If you were going to ask about working in Waterloo ...

Please forgive this form letter, but if you're reading this it means you were probably thinking about sending me an e-mail saying something like "I'm looking into the possibility of working in the Waterloo high-tech community and I'm hoping that you have some time to get together to share your ideas." I get a lot of e-mails like that (or I used to, until I wrote this page).

You might think—understandably—that I'd have some information that could help you. I'm afraid that's not the case. While I know people at dozens of companies in the area, I can't think of a time in the last 10 years when I've been aware of who's hiring or what they're looking for or what they're like to work for.

I really wish I could help, but I truly don't have any worthwhile suggestions. You'd be better off spending the time talking to one of the high-tech companies in town.

There were times over the years when I thought about joining a local company myself. If I had any insight into the process, I might have done so. I think every full-time job offer I've had in the last 10 years has come from outside Waterloo Region, so I may be the last person to ask for advice.

If you have any specific questions, let me know by e-mail and I'll see what I can do.

In 2005, Communitech and some partner organizations launched the WaterlooTechJobs web site, where several companies in the area post available jobs. You can also post your resume there. From what I hear, employers are using the site, so it's worth looking into.

On this site, you can find a list with links to all the high-tech companies I'm familiar with in the area. You can go through the list to find organizations that sound interesting to you. And then there's the Waterloo Tech Digest. You can read all issues going back a few years and there's a search engine to help you find any references in the digest to companies you might want to know more about.

Beyond that ... there's no secret handshake or hidden process. You have to find companies that interest you and make contact.

Good luck!

--Gary