Travels, NOAA interview, Silverspring, MD, 2009

Click on any of the little pictures to see it at normal size. Click on the '=0=' after the picture to see it in giant size (about 2 minutes to download on dialup connection and larger than screen size). This could be useful if you wanted to really look at one part of the picture or to make a print.

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The reason for my prompt trip to D.C. area was that I had a job interview on August 25, 2009. I would be a contractor with Aster Engineering (offices shown on left above) for a position as a contractor with the NOAA. Their offices are just across from the Silver Spring, MD Metro stop (also above). Shown here are the four large NOAA buildings which are just to the left of the Metro station in the picture above and shown here.	=0=
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As I was headed to NC after the interview, I drove my car down to the NOAA offices. My interview had been scheduled for 2PM, which after the fact did not seem so wise as my car does not have air conditioning. I tried to move it earlier but that was not really reasonable as it had been scheduled with several members of the team I would be working with. I got there early to take these pictures (and so that I wouldn't be rushed) and the heat wasn't really a problem until I needed to dress in business clothes (I don't mind sweating in my shorts and T-shirt, but it feels less comfortable to me when I am wearing nice clothese). Anyway, I had scoped out where everything was, but there were several entrances for the different NOAA buildings and I went to the wrong one (at the base of the hill and shown above on the left). Just before 2PM the manager of the group I tried to sort out where I was and it turned out I needed to walk up the hill to the fourth building (I think). Doh! We were a little late as the team was all there at 2PM. Here is the view down the street of the building where I actually went.	=0=
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The interview went pretty well. I interviewed with the manager, three team members and the computer admin person all at once for an hour. They were all nice people and we seemed to get along well, but the work didn't turn out too match well with my background (I really didn't have the experience that they needed) or where I was headed (experience I wanted to gain) and it seems unlikely that I will get an offer from them. Oh well, life is still sweet and it is good that things seem to be picking up in the economy and job market. Outside the building where I interviewed was a courtyard (above) with a really cool fountain. It had a wave generator and I made a short movie of it. Shortly thereafter I headed out for NC. The view along the way was pretty uninteresting with trees on each side of the road, and private timber land further back (I noticed a clear cut plot just beyond the few trees lining the freeway, but there didn't seem to be any good pictures).	=0=