How is your career going?

[LordMortis]

Last Day: April 29th confirmed
Retirement dinner: April 28th confirmed (don't wanna go. Hoping it's warm and dry enough to be out doors but I doubt it)

You really need someone to give you a pep talk. You're retiring - if you don't want to go to the party, say you appreciate the thought, but you're done. No other explanation is needed. Just don't go. It's the day before you're done - find the strength to finally get your way.

It would feel wrong not to go. We'll see how things work out. I'll be OK if it's outdoors. I'll even have a beverage or two. Indoors? I'm still not ready. I feel like I'm one of the few who has done everything they are supposed to and I have been rewarded with not getting sick and not getting others sick. Going to an indoor gathering full of people who have moved on, and are now drinking an evening away after I've had 26 months sanitation, and now the day before turning in all my credentials and I have arrived at not having to work for the first time since I was 12, would be the very essence of spiking the ball at the one yard line. I'd become a replace line in the Alanis Morrisette song... Not sure if the lottery line or the flight line, but one of the two.

But if it's outside and we keep a distance, I'm OK.

[Jeff V]

Haven't you always fantasized about macing those who get in your face? Now's your chance...what are they going to do, fire you?

Yesterday I got an inquiry from a recruiter regarding a job which I appear highly qualified for. I asked if it was 100% remote or in-office. I got the "remote until covid is over" response...meaning what? The country seems to be declaring it over now. The location, beyond saying "Chicago" is not specified, and could be as much as a 3 hour commute depending on where it actually is. Dude asked for my salary requirements, I asked where exactly the job is located. He said I'll find out "further in the process." To which I replied, "then that's when we'll discuss salary requirements."

I've not heard back.

[Carpet_pissr]

Several weeks ago, wife starts second job (again). Says I can remain Mr. Mom, mostly because she doesn't want to deal with trying to hire any fill-in parents should I find something that I can't work remote.

The other days she goes off on a rant because she's working too much (it was, apparently, an aberration, but she did 3 consecutive days of double-shifts, which gives her 4 hours sleep time on those days) and says I need to apply to something each day. As if I still wasn't...when something appropriate would come up. So today it was a job I'm highly qualified for near O'Hare, and I sent a recruiter my resume after he approached me regarding a job that preferred a masters degree (don't have), and pays 50% more than my last job (so...pipe dream). I already suggested I'm not what they are looking for but hey, if he has something more appropriate, we can talk.

Unsolicited advice - feel free to tell me to piss off, or ignore: KILL this immediately from your LinkedIn page: "30 years experience in the IT industry"

I know that's what makes you valuable, and it seems ironic to want to hide it, but from what you've posted you are getting nixed before you get interviews...that's probably why. Even if it's not why, it reduces the chances of ageism working against you before they even consider you as a serious candidate.

Also, have you considered a different picture? I'm personally ambivalent about fishing, but what if some recruiter is a card-carrying PETA member? You've probably eliminated yourself for admittedly silly reasons (but humans are silly).

Finally, apparently best practices (for jobseekers on LI) is to NOT show that "OPENTOWORK" sign on your picture to everyone. Change it to be visible to recruiters only (can't remember the reason why right now, but I read that in more than one place and it seemed like sound advice).

Well intentioned, non-snarky advice, please take it as submitted. I know this is a sensitive area (for anyone, not just you of course).

[Jeff V]

Thanks for your feedback. The picture has gotten nothing but positive responses in the years it's been there (and it's not like I'm posing with an endangered species killed on a jungle safari, it's a picture with a brown trout on Lake Michigan). A current picture would trigger "ageism" more than the "30 years in IT." About that, I had attended a webinar that suggested ways to avoid saying I'm old AF, but when I put them in practice, I got too much negative response for doing so. Still, it's easy enough to remove, so I'll give that a try (and also see about adjusting that frame setting). Most of the disappointments follow a meeting; in person or video conference. My wife wants me to dye my hair, but I'm not so vain, and creating a false image I'd have to continue living up to is probably not a good long-term strategy. That, and apparently Just For Men is no longer on store shelves anywhere near me...the only men's dye was a lovely shade of purple found at Walmart. Hepcat has already offered his team of six dozen highly trained haircare artisans (so long as I use no more than 3 a time so as not to take away from his needs), but they simply told me they "aren't miracle workers; you can't polish a turd."

