today's rant: night shift

of the past twelve months, i spent four of them unemployed.  that was not fun.  call me crazy, but i like money and not having to talk with debt collectors (if there was a "scum of the earth" directory, debt collectors would fit right in between the westboro baptist church and disney tweeny boppers).  now, i'm finding myself having to re-network all over again.  the reason is kinda shitty, but here goes.

on 8/30 at my current job, 7 or so quality inspectors, including myself, were told that our positions were being eliminated.  i have no definitive answer why.  the positions were eliminated based on seniority, or in our case, lack thereof.  we were given two options:  1) take a night shift machine operator position for less money, even with the night differential, or 2) take a 3-day severance deal.  i cannot afford to miss a paycheck and i hate COBRA with a passion.  so i took the job they offered.  a couple people took the severance and ran.  i don't like the job now.  it's not the night shift itself, it's the work involved.  it's not the reason i went to college.  i'd like to go into gory detail about how much i don't like it, but i still work there and i don't need HR or the GM having to take me into their office for another "chat".

let me put it this way:  HR and everyone in my old department, including my old supervisor, know that we got screwed over.  they know that we don't want the new position.  they know we're looking for new jobs.  they know this because they are in touch with reality.  it wasn't HR's decision or the GMs decision to make the cuts in the first place.  that was corporate's decision.  HR and the GM just had to choose who, and i understand that.  with 5 months under my belt, i'm not high on the totem pole.

so for the second time this year, i'm getting back in touch with all my methods of finding a new job.  websites, headhunters, job fairs, in-laws, etc.  this is the first time i've ever gotten a public outpouring of support from a vast amount of coworkers.  to which i say, "well, let me keep my old position."  ah, if only economics worked that way.

so yeah, i want a new job.  physics degree w/ 5 years of manufacturing and quality control experience.  any offers?