My Story

I am a simple IT guy that has been in the tech industry for over 14 years, doing IT work for government contractors and law firms.  Throughout the years I have enjoyed many successes; in moving along with my career.  However, as time has gone by, I have been unfortunately on the wrong side of lower salaries and layoffs.  Each time I have start over looking for a new position, there is always a strike against me because I am not familiar with new software that only this particular company is using or because I don’t hold some new industry certification.  There was a time I use to beat myself up for not officially taking courses after my post graduate education.  One would think holding two masters degree and a bachelor of science would be enough to show a potential employer that at the very least I have the capacity to learn.

This year I have been fortunate to receive 2 burn notices in one year.  I prefer to use burn notice, instead of pink slips, because Burn Notice “USA Networks”  happened to be one of my favorites shows.  The first burn notice I received was not surprising, the downside with government contracting is that the rug can be pulled from under at any given time.  I will say that the company I used to work for did half hearted try to find me a new spot.  The second burn notice, was totally unexpected.  I didn’t see it coming, I literally showed up for work one day and packing my belongings in a box stunned.  As I slowly walked to my car in the parking garage stunned in a state a shock, I had an epiphany.  It was at this point I made the decision to officially retire.

By unofficially retired, I mean that I am getting off the corporate treadmill.  I much rather blog from my laptop sitting in a bar enjoying a cold beer, than be a prairie dog, or monk stuck in a closet posing as office space.  I have had the fortune of being laid off twice this year. In both cases, I showed up for work everyday, worked long hours, did all the task that I was asked to do.  However,  in the end, I became a casualty of the numbers game (twice).   This time around I decided to fight the instinct of sending 100’s of resumes, dealing with stupid recruiters  and career fairs to pursue a couple of things that I am really passionate about.  I always wanted to try my hand at affiliate marketing “seriously stop laughing,” but never really had the time to research and see if I could make sustainable income doing so and also start a successful blog.

There are thousands of websites showing individuals, showing the aftermath of their success.  Wads of cash, blurred checks, fancy homes,  and cars are common themes.  I decided I wanted to be different and write about my success or failure from day one.  I have set a goal that I will be one of those guys a year from now, with the cheesy landing page, promoting how I made it.

I do hope this all work out at some point, because to be honest I much rather sit at home on my computer in my nice leather chair all day than sit in a cube with an inferior computer equipment, desk and chair and having to deal with commuting on a daily basis.