Hey all,

I have recently found myself among the unemployed.  I reported to work  
on March 19, and upper management and the CEO were in the tech  
center.  They called an all-hands meeting around 8:30 after everyone  
had arrived, and proceeded to tell the 15 of us that the tech center  
was being terminated along with our jobs.

I worked for this company for nearly three years, assembling and  
troubleshooting engineering prototypes.  I am skilled at SMT soldering  
and rework down to about 0.4mm, but do not hold a J-Std  
certification.  In the past, proof or demonstration of my skills was  
sufficient, as was my nearly 10 years of military electronics  
experience.  Apparently no longer - the labor market is so voltile,  
and the job descriptions are far more exacting.  Potential employers  
won't even make a consideration unless you are a perfect match for  
every point in the job description.

How does one obtain their J-Std or other certifications unless their  
employer obtains the training?  I haven't been able to find many  
references that include individual career development, nor have I  
found anything that looks remotely affordable for an unemployed  
technician.

Thanks

Joe

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