BS: Latest victim of the war

Subject: Latest victim of the war
From: Jock Morris
Date: 04 Oct 01 - 06:04 PM

Looks like my job is about to bite the dust due to the recession sparked by the events of the 11th of September. Anybody need a software engineer who also sings and plays concertina? Oh, and I can dance a bit of Morris too!

Scott

Subject: RE: BS: Latest victim of the war
From: SINSULL
Date: 04 Oct 01 - 06:18 PM

So sorry, Scott. Where are you? Maybe someone here can help. As a software engineer you can do freelance work. Keep that option open.
Be well.
Mary

Subject: RE: BS: Latest victim of the war
From: Jock Morris
Date: 04 Oct 01 - 06:30 PM

I'm in Scotland, just North of Edinburgh.

Feeling really pissed off; only been in this job 7 months and it was really starting to shape up nicely. Superb bunch of people to work with and the work was reasonably interesting.

Scott

Subject: RE: BS: Latest victim of the war
From: SeanM
Date: 04 Oct 01 - 06:35 PM

I know it's not help, but if commiseration is at all helpful it's an 'everywhere' thing. A whole raft of friends of mine in the Northern CA/Silicon Valley tech sector are scrambling. 'Tain't just since the 11th either... this has been building for a while.

Just try to hold on and it'll come back around to sanity...

M

Subject: RE: BS: Latest victim of the war
From: katlaughing
Date: 04 Oct 01 - 10:33 PM

I think the monster.com job board is mostly US, but my son-in-law, who is a software designer, decided to look around and since having his resume up, has had quite a few "bites." he has an interview next week with a company just down the street from where they live in Connecticut.

I don't know if that helps or not, but I know most job websites I go to, I see lots of listings for software people and lots for technical writers. Again, I don't know if any of them are based in Scotland. If I come across any UK-based ones, I'll give you a holler.

Good luck, there's got to be something better coming along, right?:-)

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Latest victim of the war
From: Amergin
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 12:34 AM

technical support companies are often hiring.,...it might be a good meantime job...

Subject: RE: BS: Latest victim of the war
From: Peg
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 01:11 AM

Oh no!!! That is too bad. Sounded like you were enjoying it there. But your skills should be easy to shop around...

Subject: RE: BS: Latest victim of the war
From: GUEST,Boab
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 04:23 AM

I'll join you, Jock. I've just learned that Air Canada is suspending its Toronto Glasgow flights from this month. So much for my take-off from Vancouver on 11December. Ach weel----travel agent tomorrow. Boab

Subject: RE: BS: Latest victim of the war
From: sian, west wales
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 06:55 AM

Hie thee hence to fish4.co.uk - "every local job on offer" as their slogan tells us ...

The Irish Times seems to have a good job section too if you're interested in a long commute.

sian

Subject: RE: BS: Latest victim of the war
From: Steve Parkes
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 07:46 AM

Be of good cheer, Jock. I was made redundant five years ago and it was the best thing that happened to me. (I'm a computer programmer, btw.) I now have a much more interesting and better-paid job, and I can cycle to work too. With a family, a mortgage, and all the rest, I'd never have dared make the break off my own bat. This is a great opportunity!

Steve

Subject: RE: BS: Latest victim of the war
From: The_one_and_only_Dai
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 07:54 AM

Yeah, Jock, come and work for the OU if you can stand Milton Keynes. There's at least three of us on Mudcat...

Subject: RE: BS: Latest victim of the war
From: Drumshanty
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 08:09 AM

That is bad news, Scott. So sorry to hear it. I really hope something comes up for you soon. Meantime, keep squeezing that beautiful instrument you showed me at Muchty!

Tracy

Subject: RE: BS: Latest victim of the war
From: Julie B
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 08:34 AM

Jock,

I can readily sympathise. My 'other half' Nick got made redundant again last month, and he's pretty down in the dumps about it; you can only stay 'upbeat' for so long. He's worked really hard in recent years to get secure employment with decent pay, but it seems standard practice nowadays for companies to regularly 'let go' whole groups of staff in sudden cost cutting exercises.

In September he was made redundant from his third 'permanent' Software Analyst/Programmer job in three years (well, strictly speaking he left one of them on his own accord, but that was only after hearing rumours of the forthcoming cut-backs). In this instance, they got rid of most of the department. The whole thing came at a particularly difficult time for us as only the day before we'd put our house on the market, wanting desperately to move closer to the town where we (or now rather, I) work, and where prices are about 70 percent higher. Looks like I'm stuck with the over-two-hours a day commute for a while longer.

Nick left school with little in the way of qualifications, and has had many career changes to date (British Army, fctory work, Self-Employed Painter/Decorator etc...). In the early 1990's he took some O-levels, then a Computing B-TEC and ended up with a Computer Science Degree. He worked as a self-employed contractor for a while, then moved into 'permanent' work (so called!). He's still searching for employment where 'permanent' might mean longer than 12 months!

No he is 'over 40' and feels that his age will count against him in finding new employment. At the time of writing, he is so fed-up wih it all that he's looking into going to Alaska for a few months to pack fish (16 hour days/6 day weeks)...how can I blame him?!

Julie B

Subject: RE: BS: Latest victim of the war
From: Mrrzy
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 01:35 PM

Good luck to you, and don't neglect homebasing as a possibility - you could work for the dreaded Microsoft and not leave your home, for instance...

Subject: RE: BS: Latest victim of the war
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 10:47 PM

For anyone interested in getting out of the rat-race and who has some mobility in just being able to go somewhere new without a lot to tie them down, I would urge you to look at the Caretaker's Gazzette. We've just subscribed and, while most of the jobs are in the US, there are still several in Canada and Europe. It is amazing what pops up in there, anything from a B&B in the UK, to an herb farm in the Adirondacks, to a nsowed in restored ranch house in Idaho to places in Belize and the Bahamas. Lots of people wanting to do house exchanges and even one professional couple (the rest of us are all amatuers, do'cha know?:-) who are willing to pay up to $100,000 PLUS for a Househole Manager! Almost all of the positions offer separate housing, some are long-term, some for only a few months. It is a good way to find that there really are alternatives to the usual work-a-day world.

Good luck, all!

kat

Subject: RE: BS: Latest victim of the war
From: Amergin
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 10:48 PM

uh, katdarling....what is a "Househole Manager"? Is it something like an asshole manager?

Subject: RE: BS: Latest victim of the war
From: sophocleese
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 11:29 PM

I think Househole Manager is just a fancy title for Doorman/woman/person.

Tough Luck, Jock. Wish I could give you intelligent advice but all I can give is sympathy. That you have.

Subject: RE: BS: Latest victim of the war
From: katlaughing
Date: 05 Oct 01 - 11:51 PM

You two! LMAOWROTF!!

Oh gawds and gawddess! Save me from typos! In the interest of context I pledge not to use my joeclone powers to change that!

Subject: RE: BS: Latest victim of the war
From: Peg
Date: 06 Oct 01 - 04:58 PM

maybe try monster.co.uk? I saw a couple jobs there that i wanted and I look at it from time to time when trying to figure how I could go live in the UK for a bit...

Subject: RE: BS: Latest victim of the war
From: Donuel
Date: 06 Oct 01 - 05:35 PM

There will always be jobs as security officers to watch the security officers to watch...