Remember the days, not so long ago, when if you knew computers, you could write your own ticket? Ah, the memories. Then the stock market tanked and CEOs started bailing out with million dollar parachutes to avoid any hint of responsibility for thrashing the lives of thousands of employees. But I'm not bitter.

But I am irritated. The economy in general seems to be holding right now, with no major trend up or down. But the tech industry is still in the pits with no sign of a hint of the vaguest intimitation of a dim hope of a slight upturn.

I'm skilled, experienced even. But I don't have any certifications because I picked up those skills on the job. And between jobs I have no way to get certifications, even for the stuff I do know, since it would amount to paying Sun Micro for a sheet of paper, with no guarantee that I'd get any return on the investment. I might as well play Lotto.

On the other hand, the last two months or so of my job hunt, HR departments have discovered that the Unix world has certifications. If I thought it was hard to get an interview before, it's going to be nigh impossible now.

Looks bleak, doesn't it?