150+ and counting…

A few days ago I posted that I was up to 130 job applications since losing my position with Nokia.  Afterward, out of sheer frustration over lack of progress I began digging deeper than ever, turning up companies I had never heard of before but listing positions I could perform.  A few look very promising… at least on paper.

So as of today I am over 150 applications, and setting a goal for myself of 10 per day.

Perhaps I need to make it clear at this point that I am not spamming any employers– yet.  So far every job to which I’ve applied I believe I can do.  But as I exhaust the typical possibilities I am going to have to broaden my scope– both up and down.

Riding the job boards

It’s now going into the fifth month since I received notice my position with Nokia was being eliminated, and the third month since I was actually released.  The experience has been like riding an operator-free rollercoaster, or surfing in a tsunami.

In January of this year there was a brief flurry of activity, leading me to hope that I was seeing the typical “January bounce” for employment prospects.  But the many interviews and offers quickly evaporated and thus began the stomach-wrenching ride on which I now find myself.

Nokia gets it backwards

The news that my former employer is just now seeking a 1000-head voluntary reduction in its workforce after releasing hundreds of us in late 2008 has me just a bit irritated to put it mildly.  I’ve danced around the subject of my job loss because of an inclination to be professional, but this news rubs salt in a still-healing wound.

The original explanation I was given for my release was that my role would be better relocated to company headquarters in Finland— despite the fact that it was mostly virtual and did not require anything more than an internet connection and a power source for my laptop.  To be fair, I was told I could reapply for the position once it was freed up (unfortunately I am unable to relocate) along with any other openings available.  However, instead of being relocated the role was completely eliminated.  I’m hearing plenty of complaints from current employees about that particular decision but that’s a lament for another time.  It’s nice to be missed, though, if nothing else!

Where’s my asteroid?

A popular theory has it that a massive asteroid or comet strike 65 million years ago had a negative impact on many dinosaur species at the time.  One could say their entire DNA lines were laid off– permanently.

I’m starting to feel like a dinosaur myself, and frequently looking over my shoulder just in case.

You see, I was born to be a product nut.  It doesn’t even matter what the product is.  Software, hardware, wetware, firmware… I just love to be in the thick of the development process.  The closer I am to invention of some sort, the happier I am.  I’ve even invented a few things but so far none has made it to market.

That worked fine for over a decade.  I spent seven amazing years in Texas Instruments former Defense Systems and Electronics Group (DSEG) and even after TI sold the division and sent me packing, I was able to find similar work (with Boeing) very quickly.  And later on, as my career took some interesting twists and turns, I managed to stay close to product development in some form or fashion.