Job laments.....

[poltr1]

I feel like a frickin' dinosaur. In my 15 years in the biz, I wrote Perl CGI scripts, HTML pages, worked with both Access and Oracle (5.1.22 on OpenVMS), and am a whiz in MS Word and Excel. And I can't find a job to save my life.

I'd love to go into database administration, project management, or technical management, but I just don't have enough experience in these areas. My experience says "software developer", but it's a younger man's game now.

I'm looking within a 200-mile radius of Dayton. That means I can drive home on weekends.

A few days ago, I received a note about an opportunity in Cambridge, MA, but I told him, "Due to family and financial obligations, I'll have to turn this down." Was I wrong for doing this? Should I have taken it?

The Sicilon Valley Guidebook was partially right: Burnout at 40. (In the book they say 35.)

Comments

[athenawindsong.livejournal.com]

Is it too late to write (or call) the prospective employer back and be honest about your financial situation and see if there is room for negotiation?

[poltr1]

I asked for his phone number so we can discuss my situation. If he doesn't give me one, he's moved on.

[katyhh.livejournal.com]

I feel that at this point, you should consider even jobs from further away. You can still continue looking for something else then - it might be easier to get a different job while already employed ...

[bikergeek.livejournal.com]

My usual advice to anyone contemplating a move to the Boston area is "don't," but I gather that at this point you'll accept a fairly large downside just to go back to work.

Anything in Cambridge should pay double what they were paying you in Dayton, just for you to afford the cost of housing here. I cannot imagine affording housing appropriate for myself and (a) child(ren) on anything less than six figures a year. Especially not to move anywhere that has half-decent schools.

IIRC you have a school-aged daughter? Would it be possible for you to have her stay with relatives in the Dayton area, and you get a pièd-a-terre in the Boston area like a studio apartment and commute home on weekends? Might be doable, for a short-term contract gig.

if you're that burned out, maybe it's time for a different career? Just a suggestion....

[poltr1]

If I can find someone to stay with for cheap, I might go by myself. Although flying or driving back and forth (and paying for it) would be a pain.

We don't have relatives here, and there's absolutely no way I can afford to bring the wife and daughter to Boston.

[patoadam]

Suggest you learn new job skills to make yourself more employable. Your next employer doesn't need to know whether you learned stuff at home or on the job.

[poltr1]

I'm doing that. But if a company wants experienced PHP and MySQL progarammers, and I'm reading books about it, how's that going to equate to experience? It the cut-and-dried HR world, it doesn't.

I have 6 months' experience with Visual C++ and one month of Java. But companies are looking for much more than that.

[patoadam]

I agree there is no substitute for hands-on experience (although I once got a C++ job after reading a book on the language). But you can download Java. I don't know specifically about MySQL, but unless things have changed, developers can download Oracle SQL for free. (It's hard to find that on their web site because they don't want ordinary customers to get free copies.)

[shanaeden.livejournal.com]

There's also a ton of jobs open at MU. The not-so-secret word is that the ones for DARS have been open forever now and there are actually 4 even though only 1 is listed.

[poltr1]

Tried them last month. No response. Should I try again?

Oxford is nice. The commute's a bit long, though.

And I can crash at the D-Chi house because I'm an alumnus. :)

[shanaeden.livejournal.com]

nah don't try again (on those particular positions) if you haven't heard :(