I'm normally a private person, but this time, maybe I need to make an exception.

As a couple of you know, I've been *coughs* underemployed for a few months. (Never tell the customer his idea is a bad one; worse, never be right; even worse, never be right when it is the customer that pays a third of the income for the company.) Yesterday I had an interview with a company that normally wouldn't have thought I had a chance with and I think I impressed them due to stuff that doesn't show up on my resume. And it would be better pay with less headache than anything else I've done.

I guess I'm asking for luck and happy thoughts, and at this point, I won't turn down prayer either. It's either that, or back to Staples, which would literally be a fate on par with death.

Thanks everyone.

You got it Partner, the Power of Positive Thinking!

Good Luck,

Mike

Ironraven,

If anyone here has good luck to spare it's me. Take all you need, friend.

-Blast

I have included you in my prayers and I wish you the best of luck!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Positive mojo headed your way.

All the best of luck. I'll keep my fingers, toes and eyes crossed for you.

I just started a new job, one of those that is the result of "Be careful what you wish for, you may get it" karma.

Certainly hope you do better!

Sue

I understand completely been out of work for almost two months now, but I think things are turning around so I have some luck to spare and a prayer too.

Good luck man.

I was a contractor (IT Industry) for a number of years. Some times it was contract after contract, other times I had a few months inbetween contracts. I know what it feels like.

Wish you all the best!

You can entirely have my quota for the next week!

One Vermontah to anotha, I've been blessed with plenty to spare. Prayers and loads of positive thoughts sent your way! Good LUck IR!

Best of my luck to you! Break a leg!
Stu

Hang in there. Our prayers are with you.

Good luck. Hope it works out.

Happy thoughts on their way. Best of luck with this.

While I'm sure that you wouldn't want me to "donate" my luck to you (that may hurt more than help) I will wish you good luck.

BTW,

I love Vermont, we go camping up there often.

Best wishes and prayers to you. Very few things in life worse than being underemployed, underpaid and underappreciated all at the same time.

Once quit my job due to integrity issue (my boss had none, I had enough to realize what was being done may have been legal but unethical) and left a $60,000 a year job with lots of benefits for a $28,000 with medical benefits, vacation and little else. At the time it hurt like hell, my wife and I had to scrape for every single cent (and I was starting grad school) but each day it got better everytime I looked in the mirror and realized that money is just a tool, albeit a necessary one. Knowing that my honesty and character are still intact is worth more than any money right now.

Hang in there.

... crossing fingers .....

Good thing I have a extra packet of good-luck in my PSK. It's going your way..

Good luck. Hope it works out better than you could expect.

No, no broken legs, don't jinx me like that. I need them to say yes, and wait for the medical to kick in.

Thanks everyone.

I'm expecting a call back early next week from their HR people. Apparently the tests show (a) I'm not an axe murderer and (b) I remember more PERL than I thought I did.

Actually, to say "break a leg" is an "anti jinx" - in show-biz, it is considered EXTREMLY bad luck to say "good luck" - so you say "Break a leg"

Ah.

I probably knew the history of that, but not being around showfolk very often it has been back filed.

Or I was making a very tiny joke.

So far so good. I had the interrogation from their HR people on Thursday- seriously, how many ways can those people ask the same question? It felt like they were doing a continuity test against an alibi or something, but it was stupid questions, not much above the level of "what is your favorite color". Now they need to discuss among themselves, hopefully I hear back this week.

Thanks everyone.

From interviews I've had, most of the questions don't seem to be things they want to know, but what they have read that they should ask, found in some book written by some Madison Ave. dweeb who doesn't really know anything, but it sounded good.

It's like the current wave of saying "My pleasure" instead of "You're welcome", and the ever-popular "Is there anything else I can help you with?".

Good luck, fingers are crossed for you.

Sue

I'll keep everything crossed for you. Keep in mind, last oral board I met left me feeling like I had zero chance of being hired. Lasted almost 31 years on that job...

They liked my skill set.

But they didn't think I was a good "mesh" with their "corporate culture". I don't speak "buzzword"- does anyone know what that means? Or is just random syllables slapped together that almost sound like something?

*sighs* And it would have been a good gig. I miss having liquidity.

Oh man, sorry dude. Interested in moving down to Houston? I'm sure you could find something down here.

-Blast

Relocation is a little out of the picture, economically. For which your neighbors should probably be thankful for.

I understand where your at I interviewed for two companies both said they liked my answers and that they would like me to go to work for them but that was 2 and three weeks ago and I'm still at the house.

BuzzwordS. Put the first and last letter of the word together to get the real meaning.

Buzzwords are a form of CorporateSpeak, their meanings are trendy and usually unclear, and they're used to "impress" others with a pretense of non-existent knowledge. A person's understanding of the meaning can be totally different from that of the person standing next to him. Using buzzwords are a way to bluff your way through something when you don't know what you're talking about, and if something goes wrong, you backpedal really fast and say "that's not what I meant".

Income aside, you probably would have hated it there.

Sue

Actually, it was writing filtering and export code. Not a big deal, 80% of the brain sweat is logical expressions (which I think are easy) and the rest is just plug and chug for their parsing stuff- not that hard, and it is kinda fun. And I like that area, even if it is a bit remote even by my standards.

Still, I think I know what they actually were saying- "we like your brain, we just don't like you". I'm starting to wonder if one of my former employers is screwing me, and if I could prove it, I'd throw a lawyer at him so fast and so hard he'd beg me to shoot him instead.

Screw working for someone else. Start your own business.

I will make a special offering to the computer gods on your behalf....

If you know of someone who has their own business, have them call your references regarding a fake job, and see what is being said about you.

All businesses have caller ID now, so it has to look legitimate, esp if the friend has to leave a message to call back.

Of course, you could work for a company like my new job... the requirements: clean driving record, pass a drug test, and appear to be breathing. Garbage pay and hours, though.......

Sue

Hang in there brother, there is something better planned for you.

I will keep my prayers going!!!!!

I'm really sorry to hear that Ironraven. Chances are if they passed up someone who can do the job well (you) for someone that can just BS (corporate lackey) then your better off. Good luck, I'm sure something will pan out for you.

That is almost certainly the case. If one of their expectations was participation in corporate bullcrap, you have to ask yourself if you would have been happy in that job.

Been there… done that. Had a total whack-job of a branch manager come into being at my old technical job because our company bought out another smaller company, and this douchebag was allowed to keep an executive position due to the buyout contract terms. He made pretty much the entire office transfer or quit (no exaggeration). Personally, I decided to take a break from the technical field and became a ballroom dance instructor at that point. Was a fantastic move on my part from the things I heard from my old job contacts!