reinkefj's Page

Colleague, freinds, dotcomeraden!

When we are no longer able to change a situation - we are challenged to change ourselves.
Viktor E. Frankl

My time at Comcast has come to an end. I was "chasing" national IT infrastructure Customer-impacting problems. In an environment that generated about a dozen a day, I figured I could do that for a decade easy. Guess I figured wrong.

My question for you is "What's next?"

As a 62 year old FOWG (Fat Old White Guy), I was planning to work until I was 70½. At that point, I figured that would be a career. So now I'm faced with a conundrum, am I at the end of the "career road"?

We know there is age discrimination out there. Both in hiring and firing. Is it a waste to even try?

My alternatives seem to be:

(1) retire (again) [go play cards at the senior center, First Aid Squad (again)];

(2) search for another full time IT job [close to home. for 'fun'. not pressure. no NYC!];

(3) consulting [For the FOURTH time! Each time has been less lucrative than the time before.];

(4) build a web-based business;

(5) do something non-IT like HR, Search, Career Coaching, Financial Advisor; and

(6) do a non-traditional for-profit or non-profit type activity.

Subsequent suggestions are:

(7) Write professionally;

(8) Play poker professionally;

(9) Teach (i.e., substitute; adjunct; online; other formats);

(10) Political activist aka tax revolt leader; and

(11) Work with out of work Manhattan College alums.

And

(12) special consultant FOR VENTURE CAPITALISTS, looking at tech opps

(13) become a headhunter

So, you know something about me. You know the environment out there.

My Unique Value Proposition is:

I solve complex difficult customer-impacting problems ...
... across organizational entities (in silos, control hierarchies, or support platforms)
... cooperating with external people (partners, suppliers, competitors, or vendors)
... in large scale technology and business process infrastructures
... on platforms with diverse operating systems at different maintenance levels
... connecting thru any network (internet, intranet, SNA, x25, & others)
... by aligning subsystem specifications, correcting errors, & testing
... while transferring knowledge, teaching, & training as needed
... and just helping people as fellow human beings should.

Your input and feedback would be appreciated?
fjohn

p.s., I invite you to read my blog "Reinke Faces Life", visit my sites (all listed at http://krunchd.com/reinkefj), and use whatever you need. Join me (reinkefj) on LinkedIn, Facebook, Plaxo, and / or follow me on Twitter. Remember the adage "first seek to help; then be helped".


http://reinkefaceslife.com/2007/10/23/fun-dotcomeraden/
http://tinyurl.com/34n533