Comments and critiques are welcome. Just don't be a troll, no one likes a troll.

Sunday, September 30, 2007

I Took It!

Ok, here's the job search score so far: 50 applications, 5 interviews and 1 offer.

You guessed it, I took the offer. After a score like the one listed above, why wouldn't I? I read all the self help articles on Monster.com and Careerbuilder.com which advise you to never take the first offer because the next job could be "The Job". But what if the first job is "The Job"?

Since I was a kid, going to the library was a big deal. Mom would take us about every 2 weeks and let us roam around and check out whatever we wanted to. Within reason of course. We weren't allowed to check out explicit adult material but we could check out items that may have been more advanced reading than we were prepared for. How else would we learn to push our limits and improve our reading skills? Since that time, reading has been a major part of my life. I enjoy reading and will read just about anything including every road sign I pass. This little quirk drives my wife crazy especially when she is driving and mistakes my sign reading for directions.

What has all this got to do with "The Job"? For years I have told my friends I was going to work at Starbucks or Barnes & Noble. Most likely B&N since you had to get up too early to be at Starbucks. Well, I think I did one better. The offer came from the local library. I will be a Circulation Assistant checking books in and out, shelving books, etc... I get to work with books, help people enjoy books and the earliest I have to be at work will be 9am and the latest I have to stay is 9pm. How could it get any better than that?

All I have to do now is wait for the background check results before they let me start work. That shouldn't be a big deal since I have led a fairly dull life. No smoking, no drugs, no arrests, and 1 speeding ticket. Not a bad record for 44 years of living.

Of course, as always, I'll keep you posted.

Check out my new employer at www.ppld.org.

Wednesday, September 12, 2007

Things aren't as bad as they could be...

As I sit here frustrated because there are no job listings I'm qualified for or that will pay enough for me to meet my monthly bills or that I just don't want to do, I'm thinking back to an article in this morning's paper about day laborers. Here is a whole group of people who are at the staffing agencies by at least 6am every morning looking for work. Not a job or a career but just work for the day so they can feed their families or keep a roof over their heads.

They are not all your stereotypical street people or people too lazy to look for "real" jobs. Most are just ordinary people who for some reason or another have hit a hard streak and can't find a job. I'm sure a lot of them have been hearing that they are under-qualified, over-qualified or need a degree for the type of work that pays enough for them to make ends meet. So they sit and wait for any kind of work they can get. Manual labor, banquet service, construction, anything. Some sit and wait all day and never get assigned. That must be tough but they come back day after day.

As I sit here frustrated, I am also reminded of how lucky I am. I am currently receiving unemployment benefits until December so I can continue to look for a job and still make ends meet. After that I may be up at 6am and waiting for work with a group of people I never really thought about before but have a new found respect for.

So to all the day laborers, good luck in your search.

Sunday, September 9, 2007

Welcome!

I’m not sure what I’m doing here. I never thought I would ever do something like this but it’s been kind of fun. If you like old school blues, funk and rock, check out the radio station.

As most people who know me already knows, I’m terrible at keeping in touch so there is no guarantee I’ll add to this blog on a regular basis but I’ll try to at least once a week.

To bring everyone who I haven’t talked to up to date, here are some of the last year’s highlights:

September 2006 – Evelyn and I bought our first house. It only took us 24 years but it was worth the wait.

October 2006 – We had our first blizzard of the season and I had my first experience at shoveling snow. Not my happiest moments.

Thanksgiving 2006 – We had at least 20 family and friends at the house for Thanksgiving dinner. We had a blast and the weather was great.

Christmas 2006 – Evelyn’s mother, Doris, joined us over the holidays. She really enjoyed the 2 blizzards we had while she was here.

March 2007 – Evelyn was laid off.

April 2007 – I was laid off.

May 2007 – I went on a road trip with my cousin Lyndell to Utah and Las Vegas. After that I decided to take the summer off.

June 2007 - Evelyn and I took a week-long road trip and went to see family in Oklahoma and Texas. On the way back we spent the night at the Sandia Resort and Casino in Alberquerque, NM. It was 5-star all the way and I would recommend it to anyone looking for a weekend away.

July 2007 – Evelyn went back to work. She is the Office Coordinator at Swan-Law Funeral Directors. Her mom and three of her aunts came for a visit over the 4th of July. It was probably one of the most fun and wildest weeks I have experienced in a long time.

August 2007 – Summer fun is over. That’s what happens when the severance checks stop coming. I’m looking for work.

September 2007 – Still looking for work. So far the score is:

35 applications

3 interviews

0 offers

I’ll keep you posted.