March 15, 2010. The date of my last post on this blog.
A lot has happened since then.
First and foremost, I have found the job of my dreams and perhaps that is why March 15, 2010 was my last post on this blog.
In March, I went back to work selling cars for a dealership in town, something I didn't mind doing and wasn't bad at, but my heart just wasn't in it. A great dealership and a place I obviously would go back to, since I had been there before, but the hours of a car sales guy is grueling. More for the younger generation, although there are plenty of veteran sales guys in the world.
Being focused on selling cars and trying to re-establish my old customers, I ignored this blog.
In April, I applied for a position that I always knew in my heart was made for me. The Executive Director of the Greensburg/Decatur County Chamber of Commerce.
I was privileged to have received an interview and I knew going in that nothing was going to stand in my way of being named to the position. It was almost as if I "willed" myself this job.
There were many qualified candidates that were interviewed and I am happy to say that in June 2010, the board of directors selected me. Thank you God for the wonderful opportunity.
I started the position in July and have been busy ever since then. In fact, too busy to update this blog until now, when I finally decided to check on it again.
Just because I have my dream job doesn't mean I am going to give up writing for this blog. I intend to make some time at least every couple of weeks or even sooner if possible, to update the job search journey. There are many people unemployed in this country right now and I would like to help people find jobs and build the right attitude it takes to get the job of their dreams.
Hey, if I can do it, anyone can do it.
Check back as I continue to work on this effort...
Stay Positive.
Friday, February 18, 2011
Monday, March 15, 2010
Now what
I am still in waiting mode for the Shelter Insurance agency position I interviewed for two weeks ago.
There were three of us in being interviewed for this position and each of us had 3-hour interview sessions. We were all there at the same time, three different interviewers and then we switched every hour. It was very uncomfortable because I know the other two candidates. Makes it tough knowing you are fighting for a job against friends.
I was informed last week that one of the other candidates was not "qualified" which I don't understand. But, it is not mine to question. I was assured that I was still in the running.
The company policy states that there must be three "qualified" candidates before the position can be filled. That being said, the company needed to find an additional candidate. That candidate would have to go through the same process that the rest of us did, including a 3-hour interview with three company officials. The district manager assured me this process was going to be done as quickly as possible and I was hoping for an answer this week.
A new opportunity also opened up this week for a job I applied for last year with the American Cancer Society as a Community Representative. I did very well in my interview last year and it came down to me or a girl already working in the office. The girl had been employed with the ACS for about 10 years and they decided to give her a chance at the position.
This girl has decided to move to Chicago, so the position is open once again. I have applied and am hoping for another interview and a chance to be offered the opportunity, which I think I would really enjoy.
In the meantime, there may be an opportunity for me to go back into sales at a local car dealership. It's a tough business with very long hours and would mean that I probably would miss my kid's ballgames and golf outings.
It would be a job and it would be one I would handle differently from the first time I sold cars, back in pre-recession times. Very long hours, difficult to get people financed, straight commission sales.
What am I going to do?
There were three of us in being interviewed for this position and each of us had 3-hour interview sessions. We were all there at the same time, three different interviewers and then we switched every hour. It was very uncomfortable because I know the other two candidates. Makes it tough knowing you are fighting for a job against friends.
I was informed last week that one of the other candidates was not "qualified" which I don't understand. But, it is not mine to question. I was assured that I was still in the running.
The company policy states that there must be three "qualified" candidates before the position can be filled. That being said, the company needed to find an additional candidate. That candidate would have to go through the same process that the rest of us did, including a 3-hour interview with three company officials. The district manager assured me this process was going to be done as quickly as possible and I was hoping for an answer this week.
A new opportunity also opened up this week for a job I applied for last year with the American Cancer Society as a Community Representative. I did very well in my interview last year and it came down to me or a girl already working in the office. The girl had been employed with the ACS for about 10 years and they decided to give her a chance at the position.
This girl has decided to move to Chicago, so the position is open once again. I have applied and am hoping for another interview and a chance to be offered the opportunity, which I think I would really enjoy.
In the meantime, there may be an opportunity for me to go back into sales at a local car dealership. It's a tough business with very long hours and would mean that I probably would miss my kid's ballgames and golf outings.
It would be a job and it would be one I would handle differently from the first time I sold cars, back in pre-recession times. Very long hours, difficult to get people financed, straight commission sales.
