Papa's Got a Brand New Bag!!

It's been a very long week. Multiple interviews, lots of phone calls and one big payoff!

While I was in one interview late this afternoon, my wife got a call at home from another outfit saying that they had just e-mailed me an offer!!!

Hot damn. I rushed home to check my e-mail (probably the ONLY time I've wished that I had a fucking crackberry with me!!) and scope out the offer.

Open it up and the $$ are right (a little below the last place, but livable), decent benefits and a start date of Wednesday the 26th!

Shot an e-mail right back accepting the position.

The wife is happy, the oldest child is happy, and I'm definitely happy. Hell - I even called my mom back east because I know that she's been worried. My dad's been telling her over the past 2 months not to worry - "he's got the education, he's got the experience, he's got the work ethic - he'll be fine".

(I have my parents to thank for the education and work ethic - wonderful examples and I hope I am only half as effective with my kids as they were with me and my sister).

That's a load off my back and I grabbed a 12-pack and celebrated with a couple of beers.

I think I'll go watch a ballgame and have another beer.

Another Good Interview

Had an interview this afternoon and they've already invited me back for a 2nd interview as well as for my references.

Hopes not up, but this one seems like a good fit also (much like the last one that I thought I had nailed about a month ago).

Casual environment, down to earth people and a little more mature than the last place I worked. It's a technology organization so they appreciate their IT/support people.

I'm cautiously optimistic. Meeting with the VP of Support on Thursday - fingers crossed!

Too Much Going On...

Hard to concentrate... too many irons in the fire... The bastards are coming at me from every direction! Like the opening scene in Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas (Johnny Depp did a great job with that film).

Tomorrow I fix the flat tire on my bike and pedal somewhere... don't know where, but I'll just go.

Need to decompress more...

Job search, bills, phone calls, job search, e-mails, job search, writing, job search, (can you see where this is going?)

Anyway, tomorrow I will take off, relax, take a ride and get refreshed before playing softball and soccer tomorrow night. If nothing else, I'm trying to stay active.

The Crumbling Empire?

Got a call this morning from one of the people who used to work for me... she was calling to say that she has resigned and will be starting a new job in the near future.

By my count there are 5 (out of 12) openings in the group I used to have and at least 7 others in the entire department that used to have 100+ headcount.

That's over 10% understaffed with a 41% understaffing in my old group... and the department was understaffed to begin with...

Seems like the empire is crumbling a bit. It's unfortunate too, but I'm not surprised.

When the resignation was given, my guess is that my former boss was happy on the inside but is shitting his pants as well. He wasn't fond of this person and was very open about it with certain individuals. But inside I know that he's thinking that he's lost another warm body - oh shit - another person gone, more overtime, what's happening???? He needs those warm bodies now. Who the hell is going to answer the phones? Since the company doesn't like paying OT, there's some big shit gonna hit the fan here pretty soon...

These people aren't leaving because I left - no - they are leaving because they are over-worked, under paid and under a hell of a lot of stress trying to live up to the unachievable goals set for them. Again - unfortunate. Signs were there that the goals were unachievable, but were ignored. Gotta push ahead and deliver the undeliverable... Yeah - right. At who's expense?

The saddest thing is that the upper management that is trying to run the company will see little to no repercussions mainly because they will just replace the previously under paid (yet talented) people who left with equally under paid "warm bodies".

The exit interviews are all the same - "the company is broken, the department is broken and upper management doesn't give a rats ass..."

The spiral continues... and it's about to hit critical mass because a lot of the knowledge that is walking out the door does so without anything documented behind them.

If a couple more key people leave then there's a major implosion about to take place - there won't be enough people to man the phones and train all the new suckers - I mean employees - who walk into the slaughterhouse.

As for me - meeting with a number of recruiters next week and have contacted a number of companies this week... the search continues for a company that really cares. One of these recruiters is actually trying to find my replacement... Now THAT should be an interesting conversation!!!

Dropping Like Flies

Got a call tonight from one of my former employees saying that she's sent out some resumes and that I might get a call regarding a reference... well OF COURSE I'll be a reference for any of the people who were there and trying to get out now...

I've heard it's worse there now than ever... more work with even less people. Not a good situation and I can't blame everyone in that group (and others) for wanting to get out.

Sad thing is that the HR person I did my exit interview with has also left and I bet the notes she took regarding my comments never got too far past her (unless the director of that group took them up the line - who knows)...

My search continues and I'm trying to be patient... we'll see what happens next

Update after this was originally posted - Found out just a few minutes ago that yet another key person in the department has given her notice and will be leaving in less than 2 weeks. Oh my goodness!!!!

Ready for the Next Disaster?

Read a good post on the importance of disaster recovery/business continuity planning at the HelpDeskNotes.com web site today.



