Greetings everyone. I hope you are all doing well today. I come before you now to talk about employment or the lack thereof in these bleak economic times. I really never took a lot of stock in economic projections and employment numbers. I always figured that even if the economy was tough and the job numbers were falling, there would always be a need out there for somebody who works hard, is smart, and has a vast wealth of experience and knowledge. Boy was I wrong, and I'm not just being bitter or cynical. Here in the San Francisco Bay area where I live, jobs used to fall out of trees like candy. If you had an IQ roughly that of your shoe size and you could create steam on a mirror, you could make $50K easy as a front line tech support specialist. If you were a qualified System Administrator like me you could make in excess $100K as I did for years. Well you know what? You still can, but it would be easier to get struck by lightening twice in the same day. I am not giving up hope, but I have been unemployed since the 22nd of January this year.

I have been on multiple interviews and have been screened technically by several potential employers. They are just not biting the hook anymore. I'm sure you could be thinking right now that I just do not have the right skills or mannerisms to come across as a viable candidate or as a potential asset to their technical team. I have wondered that very same thing myself. Which is why I have redoubled my efforts to update my skill sets and I have lowered my expectations to the point where I'll take just about any job anywhere if they'll give it to me. Once there I'll show them what kind of value I can add to their situation. Nope, none of this has worked. Employers like home buyers are being a lot more selective. They want a whole lot more for a whole lot less and they can get away with it because that's what the market will bare. I guess I come off as too knowledgeable to some of them and they know that I would not be happy making chump change responding to alarms in their NOC on the grave yard shift for very long. You know what? They'd be right about that. I would rather talk to Dana White (Presidentof the UFC) about fighting Brock Lesner in the Octagon than endure another stint as a NOC analyst.

Anyone who's ever done this can attest to what I'm saying. NOC's will chew you up and spit you out without blinking. They will leave you so burnt out that you look like a crispy critter on a stick over the camp fire. Forget about the good old boy network and getting jobs from friends or members of the same ethnic background (hint, hint), that's gone bye bye right out the window with all the other niceties of the days of milk and honey. To tell you the truth I could probably make more money doing something else completely different than I could in the business I'm in. I have better qualities that my industry just does not appreciate. But at my age it just takes time, belief in yourself, and a nest egg which I do not have to make it there from here. I have no savings from which to exist off of while I pursue my dreams. And so I persist trying to keep my chin up meanwhile the rent keeps coming due and all the other bills. That's not to mention the creditors who keep calling and harassing me.

I will relax today and try to come up with some new ideas, new directions, and new attitudes to guide my life from now on. I mean why not? If it doesn't work out I can always be refunded my misery. And misery loves company, I can always find plenty of other people to hang out with and complain about things we have no control over. That's a very useful and efficient way to spend my time. NOOOOT. I'll check back with you guys when I feel better and give you an update. Bye for now and please take care.

Brian