I have a resumé http://gyaresu.org/gareth_cv.pdf and I have a LinkedIn profile http://no.linkedin.com/in/gyaresu.

It doesn’t seem right to be too informal or glib in a resumé or job appliction. Maybe it’ll be ok to just link to this post? We’ll see. [1]

I’m writing this because I don’t have the benefit of ‘word of mouth’ that I used to benefit from. Writing about one’s attributes feels so terribly narcissistic.

LOOK AT ME! I’M AWESOME! etc.

The fundamental cause of trouble in the world today is that the stupid are cocksure while the intelligent are full of doubt. – Bertrand Russell

I started my on-site computer business in 2002 after 6 months of learning to use a computer.

Whilst in Sydney I’d been given an old ACER laptop with a P2 CPU & 32MB of RAM. That’s what I had to work with.

When I landed back in Launceston it was just before the 2002 Elections so I started running the campaign office for the Tasmanian Greens (something I’ve done since my 20’s).

I’d turn up every day and talk to people about politics in between messing with this Windows 98 laptop.

A week or so into this Ray walked in and so began a geeky friendship and lots of foot bag.

The great way Ray had of teaching me about computers was to literally ignore all ridiculous questions and only answer the ones that showed independent research.

It’s exactly the behaviour you’ll find on IRC still to this day.

Computers are amazing. The internet is amazing. Seriously. MIND BLOWN.

Ever since then I’ve been able to learn and research and ask and help and interact on so many levels about so much AMAZING information.

I started my business so quickly after learning to use computers for two reasons. First and foremost was that I wanted a job. Second was because I seriously thought I could help enough to be worth paying.

I rang all the on-site computer businesses in town and found the cheapest hourly rate was AU$28.50. So that’s what I decided to charge. I also vowed to not charge should I be unable to help a client.

As with any business plan one should always plan for the worst and expect the best. I wasn’t disappointed. I quickly found that I could solve every problem presented to me and because I’m a big friendly happy and helpful person, I could communicate the ‘why’ something needed to be done.

Being fully informed and solving their problems meant that over the years my clients wouldn’t even want to know the options, ‘just do what you think is best’.

So I’d get all these referrals for work and even other computer businesses would either contact or recommend me for obscure stuff.

I became the Linux guy, and the OS X guy and the wireless networking guy and the BSD guy and the guy who figured out how to drive the programme of a whole range of bizarre, ancient, multi-tonne CNC machines.

GOOD FUN.

My hourly rate went from $28.50 > $50 > $55 > $75 > $100 > $110 > $150 over about four years. That’s not even including some of the cool places I’ve been flown to by the Government for remote work. Can you say junket? Sweeeet.

Oddly, clients are easier to deal with the more you charge. Not because they’re better people but because value for money is counter-intuitive. Clients paying $150/hr believe they are getting the best and will therefore trust you know what you’re doing. Which of course means that when one is doing charity work (as I was want to do) that you will be constantly questioned over your decisions and skills. Because obviously if you’re charging either nothing or very little then you’re value is the equivalent. Bizarre but true.

This period of my life was the longest spent in any one place. I was comfortable in my job but itching to see more of the world. So I sold my business. While travelling in Queensland I went out to the Great Barrier Reef on a boat with 300 hundred other people. Two years later after an apprenticeship and a LOT of excellent training from people I still greatly respect I was a senior diver, running that boat and teaching at a dozen sites in Fiji.

I’ve taken a few thousand people diving and taught people who are now instructors themselves. 13hrs/day 7 days a week (with the occasional weekend off).

BECAUSE I’M PASSIONATE.

That’s it really. Passion. I want you to know I’m passionate.

Work is a time trade-off for money. I carry no debt and live frugally enough that I never have to stay in a bad situation. That’s freedom. It also means I have the luxury of being honest. I want to get up in the morning and do things that matter. I also want to keep learning. It’s scary and frustrating and exciting but being completely ignorant of a topic makes for a fantastic rush of learning.

I’m currently contracting to work remotely on Linux servers. I can still keep doing that (hey, the money’s great) but I’d like to work with others on something special.

So if you’d like a friendly hard working passionate man to join your organisation. Please feel free to contact me.

Gareth

[1] I’ve also found it infuriating to read job postings. They are just so full of BS.