Day 76 - First Day of Work at New Job

I am now off Unemployment and back to Work

LAST POST

Well, this is my last post for this blog since I am no longer 'Jobless in Hagerstown'. I have orientation for the next couple days so I can get an understanding of the company and policies. After that, I will be reporting to my job site and start orientation there with my co-workers.

I can't say this has been a fun ride being unemployed and would not wish this on anyone. My wife is still unemployed and will hopefully find a great job like me soon. I hope that this 'recession' clears up freaking soon and everyone is back to work.

How do I stop my Maryland Unemployment benefits?

Here is the simple answer that I found and verified with them as well:

When you return to work, file for credit for the remaining few days you didn't work (if any) and report wages earned for the week. Then, just stop filing - when you stop weekly filing, your unemployment benefits automatically end.

This is now the end of my blogging on this subject :P~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Peace Out my Friends and Thanks for the Support - all 2 of you - LOL.

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 74-75: Last Unemployed Weekend

WOW - I actually start working again on Monday - what a rush!

BACK TO WORK YOU SLOUCH

Here is the final weekend that I will be unemployed. I am also hoping it will be my last one as well. Unemployment sucks and is life draining for those that actually give a damn about working. Now the weekend will actually feel like a weekend and not another day of the week.


I am glad to finish this part of my life so I can start a new one. This job seems like one that I hope will be a long one. The people that I met so far are very friendly and seem genuinely happy to have me on board.

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 73 - Another Class and Training

Had my Friday Class for Security+ and need to take some Training for my New Job

CLASSES AND TRAINING

Took my Lesson 4 class for my Security+ Prep Class. I am not sure if I am retaining it or just refreshing the book I read. So far, I have been able to ace the quizzes as long as I don't second guess myself. The damn crossword puzzles however are a bitch, but it does make you think.

I have my future Supervisor contact me and ask if I took the Security Training for my position. I hadn't yet as the HR directive was to not do that until Monday. He asked if I could get that done as they wanted to insure I had it done as it was needed before other things could be initiated. I will do this tomorrow as I have pending things to do tonight. Don't want to upset the boss before I even start working :P

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 72 - Physical for Work

This is the first time I needed to take a physical for a job.

BEND OVER AND COUGH

Well, they actually didn't say that, but it is a funny introduction :D

I had to go down to Frederick for my Physical for my new position. Since this is a place with labs, they want to make sure I have a clean bill of health - I guess.

They took my info which had some odd questions about my exposure to hazardous chemicals. I had to do an eye exam, took blood and urine, then had a quick physical. Since I was not working in the labs, I didn't have to go through the whole screening processes. I will be having a followup visit next week to review my blood work and get a Tetanus shot. Not really going to be fun as no one likes shots, but I am happy I don't have to get the others.

Have you had to take a physical for a position you were hired for?

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 71 - Classes and Testing

Had my 3rd class and my Wife passes her TABE exam

CLASSES AND TESTING

I had my 3rd online class today and it was okay. The instructor uses crossword puzzles for some of the assignments. I hate these as you never know what he is thinking. One of the crossword statement was "The 128-bit flavor". Since we are learning about Network Protocols, the answer should have been 'IPv6', but it only had 3 blocks - WTF!!!!!

As it turns out the thing he was looking for was just the number, so 'SIX' was the answer. You can see my issue with this. He also uses spaces in 2 word phrases which was something I learned in the 1st class. For another dozy, I had a statement noting 'It's still the one' and it is not about the famous song either. As it turns out, that answer was 'TCP/IP' - OMFG - this was the answer.

On a side note, my wife passed her TABE testing. She was happy that all but one of the 4 tests she got a 12.9 on. In the fundamental Math, she got a 11.7. She also had to take the Language test which I didn't have to take for some reason.

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 70 - Weekly Schedule and Family

Need to finish up this week and then be productive to society again.

FAMILY TIME AND THIS WEEKS SCHEDULE

I had to see my Dad today as we need to review what will stay and what will go. He needs to down-size and get a smaller place. I need to coordinate with my siblings what they want before the auction house sells it. We have several months to do this, but we need to start now. I will be going over later this week and check out all his old computers. There are three (so old they have CRT's and a software box of MS-DOS 6.0). I am hoping to clean all these up and set them up to be sold.

