[Strawbale] Strawbale regrets?...

[Mark Frazier]

Awright, just a few comments to set the record (and some attitudes)  
straight.

On Aug 31, 2006, at 10:43 AM, Robert W. Tom wrote:

> I would not go to Home Despot for any sort of useful info


In Jan of 2002, in the depths of the dot-com bust, I found myself out  
of work for
the first time in my 17 year career as a Computer Software Engineer.  
I had a
bachelors degree in Computer Science, my skills were up
to date, I  had a proven track record as a solid performer, and yet I  
was
the victim of a down-staffing layoff and the influx of cheap H1-B  
visa "guest worker"
program.

As the SOLE support of a family of four, with young kids and new huge  
mortgage
over my head, I found myself for the first time ever, unable to even  
get an interview,
let alone land a job within one week of looking (which is what I'd  
gotten used to).
Being in a new house is the worse time possible to end up out of work  
and relying on savings.

So I had to change my strategy from looking for a job that would  
sustain us, to looking
for one that would stretch out the savings account. The answer to  
that was a job at Home
Depot. I was fortunate in that (as an amateur woodworker and luthier)  
I did have building
skills and knew a lot about what was going
on. So I swallowed my pride and did what was best for my family, and  
took a job working there,
  and believe it or not, I actually enjoyed it - except for one
thing: the attitude I got from people who assumed that because I was  
working there, I must
be an idiot. These are people whose salaries were probably half of  
what I made as a software
engineer.

I've found that some of the people working at Home Depot are regular  
trades people - licensed electricians,
licensed plumbers, etc - who are just trying to fill in part time to  
get some health benefits. Some of them are
retired from the trades as well. In fact, the Home Depot
staffing model has shifted towards preferring this type of employee  
(it also saves them money).

Does that make them an expert on SB building? No, but then again,  
this wasn't his opinion, it was his friends.

Fortunately, I only had to do that for 2 months before landing a  
contract job which got me back into the game. One of
the other Home Depot part timers was also a software guy, and his  
luck wasn't so good. He spent a year there before
having to take a job out of state. I hope my boss was right when he  
said "There will never be another 2002 in software..."

So I promise not to look down on the construction workers, and the  
next time you're in Home Depot, try not to assume
too much about the lowly retail employees, they could be an off- 
shored Rocket Scientist.

Otherwise, I agree with everything you said. ;-)