Yesterday I had 2 interviews back to back and while it was exhausting both mentally and physically, it was definitely rewarding!
They were both group interviews, which reminded me very much of the scene of the Jim Carey movie "Fun with Dick and Jane" when Dick finally gets an interview only to find that his nemesis is also in the same parking garage and headed to the same interview. My nemesis wasn't there (I don't have one), but when Dick and his nemesis get to the suite where the interview is to take place, there are hundreds(?) of people in line for the same interview! LOL
It wasn't that bad. I was in a room with about 10-12 other candidates and I liked the concept actually. The interviewer wanted to see how we acted in a group environment, where we sat, how we interacted with him in front of others, etc. I had no problem with this whatsoever at either interview. I actually thrive more in this environment.After the presentation(s), we were given the option to leave if the opportunity wasn't what we were looking for and some did. I am not that easy to deter, however, so I stayed in both situations...much to my reward.
I'm not going to go into a long tirade here, but suffice it to say that I accepted the second offer and will be getting licensed by the State of Florida to help individuals find the type of health insurance they need, can afford, and will be happy with. The way the industry is about to be turned on its ear, more people are seeking out options other than HMOs and that is where I will be able to help...I love to help, love to serve, etc...and this is right up my "alley" - wanting to make a difference (see previous post).
The best part -- I make my schedule. Yes, there are expectations and meetings and calls, but overall, I know I will be here for my kids, for Cornerstone, for LIFE.
So far, I feel really great about it. I prayed a lot about it and I have such peace along with this intense excitement and joy...it's AMAZING! What was I EVER nervous about?
I also did not burn the bridge with the first company, and that's an important lesson I've learned over the years. I had nothing against the first company -- they were awesome too in their own rights...I just felt that with my medical background, the second company was a better fit.
I'm very excited and I feel incredibly blessed.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Friday, June 26, 2009
2 Interviews Back-2-Back Monday
...and I'm N-E-R-V-O-U-S...
to say the least.
yet, I feel blessed.
In our market in Florida, unemployment is now beyond 10%. Therefore, to receive 2 phone calls in less than a week is flattering and exciting. Hopefully, the opportunities will not disappoint.
The interesting thing is, the jobs are not in fields that I would have normally considered as my groove. I have 10 years telecommunications spread across management, technical writing/testing/analyzing, residential repair, as well as regulatory and commission affairs. After being forced to leave telecom with the downsizing of the last company I gave my heart to (awwww), I sought certification in medical transcription so I could work from home and be with my small children. Now, they're not so small; however, the amount of work has dwindled significantly and has put me in a seeking position again.
So, I find myself up late night after night, going over site after site, looking for that "perfect" position. I've received a couple of responses in the field(s) I have experience in indicating I am a year shy of the experience they are looking for (5 versus the 4 I have in transcription) or that because it is home-based and not hospital-based that won't work either. One other email from an unnamed company indicated that my requested salary was "too high"; therefore, I responded that salaries are negotiable and, if that was the only thing holding me back...let's talk. It's a hard market out there, and it's funny that where I have experience, no one wants to give me the time of day....but, where I've never considered, I have recruiters interested in molding me and shaping me into what they want. They like what I write, what they hear, what they see.
We'll see how it goes Monday. It could be a bust. I maybe won't like what they have to say. I could show up and it be a mass interview process like on "Fun with Dick and Jane" with Jim Carey (that scene was HILARIOUS) and I might be just part of a herd of people going to a presentation...who knows? It'll be great experience if nothing else and I'm excited, because it just might be the beginning of something great.
to say the least.
yet, I feel blessed.
In our market in Florida, unemployment is now beyond 10%. Therefore, to receive 2 phone calls in less than a week is flattering and exciting. Hopefully, the opportunities will not disappoint.
The interesting thing is, the jobs are not in fields that I would have normally considered as my groove. I have 10 years telecommunications spread across management, technical writing/testing/analyzing, residential repair, as well as regulatory and commission affairs. After being forced to leave telecom with the downsizing of the last company I gave my heart to (awwww), I sought certification in medical transcription so I could work from home and be with my small children. Now, they're not so small; however, the amount of work has dwindled significantly and has put me in a seeking position again.
