Update XVI: Sidejackin' it in the Train Room.

[Joe Biden 2020]

The honest truth:  I have not been fired.  However, I will go into work in the morning and turn in my 3-days notice, under the full readiness that they may walk me out.  The thing with giving my notice is to be courteous.  I will go in and be prepared to stay all day, if that's what they want.  I am prepared for whatever happens.

The fact is I can't look for a job effectively when I'm working 8-5 with a 30-minute lunch, have no access to my cell phone while I'm on the floor itself.  Yes, I can call them back during lunch, but it's likely their lunch hour, as well.  The policies for phone use is different on the floor side-jacking or taking calls than it is in the classroom.  I look for most jobs online, but the employers generally call me to set up an interview.  I also go out and look for jobs, which is not obsolete.  Ever heard of temp agencies?   I basically don't want my hands tied while trying to play ball, if you will.

Yes, Inks, I know exactly what I'm doing.  You are free to question that, but you will not change my mind.

[Joe Biden 2020]

You know what guys, I don't have to listen to this crap anymore.  I'm going back to politics for a while.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Basically, folks, I am listening to all of your concerns and I am mulling over all of my options right now.  You guys are bringing up valid arguments and I've spent the past little while trying to talk myself into hanging onto the job and at least trying to look in the evenings and do what has been discussed here.  I'm also mulling over my options if I take my parents' advice to quit, figuring out what my first moves would be.  I have already found one job fair I can go to anytime this week Tuesday-Friday.  Then again, if I held onto this job, at least I would have a paycheck coming in.  It is money in the bank for now and I can get on the phones and do the best I can.  There are pros and cons to both decisions.  The cons of hanging onto this job is I might potentially miss out on some opportunities just by not being available to interview at a moment's notice.  The cons of quitting is that I run the risk of being out of a job for quite some time.  The pros of hanging onto this job is the aforementioned paycheck, but also that some employers prefer someone who already is working as opposed to someone who is sitting at home during the day looking.  The pros of quitting now is I can go all-in on the job search immediately once I get home.  I have a big decision to make.

[Joe Biden 2020]

What on earth is a "3 days notice"? You're supposed give at least two week's notice.

Expect to be escorted out of the building again, Jeff.

A 3 days notice is what they request.  They don't require a full 2 weeks.  This was explained to us the first day.

I have made my decision after sleeping on it and I'm going to make the unpopular decision of pulling the plug and then get started on the job search as soon as I get back home.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I have made my decision after sleeping on it and I'm going to make the unpopular decision of pulling the plug and then get started on the job search as soon as I get back home.

As long as you can squeeze in an application or two between baseball games, I'm sure it'll be alright.

How about I look for jobs during baseball games?  I can do that, too.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I have made my decision after sleeping on it and I'm going to make the unpopular decision of pulling the plug and then get started on the job search as soon as I get back home.

As long as you can squeeze in an application or two between baseball games, I'm sure it'll be alright.

How about I look for jobs during baseball games?  I can do that, too.

I'm impressed.

lol

[Joe Biden 2020]

Nagas, no plans on that at this time.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Bushie what did you today after refusing free money?

Get on craigslist, www.indeed.com, and www.simplyhired.com looking for jobs.  I did take a nap today, of course, but I've spent most of the rest of the day looking for jobs.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Just like that, I've scored my first interview tomorrow at 13:30.

[Joe Biden 2020]

To answer Walter, I did give them a 3-days notice, but I was relieved of my duties right then and there.  I expected that.

I wish not to disclose the name of the company I am interviewing with on account of Mondale.  I will not disclose the name via PM, either.  All I will say it is in Midtown Tulsa.  And, it is directly with the company, not a staffing agency.  It is customer service, but that's all I will say.

I also called and re-activated two staffing agencies that are looking for me help desk and CAD jobs.  I've been working with these agencies since March when I first thought of moving to Tulsa.

[Joe Biden 2020]

J-Mann and Smash, I just PM'd you the name of the company.  I'm looking for honest answers, which I know you will provide.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Jeff, what is the harm in seeing a mental health professional? If you're truly fine, as you insist, the doctor will simply confirm this. How could that possibly be a bad thing?

It's just the cost, effort, and time to muster up the energy and courage to contact a mhp.  I know I am not mentally ill, as everybody who sees me in real life would vouch for, so I think it would be a total waste of said cost, time, and effort.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Jeff, what is the harm in seeing a mental health professional? If you're truly fine, as you insist, the doctor will simply confirm this. How could that possibly be a bad thing?

It's just the cost, effort, and time to muster up the energy and courage to contact a mhp.  I know I am not mentally ill, as everybody who sees me in real life would vouch for, so I think it would be a total waste of said cost, time, and effort.

I'll cover the co-pay for you. That takes care of the cost. The effort is minimal. As for the time, it'll take 5 minutes to make an appointment and maybe a total of 2 hours to drive there, see the doctor, and drive back. You have 2 hours of free time M-F, I assure you, especially now that you're unemployed.

