{ "attachments": [], "comments_archived": true, "date": "2003-03-17T13:57:42.000Z", "layout": "post", "title": "Happy Trails to Me, I'm Job-Free: Week One", "wordpress_id": 393, "wordpress_slug": "first-week-off", "wordpress_url": "http://www.decafbad.com/blog/?p=393", "year": "2003", "month": "03", "day": "17", "isDir": false, "slug": "first-week-off", "type": "entry", "postName": "2003-03-17-first-week-off", "html": "

I hadn't written much last week, between the job search and getting\nmyself hooked up with a new laptop. I'd meant to revise my initial\npost announcing my being laid of - but instead, I simply lost it\nwhen the iBook got doused.

\n

So, to those of you who haven't heard my news: I was laid off a little\nover a week and a weekend ago. No hard feelings or fireworks, just\ntypical bad economy reasons. Nevertheless, it took me by surprise.\nSo now I'm shopping my resume around.

\n

If you're interested, my resume is available here:

\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

Last week was strange. Having been let go on a Friday, I had a\nweekend to pretend things were all as usual. But, when Monday hit,\nthings were different. I still got up at the usual time, did the\nusual morning things, and got out of the apartment as if I were going\nto work. But instead of heading for the highway, I headed for a\ncoffee shop\nnear campus with wireless internet. Trying to keep the old\npatterns as normal as possible, only now my job is finding a job and\ngetting myself in shape for what's out there.

\n

It wouldn't be news to anyone to hear that the job market, at least\nwhat I've seen of it so far, is nothing like the verdant plains and\nvalleys of even 3 years ago - which is about the last time I took a\nserious look. After a first survey of a few job boards online, I\nfired off a handful of resumes and apps, and took notes on what's\nbeing asked for so as to prepare some semblance of a learning plan\nwhile I'm off.

\n

So by the end of last week, I'd accomplished these various and sundry\nthings:

\n\n\n\n

There's been more, but it's the amount of Metroid Prime play I'm most\nproud of - had I not gotten out of the apartment in the morning, the\nhours invested in that would have been immensely greater. Maybe after\nI've fired off a few more resumes, I'll feel better about actually\ntaking a rest since my brane's been going full speed for months now at\nwork.

\n

Thought a bit about striking out on my own with freelance work, but\nthe Ellen Ullman book has given me a bit of a strange mood. She makes\nworking for oneself sound both promising and desolate at once - though\nthe promising bits would seem to be the things that disappeared with\nthe 90's. So that leaves it sounding pretty unpalatable. Who knows,\nthough - I always wanted to work from (but not at) a coffee shop.

\n

Well, back to searching and my first baby steps with .NET - wish me\nluck. And if you happen to be in town, stop by and say haloo.

\n\n\n\n

shortname=first_week_off

\n

Archived Comments

\n\n\n\n
\n\n\n", "body": "I hadn't written much last week, between the job search and getting\r\nmyself hooked up with a new laptop. I'd meant to revise my initial\r\npost announcing my being laid of - but instead, I simply lost it\r\nwhen the iBook got doused.\r\n

\r\nSo, to those of you who haven't heard my news: I was laid off a little\r\nover a week and a weekend ago. No hard feelings or fireworks, just\r\ntypical bad economy reasons. Nevertheless, it took me by surprise.\r\nSo now I'm shopping my resume around.\r\n

\r\nIf you're interested, my resume is available here:\r\n\r\n

\r\nLast week was strange. Having been let go on a Friday, I had a\r\nweekend to pretend things were all as usual. But, when Monday hit,\r\nthings were different. I still got up at the usual time, did the\r\nusual morning things, and got out of the apartment as if I were going\r\nto work. But instead of heading for the highway, I headed for a\r\ncoffee shop\r\nnear campus with wireless internet. Trying to keep the old\r\npatterns as normal as possible, only now my job is finding a job and\r\ngetting myself in shape for what's out there.\r\n

\r\nIt wouldn't be news to anyone to hear that the job market, at least\r\nwhat I've seen of it so far, is nothing like the verdant plains and\r\nvalleys of even 3 years ago - which is about the last time I took a\r\nserious look. After a first survey of a few job boards online, I\r\nfired off a handful of resumes and apps, and took notes on what's\r\nbeing asked for so as to prepare some semblance of a learning plan\r\nwhile I'm off.\r\n