What am I going to do?
Monday, March 8, 2010
A difficult interview
February 15th was my last entry on this site and today is March 8. A lot has happened since that time.
I have been through four interviews with one company, and two other interviews at separate places of employment and received two "thanks but we've decided to pursue another candidate" letters in the mail.
My most encouraging opportunity at this very moment is for a Shelter Insurance Agency located in my town. I know I am one in three vying for the position. The three of us were in the same building last Friday in Indianapolis, at the same time. Very uncomfortable situation to say the least.
The process for hiring was to face three separate interviewers, one the district manager overseeing the office we applied for, one a regional manager and one a district manager for the west side of Indianapolis.
They decided to whittle the process down to their top three candidates. I guess I should be proud that I was one of the top three. However, there is no prize for second best and so the three of us wait patiently for word of their selection which is supposed to happen early this week.
It was odd being in the same room with two other guys I know, one closely and one I tried to sell a truck to when I was employed at Enneking Auto Body. I wasn't able to close that deal, but he basically stopped in on a Saturday because his wife was in a bad mood and he had to get out of the house.
The other gentleman up for the position sits on the same Area Plan Commission board that I do. Two weeks ago, he saw me in my second interview with the district manager, but I didn't know he had entered the office. Following our most recent APC meeting last Wednesday, a mere two days before the 3-hour interviews in Indianapolis, he told me that he was up for the position as well.
I entered the interviews very enthusiastic and positive. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best, I gave myself a 9.8 in terms of how I thought I performed and answered their questions. I know a 9.8 is not a perfect 10, but I am not sure how I could have done any better.
I left that interview with confidence that I am the one for the job and the opportunity to own my own business, selling insurance.
The downfall, one of the other guys being interviewed already has his insurance license. I do not. It will take me time to get mine and take the state tests. This could prove to be a fatal blow. Still, I can't think of that as an outcome. I must remain positive and upbeat. I must continue to will this to me, see myself in the position and see myself succeeding.
If I get the call this week that one of the other two guys have been chosen, I will be devastated. It's been three months now and I am not sure where else to turn. I've had a difficult time focusing and trying to move things forward that I want to move forward on. Motivation has been an issue.
So I am going to close out this article, get online and apply for something else and perhaps find something else to write about.
Time will tell.
I have been through four interviews with one company, and two other interviews at separate places of employment and received two "thanks but we've decided to pursue another candidate" letters in the mail.
My most encouraging opportunity at this very moment is for a Shelter Insurance Agency located in my town. I know I am one in three vying for the position. The three of us were in the same building last Friday in Indianapolis, at the same time. Very uncomfortable situation to say the least.
The process for hiring was to face three separate interviewers, one the district manager overseeing the office we applied for, one a regional manager and one a district manager for the west side of Indianapolis.
They decided to whittle the process down to their top three candidates. I guess I should be proud that I was one of the top three. However, there is no prize for second best and so the three of us wait patiently for word of their selection which is supposed to happen early this week.
It was odd being in the same room with two other guys I know, one closely and one I tried to sell a truck to when I was employed at Enneking Auto Body. I wasn't able to close that deal, but he basically stopped in on a Saturday because his wife was in a bad mood and he had to get out of the house.
The other gentleman up for the position sits on the same Area Plan Commission board that I do. Two weeks ago, he saw me in my second interview with the district manager, but I didn't know he had entered the office. Following our most recent APC meeting last Wednesday, a mere two days before the 3-hour interviews in Indianapolis, he told me that he was up for the position as well.
I entered the interviews very enthusiastic and positive. On a scale of 1-10, with 10 being the best, I gave myself a 9.8 in terms of how I thought I performed and answered their questions. I know a 9.8 is not a perfect 10, but I am not sure how I could have done any better.
I left that interview with confidence that I am the one for the job and the opportunity to own my own business, selling insurance.
The downfall, one of the other guys being interviewed already has his insurance license. I do not. It will take me time to get mine and take the state tests. This could prove to be a fatal blow. Still, I can't think of that as an outcome. I must remain positive and upbeat. I must continue to will this to me, see myself in the position and see myself succeeding.
If I get the call this week that one of the other two guys have been chosen, I will be devastated. It's been three months now and I am not sure where else to turn. I've had a difficult time focusing and trying to move things forward that I want to move forward on. Motivation has been an issue.
