big kahuna (to the husband): have your wife send me her resume.
Three days after completing bk's request:
Interview #1
big kahuna: sell, sell, sell, selling, sales, sales and more sales.
4 days later:
moi (on phone): I've had time to think the position over. You have a wonderful company, with great people and philosophies, but I am no longer interested in a sales position. However, I thank you for your time and interest in me, but I am going to decline going any further.
big kahuna: what?! No! You mean you're not interested in the Account Manager position?
moi: I'm sorry. . . . is that a different position or did I misunderstand what the position was. . . .
big kahuna: maybe I didn't explain it right. It's more like handling an account through account management. It's 80% maintenance and only 20% sales, if even that. I need to have you talk to Hatfield. He would be your direct supervisor and he can better explain the position.
10 minutes later my home phone rings:
hatfield: I like Big Kahuna and all but he's a bean counter and doesn't know anything about our job and what we do. ***laughter***
moi: [blink, blink]
hatfield: ***pause*** to explain better, there are 2 halves regarding what we do. There are operations and there are sales. We are both. We have partnerships with national companies. We are basically consultants working with company budgets to meet their needs for yaddy-yaddah advertising. . . . .Bob Loblaw, Bob Loblaw, Bob Loblaw. . . . . I'd like to meet with you myself and really sit down to explain, how does Friday look for you?
Interview #2:
hatfield/big kahuna: so you see it's not really sales. What do you think?
moi: well, I need some time to think it over as I have a few other options on the table right now. . .
big kahuna: you have other options? I didn't know that.
moi: yes.
big kahuna: can you wait in the hall for a moment?
10 minutes later:
big kahuna: we'd like to change our original offer to you. Instead of what we originally said, we'd like to offer you (exponentially more money), plus commission and the vacation time you are seeking. I still have to figure that one out, but we can make it work.
moi: I still need to time to think it over.
Obviously, I took the position. I was happy about it. I got myself back to work. Except 5 weeks later I was still sitting at my desk doing most of the grunt work if any at all. What's wrong with grunt work? Absolutely nothing. It is not beneath me as everyone must take on a dull or a routine chore now and then while under employment. I understand this, but I was constantly stuck with it. Many times I had nothing to do.
I called Hatfield's extension:
moi: remember how you told me to let you know when I'm not happy? Well, I'm not happy. I don't think this is the job for me. I've had no training at all whatsoever. Half the time I'm not sure what I'm doing is right. . . . Bob Loblaw, Bob Loblaw, Bob Loblaw. . . It's a lot to get ready in the morning, drive an hour to work and then sit here all day to do nothing. And, if I do get something it's pretty menial tasks. Not that I can't do such tasks and I understand everyone must do so now and then, but I can do more and want to do more . . . . .
hatfield: I'll be right over.
15 minutes later:
hatfield (handing me a printed piece of paper): it's funny. . . I clicked on Yahoo! this morning and this is the article that popped up. I want to go through this with you to see if this applies to how you're feeling.
moi: - - -
hatfield: so #4 and #5 apply to you. I can honestly say that. But at least it's not 3 warning signs, you only have 2. . .
moi: ***interrupting*** let's say 2 and a half, because I'm half of #8. I'm starting to dread coming to work. I just don't have ulcers yet.
hatfield: that's fair, but if I change the 2 - #4 and #5 - I think that will take care of #8, right?
moi: yes. Definitely.
Except it did not.
Yes, I was handed an account. A nice one at that. It had its problems, but nothing I couldn't tackle and try to make right. But it also turned into sales, selling and sell, sell, sell. I could deal with that. What the hell, I'll give it a shot and see where it takes me. I dug in for almost 3-weeks.
However, upon returning from my Turks & Caicos trip, Hatfield walked into my office and announced that my one account I had was going to be taken from me and handed to "Bob's your uncle", but I would be given more projects. In fact, eleven more accounts I would be given. And therein lies the problem. A single $950,000.00 account was given to me and then taken away from me without an explanation as to why.
Eleven accounts totaling $164,000.00 took the $950K's place.
I'm sorry. . . . . what?!
*Upon further investigation, the person who received the $950K account turned out to be the brother-in-law of the big kahuna.
I still was not given an explanation as to why the account was taken. The upper management returned my question of "why" with a blank stare. I have not the answer. That's a big commission difference. It's also not what I was lead to believe I would be doing. It was time for me to go before I got any further.
Today, was my last day. With nothing to do once again, I made the suggestion that instead of paying me to sit there and do nothing for 2 weeks, let me end it. They agreed.
I'm back at home pondering where life will take me next. Any suggestions?
Three days after completing bk's request:
Interview #1
big kahuna: sell, sell, sell, selling, sales, sales and more sales.
4 days later:
moi (on phone): I've had time to think the position over. You have a wonderful company, with great people and philosophies, but I am no longer interested in a sales position. However, I thank you for your time and interest in me, but I am going to decline going any further.
big kahuna: what?! No! You mean you're not interested in the Account Manager position?
moi: I'm sorry. . . . is that a different position or did I misunderstand what the position was. . . .
big kahuna: maybe I didn't explain it right. It's more like handling an account through account management. It's 80% maintenance and only 20% sales, if even that. I need to have you talk to Hatfield. He would be your direct supervisor and he can better explain the position.
10 minutes later my home phone rings:
hatfield: I like Big Kahuna and all but he's a bean counter and doesn't know anything about our job and what we do. ***laughter***
moi: [blink, blink]
hatfield: ***pause*** to explain better, there are 2 halves regarding what we do. There are operations and there are sales. We are both. We have partnerships with national companies. We are basically consultants working with company budgets to meet their needs for yaddy-yaddah advertising. . . . .Bob Loblaw, Bob Loblaw, Bob Loblaw. . . . . I'd like to meet with you myself and really sit down to explain, how does Friday look for you?
