Kinda scary...
On the negative side, I no longer have a guaranteed paycheck twice a month... but I will be getting a retirement pension for the rest of my life (assuming politicians don't mess with the current system). Although I am no longer covered by my active duty medical insurance, I have signed up for our retired medical plan and wouldn't you know it, the same doctor that my wife and children see is now my doctor. My retirement check, although not huge, is enough to cover our mortgage and the premium for this new medical plan... and I think there's even enough to keep the lights on at home, so we'll always have a place to live. My beautiful wife has a part time job that pays better than we thought it would, so we'll even be able to put food in the 'fridge... and we have plenty of clothes to rotate through for the forseeable futre... or until the kids grow out of their jeans and shirts.
So let's get back to this whole "work place" concept...
For the past 12 years I've been a career planner. In short, the Marine Corps' version of an HR generalist. I help with retention bonuses, make sure the paperwork for a new contract is filled out correctly, recorded, and then filed, conduct exit interviews for people who decide to leave the service, and so on and so forth. I decided that I liked that job so much that I want to be in HR when I get out (which is now, in case you forgot). So I started going to school to study HR Management. Then I started going to job fairs, posting my resume on a variety of web sites, and joining "professional" social networks like LinkedIn in an effort to find my next job. Finally, at a job fair, I received an invitation to apply directly to a company for work in their sales department. Hmmm... It's not what I was looking for, but they must've seen something, right? So I applied.
That job turned out to be hawking credit cards to travelers at the airport. Although I could do that job, it's not really what I want, so I turned them down. At the same job fair I applied for a job as a security guard (think "Night at the Museum" more than "Paul Blart: Mall Cop") but that doesn't pay very well, as you'd expect, so I turned them down... or tried to. I told the supervisor there that he wasn't offering enough money to make it worth my time, so he called me back and offered me better pay at a location closer to home... but it's still night shift and not much better than the money I could make on unemployment...
(Tangent: If Washington is serious about getting people back to work, cut unemployment. It'll encourage people to take whatever job they can find. My experience with the security post is a prime example. If I had no other way to make money to support my family you'd better believe I'd take the job.)
ANYWAY... eventually I received an email from a recruiter who saw my profile on careerbuilder and thought I'd be a good fit for his company. I accepted his invitation for an interview and two days and one follow up interview (that I arrived late for, but I called and told him I was running late) I was offered a job. This one is in sales as well, but it's a company that pools the buying power of multiple small businesses and gets them the kinds of deals that major organizations enjoy. They sell association memberships, but also health indemnity insurance and even a term life insurance policy. The kick? It's 100% commission. However, my success in landing two job offers in sales opened the possibility and I took another look at a company I actually tested for a long time ago. I now realize that back then I didn't have the confidence to sell financial investments and become a financial planner. Now, I think I do so I've applied for a position in a financial planning organization... that has offices in Southern CA and I hope to hear back from them before my deadline to answer the insurance company runs out. The bigger difference that appeals to our desire for some stability is that this latest position comes with a residual guarantee for the first two years while I build a client base.
Either way, it looks like I'm going to need to go back and get some more suits. I bought a couple of suits at Macy's last year and I have to admit... I look good when I'm all slicked out. But the point is, if I'm going to be in sales and insurance and financial planning, I seriously doubt I'll be able to get away with wearing jeans and athletic shoes to work anymore. (Bummer, right?)
Oh! So, back to the school thing. There's not much call or use for a degree in HR Management in the financial world, so I've changed my major. I am now pursuing a degree in Business Administration. Generic? Maybe. But my education goal doesn't end with a BABA. I am minoring in psychology and I want to pursue a master's in counseling after I graduate. I still have my sights on a possible career as a principal, and I figure I'll need all the insight I can get to deal with irate parents who will doubtless blame the teacher and the school when their child never does homework and then fails in class. Why would I want a job in education? Simple...
My father is a teacher. I have been a counselor and I enjoy helping people make good decisions. I figure the best way to combine those is in the principal's office. I wonder what it might be like to sit on that side of the desk for a change.
Have a great weekend and Happy March!
