NOTE: If you don’t have time for my
rambling, scroll to the bottom for lessons I’ve learned. These bullet points
can help you land the job you are looking for.
When I left my position, nobody
could believe it. Most people said, “I give you props, that takes a lot of guts”
or “That’s amazing you are taking a risk to better your life and be where you
feel is a good fit.” Statements like that felt empowering, motivational and reinforced
the decision I had made…for about 5 seconds. After those prideful 5 seconds,
your inner voice starts talking. My inner voice is my best friend and my worst
enemy, it can make or break us. REMEMBER, your inner voice is dangerous and
helpful. Most people told me to go travel the world or at least North America.
Although I saved, I didn’t feel I saved enough for leisurely travel. I was
starting to wonder why I made the decision I had? I spent my nights and early
mornings in conversation with God, writing in my journal and reading books
voraciously on positive topics. One of the first things I noticed is that I
started having vivid dreams again! They weren’t prophetic or anything. My
dreams were still random thoughts that make you wonder, what was I thinking
about last night? Dreams of people from your past and then flying or chasing a
talking dog that is wearing your human clothes; just examples of course! Although
I didn’t regret my decision, after many months of thinking; I felt I hadn’t
prepared enough for a decision as paramount as this. I know many people
including myself say, “Money isn’t everything” or “Money is the root of all
evil.” With that being said, it is comedic how many times I thought about it
and checked my online account. I was fretting and saw myself possibly running
out very fast. Then during my first week of unemployment I realized I was getting
a “generous” amount of taxes back, a healthy company profit sharing check and
two weeks of pay = Oxygen. Have you ever been under water too long and start to
feel that panic throughout your entire body to breathe? The carbon dioxide is
building higher and higher, your heart rate accelerates into a pounding. A
feeling of burning or aching comes from your chest. Then when you reach the
surface, you are able to take a deep cleansing breath, filling your lungs with
fresh air. That’s how I felt when I received three substantial checks in one
week. Thank God.
One thing we will all be doing in
life, whether we like it or not is learn more about ourselves. Most people
probably don’t consciously think about it and journal their findings; I’m
unique. I am always a sucker when it comes to the Myers-Briggs personality
test. There are free tests online and they are fairly scary sometimes with the
results. My type has changed throughout the years ENTJ/INTJ, my most recent and
accurate result was ISFJ. So there are four different sections that describe
your personality. It said that although I am naturally an introvert, I am the
most extroverted introvert. I can build relationships with almost anyone and
can start a conversation with a stranger like I have known them since birth.
True story. I think a test like this is beneficial for anyone, and you can take
it as you will. We are all unique and you cannot categorize the entire world
with 16 personalities, I understand that. I used www.16personalities.com, you can also
purchase a profile of your type. It is over 100 pages about your specific type.
I’m glad I did it, it gave me a better description of my personality with the
pros and cons.
An interesting free test, who are you above?
I started delving back into the book
What Color is Your Parachute? by
Richard N. Bolles, given to me from a past client and friend. It is the best
job hunting book ever written, in my humble opinion. It may not put you on a
single path the rest of your life, but is full of helpful information. Please
also note that this book is updated every year, to change with the economy etc.
They give tips on career paths, resumes, interviews and networking. It will
show you what your chances are of getting an interview depending on the tactic
of job hunting you choose to initiate. It is a reference that I think serious
job hunters should have in their arsenal. I also read: The Hope Quotient, Mindset, The Top Five Regrets of the Dying, We Were
Soldiers Once and Young, The Gift of Adversity, The Heart and the Fist, David
and Goliath and Fearless; just to be reading. I’m sure that I’m missing some and I am also reading now. Reading
was not only an escape but an exposure to other people’s experiences and how
they handled their lives. During trials in my life I also read Proverbs and
Psalms of the bible. Sometimes all you can do is just look up and ask for
direction. Reading is something I didn’t take the time to do when I was
cranking out long hours behind a desk. I think reading benefits the unemployed
explorer. Stay sharp, busy and create structure.
Structure, this is very important
when being unemployed. Richard Bolles said that most people quit applying for
jobs after two weeks, due to burnout and a small percentage of responses. When I
read that I thought, people give up after two weeks? I then started feeling my
drive dropping at the two week mark, you have to keep pushing. Just as when I
received a promotion I wanted to go against the grain and spent less money;
when I left my position I created structure for myself. I shaved and kept my
hair short on most days, at least I felt ready to go somewhere and presentable.
