90 days to competing for a job.

[oak]

Hi friends.

While there isn't any cruelty, corporate America is messing with me. I'd like to mess with back a little, playfully and kindly, but clearly; I've found out first hand that the only way to be respected in corporate America is politely but firmly slide a job offer letter across one's supervisor's desk.

That can really change the tone and tenor of a conversation

I'm giving myself 90 days to do two things:

1. Build my skills for a specific category or type of job. I know exactly what those skills are, and how to get them. I have the means and the time to do so.

2. In the meantime, work out my daily physical/mental angst through martial arts and light exercise.

With your kind indulgence, I'll post here with updates.

Leaning on a Fable

Remember in the first movie those knuckleheads are shoving Luke around, knocking him down? That was (metaphorically) me, today.

Then, after getting his butt kicked every which way in the second movie, he shows up at the third movie, standing up to Jabba and generally kicking butt. He even (probably unwisely) faced the emperor.

That's how I want to be: whiny, put upon Luke today, Return of the Jedi Luke on April 27.

[brownblob]

May the force be with you

[Heatherwantspeace]

Oak, this sounds like a great plan. You are really empowering yourself!
Heather

[oak]

Thanks friends!

I am keeping after it: I got a job description, and found exactly ten skills they want. I created a "dream resume", listing all ten.

I already have five of the ten skills listed, so I left those in black.

The other five skills may well take 6-12 months (my timeline to make a career move; these first 90 days are to give me direction and a little hope) to learn, so that I can morally put them on my resume.

I left those in red.

So now I have a clear plan forward. I'll take it little by little, most days.

[RightInTwo]

Dying from curiosity, reading this now almost 2 years later!

Where’s the rest of the story? I know you were struggling a bit earlier this year, but I hope everything is going your way now.

[oak]

Hi RIT!

Sure, here is the rest of the story, with a major deus ex machina and a minor deus ex machina.

By late January 2020 I was convinced of two facts:

1. My then-employer was going to get rid of me (no hard feelings: I just wasn't a fit).

2. This new virus, which was already shutting cities down in China and Italy, would likely spread to America.

(Proof: https://mentalpodforum.com/viewtopic.php?f=23&t=12257&hilit=flu+thoughts In which I hilariously declare I could stay in my apartment for up to two weeks, if I had to.)

My ostensible (and in hindsight hopeless, though I gave it an excellent try) goal was to become a PHP developer.

Seeing the coming shutting down of society, I asked to be in the first wave of layoffs when Covid wrecked the business I was working for, and society shut down (the major deus ex machina).

This shutdown gave me several months to recover from a car wreck, and experience lots of grief leaving my body. This was no fun.

The (comparatively) minor deus ex machina was someone in my professional network reaching out to me, to encourage me to apply for a specific position. I immediately did so, was hired, and just marked one year there.

For the first time in my life, at 45, I am not being screamed at daily in my job. In addition to being treated with dignity, I am also very grateful for the benefits. One can really get used to having a periodontist.

So, RIT, two big unexpected things happened, and like the proverbial ant on the moving car tire, I was able to stay one step ahead of getting smushed.

[RightInTwo]

LMAO Two weeks! That ~is~ funny… If only…

I’m so glad things worked out for you!!!

I must admit to being consumed with envy. Oh, how I wish something similar would happen for me.

(But please understand, me being envious does not negate the fact that you deserve every good thing.)

And in spite of my envy, success stories like yours do give me some hope.

[oak]

Thank you for your kind words, RIT. I'm glad they brought you a little hope, a little air and sunshine.

And such is the cruel irony of life: we were both generously given what the other most needs and wants:

Despite spending the 10K+ hours to "teach myself to code", I couldn't understand loops/instantiation/"this"/OOP/MCV, and walked away a WordPress developer (being a WP developer and a quarter will get you a phone call)…

...while you have the tech skills, documented ability to change organizations, and all you need is one professional contact to send one email with a single recommendation to just one hiring manager, which would change your life forever, and vastly improve your present. (One dental insurance card can keep any number of evils away.)

"It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife", said a modern philosopher.

Each of us has too much of one thing, and too little of the other. It is, indeed, ironic.

[RightInTwo]

Despite spending the 10K+ hours to "teach myself to code", I couldn't understand loops/instantiation/"this"/OOP/MCV, and walked away a WordPress developer (being a WP developer and a quarter will get you a phone call)…

I saw WP dev jobs everywhere, seemed like anyway, while I was studying js/react. I often wondered if I should have taken that path instead. Did you ever consider switching to javascript? We could help each other out then!

...while you have the tech skills, documented ability to change organizations,

… I do???

I remember ~acting~ like I did, but I’m not sure I pulled it off.

and all you need is one professional contact to send one email with a single recommendation to just one hiring manager, which would change your life forever, and vastly improve your present.

That has got to be the most optimistic assessment of my situation, ever made by anyone, ever.

So, Thank you! Optimism is good for me, and in short supply these days.

"It's like ten thousand spoons when all you need is a knife", said a modern philosopher.

One of the greats! Socrates, Kant, Nietzsche, and Morissette!

[oak]

Hey!

Did you ever consider switching to javascript? We could help each other out then!

You know, I may well take you up on that sometime. I am officially "happy" at my current position, but no one is promised tomorrow in corporate America.

You might not hear anything from me for 1.5 years (I'm a bit burnt out on code), but may be in touch out of the blue, suddenly very motivated to make one last play for code/tech (eg if I suddenly lose my job).

(I still deeply want a local PHP/WP/MySQL/Laravel position.)

That has got to be the most optimistic assessment of my situation, ever made by anyone, ever.

So, Thank you! Optimism is good for me, and in short supply these days.

Very good! Enjoy.

And, considering the number of Dutch Uncle talks I hand out, you know that I don't say anything just to make someone feel better.

Thanks for asking, RIT! I'm glad my early-2020 story was able to give you some comfort, and reviewing all this reminds me how lucky (and, frankly, prepared) I was to navigate all this pandemic/career mess. Others weren't so lucky. I owe it to them, and myself, to be worthy of what I've been given.

Lastly, good luck with your job search, when you're ready to try it again. We'll stand by you.