Help Wanted

Well it is that time again.  Time to look for a job……or jobs.

My time at The Orchard has come to an end (more on that later). If I thought the job market was bad 2 years ago, or even 1 year ago, it was nothing compared to now.  The thing is, there are a lot of available jobs out there (supposedly) but none for a career changer such as myself.

I have been in mortgage/escrow/title insurance business since 2001 and have been laid off twice.  Right now, no one his hiring for what I have been doing (escrow closings).  Those that are hiring are only hiring people with specific experience.  For instance, I could do the job of a loan processor.  I know everything there is to know about mortgages and the process but I don’t have experience.  It seems no one wants to train anybody know since there are so many people out of work.  They can just seek out exactly who they want and get plenty of applicants with that experience.

So that has been my dilemma for awhile.  I have been having trouble getting into other areas of finance (my degree is in Business Finance) because I don’t have any experience specifically in that area.  Never mind that most college graduates don’t have experience.   It seems experience in other areas means nothing right now.  This is not just me.  I have talked to many others who are in, or have been in the same situation.

At this point I have networked, filled out online apps and submitted as many resumes as I can right now.  It is on to Plan B.

Plan B is to get a job…..any job. Now I don’t mean any job but my strategy is to look for good companies and get whatever job I can there.  For instance, I interviewed at Lowes earlier this week.  It would be entry level to start but if nothing else pans at, it could mean moving up to a management position.

I am just really open to do whatever I need to do to get money coming back in.  More updates as things happen.

It is getting closer……..

Well, the move if getting much closer now.   It is starting to feel much more real….and a little stressful.  Still a lot to do.  We have already done a lot but it does not look like it.  It feels really good to get rid of stuff and know that we are not bringing it to clutter up our new house.

As I think about the move, here are some random thoughts:

• I hate moving
• Where did all this stuff come from?
• I hate moving
• Can’t believe we already made $140 selling old books online
• You can never have too many boxes
• I just hung two TVs on the walls in the house.  Now I have to take them down.
• You find out who your true friends are when you move
• I hate moving
• The first night in a new place is the best.
• A HUGE piece of ice just fell off the roof as I was typing this
• I hate moving

This reminded me of a great video clip by Brian Regan

It’s been May 6 since I posted last???

I can’t believe it has been that long.  Even after I promised to post more regularly.  Oh well, not much I can do about it now.

Well, a lot has been going on lately.  Pamela has started at her new store as assistant store manager.  She is going to be doing whatever she can to speed the training along and be done by the end of summer.  I know she can and will do it.

I have also taken on a part-time staff position at my church.  I have been volunteering a lot and doing a lot of administration tasks, which I am still doing.  Our Creative Arts Project Manager is relocating so I am taking on this role for the summer to re-define and get it ready to hire someone for it in the fall.  I love working at the church and I love getting to work with the staff.

The kids our out of school.  YAH.  We now have one in elementary, junior high and high school.  Emily finished 4th grade at Lakewood Creek Elementary and received the class award for ‘Best Speller’ and ‘Funniest’.  If they had an award for ‘The Most Sarcastic’ she would have won that too.

Jacob finished 6th grade, his first year at Traughber Junior High on the High Honor Roll.  He tried so hard to get straight A’s on his last report card and came very close.

Logan finished 8th grade at Plank Junior High.  He also finished on the High Honor Roll.  They went to different junior highs because they changed the boundaries last year and we let him finish out at Plank and sent Jacob to Traughber.  Logan will be starting 9th grade (yikes!) in August at Oswego High School.

Pamela has also started school and is joining me at the University of Phoenix to get her Bachelors and where I am working on my MBA.

In just a few weeks we leave for California to spend some time with family and friends.  We are very excited.

I am also still planning on joining the Illinois National Guard this fall.  I had put it on the back burner because that would be the soonest I could go to boot camp anyways.  I now am starting into training and getting ready to go to MEPS.

That is all for now.