Job Thread

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

31 minutes ago, NorthSideSox72 said:

This is turning into a FIlibuster thread, and we closed that forum for a reason. The politics stops, here and now.

 

Those who remain silent in the face of tyranny, in the name of conflict avoidance, are complicit in the further deterioration of individual liberties. Our problem isn't political, it is conversational; address the point, address the fact, and support the freedom and opportunities for all - do not demean those who don't agree or belittle those who believe differently; educate those with evidence and support. While all minds will not be changed in one day, the advancements of one man at a time has an impact on growth and development to which many can't fathom.

I digress, but I just want to point out these aren't political discussions. These are discussions of compassion and support for those who may not have had as privileged and lucky of an upbringing as I. I personally did not cause the success of my mother and father, and the benefits I received from said success was luck - not choice - and therefore I will always be compassionate of those who were not born with such luck. I have love for all people, even those who may not see the world through the same lens as myself. If we cannot have sensible discussions, what do we really have left?

I just wanted to point out that nothing about what I said was political. Politics are policy based; politics shall not be based on degrees of human decency and should have zero impact on the rights of equality and opportunity for all citizens. 

Edited February 13, 2020 by Look at Ray Ray Run

[Iwritecode]

14 hours ago, Jack Parkman said:

I made $ 200 a week at one for the 2 weeks I worked there, and at the other one I was well under 10k in a year. 

The most I've ever made in a year, as an adult is under 8k. 

Mostly because SSI is a poverty trap. They're so punitive. Neither job offered benefits, so I had to stay on SSI to have health insurance. 

I graduated college at 25, during a low point in the recession.(2011) I was only able to stay on my parents insurance because I was on SSI. 

Based on what I saw, the recovery didn't really take off until 2014-15. Jobs were hard to come by. 

You have to have a 40 hour a week job making 35-40k per year with benefits for it to be financially responsible to get off of SSI. I've done the math.

FYI, $15/hr is 31.5k......and that's before taxes. 

I take meds everyday to keep myself functional, and keeping the insurance>>>making money without benefits. I couldn't hold the job without the meds, and they're incredibly expensive oop. To put it in perspective, at a $12/hr, 40 hr/week job with no health insurance, I couldn't afford just my meds on my take home pay. Some insurance companies refuse to cover my meds. It's a huge, giant catch 22. If it wasn't for this, I would have done something else long ago. Not to mention the multiple physical issues I've had over the  years. 

My congenital leg deformity probably did more to prevent me from getting and keeping a job than my autism did. I was born with abnormally short tendons in my lower leg(gastrocnemius/achilles) that affected the structure of my foot as I grew. I didn't know about it until I was in my early 20s. All I knew was the severe pain. 

What a lot of people don't realize, is that when you're disabled you have to get a decent job immediately. You can't afford to work your way up the ladder, as crazy as that sounds, because you need the health insurance more than you need the job. No benefits=can't take the job, because I'll lose SSI and I can't afford my meds. Hence, why it's a poverty trap. Regardless of whether or not it's medicaid or private, you have to qualify, otherwise you're screwed. 

 

https://blogs.msn.com/povertynextdoor/locked-into-poverty-impossible-choices-forced-on-the-disabled/?fbclid=IwAR1epNWDL9BqIWVU3ZcM2F351mFkYn9brhdJ8d60oNnRemywCxoZyLrC-mA

 

Here's an article about a physically disabled person trying to work.....It's similar for me, but instead of a personal assistant think Psychiatrist/Therapist/meds. I'd theoretically "have access" through the ACA, but the deductibles are so high that it basically only covers a hospital visit.  That shit really adds up. 

I hope this doesn't continue to turn the thread political but this right here is exactly the reason we need a system for everyone to have medical benefits that aren't tied to having a full-time job.

[Chicago White Sox]

47 minutes ago, Iwritecode said:

I hope this doesn't continue to turn the thread political but this right here is exactly the reason we need a system for everyone to have medical benefits that aren't tied to having a full-time job.

100% agree with that.

[Chisoxfn]

On 2/12/2020 at 3:28 PM, Jack Parkman said:

I don't believe I have an attitude problem. I do believe that most of the people in this thread, including you, are entitled and selfish, Look in the mirror, because maybe you are the one with the attitude problem. You just don't realize it. 

Jack - Normally when 9 out of 10 people are telling you one thing...you should probably listen.  People can be wrong...but when you see everyone have a consistent view, its best to self reflect and think long and hard about what might be your perceived reality vs. actual reality.  

