The End of Unemployment

02/10/2009 was the day I got that fateful call from HR at my previous employer. It would be my last day of of official US employment. I knew it was coming, but it was still devastating. That was followed by 3 months of unsuccessful attempts to get reemployed in Las Vegas, and the US. By mid-November, I knew I was coming home to Malaysia.

It was a scary process. Apart from my sister, I did not know anyone in the field. I had no contacts, only a list of agencies in Kuala Lumpur and Singapore. And I had no clue of the work environment or clientele. The only thing I knew was that they're affected by the global economic crunch as well, and that it would be a long and frustrating process to get back to designing. And of course, I knew I was going to have to endure a massive pay cut and longer working hours. Its just how Asia is.

Coming back, I met an individual who used to be an AE in an agency here. Through him, I got a clearer picture of how things are done here. I also got a list of contacts and got to do some freelance jobs. But the issue here was that his contacts were outdated, and his freelance jobs were payless. In other words, I was doing pro bono charity work. I knew I wasn't going to see the money. I did it because I needed the contacts, the practice of designing again, and to just keep busy. And believe me, I was busy! A little too busy, in fact. I had no life or income, and I was constantly frustrated. It was ridiculous.

2 months passed, with me job hunting. It wasn't easy. There's only so much you can do. I encountered the same postings, if there are any (there wasn't much). I called up agencies and verified the e-mail addresses I got, so that I can send my CV to the correct people. No call backs. I can only guess that a hiring freeze is in effect, so calling me would just be giving me false hope, as they can't take me on anyways ... be it freelance, part-time or full-time, temporary or permanent. It was really depressing for me, and I felt helpless. Nevertheless, I continued sending out my CV, but I paced myself to 2-3 agencies a day. And I just relaxed the rest of the day (and did the pro bono freelance). No point in driving myself any more insane than I already am.

Then one day, towards the end of February, I placed a call to one of the agencies on my list (as usual). The receptionist told me to send my CV to the traffic manager. I found that weird, but did it nonetheless. 30 minutes later, I get a call from the ECD himself (from his personal mobile, no less). We spoke briefly, and he was saying that it must be fate, as they were just discussing bringing in a Designer that very morning. He was very enthusiastic, and we set up to have an interview next week. I was so excited! Its great to receive a response within 30 minutes of your CB submission, from an international agency no less! But I was still diligent and continued submitting my CV to other agencies down my list.

The interview was an interesting one, as it lasted for 2 hours. The ECD was a really fun and open minded guy, full of life an energy. In fact, it was 45 minutes in before I even presented my stuff. We discussed all kinds of things, from our past years living abroad to the current climate to the agency itself, and our personal goals. Towards the end, I also showed my portfolio to another CD who happened to wonder by. I left with the feeling that I had impressed them.

A week later, I was back there, as a 2-week, temporary freelancer. Like the rest of the agencies, they too had a hiring freeze issued to them by their global headquarters. But due to the fact that they were winning client accounts (a major feat in this economic crunch), they needed people. While they bargained for a full-time position for me, freelance was not a problem. I happily accepted. And actually, before I started, the global headquarters had approved me for full-time permanent, but of course, there was a ton of paper trails that had to be established, and I had to finish out my freelance contract first. As that approached its closure, I signed another contract. I'm employed! It felt good.

Now along the way, I made some mistakes as well. As I started my freelance with this agency, another small shop called me up. While it was nice to get another call, the guy was very cold and lifeless. A few days later, I turned down an interview opportunity. This had my AE contact fuming at me, and he was screaming at me about my pride, my priorities, my sanity, my appreciation for all he's done to try and get me a spot, and that this is the thanks I give him. Ok, I admit, maybe it wasn't the brightest thing to have done, but its done. Move on. I interviewed at another place too.

In the end, and the point is, I am working again. The recently received business card if my proof. And I am grateful it only took 2 months being home to get there. It could have been a lot longer.

An Addendum to Timelines

I am usually very respectful of timelines. I have to be, otherwise, I'd be a mess. Well, actually, I was a mess for the past 6 months or so. Haha. So much has transpired. But due to them being quite catastrophic in proportions and impact, my blog got stalled, and I only put in entries because I felt it was an obligation. Well, I intend to get it back up and running again. Hence there will be some back and forth on my entries, which will include the fairly recent past, as well as the present. All mixed up. Hopefully that will all be sorted out soon, and chronological order can be restored. In the meantime, thank you for your patience.