things, and is not the same routine in the long term.
I also like the idea of working for a place that helps companies hire
people and people find jobs, as it's something I've had a lot of
trouble with.

ASU and GCU have obvious benefits of being universities. Not only does
this open the door to furthering my education, but from my experience,
universities are the absolute best place for networking and finding a
place in an industry you fit into.

If there are smaller, more community invested tech companies in the
area I've missed, those are the type of company I want to work for the
most. They're hard to sniff out, being so new to the area.

I really need to ramp up my efforts on this, as what I've been doing
isn't nearly enough. I can't express how much I'd appreciate any help
here.

Nicholas Pscion