Useless Conversation

[NowhereMan]

Had some university security people come round last night giving out leaflets. Apparently a girl got raped in university accommodation about 5 minutes from where I am 

[Selby]

Apparently a girl got raped in university accommodation about 5 minutes from where I am 

This was considerably more common than I thought it would be at my university 10 years ago when I was still there...

[Minvaren]

Ask Lantyssa about safety at UH Main Campus...   

Home A/C Compressor is toast in 3-4 different ways (only 2 of which I was expecting), new one being installed tomorrow morning.  I will enjoy temperatures and humidity being livable in the house again...

[RhyssaFireheart]

I can't imagine the suffering if our AC compressor went out now, especially considering it's been in the 90s and fuckall humid around here, plus they expect that to continue.  Yay.

And YAY!  for yet another job rejection!  It's getting hard not to take some of this personally, because after a while it's like "what is wrong with me/my skills?" when I can't get a fucking secretarial job.

[Rasix]

All of these AC failures are making me nervous.  Our unit is pretty old and a failure in AZ during summer is just terrible. If the compressor gave out, we'd likely have to replace the entire thing.   

[Samwise]

If I lived in a hot climate I'd have two redundant AC units on standby just in case.  I hate the heat that much.  Luckily, the Pacific Ocean is my air conditioner.

[Yegolev]

And YAY!  for yet another job rejection!  It's getting hard not to take some of this personally, because after a while it's like "what is wrong with me/my skills?" when I can't get a fucking secretarial job.

Don't forget: people are retarded.  Usually it's not you.

[RhyssaFireheart]

And YAY!  for yet another job rejection!  It's getting hard not to take some of this personally, because after a while it's like "what is wrong with me/my skills?" when I can't get a fucking secretarial job.

Don't forget: people are retarded.  Usually it's not you.

Says the man that took my job! 

Just kidding.  I know it's not me, but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with.  Especially when I keep getting second interviews that turn into "we picked someone who's qualifications fit the position better."  Just needed to vent a bit is all.

[Merusk]

And YAY!  for yet another job rejection!  It's getting hard not to take some of this personally, because after a while it's like "what is wrong with me/my skills?" when I can't get a fucking secretarial job.

Don't forget: people are retarded.  Usually it's not you.

Says the man that took my job! 

Just kidding.  I know it's not me, but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with.  Especially when I keep getting second interviews that turn into "we picked someone who's qualifications fit the position better."  Just needed to vent a bit is all.

Aren't you a little overqualified to be a secretary?  I figure they were just saying, "The person we hired was a lot cheaper because they're a stupid, starving, last-year college grad desperate for ANY job at any pay."

[RhyssaFireheart]

Probably a bit overqualified, but when it's looking like one field isn't working out, you start to branch out.  And the job title was Member Services Coordinator, which is basically admin but a bit more than that, I guess.  Since it was with a non-profit, I have a feeling that $$ did come into it, even though I said several times I was aware this was a change in career emphasis and wasn't looking to make the same as at my last job.  *shrug*  Keep looking is all I can do.

[Minvaren]

Our unit is pretty old and a failure in AZ during summer is just terrible.

"But it's a dryyyyyyyyyyy heat."   

Last time I was in AZ I got a nosebleed from the humidity difference.  But I breathed so much easier.

[Strazos]

Just kidding.  I know it's not me, but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with.  Especially when I keep getting second interviews that turn into "we picked someone who's qualifications fit the position better."  Just needed to vent a bit is all.

You could just shoot for a job way over your head and hope someone on the selection board is asleep at the wheel. 

[Ironwood]

No.  I don't reccomend that at all.

 

[Yegolev]

Says the man that took my job! 

We still need someone with PM experience to run this damn account.  CSR, I suppose.  I guess my account leads have decided they would rather be replaced by IBM than post an opening.

[Pennilenko]

And YAY!  for yet another job rejection!  It's getting hard not to take some of this personally, because after a while it's like "what is wrong with me/my skills?" when I can't get a fucking secretarial job.

It's likely really not you, I have good references in my field, I have been a project manager in my industry for many years. I have ran big jobs, with big crews, successfully. Ive ran little jobs with little crews successfully. Ive put out possibly around 300 resumes, and responded in person to at least 100 ads. Ive used every resource online that I can think of. Ive made looking for a job into a job and I cant get hired anywhere. I was taking it really personal, until I met up with a bunch of people here locally that are in the same boat as me. Well skilled individuals, with positive, good references and they cant get jobs either.

[RhyssaFireheart]

Yeah, I'm going to agree with Ironwood and say no go on that kind of job, since I'd most likely be expected to perform if I did get it, leading to a firing when they found out I couldn't.

@Yegolev - sorry to hear you guys still don't have a PM or the chance of getting one.  I can't understand why they think not having a PM is a good thing when it's someone to be a focal for the project, but what do I know?

@Pennilenko - The job clubs I go are the same way, experienced people who've been looking for longer than I have, so I guess I can't complain too much.  But I am getting training to bring my skills up to certification speed.  My PMP course starts in August and I'm doing Saturday classes, so that will give me the week between to absorb info.  I need to finish reviewing/studying to take the ITIL test and get that off my plate so I'm ready for my MS Project class that is on 7/29-30.  If nothing else, I am getting government paid training out of this.

[Yegolev]

Actually there is a PM assigned to one of the biggest projects.  Too bad he's overwhelmed, and possibly a doofus, and there are many other projects running rampant across the Savannah of Failure.  Which is why I said CSR... I think that may be a different skillset though.

