Two Weeks

Two weeks have gone by and still no job. I had a good amount of interviews last week, but have yet to get one this week. I am still waiting on one company getting back to me for a panel interview and I have an open house thing I am going to on Friday. There is a huge job fair at the UOP Stadium (where the Cardinals play) on the 14th as well. I really don't want to have to wait that long. Oh, I also have a potentially solid lead at another college in town through Scott, so we will see if that pans out.

Here is part of the problem as I have seen it: I can't even get my foot in the company's door. I have recieved two emails this week talking about my background not being a fit. They were both with an accounting department in an accounts payable capacity. Accounts payable, when it is all said and done is data entry. Accounting is more or less data entry, the only thing that separates the two is that accountants determine the data to be entered. Not to downplay accountants. Lord knows they do a heck of a lot more than that.

Anyway, the internet has proved to be more of a curse than a blessing of late. Because a lot of companies use this technology, they have taken down HR phone numbers and addresses to the exact office that is doing the hiring. They can sit and cherry pick employees based on experience alone. While I don't discredit experience, I do discredit the practice of a company seeing the word "accounting" next to the word "major:" in the education section of a resume and passing it by. It would seem that these are they types of people they would want to hire, and here's why: most companies have their own requisitions departments. Most people take on accounts payable/receivable, payroll, accounting clerk, and other assorted jobs with educational requirements not higher than a high school education as pass through work. Some are accounting majors and they stick with it. Others do the job just to have something to do. The latter which make up most of these jobs (in my experience) have no real drive for the department, and eventually, they will cap out on their salary.

People such as yours truly on the other hand, see the job not as a "pass through", but rather as a "step toward" their ultimate goals. Say a company hires me as an AP guy. I work in that capacity for a year and a half. Then I get that prized piece of paper that says I can do accounting. I apply to be moved into an accounting position within the same company and get said job. Eventually I am promoted to senior accountant, then a few years later I am promoted again. All the while, I have made that company my home. Their initial investment on a guy with no prior experience in the field other than some college classes pays off big time. The general rule is that the more they pay me, the more (to a much higher extent) I make them - or more to the point in this field, the more I save them.

Anyway, my morale is taking a huge dive. A few years ago, I couldn't stay unemployed for more than a few days. Now, I can't get employed. I know I am not unemployable. Still though, life is very rough.

I have decided that I am going to go into business for myself though. There is a company that specializes in selling businesses to private parties. The money takes forever to come in, but once it does, it can't be stopped. The only catch is that it requires a real estate license. I should be starting that school next week. One thing to point out is that this IS NOT going to be my primary source of income. I am still looking for employment elsewhere. Aaron needs a solid source of income, and his wife and three children need to eat.

Anyway, since I will be at a Rush concert tomorrow, I will be posting the anthem tonight. Usually, I would produce a video worthy of a Wednesday, but in honor of Rush's show tomorrow, they get this week's spot. The song is called "Between the Wheels". Oh, and a happy 34th birthday to Mike!

Green Hemorrhage

For those of you who have never been unemployed, let me tell you it sucks. This is the first time in my working life I have gone more than two days without work. The funny thing is that this time, I am actually trying to get employed. Maybe I should stop trying and a job will fall into my lap. It has happened before.

I have interviewed with the following companies (in no particular order):

Steve Hartman Insurance - The pay would have been alright, but it is commission only. Add to that the fact that they are pro union and I would have to join one. Anyone who knows me knows I cannot abide union membership. They are against almost everything I stand for politically.

Arizona Culinary Institute - The interview seemed to go really well. Not well enough I suppose. I should have heard from them by now. It is unfortunate. I would have done very well there.

University of Phoenix - I am not sure why it is, but for whatever reason, I cannot do well at interviews with this company. They gave me a hard time for attending but not applying with Grand Canyon University, not putting months on my resume (it has years only), and the amount of employment I have had since 2000. I have news for them: I have worked almost entirely in sales. There are no, zero sales offices in this country that are not revolving door situations. I also cannot help lay offs I have suffered. I have only been fired from a job twice in my life. UOP starts 20 new enrollment counsellors per month and they are still short handed. In past years, they have had a reputation for being an awful place to work. Newspapers and television stastions have all run stories about it. But alas, if I were offered a job, I would take it and I would succeed as I always do. Beggars can't be choosers, right?

