Monday, October 13, 2008

[Paco Del Stinko]

charlie, you're way more mcmurphy than nurse rachid.

Ha! That's funny. The other day when I took the guys out for a cigarette, one of them said about me "he's one of us, see?" It's a fine line, friends. Chris, I'll take you to the shore to dab at your drool while you watch the surfers.

[Billy's Little Trip]

Chris, I'll take you to the shore to dab at your drool while you watch the surfers.

YAY!

[fluffy]

My most recent period of unemployment was a bit over a year ago when I quit from Amazon, but I'd already gotten another job, so the month off wasn't really "unemployed" so much as "between jobs" in the literal sense.

Before that I had another month off between getting fired by Ubisoft and starting at Amazon, but I'd gotten that job so quickly (like, within *days*) that I don't really consider that a period of unemployment so much as a one-month forced vacation with a 100% raise and a 50% cost of living decrease and 90% bullshit reduction afterwards.

Before Ubisoft, I did spend several months between jobs (while actively looking). That was freaking stressful, although SFLive Austin was towards the end of that so that was a nice break from worrying about crap. And that period was after only being employed for a few months (doing some crappy IT temp work) and before that being a grad student.

[Lunkhead]

I was unemployed for 16 months, starting about 6 years ago. Having all that free time was what finally got me to stop just listening to Song Fight! and to start participating. I had been working for a startup, but they went out of business. I took some time off, worked on some personal code projects, then took longer than I thought I would have to to find a job, because the job market sucked then. I took the first job I got offered, and I've been at it ever since. Looks I'm leaving finally it now, though, to work for another startup. I guess I didn't learn my lesson the first time.

[fluffy]

You're leaving Zip? Aw. I like them. Not that I really have any reason to use them again in the immediate future, although my sister and brother-in-law finally took my advice and are working with the same realtor I worked with.

[Project-D]

it's a matter of perspective, but the best thing you can do jon eric is stay positive, and the best advice i can give you is network, network, network. let others help you find what's out there. register with temp agencies, job recruiters, online job boards, etc. do it all! at least in my experience, there is very direct correlation between effort and result here.

good luck.

My last period of unemployment was from Dec '93 after graduating college, until Feb '94 when I got my first teaching job.

What Jack said about networking is true, but it helps mostly to do it before the job ends (for the future). I work in public eduction which has precious little need/time for networking. My wife who does student placement/employer relations for the business school at the local college does almost nothing but network. The thing is, she has people constantly offering jobs, she's got two in the works she's considering. I have no doubt she could find a job in a month if it came to it. It doesn't hurt that she has an MBA, but all the people/employers she knows is the key like Jack said. Good thing she makes more than me.

[Hoblit]

it's a matter of perspective, but the best thing you can do jon eric is stay positive, and the best advice i can give you is network, network, network. let others help you find what's out there. register with temp agencies, job recruiters, online job boards, etc. do it all! at least in my experience, there is very direct correlation between effort and result here.

good luck.

My last period of unemployment was from Dec '93 after graduating college, until Feb '94 when I got my first teaching job.

What Jack said about networking is true, but it helps mostly to do it before the job ends (for the future). ....

Temp agencies got me some pretty terrible jobs that I was glad when they ended. Data entry at medical billing facility was killing me. There was a party on a Friday and our temp agency called us and told us that if we had not applied for a full time position there that we were no longer needed at that location on Monday. (We caught them up) I was actually relieved. I didn't want to QUIT because that'd look bad. (Needless to say I wasn't one of the temps that applied for a full time job there) **

I got my current job because I knew the sales manager and the billing accountant. They contacted my cousin looking for me because they knew I had been out of (steady) work some months before. Its truly 'who you know' in this situation.

**That place contacted me a year later for a job in another department. I came in for the interview which was going swimmingly. On the addition of a third manager entering the interview (because I made it that far) he was asking me when I could start and everything. But at some point they realized I had one too many piercings. I mentioned that I actually worked here before and that my piercings had no effect on my work in any way. Nope, corporate policy won out. He left the room to discuss this with someone and he came back and said that since I picked up the other piercing I was no longer qualified to work there. Thank God, I didn't REALLY want the job, I was just desperate.

[Project-D]

Nope, corporate policy won out. He left the room to discuss this with someone and he came back and said that since I picked up the other piercing I was no longer qualified to work there. Thank God, I didn't REALLY want the job, I was just desperate.

That's kind of funny. So what is critical mass for piercings?

[Hoblit]

Nope, corporate policy won out. He left the room to discuss this with someone and he came back and said that since I picked up the other piercing I was no longer qualified to work there. Thank God, I didn't REALLY want the job, I was just desperate.

That's kind of funny. So what is critical mass for piercings?

At that company you could only have ONE facial piercing in addition to earrings.

My ears are pierced (not a problem) and I have a nose piercing (not a problem) but I got the Labret (a problem) and that was one piercing too many.