OK, so, I am back in the beautiful Central VA.  I’ve taken a couple of days off and now I am ready to return to the keyboard and try and put some sense back into my world.

I find myself pretty much right where I left off at the beginning of December when I left to go on an assignment for almost two months.  I learned alot about people.  No matter where you go, people are cheap!  I also learned alot about myself.  I hate being locked into 4 walls, and I am a pretty good salesman.  Now, what do I do with this knowledge?

I am still trying to find a new career.  I have now spent 18 of the last 24 months looking for this elusive career.  Now don’t read that the wrong way, I have only been unemployed for 8 of those months, because that makes it all better.  I have spoken to more people than I care to remember.  I have had more interviews than most people have in their entire career.  I have had 4 solid offers and taken 2 of them.  that number doesn’t include the ones where someone said we could offer you a different position if you are interested.  That number is in the double digits.  So, while it’s nice to know that your wanted, I would like it a little more if they would like me for the positions that I want, and for a little more money, but who in their right mind would turn down more money for a job they wanted?

I look at the job boards.  I talk to friends and acquaintances about people or opportunities that they may know of.  I write, rewrite, edit, re-edit, and publish my resume and cover letter for what seems like everyday.  I have more cover letters than any one man should be allowed to have.  I know every job within a 50 mile radius that has anything to do with leadership, management, or sales.  I read the newspaper everyday just to stay sane (yes the real newspaper, actually on paper, and yes I recycle it).  I can tell you about every local school’s budget and their shortfalls, and how our lovely city’s schools have failed to abide by a court order to comply with the ADA from 2 years ago (FYI ADA went into effect in 1990!!) I have the skills, I have the credentials, I have the references, I have the experience, and I have the motivation, but I can’t find a job.  So what is wrong with me?

I am coming to the realization that I will have to take a job way below my skill set in order to have a job and to allow our family to continue with what we have in our lives.  Don’t get me wrong, we are far from being in the poor house, but have to deal with 8 months of unemployment over 24 months puts a big hurt on the finances.   Add that to the wife taking a less demanding job with less salary, and the fiscal side of our family is not where it once was.  I have issues with taking 10+ years of management experience, a college education, and the ability to do more and then taking a job as a single unit manager of anything.  It is something that I promised myself that I would not do after I left the Bux.  The idea of only having 4 walls to manage in keeps me up at night.  If you have ever managed multiple locations, and lead a team of managers it is extremely hard to put yourself back into the physical and leadership constraints of a single building.  I have done this before and it drove me to breakdown, both emotionally and physically.  I guess I was spoiled early on in my career when I was promoted very quickly and had the opportunity to have 8-10 direct managerial reports, and over 600 indirect reports.  That is what I love to do, manage and improve processes, and lead and develop people.  So, how do I keep the promise to myself and to my family?  I am still working on that answer, but I know it will come soon, I hope.

On a higher note, I am thrilled to be home with the family!  I missed them terribly.  The kids are so grown up.  Rudolph can pretty much speak in full and discernible sentences.  Clarice is such a big sister.  She tries so hard to help Rudolph with everything.  I have missed Soccer Saturdays.  I missed Rudolph’s 2nd birthday, and missed our 5th Wedding Anniversary, but only by one day.  The wife, well she is nothing short of amazing.  I don’t how she did it alone, but she did it and still has all of her hair:)  She keeps grounded in everything, and this holds true now with the career search.  She has put in simple terms of what we need to do, and in turn, what I need to do. And it will be done.

Thanks for listening;)