I’m a computer person from way back (1981 or so). I’ve done a lot of tech jobs in that time including help desk, desktop support, teaching and programming. My most current gig was as a contract developer (programmer) for a consulting company (Bucher + Christian), here in Indianapolis, Indiana. I worked at the Lilly Corporate Center for 18 months. Normally, Lilly limits contractors to a maximum of 18 months, however a woman from the Lilly Technology Center saw what I had done for a counterpart of hers at LCC, so she lobbied to have my contract extended for 3 months so I could do the same for her.
That contract ended last Tuesday (11/24). The consulting firm doesn’t have anything for me at the moment, so I am currently “between assignments”. I’ve been between jobs before and I know that I’ll be OK. I’ll be eligible for unemployment benefits and I’ve been able to save quite a bit of money over the last 21 months. I think I’ll be fine for up to a year, if necessary.
However, it’s going to be a challenge. From past experience, I know that the worst part is going to be to keep myself motivated and productive. It’s very easy to get depressed. I need to guard against that.
Right now, I’m at a branch library doing some work (updating resumes, filing unemployment, etc.). I’ve found that if I don’t get out of the apartment, I start feeling bad. This definitely helps. I’ll keep posting here for my own sanity.
Hang in there, Mike! I think people recognize a quality person when they encounter one, and you've always been that!