Companies Are Hiring. Just Not You

The rising anti-intellectualism in this country is having an effect on everyone.  I just read a Bloomberg Businessweek article that finished with these words:

The bottom line: With the jobless rate still above 9 percent, the untapped labor pool is deep. Yet some companies struggle to find qualified applicants.

And from what I am hearing, there are over a MILLION jobs out there.  The basic gist of the problem is that our workforce is too dumb to perform those jobs.  Instead Chinese and Indians will get them.  You see, this is an actual material effect of thinking that bronze age fables represent reality.  You can't really hold a job in a science and technology field successfully if you think the world is 6000 years old.  You are just too willing to discount too much evidence to be considered intellectually reliable.  Not only that, but there are probably serious gaps in the education you have.

And education is a key.  I am lucky, I have a great job, and I have excellent credentials and qualifications.  But then, I value education, and pursued it vigorously!  Many think that education really is key to restoring the American Dream.  And I agree.  But again, if people get educated, they may stop following bronze age fables, start to question what misplaced authority figures have told them, and start to question their "place".  And trust me, corporations and the rich want to keep you in your "place"!  The wealth disparity is good for them in the short term, and they want to keep it that way.  Sadly, they seem to have forgotten to study history.  If they looked at the 100% reliable pattern of what happens when things become as skewed as they are now, they should be concerned.  Well, either that, or they simply just don't care.  Makes you wonder why they hate the country that actually gave them such obscene wealth?

125 Job Applications in 3 days!

Okay, my retirement ceremony is in the bag, I took a small vacation ad did nothing but drink, watch TV, and go fishing (hanging out with my wife's dad, and of course joking around with my daughter). I am finally back though, and I am starting to freak out about employment. Even though I turned down the Civil Service job that was a 30% paycut, I may be facing a nearly 100% paycut soon if I can't find some gainful employment!

I have a nice solid lead with general Dynamics, but that is contingent on them getting a specific contract! So, until they know, I can't really just sit on my butt and do nothing. I also have some good contacts established with Booz Allen Hamilton, L3, and a few other companies, but nothing is really moving forward at this time. So, over the past couple of days, I have been over at "The Ladders" and submitting my resume like crazy! And my plan is to go back there every day to apply for jobs that I qualify on that have been posted just that day.

Still, this whole process has got me totally freaked out! I only wish it was as easy as a PCS. Then the only concern is moving. Speaking of which; man, I am going to take a beating on the house if we do have to relocate!

Quick Drive By Blogging

So, what are the chances that I would have a job if a company is flying me out for a face to face interview on a job that hasn't been filled since Nov 08? That is assuming that I don't blow the interview or anything like that (I am reminded of the Episode of Cheers where Norm goes for the interview at the brewery!). I am feeling good about this, but I don't want to be too confident, since I really do need to keep my focus.

I am still surprised and disappointed that the Eglin folks thought they could low ball me like this... I always felt that I was underutilized there, so it's probably a good thing that I am just getting away from this provincial and bureaucratic regime and out into the so called "real world". I am not so naive to thing that everything will be different, but it will be a change of pace, and I am looking forward to new challenges.

While looking for a job, and being about as busy as one human can be, I am also running that Facts, not Fantasy website. I am finding myself disappointed with the lack of news that is really relevant and interesting in the arena of evolution, autism, or vaccines. The H1N1 thing has pretty much googlespammed the net on anything to do with vaccines, the Age of Autism fucktards are prolific in their missinfomration campaign, and the creationist nuts are out in force as well. Sometimes I feel like I am fighting a losing battle with ignorance and idiocy. I suppose that geting into any debate with these mental midgets ends up with them dragging me down to their level (i.e. no discernible brain activity) and then behaving like innanimate matter in defiance of the mountains of evidence stacked against them... Hopefully I can get the word out more about that website. At least there I don't call them the fucking idiots that they are...

Okay, I'm off. See you all later.

Networking?

Is it really possible to do the type of networking that I have been told over and over again you need to do in order to land a job, and do it from overseas? While I do everything that I can using my Facebook page and my LinkedIn profile, I gotta say that I am even all the more upset with the Air Force for this deployment... The #1 message that they drill into you at the Transition Assistance Program is that you have to network, network, and network some more... Well, there is nothing that can substitute for meeting face to face and talking to a person.

With all the talk of "People are our number one resource." and "We take care of our people." does the AF insist on pulling douchebaggery like this? Of course, I have always thought that those sayings are just words to them that really have very little actual meaning. Sure, there are services set up for people, but in everything I have seen, if it's something that really means taking care of people, the AF is just going through the motions at best. In many cases, I see things that are meant to help people actually act as a detriment to their careers and security clearances. They SAY that these things have no effect on that, but then why does the preponderance of evidence show people suffering for taking advantage of these services.

So yet again, the message that gets driven home to me at least is that no one in the AF cares, nor will they even try to do what is right for you. The only person you can really rely on in the AF is yourself.

Now, I am not so bitter as to think this doesn't happen in the civilian sector. In ways, I am betting that the back stabbing and douchebaggery is probably much worse. It's just in the AF, the consequences can sometimes be much more lethal.

Okay, that felt better to get off my chest. I'm still not happy with the treatment I have received at the hand of bureaucratic pinheads, but I'll fight through it and make my way on myown, despite their best efforts, and in no way because of them.