I'm not bad at interviewing (MHS helped fix that years ago). I know when I've had a good interview, and when there's a disconnect suggesting I'm not the person they are looking for. The disappointment comes when I have a good interview, it's clear that my abilities and experience are exactly what they need, but nothing comes of it. Fighting ageism seems more like tilting at windmills anyway -- there is little chance an offer would be tendered and accepted without the company knowing they were bringing on Methuselah incarnate. Trying to obfuscate this fact seems to only encourage wasting my time if they have no intention of hiring an older worker in the first place.

I probably need to find some sort of piecework I could do (editing, data entry, etc.) that can be done as much or as little I like, whenever I have the time and inclination to do it. Understanding such things wouldn't pay very well, it's better than nothing, allows me to continue being Mr. Mom, and my wife to work her jobs unconcerned with family matters. It could save me from an early retirement, and give me something productive to do when my wife decides to move us to the Philippines.

[stessier]

I probably need to find some sort of piecework I could do (editing, data entry, etc.) that can be done as much or as little I like, whenever I have the time and inclination to do it. Understanding such things wouldn't pay very well, it's better than nothing, allows me to continue being Mr. Mom, and my wife to work her jobs unconcerned with family matters. It could save me from an early retirement, and give me something productive to do when my wife decides to move us to the Philippines.

Are you familiar with Upwork? A friend started a business by doing the piecework offered there and then growing it as he made contacts. Not saying you need to start a business, just that the work offers are legitimate and can be done at a pace you find manageable.

[Carpet_pissr]

Semi-related to this: during the interview process for my upcoming job (hopefully, if I ever start!), the lady who will be my boss told me on two different occasions (two different interviews) that she had agreed to come work for the owner for 10 years, and no more (she just started with this company about 2 months ago). I think she forgot she mentioned it to me the first time we talked, because she said it again, with quite a bit of emphasis (as if she were trying to convince me for some reason).

She is probably...a few years older than me...maybe early to mid 50's? So not sure what the point of driving that home (to me) was. OK, OK, so you're adamant about retiring at 65! I get it! Yeesh. That's not some insane idea.

I think it may have been in...empathy to my stance of "I don't really want to do 30% travel outside sales anymore at this point in my life..." Maybe she was in some way recognizing that we are both oldish (as opposed to apologizing for it I guess).

[Jeff V]

Are you familiar with Upwork? A friend started a business by doing the piecework offered there and then growing it as he made contacts. Not saying you need to start a business, just that the work offers are legitimate and can be done at a pace you find manageable.

Tried it, it hasn't amounted to anything. I'm sure there's some secret to make it happen, I just haven't figured it out.

[Kasey Chang]

...The location, beyond saying "Chicago" is not specified, and could be as much as a 3 hour commute depending on where it actually is...

Same idea with recruiters in the SF Bay Area. They seem to treat anywhere between SF to San Jose as one city, even though with a car it could be up to 1.5 hours away each way.

[Kasey Chang]

Another rejection. It's pretty clear I don't have what it takes to get tech support jobs without the usual A+/N+/S+ certs, despite 10+ years in the industry. Well, I did get some prep material earlier so guess I'll go work on those while putting food on the table as a Chinatown tour guide.

[Archinerd]

I asked if it was 100% remote or in-office. I got the "remote until covid is over" response...meaning what? The country seems to be declaring it over now.

I've been very busy drawing offices for the last few months, so the big corporations are planning to have somebody work in their offices.
That said, they are all for less people than they used to be for (some very much less), and all are very open with lots of couches and stools. There are lots of conference rooms too, all equipped with monitors and cameras for video conferencing.

These spaces look awful if you want to actually get any work done, but if you plan to work collaboratively sit in meetings and have break out sessions shoot the shit then they are ideal.

[coopasonic]

These spaces look awful if you want to actually get any work done, but if you plan to work collaboratively sit in meetings and have break out sessions shoot the shit then they are ideal.

A group of us "tech leads" drive into the office every Wednesday morning to work collaboratively and then at noon we all drive back home. It really is more effective than trying to do the same thing over zoom. It is reserved for very special interactions because nobody is interested in being in the office more often.

