Checking in again
Hey there kids!
I hope you'll excuse the fact that I linked my Twitter with LJ, but honestly it's the best way to keep things updated and keep in touch with everyone (I always respond to messages here of course). It's the nature of the changing ways of LJ, I suppose.
This week I should be getting my letter from the state of Illinois telling me I won't be getting my unemployment payments because I got fired. The guy from the state who called to ask what happened sounded like he didn't give two shits about me or what I had to tell him about my old Nazi boss. I have the option to appeal, but that means a lawyer and the payments only amount to around $170 (or less) a week after the 14% of taxes are taken out. I could use the money, but honestly, I simply want to be DONE with this guy. Karma will catch up with him. He's a terrible person, and a sexist and racist (and probably homophobe, but I never did mention at work I have a legal partner just for that reason), and I want him out of my life forever. He'll get punished for all the things he said and the way he treated me and others. I'm moving on.
I saw a job I thought I could do in a listing this week, but it required "advanced HTML skills" which I don't have. If I were 10 years younger my college courses would have prepared me for the age of online editing, in which employers want you to be able to research, write, edit, design, code, troubleshoot, and market everything. And my problem is every job requires different software skills. One job wants you to know Drupal (a Content Management System, or CMS, which essentially allows you to make changes to a website through a single interface) while another only uses Wordpress. It's almost impossible to have all the skills they need, and when you emphasize the fact that you learned a previous CMS all on your own, it doesn't matter. In the current jobmarket, employers want you to drop right in and know everything the moment you're hired. There is no learning curve anymore because competition is so fierce.
In order to be more competitive, I've signed up for Continuing Education classes at a local college (well, local meaning about 40 minutes away). I'm going for a Web Maintenance and Design certificate. Here's what I have to take to attain that:
Requirements
1. Six required courses:
Introduction to HTML, LCT 0190
Introduction to Dreamweaver, LCT 0275
Intermediate HTML, LCT 0290, or Intermediate Dreamweaver, LCT 0375
Introduction to Cascading Style Sheets, LCT 0210
Introduction to JavaScript Programming, LCT 0193
Web Design and Usability Techniques, LCT 0201
2. One elective from the following list:
Intermediate HTML, LCT 0290
Intermediate Dreamweaver, LCT 0375
Intermediate Cascading Style Sheets, LCT 0215
Introduction to jQuery, LCT 0220
Introduction to Flash, LCT 0293
Introduction to Adobe Edge CC, LCT 0399
Introduction to WordPress, LCT 0590
Photoshop, LCT 8036
Plus a portfolio workshop.
I didn't do this last year because I didn't have the money. I'm taking six classes, and that is costing me around $1600. I'm still short two to actually get the certificate. But it's stuff I need to know. It can only help! Maybe now I can actually get a job? I hope? Then I probably need some marketing skills.
If you're counting, these are skills that three separate people would have had in the old days. I would write and edit the copy, then web design would make sure that copy is distributed to the site, and then marketing would handle email blasts and social media. Now they expect one person to do it all. *deep sigh*
And remember last year when I was talking about original writing? I'm still hoping to make that profitable. I just need to finish and upload the damn story to Amazon, and hope people buy it. Others have already gone this route and are making an insane amount of money. My problem is that I need to 1) actually sit down and write and 2) keep doing that so I build up a large catalogue. In this game, being prolific is more important than actually being good.
There you have it. Trying to move forward. I'm also going to be looking into finding someone to help with my poor self-esteem and self-confidence issues, and of course the constant depression I've been suffering since my career figuratively went into the toilet.
I wouldn't mind a little good luck for a change. I feel like I'm due.
I hope you'll excuse the fact that I linked my Twitter with LJ, but honestly it's the best way to keep things updated and keep in touch with everyone (I always respond to messages here of course). It's the nature of the changing ways of LJ, I suppose.
This week I should be getting my letter from the state of Illinois telling me I won't be getting my unemployment payments because I got fired. The guy from the state who called to ask what happened sounded like he didn't give two shits about me or what I had to tell him about my old Nazi boss. I have the option to appeal, but that means a lawyer and the payments only amount to around $170 (or less) a week after the 14% of taxes are taken out. I could use the money, but honestly, I simply want to be DONE with this guy. Karma will catch up with him. He's a terrible person, and a sexist and racist (and probably homophobe, but I never did mention at work I have a legal partner just for that reason), and I want him out of my life forever. He'll get punished for all the things he said and the way he treated me and others. I'm moving on.
I saw a job I thought I could do in a listing this week, but it required "advanced HTML skills" which I don't have. If I were 10 years younger my college courses would have prepared me for the age of online editing, in which employers want you to be able to research, write, edit, design, code, troubleshoot, and market everything. And my problem is every job requires different software skills. One job wants you to know Drupal (a Content Management System, or CMS, which essentially allows you to make changes to a website through a single interface) while another only uses Wordpress. It's almost impossible to have all the skills they need, and when you emphasize the fact that you learned a previous CMS all on your own, it doesn't matter. In the current jobmarket, employers want you to drop right in and know everything the moment you're hired. There is no learning curve anymore because competition is so fierce.
In order to be more competitive, I've signed up for Continuing Education classes at a local college (well, local meaning about 40 minutes away). I'm going for a Web Maintenance and Design certificate. Here's what I have to take to attain that:
Requirements
1. Six required courses:
Introduction to HTML, LCT 0190
Introduction to Dreamweaver, LCT 0275
Intermediate HTML, LCT 0290, or Intermediate Dreamweaver, LCT 0375
Introduction to Cascading Style Sheets, LCT 0210
Introduction to JavaScript Programming, LCT 0193
Web Design and Usability Techniques, LCT 0201
2. One elective from the following list:
Intermediate HTML, LCT 0290
Intermediate Dreamweaver, LCT 0375
Intermediate Cascading Style Sheets, LCT 0215
Introduction to jQuery, LCT 0220
Introduction to Flash, LCT 0293
Introduction to Adobe Edge CC, LCT 0399
Introduction to WordPress, LCT 0590
Photoshop, LCT 8036
Plus a portfolio workshop.
I didn't do this last year because I didn't have the money. I'm taking six classes, and that is costing me around $1600. I'm still short two to actually get the certificate. But it's stuff I need to know. It can only help! Maybe now I can actually get a job? I hope? Then I probably need some marketing skills.
If you're counting, these are skills that three separate people would have had in the old days. I would write and edit the copy, then web design would make sure that copy is distributed to the site, and then marketing would handle email blasts and social media. Now they expect one person to do it all. *deep sigh*
And remember last year when I was talking about original writing? I'm still hoping to make that profitable. I just need to finish and upload the damn story to Amazon, and hope people buy it. Others have already gone this route and are making an insane amount of money. My problem is that I need to 1) actually sit down and write and 2) keep doing that so I build up a large catalogue. In this game, being prolific is more important than actually being good.
There you have it. Trying to move forward. I'm also going to be looking into finding someone to help with my poor self-esteem and self-confidence issues, and of course the constant depression I've been suffering since my career figuratively went into the toilet.
I wouldn't mind a little good luck for a change. I feel like I'm due.