This post has two purposes: to inform and to ask for help.
Information:
Two days before Ryan was laid off, if you’d asked us, we would have told you that his job was completely secure. His division of the company was the only one making money and they had just started a new 18-month long project. It completely caught us off guard…and was that much more upsetting. They decided to shut down Ryan’s entire project, so he had no way of fighting for his job; it was simply non-existent.
We are fine. He got a little bit of severance, we have a good amount of savings and no debt, besides our house. Our food storage is (mostly) up to date. We have always practiced hard-core budgeting and are in the habit of living below our means. I am grateful to believe in a Gospel that places value on relationships over things, living prophets who have long advised us on provident living, a Heavenly Father who blesses us as we pay our tithes and fast offerings, and a husband who make REALLY frugal look good.
He is, of course, working hard at finding a job and is doing some consulting work with a friend…it seems he has less free time now than before!
The Help:
With 3 layoffs in 7 years, 7 companies in 12 years, 3 job relocations…I’m kind of giving up on settling. (I moved a lot growing up, and it was good for me. Moving is fun; if you minus the packing and the friend-leaving.) Which means…we’ll move wherever we can find a job and we feel like we’re “supposed to be”.
This is where you come in: Can you help? Ryan is an electrical engineer. He works in microchip design. So what I need you to do is:
a) tell us if you know of any high tech, computer type companies that are hiring. And tell your friends who work at those places that you have a great guy to refer to them.
b) leave a comment with names of high-tech companies in your area. Ryan can search those companies to see if they are hiring.
(If I read this post, I would think: “What? I don’t know that kind of stuff.” And if I really liked you and wanted to help, I would think: “I think I’ll go ask my husband because he knows where people work way more than I do.”)
c) tell me why your area is a great place to live.
TO MY LIBERTY LAKE FRIENDS: we do not want to leave. We love it here, more than any place ever! We don’t want to sell our house. We don’t want to leave the best neighborhood on the planet. There are just not that many options in Spokane for what Ryan does. (There is one possibility that is promising, though, so say prayer for us).
So that’s the deal. Is this too much information? Is Ryan going to be embarrassed when we sees it?
Whatever. Just help us get a job. In case you haven’t heard, the economy’s not too hot right now, and jobs are scarce. We need all the help we can get.
40 comments:
My hubby is also an EE in chip design. He worked for Freescale for many years and just started at AMD a couple of months ago. We're in Austin. I'll ask him if he knows about anything open, but I think that they are hiring. Email me if you're interested in the Lone Star State. :)
pchef _ girl *AT* yahoo (DOT) com
Hey Jessica,
It's me Ashli (Zemp) Lundwall! I've read your blog for a little while but I don't know if i've ever commented. Well my husband just got a job offer from a Navy Base in Ridgecrest, California. I know they are hiring a lot of people right now and they hire electrical, and mechanical engineers. They make and design weapons for the military. The job would be super fun, the only downside is the area. It is in the middle of nowhere in the desert in Southern California. Anyway, we might be moving there in December since my husband can't find ANY other job anywhere. The website is http://www.navair.navy.mil/nawcwd/
My hubby is here in Beaverton, Oregon doing some contract work for SolarWorld. They are in Hillsboro. I know that solar technology is a growing field, but I'm not sure if they're hiring.
Beaverton is great. We are in the best ward we've ever known--the area has TONS of fun places to go and great schools and community programs. We have been in Utah for several years but I'm hoping we can stay here! Oregon is a tough job market now, but if you can find a job then the housing is more affordable than some places!
Hi Jessica, Greg works for Raytheon here in Boston. They have been healthy throughout this economy and have several divisions here: radar, space stuff, defense systems, etc. plus many more around the US. I just did a search on their website and they have 58 EE jobs posted right now, all over the country.
G's an attorney but we know several people throughout the company, including engineers, so let us know if you're interested.
Good luck!
p.s BS or MS degree? I can't remember...
I think you are smart for doing this and I'd do the same thing- you have a ridiculous number of readers who love you and we know good things come from blogging so why not a job? I'll have Jeff read this tonight.
Oh yeah, and we had a come to Jesus and the man now comes home at 6 every single night and I'm not sure what to do with all the shows I'm not getting to watch.
I'll ask Forrest and I hear he knows a lot of people, so maybe we can get some feelers out for ya. And our ward seems to have a nack for getting people jobs. I'll see what I can do, though it might not be much. And don't worry, Ryan, I won't be embarrassing.
And, of course, you'll be in our prayers. Love you! Good luck!
PS- I don't think Manhattan is the type of place you want to move (most unaffordable place in America - I'd love you to live by me though), but Coppell TX is amazing! Dallas is great! (two-thumbs up for Austin and Houston too)
I am so impressed by your positive outlook - I know everything will work out in the end. My husband is an EE with our electrical company - I'm not sure the utility industry counts as high tech, but Denver's got lots of high tech companies and is weathering the economy pretty well. I'll have him check the internal job listings tomorrow.