So, I find myself up late night after night, going over site after site, looking for that "perfect" position. I've received a couple of responses in the field(s) I have experience in indicating I am a year shy of the experience they are looking for (5 versus the 4 I have in transcription) or that because it is home-based and not hospital-based that won't work either. One other email from an unnamed company indicated that my requested salary was "too high"; therefore, I responded that salaries are negotiable and, if that was the only thing holding me back...let's talk. It's a hard market out there, and it's funny that where I have experience, no one wants to give me the time of day....but, where I've never considered, I have recruiters interested in molding me and shaping me into what they want. They like what I write, what they hear, what they see.
We'll see how it goes Monday. It could be a bust. I maybe won't like what they have to say. I could show up and it be a mass interview process like on "Fun with Dick and Jane" with Jim Carey (that scene was HILARIOUS) and I might be just part of a herd of people going to a presentation...who knows? It'll be great experience if nothing else and I'm excited, because it just might be the beginning of something great.
Tuesday, June 23, 2009
Michael Moore's "SiCKO"
I have never seen one of Michael Moore's documentaries before and I am actually not a documentary fan per se; however, that being said, I got caught up in this one titled "SiCKO". Say what you want about Michael Moore and where he stands on issues, say what you want about HMOs versus free universal health care, and say what you want about patriotism versus anti-Americanism but I came away from this documentary agreeing with the main points:
(1) Our system is broken. I have been a victim of it, so I can attest to this.
(2) Something needs to be done and the government doesn't truly want to do anything about it. It really DOES stand to lose in the long run. It maybe even can't afford to do anything about it in this economy as it is. I don't know, I just know we're broken and we need repair.
(3) The other countries that he compares our health system to have longer life expectancies, less medication dependencies, less chronic medical problems (they focus on prevention), and they just seem happier in a lot of aspects.
People actually laughed at the idea of having to consider a bill before leaving a hospital in some of the countries. I can't tell you how many times I have been lying in the hospital bed worrying about the cost of my stay, or even sat by my daughter's side worrying about the dollars and cents accruing instead of focusing on getting her better.
I have no idea what the answer is and I will be the first to admit that. I don't think it is to jump ship and move to GB, France, or even Cuba. I have to trust that someone with a degree in the right field is going to come up with that innovative plan or that the "powers that be" will agree on a plan that isn't going to necessarily put profit in their pockets and will instead help all of us take care of each other.
I don't know that the NHS in Britain or the government-funded program in France or the medical system in Cuba have the answers. I do know, however, that Mr. Moore has a point that we've all forgotten as HUMAN BEINGS...it's about "we", not "me".
Love one another as I have loved you.
Whatever you do for the least of these, you have done to me.
To watch people get "dumped" on Skid Row by hospitals because the patients couldn't pay for the care was a disgrace to our country. To see volunteers who helped to reunite this country in the effort to uncover evidence of loved ones in the rubble of 9-11 be denied much needed medical assistance, medications, and tests is a disgrace to our country. Finally, to see a family lose their husband and father at the age of 37 because the treatments he needed were considered experimental (although there were at least 3 different types requested on at least 3 different occasions, all backed up by medical evidence of chance for survival), THAT is a disgrace.
At least the first 2 would not have happened if our system were fixed. Only God knows about the third, but the health care system didn't give the man a chance.
It was a sad, heartbreaking, and moving documentary that made me want to get up and DO something...but government isn't what it's supposed to be. It's not a democracy where we, the people, have a voice. The lobbyists have the voice because they have the money. So, I sit here and type, sad for those families that suffer, praying that one day we will remember to unite and care for each other again.
(1) Our system is broken. I have been a victim of it, so I can attest to this.
(2) Something needs to be done and the government doesn't truly want to do anything about it. It really DOES stand to lose in the long run. It maybe even can't afford to do anything about it in this economy as it is. I don't know, I just know we're broken and we need repair.
(3) The other countries that he compares our health system to have longer life expectancies, less medication dependencies, less chronic medical problems (they focus on prevention), and they just seem happier in a lot of aspects.
People actually laughed at the idea of having to consider a bill before leaving a hospital in some of the countries. I can't tell you how many times I have been lying in the hospital bed worrying about the cost of my stay, or even sat by my daughter's side worrying about the dollars and cents accruing instead of focusing on getting her better.
