Slitherine

quote:

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

Spent about a month down in Texas after the 7+ year job situation imploded. (along with my personal life...) First thing i did on arriving in the middle of the Sam Houston National Forest was fall apart for a week straight. I thought i'd "dealt" with my issues regarding my ex-partner....but in reality i'd been in what my best friend's dad (a big whig PHD Psychologist) called "Survival Mode" and had shunted it to the background while i tried to continue working while living out of a vehicle.

I won't go into the sordid details but it involved alot of jabbering, some sobbing, alot of walks in the woods, nightly golf cart excursions in pitch darkness and one ill advised attempt to reach out to my ex-partner via text. (on asking how she was doing and that i was thinking of her...she responded " I am doing fine....but your pitbull isn't."



After recovering some semblance of my sanity and manhood.....i looked for some work down there and in fact had one major interview....ironically with JoeW's company based out of Portland. Apparantly i came in "second" unless i mistook feedback so as Jerry Seinfeld would say...."You were the best loser......NOONE lost ahead of you!"

At that point.....i needed to start working again. I'd been unemployed once before....7+ years ago for a month and i thought i knew what it felt like but in reality.....there's no dealing with that feeling unless one is a total slacker. Days melded together and i often had to ask whether it was Tues or Sunday...... Therin lay the problem. I learned after the fact that there's "Distance" and then there's "Texas Distance" When my friend said he lived "Near Texas" he meant that it was in fact...ONLY a two hour drive to Texas (Three to Dallas). The nearest small town/city was about 45-50 min away. Outside of sleepy Huntsville (30min away) we were in the middle of NOWHERE. (no cell service unless you can tap an ATT Microcell...which my phone can't)

One can only take so many golf cart rides......

In the end...Texas just wasn't for me and it was too isolated where i was.....stircrazy i believe is the word. Then i got an email from my old Director who indicated that i might be able to be found new work if i headed back up to Seattle. After weighing the pros and cons i opted to jump on this opp and drove back.

On arrival my first night i got a 2nd email from my old Director. "Sorry.....can't help you (after all).....but i'll give you a reference"

There was heavy drinking that night in the Hotel room.....(while watching Hellboy II)

Anyway....there i was with no job and only vague backup plans on finding work while living in a room shared with a Great Dane at a friend and ex-co-worker's house 40 miles north of Seattle.....with the clock ticking on when i have to get out as she only agreed to do so if it was temporary and i had "a plan"

So began three weeks of furious job hunting. It did not start off well.......Seattle....Huntsville....Portland.....problem is all the same, tech industry wants experience.....hence the rejections and no replies piled up quickly so i decided to apply to volunteer at a local non profit PC recycling and refurbishing center called "Interconnection" They scooped me up within 24 hours. My first day I asked to take the "Hardware test" and completed it in 2 minutes. (standard policy is to work volunteers up by doing grunt work....tearing down PC's and triaging/cleaning others that might be salvaged and donated to needy countries.) I quickly fast tracked to Refurbisher and am working my way into "Laptop Land" hopefully soon as i could use the experience.

The effort immediately paid off....i scored an interview at Gilead Pharmaceutical and was able to play my time at Interconnection which impressed the interviewers. Two days later they told the IT Staffing company they go through they wanted me. I started Wed. The Pro is that it did not turn out to be the "Help Desk" advertised but in reality i am the third member of a two staff on site IT group which does it all. Great experience.

The con-----its part time.....only 20 hours a week but there "might be more"....there "might be a poss of hiring out from the contractor" but its all a bunch of "mights". Pay is excellent but no benies. I may have some hard decision if one of the CS jobs i applied for offers a full time pos.

More to follow......

Prior Preparation & Planning Prevents Pathetically Poor Performance!

A & B: WitW, WitE, WbtS, GGWaW, GGWaW2-AWD, HttR, CotA, BftB, CF
P: UV, WitP, WitP-AE

quote:

ORIGINAL: Nikademus

quote:

ORIGINAL: Chickenboy

Nik! Welcome back! Hope you're well, dude. I believe you have some 'splainin' to do about how life's treatin' you, dude?

