Struggling in a new economy

I know it’s been awhile since I last posted, but much has changed. I recently felt first hand the effects of our current economic state, and have also learned that where there strife, there is always hope. Recently the company I worked for had a layoff in which my department, as well as quite a few others were affected. The company went through what I have termed their own version of the fall classic. Since being acquired by this company they have had about 3 layoffs, each coinciding with the Holiday season. Why any company would choose this time of year to inform its employees to look elsewhere for work is beyond me. Either way, the deed was done and it was time to start looking.

Worried by countless stories of high unemployment rates in the U.S., and a slowing economy, my future looked bleak. I immediately set out, like any responsible family man would, and began the search for work. I spoke to a close friend, who is a recruiter by trade, and asked her to look over my resume and offer any pointers. With great advice regarding my resume, and even more advice on how to find a job quickly, I started the task of registering with all of the major job sites. My first day on Monster, Dice and CareerBuilders yielded several openings in the Software Development field. I updated my resume on each with my latest batch of skills, and set to work sending them out, not too confident that I would hear a response. By the next day my search had returned no less than 4 call backs, and one scheduled interview.

My days have become a mixture of job searches, resume submittals, and answering phone calls from would be employers and various head hunters. My nights have been spent working on independent development for a side project, and the few hours left have been spent doing some much needed work around the house. I have garnered some hope from all of this, which is a result of the many call backs that I have received. Unfortunately the common theme seems to be that no one is actually hiring before the first of the year. Everyone is putting their feelers out and looking for potential employees, but no on is actually ready to seal the deal and hire someone before January 1st. So I’ll wait and wait, and hopefully find something that will benefit both me and my next employer. I am confident that I’ll find something soon, but I just don’t like to be without work for too long.

I have noticed that it is considerably harder to find work when you’re out of work. Because of the economy, companies feel it only right to try and offer you less than what you’ve become accustomed to. Some have even gone as far as to offer me positions in places much too distant to be viable. As anyone who knows me can tell you I’m not a patient person, so the whole waiting thing has gotten me worried. Luckily I’ve gotten great support from family and friends, who have tried to help and set me up with interviews or contacts. I will attempt to keep this site updated as much as possible, but please understand if I don’t.