I spent countless hours in my “office”, the St. Louis County Library. I always
run to the “Reference” or “Quiet Area”. They had Wi-Fi and of course books on
every topic under the sun. They opened and closed at nine during the week. I
would wake up, drink some coffee and head to my office. I would park in the
same spot every day and wait for the doors to open. The same people became
familiar to me, other job hunters. It was nice to associate and work alongside
other people seeking employment. Sometimes I would bring a small snack or run
and get lunch. The reason I did this is because I know myself well enough to
know a house would not be enough structure for a focused job hunt. But as time
went on and I kept applying for positions without responses, I read something
in the Parachute book. Without charts, figures and statistics; NETWORKING is
the #1 way to get a job. Remember the saying, “Its not always WHAT you know but
WHO you know.” I’m not saying this is ethically right, but it’s the way of our
world. If you are job hunting, think about who you know and TALK to them!
This book was recommended to me by a business success, not a coincidence.
Jessi’s family knew someone that
had a good stable job working at a major cement plant south of St. Louis.
Apparently the stretch of the Mississippi south of St. Louis has some of the
richest lime deposits in the world! In other words, job stability. So I
emailed, texted and talked to this friend. I applied for the job, took tests
and surveys. I studied the company and what they could offer. I applied online,
then had to apply in person and then had to do a personality/intelligence test.
After these steps, I got an interview! Five men interviewed me and hammered me
with questions. They stated the position they had open was for a laborer and
kept stating I was over qualified. I stated that if there was opportunity for
advancement and a stable future I would seriously consider it. They made me
aware that I would work 12 hour shifts that change every 7 days. One gentleman
said that “If I wanted to see every home run that little Johnny hits, I won’t.”
They said the job can be hard on a man and his family. I had a long list of questions for them as
well. They also asked behavioral questions. NOTE: Study and understand what
behavioral interviewing questions are, your response is vital. They predict you
future behavior by listening about your past behavior. After interviewing me
for one hour, I received a call the next day to take a drug test. I politely
told them they literally talked me out of the job, probably their motive. I don’t
mind getting dirty and working hard but this didn’t seem like the lifestyle
that would work for me.
I was also in contact with a great
friend who is a private business consultant, specializing in processes and work
place culture. She has been a vital link for years and I am very grateful for
her input throughout my life. She copied me on an email and set up a meeting
with me and a friend of hers. It was to be a fairly casual meeting for advice
and input on career options. He specialized in sales, his background was in
chemical and mechanical engineering. One thing to remember is you never know
who you are going to meet, so dress sharp, feel sharp and be sharp! We met at
St. Louis Bread Co and I bought him lunch. He was a very interesting guy with a
lot of knowledge about a lot of things. He had worked in many industries and
seemed to settle into sales and consulting. We talked for over an hour and he
mentioned that I needed to work with people. We talked about some select
companies in St. Louis and what I could possibly do for them, with my
experience. I was happy I met him and he kept in touch with me throughout my
hunt. One company we talked about which I was already honing in on was Graybar
Electric. He happened to have a contact there and I called him to ask him 20
questions. I also talked to a couple other people that knew him. Networking
seemed to work, at least to start conversations within certain companies. “Put
a bug in their ear”, that’s what people used to tell me. Be interested and let
them know your name.
Sometimes we have to take a break and find balance in our work. Then we will realize the beautiful things that were right in front of us the whole time.
Every day I would search job boards
and see the same jobs. I would try to think of new networking contacts.
Sometimes I thought I should have taken the 12 hour shifts at the lime plant,
jobs were hard to come by! Because of my support system and ability to be
frugal, my urgency didn’t push me into future regret. My motivation seemed to
be decreasing and that’s when I started picking up side jobs. I would search
for jobs 3-4 days a week and work on other days. I dug up tree stumps, organic
gardening, landscaping, cleaned guns, painted patio furniture, and more. One
day I was tired of job hunting and went home, I got a call to make quick money!
I had to deliver four packets of finished taxes for $100 cash, the easiest
money I have ever made. I was grateful to have a chance to work with Jessi’s
dad. His business is ASAP Gutters and he installs, repairs and cleans gutters.
If you ever need work done, I’ll let him know! It is very humbling when people
know you don’t have a steady job and are thinking of ways to pay you for work.
I went from managing one of the largest service departments in the country (32
million dollars in equipment) to painting patio furniture. This creates a humbled
person. It’s good for us to be vulnerable and humbled at times. Do you think an
Olympic athlete is comfortable during the years of training leading up to the
games? Do you think that Navy Seals are comfortable going through BUDS
training, preparing for the darkest places on the face of the Earth? Comfort is
something that is sold everywhere today, its common. I myself live very
comfortably, I’ll admit it. I like A/C, I like hot water and I like my
electronics. It was not comfortable to give up authority, a salary, a company
truck and free gas to explore my options in this life. This reminds me of a
verse I read during this job hunt. James 1:2-4 “2 Consider it pure joy, my
brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you
know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance
finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything.”
