I've been building out my LinkedIn network, adding people who I used to work and/or go to school with many years ago. In the process, I've discovered some of these people work for Google now, which is somewhat surprising, seeing as I didn't realize they were interested in the things Google does. Anyway, hopefully they'll be able to help me get some leads and/or with interviews. Most of all, I'm hoping I can get my résumé beyond the point of being quizzed on trivia and things I'm not likely to remember and to the point where I can describe projects I've worked on. I think I'll do much better on the latter type of interview. Also, since these people are around the same age I am, they'll remember what interviewing was like back in the 1980s and 1990s, so if they've even changed their interviewing style they can hopefully explain to me what they are now looking for.

I remember having a discussion over email with one friend Ed late in 1989, towards the end of my first quarter of grad school at UCLA. I was discouraged because I had worked very hard (especially in one class) and my grades were kind of so-so (albeit good enough to remain in good standing and make progress towards the degree). He told me one of the things that helped him do well in undergrad and grad school was the ability to predict what would be on exams. That didn't really help me much, unfortunately, especially in one class where almost nothing that was discussed in class or assigned as homework was tested.