I have no idea what the answer is and I will be the first to admit that. I don't think it is to jump ship and move to GB, France, or even Cuba. I have to trust that someone with a degree in the right field is going to come up with that innovative plan or that the "powers that be" will agree on a plan that isn't going to necessarily put profit in their pockets and will instead help all of us take care of each other.
I don't know that the NHS in Britain or the government-funded program in France or the medical system in Cuba have the answers. I do know, however, that Mr. Moore has a point that we've all forgotten as HUMAN BEINGS...it's about "we", not "me".
Love one another as I have loved you.
Whatever you do for the least of these, you have done to me.
To watch people get "dumped" on Skid Row by hospitals because the patients couldn't pay for the care was a disgrace to our country. To see volunteers who helped to reunite this country in the effort to uncover evidence of loved ones in the rubble of 9-11 be denied much needed medical assistance, medications, and tests is a disgrace to our country. Finally, to see a family lose their husband and father at the age of 37 because the treatments he needed were considered experimental (although there were at least 3 different types requested on at least 3 different occasions, all backed up by medical evidence of chance for survival), THAT is a disgrace.
At least the first 2 would not have happened if our system were fixed. Only God knows about the third, but the health care system didn't give the man a chance.
It was a sad, heartbreaking, and moving documentary that made me want to get up and DO something...but government isn't what it's supposed to be. It's not a democracy where we, the people, have a voice. The lobbyists have the voice because they have the money. So, I sit here and type, sad for those families that suffer, praying that one day we will remember to unite and care for each other again.
Monday, June 22, 2009
The Hunt for Red October
Has anyone ever seen that movie?
It was a great movie....
That's how I feel right now, searching for (1) a trustworthy website to look for a job and (2) a good-looking job.
I'm nearing 5 years of being home now, 4 of which I have been either self-employed/contracted as a medical transcriptionist or have been working for a wonderful company I shall leave nameless at this time. Working from home definitely has had its advantages as I have been able to be here for my children while they are small; however, it has been almost 5 years and the kids do not really need me as much as they used to and, honestly, I am getting bored.
I am a driven individual that needs goals, plans, motivation, etc. Don't get me wrong, my kids give me plenty of plans and motivation every day and I most certainly have long-term plans in mind for them! I just miss the comradery you develop (or should develop) with your coworkers, the feeling you get when you meet the deadline and the work is exceptional, and I even miss the mind-numbing traffic. I guess I just miss being a grown-up sometimes.
Thing is, I want to be cautious here....the Israelites wanted a king and boy, did God let them have one since they wouldn't stop their whining. I want a job because He says it's time to have one. I know if I get a job now, it's definitely His timing -- not mine. I've been self-employed, basically, for 4 years and unemployment is Florida is now over 10%. To get a job now is literally a miracle. Literally.
We really need for me to go back to work, too. The bills are really piling up. My heart is so sad for those people, those families, who struggle so hard to survive on one person only making $8.00/hour. I see them every week coming into the Center and I can't help but want to take care of them. I've started bringing in some of our own stuff to give to them just to make sure they get what they need. I figure if I have extra, I can share. I've been there, done that. Hopefully, if we ever ended up there, someone would share their extra with us.
Anyway, so here I sit night after night trying to figure out what to do. It used to be easy. Pick up a paper or drive down the road and look for a "Help Wanted" sign. I haven't even seen one of those in so long. I remember using websites before and I don't remember them being so convoluted but now you go there and they are so full of "commercials" for this school and that product that I can't see straight. I just want to apply for the job, please. Yes, I would LOVE to go to school, but who will pay the bills in the meantime? Not you? Then, please, let me apply and stop asking me if recruiters can call me or if you can email me coupons for cheese or a free magazine or whatever.
A few months ago, I applied for a job with what I thought was a "real" company. Instead, it turns out it was a recruiting firm of some type...but not a good one that actually tries to work with you and determine your weaknesses and strengths and match you up with a compatible employer. It was funny the emails I started receiving at first, as they were really off-base with the work I've done and the type of person I am. Soon, however, it became very annoying. Eventually, when I didn't return any emails or click on any of their included advertisements, they stopped emailing me. Yes, I could have marked them as spam, but I guess deep down I was hoping they would actually send me something worthwhile.
It's a scary and sad world out there, and I know that some employers are going to look at my resume and equate self-employed to that all-dreaded word "housewife" or "stay-at-home mom", but I know who I am and what I'm capable of...besides, I happen to know that what I have been accomplishing the last 4-5 years has been just as tough if not tougher than what I ever did in telecommunications.
