Unemployment Day 4

I finished Mass Effect 2. That’s how bummed and bored I am. Did I gain any insight from it? Only that human-alien romantic entanglements are awkward. Aside from that… No, not really. Disappointing, isn’t it? It’s this well-written, uber-hyped game, and it really only seems to cover the same things as Star Trek.

So as to my newly minted “Unemployed” tag, well, I can honestly say it isn’t my fault, and I’ve got the references to prove it. Budget cuts suck! I mean, really, how can the state go in after a budget has already been implemented and take back 5%? Someone, please explain it to me, because I was under the impression that once money isn’t yours, it’s out of your control.

Guess it doesn’t matter anymore, though, does it? Hopefully I’ll be interviewing and getting a job soon.

Anyways, since my income is limited, it looks like I’m going to go back and beat some games I pansied out on. So far I’m planning on:

• Twilight Princess
• Uncharted and Uncharted 2
• Overlord (I love this game, but I keep halting my play every time a new game comes out.)
• Maybe some Metal Slug just because that game rocks.

I really don’t know what else. When you write for a living, you type really fast, maintain documents and it generally doesn’t take you very long to look for a job because you can write letters like no one’s business.

At any rate, should I start reviewing stuff? I’ve got so little going on right now… Would that be too uber-geek? Am I using uber too much?

This unemployment shiz is teh suck.

Assume Nothing

I should have known, but I was cocky. I was informed yesterday that I’m unemployed beginning on Friday afternoon. And here I was about to post about teamwork as evidenced in the Mass Effect series, about how everyone at a business can work together in spite of differences in background, education and pay. Now, though? I don’t know.

If anyone knows of any open jobs, please let me know.

Ask Questions about the New Job Before You Wind up in a Bad Situation

Okay, given the economy, my shakey employment status, and a slew of other issues, this is relevant stuff, people.

When, in the course of human events, it becomes necessary for a person to dissolve the monetary bonds which have connected them with a business, and to assume among their powers a new station to which the laws of bill pay and of supply and demand supposedly entitle them, a decent respect to their opinions requires that s/he should declare the causes which impel him/her to a new position. But then again, a prospective new employer should be up front about who they are and what they do.

These problems are seen mostly in newer games, namely the GTA series, its clones, and all their officially unemployed protagonists. However, when searching for a job, this gentle riff off of the Declaration of Independence also holds true.

See, last month I enquired about a magazine writing job recently, and at first everything seemed on the up and up. But upon further inspection (now roughly a month after applying), the business has gotten back in touch with me. In the meantime, though, its address has all but disappeared; a new website has gone up, more or less eliminating the magazine’s connection with a legitimate advertising company; and it would seem the only contact information is a cell phone number. I can’t tell you how often I’ve seen this kind of weirdness happen.

I really feel like this economic fuster-cluck is upping entrepreneurship in a very negative way. Yes, people are coming up with new and exciting products, but they’re scams, hoaxes, and other forms of complete lies. I don’t see the point. I mean, why scam people who are already broke? Okay, yes, there’s identity theft, but with the way things are, I have my doubts that very many people have enough credit left for such efforts to be worth the time.

Anyways, it’s odd that someone would go through the trouble of creating a scam that makes them seem like an industry-specific magazine, headed by a media company from Oklahoma. There’s no glamour. There’s no potential for fame. So who are they targeting? Whatever the case, given the unprofessional form letters, the mySpace site, and the lack of information, I’m uneasy. I’ll still interview, but I’ll be on the lookout for giveaways.

But I’m beginning to understand circumstantial anti-heroes like Niko Bellic.

If You Don’t Network, You Can’t Get That Promotion!

I remember playing the Sims and thinking, “Really? Who would promote someone based on how many people that person knows?” Well, as it turns out, plenty of people get their jobs based on just that.

I’m a gamer and a writer, and I’m about to find myself unemployed thanks to budget cuts. I graduated cum laude and with honors in major this past May. You’d think that would help me a little, but when there are people out there with 15 years of experience going after the same entry level job that I am, it’s difficult. Lots of things have fallen through, lots of opportunities dried up. It’s frustrating, but aside from getting myself and my writing out on the web, there isn’t anything I can do about it.

Which is where you and this blog come in. I want readers, and I’m pretty determined to prove that my hobby isn’t just some throwaway fad that’s overstayed its welcome. Sure, my mom still thinks I’m crazy for having “video game journalist” listed as my dream job, but she works in a position she hates. I’m just not doing that. I’ve learned a lot from my years in front of the T.V. and the computer, and I’m going to use it. Yeah, it sounds like a silly idea. What could a person possibly have learned from a game besides Carmen Sandiego’s fondness for landmarks and Quito, Ecuador? Well, there are plenty of real life lessons to be found in video games. Like that little gem above.