Interview #2:
hatfield/big kahuna: so you see it's not really sales. What do you think?
moi: well, I need some time to think it over as I have a few other options on the table right now. . .
big kahuna: you have other options? I didn't know that.
moi: yes.
big kahuna: can you wait in the hall for a moment?
10 minutes later:
big kahuna: we'd like to change our original offer to you. Instead of what we originally said, we'd like to offer you (exponentially more money), plus commission and the vacation time you are seeking. I still have to figure that one out, but we can make it work.
moi: I still need to time to think it over.
Obviously, I took the position. I was happy about it. I got myself back to work. Except 5 weeks later I was still sitting at my desk doing most of the grunt work if any at all. What's wrong with grunt work? Absolutely nothing. It is not beneath me as everyone must take on a dull or a routine chore now and then while under employment. I understand this, but I was constantly stuck with it. Many times I had nothing to do.
I called Hatfield's extension:
moi: remember how you told me to let you know when I'm not happy? Well, I'm not happy. I don't think this is the job for me. I've had no training at all whatsoever. Half the time I'm not sure what I'm doing is right. . . . Bob Loblaw, Bob Loblaw, Bob Loblaw. . . It's a lot to get ready in the morning, drive an hour to work and then sit here all day to do nothing. And, if I do get something it's pretty menial tasks. Not that I can't do such tasks and I understand everyone must do so now and then, but I can do more and want to do more . . . . .
hatfield: I'll be right over.
15 minutes later:
hatfield (handing me a printed piece of paper): it's funny. . . I clicked on Yahoo! this morning and this is the article that popped up. I want to go through this with you to see if this applies to how you're feeling.
moi: - - -
hatfield: so #4 and #5 apply to you. I can honestly say that. But at least it's not 3 warning signs, you only have 2. . .
moi: ***interrupting*** let's say 2 and a half, because I'm half of #8. I'm starting to dread coming to work. I just don't have ulcers yet.
hatfield: that's fair, but if I change the 2 - #4 and #5 - I think that will take care of #8, right?
moi: yes. Definitely.
Except it did not.
Yes, I was handed an account. A nice one at that. It had its problems, but nothing I couldn't tackle and try to make right. But it also turned into sales, selling and sell, sell, sell. I could deal with that. What the hell, I'll give it a shot and see where it takes me. I dug in for almost 3-weeks.
However, upon returning from my Turks & Caicos trip, Hatfield walked into my office and announced that my one account I had was going to be taken from me and handed to "Bob's your uncle", but I would be given more projects. In fact, eleven more accounts I would be given. And therein lies the problem. A single $950,000.00 account was given to me and then taken away from me without an explanation as to why.
Eleven accounts totaling $164,000.00 took the $950K's place.
I'm sorry. . . . . what?!
*Upon further investigation, the person who received the $950K account turned out to be the brother-in-law of the big kahuna.
I still was not given an explanation as to why the account was taken. The upper management returned my question of "why" with a blank stare. I have not the answer. That's a big commission difference. It's also not what I was lead to believe I would be doing. It was time for me to go before I got any further.
Today, was my last day. With nothing to do once again, I made the suggestion that instead of paying me to sit there and do nothing for 2 weeks, let me end it. They agreed.
I'm back at home pondering where life will take me next. Any suggestions?
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10 comments:
You know, everybody always jokes about wanted a job doing nothing for good pay. The truth is though, those jobs always suck so bad. Not being allowed to work up to your abilities and be challenged to learn and do new things is so frustrating.
Having said that can you put in a good word for me? LOL .. kidding. ;-)
Jay: I'm glad you feel . . . . errrr . . . I mean, "understand" my pain. It was awful sitting there and doing nothing for 9 hours. One can only surf the net for so long. I had a 2 hour commute daily on top of that & it made for very long days when I had no meaningful work tossed my way.
I just dreaded it. I mean, I could surf the net at home even if I wasn't getting paid for it. At least I could do it in my pajama's. I looked for work; asked for work and did the work I could dig up. It wasn't enough.
You should post something more about your hopes and dreams and let your dear faithful readers come up with something for you. :) Do you like animals? Animal rescue maybe?
Awesome. You do find some interesting places to work, don't you.
I reckon you should become a foreign correspondent. That would be fun and you've already got the writing 10,000 words bit down.
At least you tried it on for size. You never know until you try. :)
You'll find your dream. I have no doubts.
I still think your love of animals could some how lead you to your dream career.
Yes, what are your other passions????
I know you love your hubby, family, friends, animals, fashion, music, good foods and drinks, good books..... what else makes JLu happy? :)
ETK: Yeah. I've been formulating a post in me brain. . . I just need to put it to computer. Then, I'm putting in all ya'lls hands.
Ian: I have the "gift" of finding crap jobs, don't I? I do speak 4 languages . . . I can speak Australian, Scottish, English and American. Do you think that's enough to Land me an international correspondence position?
Alli: All of those are my passion and inspiration. But to localize and pick a nitch or a love of. . . .? ? ? Problem is, is that I've been trying to find this for over 3 years now! ***gah.***
You don't need to speak anything but English to be a foreign correspondent, you just go somewhere foreign, which you like, and correspond.
Oops, sorry, that was me...
I like ETK's idea. I look forward to reading the post. I'm sure between the whole blogging world, we'll find you something fabulous :)
Kudos to you for speaking up & at least trying to change a bad situation before bailing. And further kudos to you for bailing when the changes didn't happen! You'll find something, I'm not worried.
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