Doing What I Want To Do.

Hopefully no one reading this post will be unprepared for a sudden loss of a job.  I wasn't, thankfully.

It had been a dozen years since I've actually been looking for work and even longer since I've changed careers.  I knew that my tenure in the home improvement center where I had been working was coming to an end - there was a big, red target painted on my back.  That there was a target was hard to miss.  I actually started my quest for a new career nearly six months before the quest was forced upon me.  That's when I started to do some serious self-examination.

You've heard me say it more than a time or two - "I want to find out what I want to be when I grow up."

Well, I've found out what I want to be:  I want to be a best-selling author.

But best-selling author requires time and patience; in the meanwhilst, I needed to find some way to generate income.  Fairy dust and my savings account only go so far.  I came to the conclusion that what I needed was a cash income of some sort with hours which would allow me the opportunity to write for several hours each day.  I'm pretty sure I've found that source, but before I make the reveal, let me tell you of a few of my adventures.

I used the Web to distribute my resume practically from the get-go and was "hired" almost immediately by a telemarketing firm.  I "interviewed" after I was "hired" by way of instant messaging.  Two and a half freakin' hours!  After losing a sum of money put down as a deposit for the machine and the hardware I was required to have to do the job, I was back on the net again the next day with the same person who was insisting that I pay another fee for another required program.  Sorry, lady, I will only be suckered once... and until I am refunded what I paid into your greedy little con-game, I will say nothing good about Sykes Enterprises.  It's a con.  After being fleeced, I went on-line and found out that Sykes has built a poor reputation with a bunch of other people as well.  I have filed a complaint with the FTC as well as with the supposed CEO/Owner of the company.  Apparently, Mr. Sykes doesn't give a damn about his reputation.

I laid low until the ax fell.  When I started to renew my search in earnest, I found that there are plenty of opportunities out there to sell insurance, or to sell insurance, or even to sell insurance.

My first exposure to the insurance sales opportunity was with a true gentleman, Steve Kempton, who took the time to recruit me to sell insurance for AFLAC.  We had a nice little chat in person and had been in communication on-line regarding his product.  He was up front about the costs involved as well as what I should expect in the way of hours and income.  I was impressed.  I told him so.  If my first choice doesn't pan out the way I want it to, I would have a chat with him again.

I took the time to talk with a couple of other insurance sales organizations; one of them, based thirty five miles from here, was run by a charming couple with similar roots to mine selling for an umbrella company based less than ten miles from me.  I politely bowed out, not wanting to be that annoying SOB everyone avoids - I want to keep my friends, thank you.  The umbrella company, an outfit called Torchmark, sells insurance through other companies as well, and I'll be darned if some of those other companies didn't try to call me, too!

One other insurance deal of note came up - actually the company was selling other services - mostly investments.  The interesting thing about that interview was that there was an office for the Slovak Republic in the building.  I almost decided to investigate but chickened out so that I wouldn't have to deal with Dallas rush hour traffic.

I had a couple of interviews with a company which sells lease-return automobiles on the internet.  My most recent interview was with an Englishman using a phone based in northern Virginia.  I don't expect a call back from the company and if I did get one, I'd be really tempted to consider an offer.  My sister said that my brother in law would see it as being his ideal job.

After doing a lot of sifting and a lot of soul searching, I have decided to go to the effort of earning a license to sell Real-Estate and then hooking up with a company where I can be that annoying fellow who is always wanting to sell a house.  There are some start-up costs involved, including having to take a series of classes and pass an examination, but I believe that I have found something which I would enjoy doing for the next 10-15 years.

With most of the insurance "opportunities", I'd be lucky to make it 10-15 months (or even weeks).  My friend Steve Powell said it best:  "I sold insurance for six weeks without making a dime before I decided that I didn't want to sell insurance."  A word from the wise.

I briefly considered studying to be a "Paralegal", but got really annoyed when I got a phone call within seconds of making an inquiry of a paralegal school wanting me to sign up for a course then and there.  I had a similar call from a telemarketer today while I was in the process of finding information about obtaining affordable health insurance.

My choice is a leap of faith, to be sure.  There are some people who would find what I am determined to do as something out of their comfort zone - but unless I venture out of that comfort zone, I would probably end up working somewhere I didn't like - again - and I wouldn't be pursuing my dream of becoming a best-selling author at the same time.

Stay tuned.  I'll keep you updated.

Be Seeing You!

bdharrell