THE NEGATIVE REACTION

THINGS THAT MAKE YOU SAY "OH FUCK"

Starting a new job isn't easy. Hell, changing careers is in the top ten of stress related life changes. Well, add me to the list of these poor bastards.

As of exactly two days ago, I accepted an inside job at a monolithic company. You see, I just read a funny article about a guy who started a blog after he got a gig at Goggle. It didn't go so well, too much information for Google's likening ended up on the internet. Read about it here. So I will spare you the details of my high profile earnings, comp package, etc. I always wanted to live in the corporate world, tell people I work at some big name place. You know those conversations right?

"So where do you work?"
"insert big corporate name here"
"Wow! That's really cool, what do you do there?"
"I'm in sales, we do (insert really cool product here)"
"So what do those do? "

Instant gratification, instant corporate cred. It makes you look cool, like you have your life together and are in the process of working your way up. It also usually means your making good money and have a stable job. At least that's the perception - right?

Who wouldn't want that? Me! For so many years I lauded my friends who were running en mass to big corporations after their college graduations. Me? Nahhhhhhhh, I would prefer having a dynamic life, do my own thing, make 30K a year and have my personal freedom.

So when does 30K not cut it anymore? When do you get out of your futon in the morning and WISH you had a better bed, a better apartment (or better, an actual house or townhome) to live in, or just better STUFF? Well, for me, it happened right around 34. I figure with no 401K at my present employer, and a hard cap on my earnings, I figured out my dreams had changed, my life has changed, and I want out.

When your 25, you appreciate working in a mall, picking up 18 year old girls with fake i.d.'s. You don't need much else. When your over 30, picking up 25 year old women is hard because you don't have enough money to get yourself a beer. This is when you know things must change.

So I spent many, many, months devouring the internet looking for a job with a big company. I work in wireless (cell phones) so I thought a jump to a major carrier would be an easy fix. I got several interviews with those carriers. However, when you know more about what the people interviewing you do about THEIR OWN product, it creates some animosity. For instance:

"So why do you want to be a sales trainer for Verizon Wireless?"
"Because I know your product inside and out and I know the best way to sell that product and which trainers are good, and which trainers are terrible. So I know what works and what doesn't"
*sarcastic look on woman's face*
"What do you think doesn't work in regards to our trainers?"
(nice - just set me up you pissy bitch. I can't believe she actually asked me that.)
"The trainers that just spew the information to the sales people. The ones who don't give you any good ideas on how to sell something they've never sold. There are trainers who really don't train slaes people, in my opinon"
*another pissy look from interviewer*
"Interesting, would you care to name a few?"
(at this point, it's confrontational, and time for me to go!)
"I don't think that's necessary, and I don't think this interview is going much further - is it? Because (here's where I get pissed and unload some stress) you came and got me 20 minutes late, have asked me poorly stated questions from the get go, and honestly, if you're going to be my boss, I wouldn't last a week. I have much more important things to do then to sit here and be grilled by a bunch of people who couldn't carry my jock in regards to selling your products. So if you want a trainer who can train the hell out of sales people and make them produce, then hire me. If you're just looking for some lackey on a leash, then I'm not your guy - oaky?"
*stunned silence*

So I get up, put my stuff back on and walk out still fuming. So this is how it went. Several interviews, some good, some great, and some just plain miserable. I finally came to the conclusion that I have too much knowledge and too much experience. Oh yeah, got shitloads of retail interest to run a retail store. I've worked retail, I know how it's a grind during the holidays. I don't want that. I don't want to have to work on the weekends. Thanks, but no thanks. Sothese carriers, they don't want people with experience, so they can mold them into their own little robots. I've spent 7 years in this god forsaken industry, which is a lifetime and this is what I get. So here I am, ready to flush all this stuff down and start over.

So I changed gears and started looking at inside sales positions at large companies. Suddenly I started getting stuff here and there. And sure enough I finally got my offer. So as of next month, I'm a ghost in this industry. Gone, see ya, bu-bye!!

I was hesitant at first, but as the time drags on and the more customers I have to deal with, I'm glad I'm moving to cube land. I'm geeked to come in and produce like the top dogs. Go balls out for the next two months and get to where I want to go.

So now its a toss up. My next blog, will it be a book or corporate experience??

The future is uncertain at this point. . .

Which leads me to my picture of the day:

The weather man sez we've only had 12" of snow this winter! How pathetic! So now, at my other work, we're already taking down our snowboard displays and trying to get rid of the stuff. So that means spring can't be too far off, right? So in the midst of of all this tuff, I can't help to post a few pics of mountain biking. Enjoy. Also, I'll be posting pics of my new bike (as of last summer) as soon as I get em' off of my camera.



Yeah, I know, she's riding a POS GT, so save your emails for somebody else!

LATE