Another year is coming to a close. Of course, there will be the customary midwinter celebrations, religious and/or secular, there will be too much to eat, too much to drink and if I am to be honest, also way too much of well, everything. For me, it starts tomorrow with a trip to the cinema with Louise to see The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug in 3D. It’s also the time for me to get the last of my cards and gifts organised and wrapped, ready to give away. I think I have most of them sorted out already, but there’s always one I forget, and if so, it’s best to realise now, a week or so before the family is together and true panic sets in.

Also, I’m still jobless. It’s not for lack of trying, but it seems I don’t have enough experience for even entry-level jobs in fields I’ve worked in for over twenty years. It’s a nonsense – of course I have the experience, but in a market where there are hundreds of people applying for each job opening, companies are going to go for someone younger, or at the very least, less strange. I can do the work, can use most systems in current use, and as previous jobs have shown, even when it’s new to me, I can pick it up quickly. I am still looking and waiting though, and when I ask for feedback on why I was rejected, then it’s always about someone who more closely fitted the role and the company profile.

It wouldn’t be so bad, but I know people with no experience at all in the field and educated in completely different areas of expertise who get IT roles before me – the only other difference being age. Good luck to them I say, it’s hard enough for anyone, but it’s still upsetting to see my years of experience passed over.

Anyway, I’m starting to get things together to make a bid for self-employment, or at least have a name to advertise for contracting. Maybe I should have stuck to contract work way back when I was doing it regularly. But I suppose, like many people, I was stupid enough to still believe in a job for life and other such nonsense. Hopefully it’ll be mostly set up by the new year and I can work on getting some paying customers. That would be nice.

I suppose I really need to get myself up to speed with coding as I’m rusty, but that can wait ’til Monday, as can web design. At least I have a target now though, and I work better with targets. It makes motivation a bit easier.

Anyway, all that is for another day. Tonight I get to relax with a Louise and some wine (or beer, it’s undecided and she’s late getting home from work). Until then, I get to watch the tv and play with my computer stuff.