No luck

No good news from the job search front. I did not get the second interview. Now back to drawing board.

I did get a 30 minute run this afternoon. I am getting ready for my last long run before North Shore HM. Josh and I have 6 miles to get done. We are going to try to be relaxed about the run before we really start the countdown.

Tommorow - 6 mile run

Job Hunting SUCKS!

Because it does!! UGHHH!

I have been severely holding back on bringing this topic on my blog, but think it's time to do a little bit of venting. I have been looking for a new job since December - over 3 months. I do not slouch when it comes to "pounding the pavement". I spend about a minimum of 2 hours a day to as much as 8 to 9 hours on the weekends. I even have searched on my laptop when I was sick in bed. (I told you that I am no slouch!) It is my 2nd job and semi-hobby next to running. (Not as enjoyable as running tho')

I comb through the web looking at my daily postinga I receive from CareerBuilder and Monster via e-mail. I also have been checking out major companies and law firms searching for a possible opportunity out there. When I am in a groove, I find myself having a hard time stopping..period. In a nutshell, it has been very, very frustrating. There has been a few nights where I cried because I have not been seeing any results from my hard work. I have not had one interview during this time. I had some "false nibbles", where spams try to look legite companies, but look totally false in the end - aka SHARKS!

I don't plan to give up anytime soon, but getting very tired in the process. I am very determined to find something that's promising. I am stubborn and not a quitter. If anyone has any suggestions, I am willing to listen. Thanks for listening!

It's OFFICIAL!!

I have two bits of news for everyone that came about this afternoon..... I am MOVING TO CHICAGO! As of this afternoon, I have been given a job offer at the hospital that I had my job interview with on Monday morning. As for either March 23rd or March 26th, I will be officially the new Day-shift Security Supervisor. I am so excited.....and nervous because my entire life has changed completely in a week. Josh and I are still working out the details with the move. I have a long way to go before everything's confirmed. My last day at my current job will be March 16th. More details later....

BIG interview DONE...

....and things are looking good for me. It looks like I will have a job out of this no matter what, but will be waiting for the official phone call or letter soon. I am staying an extra day after spending another 45 minutes with NWA's call center last night to my departure ticket refunded and had to move my return ticket to Wednesday AM (which this Firefly is not complaining about **grin**). Josh and I will be celebrating tonight...unless a few Chicago friends want to tag along or wait until Tuesday PM. This redhead SINGLE gal wants to have fun while I am here. More details when I return home and with some pictures too. BTW, I have one more pug who really, really loves me. **big grin**

FINALLY got a BIG bite....

....from the Chicago job search this morning in the form of phone call. It was one of first places that I applied to and received a reply. It was a Security Supervisor position, which was something that I am looking for as a form of a career advancement for myself. I am very happy about this opportunity. It will take place on Monday, February 26th. I will fly on the day before so I can be ready and relaxed before the interview. I hope to get a few more interviews lined up in the meantime as well for that same day to save money on airfare. I will definitely take the time to write those follow-up letters for companies that I am interested in and see what happens. I am starting to feel that the hard work has really started to pay off at the end.

This upcoming week will REALLY fly by with this interview coming up. It makes the distance away from Josh much easier for me. Both of us are dealing with possible career moves with his interview he had today to this upcoming interview I will be having. Everything's SO exciting right now. I am praying that this good luck will continue because I am in need of it. I find it SO ironic to get this phone call because I was talking to a fellow blogger about it last night.

Speaking of prayers, I have two people who I know that are in the need of them. First, it's my ex's family who's dealing with recent news that his grandmother's admission to a local hospice for Congestive Heart Failure. He visited her and seems comfortable right now. She's 93 years old and lived a full life, but it's not that easy to bear for my ex's family.

The second set of prayers are for my co-worker, Brad, and his family. He's one of my good co-workers who has been there for me during this job search process. He's a mentor to me and someone I have sought advise from. He's dealing with heart rhythm issues and was admitted once again for problems. He has a very dicey case where it's potentially fatal. I do not know the status of his issues right now. I am just hoping he can survive from it.

I made an appointment for my knee again with the same orthopedic doctor on Monday morning. I will be asking (or BEGGING) for a cortisone injection where there's a HUGE flare-up. The exercises that he gave me a flaring-up the knee instead of getting better. I can walk for a while for exercise, but bothered by pain afterwards. Oh well. I hope this appointment will help. I need it.

That's all for now.

Calm after the storm...

Well, I have been talked about my relationship with Josh the last two days and feel like I neglected to fill in on things at home. I feel a little bit guilty about it. Well, as the subject states, things are a little bit at home. The entire legal process has been almost complete. The relationship with my ex has improved over the last two weeks. In fact, we are able to talk more and more than before the divorce. We act more civil towards each other. We lean on each other about certain issues like our job searches and such.

Ever since I started the process of getting divorced, my ex's luck has turned around for the better. Unfortunately, due to the lawsuit (which I can not talk about anymore due to a confidentiality agreement I reluctantly signed), he was forced to resign from his job with the same company after almost 8 years. with them. Fortunately, he was able to find a new job working in a hotel security department that started within days of his last day with the former company. He even interviewed with Macy's in DT Minneapolis (gasp!), but was turned down.

On the other hand, he offered an interview within days of starting this new job at Best Buy Corporate HQ that paid more than both jobs. After two interviews, he received a phone call with a formal job offer and immediately took it. This job showed a lot of promise for him and would give him better opportunities within the company. He gave his two week notice with the hotel, but has chosen to stick around as a PT/on-call weekend employee when they need him. He's very happy with working at Best Buy. My ex has even given up his quest to become a FT Police Officer, which ends our little competition for a job. His bosses have even placed him on a project to find a company that sells and installs a part for their phone system since he has previous experience with the former company (the one who kicked him to the curb when they were in the wrong!) handling those type of projects...and this is his SECOND week. Plus on top of that, he's going out with his friend the weekend that I will be in Chicago. Hopefully he will have some luck in the bar. ;)

Now I am dealing with starting the job search myself. My current employer has no more opportunities to advance. I just got turned down for another promotional opportunity. I will be lucky to get a raise to a level that meets the rest of the state. The officers at my alumnus make $3 to 5 per hour MORE than me...and do not have dorms to worry about. I am hoping to get the same luck (at least rubbed on me) as my ex. I am testing with two agencies for a job as a 911 dispatcher, which have experience in my current position. One of the test is tomorrow morning.

I am also attempting to see if I have some luck in Chicago area as well where I am seeing more security managerial positions openings, which will tap into my current degree and skills that I have. Plus the pay to a Police Officer is $15,000 MORE per year than in MN and from what I can tell (please do not quote me on it) they pay to send their officer to the academy vs. in MN we had to PAY our way into the Law Enforcement skill academies as part of our degrees (I paid over $5,000 for my education and materials). I would LOVE to have my Peace Officer Licence transfer like butter, but that would be serious dreaming if I did. I have to be working in agency here for 6 months and then transfer over my licence. Who the hell was smoking the good stuff when they wrote that? The job search and opportunities in MN is like cats and dogs with just table scraps for jobs.

But we will have to see. Please wish me luck and see if the job god will look down on me and smile.

UPDATE: NOT happy about the Avs performance. Another loss and another piece of crow to eat in front of the ex. Damn Defense! ANOTHER UPDATE: Firefly Lesson #9,950 - DO NOT take anything to help with sleep the night before an important job test that involves memory. UGH!!!