He has several floppy's that need to be reviewed and I hope these units have at least one USB port or I am screwed. My other option is a crossover cable to a laptop to transfer the files.

Here is how the rest of my week will be:

Wednesday - Class and Studies
Thursday - Physical for new Job - trip to Frederick
Friday - Class and Studies

T-Minus 6 days and counting

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 69 - Pile of Paperwork

Got my paperwork in for my new job.  

LAZINESS OF FEDERAL EXPRESS DELIVERY PEOPLE

I got my hire package in the mail. I would of had this sooner if the FedEx person not done a 'Ding and Ditch'. It was FUCKING STUPID as the FedEx person literally rang the doorbell and left. When my son went to look, he didn't see anyone. Since he thought it was his friends messing around, so we never opened the door. It wasn't until my wife came home from her TABE test (2.5 hours later) that she said a package was left in front of our door.

After reviewing all the paperwork, I have to take a Drug Test and a Physical for this position too. The Drug Test was done by the time I am writing this, but my physical is scheduled for Thursday. Never had to take a physical for this position and hope there will be no issues. All my other paperwork is completed for when I go for my orientation on Monday.

Still have my classes to do this week and other things to prep for my return to the Working World.

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 67 - 68: Weekend Of Quiet

Almost at an end.

ONLY ONE MORE WEEKEND TO GO

It was an uneventful weekend minus a small road trip. We went to Chambersburg, PA to check out a Big Lots store on Saturday. We need one more sheer drape for our window and the one in Hagerstown doesn't have the right size.

Though they didn't have it, the trip wasn't wasted. It turned out that they were have their "The Arts at Old Market" event. They had closed down the streets and you could check out all the stores and vendors. It was something nice to do after driving a long way. I picked up an old soda crate for my son. I will use this as a wall hanging so he can put toys in them.

I am hoping that tomorrow will bring my packet of information for this new job. I will just need to do a pee test I think which will be no problem for me :^)

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 66 - Time for Class

Today is my second day for my online class.

SCHOOL vs HOME STUDYING

I am more better suited for a classroom environment. I did read my book and take the chapter quizzes, but it is just not the same. To me, you don't have the same drive as when you are in a class with others (if even online only).

You seem to get more competitive and insure you are actually grasping the stuff. For these first 2 classes this week, I actually went to the quiz and assignment sections to test my knowledge. I felt this would be better to see if I had retained anything that I had learned while reading the cram book.

I am enjoying this so far and am glad I am taking this class - thank you Western Maryland Consortium for paying for this :D

Oh, and I got my ear pierced in the conch area ~ you will need to look it up as it is too hard to explain.

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 65 - There is a Rainbow at the End

I got a JOB OFFER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

CLASSES STARTED AND A JOB

I fucking knew this would happen, but I had no way of preventing it.  I did my first online class yesterday which is when it started. I am really hoping these extra classes for prepping for the Security+ test will pay off. My next class is tomorrow and is taking about an hour. I will also be re-reading my Cram Book all over again.

I also got a call today for the company I interviewed with in Frederick. They have offered me the position and will be sending paperwork for me to review and sign. The best part about this is the pay is right where I want to be at and much more than the other places I had interviewed for. I am so happy that I am jumping out of my skin. The position doesn't start until 07/30, so I will continue to update until then.

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 64 - Classes Start

Went to Hagerstown Community College to get setup for my online class.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Today I was able to start taking my classes online for one of the Security+ Preps.It was a short intro to Security+ and what is expected. We then started reviewing Network setups and terminology. I will also be re-reading my Cram book along with these classes. I hope between these 2, the testing will be a breeze.

There is a short quiz and an assignment at the end. The assignment is actually a crossword puzzle on the terminology. It is a bit hard as the description for some of these are really short. I will need to refer back to the lesson to get some of these.

It is strange as my wife is going to the same counselor, but he is asking for much more documentation than I was. I will need to go over to my Dad's and dig through our boxes to see if I can find some of the stuff. I think this will be tomorrow as it is a bit late to do that now.

