It's been really good to have been home these past several days. I have done a lot of yardwork, a lot of reading, and there's been some movement on the employment front.
I had a telephone interview with a local firm this afternoon. As far as I can tell it went well, but you don't really know until you get that call that asks you to come in for a face to face interview. These phone calls are usually a screening of sorts, to see if you might be a fit. I had to pass one before going to Texas and before going to Nevada. I have no hard numbers as to the percentage of people who pass these, aside from the Texas employer stating that 10% of the phone screens make it to the next round.
And speaking of interviews, I may be having one on Saturday in Las Vegas. I was talking to a friend of mine still at my former employer, and what's happening is that a small company in Texas that wants to orbit cubesats (micro satellites) wants to interview the people who laid off earlier this month, to the point to where they are sending some managers out. They may be coming to Tucson to interview some more, as that three of us who were laid off have homes here. As it is, I have to drive back tomorrow to take care of some things, and bring down another truckload of my personal items. I was going to return on Friday, but that's being pushed back to Monday, so I don't have to fight the traffic returning to Phoenix on Sunday.
Also, I'm being courted to apply for some contract positions in Albuquerque as that someone out there needs engineers with experience in installing and testing equipment used in satellite ground stations, which I've done in Japan and San Diego.
My spirits this time around are a lot better than they were the last time I was going through this. I have a peace of mind that I didn't have in the summer of '14. No, the first few days of this weren't easy, but I just don't have the anxiety about things this time around.
Anyway, it's back to Trashcan for a few days. I hope to have lunch with some friends that I have there, and I plan to treat myself to a visit Downtown to people watch. I may also make a run up to Rhyolite for some more photography.
That's going to be it for this evening.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Saturday, January 9, 2016
Coming Home
Yesterday I loaded up the truck and drove a good chunk of my possessions back to Tucson. I will be here for a week or so, and I will need two more trips up to my apartment to empty it out and have the bed and loveseat donated to the church for their annual garage sale later this year. They have storage for it and can send someone over. I have to have this all done by March 7.
While that is going on, I have recruiters looking on my behalf. There are possibilities in Phoenix metro as well as in Tucson. I'd be open to a contract job in Yuma or Las Cruces. Our neighboring state of New Mexico is pursuing private spaceflight and if I have to leave Arizona, New Mexico wouldn't be a bad place to be. New Mexico style Mexican cuisine is my favorite variety of Mexican food. We have a pair of restaurants here that serve it, and we can get Mexico City sytle and Sonora style as well.
As for this transition..........I'm doing better than I thought I would. I think being at home with wife and family is making all the difference in the world. The first few nights were rough and I didn't sleep well. I slept OK last night, but obviously needed that two hour nap that I fell into this afternoon.
In a situation like this, it's easy to ask the question "why?". Why did I have to go to Nevada in the first place if all it came to was a return to Arizona?
Well, what I acccomplished was getting back into the workforce and staying there for another year. I got to write design requirements for a spacecraft that's been in the planning stages for some time. I made some very good friends while there. I spent a lot of time Downtown people-watching, observing those being separated from their money as well as scam artists and street performers. I got to see and meet the Smithereens. I guess I can now reveal that my last boss is a relative of one of the members, and he's here in Tucson too.
There were those times when Sheila was able to come up. The high point was that drive we did to Reno, passing thru the small towns such as Beatty, Goldfield, Tonopah, and Hawthorne. I wouldn't mind doing that drive again and maybe we will someday.
As I said, I am home in Tucson, and I am very glad to be here. I will likely hang here and go up for a few days near the end of the month to take care of things there, like paying utilities and the rent that I'm obligated for. Hopefully on the last trip Sheila can come up with me so that she can help me with some of the things.
I am not bitter about what happened, though I can't say I care for the way in which we were 86ed. The new hires who were let go after one hour of service were harder hit. Some came with their families, acquired places to live, and were looking forward to the new dreams they were promised.....only to have the rug pulled out from under them. They get as much severance as I do.......zero. But they can't file for unemployment since they worked in the state for the sum total of one hour.
Eventually, the company owner will decide to go forward with his dream of a spacecraft, the dream he's pursued for several years. But in this age of information that we live in, he and his staff may find it difficult to attract the talent that he will need. This is the second mass layoff in the company history, and that could have some unintended consequences down the road.
While that is going on, I have recruiters looking on my behalf. There are possibilities in Phoenix metro as well as in Tucson. I'd be open to a contract job in Yuma or Las Cruces. Our neighboring state of New Mexico is pursuing private spaceflight and if I have to leave Arizona, New Mexico wouldn't be a bad place to be. New Mexico style Mexican cuisine is my favorite variety of Mexican food. We have a pair of restaurants here that serve it, and we can get Mexico City sytle and Sonora style as well.
