For the last four plus years I have been working for a company as a perm, salaried employee, but they have a contract with a major corporation in Houston, and well I work for them. This has been a great job, great people, and I’ve even learned a few things. Always a plus. I knew that the major corp could cancel the contract at any time and well with the economy that was always a possibility, at least in my mind.
On and off I have been contacted about other jobs. They were always contract, and generally speaking that means NO HEALTH BENEFITS. Recently something happened that I did not expect. Around Thanksgiving actually. The major corp. announced that all the contractor would be put on six week furlough! Yes just in time for Christmas! Also that six week furlough was open ended. It may be six weeks it may be longer.
WOW! That is a wake up call. Even the company that I work directly for said “We understand if you cannot wait and need to find employment elsewhere…” Doom and gloom! Then the management team was able to get the okay to keep three of us on. Luckily I was asked to stay. Of course I started looking for another job. It’s always possible that I could find another job and then six months later that company is sold and everyone is laid off, but it’s like being on a sinking life boat. You can see the water rising so even though the life boat next to you seems to be floating just fine, it’s still in the same stormy seas of the one you are trying to leave. If you are really lucky you’ll be able to hop from one life boat to the other and keep from getting soaked!
Well the six week furlough was the end of last month. Yesterday we found out that the major corp. is bringing us back to full staffing levels, well nearly so. There is still some concern, at least on my part that this can happen again, or everything won’t go as planned. Understandable I think considering the extreme uncertainty that I’ve been going through since the end of 2012!
I had no idea this is what the Mayans were warning me about! 😉
So I’m keeping my options open. I have sent out resumes, and even had a technical interview. You know the one they ask you technical questions to see if you are lying on your resume? Actually it really is more to assess your abilities so they can judge your fit into the position. I know I’ve been on the other side of those interviews many times before. Boy I hope I set them a little at ease when during those times.
Here’s the rub. I worked at that one job for sixteen years. I didn’t hop around from I.T. job to I.T. job and then when I was forced to find another I.T. job I couldn’t. It’s not that I couldn’t do the jobs that were available, I’m sure I could, but how was I going to convince someone to give me a chance and see just how wonderful I am? To this very day I am still asking that question.
I thought perhaps my resume was just wrong. Didn’t have the right information. Recently when I’ve spoken to the head hunters on the phone I’ve just told them I’m having trouble and what is it about my resume that needs fixing? I’ve applied for jobs that were near verbatim what was on my resume, and no I didn’t tailor it to fit the job description. I didn’t hear from them or if I did something happened where it was one conversation then nothing.
I’ve never been charged with a felony, never had a drunk driving arrest. Hell I don’t even drink! I think I have great experience, shown that I will work for a company for many years, but here I sit wondering why I can’t find a company that needs a well seasoned I.T. professional with my many skills. Now I did consider two things. One I don’t have a four year degree. I do have some college. Several people I spoke to in the past, head hunters, said the degree was good to have but with my years of experience it shouldn’t be an issue. So then I moved on to the next possibility. I mean I was in my 20’s when I started working my 16 year job, maybe I was just looked at as being too old!
{Laughing} you know the feeling that when you get past the age 35 you think you’re old? Well working here at this major corporation has taught me age isn’t a major concern, if any. I’m back to square one. Why is it so hard for me to find a job?
Maybe you have a suggestion. Is there a service, a psychic, anything that I could consult to find out? Do I need to hire someone to write my resume? Am I the only one that has this much trouble? I’ve heard that you should plan on being out of work from 1 to 3 months. Well I’ve been looking for 2 months now and I’ve had one phone interview. That job isn’t necessarily dead, I’ve learned that they are very slow in the hiring process.
If you’d like to help me, please send me a message and I’ll be happy to share my resume with you!