Yesterday Kelly and I took a short day trip out to Lincoln to visit the Drumlin Farm. We wanted to see it because I am thinking about applying for a job there with Mass Audubon. So we spoke with some friends of ours who work there and went out to see them.
Tag: job search
I’m not a workaholic, I swear
After the post I wrote most recently and some discussions I’ve had with people in various parts of my life, I’ve run across a fair number of people who seem to think that this schedule I’ve been living, this logging of 60-70 hours of work a week, minimum, is fun. That I do it because I like it and that somehow I’m not aware that it is inherently bad for me.
They are so, SO very wrong. But they refuse to understand that this has been a matter of survival. This has been the way that I’ve adapted to keep us afloat and alive and not living on the streets. So few people truly understand that our economy here in the US has fundamentally changed. Geoff and I are living proof that the old way, each having one job, having some security in that job, buying a house, and then eventually retiring just isn’t the way things work anymore.
2015 has been kicking my ass
Regular readers will recall that a little while back I said we’d be away for a while due to the death of a friend. Truth be told, his loss was, at the time, the latest in a long string of Very Hard Things 2015 had handed us.
It seems, however, that June might bright A New Hope. (Sorry) But, before we get to the good stuff, let’s go over where we’ve been, shall we?
Outsourcing IT – not just happening to other people
It is happening to me.
I got word last week that my job is going to be outsourced to external contractors, with the idea that the organization will save money in the long run. I can’t say I agree, but I guess what I think doesn’t quite matter as much anymore, now that my job has an expiration date. My last day is March 20th.
So once again, I will be looking for a job. And I am just thrilled, let me tell you.
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How to fail at Networking without really trying
Anyone who’s spent any time in the job market will tell you that networking will get you everywhere. Knowing people and being willing to talk to them about what they do and who they know is the fastest way to land interviews and jobs. I recently landed a new part-time gig that I’m really excited about for precisely that reason: I had the skills and experience and I knew someone who was able to hook me up with the people who were looking for someone like me.
Today I happened upon a lesson in exactly how NOT to network. Someone failed in spectacular fashion at Networking 101. Let the following be a lesson to us all.
Continue reading “How to fail at Networking without really trying”
About my new job
I have not talked much about my new job yet, so I guess it’s about time I did that.
So at least two pots of gold then?
Yesterday while driving home from my new job in Watertown (guess I should post something about that sometime) we had a nasty little thunderstorm blow through. It then left Greater Boston with a gorgeous double rainbow.
So when I saw it for myself, I figured I would stop and get a picture or two.
Winter’s last hurrah
We got a slight covering of snow today, maybe an inch or a little more. And the temperatures plummeted a good bit from the mid-50s we had the other day. Right now it is about 18 degrees Fahrenheit, and the temperature tonight will probably drop down to around 9 or 10 degrees.
So while I was doing laundry and crafting cover letters, I popped in a movie that is just about as far away from winter, cold, and reality* as I could get…
Sharknado.
Trying to enjoy life one day at a time
Well, after taking some time to process it, I guess I can go ahead and say (officially) that I am not going to the police academy this year. I just wasn’t high enough on the list, I guess. But the people involved in the process have been highly encouraging and supportive towards me, and so I will make another effort whenever they put together another class, either later this year or early next year.
In the meantime, it has been a humbling experience to get back into the job hunt full-time. And to be honest, a little depressing. But since I am Mr. Silver Lining, I am trying to find the bright side of the experience and move on.
So there’s a few things I am doing to keep myself entertained while I continue the (seemingly eternal) job hunt.
A few more stores decide to keep Thanksgiving
Both Apple and Radio Shack have decided to not open on Thanksgiving. Good for them.
Like Kelly had mentioned earlier, too many stores are trying to maximize their profits by extending hours as much as possible on Thanksgiving weekend. And they are doing it at the expense of their lowest-paid employees. It’s not like the CEOs are going to pull a late shift themselves that day. But the CEO class really can’t relate to their employees most of the time anyway.
And the supreme irony of this is that being open longer this Thanksgiving weekend is not likely to make the weekend more profitable. Things sold on Thanksgiving are generally done at the expense of Black Friday sales, rather than generating new sales. It’s not like people who avoid shopping that weekend or on Black Friday will suddenly decide to go shopping on Thanksgiving Day itself.
Of course, I don’t see a lot of people asking the question “what would happen if ordinary people had more money to spend?” either. In fact, there’s no shortage of people who complain about the lack of consumer spending without asking “how are regular people supposed to increase their spending when they are broke?” These same people trash talk the idea of raising the minimum wage while talking about how tough a time the very wealthy have with their taxes. Actually, not so much – especially when you look at the historical patterns.
As one of the broke people, I can definitely say that yeah, if I had a better paying job (or jobs), I would be able to spend more. And we’re trying to get that better job or jobs.
-Geoff
The Books are Taking Over... 