I sent a batch of job applications on Monday, March 6.
The first went to a Craigslist posting for a Linux support technician. Others went to network-administrator openings, a consulting conversation connected to Accenture, and two additional Craigslist posts. I attached a resume or application to each message and asked the recipient to contact me.
One company replied quickly enough that we arranged a phone call for noon. When that schedule changed, I offered another time later in the day. The archive does not show a final offer from that conversation.
The resume I pasted into one reply described seven years across programming, technical support, network administration, and management of a technical services company. It listed Windows, Unix, Linux, BSD, Mac OS, and Solaris. It also covered Active Directory, Exchange, security, server maintenance, virtualization, scripted installation, consulting, and network design.
I was still employed at SimAuthor as its network administrator and still running Praxis Technology. The applications were not based on a gap in work. I was testing the market while carrying a substantial current role.
The resume also said I was pursuing a computer-science degree through the University of Colorado and Baker College in my spare time. That description would change in later resumes as the work moved further ahead of formal school.
There was nothing subtle about the application day. I found roles that matched Linux, networking, systems, and consulting experience and sent the material to all of them. A few messages contain spelling errors. One initial Linux note was almost empty, so I sent a complete follow-up and later forwarded the reply to the correct address.
The process was manual and immediate: read the posting, write the note, attach the resume, arrange the call, and move to the next opening. March 6 left a clear record because most of it happened inside a few hours.