Sometimes it seems we have to go through the fire in life to build better
character and focus.
Find time to reset, recharge and get re-motivated.
Two companies I was focusing on
were Graybar and Nestle Purina. I contacted over 25 people while attempting to
network for Graybar. In all I applied for nearly 60 jobs in three months. I
also listed each job title, the company and the date I applied. If I received a
rejection then I would write the date and draw a line through it. Some of those
applications were out of desperation to be honest with you. At times I just
wanted a job! Why didn’t anyone call me back or sent me rejection emails? I
made nearly straight A’s, have recommendations and proof of my ability to make
a difference in the workplace! What was wrong with me? Remember that inner
voice we all have? Be careful. I would job hunt/network, work and go hiking. I
often hiked the Chubb Trail located between Lone Elk Park and West Tyson Park
in south St. Louis. It was four hours to be free and thankful for my life. I
would job hunt in the AM and hike in the PM. I was able to spend a mild and
beautiful Spring outside. I went fishing, hiking, hunting and was still
networking. I then was told a friend of mine from high school that grew up down
the street from me worked at Graybar! I immediately called him and asked him 20
questions. I mentioned that I was trying to focus on getting an interview with
Graybar and he said, “Graybar is taking over man!” He had all positive things
to say about the company and benefits. He was getting ready to transfer to
Kansas City, MO. with them. He mentioned that the hiring process was extremely
thorough, and could take a while. He couldn’t get me an interview but let me
use him as a reference. I applied for positions that seemed transferable from
my old job. Customer Service, Inventory Planner and Sales Trainee are what I chose.
At the same time Nestle Purina contacted me about my application with them.
Remember that when you apply for a position, so are at least 100 others. It
takes time, especially if there are multiple openings. BE PATIENT, everyone
kept saying that. I was ready to show anyone and everyone how hard I could
work! It will likely take at least 1-2 weeks to hear a reply from a job
application. Unfortunately the days of waiting on the doorstep and shaking the
company owners hand to get hired is near extinction. I also contacted a Graybar
recruiter on LinkedIn to ask his professional advice for starting a career with
Graybar. He was extremely kind and answered all of my questions and gave me
some advice too. I’m glad I reached out to him, he forwarded my name to HR.
Through the process of leaving my
company and job hunting I went through an array of emotions. Relieved, unsure,
panicked, hopeful, desperate, hopeful, hopeless, motivated, happy, hopeless,
excited, exhausted, hopeful, humbled, motivated, unsure, hopeful and satisfied.
I read blogs about people feeling the same thing! I just knew I had a choice
every morning, stay in bed or get up and do something! To say that I was 100%
driven every single day and never doubted myself would be a lie. Like Jessi
told me, “You’re too young to retire and you’ll get a job soon enough. You put
in the time and work.” I had to keep trying. I was contacted by Nestle Purina
and Graybar in the same week! I was so excited and wanted to start work
immediately! That’s when I tried to remember, BE PATIENT. They contacted me on
a Monday to schedule a phone interview for the following week or after. I
scheduled them as soon as possible. I knew a friend that used to work for
Purina and another friend still there. I contacted both of them via phone and
asked 20 questions. They were very helpful and let me know what to expect.
Hiring a person is a huge decision, and a very expensive one. The hiring
process has changed through the years. Now there are phone interviews, online
tests/assessments and the old fashion face to face interviews. It is a process,
prepare for it.
Remember the behavioral questions I
mentioned earlier? This is a very common screening technique you MUST
understand. I wrote over 20 questions and had multiple work experiences for each
of them. When they ask you a question such as: “Tell me about a time when your
boss was not around and you had to make a business decision. Explain the steps
you took and how that turned out.” What they are listening for is a Situation,
Action and Outcome. Here is an example answer I would give: “We had a skid
steer come back with severely damaged rubber tracks. A salesman had already
promised this machine to a customer within the week for a 6 month rental. I had
my men take pictures of the damage and save them in our files. I had a mechanic
take the damaged tracks off. I priced three vendors and found one that was
offering dealer pricing and free shipping within two days! I immediately made
the decision to buy the tracks. They showed up the next day and I had a
mechanic install them as soon as possible. The machine was rented for 6 months
to the customer and I wrote an invoice for the damage to the previous customer.”
