<div>Hi, I'm Ray Sanders.
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<div>For 31 years I have worked in the field of Information Technology, and am one of millions out of a job due to draconian "RTO" policies.
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<div>I also have a minor disability where I need a decent support system at home, and literally CANNOT commute 2-3 hours a day, five days a week.
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<div>Not everyone can pack up and move cross country where they have no friends, family, or support system of any kind.
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<div>Some people care for an elder family member, shared custody of a child, have medical issues, mobility or vision issues.
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<div>Some employees aren't even given the dignity of being kept on staff with a company implementing RTO until the stated deadline
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<div>because most employment is "at will". Meaning if the company hires an on-site replacement before an RTO deadline, out the door you go.
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<div>This happened with my previous employer, Western Governors University - an ONLINE university. We had until August 1st to accept an "invitation" to work in Salt Lake City.
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<div>If we declined to accept said "invitation" regardless if any disability accommodations or other necessary support systems were in place, we wouldn't have a job past August 1st, or when a replacement was hired.
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<div>To that point, I was let go in mid-may along with numerous other remote workers who didn't even get the dignity and respect of being kept on until August 1st.
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<div>Much as I don't like asking for a handout or charity, I've been looking for a suitable 100% remote job for two years now, since August 2024 when WGU first announced "RTO"
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<div>Have had several companies drag the hiring/interview process out over two months or more, only to "cancel" or "reschedule" the role to next quarter or next year.
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<div>I WANT to work. I NEED to work. Here's my <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rj-sanders/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">LinkedIn</a>
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<div>Thirty one years of Infrastructure, Ops, Monitoring/Observability, SRE and I.T Management experience.
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<div>I also have a advanced scientific degree, with publications and discoveries in the field of Astrophysics, including a recently named object, Asteroid 533671 - Nabu.
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<div>Over the past month I've had to sell numerous collectibles, my 2 year old John Deere 54" riding mower, a $6,000 Tiffany engagement ring, and spare PC parts.
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<div>All of that didn't even cover one month of bills. Matter of fact, pretty much only got about 25 cents on the dollar for everything sold so far.
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<div>So if anyone can help, here's what I look at each month at bare minimum for expenses:
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<div>House and utilities: $1600
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<div>Car payment and insurance: $575
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<div>Child/Spouse support (mandatory per court): $1500
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<div>Credit cards (minimum payments): $600
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<div>COBRA: $1,800
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<div>I don't need hopes, prayers, thoughts, vibes, or anything like that.
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<div>What I need is a decent paying 100% remote job, and a roof over me and my kid's head.
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<div>Or to launch my consulting startup to help find decent technology work for Neurodiverse/AuDHD tech professionals, I'd need 800k - 2 million.
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<div>(Did you know over 80% of people on the spectrum are Unemployed? <a href="https://www.forbes.com/sites/jenniferpalumbo/2021/04/27/why-autism-speaks-is-encouraging-companies-to-hire-those-on-the-autistic-spectrum/" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">Forbes Article</a> )
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<div>So here I am. LITERALLY BEGGING for work, or a little help during a dark time in my career.
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<div>I don't have the luxury of waiting through another 2-3 month long hiring/interview process.
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<div>However, based on average hiring loops taking 3 months, I've set the goal for three months of expenses to try and buy a little more time to find the right job.
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<div>One thing keeping me going is the thought that eventually things will be okay, even if they aren't okay right now.
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<div>Thank you.
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Help a homeless Astronomer and Site Reliability Engineer

Help a homeless Astronomer and Site Reliability Engineer

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