Job Update - Good Vibes Needed

[silverscreenselect]

I haven't said too much about my own job situation even though I've been more or less out of work since mid-April. My former employer (who I guess is also my current employer) took me back a couple of weeks later on a temporary part-time basis and I've had done a bit of piecework for another former employer as well, but otherwise, the job hunt had been a big zero up until last week.

As of Tuesday of last week, I had not spoken with a single end employer (as opposed to recruiters, headhunters, and staffing agencies). Then I got a call from a woman in Seattle about a contract manager position, followed by an e-mail Sunday morning from the CEO of a company that makes fork lifts and pallet jacks (I had actually sent my resume off to him during the night Saturday night and got a response Sunday morning). I spoke to him Monday (yes, Labor Day) about their position. It's a marketing position to help develop their web presence, write blog posts and white papers, help produce videos, etc. Needless to say, pallet jacks aren't the most glamorous product in the world, but he seems serious about improving their online presence and he liked my website. I've researched the company enough to know that they're legit (in business 40 years with about 50 employees) and that this isn't a roundabout way to look for commissioned sales people. It's still probably a bit of a stretch, but it's encouraging to know that the work I put in on the website paid a dividend fairly quickly.

The first job is by far the most promising. It's a company that makes home medical supplies, and they're looking for someone to handle the entire contracting process with their various suppliers and vendors. It's almost exactly what I've done at a number of stages in my career, so it's about as good a fit as I'm going to find. After I talked with the woman in Seattle (who's the company's recruiter), she contacted me again Wednesday to set up an in-person interview with the Atlanta attorneys today. They are only talking with four people total (one came in ahead of me and I saw his name on the sign-in sheet so I looked him up on LinkedIn--he's been involved in lease negotiations for commercial real estate). They will talk to two more people next week and make a decision by the end of the week.

The job is a great fit and the money would be a good bit more than I was making before (and a lot more than I'm making part time now). But there's some risk involved that ironically may give me a better chance to get the job. They indicated that the parent company has already announced it is divesting itself of this division by the end of the year, and there's no word yet on the buyer. It's possible that whoever buys the company may move some or all of its operations to another location or just buy up the assets and start marketing them under their own brand name. For that reason, my interviewers wanted to be up front with me and the other interviewees.

Needless to say that's not an issue for me. At worst, I'd get good pay for three months and be back in the same position I am now with some additional experience in the healthcare industry. However, if some of the other applicants would need to give up a good job to accept this one, they might well not want to risk that for a lateral move or marginal promotion.

Anyway, I should hear within a week, and I finally feel things are moving. I know there's several of us on the Bored in roughly the same career situation, so perhaps the recent success at least one of us has had might spread. Let's keep our fingers crossed and any good vibage would be appreciated.

[Beebs52]

Vibes to ya, SSS. May it be sooner rather than later!

[Catfish]

Vibing.
Love,

[tlynn78]

Best of luck.

[Bob78164]

I haven't said too much about my own job situation even though I've been more or less out of work since mid-April. My former employer (who I guess is also my current employer) took me back a couple of weeks later on a temporary part-time basis and I've had done a bit of piecework for another former employer as well, but otherwise, the job hunt had been a big zero up until last week.

As of Tuesday of last week, I had not spoken with a single end employer (as opposed to recruiters, headhunters, and staffing agencies). Then I got a call from a woman in Seattle about a contract manager position, followed by an e-mail Sunday morning from the CEO of a company that makes fork lifts and pallet jacks (I had actually sent my resume off to him during the night Saturday night and got a response Sunday morning). I spoke to him Monday (yes, Labor Day) about their position. It's a marketing position to help develop their web presence, write blog posts and white papers, help produce videos, etc. Needless to say, pallet jacks aren't the most glamorous product in the world, but he seems serious about improving their online presence and he liked my website. I've researched the company enough to know that they're legit (in business 40 years with about 50 employees) and that this isn't a roundabout way to look for commissioned sales people. It's still probably a bit of a stretch, but it's encouraging to know that the work I put in on the website paid a dividend fairly quickly.

The first job is by far the most promising. It's a company that makes home medical supplies, and they're looking for someone to handle the entire contracting process with their various suppliers and vendors. It's almost exactly what I've done at a number of stages in my career, so it's about as good a fit as I'm going to find. After I talked with the woman in Seattle (who's the company's recruiter), she contacted me again Wednesday to set up an in-person interview with the Atlanta attorneys today. They are only talking with four people total (one came in ahead of me and I saw his name on the sign-in sheet so I looked him up on LinkedIn--he's been involved in lease negotiations for commercial real estate). They will talk to two more people next week and make a decision by the end of the week.

