My old firm, the one I got laid off from almost exactly two years ago, has had another round of layoffs. I’ve lost count how many that is (over ten I think), but since it included several principles, I’m guessing that this is either a death knell or time for a major restructuring of that office.
And that got me thinking about my own situation. Again. Because if there’s one thing that triggers intense feelings when you’re unemployed, especially when it’s been a really long time, it’s hearing other people at your old firm have suffered the same sad fate.
I began thinking about a lot of things. All the interviews, for one. Which, it turns out, was not so many. The real ones can be counted on two hands. After months of working contacts, I discovered that this route is not always as vaunted as one might imagine. Many people just don’t have the power to help you out. Then there were all those pseudo-interviews. Why bother calling me in and getting my hopes up when there aren’t any openings? As for the “real” interviews, I was either obliquely informed that I was overqualified (i.e. they knew they couldn’t offer me $12/hr) or under-qualified (i.e. I haven’t lived, breathed, and eaten architecture my entire life).
