The New matthewmiddleton.ca…

Getting in the paper recently about my success at finding a new job got me thinking about my overall experience. While the majority of what I talked about with the reporter didn’t end up in the article, I think that at least some of it would be useful for those who may potentially be facing a layoff or are already laid off.

One of the most important things that I found is that you must NOT allow your layoff to affect your self-respect and self-esteem.  Keeping these things in mind may help avoid getting depressed about the layoff:

• Layoffs are about numbers, not people; being laid off doesn’t reflect on your skills, abilities, or your worth as a person
• Companies who jump to layoffs as an early cost-cutting measure damage their long-term worth, but yours is still very much intact
• There ARE jobs out there

It’s important to keep busy when unemployed.  If you’ve got projects that have only been lacking the time necessary to devote to them, get started and make sure to let people know what you’re working on via blogging/Twitter/Facebook/MySpace/What Have You*.  If you don’t have projects, find an organization or two that you feel could benefit from your efforts and volunteer with them.  Besides keeping you busy, it helps the community, and when you’re looking for a job a little good karma doesn’t hurt.

Finally, tell EVERYONE that you’re looking for work!!  This is a big one, and something that I think a lot of people have trouble with.  There’s still a stigma in some people’s minds with regards to being laid off, but the reality is that we’ve all been there or know someone who has, and know it’s not a reflection on the person.  Another point to consider: The more people that know you’re looking for a job, the more likely it is that someone will know of a position or will know a valuable contact that can help you find a new job.  Don’t be afraid to appeal to people’s egos – if they help you find a job, they’ll feel good about themselves for helping you, and there’s nothing wrong with that!

Ultimately, this all boils down to one thing: stay positive!  Sometimes it can be tough – I found it difficult during stretches of time where my resumes were going out, but few responses were coming in – but if you can present yourself as a positive person even in the adversity of being laid off, it will make you a much more appealing candidate for a new job.

*Not an actual website

Tags: Job Hunting, Unemployment
Posted in Internet, Job Hunt, Social | | 2 Comments »

I’m officially off the “wounded” list for this economy. Yesterday, I turned in my acceptance of a job offer! It’s a good feeling to be working again – I’ve enjoyed my time off, but it really is time to go back to work. I’ll be doing tech support, as well as providing them with some assistance on the testing side of things. It’s a small company, so everyone tends to do a lot of different things – I think that will work well for me. They also seem very interested in virtualization, which I just happen to have some experience in.

In garden news: Today, I confirmed my choice of plot at the Silverthorne Allotment Garden. Starting May 1, a small chunk of City land will be mine to grow what I see fit. Since it gets no shade, I’m figuring my tomatoes would do best there.

In computer news: Just finished loading the Netbook remix of Ubuntu 9.04 to my USB flash drive, so I can install it on my eeePC. The Xandros install that Asus shipped with the netbook isn’t bad, but there are some annoying quirks that I think the Ubuntu install will take care of.

Update to computer news: The install to the flash drive, and subsequent install of Ubuntu 9.04 Netbook Remix to my eeePC 701 has gone very well so far.  The only real snags have been related to the odd screen dimensions, which is listed as a known issue on this model (let’s face it – 800 X 480 is a bit odd).  Oh, and can someone make a Twitter app for Linux that is at least as functional as TweetDeck, and publish it to Ubuntu’s list of apps?  That’d be awesome.

Tags: Allotment Garden, Job Hunting, Ubuntu
Posted in Gardening, Green, Job Hunt, Linux, Politics, Software Testing, Virtualization | | No Comments »