[Chisoxfn]

On 2/12/2020 at 3:34 PM, Chicago White Sox said:

As one of the few people who have met Jack in person, I agree he’s his biggest obstacle.  Even though it was only for 15 minutes, it’s very clear he’s an incredibly sharp guy and for the most part very normal.  His autism is not blatantly obvious IMO.  No doubt being on the spectrum is a huge challenge on a day to day basis, but Jack routinely blamed others and/or the system for his shortfalls.  And to be fair, it sounds like he’s had some bad breaks, but at some point you got to own your fate and do whatever it takes to get by.  It just seems like he assumes he’s fucked without external assistance and has accepted that reality, which is sad because there is a really smart guy somewhere in there.

Jack - I agree with everything said here. You are clearly very intelligent, but I think you need a paradigm shift in your mentality/perspective on certain things.  Its amazing what the power of optimism and what a positive must/will do attitude can do. You say everyone would do it if things were that easy...but the reality is...many people don't.  Combine smarts with the right attitude and you are already in the 90th percentile.  

[Chisoxfn]

On 2/12/2020 at 3:48 PM, South Sider said:

Finishing my Bachelors this semester and got super lucky and scored a job as business consultant already!

Almost no commute, good benefits, good to great pay, leader who wants to take on a mentor role. I'm very excited! I was prepared for the long grind of interviewing and blasting resumes all over the place for months on end. Avoiding that is really awesome. ?

Fantastic - Congrats! 

[Jack Parkman]

1 hour ago, Chisoxfn said:

Jack - I agree with everything said here. You are clearly very intelligent, but I think you need a paradigm shift in your mentality/perspective on certain things.  Its amazing what the power of optimism and what a positive must/will do attitude can do. You say everyone would do it if things were that easy...but the reality is...many people don't.  Combine smarts with the right attitude and you are already in the 90th percentile.  

Don't worry, I'm fine really. I'm just extremely frustrated. If I come across like a dick sometimes, it's probably because I'm frustrated. 

I tend to have a positive attitude most of the time these days, but I do get frustrated from time to time. 

I've realized I'm a bit too eccentric to go into the regular marketplace the majority of the time. I'm focusing on autism hiring initiatives going forward. 

Hell, I interviewed with my old employer now that my ex is gone. They seem to want me back, I want to go back, and I know it's a good environment for me. 

I should find out sometime next week if I can go back. It's not perfect, but it's better than nothing. Ultimately, I want my independence and I can get it there now. 

You guys caught me on a bad few days, where I was stressed and frustrated......I can only do so much. I didn't learn my lesson for refraining from posting when angry/frustrated. 

Sometimes I use threads to vent/get out my negative energy. Literally, after arguing with you guys for a day or two, I immediately felt more positive......It isn't like I'm not trying, and frustration is normal. 

The thing I'm most frustrated about is the healthcare issue. It really limits my options, and has been keeping me down. I've had to choose not to do certain jobs because there was no healthcare option, and I can't take temp-to-hire positions because I can't afford to lose my insurance if they don't hire me at the end of the contract. It blows chunks. 

I'm super pissed at the system because I know I could do better if it was better. But it is what it is, and it keeps me broke and miserable(for now) I'm trying to look at the bright side about a lot of things. Count your blessings, try to get frustrated and angry less. I have a ton of idle time right now so it's easy to get stuck in my head. I'd appreciate if you guys would read that article so you know what us disabled folk have to go through trying to get a start in the workforce. To say it sucks, is an understatement. 

Cheers, and apologies for being a dick. 

 

Edited February 14, 2020 by Jack Parkman

[ptatc]

14 hours ago, Iwritecode said:

I hope this doesn't continue to turn the thread political but this right here is exactly the reason we need a system for everyone to have medical benefits that aren't tied to having a full-time job.

Ideally yes, practically I dont think its feasible with the cost. 

[Jack Parkman]

9 minutes ago, ptatc said:

Ideally yes, practically I dont think its feasible with the cost. 

You do know that the plans for universal coverage cost less than we're spending as a country on private insurance now, don't you? 

With something like M4A vs. private insurance, the costs are actually less per individual than paying for private insurance. The government also has the ability to negotiate drug prices, where insurance companies choose to accept them as is. The main difference for M4A vs. private is two fold 1. M4A is less expensive for the average citizen vs. their current deductible. 2. Who you pay the bill to. Medicare vs. a private insurer. 

