Sunday, March 25, 2007

I CAN get disability!

For some reason I was under the impression that you had to actually be working in order to qualify for disability and the paid family leave through state. But just this weekend, I've had 2 people tell me otherwise.

We just got home from a church lunch banquet and I was talking with a friend and she told me she was laid-off when she was 7 mo. pregnant. She started out on unemployment then 4 wks before her due date, she switched to disability. After her disability ended, she switched to the 6wks of paid family leave and then went back on unemployment after that.

Although it is unfortunate that this has had to happen to both of us, it is a big relief to know that someone has been there and done that before me and I WILL get the disability and paid family leave.

Paid Family Leave pays more than unemployment and disability pays even more than that. So not only will we be getting more money to help out, but it will extend the life of unemployment. You can only qualify for 26 wks (6 mo.) of unemployment in a given year. So if I'm getting disability 4 wks before and 6 wks after then paid family leave for 6 wks after that, then that would be 16 weeks of unemployment I'm not getting and extend the life of unemployment even further. It would've run out when the baby is 2 mo. old otherwise and there isn't much room to find work. So 4 more months will give me plenty of time to try and find work.

Yes, we still have a negative budget and it's still tough. But things are definitely looking up!

Maybe this truly is a blessing in disguise! Not only do I get to attempt to enjoy time at home and time with Delaney before the baby comes, but I'm also forced to find a new challenge. Although I loved my job, I think I was beginning to get bored as I hadn't seen any new challenges in a while. Maybe there is something out there for me that is more challenging and will make me love going to work everyday... toward the end of the year ;)

Monday, March 19, 2007

My first interview in 8 yrs

I had an interview this morning. My first in 8 yrs. It was for a company that seemed like a not so good commute, so I took the interview more for practice and to get that "First Interview" out of the way.

Well... I really liked the company and the commute wasn't too bad. 30 min. and the traffic flowed. I can handle that...

Unfortunately, I think I sucked! I don't think I conveyed my technical knowledge very well and pretty much blew it.

I did get some feedback at the end. They told me that I communicate well and I'm very intelligent and I present myself well, but that my technical abilities come across more as a Jr. Programmer... sigh...

Guess it's time to move on to the next one... whenever that may be?

Friday, March 9, 2007

Recruiters in India

They're driving me crazy! I can't believe this country has outsourced RECRUITING... what has this world come to?

I get these recruiters that are in India calling me that I have a hard enough time understanding them as it is. I don't feel like they could possibily find work for me when I can't even understand them or convey the message of my situation.

To top it off... they call asking "Would you be interested in a job in Dallas, TX?" Ummmmm.... What part of "Greater Los Angeles Area" did you NOT understand on my Dice.com profile.

They're driving me crazy! I want to work with people in my area that know my area and have relationships with the companies that are hiring... not some random dude on the other side of the world who doesn't even know where I am or what I'm looking for!

Wednesday, March 7, 2007

The Ups and Downs of Job Hunting

So I posted my resume out there for the recruiters to devour on Monday... My phone rings, my email dings, but I'm not hearing the kaching.

Here's just one example of what I've been dealing with:

I heard about the "perfect" position for me yesterday. It's local and I have all the skills and it happens to be in insurance and it sounds like a company I would love to work for. I'm very much showing, so I had to be up front and honest that I'll need time off in the summer. The 15 min. phone interview went great and the recruiter told me that I'm pretty much perfect for the position, with the exception of needing the time off in the summer. He said he would talk with the company and see what they say...

Well... I got a call this morning. Sorry... but they don't want someone who isn't going to be around... Am I surprised? Of course not! This is exactly what I expected to happen and why this whole situation was so devasting to begin with. I'm sure I'm going to be hearing a lot of this in the near future. All I can do is push on... sigh

Prayer works!

I've had a LOT of people praying for us this past week. Our biggest concern and prayer was just how we were going to get by on what we have until after the baby comes if I can't find work before hand.

Virgil had mentioned to his boss last week about what happened and that he was going to have to look for part-time work in addition to what he was doing in order to bring in some extra money to get by. Although nothing has come up in the area of part-time work, Virgil's boss talked with the owner of the company and they gave him a much overdue raise! After 7 yrs and getting his Masters in there as well, he had never received a raise and the company in general doesn't do raises. But he has truly earned it and I'm just thrilled for him.

Now, this isn't enough to get our budget out of the negative, even WITH deferring student loans and Delaney in school part-time instead of full-time, but... it does extend the life of the severance pay to the point that the money may run out, but if we live tight enough to our budget, we will get to Oct (if not further) which is the point where I would start aggressively looking for work again.

I truly believe that this is the work of prayer from so many people and our faithfulness.

I am still looking for work before the baby comes. I wouldn't want to just sit around and do nothing until Oct. There may really be something out there for me. Rather it's a full-time position where I am able to take off the time needed, or a short term contract to bring in some extra income until the baby comes. Besides, I haven't interviewed in 8 yrs and could really use the practice. I'm also spending some time studying and I'm going to do a little project to keep my skills fresh.

Life has been turned upside down, but there is light at the end of the tunnel and I'm just hoping and praying that the right job for me is out there and I can be placed in it at the right time. Rather that be sooner or later...

Friday, March 2, 2007

My big helper

This morning, I was folding Delaney's laundry in her room and putting it away. She came in to see what I was doing, so I gave her all the socks and told her to find matches and bring them to me. I was not only surprised that she matched them, but also at how fast she matched them all up. Then the phone rang...

So I went to go get it and it was a recruiter so I was on the phone for a few minutes, but when I got off the phone, I went back into the bedroom to finish Delaney's laundry and she had laid out ALL the clothes and sorted them by outfits, pjs, and stuff all over her bedroom floor!

I'm soooo proud of her and really needed that!

I'm not cut out for this...

It's not even 10am on my first full day home with Delaney and I'm already fed up! She's spilled twice, whined because her bagel was all gone, threw a fit because Mickey Mouse Clubhouse wasn't on the tv, Had a potty accident on the living room floor, whined that she wants her Daddy even though he's at work, and generally isn't listening to a thing I say to her.

How does anyone do this job they call Stay at Home Mom? Did I mention that I had horrible post partum depression after having Delaney that suddenly went away very shortly after returning to work?

Thursday, March 1, 2007

SMACK!!!

Just when I was starting to feel better... SMACK! I'm slaped up the side of the head by the reality of our wonderful government. Turns out my severance pay will be taxed at a rate of about 42%. That is not NEARLY enough money to get us through until after the baby arrives. Even after cutting out almost everything in our lives.

I guess I do have more tears to bear... I think about Job and wonder how he made it through everything he was put through. How did he make it? I know the answer... he relied on God. I'm still praying desperately that God will give us the answer we need to make it through and yet, I just keep getting more bad news. When will God speak to me to tell me what the answer is? Is he trying to get through to me already? What is it that is blocking his message from getting to me? Please Lord... give me the comfort...

So exhausted

The fatigue is really setting in and I'm having a hard time functioning. Yesterday I woke up feeling a bit better, but this morning, I just feel like the weight of the world is on my shoulders. I'm so exhausted at the end of the day that I can't even keep my eyes open and I crash hard. I sleep good for about 2 hours and then I wake up and my mind starts racing all over again and I just toss and turn until the sound of Delaney's little foot steps running into my bedroom in the morning force me to get up and face, yet, another day.