[Jeff V]

...The location, beyond saying "Chicago" is not specified, and could be as much as a 3 hour commute depending on where it actually is...

Same idea with recruiters in the SF Bay Area. They seem to treat anywhere between SF to San Jose as one city, even though with a car it could be up to 1.5 hours away each way.

About 5 years ago I had to pick up a visiting colleague near my main office then go our downtown corporate HQ. Whenever I'd go downtown myself, it would be almost 2 hours -- 30 minutes to the train station, 60 minute train ride, then 30 minutes walk to the office. Even though my suburban office was right off the expressway that goes from where I live to downtown, driving took 3 hours each way (the stop off to fetch him was a detour on the order of minutes). And that's to go downtown -- there are parts of the city that are even worse to get to, and anywhere on the northshore pretty much qualifies as "can't get there from here."

I can't just eat that expense -- both material (gas) or time. If the work day occupies 50% more hours because of excessive commute, I'd expect commensurate compensation as outsourcing parental responsibility is a very expensive proposition. This is why I just can't take any mouth-breather job unless it's 100% remote, preferably with 100% flexibility in work hours. Last year around this time I was interviewing for a job that was about 1 hour drive (probably reliable commute since it was SW of me, not toward the city) but paid 20% less than I was making before. Nothing ever came of it, but it would have been a real challenge to make that work.

[dbt1949]

When I lived in California it was fairly typical to have a one hour drive to work. This one place I worked had moved from downtown LA to the suburbs, about and hour away. Most of the low paid workers kept their jobs and shared rides. It was typical to have 4-5 people in a car.

[Jeff V]

When I lived in California it was fairly typical to have a one hour drive to work. This one place I worked had moved from downtown LA to the suburbs, about and hour away. Most of the low paid workers kept their jobs and shared rides. It was typical to have 4-5 people in a car.

One hour drive is acceptable. Three hour commute each way is not. It's pretty remarkable how small the one-hour radius is...my last job was in St Charles, IL -- I live west of there, and it was nearly an hour commute. St Charles is more than an hour from downtown Chicago.

[Eel Snave]

Mannnn, it sucks having employees sometimes.

Like, I'm a new manager at a bank. One of the tellers wanted my gig. I had a conversation with them and they insisted that they didn't want it, but I knew better. I have almost ten years in banking, and my five tellers COMBINED have about 2 and a half. Two of my bankers have COMBINED a year of experience. So, you'd think that they'd understand that I know what I'm talking about, right?

I've tried to be really, really nice. I'm not an asshole. I trust people to do their jobs. I trust people to stay motivated on their own. I do this because I personally hate having someone breathe down my neck. But none of them want to do the work! They complained when I pointed out that tellers don't typically get to sit at chairs. They complain when I try and get them to have extra conversations with customers. It's ridiculous.

Not to mention that MY manager went on maternity leave a few weeks ago, so I'm out here exposed. I'm trying to figure out how to get these people to do their goddamn jobs, but they simply don't respect me at all. Like, I'll have team meetings and no one looks at me. It's insanity.

Edit: Oh and get this! So I talked to the market president about my frustrations, and he told me that someone told HIM that I left one day when I had a headache before a day off. I looked through my records, and it never happened. They're out-and-out lying about me, and it's CRAZY.

[dbt1949]

I didn't know men still worked at banks. I've been with my bank for 34 years with four different branches and never have seen a man there who wasn't a customer.

[hepcat]

They're also nurses sometimes.

[stessier]

And airline stewards.

[Drazzil]

Mannnn, it sucks having employees sometimes.

Like, I'm a new manager at a bank. One of the tellers wanted my gig. I had a conversation with them and they insisted that they didn't want it, but I knew better. I have almost ten years in banking, and my five tellers COMBINED have about 2 and a half. Two of my bankers have COMBINED a year of experience. So, you'd think that they'd understand that I know what I'm talking about, right?

I've tried to be really, really nice. I'm not an asshole. I trust people to do their jobs. I trust people to stay motivated on their own. I do this because I personally hate having someone breathe down my neck. But none of them want to do the work! They complained when I pointed out that tellers don't typically get to sit at chairs. They complain when I try and get them to have extra conversations with customers. It's ridiculous.

