Life of the Unemployed, Part 1

[matt_plotecher]

First, let's take stock of the bad news:

• I have no job. Pretty self-explanitory, and the root of the big problems that are to follow.
  
• There are some back wages that are owned to me. Due to the complex workings of a company when it goes out of business, it could be several months before I see this money, if I see it at all. Frankly, I hate to admit it, but I don't really have any hope of seeing this money; this sucks, as it was quite a bit, and would have helped considerably.
  
• Health insurance is not looking good. COBRA may not be available because it apparently requires the company to still be in existence. We should get final word later, but again, I don't have much hope for this. This can put me in deep trouble as A) private insurance can be very expensive, and B) because of my leg, I may just be denied coverage outright. More research will need to be taken, but regardless, it won't be good news; just a matter of which is the least worst.
  
• Finding a job in the Game Industry is tricky. Like any trade industry, the major job websites (such as Monster) do not have the positions I would be looking for; it requires more effort to find openings for a Game Designer.
  
• Thanks to the costs of the replacement contacts, uncovered dental visit, backpack theft, and birthdays, I don't have as much in the bank as I had hoped; originally the goal was that July and August I would have built up the savings again, but well, so much for that plan.
  

Now, as for the good points:

• I qualified for unemployment insurance, and should be getting my first check this week or next week. I get the maximum, which, despite what some pundits would claim, is not a lot -- certainly not enough for a new Cadillac.
  
• I do have enough in the bank that, with the unemployment check, I should be able to last until October before I run out of cash (IMPORTANT NOTE: This is assuming that I can still get health insurance at a "reasonable" rate; that's the big unknown right now).
  
• I also have some emergency money tied up in a CD that, if I have to, I can break open to keep me afloat for a little bit longer. I'm loathe to do so, largely because this is the money that is supposed to be on hand should I need another operation for my leg.
  
• I have managed to find some resources for finding not only sites for finding jobs in the game industry, but also some that can allow me to target companies within the NYC area. True, a lot of these would have to be done as cold calls, but it's better than nothing.
  

With that in mind, most of this week was getting resources lined up. As I mentioned, I managed to find some websites that might help, put my resume through several revisions, and uploaded it to some job-hunter boards, so at least it's out there. My LinkedIn profile is updated, and now has a recommendation, so that helps. And a number of my friends in the industry know I'm looking, so we'll see if any news comes my way about unadvertised openings.

Today, I sent out 4 applications; one of these is the "best chance" I have at the moment. I know the company, know a number of the workers (one of them gave me the direct e-mail for HR), and they have a open position that I can fill. Still, I'm sure there are dozens, if not hundreds, of other applicants, and it's anyone's guess if I hear back from them any time soon, let only actually land the job.

Otherwise, I plan to use my free time do get in some more exercise (definitely need to stay healthy), try out some new cooking experiments, and -- most of all -- develop some of my side projects. These projects will help sharpen up some skills, give me something new for the portfolio, and also keep me busy.