Apollo College - I applied with them for a Financial Aid position. The interview went well, and they will set me up for my second next week when a panel can be created. I need to meet with the FA team as well as an admissions rep and a registrar since they are the people I would be working with. I have a little bit of an edge here. I know the manager of the department. He used to do FA at the Tucson campus when I was going down there one or two days a week to determine the strength of the high school market. Add to that the fact that one of the admissions reps there was a coworker on the high school staff at the same time I was. She seemed excited that I was applying. Since it would be at the Mesa campus, I wouldn't have to drive far to go to work. So here's hoping I get that gig.

With the Rush concert next week and other exciting things I have planned and committed to in the next few weeks, I really need a job, and soon.

Okay, anthem time. I think we need something loud. In fact, we will have to go to Japan to find our anthem today. No one knows loud like the all-Japanese hair band "Loudness". The song is called "Slaughterhouse".

Clowns are scary

It has been a while since I have put up an anthem. I wanted to last week but the internet connection sucked in the room I was staying. So I went to look for a particular song, but it has no video. Luckily, I came across an equally good tune by the same band. This song was Mike's ringtone for a good while and has had occasion to run through my head incessantly. I now inflict this catchiness on the public. Here it is, "Lay It Down" by Ratt.

Vacations should be relaxing, right?

The long and short of it is that the trip was a delicious blend of meat, cheese, and condiments in between two pieces of crap.

1. My flight was cancelled due to the American Airlines wiring discrepancies with the FAA. I was eventually switched to a red eye flight on Alaska Airlines. I was routed through Portland, Oregon. This was definitely irritating and having to subject my poor kids to that made it even more so. They weathered it quite well though.

2. The wedding was a huge success. My brother Marc and his wife, Jen are now on their honeymoon in St. Lucia.

3. Disney World was (of course) awesome. It was particularly nice having the boy there. Kristin and I are considering it as the spot for our 10th anniversary in January.

4. The house we stayed at was amazing. My parents, my brother and his daughter, my sister, and my group fit in quite comfortably.

5. The flight home was pleasant. American's problems are all in the past, so we were able to board without a hitch. We were not to arrive so lucky. One of my bags was lost. It contained all of my dirty clothes and all of the souvenirs we procured for the kids in WDW. American is working on it. So now we wait.

I am still suffering from the loss of sleep due to the red eye. Tomorrow, I get to go in to work at 6am. Needless to say, sleep is beckoning, and I will heed the call.

"You couldn't leave well enough alone, could you? No, you just had to push it! Well, now you're gonna pay!"

Thanks to Mike, I have recieved a brand new Guitar Hero III with guitar for $25. They run about $99 normally. His former roomate won it from a local radio station, and having no real use for it asked Mike if he knew anyone who would want it. All he asked for was the money he spent in gas winning it (which I am sure he went through quite a bit given the contest being run). Without much thought at all, I am sure I came to mind and Mike gave the guy the money knowing full well I wouldn't pass up a sweet deal like that. So I have to publicly thank Mike for getting his hands on it for me.

With my vacation coming up, I have been put to the task of making sure that at the very least, the lead gets pulled. Today it is established that the guy who replaced me when I went to the pharmacy is coming to do that and keep things running while I am away. I find this to be quite concerning. On one hand, the guy works for the City of Scottsdale and undoubtedly has awesome benefits and probably gets paid more. On the other hand, working at a shooting range gives a person some bragging rights as most people around here find that sort of thing thrilling. I know whenever I tell people where I work, I get a lot of "oooohs" and "aahhhs". Add to that the fact that the general manager swung off this guy's nuts for the duration he worked there, it would not surprise me if conversations starting with "I really miss you..." ensue. I really shouldn't worry because I get things done. I know I do. The manager who works on weekends and oversees a lot of the administrative side of things such as would be done in an HR department knows it too. In fact, when I was going to quit a couple months ago, he convinced me not to. Unfortunately, he is not the one I have to deal with everyday. The one I do have to deal with has been pleasant enough as late, but the thought to bring back the person who replaced me a year ago is a trifle unsettling. Maybe I am anxious for no reason. He won't even be coming in until the late afternoon and evening. As I said, he already has a job.

So, about the title of this entry. I am sure we all remember this well-delivered line from the mouth of one Johnny Lawrence just before he gives Daniel Larusso his well-deserved final beating. What a brilliant movie that was. As brilliant as the script is, the movie also passes with a solid A+ for its soundtrack. Mike and I realize this and want to pay homage. Since no one reading this blog (save for Mike) will actually be able to go to the event, I thought I would give you all a sneak peak of one of the songs on the setlist. It is probably the most memorable song from "The Karate Kid". Featured in its entirity during the tournament montage, this week's anthem is "You're the Best" by Joe Esposito (complete with classic 80's fade-out).