The Official Forum Cartel Unemployment Thread

After nearly 12 years with a technology company mentioned earlier in this thread (three letter name, starts with "I" I got caught in the January 21 "resource action" wherein my job was eliminated. Spent a month trying to find something inside the company to no avail. Been looking out in the rest of the world for the last 6 weeks now. I too got a pretty good severance package but it would be nice to find something before that runs out.

In the past, each new career change has been exciting and rewarding and I hope this one will be too. The last time I was actually looking for a job was during an economic downturn too -- the early/mid 80's.

In the meantime, I was a C++ and Java programmer for much of my career so LSL is a breeze. If anyone needs scripting done, I have spare time these days.

Brann says that should all pull yourself together and pretend the recession doesn't exist. See post #8

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Pep (Maybe she has changed her mind a little now?)

I remember that thread and I remember being very offended by those comments only 5 days after becoming unemployed.

That was a great thread. All she did was rant about the use of terms revolving the "economic downturn" and then talk about how immature i was while calling me lunatic.

But no matter what Pep remember what Brann said:



I think she may have a soft spot for you.

What a depressing thread.

So many of my friends out of work.

Someone mentioned the health care "industry". It's sure enough seeing boom times. After all, the Baby Boomers are getting up there. But something worries me. Has anyone ever thought where the money comes from to PAY the "health care industry". Ultimately, it comes from the pockets of its customers (and soon to come from everyone's pockets, in the form of taxes).

But...but...if everyone is out of work, who is going to pay the health care industry? Yep. Nobody.

Like most service industries, health care is a derivative industry sector. The so-called "service economy" is a lie. You cannot have an economy that is all "services". There must ultimately be some basic industry. Jobs that take raw materials and make something more valuable from them. Food, housing, vehicles, tools, consumer goods. It is that added value that drives and enables everything else in the economy.

Think about that.

I wish I still had some of my old contacts...I'd love to try to help you out but I got nothing. Best of luck...maybe we will cross paths sometime. Jackie

L - well said. I've never understood this "service economy" as a stand alone entity concept. Have tried to explain this to friends for many years. The creation of tangible value is a prerequisite to the generation of wealth, otherwise you're just moving wealth around in a zero sum game, IMO. You can make money in services (thank goodness, or I'd be on the street), but it is not an "economy". The concept of masturbation comes to mind in that context. Jackie.

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Aes

I think my job is pretty secure. No lay offs yet and I am not at the bottom tier if that happens.

My RL partner on the other hand owns his own tour company. He is the only worker so at least he will not have to lay anyone off, but we are going to have to tighten our belts until people can afford travel more.

Oh Brenda, you did it! Cool. I remember when you said you weren't happy with yor work but I didn't know you did something about it.

You are such a bright entertaining person..something to do with people would really be good I would think. Don't accept anything where they don't laugh!

Service economy used to puzzle me too along with the knowledge economy...like we were all going to live on air and opinions while eating out at restaurants and having someone clean our houses.

I really hope this is a return to sanity and honest jobs making quality goods in our own countries to sell and trade.

I really hope this leads to better futures for everyone in transition.

Dollar 1.4714 -0.0018
Euro 1.1083 -0.0016

- Means down doesn't it

This is what happens when academics and intellectuals, who never had to do an honest days work in their lives get to run things.

Unfortunately, I don't think it is going to happen.Our manufacturing capacity has been so dismantled that it would probably take an entire generation to get it back. What is really frightening is how much of our defense related industry is in the hands of foreign entities, some potentially hostile. If a situation ever arose where we had to ramp up production such as WWII, we would be in big trouble.

But we are all going to live in peace and harmony from now on.

Time to throw a dose of hope and action into the thread. I'm sure you're all familiar with the concept of 6 Degrees of Separation, the idea that you are only separated from every other person on earth by only 6 connections. The most often used example is that you can connect any actor or actress through the movies they've been in to Kevin Bacon in 6 steps or less. There's a growing field of mathematics that is proving this to be true, not just in human connections, but several other systems in nature and technology.

