Seriously? I am over-qualified?

Alrighty... so before I go off on Coach Lovie Smith for benching Kevin Payne... I gotta vent about the job search stuff... just gotta do it...

A very cool non-profit organization was looking for some help on a project. I have worked on a few projects EXACTLY like what they are doing. BUT, since I have a wealth of experience they decided against even interviewing me because they figure I will leave as soon as a "better" job opportunity presents itself.

OK, so here's the background... someone else who was also "over-qualified" was in the position for a month and quit. I am not sure why someone would leave a position in this economy unless they had something else lined up. Also, it is a contract position - so, most people working on a contract basis are probably still sending out resumes. You HAVE to assume that when you are working with someone on a contract basis instead of hiring them outright.

The frustrating thing is that while I do have a wealth of experience in the field, I was out of it from 2005-2007. I am trying to get my foot in the door at a lower level to work my way back up but no one is willing to pull the trigger. They think I will be "bored" with a lower level position and they make this judgement without even speaking with me. Most hiring managers are so swamped with resumes that they can't go calling EVERY person that sends a resume, but in many cases they are working with recruiters as well. If they won't trust their judgement and meet with a candidate that is worthy, then why are they wasting everyone's time???

Well, all I can say is that someday someone will wise up and hire me, and they will never regret that decision. Until then, I am gonna drink my coffee, play some Xbox, and keep writing...

OK, onto more important things...

Lovie Smith has decided to put his boy... his pet project... Danieal Manning into the starting lineup at Free Safety...

http://www.suntimes.com/sports/football/bears/1778855,CST-SPT-bear19.article

Now, don't get me wrong... I dig Manning... he's got skills... he can return kicks with the best of them... but to say he is the only "true free safety on the roster" is just missing the mark entirely. Does anyone remember the last game Manning started at Free Safety? I do... he got schooled by his bro, Peyton, and Reggie Wayne as the Bears lost momentum in the Super Bowl.

I guess Lovie is trying to make a splash for the home opener... in my opinion a winnable game. The Steelers and Bears are both without stud defenders, and I think Pittsburgh's D is without a doubt a step above ours. So how does chaninging your Free Safety at this point helps us? Will we see Hines Ward and others roaming free in the secondary?

Besides all that, who better to play safety than a guy named "Payne"??? That just screams intimidation at ya!!!

Anyhoo... at least the game is on regular TV so I don't have to sit in a public place when we get beat. I can hide on my couch...

Fun times...

Peace out...

Heitz

Dilemmas

I could re-title my blog "Diary of the Unemployed" - maybe I'd get some notice then. ;-)

Some random thoughts after 7 months in the unemployment line.

1. The job market in Florida is REALLY bad. When I was laid off in Chicago in June 2003, I was able to find project consulting work within a few weeks. It wasn't an ideal situation, working for a fraction of my previous salary, but it was something.

After 7 months of looking, I don't feel I am any closer to finding work than I was the week I was laid off back in February. I am overqualified for the "entry" level or junior level positions, and I had too much time away from IT to be qualified for the Senior level IT positions. What's a boy to do? 5 layoffs since March 2007 is almost too much to take...

2. Unemployment compensation really sucks ass. Not just the lack of funds coming in (and believe me, I have lost almost 15 pouns by just NOT drinking beer nearly as much as I used to) but the lack of health insurance is a big issue. I never go to the doctor, but a couple days before going to Africa I came down with some weird dizzy spells and vomiting. Yeah, 1 hour in the ER and a $3,500 bill later I am wondering WTF? was that all about?!?!?!? Told me I have "Positional Vertigo"...

Yeah, no shit, Einstein, I coulda told you that... I saw the movie... WHY did I suddenly have it? No clue... thanks, Doc...

3. A couple things I am able to do that I realize I REALLY enjoy...

3a. Reading... I seriously LOVE to read... if I could get a job where all I had to do was read? Shit, sign me up... I'll do that til the day I kick it. I have typically been reading 2 or 3 books at a time over the past 7 months. Lovin' it...

3b. Making noise on my guitars... I really suck, can only play a handful of licks / riffs, but I really like it and it makes me feel good. If nothing else, i have a severely low stress level these days. Well, except for the certified letters from the IRS, etc...

3c. Writing... I've written two short stories which I have entered in a contest for 'Zoetrope': All Story magazine - literary publication put out by Francis Ford Coppola. Check it out at www.all-story.com

3d. Spending time with my woman... after a 12 year long distance relationship (even when we were in the same place it felt long distance some times...) it's a refreshing change to be able to see my baby cakes EVERY day... ;-)

4. The IRS really doesn't give a shit... Due to a clerical error when I cashed out some stock a couple years ago, I received more than I requested and owe a little over $5,000 in back taxes. "We'll levy a tax lien on anything you own..." - yeah, good luck with that! the only thing I own is the skin on my back...

5. I love football... and not so much baseball. Seriously, I have not watched a single inning of baseball this season. I have a buddy who HAD to order the Baseball pakcage when he moved here to Florida so he could watch the Cubs every day. All I need to see is the headlines of the Chicago papers online to know I haven't missed a thing... same shit as the previous 30 years. As for football, hell, I even will watch soccer over baseball these days. And now we get the Bears rolling into their season and one game in I am already drowning in melodrama... urlacher gone for the year, a horrible gameplan in the first matchup on prime time TV... hell... I am hooked!