So I am going to close out this article, get online and apply for something else and perhaps find something else to write about.
Time will tell.
Friday, January 22, 2010
End of week 3
While I am still unemployed, I feel there has been some progress made on finding suitable employment.
I had a couple of good leads this week, although nothing has panned out just yet. The one I am most hoping for is a Field Claims Representative for an insurance company. This is right up my alley and would put me on the road in two counties in my area, interacting with body shops, something I am familiar with.
The other position requires a college degree, but strings are being pulled trying to get my foot in the door. It helps to have people networking for you. Nothing has come of it yet, but I feel the opportunity may be there in the next couple of weeks.
Still exploring the possibility of taking some college courses and of course there is always the possibility of starting my own blogging business, although being self-employed is a scary thing.
This past week, I have written two press releases, one for a political candidate and one for a new business that opened up in downtown Greensburg. Although neither one offered any compensation for my efforts.
I also started a Face Book page for the political candidate and I have that up and running for him. This has been interesting as I have been able to attract about 300 friends to his page. It is a good start to his campaign and it amazes me how social electronic networking may play in this year's election.
I had a couple of good leads this week, although nothing has panned out just yet. The one I am most hoping for is a Field Claims Representative for an insurance company. This is right up my alley and would put me on the road in two counties in my area, interacting with body shops, something I am familiar with.
The other position requires a college degree, but strings are being pulled trying to get my foot in the door. It helps to have people networking for you. Nothing has come of it yet, but I feel the opportunity may be there in the next couple of weeks.
Still exploring the possibility of taking some college courses and of course there is always the possibility of starting my own blogging business, although being self-employed is a scary thing.
This past week, I have written two press releases, one for a political candidate and one for a new business that opened up in downtown Greensburg. Although neither one offered any compensation for my efforts.
I also started a Face Book page for the political candidate and I have that up and running for him. This has been interesting as I have been able to attract about 300 friends to his page. It is a good start to his campaign and it amazes me how social electronic networking may play in this year's election.
Monday, January 18, 2010
Start of week 3
It's the start of my third week on the unemployment line. I have a few irons in the fire, enough to keep me encouraged. However, still no offers of serious employment at this point.
I find it interesting that every person who has ever owned a business or product is willing to let you go out on your own making sales for them on a strictly commission basis. Of course they don't want to pay mileage or expenses - you make a sale - you get paid a percentage of that sale. I guess if I found that magical product that everyone wanted or if I didn't have to travel 60 miles one way to sell, then this type of arrangement would be OK. However, that is not the case with these types of offers.
So I will continue my job search for something a little more stable - something a little more 8-5'ish if you will (although it doesn't have to be 8-5 - I am willing to work any hours, to an extent).
I have a couple of social meetings this week. One is a networking effort being organized by a local entrepreneur who does marketing for small companies that can't afford to pay for a full time marketing person. Gee, that sounds familiar, doesn't it?
The second meeting is being sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce, who is presenting a so-called social media "expert," who will discuss FaceBook and how it can relate to a business. I am on FaceBook as a personal endeavour, and I must say it can be addicting. When I was at my previous job, I tried to talk the boss into letting me start his own business FaceBook page, but he was always nervous about it. I also wanted to Twitter and Blog for his business, but again, he shot the idea down several times. It will be interesting to watch in the future as my replacement (his young daughter) will probably be able to convince him of the need.
Anyway - the two meetings will at least allow me the opportunity to sneak out of the house and away from my computer, where I usually spend about 6 hours a day researching companies and looking at job boards such as CareerBuilder, Monster, Craig's List and a few others. I am looking forward to face-to-face contact with people.
I find it interesting that every person who has ever owned a business or product is willing to let you go out on your own making sales for them on a strictly commission basis. Of course they don't want to pay mileage or expenses - you make a sale - you get paid a percentage of that sale. I guess if I found that magical product that everyone wanted or if I didn't have to travel 60 miles one way to sell, then this type of arrangement would be OK. However, that is not the case with these types of offers.
So I will continue my job search for something a little more stable - something a little more 8-5'ish if you will (although it doesn't have to be 8-5 - I am willing to work any hours, to an extent).
I have a couple of social meetings this week. One is a networking effort being organized by a local entrepreneur who does marketing for small companies that can't afford to pay for a full time marketing person. Gee, that sounds familiar, doesn't it?