[Merusk]

Unfortunately in this market it appears that finding a job is entirely about who you know, not what you know.  All the unemployed folks I know that got jobs did so via an old connection/ coworker. (Myself included)  Those who didn't have or hadn't maintained connections are still unemployed.

Of course, there's a flip side to this. The local division has hired-on at least 6 people who were the new Area Pres' friends/ former minions in Chicago.  None of them DO a damn thing, but they're all employed.   So glad I'm regional and only forced to work in the same office as them instead of working for this egomaniac and her fiefdom.

[Ironwood]

I'm having no luck either, but I'm currently putting that down to actually not trying that hard.  I've knocked my fucking pan out for 7 years without a break (when I resigned I had 49 days holiday saved up for fucks sake) and I'd REALLY like to take some time to figure out where my life's actually going.  I've more than enough money to do that for a while, but I don't wanna do it too long in case I lose my fucking mind.

[Selby]

Unfortunately in this market it appears that finding a job is entirely about who you know, not what you know.  All the unemployed folks I know that got jobs did so via an old connection/ coworker. (Myself included)

This as it is how I got my current job.  Also there was a willingness to relocate across the country\state that many people don't seem to want to have.

[Jeff Kelly]

What scares me more than the current job situation (although I am employed fortunately) is the employment trends I notice here.

I know of at least three big companies (would be the equivalent of fortune 500) that employ more than 50% of their actual workforce from temp agencies and temporal employment agencies. This affects all kinds of jobs from the menial to R&D from no educatiion to university education. They even cut out the middle man and run their own employment agencies. Also every job that is not leased is outsourced. I see some positions that are essentially project liason positions for outsourcing efforts to India, Bulgaria and the like.

It's not only hard to actually get a job right now but to get one where you are actually employed by the company you're working for. Sometimes I even got an offer from a temp agency for exactly the same job I applied to with a company (without ever getting in contact with the temp agency).

The problem is that you get no job security at all. The leasee can terminate your employment with one week's notice, the temp agency can relocate you anywhere a new job opens up and if you refuse they are allowed to terminate your contract. It's also used as a measure to cut back on salaries since temp agency contracts are not covered by union regulations and you end up earning a lot less.

I know a lot of companies that run most of their R&D that way and it has led to an erosion of wages. You also get into a lot of trouble because no bank will finance you anything (because your employment is so volatile).

The trend is that a few years from now most people that got through university (and didn't get into management positions) will earn only slightly more than a skilled tradesman while working with no job security whatsoever.

I frankly don't see much of a perspective right now in my current line of work if the trend continues.

[Sky]

Hey, you could work in the public sector and be at the whim of politicians. We love David Patterson, he's so awesome  . He's stiffing the county on $30M (the normal way to do things in NYS is for the state to mandate county programs but not pay for them), so the county exec is now withholding payments to the state. The county exec is actually a really good guy, he's just at the whim of a bunch of douchebag councillors. As in they literally sat and read the paper during the last open budget hearing, while people tried to plead their cases against budget cuts. I wonder why they don't want cameras in there.

[Yoru]

I'm in Sweden. Who wants to get drunk?

[Segoris]

I'm not in Sweden, but I do want to get drunk.

[Ironwood]

Ditto.  Been a short day.

[Murgos]

In a nod to that other thread I want to go out and order a "Badger full of beer."

I think it should come into common usage.

Like:
"Hey, lets go get a Badger."
"What a whole Badger?"
"Sure, it's the weekend."

-Or-

"Excuse me waiter, could we get another Badger for the table?"

edit:  Obviously it's time to go home.

[Segoris]

Perhaps you should take it easy and stick with a chipmunk, sir.

[Yoru]

I will try this Badger tactic in downtown Stockholm tonight. But first I need to warm up on free wine.

[Sky]

In a nod to that other thread I want to go out and order a "Badger full of beer."

I think it should come into common usage.

Like:
"Hey, lets go get a Badger."
"What a whole Badger?"
"Sure, it's the weekend."

-Or-

"Excuse me waiter, could we get another Badger for the table?"

edit:  Obviously it's time to go home.

I hear you speaking that post in a kiwi accent for some reason.

[WayAbvPar]

I will try this Badger tactic in downtown Stockholm tonight. But first I need to warm up on free wine.

That is my favorite vintage!

[Yegolev]

Just to put it down: getting a job, or anything, has always been more about who you know than what you know.  That's caveman shit.  Live it.

[Soln]

WTF is up with people in the US bringing dogs into grocery stores?  What's next, hospitals?

[Yegolev]

WTF is up with people in the US bringing dogs into grocery stores?  What's next, hospitals?

[SnakeCharmer]

Cable management for a keyboard, mouse, webcam, external HDD, AX720 Triton headphones (USB, optical, power, AND wire to headphones themselves), all the freaking wires that go with Logitech X540 5.1 surround (plus power), HDMI to monitor, power for PC and monitor, PS3 (plus HDMI, power), 360 (plus component video and massive fucking power brick), modem (plus power cable), router (plus power), 3 x ethernet cables, splitter plus two coaxial cables (one to TV, one to modem), signal booster (plus power), cellular phone charger, and a damned corner lamp is a goddamned pain in the ass.

Somewhat on the same note, a banana stand makes a great holder for headphones.

[Yegolev]

My wife has decided that I have Asperger's syndrome.  Her new nickname is Assburger.  Not that I can argue against it, after five minutes of reading an anecdote on it.