On Not Counting Your Chickens Before the Fat Lady Doesn't Sing

O.k… so the New York thing didn’t happen. So much for the mental or physical disaster I mentioned.

But the most disturbing thing about the New York thing not panning out wasn’t

“not getting the job”.

I’ve had similar turns in life and expect them again.

No, the thing that really ‘T’’s me off about the whole thing is that it was Such a Great Post in this Blog, that I Hated to not be able to follow through, if only for that sake alone. O well… I’m really not crushed. Too much going on for that. A little shocked, perhaps, but not devastated.

I can’t recall ever having gone after a position in my field that I really wanted and not getting it. I have all the required ‘stuff’: background, references, etc. I interview very well. So what the hell happened??

Let’s see… (*fade-out harp music) When last we left Me and Mr. Potential Employer – the dialogue went something like:

“...., thanks for your e-mail outlining the issues we discussed during our recent talks. I will review the letter over the weekend to avoid any misunderstandings, and get back to you on Monday, and we can finish this thing up. Have a nice weekend and we’ll talk then.”

Monday


Tuesday


Wednesday


Thursday


Friday
“Dear Mr. L, Just touching base (to use a phrase I HATE with a passion) to see if I might be able to address any questions or concerns you might have regarding our recent correspondence. Please feel free to either call or e-mail at - blah blah blah…”


Weekend


Monday


Tuesday…


It is now the end of February and I have long since stopped looking for Mr. Potential Employer’s picture on the side of the milk carton. He's gone and he ain’t comin’ back – and what’s more, I don’t care. Just not that thrilled and never really was – other than the fact that it would have been a very nice salary increase with hours which were much more conducive to a sane, healthy, rational personal life.

I have an idea and some speculation as to why, but over all I’m not sure way deep down that this may have been meant for me. Even after having returned from NY last month….there was still something in my gut that said ‘this still may not be right for you, MrM’, and not because I was scared of ‘The Job’. I know that I could have done ‘The Job’ with my eyes closed. But I think that if there was just one thing that kept a check in my heart about it all was that it would have taken me out of the one thing that I truly enjoy most about this profession: The day-to-day ops of the houses I would be managing. I don’t know if I’m ready to give that up yet. And that may have been the one thing that kept me from projecting the energy I’d need to follow through. Who can say?

I am fortunate enough in my profession to work within a network of agencies, and two incredible agents in particular whom I’ve known for years. So I don’t really sweat the search like I probably should, and it’s kind of spoiled me in a way.

Unlike most people who begin the dreaded process, when I begin looking I don’t have to check in to Monster.com or any other e-source, or mail out a bunch of resumes. I just pick up the phone and say: “I wanna throw my hat in the ring – whaddaya got goin’ on?” I have to laugh when I think about how easy it is. I think of it sort of like Hallowe’en night, standing on the front porce of the agency with my bag held high, yelling:

“Trick or Job!”

So there are currently a couple of interviews in the works pending the scheduling of travel and meeting times ( I secretly love using vacation time for this – so help me, I don’t know why) and so when the time is right I’ll fly to Chicago to meet with all three them on “one of them’s” dime.

I know it won’t happen overnight. From the time an employer shows an interest in a candidate it could be anywhere from two to four months before moving day – which should just about cast my moving van tail lights on the northern bands of the first hurricane of the season before leaving town.

What would I ultimately like to do?

My goal, and I do have one…

After struggling through the first 20 years of this adventure in private service, I think I’d just like to find the job and the salary that my education and experience and demand - a workplace where communication is a two-way street, rather than a dead-end alley. I know these are both realistic and attainable.

And then, quite simply, I’d like to funnel the outcome of both these goals in to a real estate portfolio that would usher me into what I call ‘financial independence day’. And then……I think I’d like to direct.