Hi, I'm Ray Sanders.

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.

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.

Not everyone can pack up and move cross country where they have no friends, family, or support system of any kind.

Some people care for an elder family member, shared custody of a child, have medical issues, mobility or vision issues.

Some employees aren't even given the dignity of being kept on staff with a company implementing RTO until the stated deadline

because most employment is "at will". Meaning if the company hires an on-site replacement before an RTO deadline, out the door you go.

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.

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.

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.

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"

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.

I WANT to work. I NEED to work. Here's my LinkedIn

Thirty one years of Infrastructure, Ops, Monitoring/Observability, SRE and I.T Management experience.

I also have a advanced scientific degree, with publications and discoveries in the field of Astrophysics, including a recently named object, Asteroid 533671 - Nabu.

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.

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.

So if anyone can help, here's what I look at each month at bare minimum for expenses:

House and utilities: $1600

Car payment and insurance: $575

Child/Spouse support (mandatory per court): $1500

Credit cards (minimum payments): $600

COBRA: $1,800

I don't need hopes, prayers, thoughts, vibes, or anything like that.

What I need is a decent paying 100% remote job, and a roof over me and my kid's head.

Or to launch my consulting startup to help find decent technology work for Neurodiverse/AuDHD tech professionals, I'd need 800k - 2 million.

(Did you know over 80% of people on the spectrum are Unemployed? Forbes Article )

So here I am. LITERALLY BEGGING for work, or a little help during a dark time in my career.

I don't have the luxury of waiting through another 2-3 month long hiring/interview process.

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.

One thing keeping me going is the thought that eventually things will be okay, even if they aren't okay right now.

Thank you.