[Strawbale] Strawbale regrets?...

[Jefro]

Hear hear!  Well said on all counts!



Mark Frazier wrote:
> 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. ;-)
>
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>