The people who see you in real life don't know the real you, unless you're just as candid about your lying and gullibility with everyone you meet, which I highly doubt.

Thanks for the offer, but no thanks.  I'm not mentally ill as some on this forum seem to suggest.  I'm different, yes, but I'm not sick.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Inks, I took the test and answered all the questions with the utmost honesty and here is the exact paragraph that was displayed after my test was scored:
----
Based on your responses, there is little to no indication of mental disorders. If however, you still feel the need to seek the guidance of a mental health professional do not hesitate to do so. Remember, the help of a mental health professional is not limited to the treatment of extreme disorders. A therapist or life coach can offer good advice to help with relationships (family therapy, couples therapy), self-esteem issues, and assertiveness training, as well as life and career coaching, among others. In essence, if you feel that you have not reached your full potential personally and career-wise, and are not fully content with yourself or your life, a therapist can offer a sympathetic ear and sound, practical advice in a non-judgmental atmosphere.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Wow, over the span of this short season, I have been vilely insulted, called mentally ill, my parents have been insulted and reviled, my friends have been insulted and called mentally ill because they "don't see the real me."  I am not going to subject myself and the ones I love to this type of childish attacks.  You guys are completely pathetic.  You give no thought to how a person might feel.  You all seem to think you are 100% correct 100% of the time and that I am never correct.  You guys are just flat arrogant and wrong.  I have done nothing wrong and my parents and friends have done nothing wrong.

This ends the Update once and for all.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Let me pop in here again and say that I'm not mad at anybody here.  Smash did a good job in calming me down via PM.  I'm naturally not going to discuss what he said to me, but he did a good job of calming me down.

The fact is everybody here has made mistakes, both on my end and on the advice-giving.  You all expect me to fess up which is hard to do, and I expect you to fess up from time to time which is hard to do.  We're pretty much a bunch of hard-headed and somewhat egotistical men that make mistakes.

Let's drop the mental issue for now, if we may.  I'm simply not going to do it.  You can imagine the stigma when you tell your family and friends you are seeking help because an internet forum told you to.  They would tell you you've lost your mind, completely.

On the employment issue.  The object right now is to get a paycheck, even if that is customer service.  I have pretty much decided against the interview I had scheduled for tomorrow.  J-Mann and Smash did a good job of that, as well, because of the majority sales aspect.  However, there is another call center that I am going to look at tomorrow.  This is with a big-name company.  It's likely a job where I will be hired on the spot, but I think it will have more structure, which was my biggest reason for leaving the job I was at.  I firmly believe that I can do well in call centers if I just put my mind to it.  The calls no longer frighten me as they once did.  I can fix my attendance issues with a little hard work and dedication.  Again, my goal is to make this unemployment a very short one.  I do not want to drag this out any longer than it has to.  I know I have just given you the definition of insanity, but I've got to do what I think is best for me, even if that is an unconventional approach.  The possibility exists that I may fail yet again.  I realize that.  I still think, though, there is merit to the strategy that my parents and I are deploying.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Wow, over the span of this short season, I have been vilely insulted, called mentally ill, my parents have been insulted and reviled, my friends have been insulted and called mentally ill because they "don't see the real me."  I am not going to subject myself and the ones I love to this type of childish attacks.  You guys are completely pathetic.  You give no thought to how a person might feel.  You all seem to think you are 100% correct 100% of the time and that I am never correct.  You guys are just flat arrogant and wrong.  I have done nothing wrong and my parents and friends have done nothing wrong.

This ends the Update once and for all.

I actually don't feel like you have any sort of severe mental illness or need "that" kind of therapy, as I used to. Rather, your situations are most likely spurred by two things:

 - An overwhelming midwestern optimism, where you want so badly to have a stereotypical "normal" life that you keep forcing yourself into situations that are either ill-planned or poor fits for who you really are. Think about it, and if it helps to see the cycle, go back and actually read all the previous Updates ... it's the same stories over and over again: rushed relationships, forced jobs and edification from those around you that dilutes the magnitude of your mistakes.

 - I think you have a very powerful lazy streak, and even when you are well aware of the "correct" path (ie: keeping your job while looking for new ones, eating healthier, etc.), you take the easy way out. And, again, you're given a free pass by those closest to you. I'm not saying my parents wouldn't bail me out if I was struggling ... I'm saying mine would have had enough after the first time and would have expected me to learn from my mistakes.

You're not wrong all the time, Jeff ... CADD school has the potential to have been a good investment. There are little things here and there that you do well, and they're acknowledged. You just can't expect me or anyone else on the forum to cheer laziness or, when you have choices, your purposeful selection of the worse choice. If you want to be recognized for the things you do right, and if you want to be spoken to in a more-respectful manner, treat this community with the same recognition and respect in return.