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 63 - Kind of Quiet

Not much today which is kind of odd - except I forgot to pay my cell phone bill :P

TODAY QUIET - TOMORROW BUSY

I guess this is the calm before the storm. Tomorrow I have 2 meetings to gt my online classes setup. It will all be last minute stuff as my class actually starts tomorrow. Yep, classes start tomorrow and I haven't even paid for them. Their will be two classes a week for several weeks in this first prep class. They will be Wednesday and Friday with quizzes at the end of each.

OMFG - back to school - what a drag :D

I am still hoping that everything works out and I get that job in Frederick. I am still keeping my fingers crossed as this may be 'the one'.

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 62 - Two Months and Still Looking

Hit just over 2 months and we still haven''t get hired with all our experiences :(

COLLEGE CLASSES

I was able to call my contact at Hagerstown Community College (HCC). They provided me with a date and time to meet this week. I was instructed to go ahead and sign up for my online class. I haven't paid for it yet as this will be handled by Western Maryland Consortium. It is funny as my 1st online class is the same day that I meet with the lady at HCC. Hopefully this doesn't put a damper on my class starting.

Hopefully these next several weeks of classes will help me along to get my Security+ Cert.

I did manage to also post for 3 more jobs today. If I follow my Unemployment Requirements, I have already done my due diligence. LOL - seriously, I only need to apply to 2 jobs a week. Kind of sad as you can easily do that in a couple hours.

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 60 - 61: Another Weekend

I did get a call from an old Co-Worker that said he was contacted as a reference for me. This is a good sign that someone is interested :D

WEEKEND WITH FAMILY

It is funny how I am not on the computer much on the weekend. It seems that I have always did this even when I was working. For some reason, I just don't want to boot up my system (I am actually writing this on my wife's computer).

We did manage to get out of the house and go visit the C & O Canal today in Williamsport, MD. We were hoping for a boat tour (which is free), but they were booked for the day. We did walk a bit before the heat got too much for us.

I will be calling Hagerstown Community College tomorrow. I need to setup a time to meet with a young lady who will book my classes. Once I get enrolled and she signs my 'contract', I have to deliver it back to my Counselor. He will then review and show me how to fill out the attendance forms that need to be reported back.

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 59 - Mixed Bag of Stuff

We have good new, bad news and exciting news

A VERY BUSY DAY

The good news is that I am going to get funding for taking my Security+ Certification. The not only agreed with my 2 prep classes, but also for the cram class and testing. That is a big savings for me, but now I need to get my butt in gear for all this. I still need to meet with the college to get my 'contract' signed as my class will start on 07/18.

The bad news was that I got another rejection email. I am not too surprised by this, but sad that they wouldn't even consider me. It was for a job as a Production Supervisor (something I did 15 years ago) and I know it would be a easy job for me. I guess I 'flunked' their damn per-assessment test.

The exciting news is that they called one of my references for the job I interviewed for yesterday. I got a call from my old supervisor letting me know. He had talked me up as I expected he would, but only because it was all true. I am sure they contacted my other job contacts, but not certain what would of been said about me. As I know I did a good job and had no issues, I am certain it will be fine.

Not bad for it being "Friday the 13th"!

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 58 - An Interview like no other

Had another promising job interview

JOB INTERVIEW TO THE 10TH POWER 

I had an interview for a Helpdesk Position in Frederick. It was an interview style that I never had before and quite involved. I had to stop at one location in Fort Detrick to meet with the HR person. They reviewed my application and provided me with the benefits that the company provided. After everything was reviewed, I was directed to the offsite location where I would be working.

After a quick trip, I was able to find the location. It was a bit odd at first getting in, but everything after that was fine. What I thought was going to be a single interview, ended up being anything but. It turns out I had an interview with someone every 1/2 hour from 10am to 12pm. That's right, 5 different people ranging from the person overseeing the project to my peer. WOW - it was intense for me to go through that as each person had a different interview style and battery of questions.

I did make it through without to many scars and REALLY HOPE this is my next job.

I do have a meeting tomorrow with my counselor at the Western Maryland Consortium. They have approved my training for my Security+ certification. At least that part if moving forward and either way, I will be working on this.

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 57 - College Phone Calls

Had to pick some colleges when filling out my Pell Grant - now the nagging begins.