So if you want to get a message to the Queen of England, you could hand it to someone that you know, and so forth, and it could get to her within 6 steps. But you're probably not trying to contact her. You probably don't care a lot who you contact, as long as they are somehow connected to a job that you want. The more flexible your job criteria and location requirements, the more people that will know someone that can help. You're probably only 3 connections away from your dream job. The tricky part is figuring out who you know that knows the person that knows the person.

Let's try putting the social network aspect of this platform to use. List out what you're looking for and where you're looking. Don't include any personally identifying information. Then everybody that reads it can take a minute to think about who they know and who those people know. Once someone thinks of the RL person that can help, they can IM you in-world with the RL job info and contact information. We should be able to at least get some interviews going for people. I'll write mine up in a separate post.

Under the Apron of the Nanny State. Kumbaya folks.

Fixed...

I'm looking for an engineering job that specializing in initial prototype design. Sectors that I'm most interested in are toys, robotics, prosthetics, and consumer products, but anything where I get to actually design and build something would be great. I would prefer to work in a small company rather than a large corporation, but I'll consider any design position. I'm willing to move anywhere in the US for the right job. I'm more focussed on finding a job that's interesting than finding one that pays a lot, so don't hold back from responding because you think the company is too small.

I have 3 years of experience as a Concept & Prototype Design Engineer with a small technology development company. We created a variety of new technologies including smart credit cards, self-sterilizing toothbrushes, non-electrical sound activated switches, and safer recharging mechanisms for car batteries.

I also have nearly 9.5 years experience as a satellite operations engineer maintaining a multi-billion dollar fleet of geosynchronous communications satellites. I would consider another space job, but I would prefer a design & prototype career.

If all else fails, I can always become the Worlds Shortest, Skinniest Male Stripper!!!


I was just reading on MSN about some restaurants getting rid of busboys.

In a way I'm kind of sad, as I used to do that for 7 years. Hated the job, loved the people. Not only did I clean off the tables but fill up the pop machines with ice & refills, mop floors, clean bathrooms, wash dishes, sweep the parking lot, scrub walls, clean the ceiling tile, take out the garbage, shovel snow, put the plates away, put away stock.

And would you believe they only had 1 of us on at any given time?

Only part I didnt like was the waitresses did NOT have to split tips with us.

And now? I make more than the General Manager!!!

Shhh! Don't say that too loud. In the New America you will not be allowed to make more than a busboy.

Ok just jumping in here...I started in Real Estate when I moved across the country 4 years ago...just in time for the bottom to fall out of that industry. Got my credentials in order to be able to teach in public school here....now they have cut over 200 jobs in this county in the last two years. Did some long term subbing...now they are so strapped for cash they are using volunteer subs. Things have been realllllly tight for a while now.

Just got a sales job that is going well and have been doing that for about 9 weeks now. Only problem is that commissions get paid...laaaater. The sales revolves around fundraising and business is booming because everyone needs to raise money and the products we promote allow folks buying them to save money.

Before this job, we have completely used up retirement funds, etc. So all of you in this spot have my complete sympathy. I have to say that the money ive made from SL has truly saved me in these times.

Good luck to all of you.

I'm doing OK but mostly because of lessons learned in the early 80's recession. When I got a bump in pay I don't increase my standard of living, because I figured anything over $10/Hr was temporary and wouldn't last.

I kinda had a sense this was coming ... there was a lot unsustainability over the last 20+ years so I've built myself a financial bomb shelter.

/me steps past the really unproductive political stuff

In all fairness Reagan and Bush also played with the definition of "unemployed." I'm told Kennedy did it too. I suspect more presidential administrations in the past few decades have done it than not.

Under the U-6 definition of unemployment the current unemployment rate is now close to 16%.