New City.
After I was laid off, I sold everything I could con people into buying, then packed up the rest and moved to the Seattle area of Washington. Why? Cause I had people willing to house me, and I really want to get into the tech industry. Seattle is also a great town. It's not the sprawling metropolis of LA and it offers more career opportunity than my home town of St. Louis, MO. I technically live outside of Seattle, but I make trip to the big city every week to drop off hard copies of my resume to annoyed receptionists.New People.
I already had a few friends in Seattle and while they are great, I'm more excited to meet all the new people! And it began before I even arrived. After I was laid off from THQ, my coworkers were nice enough to put me in touch with people they knew that lived up here. And while the hope is to connect with someone that can get me my next job, it is till enlighting to meet people and gather any advice I can. But I'm also doing a lot of leg work so every time I head up to the city I try to meet as many new people as possible. There is still a lot weight in the old adage of, "It's not what you know, but who you know."
New Opportunity.
Now for big-boy talk. What am I going to do now? And I have an answer: I don't know. While I would like to work in the tech industry and be a game designer, I have become aware that not all hopes come true. I will work my tailbone off to try and make it happen but I realize that I have to keep my options open if I want to remain in Seattle. I was hanging out with some people the other night and one of them said to me, "I hope you find work in the industry you want because there is nothing like earning a dollar doing something you love." First of all, that is an awesome quote. Second of all, it really resonated with me. I love film and television. I am trained in film and television. So if I got a job in film or television, I would be extremely happy. However, I am also greatly invested in finding work in the game industry, and I'm willing to do whatever it takes to make that happen. And while a getting a job right away in either of these industries would be ideal, I am not above taking something in the mean-time. But I will be so bold to make this statement: I will get a job in the entertainment industry.
So there you have it. But let's say for argument's sake we take a realist's view of my situation. I'm unemployed in the worst economic downturn since the great depression. Jobs are rare and even if you find you find one, chances are it is not remotely related to what you went to school for. Add on top of that that most people my age are underemployed and all of sudden the chances of me getting my dream are even less! With all that being said, let me say this: I'm still excited.
