Job Placement

The Dresden Files #15.1

by Jim Butcher

Spoilers for the short story “Bigfoot on Campus,” which appears in the Brief Cases anthology. Set between Skin Game and Peace Talks, but doesn’t require knowledge of either.

Genres: Fantasy, Urban Fantasy, Fiction, Short Stories, Paranormal, Mystery, Vampires

4 pages, ebook

First published May 5, 2020

About the author

Jim Butcher is the author of the Dresden Files, the Codex Alera, and a new steampunk series, the Cinder Spires. His resume includes a laundry list of skills which were useful a couple of centuries ago, and he plays guitar quite badly. An avid gamer, he plays tabletop games in varying systems, a variety of video games on PC and console, and LARPs whenever he can make time for it. Jim currently resides mostly inside his own head, but his head can generally be found in his home town of Independence, Missouri.

Jim goes by the moniker Longshot in a number of online locales. He came by this name in the early 1990′s when he decided he would become a published author. Usually only 3 in 1000 who make such an attempt actually manage to become published; of those, only 1 in 10 make enough money to call it a living. The sale of a second series was the breakthrough that let him beat the long odds against attaining a career as a novelist.

All the same, he refuses to change his nickname.

Reviews

[Trish · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another story about Pounder, Bigfoot's son that Harry has helped throughout his life. Now, he's at university, working to get his PhD in English literature. He's still with his girlfriend from the last short story. You know, the vampire from the White Court.
Neither of them want to have too much to do with their respective families so when they are given a job offer for both of them at an academy for supernatural children that is neutral territory, it sounds like the deal of a lifetime. But one thing is missing ... one thing Pounder is rectifying in this very story. ;)

Not the best in the collection, but still adorable and thus very nice.

You can read the story for free here: https://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dre...

[Nanu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice to see Irwin again!

[Kathryn Baron · Rating 4 out of 5]

So good to see these characters again!

[Silvia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Bigfoot and Connie’s short. Left me breathless.

[June · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rounded up because I like Irwin and Connie.

[Dylan]

Nice little short, this is placed just after Bigfoot on Campus but just before The Bigfoot comic where that comic contains some extra scenes after this event which was sweet.

[Kathy Davie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A chronological listing of the The Dresden Files books on my website.

My Take
This was so sweet. A couple of college students from different cultures with family issues.

Butcher manages quite a bit of information in such a short story, using first person protagonist point-of-view from Irwin’s perspective. Particularly how much Irwin and Connie love each other, lol.

They do support and understand each other.

“Job Placement” touches on issues within the preternatural world, but it’s not an info dump. Rather it’s skillfully inserted conversation about Connie’s and Irwin’s hopes, dreams, and the obstacles that face them.

I wonder if these two will encounter Harry in the Windy City.

The Story
Connie’s got a job! And it’ll be near Irwin’s mom . . . and Lara, the Queen of the White Court. Well, it’s better than being around her dad.

The best part? She’s finagled a job offer with plenty of perks for Irwin as well.

The Characters
Irwin Pounder appears to be majoring in English; his dad is a Bigfoot. Connie Barrowillis is a vampire of the White Court. Both are students at the University of Oklahoma in Norman.

St. Mark’s Academy for the Gifted and Talented is run by the Venatori Umbrorum. Dr Fabio works there.

Lara Raith is the Queen of the White Court of vampires. The Unseelie Accords are similar to the Geneva Conventions in that it governs behavior between its signatories, who are the major powers of the magical world.

The Title
The title is the point. "Job Placement” for both students.

[Julianna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Reviewed for THC Reviews
Job Placement is a very short microfiction story set in the Dresden Files universe that’s available to read for free on the author’s website, but it contains spoilers for the Bigfoot novellas, particularly “Bigfoot on Campus” found in Brief Cases. The story falls between Skin Game and Peace Talks in the series chronology. It features the son of Harry’s friend, River Shoulders, half-bigfoot Irwin, and his White Court vampire girlfriend, Connie, and is written from the first-person POV of Irwin. These two are deliriously happy and totally crazy about each other. Connie is nearly finished with her college degree and has received an offer of employment as a teacher at a school for supernatural children in Chicago. In between their passionate interludes, the pair discuss what this might mean for their future and take new steps in their lives and relationship. It was nice getting an update on Irwin and Connie. Overall, this was a really cute, little story that I very much enjoyed for its romantic overtones.