You get some great advice from us at times, and when you throw it back in our faces or outright reject it, it's an even deeper level of disrespect than the surface-level insults that are shot across your bow from time to time. Some of us have been where you're at, made good choices and succeeded ... and we're trying to help you down that same path.

Thank you, J-Mann.  This is the type of post I can respect and glean from, one that doesn't yell or have inflammatory remarks or incendiary accusations in it, but is straight to the point.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Let me pop in here again and say that I'm not mad at anybody here.  Smash did a good job in calming me down via PM.  I'm naturally not going to discuss what he said to me, but he did a good job of calming me down.

The fact is everybody here has made mistakes, both on my end and on the advice-giving.  You all expect me to fess up which is hard to do, and I expect you to fess up from time to time which is hard to do.  We're pretty much a bunch of hard-headed and somewhat egotistical men that make mistakes.

Let's drop the mental issue for now, if we may.  I'm simply not going to do it.  You can imagine the stigma when you tell your family and friends you are seeking help because an internet forum told you to.  They would tell you you've lost your mind, completely.

On the employment issue.  The object right now is to get a paycheck, even if that is customer service.  I have pretty much decided against the interview I had scheduled for tomorrow.  J-Mann and Smash did a good job of that, as well, because of the majority sales aspect.  However, there is another call center that I am going to look at tomorrow.  This is with a big-name company.  It's likely a job where I will be hired on the spot, but I think it will have more structure, which was my biggest reason for leaving the job I was at.  I firmly believe that I can do well in call centers if I just put my mind to it.  The calls no longer frighten me as they once did.  I can fix my attendance issues with a little hard work and dedication.  Again, my goal is to make this unemployment a very short one.  I do not want to drag this out any longer than it has to.  I know I have just given you the definition of insanity, but I've got to do what I think is best for me, even if that is an unconventional approach.  The possibility exists that I may fail yet again.  I realize that.  I still think, though, there is merit to the strategy that my parents and I are deploying.

So the object is to get a paycheck (which you were just getting) and you are going to look at a call center (which you just quit one)....

So....did you get fired?

No, I didn't get fired.  I went in this morning at 7:35 and waited until about 8:10 when somebody got to the front desk and offered my 3-days notice, which they said thank you, but then relieved me of my duties.  I can still go back there if push came to shove.  That job will basically always be there.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Polnut, I will address one thing you mentioned.  I have already been diagnosed with OCD.  That happened when I was 11, it comes as part of my Tourettes.  I have had that all my life, and was diagnosed officially at age 11 after years of testing and evaluations, a lot of them mental.  I've also got a severe case of ADHD.  I don't run away from these issues, rather I tend to embrace them and thank God for giving them to me.  Yes, I thank God for a neurological disorder.  So, I have already been through mental evaluations.  I'm positive the doctors today would reveal the same issues.

[Joe Biden 2020]

I think I'm going to hold off on the call center I am thinking about.  I just found an article on our CBS affiliate's website for all sorts of roles with the Tulsa Public Schools.  Not just teaching.  Naturally, I'm not licensed to teach, but I could probably be a custodian or something.  What do you all think? The job fair is next Monday, August 4 at 13:00.

Look at www.newson6.com for the article.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Custodian may be tough, given the physical concerns you've discussed, although there are usually administrative positions at schools ... few, though, where you wouldn't have to interact with horrible children and their even-worse parents.

I was thinking something like this may be more appropriate: https://careers-postacutemedical.icims.com/jobs/2063/charge-entry-clerk/job?mode=job&iis=Job+Board+-+Indeed.com&iisn=Indeed.com&mobile=false&width=543&height=500&bga=true&needsRedirect=false

Granted, that's based on two minutes of research, so listen to the rest of the community if they say it's bunk.

I would probably try for the Secretary positions within TPS.

Just a quick glance of the link on my tablet looks like a good job.  When I get back to my computer I'll put in my application.  Thanks for the research.

[Joe Biden 2020]

What is your goal, Bushie?  What is a job that will be good enough that you won't immediately start looking for another job?  Is the goal to get a CADD job, and any other job you take will be an interim step towards getting that CADD job?

I would ideally like to have a CAD job.  Yet, everybody requires x years of experience.  How does one gain the experience if nobody wants to give you the experience?  I'll take any office job, but I'd really like a CAD job.

[Joe Biden 2020]

At least he should have time to contact them about the certificate now.

I plan to contact them today.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Still got an answering machine for the certificate lady.  I left a message explaining what I'm wanting, so now I have to wait some more.  It frustrates me because I called on this two weeks ago and got the same answering machine.  You all want answers and I want answers.  I'll call again Friday if I haven't heard anything.

The only answer I've gotten so far is from Russ Powers himself by email a week ago or so saying that I do have a certificate waiting, and to contact the person in charge.  He said the location of the certificate should not affect my employment.

[Joe Biden 2020]

Just heard back from her and they will get the certificate in the mail to me in about a week.  So, I should get it sometime the latter half of next week or the following Monday (August 11).