It's scary how many businesses are screwing with the people who work for them by not having a solid plan in place. 9/11, Hurricate Katrina and the latest Hurricane Dean... What's it take to make some executives WAKE UP!!! The outfit I used to work for doesn't have a plan. God forbid the data center burns - people will lose their jobs very quickly and the busines could go under. I'm glad to be out of there for that reason.

Extend the thought from business to personal life... how many people are really prepared for something like I'm going through right now? No job, specialty field (HelpDesk/Support Management).

Granted it was my choice (sort of) to leave, but you've got to be prepared for the possibility.

Much like a hard drive crash - it's not IF, it's WHEN.

One Door Closes....

Got word late this afternoon that the position I had interviewed for and thought I was a really good fit for was filled from within the organization... Oh well... at least I know now.

That door is closed and I can move on mentally now.

Had another interview this morning with an outfit that seems interesting, but there might be a little more travel than I may like... let's see what happens with this one... their timeframe is 2 weeks (plus or minus) to fill the position so hopefully I make the 2nd cut.

As a good friend and former boss of mine says - "just gotta press..."

So with that, it's time to press on...

Deflated...

Feeling beaten today... no word from the outfit that I interviewed with last week.

Damn, and it seemed like a good fit. I left a voicemail for the recruiter so that I can at least find out if I'm still in the running or if they've made an offer to someone else. At least then I can move on.

I know that I should move on and not worry too much about it, but emotionally, it's hard.

I've sent 20 e-mails and made about 5 phone calls today alone, so hopefully something else will present itself before too long.

I have an interview with another outfit tomorrow morning also.

Until then, still looking.

I Don't Like When My Friends Hurt

Mood was soured later in the afternoon after I e-mailed someone I worked with and helped mentor. She's a good friend and we'd talk in the morning on our drives in to work. She was hurt when I left that outfit 18 months ago, but it had to be done because I was getting in her way...

Unfortunately, her boss (someone I reported to at that same company) is taking her for granted and she got thrown under the bus by someone and he said that he "heard things" and brought my name up again... There's history, but too much to go into here...

She's hurt and pissed off and I can't blame her because he was way out of line with what he said. It even pissed me off.

She said she's going to actively look for a new job now but somehow I don't quite think she's ready. I did give her some contact names today so she can get started so we'll see if she really does or not.

I'd like nothing more than to grab her, hug her, and tell her it'll be OK. I know it will, but I'm tired of her putting herself back into situations where she could get hurt. Maybe this is the slap in the face she needed. She knows I love her and trusts my opinions but she's always been her own person (unbelievably strong) and will get through it eventually.

It will all get better.. I know it will.

Now It Begins...

Interviewed today for a position... bit of a drive, but seems like a decent outfit.

The interview process (at least for round 1) was strange... HR and 2 techies in the room with me... answered HR type questions then answered some questions for the technical crew... didn't know the answers to all of them, but admitted it up front... I think they appreciated the honesty and some of the answers I had for them.

Next was a small technical "test".. not pass/fail, but was something for them to gauge my technical abilities, etc. I think I actually did pretty good with that part of it too...

Got home, had lunch and shot off a thank you letter to the person who coordinated the meeting.

Fingers crossed...

2 Weeks and Counting

Announcment of my "resignation" today to 1/2 of my team. I will get the rest of the team on Sunday. Reaction ranged from shock to disbelief to anger. Couple of more leads on new positions and we'll see how it goes.

After I'm gone, I'll be able to give the team more of the "real" story - ie - how I was going to be let go anyway. My "resignation" is a way for me to save face on my way out the door.

JAs TidBit of the Day - NEVER BURN BRIDGES when leaving a company. It's a small world out there and you never know when you'll need a recommendation, reference or job lead. Always keep the doors and communication going.

Happy Friday - now where's my damn beer?!?!

Try, Try Again...

Job search update - got a rejection from one outfit today... no big deal... stung for a few minutes because I really thought I might be a good fit, but oh well.. better luck next time.

Still have about 5 or 6 possibilities and I'll work hard at working the network to see if I can get my foot in the door somewhere. I'm also going to start expanding my options by looking into some technical writing stuff as well.

Really working the LinkedIn network... if you're not on LinkedIn, I HIGHLY recommend it! You can reconnect with past friends, colleagues and friends of friends... check it out!

http://www.linkedin.com

My profile is at http://www.linkedin.com/in/jalfonso475

Ideas, Ideas, Ideas

Ideas, Ideas, Ideas....

Tonight I went to my first networking event since I'm looking for a new job. I was scared at first because I've never been in this situation before, and I'm not very comfortable at these things (naturally introverted to some degree).

It actually went pretty well - didn't get any solid leads but met some very nice people and got some ideas on where to look for a new position. It made me stretch a little bit and I felt comfortable by the time I left.

Interesting experience and I'll return next month for the next one if I have a new position or not.