[rescue] looking for a Multia

[N.Miller]

On Wednesday, August 13, 2003, at 01:21 PM, Charles Shannon Hendrix 
wrote:

> On Wed, Aug 13, 2003 at 08:52:11AM -0700, N.Miller wrote:
>
>> In CA, you only need to make a minimum of $1500 to file for UI.
>
> Jeez... in Virginia it is over $4000 I believe.

Well, you know little socialist republic, California. ;-)

>>> * it makes you look bad to employers in your field
>>
>> I don't think this is necessarily true, given the state things are
>> in at this point.
>
> I know it is, because I've already heard it from some people who
> experienced it in interviews.

When I said "not necessarily" I meant some employers might
think that but others may not.  Some employers do have a clue
about what is going on out in the job market.  Others are
completely out of the loop.

> Well, I definitely will not stick around.  I'm a programmer and unless
> I go back to school or learn a trade, I probably will always be one.
> Nothing else I know how to do will pay the bills.

As someone who would be more likely to move up into management
rather than more sr. sys admin type work, I see both sides of
this equation.  If given half a chance in a good large employer
as a manager, I would probably stick around for a while.

But then, my last ten years of work was completely unrelated to
my education other than the "critical thinking" part.  In fact,
except for 3 years of teaching technical topics and doing course
development, *none* of my jobs has been related to my education.

Learning a trade is not necessarily a bad thing.  A fellow I spoke
with over the weekend who works at a private trade school says the
CNA's, phlebotomists, and surgical techs are "flying out the door".
They have de-emphasized and down-sized their IT training because
they can't find people placements, and that is part of their school's
selling point.

>> It's not so much that, I don't think.  I just think they know they
>> can look at more candidates and get someone that's better.
>
> Better at stocking shelves or driving a forklift?

Better, period.  Better at learning, more mature and understanding
of business, used to working in a complex environment.  Face it,
most 16 yo's don't know jack about customer service, for example.

> Aren't you talking about a computer job here?

Yes, my point was that many tech people know that there are plenty
of us looking for work, and they can be picky.  There's nothing
malicious about it, it's just "the best and brightest" taken to
the Nth degree.

> I haven't let my personal network collapse... its just that none
> of them are any help.  Either they are in places with nothing
> to offer, or they are in the same situation I am in.

Perhaps "collapse" is not the correct word.  But, the sad fact is,
that most IT people are introverted, and while opinionated, often
will not rock the boat or take risks outside their own circle of
expertise.  As a result, your fellow sys admins (if that's all they
are) may be the last people to approach for networking.

Most of my friends who still have jobs are worthless for this kind
of thing, because they keep to themselves, perhaps more so now that
they are worried about the security of their jobs.

So, I guess I should say that next time I will spend more time
cultivating relationships with people *outside* of the sys admin
department, as well as inside.

=Nadine=