Insurance is by definition an exclusionary product. It's absolutely the wrong industry to be running healthcare. I don't doubt there are some good private insurance plans out there, but the reality is the ones that most people get are shitty. You pay money so your insurance company can refuse to cover your medicine, regardless of whether or not it is medically necessary. 

The best insurance plan I've ever had was actually medicaid. Not kidding. 

Edited February 14, 2020 by Jack Parkman

[The Beast]

5 hours ago, ptatc said:

Ideally yes, practically I dont think its feasible with the cost. 

The cost and the benefits that unions bargained for their members. My wife is a teacher and I work in insurance, so I have a bit of an idea on what schools and union employees get. These benefits matter.

[ptatc]

6 hours ago, Jack Parkman said:

You do know that the plans for universal coverage cost less than we're spending as a country on private insurance now, don't you? 

With something like M4A vs. private insurance, the costs are actually less per individual than paying for private insurance. The government also has the ability to negotiate drug prices, where insurance companies choose to accept them as is. The main difference for M4A vs. private is two fold 1. M4A is less expensive for the average citizen vs. their current deductible. 2. Who you pay the bill to. Medicare vs. a private insurer. 

Insurance is by definition an exclusionary product. It's absolutely the wrong industry to be running healthcare. I don't doubt there are some good private insurance plans out there, but the reality is the ones that most people get are shitty. You pay money so your insurance company can refuse to cover your medicine, regardless of whether or not it is medically necessary. 

The best insurance plan I've ever had was actually medicaid. Not kidding. 

I'm not going to get into it but this is a false narrative. My wife has been in health insurance for over 30 years and is currently a VP for one of the largest companies in the world. I've seen the numbers of the US vs.countires that have health insurance for all. It's just too costly. Countries like Greece and Ireland have needed bailouts from the EU mostly because of costly universal programs like this and they don't have near the issues the US has.

 

I know you wont believe it and never will. No one who has your stance does. But that's the way it is.

[ptatc]

1 hour ago, The Beast said:

The cost and the benefits that unions bargained for their members. My wife is a teacher and I work in insurance, so I have a bit of an idea on what schools and union employees get. These benefits matter.

Of course they matter. I'm a teacher and part of a union as well. A d its costly. Why do you think pensions are always so costly and under fire. It's not the awesome salaries we get. Sure the highly paid administrators make all the news but for the vast majority of us it's the benefits that drive up the cost.

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

1 hour ago, ptatc said:

I'm not going to get into it but this is a false narrative. My wife has been in health insurance for over 30 years and is currently a VP for one of the largest companies in the world. I've seen the numbers of the US vs.countires that have health insurance for all. It's just too costly. Countries like Greece and Ireland have needed bailouts from the EU mostly because of costly universal programs like this and they don't have near the issues the US has.

 

I know you wont believe it and never will. No one who has your stance does. But that's the way it is.

This is just flat out wrong, but you're right; I'm not going to get into it with you any further after this.

Insurance companies have driven up the cost of healthcare, not the other way around. They have also greatly driven up the costs of pharmaceuticals. Insurance companies make money hand over foot - this is a stone cold fact. They distribute some of those profits to the health care industry, so they don't give a damn about minimizing costs. This is exactly why I can pay the hospital in cash about 20% what the insurance company will pay them for the same service. It is a broken system and arguing otherwise is solely tied to your career in the industry that has become incredibly lucrative. Health care should not be capitalist driven system as it should be a basic human right. Doctors are still compensated plenty well in countries that have universal health care. 

And all driving up costs has done is forced the average joe to pay for services for people who can't afford it, while the insurance companies and health care industry profits. No one should go bankrupt because they got cancer or their children get sick and it's disturbing that anyone excuses that happening. 

Greece and etc went broke far for more reasons than you are insinuating too; as did Ireland. Their bailouts were not caused by the health card industry, they were caused by poor government management in all departments. Greece is subprime and it's not because of healthcare. 

The health and well being of a human being is never "too costly" and it's absurd to imply otherwise. There should be no price on the life of a human being.

Edited February 14, 2020 by Look at Ray Ray Run

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

On 2/13/2020 at 7:11 AM, lane said:

The military is a legitimate function of federal government. Taking care of the Jacks of the world is not. Absolute last thing I’m posting on this topic.