I wish I had an idea for you and I'll do some digging to see if the people I know stateside might be aware of something. In the meantime, Kenny really loves his employer and the benefits are good and they never, EVER lay anybody off. It's a long term proposition, but the US Department of State employs all kinds in all capacities (not everyone lives overseas) and it might be worth it just to drop a resume. Maybe?
Jessica, is Ryan interested in teaching? I wonder if universities need professors (*ahem* Virginia Tech). The reason I say this is, from what I have surmised he would be an excellent professor and has his doctorate AND real life experience. Virginia Tech is an engineering school and I LOVE Blacksburg. If he would be interested in looking into it, our former Stake President is a prominent engineer/professor at Virginia Tech and I would be more than happy to set up for Ryan to talk to him. I love that whole area of the country. (The schools in Blacksburg are superb and I love and miss the people there very much (great ward and stake).
mp_marshman@yahoo.com
Also, I will look into the engineering jobs locally (in Georgia).
We aren't much help in the EE department. But we do live in a great area and would love to live by you guys. So, if you here of any opportunities here, come out our way.
I've never commented before, not even when you did your de-lurk thing. I was going to, but i was at work procrastinating and my boss walked by and I had to do a quick close. Anyways I dunno how you feel about Canada. But RIM (the people who make blackberry) are hiring like crazy around our area. I heard somethign on the radio about them not being able to hire people fast enough.. and seriously Canada so rocks to live in. And RIM is all over, so I'm sure there are other non-canadian options.
i know nothing about electrical engineering, but i know that intel is here in folsom. we love folsom. a smaller community but close to the city, the lake, the river, farms, APPLE HILL, great school, great neighborhoods.... closer to your family and blog/real life friends :)
My Ryan said he knows a lot of people for EE. But they are all in the Bay Area. So if you are interested in that Ryan said he would make a call for you guys. But obviously you'd have to move.
I know how ya feel though. I was SOOO attached to the Bay Area. There are jobs there for my Ryan, but no one will pay relocation costs and we don't have our own funds to move ourselves. I will keep you in my prayers!
De lurking, again.
Boise, Boise, Boise, Idaho!
Great city with a community feel.
Great Family City with a great mix of members and non-members. Fun Wards and Stakes.
Great outdoors, greenbelts, parks, boating, skiing, etc. Great weather. Fun summer temps for water activities, and great winter weather, a little snow but not enough to stop the city, or to make driving difficult. Everyone that moves here, loves it.
We love going to McCall, a great lake town, similar to Bear Lake a couple hours from Boise.
Great neighborhoods, affordable housing & cost of living. www.idahoproperties.com if you're in the mood to househunt.
A nice distance from UT if you have family there.
Now for the job part:
Boise has Micron, Microsoft, and Hewlett Packard (HP). All of which would have a possible job opportunity for your husband. You could also check Boise's craiglist for engineering jobs.
Best to you and your family!
I wish I spoke the EE language but I don't. I speak laundry and mom stuff and that's it. LOL.
Super smart to post this here. I hope you find a perfect match. Your family deserves it.
We have Micron and HP here but they are all tanking so I don't know if they are hiring... I'll start asking around.
I hope that you don't have to leave. You do have a sweet set up up there. I so miss Liberty Lake but like you said, when it's right to move, you do it and it works out.
I'm saying my prayers for you guys!
I don't know who Katie is but she is really selling Boise. That makes me feel bad because I didn't do that and I actually know you.
Let me say this, I would LOVE LOVE LOVE if you came to Boise. There are about a bizillion houses in my neighborhood for sale. We could take the kids swimming at the neighborhood pool do Fridays at McD's again.
Okay, my mind feels better having said that. I wish you luck through all this crap.
Have Ryan get his resume to Jarom and he will give it to the right people here at f5. He thinks they may be hiring.... and not only would it keep you where you at, but he'd be able to walk to work :).
Could he work for Monsanto? I don't know exactly what they do, but I know they are big here.
St. Louis is AWESOME. There is virtually no snow in the winter, and when it comes, it is gone in a day or two. The spring comes early, like mid-March early, and fall is spectacular. You never wear a coat at Halloween. Our ward is huge, which means you wouldn't have to have a big calling. The pool is deep, my friend.
Cost of living is ridiculously affordable. In fact, there are two homes for sale in my neighborhood right now.
I'd be your new BFF and promise to tend your kids will you unpacked the truck.
Plus, Zion will be here someday. That alone should be compelling enough.
I'll ask around at church. But put some feelers out for St. Louis for my sake, will you?
i know intel has a big division here in AZ (i think it's in chandler) but it's a great place to live and raise a family. plus...with adrianne moving here...you'd have a ton of fun!!!
