Don't know whether to gloat or have a pity party

[techie-13]

Yep, just like the thread title says, I don't know whether to gloat or have a (minor) pity party. I mentioned a while back that I was probably going to be laid off and now it has come to pass. :( So I'm a bit sad at a job of 15.7 (according to the retirement plan folks) has ended. It was a bit frustrating at the end because, the city was sending all the potentially laid-off folks from all over the city to interviews in other city departments to see if they could "redeploy" into another job. (Kind of like trying to talk people into giving you a chair in a game of musical chairs.) And while we were all out trying to find spots, we still had to do our regular jobs and train people on how to do parts of those jobs for after we're gone. :mad: :(

So the gloating( :D: :D: :D: :D: )part of this is that on Monday, I went to turn in my keys and badges, since I no longer work there as of last Friday. And my boss's assistant tells me that he is at one of our theatres because the backstage paging system died on Sunday. :D: One of the larger children's theatre groups in the Bay Area is in the middle of a production. The system is on the fritz and now, there is no longer a Technical Services Department to troubleshoot and fix the problem. :D:
I'm just waiting for the large LED sign out front of the building to have problems too. :D:

I know that all of this is going to be an opportunity to go back to school and complete my degree but it's just odd because it's the first time, since I was sixteen, that I don't have a job.

[darph nader]

I feel your pain. I've been trying to find employment for 6 weeks now. :(
Finally get to talk to someone next week.

[February]

Techie, darph, both of yis, all i can say is that i have been there- both as the lay-off-ee (yes, that's a word. it's a technical term. you can look it up in the encyclopedia bru-tannica) and also the spouse of lay-off-ee.

it just sucks.

but here's hoping it turns into better days ahead at better jobs for you both.

whine all you want- and keep us appraised of your progress...the worst job out there is trying to get a job.

hugs
bru

[Main Streeter]

Finally get to talk to someone next week.

darph, I TOLD you you'll get this position. Just told you! Will think of you that day with every positive thought I have. Will throw in kind thoughts too. This is a first. ;) Good luck my dear fun friend. :)

[GaTechGal]

Just a word of encouragement to all y'all looking for a job - hang in there. It totally sucks. It's stressful and it feels like nothing will ever happen. But it will. And just maybe you'll end up with something much better than before. It happened for both my husband and myself in the last economy downturn. So good luck folks. We're all rooting for you. :D:

[hobie16]

Hang in there guys. I got nailed twice by layoffs and both times ended up in much better positions.

[felinefan]

I've been unemployed for over 3 years. My sister finally sent my monthly rent check and grocery money, and says starting next month, unless I get a job or on a government program, she's going to cut my grocery money by $50, from $200 to $150. I have to shop at 5 or 6 different stores to make my money go farther. At least I get some exercise.

Problem is, companies are doing the ageism thing. They can figure out, on the background check, how old you are, and use that as a basis to not hire you. In this month's AARP Report, there's the story of a guy who was working for a tech company up north for 10 years before being laid off. He thought it was just the economy, but then he discovered that the 500 other people who were laid off with him were all over 50 years old, like him, and some had been forced to not only train their replacements, they were also told to either quit or get fired. So he started a lawsuit for age discrimination; it's due to go to trial soon, and of course his former employer refuses to admit they did anything wrong. Typical.

Goverment programs? Yeah, right. Has she seen what's been going on with the state budget? Does she honestly think I have any chance of getting anything? She's hardly ever been out of work in her life, and if she were to lose her job, I bet she'd be crying over how hard it is to get a new job. I've seen where people with sterling resume's, plenty of experience, who were top employees in their former jobs, get turned down, because employers want young kids who'll work for next to nothing. Why aren't these kids flipping burgers like they're supposed to? :twisted:

Listen, they're saying that when the rest of us Baby Boomers retire, we're going to have a significant labor shortage; there aren't enough people in the U.S. to take over all the jobs. Of course, I'm sure that's because they figured we'd all retire by 70, but the fact is, the way the economy is, I doubt very many Boomers will be able to retire, with diminished savings and portfolios, higher cost of living, et cetera. So much for the "Younger is better" belief.

[DisneyMom]

FelineFan-
Have you looked into your local Regional Occupational Program? Usually your local High School District will have the info. They teach High School and Adult students a variety of occupations including Medical Occupations, Banking, Hotel and Restaurant Occupations, and a variety of others. Got my Certified Nursing Assistant certificate back in High School from them, my son with Autism took Floristry last year and planning to take Hotel Occupations this year. Unless cutbacks eliminate the program, it is a good way to get training and your foot in the door.

As for retiring, I don't plan to. Will probably drop dead at work someday, will conveniently have Doctor nearby to pronounce.

[DisneyMom]

Found website for ROP-
http://www.ccrop.org

[felinefan]

Yes, I was referred there by Santa Ana WORK Center, but their fall classes won't be on schedule until the middle of next month. I'm interested in Medical Billing and Coding, but then I found a forum for people in that field, and nearly everybody on it said they had the hardest time getting a job out of school, because employers want people with 2-3 years of experience. So they end up doing something else for the experience instead. It also seems like everyone is trying to get into this field, maybe it's just one section of the country, but it seems like there's more jobseekers than jobs. Though one nice aspect is that you can do it from home; a couple people on the forum said you could buy the book and workbook and learn on your own. Hmmmm. I wonder how to present self-taught on a resume' or in an interview?

But what if the classes are cut? That's really my only option at my age, the time I've been out of work, and the fact I was fired from my last job (too slow). My sister sent a note with my monthly allotment and rent check, saying she's going to cut my food money from $200 to $150 to make the money last longer. That will only stretch it by one month. Of course, if by some miracle I can get government benefits, or a job, then she can restore it to the former amount. If I said that before, forgive me for repeating myself.