Welcome puppy!!

Well, we didn't think it was going to happen so quickly, but yesterday we adopted a puppy at the SPCA. She is a three-month old Shepherd mix, someone thought maybe she was mixed with a Border Collie. I can see that with the white paws and she doesn't have the Shepherd ears, but her true origins remain a mystery.

Currently responding to the name Jenna, our little girl is an exceptional dog. Although she is a puppy and does go through silly phases where she throws herself all over the place and wants to play, she is also gentle and attentive, and loves to get cuddles. After a few incidents yesterday, as she was discovering her new surroundings, she has been constantly going to pee outside. I've never trained a puppy, but the SPCA had this free DVD on how to train a dog that really helped us understand when she was most likely to need peeing and how to encourage her to go outside. Next steps are leash training and making sure we establish our authority over her so she doesn't think she owns the place. Basically, letting her know who is alpha. Brendan is taking that role very seriously and she has responded wonderfully to his lead.

I posted a few pictures we took yesterday on Flickr.

Environmental management

I recently received the news that I was accepted at Université de Sherbrooke, in their program called Gestion de l'environnement (graduate degree). Courses start in January at their Longueuil campus (brand new building), as long as they manage to sign up enough students. Fingers crossed.

I really like the idea of going back to school (again!!). I got so much out of my MBA, not only from the courses, but also from the other folks in the program. So many became friends and we get in touch every now and then, to see how everyone is doing.

The two-year, part-time diploma at Sherbrooke has a very interesting curriculum and has the benefit of allow me to add a few courses and a thesis to transform it into a Masters degree. I could not believe the tuition for this graduate degree either. The entire diploma costs about the same as three graduate courses in BC. I say this is an excellent reason to continue learning.

Frustration

It will soon be almost three weeks since I started looking for work seriously (approximately since my return from Paris) and my efforts seem to be in vain. I did not expect to find work quickly, the more senior and qualified you are, the longer it takes to find a job. However, I would have appreciated an interview or two, or even a screening phone call from HR at the very least... some show of interest from the companies where I am applying. I got nothing. The automatic e-mails you receive when you apply online don't count. I even applied for a few positions through contacts already working at the company in question, which I think should have increased my chance of exposure to the right individuals.

The silence is frustrating.

But I guess this is the price to pay when you leave a place for six years. My professional network in Vancouver is rich with folks working across industries, thanks to past jobs and the MBA. In Montreal, my last job was as a technical writer and it ended in 2002. The contacts from that position are few.

I'm positive things will eventually solve themselves and that my resume will end up on the right desk at the right time. It will just take a little longer and I have to learn to be more patient. In the mean time, between resume writing and e-mails, I'm keeping myself busy with house chores, reading, and a bit of exercise.