The job is a great fit and the money would be a good bit more than I was making before (and a lot more than I'm making part time now). But there's some risk involved that ironically may give me a better chance to get the job. They indicated that the parent company has already announced it is divesting itself of this division by the end of the year, and there's no word yet on the buyer. It's possible that whoever buys the company may move some or all of its operations to another location or just buy up the assets and start marketing them under their own brand name. For that reason, my interviewers wanted to be up front with me and the other interviewees.

Needless to say that's not an issue for me. At worst, I'd get good pay for three months and be back in the same position I am now with some additional experience in the healthcare industry. However, if some of the other applicants would need to give up a good job to accept this one, they might well not want to risk that for a lateral move or marginal promotion.

Anyway, I should hear within a week, and I finally feel things are moving. I know there's several of us on the Bored in roughly the same career situation, so perhaps the recent success at least one of us has had might spread. Let's keep our fingers crossed and any good vibage would be appreciated.

Two of us (at least) have had success within the last year. Good luck. --Bob

[Bob Juch]

Break a, uh let's see... A contract?

[SportsFan68]

Good luck -- hope it turns out just the way you want.

[BackInTex]

Anything to keep you off the bored.... Just kidding. I'm hoping you get a choice of the two and also hope whichever one you take is the right one.

You should get hold of Alan Jackson. Maybe he can do a "She thinks my pallet jack is sexy" promo.

[Snaxx]

Good vibes coming!

[a1mamacat]

positive thoughts heading your way.

[silverscreenselect]

You should get hold of Alan Jackson. Maybe he can do a "She thinks my pallet jack is sexy" promo.

This is the man I talked to, the CEO. Believe it or not, he went to Yale Law School.

[TheConfessor]

You should get hold of Alan Jackson. Maybe he can do a "She thinks my pallet jack is sexy" promo.

This is the man I talked to, the CEO. Believe it or not, he went to Yale Law School.

Nice video, until the ending. He must have missed his classes that dealt with trademark law.
http://www.trademarkia.com/it-takes-a-l ... 92155.html

[silverscreenselect]

Nice video, until the ending. He must have missed his classes that dealt with trademark law.
http://www.trademarkia.com/it-takes-a-l ... 92155.html

Actually, when this video was made, they had filed for their own trademark (which they abandoned)

http://www.trademarks411.com/marks/8586 ... -on-kickin

The question in trademark infringement is whether the second trademark is likely to confuse, and part of the test has to do with the nature of the products. It's clear that a competing watch company couldn't use the "kickin" trademark but it's not quite as clear whether a company that makes industrial forklifts could do so. Another part of the test is the intent of the junior trademark user. Here, it's pretty clear that Pack Mule intended this as a play on words. My guess is that they probably decided not to push the issue and dropped the trademark claim after this video was made.

[kusch]

Holding good thoughts for you SSS

[SpacemanSpiff]

Good vibeage and good luck to you, sir!

[Bob78164]

Nice video, until the ending. He must have missed his classes that dealt with trademark law.
http://www.trademarkia.com/it-takes-a-l ... 92155.html

Actually, when this video was made, they had filed for their own trademark (which they abandoned)

http://www.trademarks411.com/marks/8586 ... -on-kickin

The question in trademark infringement is whether the second trademark is likely to confuse, and part of the test has to do with the nature of the products. It's clear that a competing watch company couldn't use the "kickin" trademark but it's not quite as clear whether a company that makes industrial forklifts could do so. Another part of the test is the intent of the junior trademark user. Here, it's pretty clear that Pack Mule intended this as a play on words. My guess is that they probably decided not to push the issue and dropped the trademark claim after this video was made.

For famous marks, dilution also can be an issue. --Bob

[Vandal]

Go

[ghostjmf]

Best of luck & best of vibes.

[gsabc]

+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~
+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~
+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~
+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~+~ etc.

Good luck!!

[lilyvonschtupp26]

vibes heading your way!

[mellytu74]

Much good vibage streaming southward.

[silverscreenselect]

Back to the drawing board.

I actually got a phone call from the women with whom I had the phone interview to tell me that I didn't get the job (they only interviewed three people in person). She went out of her way to pass on how much the people I interviewed with here in Atlanta were impressed, .... but...

So either she's super polite or they did like me but just not enough. In either case, it means I have a chance if I can get past the sheer law of numbers for just about every job for which I send off my resume.

[MarleysGh0st]

I'm sorry.

Sounds like "thanks for being a fan of the show".

[ghostjmf]

So sorry. Keep going. I know it's because you have to, but keep going.