Preparations

Finally, temperatures in the double digits. Our walk this morning, while brisk, felt good. We went down Verbrick, turned left on Bouten, left on Seymour and then left again on Memorial Drive bringing us back to Verbrick and into Cherry Court. We hadn’t done this route in many weeks so Bruno was extra interested in sniffing the way. So many smell changes since our last visit. A young man walked a few paces ahead of us as we turned onto Memorial Drive. Bruno excitedly sniffed his footprints and raised his hackles. He didn’t know this person but was getting to know him in his own way. Having someone to follow increased our walking speed. Usually at this point in the walk, Bruno is starting to seriously slow down. It’s why I say, “I’m taking Bruno for a drag.” You never really walk a basset hound.

After my post Friday, I had good activity on the opportunities that I submitted to last week. Two phone calls and one email resulting in an interview tomorrow. All three were inquiring where I lived which opened the door for me to allay concerns about not being a local candidate. When I first started this blog, my house had just been put on the market. Our plan has been to move closer to family if I am unable to find a great career opportunity somewhere first. I explained to the inquirers that I am in the transition process so while I physically live at one address for now, I am preparing for a move and there’s no reason why that move couldn’t be to their town, on their schedule. It’s a bit of a relief to learn that one of the reasons I’m not hearing from really great fits is my address. But at least I’m opening doors a little more and getting the chance to chat with HR or the hiring manager, and convincing them that the move is such a trivial thing for me. And it really is. All three of them said that I have great qualifications so now I just have to prove I’m the right person for their company. It was a tremendous boost.

Tomorrow I travel for an interview and it is a great opportunity! I’ve been preparing by reading through their Web site and their holding company’s Web site. I want to learn as much as I possibly can before I meet with anyone. I’m also searching through LinkedIn to see if there are any network connections to people who work there, and I’m sending emails to friends who live in that area, again, looking for connections. My other preparations extend into “pre-answering” the standard interview questions to make sure I’m sharp, making my own list of questions, and looking at the backgrounds of their list of employees posted on their Web site. Sometimes you find common interests, experiences, or education with people who already work there. It gives me more to talk about and shows that I’m doing my homework. It can take 10-15 hours to prepare for one interview that lasts, if I’m lucky, an hour. But it’s well worth it. I know that my preparation shows and when I can get that offer, I know it will have paid off.