STUPID COLLEGE CALLS

When I was filling out for my Pell Grant, I had to pick some colleges in my area. I ended up picking three of them just so I could get this done. During this whole process, the site was setup like I was a young kid still living at home with my parents. I know this may be normal most of the time, but they really need to update the verbiage. At the end of the process, they noted that this information would be sent to the 3 colleges' financial aid departments. SHIT - I don't need them calling me about this as it was just something required. It did note I could get a Student Loan up to $20K, but we know that means it will take FOREVER to pay back.

Well, one of them has already called me. I kindly told them that I wasn't interested as I just had to fill in some colleges to see if I could get a Grant. It was funny as they were shocked by my response and I kindly told them I wasn't really interested in their school.

They did understand and said if I changed my mind to let them know. LOL - no way I would go to this college as the costs are WAY HIGH for any degree. Like all the private colleges, I am just a dollar figure for them.

Tomorrow I have a 2 part interview in Frederick. Lets hope this is fruitful and it lands me a job :D

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 56 - Counselor and More Job Hunting

Got my results back on my TABE testing - 12.9 Grade average (highest possible) XD

COUNSELOR REVIEW

Went to my counselor at Western Maryland Consortium today to review my test scores. As you can note above, I hit the best possible score. As I thought, it was similar to my College Pre-Testing I took back in the late 90's. I am trying to get funding for some prep classes for my Security+ certification. All the ones that I found locally are online classes and he is not sure I will be able to get the funds.


MORE JOB HUNTING

Applied to some more jobs today, though they are not what I am currently trying to get into. Most of the IT Support jobs I have already applied to. The others either need more experience, certifications or a damn Bachelors degree. They are for retail Supervisory jobs which was something I did in the early years of my work history. I am sure they will think I am freaking 'over-qualified' for the damn positions though.

I need to try though as I am getting tired of this unemployment :^P

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 55 - TABE Testing and Fingerprints

Studying for a test can be so stressful.

TABE TEST

The guy who talked to me, must of been confused. The testing was at the same location and not across the street. Easily fixed issue and to the test room I went. Lucky for me, it was only ME taking the test that day. Someone else was suppose to, but bailed.

My 4 hour test ended up being only 1.5 hours ~ YEA! There was only 3 tests, Reading Comprehension, Math and Math Comprehension. I asked abut the others tests (Language being one), but she said it was so easy, everybody passed. Because of this, they no longer administer it. I will find out my results tomorrow and hopefully it goes well.

FINGERPRINTING

I got my fingerprint sheets and went to my local police station. My wife had to do this a couple years ago and they were able to do this. Well, not so much now - WTF. It seems that they no longer do manual fingerprinting as everything is live scanned now. No longer do we need paper records as it is scanned directly into a computer.

I was give a number to call so I could setup an appointment. Since it could be done on the web, I figured this would be faster. No problem if I want to schedule an appointment, but I need to pay them $20.00 for the service. OMFG - you have got to be kidding me - another racket to suck money out of people. I wrote back to the company and asked if they wold be willing to front the $20.00. I have a feeling that they want me to drive to Reston, VA (3 hour round trip) and do it at their site.

Not sure I want to do this as the job is pending my certification. Sorry, I am not willing to drop money into a venture that can end with me not getting the job. I will put this part of the process on the back burner for now.

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 53 - 54: Weekend of Sleep

Not sure why, but I am really sleepy this weekend.

WEEKEND OF SLEEP AND PLANNING

I am trying to get some sleep as I am turning into an insomniac again. Can't get to sleep even though I am tired. Could it be the stress of not having a job and trying to get one?

I am still working on getting my data together for my security clearance. I still need my step-brother to respond and my ex-wife. Not sure if they will, but will try a followup email this week. I want to get this done and out of the way.

I also got my cards in for fingerprinting. I have to go to my local police station for them to administer this. I have to contact the lady who sent these as there are no instructions what so ever. Just 2 fingerprint cards and some info highlighted. Am I suppose to guess what I am to fill out?

This week is busy as I have a TABE test tomorrow. If you were not sure, TABE stand for "Test of Adult Basic Education". It is usually what is needed to get into College and to make sure your education levels are fine. I just need to pass with a 9th grade education, so this shouldn't be too bad - except it is 4 hours long.

I also have an interview on Thursday. I hope something comes of this as I am getting jadded by all these interviews and no jobs :P

All of this and the job market is stagnate at 8.2%, but only when you count it a certain way. I am sure it is in the double digits if they accurately report this.