I have balanced my managing skills by helping mold 2 small babies into 2 little people, my organizational skills by managing the home, my accounting skills by keeping the ship from sinking so far, improving my skills as a teammate with my husband through some of the more stressful years of our marriage so far, and all the while still maintaining a career during all hours of the day (transcription is on an as-needed basis and requires weekends too)! On top of all that, I learned how to give more of MYSELF, which I wasn't really doing before. I donate my time to the community by working with a local women's center and I only recently stepped down from managing/coordinating a young-adult drama team. I have been the busiest I have ever been, I just don't have a big fat paycheck and a 401k to show for it.
Someone help me change that.
It was a great movie....
That's how I feel right now, searching for (1) a trustworthy website to look for a job and (2) a good-looking job.
I'm nearing 5 years of being home now, 4 of which I have been either self-employed/contracted as a medical transcriptionist or have been working for a wonderful company I shall leave nameless at this time. Working from home definitely has had its advantages as I have been able to be here for my children while they are small; however, it has been almost 5 years and the kids do not really need me as much as they used to and, honestly, I am getting bored.
I am a driven individual that needs goals, plans, motivation, etc. Don't get me wrong, my kids give me plenty of plans and motivation every day and I most certainly have long-term plans in mind for them! I just miss the comradery you develop (or should develop) with your coworkers, the feeling you get when you meet the deadline and the work is exceptional, and I even miss the mind-numbing traffic. I guess I just miss being a grown-up sometimes.
Thing is, I want to be cautious here....the Israelites wanted a king and boy, did God let them have one since they wouldn't stop their whining. I want a job because He says it's time to have one. I know if I get a job now, it's definitely His timing -- not mine. I've been self-employed, basically, for 4 years and unemployment is Florida is now over 10%. To get a job now is literally a miracle. Literally.
We really need for me to go back to work, too. The bills are really piling up. My heart is so sad for those people, those families, who struggle so hard to survive on one person only making $8.00/hour. I see them every week coming into the Center and I can't help but want to take care of them. I've started bringing in some of our own stuff to give to them just to make sure they get what they need. I figure if I have extra, I can share. I've been there, done that. Hopefully, if we ever ended up there, someone would share their extra with us.
Anyway, so here I sit night after night trying to figure out what to do. It used to be easy. Pick up a paper or drive down the road and look for a "Help Wanted" sign. I haven't even seen one of those in so long. I remember using websites before and I don't remember them being so convoluted but now you go there and they are so full of "commercials" for this school and that product that I can't see straight. I just want to apply for the job, please. Yes, I would LOVE to go to school, but who will pay the bills in the meantime? Not you? Then, please, let me apply and stop asking me if recruiters can call me or if you can email me coupons for cheese or a free magazine or whatever.
A few months ago, I applied for a job with what I thought was a "real" company. Instead, it turns out it was a recruiting firm of some type...but not a good one that actually tries to work with you and determine your weaknesses and strengths and match you up with a compatible employer. It was funny the emails I started receiving at first, as they were really off-base with the work I've done and the type of person I am. Soon, however, it became very annoying. Eventually, when I didn't return any emails or click on any of their included advertisements, they stopped emailing me. Yes, I could have marked them as spam, but I guess deep down I was hoping they would actually send me something worthwhile.
It's a scary and sad world out there, and I know that some employers are going to look at my resume and equate self-employed to that all-dreaded word "housewife" or "stay-at-home mom", but I know who I am and what I'm capable of...besides, I happen to know that what I have been accomplishing the last 4-5 years has been just as tough if not tougher than what I ever did in telecommunications.
I have balanced my managing skills by helping mold 2 small babies into 2 little people, my organizational skills by managing the home, my accounting skills by keeping the ship from sinking so far, improving my skills as a teammate with my husband through some of the more stressful years of our marriage so far, and all the while still maintaining a career during all hours of the day (transcription is on an as-needed basis and requires weekends too)! On top of all that, I learned how to give more of MYSELF, which I wasn't really doing before. I donate my time to the community by working with a local women's center and I only recently stepped down from managing/coordinating a young-adult drama team. I have been the busiest I have ever been, I just don't have a big fat paycheck and a 401k to show for it.
Someone help me change that.
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