Three Weeks and Counting

I have now been out of work for three full weeks and even though I still see lots of jobs posted on all the job boards/sites, I am not seeing a lot of response from submitting my resume. Of course, I am being very selective about the jobs I apply for. This is my opportunity to step back and analyze the world around me and to decide what my role should be.

I do have an interview lined up on Wednesday and I'll have to admit that I am a little excited about it. If I were to get the job, it would be a complete change from being in racing. There are similarities with this position and the work I have done in the past 12 years, the biggest being that this is a family owned business. Both the race teams that I have been with (Richard Petty & Richard Childress) were family owned. There is a unique dynamic involved with a family owned business. Trust me, you don't know this until you have been there!

I personally believe that a family has to work together to create a business and then make it successful. Even though the business may be run by just one spouse, the other spouse has to burn the midnight oil as well pouring over numbers and reliving the stress of the day because everything the family owns is on the line. In the early years, the family home may even be used as collateral to get the business going. There is a lot at stake here and the entire family deserves respect for the ultimate success of the business and the sacrifices it took to become successful.

Looking for a job is actually boring. You don't go out and knock on doors or hand out resumes. Everything is done completely online. There is no face-to-face time unless your resume has something unique that makes it stand out among the other hundred (or thousand) resumes submitted for that one job. Not being able to meet people in person and make that good "first impression" definitely puts one at a disadvantage. Sitting in front of a computer for hours every day, day after day, isn't any fun.

I've not even heard from the recruiters that I am working with in over a week. I applied for the job mentioned above online and was contacted by the recruiter that posted it, but I have never met him; however, he does have good communication skills. We have talked on the phone three times this past week. I realize that he is working on commission, but I feel that we have gotten to know each other through our lengthy phone calls and emails.

Looking for a new job is not all I have been doing however. I have a good friend (he actually introduced my husband and me) who is wanting to start his own business. We'll call him Greg just to protect his anonymity for now. Greg has been putting this idea together for the last 3-4 years and has finally reached the point where he is ready to seek financial backing or possibly even sell the idea along with all the research that he has compiled. My part in this was to help create the business plan and put together the financial information. We sat here at my dining room table and worked for 12 hours last weekend. We have communicated several times on the phone over this past week as well. Greg has a really (really) good idea and it should be very successful, especially in today's economy. I wish him the best!!!!

To end this post, I must admit that I have become very spoiled over the last several years. I very rarely cook dinner and when I do it is something quick that doesn't require much effort or thought. My husband does most of the real cooking. With my being out of work, our roles are reversing. I am having to actually think about dinner and prepare real meals. I am out of practice - but he seems to be faring well.

Tomorrow I have a doll house to put together - I may even post pictures. ;-)