Job Hunt

Since I was laid of by WebMD in December 2008, I have been in job hunting mode.  Emotionally, it has been a rollercoaster ride.  Fortunately, I found a wonderful job support group called Scottesdale Jobs Network (http://http://www.scottsdalejobnet.com).  It has proved to be a wonderful resource and a great place to network.  The volunteers are friendly and open and I have met some really nice people.  I recommend SJN to anybody in the Phoenix metro area.

After being laid off, it took me a while to get over the initial shock and start treating this misfortune as an opportunity.  The prospect of being unemployed is a bit scary and there are still down days. I am still looking for IT opportunities in the Unix/Linux/Networking space.  Unfortunately, with the economy being the way it is, a lot of companies are still hunkered down and not hiring.  I have gotten a few nibbles, but nothing definite.

I know my best bets are to work my own network and the various contacts I have in the industry. Still, it is a tough sell and there have been a lot of dissapointments along the way.  I think the hardest part of all this is to keep your confidence up.  I know I have a wealth of skills and experience technically.  In addition I have other skills which are hard to convey on a resume.

Most geeks I know are introverts who lack good social skills.  While I am an introvert, I learned my social skills by running and being elected to the Austin, Texas City Council for two terms from 1985-1991.  My passion for neighborhood and environmental issues overcame my natural shyness.  I had to learn to fundraise and interact with the movers and shakers in the Austin political scene, otherwise I stood no chance of being elected.  I think those learned social skills have served me well over the years and are helping in my currently unemployed situation.

My advice to any introvert in my situation is to overcome your natural shyness and get out and network.  I know it is a tough road.  Social networking is not in my comfort zone, but I know I have to do it.  Groups like SJN help a lot, since everyone there is in the same boat.  But doing networking takes time and effort.  I have found it is something that is a lot easier to do with practice.