- Entries : Category [ Unemployed ]
- Unemployed
03 January
2003
..And So it Begins
After getting this website up and running, I've been racking my brain trying to come up with something to write about, but in a mere 4 hours after my inaugural posting (which might have been my last), I was given a topic that I might be writing about for quite a while. Let me explain....
Due to reorganization within the company I worked for, I was laid off as of Jan 2, 2003. I hope that it is simply coincidental that I got laid off the same day my blog started. Since this was the only true company that I have worked for since graduating from UNC, this job is all I really know. I had worked for them for 5 years and some odd months, but I think that this is developing into a blessing in disguise. During the last 2 years with this company, I have traveled more than ever. Covering an area that stretched from PA to GA and everything in between, I was responsible for most of the "in between" portion. This traveling prevented me from doing a lot of activities that I wanted to do on my own time, like coaching youth basketball, drinking beer on weeknights, playing in a roller hockey league, and bull fighting. All of which require a time commitment that I could not provide. Although I wanted the free time, I'm not so sure that being laid off is the method I would have chosen to obtain it.
Currently, I don’t know all the details of my severance package but I should know soon. In the meantime, I’m going to detail my experience in this weblog. Truly, this is an awkward subject, but I believe that others can benefit from my situation. And hopefully I can entertain on the way.
Anybody need a Computer Network Engineer?
Posted by
steve at
09:42
|
Comments (2)
04 January
2003
Sigh
Alas, my first true instance of depression. I was thinking that I was doing pretty well considering I was no longer employed, but this morning I could feel myself sinking into sadness. I think it stemmed from my realization that I'll have difficulty differentiating between my weekdays and my weekends for a while. For this dilemma I needed to call on some outside forces….namely Abby. She cheered me up and got me out of the house, albeit on a shopping trip. Getting out did me some good, and I’ve decided that I’ll continue to make a plan and do “something” everyday, instead of letting sorrow creep up on me.
Posted by
steve at
18:34
|
Comments (0)
10 January
2003
Can One Die from Boredom?
Since this site was unavailable to me for a few days, I thought I would double up on my entries today to make up for my down time.
The road to a new career is a slow and tedious one. I have searched every technology job searching website that I can think of in the past few days, and have only found a few that match my matrix of skills. I have sent out several resumes already (I'll get it posted up here soon). Right now, however, I am simply waiting for responses. Surprisingly enough, no one has beaten down my front door to get me to work for them. Maybe if I give them a few more weeks?
In the meantime, I have found a couple online puzzles/games I've been playing that I think you might enjoy.
1. Jeopardy Online. This gives you all the challenging questions/answers of Jeopardy, and also gives you the option to play solo. Nothing better than insuring victory when you START!
2. Warehouse Will A game that tests your creativity as well as your engineering skills.
3. Quarantine Try this game too. At first, I attempted to explain how the game works, but I failed miserably. Just read the instructions.
4. Washington Post Crossword Probably the best online crossword puzzle around.
Hope I can help you waste your day away, like I've done with mine!
Posted by
steve at
16:20
|
Comments (0)
15 January
2003
New Car
Since I had a company car, I had to return it since I was no longer working for that company. Lucky for me, I was able to buy an older car for a very attractive price. That car's lease had just expired, and became available for purchase. I'm now the proud owner of a 2000 Ford Taurus. Desperate times call for desperate measures.
I also had to return my equipment (laptop, cell phone, etc) to their office on the same trip. Ironically, I was happy to see everyone being sad. With the last rounds of layoffs that I was a part of, their morale hit an all time low. It was definitely good to know that I will be missed.
Posted by
steve at
08:33
|
Comments (0)
16 January
2003
Interview #1
Had my first post-lay-off interview yesterday. It seemed like a good interview, and I am probably being considered for the position. However, I'm not so sure I want to work for them. There was a lot of travel involved (something I began to hate about my last job), and some other issues I'm not so sure about. Since I'm in the beginning stages of my job hunt, I think I can afford to hold off on compromising my goals for a wee bit longer.
Posted by
steve at
11:23
|
Comments (0)
21 January
2003
Response Influx
Due to MLK and the lazy attitude that accompanies it (read prior post), I did not hear back from any potential employers on MLK or the preceding Friday. However, today was practically a tidal wave of email responses in comparison. Fine, it was only 3. But that’s 3 more than I have had in a while. Although one of them requires me to jump through the equivalent of a flaming hoop in the form of a custom resume to be resubmitted, I feel a little better now that some folks have shown a little bit of interest in me. For a while there, I thought that I was shouting on deaf ears.
Posted by
steve at
13:56
|
Comments (0)
07 February
2003
Give Me the Job Already
I had my third interview with a potential employer today. Yeah, that's right, my THIRD interview. From what they tell me, their decision is between me and one other person. Things look positive, which means I didn't say anything stupid that would discount me. So I get to play "wait by the phone" for a little while longer.
There have been other opportunities, but this one looks like the strongest lead so far. I'll give details on the job if/when I get it.
Posted by
steve at
23:28
|
Comments (0)
10 March
2003
Unemployment Rate Goes Down
I did my part to lower the national unemployment rate by finally getting a job. I now work as a Senior Systems Administrator for Smart Start. For those of you that are curious what that is, but too lazy to click on the link I provided, Smart Start is a public/private initiative that helps prepare children in North Carolina to enter public schools. This organization requires LOTS of documentation. All of this documentation gets stored on file servers, so I'm required to make sure everything works day-to-day. There's more to it than just computer maintenance and user support, but I've only been here a few days, so give me a break. My responsibilities increase daily, which challenges me and keeps me on my toes. There's a lot to learn here and its going to take some time to get on top of it all.
Unfortunately, I no longer have a need for my "Unemployed" weblog category, but I still plan to add entries. However, you will definitely see a decline in my entry frequency. I'll do my best not to neglect my duties, but by simple comparison the employed Steve won't have as much free time as the unemployed Steve.
My unemployment run lasted a mere 2 months. Not bad by today's standards. But I don't wish that experience on anyone, unless they have a lot of household chores to catch up on.
Posted by
steve at
15:17
|
Comments (0)
