He=no work, me=to work

[shelgarr]

Yep, it's come to that. After so many years of progressing and advancement we too have been hit with the no job syndrome. Husband lost his job in July 2010. It was a voluntary severance as a result of a position and salary restructuring that he refused to accept. It was a solid decision but of course we didn't think we'd be 6 months in with no job.

I have been taking in sporadic work to help us along. Time now though for me to return full time.

So myself with 10 years outside the "real" work world, I hope to get something as soon as I can in 2011. It's was a good run to be able to work part time and from home. All good things must end as they say.

Wish us luck.

 

[Jeanie]

Good luck, Shel. What type of work is available in your area?

 

[Dabs]

I do wish you the best of luck!
I have a close friend in Ohio who is facing similar......her hubby has been laid off for months.
Hopefully this situation won't last too long....and I hope you find the work you are most liking

 

[shelgarr]

Thanks for the well wishes.

I'm in San Diego and there are a variety of jobs here. We have a pretty high unemployment rate so a lot of people trying for them.

My husband was in real estate title info so with the decline in home sales his industry took a hit. Yet the main problem for his company was a mismanagement of product projections by a new guy. He is looking to get out of title and into web development. In the meantime he is looking to sell his cut gems (hobby) and sharpen knives (hobby).

I myself have been doing contract QC/QA in pharmaceuticals on/off very part time. It's too sporadic so I want something more steady that will help with health premiums. The prospects out there are pretty good. Currently I have a good change at an analytical lab but while I wait for their decision I keep on looking.

 

[Doc]

I wish you luck, too. Finding a job can be ridiculously hard right now.

I hope he got a good severance package. That can go a long way in hard times.

 

[generalblue]

Good luck. I know firsthand that it is rough out there. Been looking for a job in my field for 2 years now and still no luck. I wish you the best.

 

[shelgarr]

Thanks again everyone.

Yes, he got 26 weeks severance. It was running out but I added to it with a good amount of hours worked in October so we are still doing ok. But....doing bills is painful! So much going out, and hardly anything coming in.

Sorry generalblue about your situation. What type work are you looking for? Have you thought about changing industries? My husband wants to which is why he keeps holding out.

 

[LadyRomo]

If you have any job agencies in your area, use them. I was laid off in '09 from the job I had for 7 years. I got a great payout but the money goes fast when you have bills to pay for, groceries to buy. I had an extremely difficult time looking for work so I went to an agency and have had a steady job for almost a year now.

 

[shelgarr]

Good advice, LadyRomo. Oddly the very job I had thought was a for-sure offer was postponed for a decision until Jan. While continuing to look for others I saw that an agency here posted the same job. That can only mean the company is having an agency look for them. It's weird because I'm fully qualified. A few drawbacks to my resume is 1) I've been self-employed for 10 years and 2) I have an AS degree rather than as BS. These things really make a person second guess themselves a lot. It's maddening.

 

[shelgarr]

Sigh. Just got the notification yesterday that it is a no-go on a very promising job. There are 2 other jobs I'm looking at that I am well suited for. A 3rd that is a stretch, and 3 others out to companies that don't have openings, but could have potential.

I do quality in the biotech industry. In an article I read today, it was said that 24 drugs were approved in 2010, the lowest in years. Biotech complains the FDA finds "problems" too late in the process. Had they been addressed earlier the expense and timeline wouldn't have been so affected. As well the FDA has some pressure to avoid post-market problems that have been seen in recent years. (my opinion is that the serious adverse events isn't at fault of drug action. It has more to do with the diversity of the human body and the trend toward law suits that attempt to place blame and get money). Here in San Diego, we have two CA politicians that will have some oversite on the FDA review process. I hope there are changes because biotech has taken a big hit in funding losses, stock losses, and job losses. It trickles down to all the support labs as well.

My husband is still unemployed, but has a phone interview today. Cross your fingers.