Well, I haven't posted anything in a while. In short, I am still unemployed. I've applied for tons of jobs (that I am qualified for, not just anything that comes up), and I've heard "no" a LOT.
I've been focusing a majority of my job search in the following areas (because I have family that I could live with for a while):
Des Moines, IA
Dubuque, IA
Champaign, IL
St Louis, MO
Jacksonville, FL
I've searched government jobs across the country, as well as a few other locations like Madison (WI), Cedar Rapids (IA), Omaha (NE), and a few others that I'm not thinking of right now.
I only have 3 possibilities "in the works" right now.
#1 is a job in Des Moines that would be pretty good, but I was so early on the interview process due to being recommended by someone that it has been about 6 weeks since I interviewed and while I was told a couple of weeks ago that I was still in the running, I am having my doubts.
#2 is a job with IBM in Dubuque where my family (and my wife's) live. I grew up there and it is OK, but I am not sure I like the idea of going to a smaller town again. I am having my first interview with them on April 1.
#3 if you can believe it is for the job in Atlanta that I talked about near the beginning of this thread. 3 weeks after being laid-off because the job wasn't approved, it got approved, but since I was no longer an employee, I had to start over. I was told just last Friday that because of everything, I could skip the HR screening, phone interview, and face-to-face interview and I was being put right to the final step where they have the top 2 candidates talk to a guy that was 3 management levels higher than me. I am not sure when that will happen, but it should be soon. So that is good that I am already one of the top 2 even though they haven't finished meeting all of the other candidates. So we'll see.
Right now I've decided that it would be best to spend time doing low cost, big impact things with the house. We starting some painting today, and I am doing a lot of easy fix things like fixing 3 screen doors that have been torn over the years by my in-laws' dogs, replacing a warped spindle on the deck, fixing some broken tile (we already have the tile and grout from the install 5 years ago), etc... I figure that 1) it gives me things to do, 2) it improves the house whether we have to sell it to move, sell it because we can't afford it, or just to be nicer for if we stay here.
Anyway, that is the long update.
