This morning I accepted an offer of employment from a local aerospace company, specializing in subsystems intended for manned spaceflight. No, I'm not going to tell you which of the three or four companies that do that tendered the offer. What I can tell you is that these wheels started turning a few weeks ago, well before I was aware of my impending layoff. My experience up in Las Vegas was a big plus as well as more recent experience here in Tucson involving the development of environmental test procedures.
I was initially hesitant about going forward with this when they first contacted me. I really wanted it, but concerns over the virus situation gave me some reservations. But when circumstances threaten your income stream, you go where the money is, and that's what I did.
The interview was done online, and it was a panel. It took place yesterday morning and it was one of the more challenging interviews. They gave me a reasonable expectation of continued work and expanding business. They have been in business for several years, and their presence here has helped other Tucson aerospace firms get started.
I wasn't even sure that I had passed muster. I was told I would get my answer on Friday. Instead I got it yesterday afternoon, and they wanted to make an offer. There was some exchange of emails regarding salary, and they came in higher than what I had asked. There are also performance bonuses available depending upon both company performance and my performance. That would put me very close to what I was getting down in Sorry Vista, except that this time I won't be spending a lot of money on gas and lodging, and it will help getting some debt paid down.
I may have said here previously that private spaceflight is a very risky venture. It is. My Nevada employer ceased operations last month and one local firm here didn't make it. I think this company will, as that it was founded years ago and is still run by engineers who know the business a great deal better than others who have attempted the market. I texted one of my former co-workers from my Las Vegas days who is now up at Blue Origin in Seattle, and he said that he knows people who had worked there and liked it.
I was also able to determine that some engineers have been there for several years. That's a good sign. High turnover is indicative of some underlying deep issues, and that company up in Las Vegas had the highest turnover I had ever seen in my life, and this is coming from someone who worked in fast food and retail many years ago.
My projected start date is Monday, the 4th of May. From what I can tell it is an "essential" business and the mayor of Tucson did not succeed in shutting them down. Yes, they are teleworking too, and I might be doing some of that, and it wouldn't surprise me if teleworking becomes more widely practiced.
I have already informed the management of my soon to be ex-employer of this development. They were one of the greatest firms that I had ever worked for and they had much more of an employee-focused culture than I've gotten used to from previous employers from years ago. I am sorely tempted to identify them here to add to their reputation, but I would be breaking precedent if I did that, and I don't feel like breaking precedent.
I'm hoping that I can drag a few people I know in there with me. I have one friend in mind and he's thinking about it. He's going to wait to see how it goes for me before he comes out of a retirement that started for him last year. If I end up having to put together a test team I would want him on it.
I am truly a blessed individual.
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