Entry for January 10, 2010

I have been out of work for 19 consecutive weeks. Every week is different as far as getting motivated to find a job. This past week was pretty active for me. I had a meeting with my career counselor regarding my ACT test scores. The results of the meeting were somewhat disappointing for me. I scored very high on all three tests, but no real tangible jobs prospects are materializing from it. This is the second test I have taken that is supposed to help me get a new job. All I have found from these tests is they are time wasters. Maybe they work well for the typical factory worker, but as for my background they prove to be futile.

Tuesday afternoon I had my monthly cattle call to the employment security commission. Notice I didn’t capitalize the title of the agency because it does not deserve that kind of respect. I truly believe that it is merely a checkpoint for processing unemployment claims. The way people dress and act in this place can depress anyone. The staff is friendly enough, but I really think they are there for the paycheck only.

I applied for 10 different jobs this past week. All with different job descriptions and mostly related to industrial construction. The majority of the jobs I have applied for in the past four months are still not filled. It makes me wonder if there really are jobs available. Are these companies just advertising for phantom jobs until they actually have work to fill the positions?

Lets change the attitude of this post. I attended a presentation for prospective life insurance agents on Wednesday. It was for American General Life and Accident. Now I never in a million years would have considered becoming a life insurance salesman. I attended with an open mind. Mostly because I had stated that I would consider a career change if the circumstances were right. After the presentation, I was more open to testing the waters and returned an application.

Several factors are still pending for my final decision. The job is commission based, but has a paid learning period of up to four months. The General Manager demonstrated that they provide experienced agent support during the training. I think the thing that made me believe I could succeed was their new flagship policy. They offer a life insurance policy with a disability rider for no extra cost. The face value of the policy is payable in full if the insured becomes disabled, chronically ill, terminally ill or meets other criteria for claims. This means that the insured doesn’t have to die to benefit from the policy. Medical expenses can be supplemented by the policy which would lift a heavy burden off most people.

I’m still not sure if I will be selected to become and agent. I am also not sure if I will accept the position. There are still some unanswered questions I will address this week. For now I will keep my thoughts positive and continue seeking my next job.

Gin had Nolan at home Monday and Tuesday. I was out for a good part of each afternoon, but still managed time to be with them. Nolan just keeps getting smarter and funnier every week. We also learned that Jessica is expecting a boy in June. She had her first ultrasound on Wednesday. Nicholas Dean will be Nolan’s new sidekick. I just can’t wait to see him and his little brother, Dean, goofing off.
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