Not to mention that MY manager went on maternity leave a few weeks ago, so I'm out here exposed. I'm trying to figure out how to get these people to do their goddamn jobs, but they simply don't respect me at all. Like, I'll have team meetings and no one looks at me. It's insanity.

Edit: Oh and get this! So I talked to the market president about my frustrations, and he told me that someone told HIM that I left one day when I had a headache before a day off. I looked through my records, and it never happened. They're out-and-out lying about me, and it's CRAZY.

Start documenting these incidents stat. I'd also start a case on firing one or two of the worst people.

[RMC]

Mannnn, it sucks having employees sometimes.

Like, I'm a new manager at a bank. One of the tellers wanted my gig. I had a conversation with them and they insisted that they didn't want it, but I knew better. I have almost ten years in banking, and my five tellers COMBINED have about 2 and a half. Two of my bankers have COMBINED a year of experience. So, you'd think that they'd understand that I know what I'm talking about, right?

I've tried to be really, really nice. I'm not an asshole. I trust people to do their jobs. I trust people to stay motivated on their own. I do this because I personally hate having someone breathe down my neck. But none of them want to do the work! They complained when I pointed out that tellers don't typically get to sit at chairs. They complain when I try and get them to have extra conversations with customers. It's ridiculous.

Not to mention that MY manager went on maternity leave a few weeks ago, so I'm out here exposed. I'm trying to figure out how to get these people to do their goddamn jobs, but they simply don't respect me at all. Like, I'll have team meetings and no one looks at me. It's insanity.

Edit: Oh and get this! So I talked to the market president about my frustrations, and he told me that someone told HIM that I left one day when I had a headache before a day off. I looked through my records, and it never happened. They're out-and-out lying about me, and it's CRAZY.

Everything but the Lying sounds about normal for these types of roles. I am guessing at least some of those tellers are part timers, and could care less about some of the things the bank wants them to do. I was a teller a long time ago, when I was in college(and as the only man, I was often told it was great that I would work the line and show my staff how it was done.) Used to piss off my manager when the little old lady with 2 million in the bank said that, because no one argues with the women with the money. I would politely tell her, I was just part time working here while going to college, and that I was ex-military, so it was a great way to work and cover expenses while going to college. She would nod and say some BS about me not wanting to "blow my cover"...ummm yeah, right I was trying to remain on my covert mission that all the employees knew... Sigh, whatever. She would wait for me to be open and come talk to me for like 15-20 minuites everytime she came in. Man, I liked my manager, but she was very pissy with me everytime that little old lady did that. heh.. good times.

[LordMortis]

Retirement dinner starts shortly. I turn the majority of my stuff and credentials in tomorrow and then I begin contract work. Details of contracting compensation have yet to be established but they're covering my COBRA while we work it out and presumably for the duration of my contracting. I still have a few documents I promised that I'll finish off the clock, as I've been doing almost no measurables work this month They're already a mess and there's just no will here.... But I have been making the effort to eat right and get 30 to 60 minutes of walking in every day. And now the yardwork will begin as well.

It's very strange to be on the precipice of not working and the closer I get the less will I have to do anything that isn't personal. There is just no work for someone else in my tank at all.

[Kasey Chang]

I decided I'm competing in the wrong arena... I should be competing in something I have a natural advantage in... I speak 3.5 languages.

I've applied to be remote intake specialist (Chinese) for a law firm, as well as remote translator for another opportunity or two, supposedly to double-check for instances of Chinglish and edit them out of existence. We shall see.

Oh, another rejection from a tech job. Expected it, as it's for normal tech support job. As I said, I think I'm competing in the wrong arena.

[dbt1949]

I had a friend who moved to San Fransisco to work for a architect. It just so happened she knew Japanese from a previous job. She found herself quite valuable at the time.

[Smoove_B]

Yes. I'd think your skills would also be potentially valuable for insurance companies and in the medical field as well. If I'd known you 25 years ago, you could have solved a problem we were having with food safety education posters that needed to be translated into Chinese.