As for this transition..........I'm doing better than I thought I would. I think being at home with wife and family is making all the difference in the world. The first few nights were rough and I didn't sleep well. I slept OK last night, but obviously needed that two hour nap that I fell into this afternoon.
In a situation like this, it's easy to ask the question "why?". Why did I have to go to Nevada in the first place if all it came to was a return to Arizona?
Well, what I acccomplished was getting back into the workforce and staying there for another year. I got to write design requirements for a spacecraft that's been in the planning stages for some time. I made some very good friends while there. I spent a lot of time Downtown people-watching, observing those being separated from their money as well as scam artists and street performers. I got to see and meet the Smithereens. I guess I can now reveal that my last boss is a relative of one of the members, and he's here in Tucson too.
There were those times when Sheila was able to come up. The high point was that drive we did to Reno, passing thru the small towns such as Beatty, Goldfield, Tonopah, and Hawthorne. I wouldn't mind doing that drive again and maybe we will someday.
As I said, I am home in Tucson, and I am very glad to be here. I will likely hang here and go up for a few days near the end of the month to take care of things there, like paying utilities and the rent that I'm obligated for. Hopefully on the last trip Sheila can come up with me so that she can help me with some of the things.
I am not bitter about what happened, though I can't say I care for the way in which we were 86ed. The new hires who were let go after one hour of service were harder hit. Some came with their families, acquired places to live, and were looking forward to the new dreams they were promised.....only to have the rug pulled out from under them. They get as much severance as I do.......zero. But they can't file for unemployment since they worked in the state for the sum total of one hour.
Eventually, the company owner will decide to go forward with his dream of a spacecraft, the dream he's pursued for several years. But in this age of information that we live in, he and his staff may find it difficult to attract the talent that he will need. This is the second mass layoff in the company history, and that could have some unintended consequences down the road.
Wednesday, January 6, 2016
A Forced Transition
This week my employer carried out a mass execution. Fourteen new hires were laid off Monday morning one hour after reporting for work, and yesterday before closing 40 of us were let go. We had been told in December that 2016 was going to be a growth year for the company and most of us went home for Christmas break not thinking anything abnormal was going to happen. Events this week have proven otherwise, and a lot of us are in the process of undergoing forced transitions.
The type of business the company is engaged in is very risky, and all of us knew that. A lot of us kept our homes in the states we came from, knowing that we might have to go back. I even kept my Arizona driver license as that I wasn't sure how long my stay in Nevada was going to be.
It goes without saying that we didn't like the outcome, but most of knew going in that this was always a possibility. In one way it's numbing and in another way it's a relief. I think this robs us of the opportunity to realize our full potential, and now we have to figure out how we can do that elsewhere.
I'll admit that last night was rough. I did not sleep well in spite of possession of legally prescribed sleep aids that I sometimes use, and when I did sleep I had some dreams that were not to my liking. I had some errands to do this morning and this afternoon and one of them was meeting with the pastor of the church I had been attending for several months. That was a very good discussion and I'm glad we had that talk.
Tomorrow I begin the process of filing for unemployment. Ron looked into it and I will qualify having been here for over a year. I will have to transfer that to Arizona when I return to Tucson and resume the job search there. I also have to start the process of breaking the lease and moving my things back to where they belong. It will take two, and possibly three trips.
What I look forward to most is living with my wife and family again.
The type of business the company is engaged in is very risky, and all of us knew that. A lot of us kept our homes in the states we came from, knowing that we might have to go back. I even kept my Arizona driver license as that I wasn't sure how long my stay in Nevada was going to be.
It goes without saying that we didn't like the outcome, but most of knew going in that this was always a possibility. In one way it's numbing and in another way it's a relief. I think this robs us of the opportunity to realize our full potential, and now we have to figure out how we can do that elsewhere.
I'll admit that last night was rough. I did not sleep well in spite of possession of legally prescribed sleep aids that I sometimes use, and when I did sleep I had some dreams that were not to my liking. I had some errands to do this morning and this afternoon and one of them was meeting with the pastor of the church I had been attending for several months. That was a very good discussion and I'm glad we had that talk.
Tomorrow I begin the process of filing for unemployment. Ron looked into it and I will qualify having been here for over a year. I will have to transfer that to Arizona when I return to Tucson and resume the job search there. I also have to start the process of breaking the lease and moving my things back to where they belong. It will take two, and possibly three trips.
What I look forward to most is living with my wife and family again.
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