I was honorably discharged from both the Air Force and the Army, went to a private college where I wasted a ton of money to take so many required "Core Curriculum" classes that I barely took one full year in my major.
Wandered into Microsoft Redmond campus and pitched myself as willing to learn and hard working. Got offered a job setting up Windows NT4 by hand every day for $14/hr.
Flash forward 12+ years and my job title is SDET IV, earning $50/hr. I've worked on at least a dozen apps, patches, upgrades, solutions etc
One day my employer (Volt) "requires" me (technically they required this of all their contract employees) to take a 10% cut in pay or lose my job.
Flash forward another two years and I'm out of the company entirely. On my last day I walked past numerous pictures of the Taj Mahal and one brass statue of an elephant with a bunch of extra arms.
Some of my old teamates tell me they are now the only "non-Indian" employes in their organizations.
With good references and 14 years as a contract Tester, SDET and Lab Tech, I cannot get so much as a nibble when I send a resume.
Now my unemployment is running out and I'm beginning to think I'll end up on minimum wage, living in a refrigerator box in an alley.
While my electricity and my wireless hold out I'll vent here.
"Please to be checking back later"
;)
