About to make the jump

I’m worried. I am moving in 5 days. There is so much to do. I am not so much worried about the move, but worried about what is coming after the move. This will be the first time I have been unemployed since I was like 12. I have always had a job, I have always had an income. I have always been independent and done things on my own. I am worried I won’t be able to find a job quickly. I am worried that I will out stay my welcome at my gf’s parents place. I am worried that I will look like a free loader.

I picture life like it is a giant pond. We all start at one end of the pond (birth) and proceed across until we get to the other side (death). Along the way there are stepping stones, which each person has to jump to in order to proceed in their life. Sometimes they are small jumps (passing grade 4 for example), other times they are giant hops (moving out on your own for the first time). Other times you don’t even know where the next stone is and you just take a leap of faith. Sometimes you will slip off the rock and get a little wet, other times you may feel you’re stuck on a rock for an extended period. Right now I feel like I am taking one of those leaps of faith. Not only am I moving 1700km’s, I don’t have a job and other than my temporary living arrangements I have no idea where I will be living.

I have a plan to keep myself busy. I will go to the employment office and have somebody pick through my resume and cover letter to see what employers are looking for in a resume these days. I also plan on obtaining two certifications in my field to help me find a better job. I did the practice questions on the certification site and failed both (I expected to). You need 80% in order to pass, I got 74% on both without any studying. So I think with some studying I can improve that to above 80% with little trouble. I think I will take a couple weeks around Christmas to visit with both my parents. Each Christmas since I started working full-time has been “go go go” and I always feel bad trying to squeeze both of them with the short amount of time off work I am given. I could usually only get 5 days around Christmas. So it would be nice to be able to see each for a week.

I am excited to be leaving my job though. I have been there for 5 years. The company has really gone downhill since new owners took over in 2008. The people they are hiring are just morons. A lot of them are just useless people who can’t be taught. Asking a person a question once is fine. Ask the same question a second time, you are forgetful. Ask the same question a third time, you are an idiot. I work with a lot of these kinds of people. This wasn’t a problem when I was first hired, in fact many of my coworkers were quite bright. It’s just as time has gone on, the company and their hiring process has become very casual. For example, when I was hired there were two interviews; the first personality, the second was a technical interview and each was about 45 minutes. Now, it seems the entire interview process is about 10 minutes long. Another thing that bothers me is the lack of professionalism that some of these individuals have. It is just unbelievable what they will say or do. Almost like if you are at a formal dinner, and somebody starts eating with their hands. It is shocking and you wonder how they were even invited in the first place. There are plenty of other things that bother me. In short, the writing is on the wall, I don’t know of any company that can survive with employees of that quality. Anyway, I say good riddance.

I know this move is for the best. It is just sometimes it is easier to stay with what is known than the unknown. People tend to dwell on the negatives and think of the worst case scenario. What if we only thought of the best case scenario? What if moving back to the city a big time executive over hears my conversation about computers on a train and likes what he hears. He politely interrupts me and tells me to call the IT manager for an interview. I then get a job working for a Fortune 500 company at a dream position. Hmmm… I sure like the sound of that, don’t you? 🙂

Music of the Moment:  Solid Steel – Amon Tobin

Today I Feel:  Unsure