Take this job hunting and shove it

Obviously job hunting sucks but the last couple of days have been over the top.

Tax Preparation

I signed up for a class on tax preparation for one of the major firms as described in an earlier post. However, when I contacted the lady with the discount, she had to guide me through the steps over the phone and her code did not work for the location I wanted. No problem, just pick another location where it does work and then she would switch me. The code finally worked at the 4th or 5th location.

Later I applied to the temp pool at UT, so the worst that could happened changed to my getting some very short-term temp job on the first day of class so that I have to cancel AND I don't have a real job. Not my favorite worst-case.

But then last Friday, I got a note from the instructor of the class I had signed up for showing that I still hadn't been switched. The class was about to start at the other location, so I e-mailed that instructor warning her that I wasn't actually coming. I got ahold of my contact and she said that the computer was having problems, but I could just show up to the class I wanted and we'd do the paperwork then. Today I got notification that I have been canceled out of the other class and gotten a refund. I'm still going to show up to the class I want next Monday (supposedly it still has two openings), but I suspect things are not going to work out after all.

Obnoxious Job Application

I picked out a job to apply to yesterday, did all the work, and then noticed that right before you turn in the application you have to answer a bunch of questions, like how many years of experience you have with specific job duties as is seen on your resume. Since some of those job duties had not been emphasized or even implied on the job description, I had to go and make major updates to my resume and cover letter, after which I felt I would need a fresh brain to proofread.

This morning I proofread and made my updates, but then when I went to submit it, I got the message that the job was closed. Again--I fell for this again! There was a melt-down, with yelling and jumping up and down and saying things like "I hate everyone." Poor Robin, he was home for lunch at the time.

Then I calmed down and checked--today was only the seventh day the job had been open. I know all jobs have to be open at least a week. So I refreshed the original page, and it said that the job had been deleted. They changed their mind. (Still, if I had applied yesterday, it would have counted toward my job-hunting activities I need for unemployment compensation.)

They may re-offer the job with some changes; if so it should be relatively easy to update my letter and resume again and resubmit it.

Obnoxious Job Offerings

Yesterday was even worse. After reading several job openings full of extremely boring job duties and lots of them and trying to talk myself into thinking that I actually want to do some of those jobs, my brain finally imploded. It stopped working, and I got what I called a mini-migraine. This means just a moderate headache plus the neckline of my shirt felt too tight plus I started shivering even though it was 79 degrees in the house by then. So I took ibuprofen (which worked) and got under lots of covers.

And then I thought about how much time I spend every day that I shouldn't do anything fun until I apply for a job, but then I never get around to applying for a job, so I'm wasting my time off. If I just give up on job hunting, then I could start having more fun--not just daily fun, but long-term fun. I could start taking Spanish next semester, for example.

It would be hard giving up these last two months of unemployment benefits, but it's sooo tempting.

One More Degree Audit Job

Meanwhile, I thought about my contact in one of the colleges who I saw at a retirement party. He was one who had acted interested in hiring me, but he never got back to me, and when my other contact told me he was not allowed to hire me, I assumed that was true for both colleges. So at the party I asked how he had gotten help (because I knew that he had, indeed, gotten another catalog ready). He told me he hadn't gotten any help. I told him I was still available. He said he was going to have to submit a proposal which required estimating how long he would need me. He didn't really have time for this. I told him no one knows how long it will take, just make a guess. Even a wrong guess would still lead to getting more help than putting off the task indefinitely. And I made a quick estimate and said to just tell them six months, half-time. He said his college is cheap and they might give me only four months. I said four months is better than zero--I would start with the stuff he was dreading the most. He said he would ask.

And then he didn't get back to me. So I thought more about our dealings in the past and decided to call him and offer to meet with him to help him put together a proposal. And so we are now meeting this Friday morning.

I looked more closely at what I done for the other colleges and how long it had taken me. And I made a less random estimate of 4.8 - 7.2 months, depending on how different the three degree plans are. Ha! It matches my first guess! Then I looked up the degree plans he has. It looks like I might be able to use the 4.8-month estimate. (If I work at least 4.5 months, I get another year of service toward my pension so I'm really hoping for that.)

He has all day Friday free, so even if something comes up at our meeting time, I have a long book to read and can blow off all other plans the rest of the work day if necessary. Plus he's great one-on-one. This might actually work.

Current Compromise

Right now I'm thinking that if I get this job and it's for at least 4.5 months, then I'll quit looking for work. Forever. Yes, I'll drain some of my Roth IRA. I don't care. That's what it's for: draining! And the market is up--now's a good time to sell. And it won't even be the whole 57K I contributed, more like 32K. And I have 110K, so that's still good. And my pension pays more than my current standard of living, so I won't even need any IRA money until inflation catches up and/or medical expenses expand.

Actually, I'll still keep checking UT jobs, but only apply to the ones that sound kind of fun, not the ones that just sound possible.

And if I don't get that job or it's too short, then I'll keep looking.

Meanwhile, I suppose I should go to that resume-evaluation thing that only happens once a month this Friday afternoon. (It counts as a job-hunting activity and may even help.) And I do have to keep applying to jobs to qualify for unemployment. Maybe they never check up on you like they claim they do, but it's still what they're paying me for.

Article of the Day - FEMA's Above the Flood: Elevating Your Floodprone House - describes three ways to elevate your house with eight examples from after Hurricane Andrew.

"...their owners had a choice of up to three techniques for elevating the lowest floor (as illustrated on the following pages):
1. Extend the walls of the house upward and raise the lowest floor (Figure 7).
2. Convert the existing lower area of the house to non-habitable space and build a new second story for living space (Figure 8).
3. Lift the entire house, with the floor slab attached, and build a new foundation to elevate the house (Figure 9)."

Has loads of pictures. I recommend it if you have any interest in architecture or construction or renovation of ordinary houses.

Sadly, all three ways look pretty expensive. Even if your roof has already been conveniently blown off.