\r\nSo by the end of last week, I'd accomplished these various and sundry\r\nthings:\r\n\r\nThere's been more, but it's the amount of Metroid Prime play I'm most\r\nproud of - had I not gotten out of the apartment in the morning, the\r\nhours invested in that would have been immensely greater. Maybe after\r\nI've fired off a few more resumes, I'll feel better about actually\r\ntaking a rest since my brane's been going full speed for months now at\r\nwork.\r\n

\r\nThought a bit about striking out on my own with freelance work, but\r\nthe Ellen Ullman book has given me a bit of a strange mood. She makes\r\nworking for oneself sound both promising and desolate at once - though\r\nthe promising bits would seem to be the things that disappeared with\r\nthe 90's. So that leaves it sounding pretty unpalatable. Who knows,\r\nthough - I always wanted to work from (but not at) a coffee shop. \r\n

\r\nWell, back to searching and my first baby steps with .NET - wish me\r\nluck. And if you happen to be in town, stop by and say haloo.\r\n\r\nshortname=first_week_off\r\n\r\n
\r\n

Archived Comments

\r\n \r\n \r\n \r\n
\r\n ", "parentPath": "./content/posts/archives/2003", "path": "2003/03/17/first-week-off", "summary": "I hadn't written much last week, between the job search and getting\nmyself hooked up with a new laptop. I'd meant to revise my initial\npost announcing my being laid of - but instead, I simply lost it\nwhen the iBook got doused.\nSo, to those of you who haven't heard my news: I was laid off a little\nover a week and a weekend ago. No hard feelings or fireworks, just\ntypical bad economy reasons. Nevertheless, it took me by surprise.\nSo now I'm shopping my resume around.\nIf you're interested, my resume is available here:\n\n http://www.decafbad.com/2003/03/l-m-orchard-resume.doc\n\n http://www.decafbad.com/2003/03/l-m-orchard-resume.pdf\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\nLast week was strange. Having been let go on a Friday, I had a\nweekend to pretend things were all as usual. But, when Monday hit,\nthings were different. I still got up at the usual time, did the\nusual morning things, and got out of the apartment as if I were going\nto work. But instead of heading for the highway, I headed for a\ncoffee shop\nnear campus with wireless internet. Trying to keep the old\npatterns as normal as possible, only now my job is finding a job and\ngetting myself in shape for what's out there.\nIt wouldn't be news to anyone to hear that the job market, at least\nwhat I've seen of it so far, is nothing like the verdant plains and\nvalleys of even 3 years ago - which is about the last time I took a\nserious look. After a first survey of a few job boards online, I\nfired off a handful of resumes and apps, and took notes on what's\nbeing asked for so as to prepare some semblance of a learning plan\nwhile I'm off.\nSo by the end of last week, I'd accomplished these various and sundry\nthings:\n\n 5 cups of coffee consumed per day\n\n 1 resume updated and revised\n\n 6 resumes emailed and 4 online applications filled\n\n 5 profiles completed at online recruiting sites\n\n 1 application for unemployment filed\n\n 1 12\" G4 ?PowerBook acquired and configured\n\n 3 Microsoft operating systems installed and configured under Virtual PC\n\n 1 .NET Framework installed and exploration begun\n\n 1 novel finished, Close to the Machine by Ellen Ullman\n\n 6 hours of Metroid Prime played\n\n\n\n\nThere's been more, but it's the amount of Metroid Prime play I'm most\nproud of - had I not gotten out of the apartment in the morning, the\nhours invested in that would have been immensely greater. Maybe after\nI've fired off a few more resumes, I'll feel better about actually\ntaking a rest since my brane's been going full speed for months now at\nwork.\nThought a bit about striking out on my own with freelance work, but\nthe Ellen Ullman book has given me a bit of a strange mood. She makes\nworking for oneself sound both promising and desolate at once - though\nthe promising bits would seem to be the things that disappeared with\nthe 90's. So that leaves it sounding pretty unpalatable. Who knows,\nthough - I always wanted to work from (but not at) a coffee shop. \nWell, back to searching and my first baby steps with .NET - wish me\nluck. And if you happen to be in town, stop by and say haloo.", "needsBuild": true, "prevPostPath": "2003/03/11/thirsty-ibook", "prevPostTitle": "iBooks Don't Get Thirsty", "nextPostPath": "2003/03/17/blosxom-paginate", "nextPostTitle": "Pagination for Blosxom" }