It’s something that’s been on my mind for the past few weeks. I knew my contract with WebMD was coming to an end and I’ve put my resume out on Dice.com, CareerBuilder.com, Yahoo! HotJobs, and Monster.com, but I’ve only received view replies to jobs I’ve applied for.
The job market, along with the whole economy, has gone down the crapper and finding a job now is going to be more difficult for me. Companies are looking for the ‘all-in-one’ guy, someone who can do PHP development, Flash ActionScript and other programming languages, which I have yet to master. I was even offered a job with AT&T that required knowledge of C++ programming and Java development – I’ve never taken classes on either language. Like I said, I’ve put my resume out there, but results have been few and far between.
I was talking with my friend, Chris Bartleson, about the whole deal and he pitched the idea of joining the Navy. He’s been in for almost 6 years now and enjoys it. And the more I read the website and look at the careers they have to offer, the more intriguing the idea of joining the Navy sounds. The only part I’m some-what nervous about is the 8 weeks of basic training, and of course, cutting ties with everything here in Georgia.
My dad did the Navy when he was about my age, so maybe that has something to do with it, or maybe it’s just the idea of moving out and becoming my own self. For the past 3 years of my professional career in web design and development, things have been pretty bland. I sit at a desk, in front of a computer, coding away. Sometimes I think that not only is my brain going to mush, but my enthusiasm for this career field is dropping. I enjoy what I do, being creative, but somewhere along the way, I’ve lost the motivation and it’s becoming more work than pleasure. Recently, I’ve taken an interest in photography and video, I would like to attend classes for both fields, but without a job, and with little money in the bank, some things are more important than school, mainly bills. The Navy offers the classes I’ll need to do photography or video in their “Arts and Photography” and “News and Media” career options. Both sound very interesting and the job skills that I’d learn are pretty cool.
But why the Navy? Well, I want to stay away from the Army and Marines because I don’t want to go to Iraq or the Middle East at all. I respect the men and women over there, but it’s just not for me. Plus, as with any branch of the military, I’ll get to travel the world, something I’ve always wanted to do. If I go in, I’m going to request for Japan or someplace in the Mediterranean, as the website doesn’t mention anything about Germany. I’m going to also request not to be on an aircraft carrier, but I might not have much of a say in the type of ship I’d be on.
After tours, I’m considering heading to San Diego, and see what could happen out there for me. Chris Bartleson is stationed out there, so I’ll more than likely bump into him. Actually, he’s in Pensacola for a few more days so I’m driving down there Saturday morning to visit with him, I haven’t seen the guy in 4 years, so 4 days in Pensacola outta make up some time.
So, that’s what’s on my mind at the moment: Joining the United States Navy.
