I recently found a little notebook. That had info on my first computer job (not counting school) search path. I remember the Lady’s name from my notes…Pat Zinchak @ Snelling &Snelling (a headhunter). I contacted her because I saw she frequently posted DEC PDP jobs, which is what I was looking for. I was still in school, and she told me clients were looking for people with more experience. I thought OK…that’s…that. A short time later, maybe days or a week, she called me back and said she might be able to help me because she contacted my school, and got a good reports about me. I do remember going to an appointment she set up at Bass Ticket (like Ticketmaster), it’s in the notebook. No date but had to be early 1981. They had a PDP-11/45 and offered me $175 a week part-time as a operator. I passed on that offer because she soon sent me to a company in Fort Lauderdale that had a PDP-11/70 and Data General Nova 3 (which I had nothing to do with) and was full time. I accepted that job (my 2nd job apply), and worked there many years.
I tried to find info on Bass Ticket. So far, all I’ve found in Wikipedia is… “In the 1970s, Jerry Seltzer co-founded Bay Area Seating Service (BASS) Tickets, a San Francisco Bay Area computerized ticket service.” Odd… could I be mistaken? I remembered the name Bass Ticket and it’s in my old notebook. I went to some company, that I’ve assumed all these years was Bass Ticket, where they had a DEC minicomputer, and they made me that offer. I didn’t really go to concerts back then, so it’s not like I’d make up such a random name. Is it possible that it was a satellite branch, that wasn’t around long enough to matter?
I also googled the address I have written down… 99 NW 183rd Street. A picture shows Miami Gardens Office Center. Yelp says… Renting office space. I certainly don’t remember a office building I saw once over 40 years ago. But my memory seems to remember it was in a building that contained different offices.
Out of curiosity I googled Pat, and found “Patricia Ann Zinchak”. I assume it’s her because of her unusual last name and local. Unfortunately she died Sep 11th, 2021. It seems like just yesterday she was sending me out on interviews. RIP Pat, you played an important part in starting my career.