[RMC]

I decided I'm competing in the wrong arena... I should be competing in something I have a natural advantage in... I speak 3.5 languages.

I've applied to be remote intake specialist (Chinese) for a law firm, as well as remote translator for another opportunity or two, supposedly to double-check for instances of Chinglish and edit them out of existence. We shall see.

Oh, another rejection from a tech job. Expected it, as it's for normal tech support job. As I said, I think I'm competing in the wrong arena.

We use a translation company at the hospital system I work at. It's called Martii.. You might find employment there..
https://www.martti.us/

I have zero pull, but it's a good company that works very well for us.

[Kasey Chang]

We use a translation company at the hospital system I work at. It's called Martii.. You might find employment there..
https://www.martti.us/

Actually, I looked into that. You need to take a 40 hour course AND get certified in the language. THEN you can take on these medical translation jobs. It's not quite as simple as "trust me, I do speak the language".

I can also get a general certificate once I completed my "local" certificate so my credentials are accepted nation-wide. For that, I need to take a written test AND an oral test to be even considered for a CMT badge. Cantonese and Mandarin are tested separately and have separate fees.

Cheapest way would be to take a certificate course at my local community college, except it's too late for Spring, no such class in summer, so I'll pretty much wait until fall. Then I read that this is a 2-semester certificate. Hmmm... Okay? I can probably take a prerequisite in the summer. But this is a backup plan, not the main goal.

However, I have a feeling that if I got a certificate for interpreting in Cantonese, I don't need to TEST my Cantonese, so it'd end up saving me money for that. Maybe, maybe not. We shall see.

EDIT2: Online courses range from 40-hours for $390 to 60-hours for $700 or even 120 hours for $1000... I'll see if I can do my tour guide thing for a couple months and do the medical translation as a backup career.

[Carpet_pissr]

I’m sure you’re aware of this, but being fluent, being able to translate, and being able to interpret are three very very different things with different skill sets.

An argument could be made that being fluent and simple written translation go hand in hand (unless you’re talking about technical translation).

In my foolish younger years, I took a contract job from an ad agency to translate a technical manufacturing pamphlet (in a non-native language that I was fluent in).

Huge disaster. I had to hit up a previous college professor to help me finish that damn thing. He just shook his head when he saw it, as if to say, ‘you stupid, stupid boy’.

[LordMortis]

I’m sure you’re aware of this, but being fluent, being able to translate, and being able to interpret are three very very different things with different skill sets.

An argument could be made that being fluent and simple written translation go hand in hand (unless you’re talking about technical translation).

In my foolish younger years, I took a contract job from an ad agency to translate a technical manufacturing pamphlet (in a non-native language that I was fluent in).

Huge disaster. I had to hit up a previous college professor to help me finish that damn thing. He just shook his head when he saw it, as if to say, ‘you stupid, stupid boy’.

To do technical translations from Spanish to English, I had to work with a Spanish teacher. She had no idea about the technical side and even if I were "fluent" in Spanish (I am not) so much is idiomatic and just different that I'd never quite get the nuance needed. I'd be worse than Google Translate, which is almost passable. Very well English spoken speakers with technical backgrounds better than mine in Mexico still missed the mark. Google translate is about 75-85% of us combined with less than 5% of the effort.

That said, being able to move back and forth between languages well and without effort is a huge asset in many environments. I'd think Chinese (Cantonese), especially on the west coast, would be a feather in your cap to set you aside from a large enough populace, that it would be in my resume if I could do it.

[Kasey Chang]

I’m sure you’re aware of this, but being fluent, being able to translate, and being able to interpret are three very very different things with different skill sets.

Oh, I've done both formal and informal translation and interpretations. I've translated a couple visual novels from Chinese to English as well.

[Zenn7]

LordMortis, you survived the retirement dinner!

[Max Peck]

Retirement dinner starts shortly. I turn the majority of my stuff and credentials in tomorrow and then I begin contract work.

Congrats!

Fun fact: 29 April was the 8th anniversary of my official transition to professional slacking.

[LordMortis]

LordMortis, you survived the retirement dinner!

So far. Ask again in two weeks.

Fun fact: 29 April was the 8th anniversary of my official transition to professional slacking.

Nice.

