Jimmy Hunt:  

Life Jim Hunt aka "Jimmy" to my hometown fans in Cameron, TX Just in: I started my new role as a Printing Service Specialist for the Dallas Regional Printing Procurement Office. We are part of the Government Printing Office. The best part: Work a set schedule and get a combined 36 days off each year in annual/sick/holiday time! Wow! I guess it's time to update the profile. I will be happy to see 2009 exit. Like many of you, it is/was a tough year on the economy. I spent the first 10 months working with vendors to help reduce prices for FASTSIGNS 540 franchises worldwide. Well, okay, mostly in the US. I was rewarded for my efforts when my position was eliminated the week before Thanksgiving. I wasn't crushed or shocked as this was our second round of layoffs this year and the area I managed (technology) is always a target for reduction in an economic crisis. The layoff was a bit stressful, but it also taught me a few things about employment and business. Never take a position for granted, not that I did, but I was pretty comfortable having been with the company for eight years and in the director role for five. I also found out that I wasn't alone. As of this writing, Texas is now at 8.2 percent unemployment and rising, while the nation just dipped below 10 percent. I also found there are some terrific support networks out there. And I had a wonderful time dusting off the resume and updating it. I've been busy the past eight years and I never took a moment to enjoy the success. I was able to negotiate a decent severance arrangement with FATSIGNS, something they do not have to do in Texas. And, ironically, I was offered a position with the Government Printing Office in Dallas exactly one week after I became unemployed. Now, any of you who've worked for the government know its a long process, so I expect to start in January of 2010. This was a position I actually applied for back in July 2009, mainly to see if my skills were attractive to another employer. After a long waiting process, I was notified via e-mail on Nov. 3 that the position was filled, then three weeks later came the best phone call I've gotten in sometim...Expand for more