Alright... time to do some dishes or something... gotta make myself useful every once in a while...

Peace Out

Heitz

Blog for the Dumped

Alright... Day 1 of my new adventures in Unemployment concluded with a bang last night! Here's a run down of how a normal day in the life of the unemployed should go:

7:00am - huh? Is it Saturday? Why am I still in bed at 7am??? Guess I should get up.

7:15am - Am I the only one that reads while sitting on the toilet? I see a lot of folks with books & magazines in their bathrooms, but everyone always seems so appalled when I say my leg fell asleep because I wanted to get to the end of the chapter.

8:15am - pooped & showered... why shave? Nothing important happening so I go "rough" style.. Got coffee and Facebook to keep me company... YES!

8:30am - emailing some peeps, responding to a barrage of "WHAT?!?!? You got laid off again?!?!? What the hell happened???" Seriously folks... I've been here before. I am probably less upset or worried than anyone I talked to yesterday. Crazy!

10am - Sent off a couple resumes, including one to a former client... those always seem to go well since I am so lovable! I also find out a couple things - 1) My former employer wants some document notarized! Uhhh, I was underpaid so I am broke, and you want me to pay to notarize the release papers? Yeah Right! I am an expert in getting laid off and have NEVER had that request come up... We get that sorted out and I find out 2) I am only getting paid for 1 week this Friday (laid off in the middle of a pay period sucks) and the one week severance won't be paid until March 16th! Good thing I have two kidneys... looking for a buyer so I can pay my rent. I'm a little aggravated at that and have a little time to kill before I go meet Angela for lunch so time to transform myself into my violent, Russian, alter-ego... Niko Bellic... Grand Theft Auto time...

11am - OK, I suck at Grand Theft Auto... after getting killed on some damn mission to take out some mafia boss for like the seventh time, I figure it's time to go hit the gas station and head to lunch.

11:15am - Who chooses the hour before lunch to run a report from all their gas pumps so that no one can buy gas for like ten minutes? Chevron, folks... yep... Lady comes out yelling "IT WON'T WORK!!! I'M RUNNING A REPORT!!!" I'm like twenty feet away, I can hear ya just fine lady. So then she decides I am not going to use my Pimp-Hand on her so decides it's time to start being Chatty Cathy... she moved here from God Knows where (New York maybe???), was in health care for like 20 years, got tired of the health care "racket" in Florida, so now she is selling Powerball tickets at a gas station. Great career move! Wait, she actually HAS a job whereas I just got laid off for the fifth time in two years... I bite my tongue...

Noon - Meet Angela @ Panera... Damn that's a fine looking woman! We kick back, beautiful day to be sitting outside. She seemed stressed on the phone about me getting laid off, but I am not worried so the anxiety melts away and she is sticking her tongue out at me like usual. ;)

1:30pm - Leave Angela as she has some work to do and I have more jobs to hunt down. I get home and have another wave of Facebook messages... gotta respect the peeps so I hammer out some fun responses.

3:30pm - Calls from a couple friends with job leads. I LOVE knowing people! Some pretty good ones so we'll see how that pans out.

4:30pm - Don't feel like doing much else today, and don't feel like getting my Russian ass kicked again... so it's time for some FIFA on the Xbox.. I tell ya, this soccer game is EASY! I don't even break a sweat so i am not sure why the rest of the world loves this game so much.

6pm - Roommate is home, big re-organization happening in his office the the next day (today) so one of our buddies he works with is coming over to celebrate all the people that will be quitting. We hit the treadmill for a half hour and I am alerted to "put my drinking shoes on".

7:30pm - Brian and his wife finally show up - thought they got lost. Strange as they have been here a number of times. He likes to sit in the parking lot on the phone it seems while we are sitting here waiting to get our "DRINK" on. WTF? We take the long way around to go to our favorite hang out across the street - The Rack. Good food, hot waitresses.. and lots of alcohol.

9pm - By this time we have had a couple drinks and the waitress is showing an uncanny ability to show up right as we are talking about something ridiculous or in some cases downright embarrassing. Chad and I always compare the "white-trashiness" levels of our respective families - things like comparing how many family members are in prison serving life sentences, how many GED's in the family, how many siblings or cousins have multiple children from multiple daddies, etc... it's usually good fun! ;) then she shows up as we are talking about beating kids (not me personally, but like when my mom used to smack us around)... then shows up when we are talking about drinking and drug use (turns out she started drinking in 6th Grade!!! Bravo Darling!) So, naturally she is our favorite waitress ever because none of this is appalling to her and she even throws in a couple things of her own that win over the crowd. She's getting a good tip! Well, not from me... I am broke and unemployed! ;)

11:30pm-ish??? - We were drinking pretty fast there for a while... folks gotta go to work in the morning so we call it a night. Clearly I have no reason to get up, but we have Guitar Hero waiting for us (Brian's wife is addicted).

1am - After a number of failed drunken attempts at Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher" it's time to call it a night. Naturally I forget to brush my teeth...

5am today - my mouth tastes disgusting... I brush my teeth and go back to bed...