I've been bugging my husband for names. He's out of the chip arena but he still knows a few people. They mostly work for cisco systems in milpitas.
There's a guy in my ward who just got a tech job so I emailed him. Maybe he knows something.
It really sucks that this is happening to you once again. You guys have been seriously unlucky in employment.
Got nothin' but love and prayers for you Jessica. My hub was a dentist, now a teacher, zero contacts in the tech world. This sucks, but a giant 'awesome' that you have trained yourselves so well. You're a testimony to provident living. Oh! Add admiration to the love and prayers.
have a friend at cisqo systems. will ask if ryan can send resume.
you can't move until at least july of next year, when i do. which should be fine since you have your year's supply.
My husband works at Cisco Systems. Send resume to mduff@cisco.com
I don't know if they are hiring. He is out golfing right now so I can't ask. I will let him know to look out for the resume.
I'm WAY behind on my blog reading so you'll have to forgive me for not chiming in about your super crummy birthday and Ryan's job layoff earlier.
Three words:
That sucks. Sorry.
Really. I'm sooo sorry. I hope he finds something soon that's good for him and YOU and for your whole family. I'll definitely keep your family in my prayers. Promise.
Has he ever thought about working at Hill Air Force Base? The electrical engineers there make a lot of money plus you're working for the government which means REALLY great benefits.
Plus...
if you lived in Utah, you could be my neighbor and that in itself is a big bonus. Right?
I'm so sorry to hear this Jessica! I will talk to Greg and see if they can use someone like Ryan. Not sure if that is the kind of fit he's looking for, but Texas ROCKS!
Jessica, My husband, Murray, said he would look at Ryan's resume. Send to mduff@cisco.com
Ryan, forget about your degree. Just apply to the San Antonio Police Dept. with Bart and maybe you guys could work together. Then, we could all live by each other and get the rest of the family to move to Texas! I hope that you find something soon in TEXAS! Love ya!
I don't even want to resond to this. I love you. I love Ryan. I love your kids. And because I love you so much, I want what is best for you. I want you to go where Heavenly Father wants you to go. I am just praying and I mean PRAYING that his plan is for you to stay here. I love that you live five blocks from me. I love that I know how to break into your house and steal DDR or put random food in your fridge...
I've got to go now and pray some more.
I've emailed my friend in HR at Microsoft to see if he has any leads. I would recommend my company but now is not the time to work here, unfortunately. I hope this is a short stint of unemployment for you guys. I'm really so sorry. :( Keeping you in my thoughts and prayers.
Intel is in Hillsboro/Beaverton Oregon where I live and who wouldn't want a Sherrill-Romney family in their town?? Good Luck with the job search.
Wow. I am late reading and know nothing about this but will ask my husband. Love your attitude!
Oh jessica.. I feel your pain in the job department my friend! I wish I could tell you what was great here in AZ, but I am not well connected here (yet). Kara mentioned intel here in Chandler(I live in Chandler) But, I have no other leads for you in that dept. I CAN tell you that I L.O.V.E. it here. That is for sure. It is really different than Spokane, and I miss Spokane for a lot of reasons because of that, but I still love it here. The first summer was a shock (and I was pregnant) But honestly, this summer isn't even phasing me. Then again, I was in Spokane for 10 days and Utah for 7 and then my kids went back to school at the end of July. I will also say houses are easy and cheap right now and I think the schools are seriously superior. :) If you DO find something at intel, lemme know, because a lot of people in our wards (new ward and old ward) work there!
I've got a possible lead up North. Can you send me his resume. I have someone expecting it.
ps: health care is free here and they pay you $100/month for every kid you have under the age of 6. cash.
First of all, Austin is fantastic, I read the comment from the first Jessica.....that would be a phenomenal place to live. Secondly, and more importantly, I am so sorry for this majorly scarly hurdle in life. You and Ryan are lucky for many things, and one of them is that you have each other and you are a team. You will endure and you will be blessed and things will net out ok, I can say that because I believe it to be true for you. But I can imagine how frightening this may be especially for a family of 5 kids, that is nothing to scoff at. So, I will ask around and see if I know anyone who knows anyone. I will do my best. Big Hugs!
been a day or two (or three) since i've been to your blog. i'm so sorry to hear of ryan's job loss. hope you guys are fairing well.
i will for sure ask my husband if he knows of anything, but living in eugene, ha! it's a bit unlikely. good luck good luck good luck!!
It looks like you have a couple of people beckoning you to Boise. We lived in 15 houses (7 states) in a period of 10 years and I was SO sick of moving. 5 years ago we moved to Boise and we LOVE it. It's just a great place to raise a family. It actually looks like we are going to say. We have HP right next to us and there is also Micron. Good luck.
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