Spent about a month down in Texas after the 7+ year job situation imploded. (along with my personal life...) First thing i did on arriving in the middle of the Sam Houston National Forest was fall apart for a week straight. I thought i'd "dealt" with my issues regarding my ex-partner....but in reality i'd been in what my best friend's dad (a big whig PHD Psychologist) called "Survival Mode" and had shunted it to the background while i tried to continue working while living out of a vehicle.

I won't go into the sordid details but it involved alot of jabbering, some sobbing, alot of walks in the woods, nightly golf cart excursions in pitch darkness and one ill advised attempt to reach out to my ex-partner via text. (on asking how she was doing and that i was thinking of her...she responded " I am doing fine....but your pitbull isn't."



After recovering some semblance of my sanity and manhood.....i looked for some work down there and in fact had one major interview....ironically with JoeW's company based out of Portland. Apparantly i came in "second" unless i mistook feedback so as Jerry Seinfeld would say...."You were the best loser......NOONE lost ahead of you!"

At that point.....i needed to start working again. I'd been unemployed once before....7+ years ago for a month and i thought i knew what it felt like but in reality.....there's no dealing with that feeling unless one is a total slacker. Days melded together and i often had to ask whether it was Tues or Sunday...... Therin lay the problem. I learned after the fact that there's "Distance" and then there's "Texas Distance" When my friend said he lived "Near Texas" he meant that it was in fact...ONLY a two hour drive to Texas (Three to Dallas). The nearest small town/city was about 45-50 min away. Outside of sleepy Huntsville (30min away) we were in the middle of NOWHERE. (no cell service unless you can tap an ATT Microcell...which my phone can't)

One can only take so many golf cart rides......

In the end...Texas just wasn't for me and it was too isolated where i was.....stircrazy i believe is the word. Then i got an email from my old Director who indicated that i might be able to be found new work if i headed back up to Seattle. After weighing the pros and cons i opted to jump on this opp and drove back.

On arrival my first night i got a 2nd email from my old Director. "Sorry.....can't help you (after all).....but i'll give you a reference"

There was heavy drinking that night in the Hotel room.....(while watching Hellboy II)

Anyway....there i was with no job and only vague backup plans on finding work while living in a room shared with a Great Dane at a friend and ex-co-worker's house 40 miles north of Seattle.....with the clock ticking on when i have to get out as she only agreed to do so if it was temporary and i had "a plan"

So began three weeks of furious job hunting. It did not start off well.......Seattle....Huntsville....Portland.....problem is all the same, tech industry wants experience.....hence the rejections and no replies piled up quickly so i decided to apply to volunteer at a local non profit PC recycling and refurbishing center called "Interconnection" They scooped me up within 24 hours. My first day I asked to take the "Hardware test" and completed it in 2 minutes. (standard policy is to work volunteers up by doing grunt work....tearing down PC's and triaging/cleaning others that might be salvaged and donated to needy countries.) I quickly fast tracked to Refurbisher and am working my way into "Laptop Land" hopefully soon as i could use the experience.

The effort immediately paid off....i scored an interview at Gilead Pharmaceutical and was able to play my time at Interconnection which impressed the interviewers. Two days later they told the IT Staffing company they go through they wanted me. I started Wed. The Pro is that it did not turn out to be the "Help Desk" advertised but in reality i am the third member of a two staff on site IT group which does it all. Great experience.

The con-----its part time.....only 20 hours a week but there "might be more"....there "might be a poss of hiring out from the contractor" but its all a bunch of "mights". Pay is excellent but no benies. I may have some hard decision if one of the CS jobs i applied for offers a full time pos.

More to follow......

quote:

ORIGINAL: Terminus

Well, I just got downsized. I suppose I should be happy that they didn't wait until my actual birthday to tell me.

quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

I am unable to play any wargames

Mike

"Good times will set you free" - Jimmy Buffett

"They need more rum punch" - Me


Artwork by The Amazing Dixie

quote:

ORIGINAL: warspite1

That was disappointing

Mike

"Good times will set you free" - Jimmy Buffett

"They need more rum punch" - Me


Artwork by The Amazing Dixie