Remember, I tend to jabber on but short is sweet. They interview people all day
long. Remember, SITUATION, ACTION, OUTCOME. Learn it and prepare for it from
your past experiences.
One thing that is difficult for me
is to brag or make myself look better than anyone else. If you have this same
weakness, I have bad news for you. Whether it is a phone or in person interview,
you are literally selling yourself. There is a difference between confident and
cocky; there is also a difference between assertive and aggressive. I
restructured my resume twice during this process. One of my good friends gave
me an option to passively prove my ability without bragging. He told me to put
a small portfolio together with accomplishments, emails, and recommendations. He told me to put it in a small professional
folder and give it to them to have after an interview in person. I took his
advice and started browsing through awards, recommendations, emails and
accomplishments. I made three copies of this packet and decided I would add
their name on the front with their emblem and the date of the interview. I
always bring a leather folder to all interviews. Inside this folder is my pen,
legal pad with questions for them and a calculator. It is a small thing that
looks very organized and professional. I got it from my last company. You have
to think of a strategy to prove you are worth looking into, calling or hiring!
If I could do it, you can do it.
My first phone interview was at 8 o’clock
in the morning with Nestle Purina. We summarized my resume and they asked why I
left every single job. Be ready for this, don’t say anything negative. Then
they started the behavioral interviewing. I had stories for every question I
could possibly think of and felt confident in my answers. I was able to ask the
recruiter questions I wanted to know about the company. Throughout the
interview I heard her saying, “That’s perfect, perfect!” It made me feel good
whether she meant it or not. She explained that if I was chosen for the next
stage it would be a 3+ hour interview process of behavioral questioning. She
mentioned I would know within 3 days if I would be moving forward. The position
was an Order Revenue Management Specialist. I would work with customers such as
a giant chain store, I would make sure the orders are placed and delivered as
expected. I would resolve any problems in the middle. My second interview was
at 1:00 o’clock in the afternoon with Graybar. The recruiter was great to talk
to and put me at ease immediately. We reviewed my resume and why I made the
changes I had. She asked me behavioral questions which I prepared for with
vigor. I was able to ask her questions and learn more about the inside, which I
wanted to see so bad. She told me I would get a call within 2 weeks about
whether I would be moving forward.
Long story shorter, Nestle Purina
didn’t work out. They are a top rated company in St. Louis and give employees
the ability to move into different departments and they promote from within.
Instead of Graybar calling me in two weeks, they called me in 24 hours for an
in person interview! There was still hope for me. I also had a peace about me
that if it didn’t work out, I would just keep trying me best. I researched the
company and wrote notes about them. I found articles online about them and what
they do best. They were started in the mid-1800s and are employee owned. They
have over 8,000 employees and over 130,000 customers. They don’t make or repair
anything. They purchase, house and distribute over 100,000 electrical supplies
for customers across North America. They also seem to do it better than most.
They are a Fortune 500 company and highly rated from their own employees. These
are just examples of what I learned. When the interview on May 19th
at 9:00 o’clock came, I was prepared. I wore a full suit with a tie and brought
my leather folder kit and “highlights packet”. The manager was extremely
friendly and personable. We reviewed my entire resume and went through reasons
why I made the career changes I did. He asked me specific questions about my
last position and asked behavioral questions. I had stories of past situations
for every question and why I made the decisions I had to. It seemed to go very
smooth and I felt confident in my ability. He stated they would contact me
within 10 days to know the next step in the process for me, if they were
interested. If they called me it would be to set up a Sales Assessment Test
online. I remembered to hand him my “Highlight Packet” and said, “This is for
you guys to look over whenever you get time, you can have it.” I remembered I felt
confident after the Nestle interview also, I must have been wrong? Be conscious
of that inner voice, it is dangerous. Graybar called me within 3 hours of my
interview and wanted me to take the assessment online. This assessment would
determine if I am the right person for the position.
My "Highlight Packet"
I was looking for the assessment
the next day, waiting at the library. I never saw it and emailed the hiring
manager in the evening. I knew in the past that my email is commonly misspelled,
RABBIT vs. RABBITT. The extra T seems to throw people off. I then received the
assessment on a Friday. The assessment took me over an hour to complete and screened
multiple areas. Personality, analytical skills, math skills and more. That was
a long weekend of anticipation. In fact I didn’t hear anything back for about 5
days. Then I received a call from the hiring manager wanting to set up a final
interview for the following week. I went into my interview at 10:30am on June 4th.
I thought of new questions they could ask me, and new questions I had for them.