I just wanted to say, the discussion Lane and I had via PM's after this conversation was not only cordial, but it gives me hope for a lot of people. Messaging is huge in these discussions; lane isn't a bad person just because he feels the way he feels. In fact, due to the messaging given to those who disagree with many I understand completely why lane feels the way he does. The fact that he was not only willing to listen to my point, but even agree with my angle despite disagreeing with the premise prior to our discussion is why I love these conversations. The key to life isn't telling those who don't see things the way you do that they are idiots; the key is informing them that just because they benefited from things does not mean they didn't earn them through hard work; the point I made is that everyone should just have that same opportunity and sadly they still do not. 

Lane, great conversation and I really appreciated your thoughts and feelings on all of this. I understand the frustration of thinking people were saying you were handed something because you were white, or because of your parents, when you know you worked really hard to get where you are. I told lane about experiences I have witnessed my wife have - who is a native Colombian - and how it breaks my heart to see her judged for her accent, culture and etc. My wife is a brilliant woman - with an engineering degree - but she doesn't always get the same opportunities that I may get because of her cultural background. All I ask is for everyone to be on an even playing field, and for the fortunate ones among us to understand that not everyone had loving parents... or parents that could be home because they may have had to work two jobs to support their families. 

At the end of the day, we're all human beings, and we're frequently a product of our environments. I am hopeful we can get to a place where all kids feel supported and an equal opportunity to succeed; a place in which the environment for all is one of opportunity and not survival. Crime is higher in low income neighborhoods not because they are evil people, but because desperation breeds a survival instinct in humans and people do whatever they have to when survival is involved. I don't judge those from backgrounds that I can't understand, but if we support each other we can build up the bottom which greatly benefits the middle and the top.

Good discussion all around, and I am immensely grateful for the cordial nature of this discussion. It shows me that we are all still capable of respectful conversation. Have a great weekend, fellas.

Edited February 14, 2020 by Look at Ray Ray Run

[lane]

9 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

I just wanted to say, the discussion Lane and I had via PM's after this conversation was not only cordial, but it gives me hope for a lot of people. Messaging is huge in these discussions; lane isn't a bad person just because he feels the way he feels. In fact, due to the messaging given to those who disagree with many I understand completely why lane feels the way he does. The fact that he was not only willing to listen to my point, but even agree with my angle despite disagreeing with the premise prior to our discussion is why I love these conversations. The key to life isn't telling those who don't see things the way you do that they are idiots; the key is informing them that just because they benefited from things does not mean they didn't earn them through hard work; the point I made is that everyone should just have that same opportunity and sadly they still do not. 

Lane, great conversation and I really appreciated your thoughts and feelings on all of this. I understand the frustration of thinking people were saying you were handed something because you were white, or because of your parents, when you know you worked really hard to get where you are. I told lane about experiences I have witnessed my wife have - who is a native Colombian - and how it breaks my heart to see her judged for her accent, culture and etc. My wife is a brilliant woman - with an engineering degree - but she doesn't always get the same opportunities that I may get because of her cultural background. All I ask is for everyone to be on an even playing field, and for the fortunate ones among us to understand that not everyone had loving parents... or parents that could be home because they may have had to work two jobs to support their families. 

At the end of the day, we're all human beings, and we're frequently a product of our environments. I am hopeful we can get to a place where all kids feel supported and an equal opportunity to succeed; a place in which the environment for all is one of opportunity and not survival. Crime is higher in low income neighborhoods not because they are evil people, but because desperation breeds a survival instinct in humans and people do whatever they have to when survival is involved. I don't judge those from backgrounds that I can't understand, but if we support each other we can build up the bottom which greatly benefits the middle and the top.

Good discussion all around, and I am immensely grateful for the cordial nature of this discussion. It shows me that we are all still capable of respectful conversation. Have a great weekend, fellas.

A sincere thank you, Ray, and I'm glad it meant so much to you. Our overall end goals might not change, but it's great to talk to people who disagree with our perspectives. I am still and probably always will be ardently conservative, but that does not mean I am not willing to listen to others and hash these things out and even rethink things (in some circumstances, anyway). If you can't discuss your beliefs in a rational manner, they're not beliefs worth having. Have a great weekend, and happy Valentine's Day to you and your wife!

[Look at Ray Ray Run]

11 minutes ago, lane said:

A sincere thank you, Ray, and I'm glad it meant so much to you. Our overall end goals might not change, but it's great to talk to people who disagree with our perspectives. I am still and probably always will be ardently conservative, but that does not mean I am not willing to listen to others and hash these things out and even rethink things (in some circumstances, anyway). If you can't discuss your beliefs in a rational manner, they're not beliefs worth having. Have a great weekend, and happy Valentine's Day to you and your wife!

