I had an interview today and was offered the job!

[madison2000]

I am a computer tech and the Bush years have been rough. Was laid off in Mar 2001 and it took me 16 months to find another tech job. Took a huge cut in pay and it had no benefits. Laid off again in August 2004.
This morning I had an interview and it went well- I was offered the job about an hour later. (I was the first person interviewed, and they cancelled the interviews with everyone else!) I accepted. On March 1 2005 I will have health care benefits again. I have frequent migraines and the drugs are very expensive, so its been just awful not having insurance.

The job economy/health insurance were the reasons I got involved in campaigning this year. I have little hope that things will get better under Bush, and there are so many people hurting out there.

I start January 17. Its a mid-level helpdesk position at a huge insurance company with an excellent IT department, only a few miles away. I feel blessed to have this job!

:hi:

[NewJeffCT]

1. Congratulations

See, my wish of good luck earlier today turned the trick!

Coincidentally, I may have an interview for a financial reporting job at a huge insurance company next week... however, it would require me to move from CT to VA.

[madinmaryland]

11. Hey!

I thought you were looking for a position in White Plains. Good luck getting the interview.

[NewJeffCT]

15. I had two companies contact me

One in White Plains, NY one in Virginia. The company in Virginia is moving more aggressively.

[madison2000]

27. I hope my good luck is contagious!

[NewJeffCT]

28. for me, it's a bit scary, though

I've lived my whole life in Connecticut - 38 years now. My whole family is also in Connecticut. I think if I wasn't close to my family, it would be an easy decision. And, it would be almost cruel to take my mom's first grandchild away to Virginia only a year after she retired.

[K8-EEE]

2. CONGRATS!!!!!!

I know how rough it can be with all the outsourcing in your biz. I'm very happy for you, good luck!

[madison2000]

14. Yes, the outsourcing is terrible in IT

I know its affecting jobs in accounting, publishing, and call centers too. The last company I worked for was 2/3 Indian men that had just come to the US. Their skills were very good, but its hard not to feel threatened by it when you know so many people that were born here who have lost their jobs.

[Crankie Avalon]

3. Congratulations, that sounds like great news...

...best of luck and I hope the job lasts as long as you want and/or need it to. :thumbsup:

[HEAVYHEART]

4. Great!

THat is great news!!!

[proud2BlibKansan]

5. Congratulations

and Happy New Year

[commander bunnypants]

6. congrads

cb

[StopTheMorans]

7. WOOT WOOT!

:toast:

[Not_Giving_Up]

8. Congrats!

[Cobalt Violet]

9. Great News!

I hope it works out.

[madinmaryland]

10. Congratulations

and best wishes in your new position.
:toast:

[gollygee]

12. Congrats!!

Yay :) !

[4morewars]

13. Good for you !!!

I am in the same field and having very little luck here in Michigan. Guys with 20 years experience are taking the jobs that I should be getting, and they are getting a fraction of the pay and bennies that we deserve and were getting only a few years ago.

Good luck in your new position !!

[madison2000]

16. Its rough, you just have to keep at it and lower your expectations.

When I was laid off the first time I was fairly new to Madison and it took me a long time to realize just how bad things were- I thought that it was just my company that was doing poorly. This time I had a list of recruiters and a strategy for looking (and the economy is somewhat better)- but it still took me 4 months and 6 interviews.

They say 1st quarter is supposed to be good and I am seeing a lot of postings, so maybe something will come up for you too.

Hang in there. :hug:

[4morewars]

23. Thanks Bro !

I would have laughed at a job offer for a help desk a few years ago ! Now, I'd give a body part for one of these jobs ! Luckily, I was able to fall back on the stagehands for some work, and I have a shop in my home where I do upgrades, virus and spyware repair, home networks, etc.
I'll start searching again after this holiday crap is over, maybe I'll hookup with some recruiters as well. I'm optimistic !

On the bright side : you will get lot's of funny stories out of a help desk job !!!

:toast:

[madison2000]

26. The two jobs I had before 2001 were much better for me professionally

I was allowed to do much more and just threw myself into it, did a lot of certifications. But its really hard to recover from 16 months off! I am female, and the men in my first two jobs were helpful and cooperative; in a tough economy the men are more competitive! I'd rather do networking than helpdesk, but at least this is level two and wont be all calls.