We go over my consulting possibilities/probability tomorrow. I have some loose end to tie up (which I'll to off the clock. I owe them that much) and then some training and then probably some application migration stuff later. Compensation should be discussed tomorrow.


I'm feeling more relaxed already. I'm also quickly easing in to cleaning up around the house. Yardwork and fixing stuff TBD.

[Carpet_pissr]

I’m sure you’re aware of this, but being fluent, being able to translate, and being able to interpret are three very very different things with different skill sets.

Oh, I've done both formal and informal translation and interpretations. I've translated a couple visual novels from Chinese to English as well.

Then I respectfully shut my pie hole!

Proceed, good sir, proceed.

[Kasey Chang]

I noticed that ACX, which is the narrator / author employment portal of Audible, is always hiring narrators. And narrators are paid hundreds of dollars per finished hour of narration.

HOWEVER, I can't do it, because I don't have a place quiet enough to do it.

Normally I would, but now I have a flat mate, who uses his phone 12/7 to watch Chinese TV, and I can't convince him to use a headphone. Normally I use a headphone and nobody gives a F***. And he used to be downstairs which never bothered me. But since we rented out downstairs to be restarted as a mahjong parlor, he moved upstairs into my old room with no windows, while I moved back to my ORIGINAL room with a window. Now I have to listen to his TV playing 12/7... And there's no room to setup a quiet place in my room, which is cramped as is. ARGH.

[LordMortis]

Not sure if I belong here any more but my COBRA still hasn't kicked in and I have prescriptions to fill this week and two appointments next week, so today is call to HR. At least last week was a vacation. I still have a few documents to complete (which I won't be further paid for) and training to do which I need to discuss payment for, so I'm not quite out yet. Today, I'ma try to get some of that work done and get that monkey off my back.

[Carpet_pissr]

Not sure if I belong here any more but my COBRA still hasn't kicked in and I have prescriptions to fill this week and two appointments next week, so today is call to HR. At least last week was a vacation. I still have a few documents to complete (which I won't be further paid for) and training to do which I need to discuss payment for, so I'm not quite out yet. Today, I'ma try to get some of that work done and get that monkey off my back.

How is your decompression level at this point? Feeling more relaxed?

[LordMortis]

Not sure if I belong here any more but my COBRA still hasn't kicked in and I have prescriptions to fill this week and two appointments next week, so today is call to HR. At least last week was a vacation. I still have a few documents to complete (which I won't be further paid for) and training to do which I need to discuss payment for, so I'm not quite out yet. Today, I'ma try to get some of that work done and get that monkey off my back.

How is your decompression level at this point? Feeling more relaxed?

Yes? Last week was like a vacation. The first real one I've had in years. Nothing nagging at me. No calls or texts and no emails to monitor or hear dinging with a workload piling up because I'm not working. It was awesome but I still have more work to do and I'm a bit stressed about the transition to COBRA. The insurance reseller still hasn't sent me paperwork. Hopefully this week I take care of the last of my pendings (three lousy little monkeys I need to get off my back) and then my training stuff. I don't think decompression will really kick in until that's all done but last week felt good.

The stock market gives me anxiety. The future of the ACA and how things will work when work no longer is paying for my impending COBRA coverage gives me anxiety but I know I'm good for now and that's the best I can hope for.

[LordMortis]

COBRA secured at least until October, or so I'm told. After that I can pay for it for another 12 months as long as pandemic rules apply. It will be about $600 a month with another $6000 or so in copay/coinsure/ded. Crazy but budgeted for as literally 50% of my monthly living expenses.

[stimpy]

COBRA secured at least until October, or so I'm told. After that I can pay for it for another 12 months as long as pandemic rules apply. It will be about $600 a month with another $6000 or so in copay/coinsure/ded. Crazy but budgeted for as literally 50% of my monthly living expenses.

God bless America!!

[malchior]

COBRA secured at least until October, or so I'm told. After that I can pay for it for another 12 months as long as pandemic rules apply. It will be about $600 a month with another $6000 or so in copay/coinsure/ded. Crazy but budgeted for as literally 50% of my monthly living expenses.

FWIW this is why a lot of retirees take part-time jobs that partially or fully cover HC costs. Might be something to think about if you get bored.