The second meeting is being sponsored by the local Chamber of Commerce, who is presenting a so-called social media "expert," who will discuss FaceBook and how it can relate to a business. I am on FaceBook as a personal endeavour, and I must say it can be addicting. When I was at my previous job, I tried to talk the boss into letting me start his own business FaceBook page, but he was always nervous about it. I also wanted to Twitter and Blog for his business, but again, he shot the idea down several times. It will be interesting to watch in the future as my replacement (his young daughter) will probably be able to convince him of the need.
Anyway - the two meetings will at least allow me the opportunity to sneak out of the house and away from my computer, where I usually spend about 6 hours a day researching companies and looking at job boards such as CareerBuilder, Monster, Craig's List and a few others. I am looking forward to face-to-face contact with people.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
An encouraging day
Today I was able to resolve my issue with Microsoft Word 2007. I had emailed a resume and cover letter to a potential employer and was notified that they could not open my documents for whatever reason.
A simple save as Word 1997-2003 on my computer and another email to the prospective employer and they notified me that they were successful in opening it. I was lucky that they actually took the time to notify me of the problem. It makes me wonder how many resumes and cover letters I have sent that were just trashed because the recipient couldn't open it.
I received a tip of a new business opening up in the Batesville area and they are looking for telemarketers to help them begin the cold call process of getting new members to join their facility, which will be open in April. In my follow-up, the manager asked me to stop by Thursday to talk about a possible position. I fear it won't be what I want, but I am not sure if I can be choosy right now.
I also have composed my proposal to start a Job Seekers Club in Greensburg and Decatur County and I will be presenting this to the Mayor of Greensburg on Thursday, hoping for his buy in. I feel confident about this.
This should be a big thing and I hope that if it is successful, it will look good on my resume. While I want to help people, yes, I do have a little selfishness involved here - I need a job and am doing what I can to help my cause. Hopefully, an employer will look at this initiative as a sign of my ability to be a forward-thinker and a person who likes to get things accomplished.
A simple save as Word 1997-2003 on my computer and another email to the prospective employer and they notified me that they were successful in opening it. I was lucky that they actually took the time to notify me of the problem. It makes me wonder how many resumes and cover letters I have sent that were just trashed because the recipient couldn't open it.
I received a tip of a new business opening up in the Batesville area and they are looking for telemarketers to help them begin the cold call process of getting new members to join their facility, which will be open in April. In my follow-up, the manager asked me to stop by Thursday to talk about a possible position. I fear it won't be what I want, but I am not sure if I can be choosy right now.
I also have composed my proposal to start a Job Seekers Club in Greensburg and Decatur County and I will be presenting this to the Mayor of Greensburg on Thursday, hoping for his buy in. I feel confident about this.
This should be a big thing and I hope that if it is successful, it will look good on my resume. While I want to help people, yes, I do have a little selfishness involved here - I need a job and am doing what I can to help my cause. Hopefully, an employer will look at this initiative as a sign of my ability to be a forward-thinker and a person who likes to get things accomplished.
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Not much today
It was kind of a cruddy day for me today. I didn't make many advances on the job search front, so I feel it was a wasted day.
I did, however, get some exercise in today, something that is lacking in my daily routine. I need to get serious about it and get back in the flow of physical activity.
I sent a resume and cover letter via email to a place in Greensburg on Monday, but was notified today that my Word doc and resume could not be opened because I used Microsoft Word 2007. It makes me wonder if there have been other places that couldn't open my resume and cover letter and they just weren't nice enough to inform me. This could be a problem and I need to figure it out. I guess I will download Word 2003 to see if that can correct the issue.
Still considering starting a job club of some sort to see what comes out it. But I can't let that idea bog me down causing me to delay my search for an actual paying position.
I did, however, get some exercise in today, something that is lacking in my daily routine. I need to get serious about it and get back in the flow of physical activity.
I sent a resume and cover letter via email to a place in Greensburg on Monday, but was notified today that my Word doc and resume could not be opened because I used Microsoft Word 2007. It makes me wonder if there have been other places that couldn't open my resume and cover letter and they just weren't nice enough to inform me. This could be a problem and I need to figure it out. I guess I will download Word 2003 to see if that can correct the issue.
Still considering starting a job club of some sort to see what comes out it. But I can't let that idea bog me down causing me to delay my search for an actual paying position.
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