Yeah, and I hate making these things political in nature because they don't feel political to me. I am a former conservative - who still leans that way financially but I lean that way based on historical conservatism which I don't feel exists today the same way it did 20 years ago - who now is a moderate who has voted D more often of late. I don't really think there are a lot of politicians on either side of the aisle that care about you and me, sadly. 

Same to you; have a great time with the family this weekend - and the wife - and go Sox. The greatness of athletics is it brings people together from all walks of life based on a common bond that helps you to understand that we're not all that different - the messaging we have received just varies. The key to advancement is moving outside of your bubble and being open to changing our minds or beliefs when presented with reasonable discourse. We may not agree, but we can at least understand the position without anger and hostility. Decency still exists, despite the narrative that it is fleeting.

Edited February 14, 2020 by Look at Ray Ray Run

[Iwritecode]

On 9/5/2019 at 5:44 PM, Jack Parkman said:

I'd love to work in my field. I have a BS in chemical engineering.

On 2/11/2020 at 10:53 PM, Jack Parkman said:

I'm a smart guy, I got my Chem E degree but it would have been impossible for me to do it if I wasn't given the accommodation of a note taker in class.

 

On 2/12/2020 at 7:44 PM, Jack Parkman said:

I made $ 200 a week at one for the 2 weeks I worked there, and at the other one I was well under 10k in a year. 

The most I've ever made in a year, as an adult is under 8k. 

I just wanted to go back to this for a second. You have a BS in Chemical Engineering but have never made more than 8K/year? How is that possible?

It seems like with that level of education there should be a ton of places you could work and make pretty decent money.

 

[ptatc]

1 hour ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

This is just flat out wrong, but you're right; I'm not going to get into it with you any further after this.

Insurance companies have driven up the cost of healthcare, not the other way around. They have also greatly driven up the costs of pharmaceuticals. Insurance companies make money hand over foot - this is a stone cold fact. They distribute some of those profits to the health care industry, so they don't give a damn about minimizing costs. This is exactly why I can pay the hospital in cash about 20% what the insurance company will pay them for the same service. It is a broken system and arguing otherwise is solely tied to your career in the industry that has become incredibly lucrative. Health care should not be capitalist driven system as it should be a basic human right. Doctors are still compensated plenty well in countries that have universal health care. 

And all driving up costs has done is forced the average joe to pay for services for people who can't afford it, while the insurance companies and health care industry profits. No one should go bankrupt because they got cancer or their children get sick and it's disturbing that anyone excuses that happening. 

Greece and etc went broke far for more reasons than you are insinuating too; as did Ireland. Their bailouts were not caused by the health card industry, they were caused by poor government management in all departments. Greece is subprime and it's not because of healthcare. 

The health and well being of a human being is never "too costly" and it's absurd to imply otherwise. There should be no price on the life of a human being.

I have seen the numbers and know the data. You'll also not believe that the large insurance companies make very little money on premiums. The vast majority of their profit comes from investments.   You can go on theories and narratives all you want but they just aren't accurate. 

Of course the problems of the countries went only healthcare. But that why I said it its that whole concept of which the healthcare was part of it.

Just another reason why it would never work in the US is that anyone who work with Medicare or Medicaid government run insurance know that they are the most corrupt and poorly run systems you'll see. I have no faith that an healthcare system run by the US government system would be run properly and not just cause more waste than efficiency. 

If you go back to my original post I said universal healthcare is a ideally a great idea. You trying to paint me as selfish and only out for my benefit is wholly inaccurate and wrong.  I just don't see how it could work on this country without just being too costly for everyone. 

Maybe someone smarter than me can figure it out but I haven't seen any plan that would work.

Edited February 14, 2020 by ptatc

[lane]

12 minutes ago, Look at Ray Ray Run said:

Yeah, and I hate making these things political in nature because they don't feel political to me. I am a former conservative - who still leans that way financially but I lean that way based on historical conservatism which I don't feel exists today the same way it did 20 years ago - who now is a moderate who has voted D more often of late. I don't really think there are a lot of politicians on either side of the aisle that care about you and me, sadly. 

Same to you; have a great time with the family this weekend - and the wife - and go Sox. The greatness of athletics is it brings people together from all walks of life based on a common bond that helps you to understand that we're not all that different - the messaging we have received just varies. The key to advancement is moving outside of your bubble and being open to changing our minds or beliefs when presented with reasonable discourse. We may not agree, but we can at least understand the position without anger and hostility. Decency still exists, despite the narrative that it is fleeting.

