career musings

My company folded on Monday; I'm out of a job again. I'm not too surprised at this - the signs were there, however much I liked to ignore them - but I was surprised by the timing. So if anyone knows of an opening for a damned fine Software Quality Assurance Engineer, could you please let me know?

I am doing OK so far. I've contacted friends in the industry and already sent out my resume to three different takers. But finding part-time work in this field is *really* hard, despite the fact that I have been told that my part-time is easily equivalent to someone else's overtime (flattering, that). Many of my colleagues are using this opportunity to take some time off, relax a bit and look for work later, but I am driven to look immediately. I'm not sure why that is - perhaps because I know part-time work is tricky to find in the software world, perhaps because I don't want to miss any opportunities, perhaps because I don't like being idle. I got a pretty nice severance package so I can technically afford to be unemployed for a while, but I hate feeling useless.

I was talking to my mom earlier, and it came out that every time I get laid off (sadly, this is not the first time), I start thinking about becoming a nurse. Of course, I can't because I'd have to go back to school, which wouldn't work with my current Ph.D. studies, but it's a rather fascinating thought every single time. I want a career that makes a difference, that helps people. I've chosen to get a Ph.D. so I can teach at the college level, which I believe DOES make a difference, but my psyche seems to want me to do something even more useful than that.

Well, it won't happen anytime soon, but it's definitely an interesting possibility. After the Ph.D. :)