Saturday, July 23, 2015 - My blogging activities haven't decreased due to lack of interest, but rather lack of reportable events. No much of note has transpired since my last entry. I continue trolling the usual sites in search of that elusive perfect lead.
Don't get me wrong, leads are coming in and some quite good! But as good as they may seem to most people they simply aren't engaging to me. I have a deep need to be of significant value to a company, not just a replacement part that keeps a business together because someone else failed.
I'm beginning to see the flaw in my employment quest, the companies I want to work with don't have an actual position established for which I would neatly fit. Although I have no doubt I could bring significant cost-effective value to these companies they need to be convinced that a new position is in order. Admittedly, sales is not one of my upper level skills and convincing them they need to create a position for me may be beyond my current abilities. A realization that does have me educating myself on that process.
Speaking of challenges, managing my schedule seems to have become a bit of a task. By nature I like to have my time completely managed and schedule so I know exactly what I'm doing, when and how long it will take to complete each task. Working in an office there was a specific demarcation as to when the workday began and ended with neat little slots for lunch and breaks. These chronological cues no longer exist for me, so I needed to create my own.
In nature, astrological events guide earthly creatures. Being (arguably) earthly creature this seemed to be a logical homeopathic approach to time management. Within Microsoft Outlook I imported sunrise, sunset, solar noon, meridian passing (essentially lunar noon), new moon and full moon. I then built my schedule around these fixed points.
The great benefit I've found by this method is that I am no longer bound by the typical 24-hour daily cycle. A great advantage should I fully embrace the freelance lifestyle and solicit global clients from various time zones.
I really have a distinct feeling that you will begin seeing a shift in my entries as I transform from job hunter to entrepreneur.
Saturday, July 23, 2016
Sunday, July 3, 2016
Week 5 - So the State Has Been Laid Off As Well?
Tuesday, June 21, 2016 - It's a real challenge to remain positive when there's negative energy around you. I left the house feeling good and ready to be productive as I headed to my "Enhanced Re-Employment Services Orientation". Fresh notebook in hand, lists of questions to ask and feeling good that I'm keeping the ball rolling.
The staff at the State office was very friendly. A woman at the desk quickly spotted I was a "First Timer" and got me into the proper line then waiting area for my orientation to begin. The waiting area was filled with people waiting for various sessions to begin. Considering everyone waiting was unemployed the mood was surprisingly happy. You could see than a few friendships have formed between the regulars and some even seemed to have formed relationships with the staff.
When my session was called, the woman at the desk gave me a "that's you" nod and I followed the group of about 8 people up the stairs and into an obviously mothballed corner of the building. There was no air conditioning running but windows were open. AV equipment in obvious disrepair and dark computer workstations.
The leader apologized for the condition of the facilities and explained that they are in the process of shutting it down and that this session will be merged with another. He also explained that the session length will be much shorter than we were told and that basically (with a wink and a nod) that they were just going through the motions so they can maintain their funding.
The main scope of this session was to ensure that everyone knew how to search for a job and that it is no longer a matter of looking at the "help wanted" section in newspapers. Once he knew I was technologically capable and aware of the online search tools I was set free.
As for my questions... well.. They are Federally funded but state run. While they don't discourage job searches outside of the state they have no inter-state database that allows you to search beyond the state.
They do have "something" about small business startups and entrepreneurship but I would have to attend a session called "Career Services Information" which will give me access to someone familiar with all the various options.
So in other news. My fiance is now working. Alone that income isn't enough to run the household but along with my savings and unemployment eases the stress just that much more and is giving me a little more time to figure out what to do.
While I still feel very optimistic about finding "a job" it does appear that it may be a bit more difficult that I had anticipated to find that great second career that can feed my spirits as well as my bank account.
The staff at the State office was very friendly. A woman at the desk quickly spotted I was a "First Timer" and got me into the proper line then waiting area for my orientation to begin. The waiting area was filled with people waiting for various sessions to begin. Considering everyone waiting was unemployed the mood was surprisingly happy. You could see than a few friendships have formed between the regulars and some even seemed to have formed relationships with the staff.
When my session was called, the woman at the desk gave me a "that's you" nod and I followed the group of about 8 people up the stairs and into an obviously mothballed corner of the building. There was no air conditioning running but windows were open. AV equipment in obvious disrepair and dark computer workstations.
The leader apologized for the condition of the facilities and explained that they are in the process of shutting it down and that this session will be merged with another. He also explained that the session length will be much shorter than we were told and that basically (with a wink and a nod) that they were just going through the motions so they can maintain their funding.
The main scope of this session was to ensure that everyone knew how to search for a job and that it is no longer a matter of looking at the "help wanted" section in newspapers. Once he knew I was technologically capable and aware of the online search tools I was set free.
As for my questions... well.. They are Federally funded but state run. While they don't discourage job searches outside of the state they have no inter-state database that allows you to search beyond the state.
They do have "something" about small business startups and entrepreneurship but I would have to attend a session called "Career Services Information" which will give me access to someone familiar with all the various options.
So in other news. My fiance is now working. Alone that income isn't enough to run the household but along with my savings and unemployment eases the stress just that much more and is giving me a little more time to figure out what to do.
While I still feel very optimistic about finding "a job" it does appear that it may be a bit more difficult that I had anticipated to find that great second career that can feed my spirits as well as my bank account.
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