Job search / loose ends
If you're having trouble falling asleep, I've got your cure right here.
So yeah. Job search. Absolutely my least favourite thing ever. Updating the resume wasn't a huge thing since I'd done it two years ago. I'd also saved my last few cover letters. Those aren't too hard once I get started. But selling myself as a product blows. LinkedIn is a blessing and a curse. I just want to kick ass and get paid.
I have two good prospects reasonably close to home (RTP and Hillsborough), and a few reasonably good ones that were worth looking into, but all will come with a dramatic pay cut. My costs are low, so if I can find something with good work/life balance and a reasonable commute that doesn't suck too much of my soul, then I'll be able to start enjoying life again.
But before that can happen, it's slogging through job listings. Spending ages pasting my info into their system even though my effing resume is attached. Knowing that a lot of recruiters will kick my 30 years of experience to the curb because I don't have a degree. I've managed to have a decent career and pull down a more than respectable salary without it.
One of my parting benefits is six phone sessions with a service from Australia that offers help with resumes and interviews. Also the new HR guy offered to look over my resume, so I sent on my info. The HR guy was sick today and the Aussies will always be a day between responses because of the 14 hour time difference, but it's worth a shot.
There's also the loose ends from my former employer. I shipped back my equiment, my last three expense reports and my separation agreement in one package. The equipment made it back to DC intact, but the IT guys claim that no envelopes were enclosed. I'm guessing they threw out the box and didn't read the email that I sent which stated that the box also contained paperwork. I know they didn't read it becase they didn't mention that the envelopes were missing. Luckily I saved PDF copies. I forwarded the electronic copies and mailed another copy of the agreement with an ink signature. I'll breathe freely again when I have my last paycheck, severance, and unused leave pay.
I was worried that I'd get calls from all the loose ends with my projects, but not a work-related peep. It's more than a bit eerie, since my job wasn't something that you could just hand over in one tidy piece. The last of the other 69 people that were laid off will be leaving at the end of the month. That's gotta be a huge doom cloud, plus the survivors are already drowning. I'm wondering what it will look like when they have to cover all those gaps. More people will leave. But that is them and this is me. I have Options and Opportunities. And other spunky catch phrases.
It's expecially irritating that I can't properly enjoy my freedom since I don't know how far I'll have to burn through my reserves. By now I should have been looking forward to a carefree April in New Orleans. Maybe I'll go anyway. Grr. I love a bit of chaos, but it needs to have an anchor around which to spin.