I would have to say it is mixing like a margarita. It is a little sour, but over all tasting pretty good. In other words, it is a little challenging right now because they are cramming my brain with all kinds of material and then at the end of the day I have to come home and get back on the computer and cram my brain with a little more material. It can be very exhausting, but I know it will get better as soon as I am done training.

Over my entire schedule is decent being I only have to work Monday through Friday; however I do have 10 hour days and that can be a little much with school, but that is where the dedication comes in to play. No one ever said it was going to be easy, but rewarding once I am finished.

I am currently taking Accounting I and it started off good; however this past week was pretty challenging. I am figuring learning T accounts and balance ledgers. Pretty confusing because assets are negative and liabilities are positive. It really makes the brain work, and when you are brain-dead due to over-load it makes things difficult. I also received the incorrect book in the mail and have to see about getting the correct one. Luckily at Rasmussen they post the first few chapters in the portal.

Needless to say, the last few weeks of my life have been challenging. There have been times with thoughts of quitting roam through my head, but I just make myself stop, take a breather and coach myself to carry on. I really want to succeed with my decision to go back to school therefore I am going to need lots of encouragement and extra pushes when times are hard.  

Well after several interviews with Robert Half International, I am finally a new proud employee. This process was very in-depth and lasted about a week before they offered me the position. Robert Half is a specialized staffing firm with over seven different divisions. My new title will be Staffing Manager and I will be assisting qualified candidates in finding Accounting and Finance jobs.

There is nothing I love more than helping others and I found a company that allows me to do just that. My position as a Staffing Manager will be to help qualified candidates find a job specializing in accounting and finance positions. I will also be finding the clients in which will be in need of these candidates to work for them. Robert Half has been providing these services for the last 60 years worldwide and they have an excellent reputation in specialized staffing. The other Divisions include Technology, Office Teams and Higher Managerial Positions.

During my first week they have been providing me with all types of educational information; including testing, videos and readings. They also have a website called RHI University which is designed to provide their staff with on-going education so everyone can and will succeed. The whole office is very eager in teaching me all I need to know in order to succeed. I find this to be very satisfying and comforting, knowing I am working with a great company. I can not wait until I start providing help to all and I will be sure to let all of you know how my job progresses.

Wish me luck 

My two week break went by too quickly. That could be because I did not really have a break because I was too busy trying to find a job. I honestly must say job hunting, interviewing and placing my resume around are probably the three worst things ever.

Ok, maybe it is not that bad, but it is no picnic in the park.

I have been fortunate enough to land a job with a great company and I was only off work for a week. Of course I took off an extra week once I landed the job, so I can have a little time to myself before I am back to the grind. The company that I got in with is a specialized recruiting firm that helps both companies and candidates fill positions/get jobs. The interview process was very tedious and stressful; however I learned a few things and thought maybe I could share them with all of you.

When going on an interview you must do the following:

• Find out the companies website and read up on the company. You should know how long they have been in business, what their mission statement is, company goals and how they got started. This will impress them that you took the initiative to research the company.
• Always have at least 3 questions to ask them. It is important for you to make the company sell themselves to you too.
• Always go to an interview well groomed, fully rested and make sure you are holding your head high with confidence.
• Always wear a suit (if you do not have a suit, a black blazer will work). You should stick to the basics, no flashy colors. If you can, wear a black suit with a white under shirt. 
• Lastly, if they say they will get back with you in a few days, don’t wait for them to call. Be persistent call them if you have not heard back by end of day. Or if they tell you to think about the position and call them the next day. Don’t wait to call the next day, call a few hours later. You must show excitement about learning more about the company.   

The company that hired me, made me do four interviews. They ranged from interviewing with whom would be my immediate manager, all the way up to VP of the state of Florida. It was very nerve racking, but I wanted it and I made sure I impressed them all the way. You have to remember not to be arrogant, but confident. Then once you get through that and they give you an offer, it is the best feeling ever.

I start my new job this coming Wednesday and I am extremely excited. They are going to provide lots of training and it will take time for me to build my clientele; however once I get the job down, I will be off to a great future.

Don’t worry I will keep you posted. And please keep your fingers crossed for me.

How was your break?

Well…I have spoken of it in my past posts, but it is time to bring it up again.

If you can remember when I talked about how bad the economy is and how companies have been laying off people here Central Florida.  In my industry of financing auto loans, we have seen a dramatic decrease. And then the only people able to shop for a car are those people with challenged credit that have no choice. It is just plain scary out there and who knows how much longer this will go on.

On Monday the 24th my company announced that they were closing down five branches in the Florida area. What did this mean for me? Yes, that is correct; I have officially been laid off from my job for the first time in my life. I have never been laid off nor fired before. It is the worst feeling ever and I can’t imagine having to go through something like this more than once in my life.

I am my only source of income and that freaks me out right now. While others may have a spouse or family member that can help them if need be, I have myself and only myself. Although I am sure my friends would help if they could, I would never ask for it. Luckily for me I do practice saving, but it is not enough to hold me for months on end. A friend of mine lost her job the first of February and she is still looking for a job. That scares me for sure.

It is hard looking for the job of your choice when you do not have the college degree to back you up. However now that I am in school, I can put it on my resume and people admire that. I believe it will help me along with having my back-ground experience. If only I was finished, it would be great, but I am not. In the end all this does is make me strive harder to complete my degree with Rasmussen.

Keep your fingers crossed for me, as I journey down the path of finding a new career.