Met with "The Bobs". :(

[YALE]

Do work Frank!

[BLAKE]

Good man, Frank. Better that than landing a soul sucking gig sooner.

[SonicblueGT03]

I feel your pain man. I've been off since November of last year (corporate downsizing, due to low oil prices). Like you, having been in this game (IT) for a long time, and having the luxury of working for Exxon at the last gig, I have a nice nest egg to rely on just for these times (they can, and do, happen, all too often). This time, being a good bit older (53 this year), I find myself wanting to do almost anything other than IT work. I also find myself really enjoying the time off, and have begun running the numbers on the investments, IRA and 401k, just to see if it's feasible to stay "retired". I believe I'd still need some sort of part time gig though, just to shake off this "cabin fever".

So....entering month 5. A good severance and some smart financial moves when I was younger means I have no stress now and a lot of time to think. There has been a lot of self-discovery, self-improvement, education, and general eye opening experiences. Being thrown out forced me to face some things and recognize some amazing possibilities out there. Sure, I am still looking, but I have a much MUCH clearer vision.

Turns out, I am really beyond the hands-on technical of my past. I am somewhat outdated and narrow in that regard. I fully admit it. I still want to delve deeper in all things IT security, but I just discovered my experience and abilities are an excellent fit toward things like sales engineering, service delivery exec, security compliance, researcher, etc. It took a lot of conversations with various recruiters, some stinker interviews, and research to learn all of this. I have also finally started studying for my CISSP with a goal of having it completed by the end of the year. Life is good, but I can't wait to land that next gig that I feel is really going to take things to a whole other level I could not have imagined had I not been laid off.

[Tx Redneck]

I feel your pain man, I was let go after 10yrs in Nov of last year. I just recently got a new job at FedEx Express in June. It's SUCKED bein outta work that long, but this employer provides me FAR greater opportunities for advancement than what was available at the old gig.

[stang2be]

CISSP is a great one to have. I got mine in 2004 after being laid off 3 times doing general IT admin/support stuff. Then in 2008/2009 I focused on Incident response and computer forensics. Luckily that field has taken off as well and not enough candidates. I've moved around a few times over the years and feel free to PM me if I can offer any help or leads in @ places in the area. Also some of my best gifts were layoffs or bad situations I chose to get out of before it got worse. Maybe its that I've gotten older but I've gone to thinking life's too short to work @ some place you don't like. Days of companies being loyal seem gone so I've moved around as needed and looked out at what was best for me and the family.

[Frank]

CISSP is a great one to have. I got mine in 2004 after being laid off 3 times doing general IT admin/support stuff. Then in 2008/2009 I focused on Incident response and computer forensics. Luckily that field has taken off as well and not enough candidates. I've moved around a few times over the years and feel free to PM me if I can offer any help or leads in @ places in the area. Also some of my best gifts were layoffs or bad situations I chose to get out of before it got worse. Maybe its that I've gotten older but I've gone to thinking life's too short to work @ some place you don't like. Days of companies being loyal seem gone so I've moved around as needed and looked out at what was best for me and the family.

Yes, those are some of the areas that have interested me most, though my technical hands-on expertise in the area is nill, aside from some online tutorials and a "hacking" class I attended once. I am signed up for some classes at the NTXISSA conference in Oct at CCCC. Should be fun.

I'll pm my info. I'd love to connect with you on LinkedIn if you are out there.

[cobrajet69]

Good luck Frank. Looks like you have the right focus now.

I was laid off from the O&G industry a year and a half ago. After a suggestion to get into car sales (much to my chagrin) I accepted because the idea of being my own boss (1099) and captain of my own ship was somewhat appealing to me. Money wasn't the same and hours are brutal, but it's so much different than the corporate BS I faced daily, that I actually like it. We sell high-end, previously owned luxury vehicles and you never know who's going to walk through the door. Have met a few celebs, music moguls, ball players etc... Some I can mention and some prefer to remain discrete.

Well, today is my last day - in sales. Was offered a gig as Assistant GM and starts Monday.

Moral = One door closes, one door opens. You just have to have the right focus!

Good luck man!


David

[Big A]

Right on David, good to hear.

[SMKR]

I feel your pain man, I was let go after 10yrs in Nov of last year. I just recently got a new job at FedEx Express in June. It's SUCKED bein outta work that long, but this employer provides me FAR greater opportunities for advancement than what was available at the old gig.

You work off 635 in Irving?

I feel your pain man. I've been off since November of last year (corporate downsizing, due to low oil prices). Like you, having been in this game (IT) for a long time, and having the luxury of working for Exxon at the last gig, I have a nice nest egg to rely on just for these times (they can, and do, happen, all too often). This time, being a good bit older (53 this year), I find myself wanting to do almost anything other than IT work. I also find myself really enjoying the time off, and have begun running the numbers on the investments, IRA and 401k, just to see if it's feasible to stay "retired". I believe I'd still need some sort of part time gig though, just to shake off this "cabin fever".