There's one guy I support who I genuinely believe to care about people like me, but I'll leave it at that. ?

As for the second part, I don't think it's as fleeting as it seems. You hear about cases like the guy who drove his van into a GOP tent, and Antifa, and the guys and gals who smacked off MAGA hats, and people on Twitter and Reddit are mean because it's the Internet, and on and on and on. But usually, people are kind, especially in real life. I read a post on Medium from a liberal woman who went to a Trump rally in NH and told people openly that she was a Democrat, and she reported that they all welcomed her. I work with a ton of liberals and they all know where I stand and they're all OK with that. They're perfectly nice to me and I am friends with many of them. We joke each other about it and that's it. I've never met anyone in my entire life who turned into a raging dick just because we disagree politically. It gets a lot of attention in the media when it happens, but most people are not like that.

PS: Rereading your last line sounds like you probably agree with me on this, since you refer to a "narrative" that it is fleeting. Either way.

PSS: Interested in what you mean by historical conservatism that no longer exists. Message me if you care to share.

[Jack Parkman]

1 hour ago, Iwritecode said:

 

I just wanted to go back to this for a second. You have a BS in Chemical Engineering but have never made more than 8K/year? How is that possible?

It seems like with that level of education there should be a ton of places you could work and make pretty decent money.

 

Never was able to get a job in the field...or anything related to it. 

Interviews were rare, and I never got an offer. Even for a lab tech position. 

I stopped looking for Chem E jobs in the summer of 2017. I'm working on IT stuff now because I believe it's a better fit for my skillset. 

People don't realize that you don't choose your career, your career chooses you. 

[The Beast]

4 hours ago, ptatc said:

Of course they matter. I'm a teacher and part of a union as well. A d its costly. Why do you think pensions are always so costly and under fire. It's not the awesome salaries we get. Sure the highly paid administrators make all the news but for the vast majority of us it's the benefits that drive up the cost.

True and pensions are definitely a tough issue, even though I am worried my wife won’t ever see her pension because of the unfunded pensions in Illinois, the loopholes in how people can get them from multiple jobs (retired from one, working another) and the fact that the state can’t reduce the 3% COLA or change benefits. My concern is mostly with these reasons and the administrators, along with those leaving the state. So I guess we will have to contribute to an IRA or 403(b) for her retirement. Benefits are definitely a fascinating topic even if they are debatable in Illinois.

[Iwritecode]

Interesting. My company is almost always looking for engineers. Although I think they are different types of engineering that what you would know.

Most of the job openings I see are from mechanical, process or application engineers. I honestly don't know enough about engineering to know what the difference between them is though.

[Jack Parkman]

1 hour ago, Iwritecode said:

Interesting. My company is almost always looking for engineers. Although I think they are different types of engineering that what you would know.

Most of the job openings I see are from mechanical, process or application engineers. I honestly don't know enough about engineering to know what the difference between them is though.

Chem Es do process engineering. 

I've decided I'm bowing out of this thread for the foreseeable future, because I've realized that I literally have to come across a perfect opportunity that fits every one of my criteria in order to be successful. Not only does that not exist, it's unrealistic to expect. 

I have a chance to go back to my old company with a new perspective. There is the possibility for career growth there, and I'm willing to go there and try my absolute best. I just don't think there's any way I'd be successful in a full-time, mainstream position. It was probably unrealistic for me to have ever expected it in the first place. 

Good luck to everyone in their careers. 

Edited February 14, 2020 by Jack Parkman

[ptatc]

3 hours ago, The Beast said:

True and pensions are definitely a tough issue, even though I am worried my wife won’t ever see her pension because of the unfunded pensions in Illinois, the loopholes in how people can get them from multiple jobs (retired from one, working another) and the fact that the state can’t reduce the 3% COLA or change benefits. My concern is mostly with these reasons and the administrators, along with those leaving the state. So I guess we will have to contribute to an IRA or 403(b) for her retirement. Benefits are definitely a fascinating topic even if they are debatable in Illinois.

The deferred compensation option is the best. Its pre-salary so it also lowers her overall taxable income. If been contributing to this 403b for 15 years.

[Chicago White Sox]

5 hours ago, Jack Parkman said:

People don't realize that you don't choose your career, your career chooses you. 

Can you please stop making broad / dumb generalizations like this?