(no subject)
So, we finally heard word back from Machine Zone.
Their plans are to expand the company from 250 people to 750 - meaning they need 500 new faces, of whom Quark's 10 engineers, 2 QA, 2 Customer Service, 4 artists, 2 Game Design and 2 manager types are merely the first 10%. To aid in their goal, the engineers were hired. To aid in it further, the CEO announced... a hiring freeze.
So the devs got through, and I think some of the upper management and/or GD. But Art, QA, Customer Service? Out in the cold.
I just applied for unemployment, and now I need to look into COBRA. And, of course, to find a new job... I made $30K a year in gross wages at Quark--more like $23K after taxes. Talia, despite theoretically making 50% more than I do (did), pays a lot more taxes. With the kittens, we're now paying $21K in rent per year--and that's before things like food, water, cable, gas and Talia's assorted monthlies (student loans, car payments, etc). Between my final paycheck, severance and unused vacation time, I'm essentially still employed through the beginning of January... but between the move and having helped Talia pay her bills for several months, my savings are in the hole. I need a new job by New Year's Day, it's as simple as that.
I have 45 days to do something that sometimes takes me a year.
I'm trying not to panic.
Their plans are to expand the company from 250 people to 750 - meaning they need 500 new faces, of whom Quark's 10 engineers, 2 QA, 2 Customer Service, 4 artists, 2 Game Design and 2 manager types are merely the first 10%. To aid in their goal, the engineers were hired. To aid in it further, the CEO announced... a hiring freeze.
So the devs got through, and I think some of the upper management and/or GD. But Art, QA, Customer Service? Out in the cold.
I just applied for unemployment, and now I need to look into COBRA. And, of course, to find a new job... I made $30K a year in gross wages at Quark--more like $23K after taxes. Talia, despite theoretically making 50% more than I do (did), pays a lot more taxes. With the kittens, we're now paying $21K in rent per year--and that's before things like food, water, cable, gas and Talia's assorted monthlies (student loans, car payments, etc). Between my final paycheck, severance and unused vacation time, I'm essentially still employed through the beginning of January... but between the move and having helped Talia pay her bills for several months, my savings are in the hole. I need a new job by New Year's Day, it's as simple as that.
I have 45 days to do something that sometimes takes me a year.
I'm trying not to panic.