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Sunday
You know, I may not post an entry every day, but in times like these, I'm glad I have a place to vent. Whether it's politics or personal difficulties (those that I wish to share with the world at large, of course), this is a good enough place to gripe, kvetch or give kudos. That said...
The Kudos. I'd like to congratulate fellow WebRat (and Big Cheese), Melanie Fletcher, on her new (long term) contract job. She'll even be able to visit WorldCon this year and keep the job (already off to a good start). Readers of Mel's journal will agree that she's been through agonizing times whilst trying to find employment after being shafted by TBS. May the good fortune continue, Mel. Now for the griping and kvetching. This past Monday I returned to my internship at the Math Mentor lab at San Diego City College, where I'm now among the senior Flash animator/programmers. I had hoped there'd be enough funding to actually pay the interns this Fall, but alas, that particular grant hasn't come through -- yet. I'm sure it will; when, I have no idea. And of course, with no job prospects on the immediate horizon, I was hoping to make this a full time gig. I'm still hoping. I have to -- what other choice do I have at this point? Great timing: once I'm Web-ready, the economy goes belly up. A year ago, even with a healthy economy and low unemployment, I still had a difficult time trying to get a measly clerical job. Okay. A measly clerical job which would pay at least twice the minimum hourly wage, so that I wouldn't have to choose between making the car payment or the Visa payment each month. And still be able to take in a movie once a week and buy the odd goodie or two from Old Navy. That kind of measly. But with scores of recently-graduated youngsters willing to work for a pittance, I didn't have much of a chance last Summer. Hence, the career change. So here I am. I received my last unemployment check a week ago. Thanks to my mom, my bills will get paid. But for how long? I haven't been completely broke since I left college...ummm...a long time ago. It's a weird feeling to have someone else paying your bills. It gives me that cold, ink-chill feeling. It's scary and stressful. I'm listed with nearly every job site extant, I scan the want ads and online job postings, I've applied to staffing companies... Sigh. Here's my latest form rejection from Creative Focus: Thank you for your
interest in Creative Focus! "Careful review" of my résumé, my ass! Yeah, they so carefully reviewed my résumé that it took them all of four months to send me a form rejection via email. What they should have said (rather than insult me by referring to my "inferior" Web skills): "Since the market is now saturated with all manner of unemployed talent, we are unable at this time to offer representation to any new creatives." Which would be the truth, actually. And though disappointed, I would not have been so...well...pissed off. Oh well. I guess all I can say now is, "Next!" So, my only hope of paid employment (short of flipping burgers, holding up advertising placards at busy streetcorners, or slipping flyers under windshield wipers) lies with my internship at the Math Mentor lab. Every morning I hope, hope, hope that the professor will tell me that the grant went through. Or that one of the publishers interested in the software has agreed to sign a contract with us. I keep hoping. Each. Day. Because I love working with Flash every day at the lab. I like the people I work with. I love walking through the college campus, catching the youthful vibe of the students. I love being able to wear whatever I want. I loooovvve the new Mac G4 (533MHz, 256mb of RAM) that I get to use every day. I appreciate that the professor doesn't rush us when we're working on a project. It would be soooo sweet if I got paid to do this, too. It would be Heaven. So I keep hoping. Each. Day.
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