I was starting to hate working there, but it's still a drag. I'm hoping to do some sort of free-lance technical writing, in particular writing accounting procedures.

If any of you have any advice, wisdom etc, I would love to hear it.

I'm really sorry. Were you expecting it?

I don't want to go all Pollyanna on you, but this may be perfect if you were wanting to make a change. Will you get some unemployment for a while?

If it's any consolation at all, I'm losing my job, too.

Roxi

Not entirely a surprise. My boss was a good example of what's wrong with business these days. He's been pulling money out of the company like there was no tomorrow. I actually don't feel too bad, it was time to make a change.

I've got some things I'm going to be working on, I have two book proposals out. Who knows?

Maybe we should collaborate on a lesbian update version of Pollyanna. I bet we could get Lindsay Lohan to play the lead.

(Ok I'm going to go back to something else, my sense of humor is tanking.)

Nah, it would have to be someone convincing - haha!

Good luck with the book deals! Are you going with mainstream type publication options, or veering off that path?

The first step of alcoholic recovery is recognizing that your addiction and life are unmanagable. I like to tell people that I knew my life was unmanagable when I screwed up a suicide attempt. If you're telling me that Lindsay isn't even credible as a lesbian her life really is a train wreck. Pretty sad for somebody that isn't 25 yet.

Book deals: I'm going attempting to go mainstream at the moment. Book one is an alternate history (first in a series of three) that has been sent to a publisher who accepts direct submissions of such things. (A real publisher not a vanity press). I have a proposal to an agent for a novel based very loosely on my time with the witnesses. A couple of the agents who have rejected it said it sounded really good, but they weren't taking new clients. At some point if that doesn't pan out I may self publish through Lulu or some place like that. I figure I could sell a bunch of them to the online ex-witness, ex-mormon and ex-mooney type communities. Now that I have nothing else to do with my time I may take a shot at it.

(the one who accepts direct submissions), does he deal in a particular genre? Is he local to you?

I have thought that if I couldn't get a book (or at least a story) published, I would compile a book of rejection slips with my own comments. I wonder if that's been done.

The publisher is in NYC and specializes in science fiction. For some reason alternate history has been lumped in with SF.

If you could get a book of rejection slips published every writer wanna-be in the world would be published.

before someone does it the first time. I tend to believe it could be amusing.

to hear about your job Roxi.....is it a casualty of the economic climate? What will you do, do you think?

Jen

Yeah, it is mostly because of the economy. It has always been "temporary," and should have lasted just under a year, but my appointment was renewed a couple of times. So, I'll have been there three years when I leave; a good thing that stretched out a while.

I could probably get another job at the university. Right now, I'm not sure I want to do that, but I have some time to think about it with my layoff.

Thanks for asking!

Roxi

I lost my job last year too. It made me really scared and angry, but there was a part of me that was really hating it, so I was a bit relieved too. So we went on holiday and when we got back I had a job offer from someone else in the same industry which sounded perfect, but never worked out.

In the meantime I worked in a burger place that really sucked, applied for supermarket jobs (but somehow they didn't want me - ME with a university degree and everything LOL).

Like Roxi said this could be your chance to re-evaluate. I did, and decided that working for myself could be a way to go. So I decided to give house cleaning a go, as there seems to be a huge demand for it, and it pays VERY well. In the last few weeks I am fully booked and knocking back work!!!! And I am getting fit! I get to work the hours I choose, for good money (more than I was getting as an office manager)and the people I work for are really nice too.....and as my husband put it "you are a clean freak and this sort of work will suit you exactly".

Free-lance writing - go for it! Good luck!!!

Jen
In Oz

I've been on both sides of the cleaning coin, and I know it's not easy to find someone who does the kind of work a client wants done. Having done it myself, I was very picky about other people's work! So, for sure you'll have lots of referrals if you're a fanatic about clean.

Give the people what they want! Good deal.

Roxi!

Jen

I also meant to say I am sorry about the loss of your job Jeff, and realised that I didn't.

Jen

Despite the newscasters telling us that it isn't as bad as everywhere else up here, we too are feeling the economic crunch ( in Canada ). I've been self employed as a cabinetmaker for 20 years, the last 12 of which I was conscripted by a very large houseboat manufacturing firm.

The firm closed about two months ago, officially. Dragged their heels about doing so while all of us hung on for dear life for 6 months before that. Over this last 8 months I've sort of been shell shocked. I was so used to just having the work handed to me that I almost forgot that without that, I need to look for it. It was the looking that got me worried, very little going on and for every contract available, we've got 3 times as many trying to get it.

So finally, I kicked myself in the butt and jumped outside the box. I found and applied for a kitchen sales/design position with a firm in the next town over and, I start tuesday. Whew.

So I guess there is work out there, you may have to consider a few new avenues but hey, it just might be kind of interesting. I wish you the best of luck!

 

All have great attitudes ...... take a break, and then get ready to dive back in the rat race ....

"You are the sun ....
I am the moon ....

You are the words ....
I am the tune.

Play me .... "

I'm so sorry you lost your job. Guess there are a lot of us looking. I'm finally in Houston and it's almost 3 weeks I've been looking. I've done enough app's that I feel like I might as well stick an app on my forehead and walk around. LOL, LOL. I'm wishing you the best in finding something. I feel for you too!

Hugs

One does not want one's past to become one's future - Elie Weisel

Quyrah