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 52 - Forms and Testing

Trying to see if I can get money for school.

GRANTS AND FEDERAL MONEY FOR SCHOOL

I went down and met with someone from the Western Maryland Consortium. This is where I am hoping that I can get some federal money for school.

I am not sure if they can get me what I need, but I am going to try. I also have to fill out for a Pell Grant (FAFSA) as well. I am not sure how this will unfold, but I hope it will mean I don't have to pay for schooling. I will have to take a 4 hour test however so thay can make sure I can get the college courses. I just need to pass at a 9th grade level which should be easy. Part is Reading Comprehension and the other is Math. I asked for some of the math examples so I could refresh. When I showed them to my son (going to 6th grade), he said it was stuff he already knew - LOL.

I am not of course getting a damn Student Loan. This is a freaking trap by both private and government loans. I did this back in the 80's and it was the biggest mistake I ever made. If I can't get it for free, than there is no way I am getting one of these. I will have to make due with what I can and get my certifications on my own.

I did get another call for a new job interview which is on Thursday. This is an odd one as I meet with HR at one location and then need to drive to meet with the actual staff at another location. 

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 51 - Security Clearence Headaches

I hope all this digging gets utilized.

NAGGING FOR INFORMATION

It sucks as now I am at the point I need to nag people for info. I got most of everything I can remember/find for my information.

I now need to contact family and old colleagues for their help. Some of these people I generally don't talk with or  haven't touch base in a couple years. I have step siblings that I don't really talk with as I never was here to get to know them. Try sending an email to someone you hardly talk with asking for personal information they wouldn't give their closest friend - kind of nerve racking if you ask me.

The hardest part is that I need 3 'friends'. I don't have circles that I hang out with since moving back to Maryland. I don't have the same interests as others in my small rural city as I would with someone in a city. I am going to have to get with colleagues from work to help me out. I guess I am more of an introvert than I really would like to be.

All my emails have been sent and here is hoping for a response in the next week.

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 50 - Happy 4th of July

Another Holiday passes and still not working.

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY

Let me say that this is getting tedious and old not having a job. I would rather be working - well both me and my wife.

I am still working on the security clearance stuff and it looks like it will take a couple days to do. I have to contact people that I haven't really spoken to in a while. I also need to dig through old paperwork to get some of the information as well.

My Dad is hopefully getting out of the hospital today as well. If we can get time, I want to try to go somewhere to see the fireworks. I know my son will enjoy that, but our cats will be a little freaked.

The cartoon below really says it all :(

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 49 - Security Clearence

If you ever go for a Government job, be prepared for a HUGE background check.

BETTER KNOW EVERYTHING ABOUT YOU AND WHO YOU KNOW

It has been painfully obvious that I need to get to know more about myself. I have to complete an online form for a Secret Clearance for a new job. I never in my life had to research so much about me and anyone I was associated with.

I have to now contact old friends and family. It just makes my head swirl knowing everything I have to find out now. My son was upset because I couldn't play with him. He was not certain why I needed to fill this out at the Government should be able to find this stuff. It made me laugh as with all the technology we have, they are still asking us for this.

I guess it is a way to verify if we are being truthful or not.  Actually anyone with a couple bucks and internet access can get the same info on me no a days. Needless to say this will take me several days to complete. I need to contact or dig up information that has long been forgotten.

Jobless Cartoon of the Day

Day 48 - Email Interview

Ever had someone send an interview email for a job?  I did!

EMAIL INTERVIEW

I received an email that had 9 questions that they wanted me to answer for a position I applied to. This was a first for me as I usually have a phone interview.

I guess they wanted details that only I could give them that would be easier to review than over the phone. The questions however were poorly scripted as 3 of them said nearly the same thing. They wanted to know my experience with Applications, Hardware and Networking. I was able to provide examples for all of them, but why not setup the questions right.

The big thing with this though, was that I answered the questions noting what the questions were referencing. If they used the term 'password management', I used 'password management' in my answer. I also didn't talk about stuff that I didn't know. I am sure that they would love to use these answers against me. I am smarter than that as all the answers were factual and what I did know. I just hope my limited Network experience will not hold me back.

Oh btw, it is still freaking HOT in our apartment and no one has come over yet.

Jobless Cartoon of the Day