I think there is always a market for small businesses that can't afford a permanent person- having a couple of those call me up has helped me keep going.

funny stories led to my definition of an urgent helpdesk ticket
1) end user is so frustrated they are coughing up blood
2) caller has a blind date with someone living off a trust in 15 minutes

:)

[4morewars]

29. D'oh !

See how I just assumed you were male ? This a tough biz for women, somehow computer geekery is assumed to be a "guy thing." Making it even harder when times are lean. Double good for you !!!

:yourock:

[madison2000]

32. Actually, "computer guys" are one of the reasons I went into the field

They are smart, laid back, non-political, easy to work with. Well, its mostly true, but when things get competitive they can shut you out, and mentoring is fairly important. I've never met a woman with a high level career in networking... there must be something about men protecting the hardware/physical layer!

[4morewars]

34. LMAO @ the dorky computer joke !!!

A joke about the OSI model no less !!! I have NEVER found the OSI model amusing, not until today, that is !!!!! I like you madison !

:hi:

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

37. Men only CARE about the physical layer!

We're all a bunch of pings.

[madison2000]

44. ROTFLMAO!!

And women care most about the Presentation layer helping us to get Networked for a Session!

[4morewars]

46. Stop, you're killing me !

:bounce:

[Forkboy]

17. Excellent news

The way you described the interview earlier left me thinking they'd hire you.Congrats!!!!!!!!

:bounce: :party: :toast:

[redqueen]

18. Congrats!

:toast:

Glad to hear you'll be able to get the medicine you need. Sucks to live in such a barbaric country...

[FormerDittoHead]

19. God bless you for being able to do that job.

Honestly, I don't think I could do helpdesk.

GAWD what idiots there can be!

I don't expect non-computer people to emphasize, but honestly, there are people who work day in - day out with their PC's for YEARS and don't know the most BASIC things...

God bless you!

[BrklynLiberal]

20. Congrats!! I was laid off from a computer programming job in Mar of 2001

and am still out of work. Have just about depleted all my savings...but am still hopeful. What the hell.
Good for you!!!!!
(The good part about being laid off in Mar 2001 was that the job lcoation was down the block from the WTC, and I would have been caught right in the middle of the disaster if I had been working...so I guess I should consider myself somewhat lucky. I thought about calling my asshole boss after 9/11 and thanking him for laying me off!!!)

[madison2000]

35. Wow, that's a long time to be off

but thank god you weren't near the WTC. It seems like something that takes the rest of your life to recover from.

I worked for a software company based in FL which had laid off all but 10 people by Aug 2001 but they blamed 9/11 for their business failure!

[frictionlessO]

21. Congratulations!! Good all over ya!!

Nothing I like more than someone getting a job that they really wanted!

[VaYallaDawg]

22. Congrats Madison

I was doing a little finger-crossing for you right at the time of your 9 am interview. Hope you love the job and that it works out well for you. Keep everybody informed!

[pdx_prog]

24. Congratulations Madison!

That's great news!

[RevolutionaryActs]

25. Ohmigawd! Thats great! Congratulations!

:toast: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce: :bounce:

[EC]

30. Congrats

:party:

Which company...I work in insurance also, and may be giving out a help call sometime...I always wait until I've tried everything else first because it takes so much time to be stuck with the help desk and I am the only one in the office and catching the other lines while on the line with the help desk is just a shitty day...:argh:

[madison2000]

38. Headquarters for American Family Insurance

in Madison WI

[EC]

41. Nope, American Family is one of our competitors

They manage to beat our prices every time....Good Company...I was thinking Sentry (Dairyland), but I think their main office is in Stevens Point...

[Debbi801]

31. That's awesome!!! Congrats!

[Blue Diadem]

33. I'm so happy for you!

:bounce:

[Nikia]

36. I am happy for you

I know that it is discouraging to be unemployed and not know when you'll get a job again. It is a great relief to get a job again.

[madison2000]

39. Thank you everyone!!

:toast: :toast: :toast:

[buddhamama]

40. congratulations

i am happy for you :hug:

[RevCheesehead]

42. Way to go, Madison!!!

I think you are so lucky to find a job that will keep you IN Madison!

Good luck with everything - and wave a :hi: at State Street for me!

[bigwillq]

43. Congrats!

:toast:

Best of luck with the new job!


Hope it works out for you.

[yellowdogintexas]

45. Way to Go from one newly employed person to another

Hope yours is wonderful!!!!!

This being out of work mess is really a drag.

Best of Luck to you.