Back to square one
Well it is back to square one in 2009. Got word from Medco that they are cancelling the project in Dublin. So they are letting us go effective December 31st. With the economy, we were worried that the first to be thrown overboard would be the contractors and we were right. I liked working there and did learn some new stuff. So it wasn't wasted time. I am disappointed that it was supposed to be a contract to hire position, not contract to fire!
The disappointing thing is that I had some other job offers when I took the position. But I made a commitment and didn't want to work for a week and jump ship for another job. But as I have learned loyalty and hard work aren't criteria to be considered in the corporate world. It's all about making next quarters numbers... No looking at the long term. Which is why Lexis hired two new engineers in our group, then did layoffs 9 months later. And why our project was started up, then cancelled about 3 months later.
I am going to look locally in January. Hoping that at least a few companies will be expanding in 2009. By coincidence, I did get an email from a former coworker about a defense contractor that is expanding in 2009. So I am following up on that. If nothing breaks by February, then I will expand my job search outside the area again.
On the plus side, January is when new budgets are approved. But ever since the markets dropped, it seems that not a day goes by where some company or another announces layoffs.
I told everyone that maybe I will build bridges for Obama if all else fails. Chelsea said that she wouldn't drive across any bridge that I built! So we still retain our humor thru rough times.
It is worrisome the amount of money that the government is throwing around. Our national debt is going to be horrendous. Then add all of these projects and national healthcare that they want to do - it will have to be paid somehow. People don't understand that it's not magic. The money has to come from somewhere to pay for all of this. I can see either income taxes going up, or maybe we borrow an idea from Canada and have a national sales tax. Either way the government is going to control more and more of our economy - a scary thing.
The government acts like it knows what to do. But after passing the bailout package we had one of biggest market crashes ever. Now they are changing the rules of how to use the bailout money. Some of it may go now to bail out the car companies - reinforcing a bad business model. What about helping circuit city - oh thats right those aren't union jobs. Even during the worst of times, politics comes into play.
Folks are acting like this is the first time something like this has happened. Open a history book and there have been panics all thru American history. And we survived them all. And there are some that say Roosevelts policies and growth of government in the 1930's made a panic into a long term depression. So here's hoping that history does not repeat itself.
Last weekend we had a snow and I was walking thru the bottom field. There were big flakes gently falling and it was like walking thru a post card, very memorable. Saw where a fox was zigzagging thru the field looking for mice. It is nice to be able to escape all the worries and just enjoy nature.
Posted by christ77
at 7:12 AM EST