[Storm · Rating 4 out of 5]

As it always did, her voice called to the Wild inside of me. And the Wild answered.

This microfiction from Jim Butcher.com is set between Skin Game and Peace Talks, but doesn’t require knowledge of either. It is the fourth Bigfoot story, about Irwin and Connie's life after Bigfoot on Campus, a story I wanted ... no NEEDED badly. So I really enjoyed this, and I'm looking forward to seeing them show up in future Dresden files stories.

[Sammm · Rating 3 out of 5]

I have to say, with my usual standards of rating short stories higher, this one would have earned a 4. That said, I've been rating all of the shorts in this series published this year relatively high, and this one for some reason, I'm just feeling detached. You have no idea how disappointed I myself am for this reaction, because I remember quite liking all the Bigfoot shorts thus far. This one was okay but not spectacular imo.

[Julie Ditton · Rating 3 out of 5]

This microfiction from Jim Butcher.com is set between Skin Game and Peace Talks, but doesn’t require knowledge of either. It is the fourth Bigfoot story, about Irwin and Connie's life after Bigfoot on Campus. I had been looking forward to finding out what happened to Irwin and Connie but I was dissapointed with repetition within the story. I know she is a white vampire, but Butcher "Pound"s the point home a bit to much.

[Adam Fisher · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really short story about Irwin Barrowill, the half bigfoot son of River Shoulders, and his girlfriend Connie (of the White Court) getting engaged and beginning to make the move to Chicago for work. I wonder if this means they will be in the new book...
Really good, but only for fans. If you don't know the series, you'll not understand this.

[Alicia · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s an Iwrin story! Won’t mean anything to you if you haven’t read Working for Bigfoot, so make sure you get through those first.

[Heather · Rating 3 out of 5]

Spoilers for the short story “Bigfoot on Campus,” which appears in the Brief Cases anthology. Set between Skin Game and Peace Talks, but doesn’t require knowledge of either

Heather's Notes
I have always liked "Bigfoot" and it was nice to see him and Connie together.

[Mimi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Pounder and Connie make such a great couple . . . and in this short story, we get a glimpse at what's to come next in their relationship. Dresden only gets a brief mention, but not until the end of the story.

[Nickie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 rounded up

Bigfoot's son and his white court girlfriend have an offer to move to Chicago...just in time for The Battle? We shall see...

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting little vignette that feels more like a setup for a new Bigfoot story, or maybe the introduction of Irwin Pounder into the main books in the near future (Battle Ground, perhaps?)

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love it. Short and sweet. Hopefully, this means they show up in the next books.

[Louisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading this short story, and dealing with Irving and Connie again, as they transition to their first jobs out of college and the big decisions to make at that time period!

[Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've always liked Irwin.

[the ancient lore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Sweet.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was short and sweet. I hope this means we see them again in book 18 soon. (Read freely here: https://www.jim-butcher.com/books/dre... )

[Billy Rodriguez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very cute! And, a nice setup for Peace Talks, I'm assuming...

[Missi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nice short story. Why didn’t they show up in the new books? 🤔

[Honza Prchal · Rating 4 out of 5]

PG-13 ... totally cannon.

[Heather McLaughlin]

This is more of an online snippet than an online book. But fun.

[Bridget · Rating 5 out of 5]

This story takes place when Harry meets up with Bigfoot, who had a fling and now his son is having problems.

[Sabrina Roy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute microfiction

[Claudia · Rating 3 out of 5]

A very short story about the engagement of Irwin and Connie. Nice, but mostly because I like Irwing :P

[Nicholas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having read Bigfoot on campus, this makes me happy to read. Without giving spoilers, it should give all readers warm fuzzies. Well worth your time to give it a read.