The BetterMost Can Club

[mariez]

Here I am!  Present and accounted for...canned, though it wasn't stated quite so baldly.  No, the euphemisms that Blue Cross used were 'eliminating my position' and 'restructuring during this period of uncertainty'.
 

((Lynne))  I'm so sorry you joined the club, too.  It sounds like Price gave you some good advice - but, of course, I know that everything is always easier said than done.

.. So we are dependent on one income, and I worry for it. 

Quite understandable.  There was a headline a few weeks ago in my morning paper: "Anxiety is the New Normal." 

Marie

[louisev]

Here I am!  Present and accounted for...canned, though it wasn't stated quite so baldly.  No, the euphemisms that Blue Cross used were 'eliminating my position' and 'restructuring during this period of uncertainty'.

 

This is a very good idea for a thread.  I cannot believe how many BetterMostians are currently unemployed or underemployed at the moment!  And if you look at us across the board, there's a helluva lot of talent here!

Tell you what, tho.  This weekend in NYC was very good for me, mentally.  In between the fun times, I updated the resume and cover letters and applied for 22 jobs.  As Roux pointed out to me, it's pretty easy for me to apply for jobs because IT jobs are typically posted on specific websites and you can apply online, which makes the process much easier.

Still, I am 99% sure that without the Brokie support (and commiseration) this weekend, I'd be at home trying to decide which season of Buffy I wanted to watch next.

 

I discussed this job situation with my ex, Price, who most of you know I consider a trusted friend and advisor.  Given the economy, he thinks I should embrace the volatility, focus on finding short-term assignments, not get too attached to anywhere geographically (like St. Augustine, sadly), and ride it out.  In this way I can probably pick up some new skills in different environments, perhaps squeeze in some additional training, and be prepared for when the economy does pick up again.

Good wishes to everyone in this not-so-exclusive boat.  Let's support each other so we come out of this better than when we started, hunh?

 

Yikes, Lynne!  weren't you just posting on my blog that you were well situated with a long-term contract and prepared to ride out the storm?  How rapidly things change!

[Ellemeno]

((Lynne))  I'm so sorry you joined the club, too.  It sounds like Price gave you some good advice - but, of course, I know that everything is always easier said than done.


Quite understandable.  There was a headline a few weeks ago in my morning paper: "Anxiety is the New Normal." 

Marie

Anxiety sucks, and is really depleting and unhealthy.  What if we were, as a nation, happy and hopeful and secure enough to be generous?

[RouxB]

canned-aug 30 2008

[David In Indy]

God, I'm really sad to find out so many other members are having job problems as well.


{{{EVERYONE}}}}   

I wouldn't wish this on anyone, but misery loves company as they say, and it's nice to know we can all meet here and commiserate together.

Still, I am 99% sure that without the Brokie support (and commiseration) this weekend, I'd be at home trying to decide which season of Buffy I wanted to watch next.

OT: Lynne, I'm a Buffy fan too! I have seasons 1-4 on DVD. I just got season 2 out and I was watching a few episodes last night - "Some Assembly Required (That one really creeps me out for some reason), ""Inca Mummy Girl" and "Halloween".

I love Buffy!!

(I now return you to the regularly scheduled topic)

[Kelda]

Oh dear, I'm just readin this thread now. I'm so sorry to hear about everyones bad luck.

It really seems to be a rough ride at the moment - every time the news comes on there is another ound of redundaies somewhere in the UK it seems.

I tell you what, its times like this that I thank god I work for the publi sector whih at the moment has more job security.

    :-*to all.

[Lynne]

((Lynne))  I'm so sorry you joined the club, too.  It sounds like Price gave you some good advice - but, of course, I know that everything is always easier said than done.

Hey there, Marie!  Thank you.  Yes, Price gives very good advice, usually whether I want to hear it or not.  He also did not let me spend much time in the 'What could I have done differently?' moment.  His words:  'You have read a newspaper in the past year, right?!'

 

That's a good friend.  Because there's really nothing I could have changed that would have resulted in a different outcome.  I probably could have clued in a bit sooner so I wasn't so surprised, but otherwise, no.

Quite understandable.  There was a headline a few weeks ago in my morning paper: "Anxiety is the New Normal." 

Marie

I'd love to see that article.  I feel like I'm on a first name basis with anxiety - conjoined twins or something, though I have to say it's not nearly as bad as this time last year.  I'm working on 'embracing the change'.

My current count is around 30 resumes sent/jobs applied for.  And I'm not being picky about geography.  Tacoma, Tulsa, Texas.   

There are two very promising leads at the moment (which of course could change any moment)...Arlington, TX needs a person like me because there's a bank there that foresees restructuring home mortgages.  I would be more than happy to assist them with keeping people in their homes at more reasonable interest rates.

The second is a job in Denver, which excites me because of the critical mass of Brokies in the area, proximity to WY, etc...I haven't been able to squeeze any technical details out of the contract guy, except that it's a health insurance company, and that the pay is less than my current salary.  But hey?!  Job, Denver, mountains...I could work with that.  There's a phone interview early next week and they want someone to start 3/1 ish.

Yikes, Lynne!  weren't you just posting on my blog that you were well situated with a long-term contract and prepared to ride out the storm?  How rapidly things change!

Yes, Louise...I somehow thought that 'twelve month contract' actually meant that.  If I'd tried to bail after 4 months, they'd have me tied up in court until I retire ...  Silly me.

[Lynne]

I also want to share something my therapist and I talked about last week, related to handling this latest 'piano falling out of the sky' in hopes that it might help others.

One subject was self-talk (positive and negative) and she pointed out areas where I dis myself in sorta sly, backhanded ways.  Although I mean it to be self-depracating humor, she says that I actually hear that stuff, internalize it, and it makes me feel worse about myself.  So I'm working on re-phrasing such things before they come out of my mouth.

 

Another piece of practical advice she gave me is to figure out what I like about St. Augustine, my life in Florida, and why I want(ed) to settle here.  Then I can look for those things in the next place, and be less 'off my path'.  She phrased it something like 'We are all on our own path, but life happens.  It is up to us to see that life just causes small deviations from the path, instead of tossing us off the mountain entirely.'

I particularly liked the mountain imagery, although my mind immediately went to a deep, narrow, icy crevasse instead of a green, gentle welcoming slope.   

Finally she recommended I read God on a Harley by Joan Brady, though I haven't gotten very far yet...

[serious crayons]

For my own selfish reasons, Lynne, I hope you wind up in Denver. I have relatives and friends there, visit regularly, and would love to add you to my list. If I were going to move from here, Denver would be my first choice, because I know more people there than I do anywhere else except here.

Plus, it's such a lovely city. I think you'd like it a lot.

[LauraGigs]

And when are you going to visit next, Crayons??