He said I did better than average on my assessment but he could not show me the
scoring. He said that his boss was very impressed with my “Highlight Packet” I
put together with their name on the front. He asked me a few behavioral or
situational questions. He asked what I had been doing with my time. I told him
I had been interviewing and working on the side. After I asked three company
related questions, I asked one last question. “You have answered all of my
questions, my last question is what is next for me in this process?” He stated,
“Well this is where I give you an offer and you tell me yes, no or that you
need time.” He told me what they were willing to do for me and asked if I needed
time to think about it. Without leaping out of my chair while thinking about
the past 101 day journey of self-discovery and perseverance, I accepted the
position. I will work in Inside Sales initially, helping customers buy products
they need at the best price possible. I will work with contractors, industrial
maintenance managers and purchasers. They gave me what I asked for and I will
be working Monday through Friday, 8am to 5pm. My start date is June 29th,
giving me the ability to go to Destin, FL for my grandma’s 90th
birthday party. We are going to be surf
fishing and relaxing by the beach, Jessi is flying down midweek to join us.
Nothing but blessed and grateful to all the people in my life and God. My
parents and girlfriend Jessi were my positive reinforcement that I was doing
the right thing for myself. Life is not perfect and I will have challenges and
trials ahead, but my belief in my own ability to overcome, persevere and
succeed has inscreased. I passed up opportunities, I kept searching and staying
productive. Now I have an opportunity to work for an amazing company and see where
the career can take me. An interesting fact is that Graybar’s CEO started in
customer service! I know I have a ton to learn and will never stop learning in
an ever changing industry. I’m up for the challenge and excited to do my best
and have no regrets. I want to tell you I applied for this job on April 8th, and will start June 29th. BE PATIENT.
Lesson’s learned during my 101 day
journey
·
Study yourself, know your strengths and
weaknesses. Know what you’re capable of!
·
Do your best to control that “inner voice”, be positive.
·
Create structure in your life. Make a schedule,
wake up early and follow it.
·
Network, network, network. It is the #1 way to
get a job, period.
·
Review and restructure your resume to make you
the best candidate out there.
·
Be resilient. You will not be given an offer
from every company, come back strong, move forward.
·
Dress sharp, feel sharp and be sharp. Take care
of yourself and dress for the occasion.
·
If you are honestly doing your best, you should
have nothing to regret.
·
Have a support source. Family, friends or fellow
job hunter groups.
·
If you’re going to do all the work to get an interview,
prepare for it and dress sharp!
·
Remember that the speed of the interview process
and whether you are receiving a regular paycheck is not a prospective employer’s
concern.
·
I wouldn’t recommend you ever quit a job without
another job, if you do save AT LEAST 4 months funds. I read about multiple
people that took over one year to land a job!
·
There is a purpose for your life. You have the
ability to influence people, make changes and succeed by making productive
decisions starting today.
·
When in a dark place in your life and feeling
uncertain about who you are. This will show you how strong you are and who will
love you unconditionally.
·
Be Patient! The hiring process is a lengthy one,
keep pushing.
·
Find balance. If you job hunt all day, try to go
running or do another unrelated activity afterwards.
·
Surround yourself with positive people, positive
books and positive self-talk.
·
People are hired and fired daily, there are
always positions opening for some reason.
·
Never make the mistake that you think you know everything.
Listen to people and always keep learning.
·
Pray and or meditate. Find peace in this process,
chaos will not solve many problems.
The last thing I want to say is that most people don’t have
their life figured out, that’s okay. I don’t have my life figured out, that’s okay.
General Ulysses S. Grant was a superstar in the 1800’s, he met royalty all over
the world after the Civil War. Did you know that he chose to leave the army
before the war started? Did you know that he failed almost every effort to make
money? Many called him an alcoholic and a failure. He was given land to make money, failed. He tried farming in California, it was in a flood plain; failed. He had to move back home with his wife and kids, to work under his father and brothers. When the war started he was
not even in the military! He eventually got back into his niche and was one of the
most successful generals in the history books. That is one story of thousands. Its seems the common link is these people just keep trying! Wherever you are in your life,
its okay! Think about what you want and where you want to go. Start making changes,
take action and set small goals. We have the ability to live safe lives and be under
the radar our entire life; we also have the ability to create changes which can
produce situations we never dreamed of. There is nothing wrong with either
decision, which will you choose? Life is very short, how will you choose to
live it? I’ll tell you how I plan on living mine, without regrets. I want to
push more, try more, love more and be more. I could be in the same position I
was in 2003, but what fun would that be? Continue to become the best version of yourself. I wish you the best in your endeavors
and hope you live life to the fullest. Carpe
Diem!
Sincerely,
Austin
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