Youth Is Not All It's Cracked Up to Be. . .

Exhausted after my interview yesterday.  I have not interviewed for a job in twenty some years so I was very nervous.  I must have been extremely tense too, my neck and shoulders ached last night.  I have always held my stress in my neck and shoulders.
I thought I had a good interview but then at the end as I was leaving, I was not that sure at all.  It felt weird and I cannot explain it.  I am my own worst critic so, I am always questioning should I have said something different.  I have gone over my interview a thousand times and I am just not sure anymore how well it went.  I will not know anything for a few weeks because they are interviewing other candidates.  I liked the manager and I liked the facility, I think I would fit in there but who knows how they perceived me.  I am older than most of the other employees there, at least the ones that I met, and that may not go over well.  They may see me as a liability, who knows.
Staying focused and trying to stay positive in this uphill battle to find our path once more.   My dear hubby is beginning to show signs of wear and tear from this battle.  I am very worried about him, he thinks he is letting our family down because he does not have a job.  As a wife and friend I am trying to keep his spirits up and to encourage him but I know that this is weighing heavily on his heart.  He is blaming himself and I can assure you just based on his work ethic alone he is not responsible.
It would be nice if employers still valued loyalty in their employees and actually appreciated those that had stuck with the same company for a number of years.  These days employers see their employees as mere expendable commodities and to me that is sad.   I think if employers would show just a modicum of appreciation for service and loyalty they would get so much more productivity from their employees.   My husband felt loyalty to his employer unfortunately for him they did not feel the same.  
Stay tuned, the hubbs has more interviews to come and of course the kids are knee deep in their sports.

Friday Full of Prospects. . .

Feeling a little nervous today, I have a telephone interview this morning.  I have not interviewed for a job in many, many years.  I dare not tell how many because then I would be giving away my age. The hubbs had a phone interview yesterday and we are hopeful one of us will find something soon.  We have lots of folks that have been praying for us and I am very thankful for those prayers.
We still have not told very many people that my dear hubby was displaced and I am not sure why.  I tell myself I do not want anyone to pity us but there may be some pride issues in there too.   Several people have found out about our job situation at our Church and I do appreciate the love and prayers that they have shared with us and the very kind words.  It is very nice to know that our Church family loves us so very much.  
To prepare for my phone interview I went to Google and searched for help.  There are many sites for this type of thing.  I have found through my dear hubby searching and interviewing for jobs that the phone interview is the first stage and sometimes the last too.   It is a way to weed out people before they actually start bringing candidates in for the face to face interview.  I know that in our technology driven world that this is the wave of the future but I am not sure how helpful it is.  I am sure it is helpful to the employer but I believe it is detrimental to some of the prospective employees.  There is not a whole lot you can garner from a phone interview other than the persons voice quality and general biographic information.  This is just my opinion of course and we all know what folks say about opinions.
On another note:  my oldest has his first varsity football game tonight.  Asking for prayers for all.

Next. . .

One down and three to go. . .  The hubbs received his first, thank you for applying but we have gone a different direction email yesterday.  He has three other jobs that he is in second and third interviews with so we are hopeful one of those will be the one.  He was not terribly upset over not getting this one because it would have required us to move to a different state.   The fact that he did not live in the center of the territory was the reason he did not get that job.  Personally, I think that is a dumb reason not to give someone a job.  If this person is the perfect candidate for the job and is willing to move if it works out why not put the best person for the job, in the job.  Instead they hire a less than qualified candidate just because they live in the optimal area.   That makes absolutely no sense what so ever to me, but what do I know I am just a mom/wife.
We still have three possibilities and who knows what tomorrow may bring.  We are hopeful that the job that is a perfect fit for him is still out there.  I have told him this is God's way of telling him to slow down and enjoy his family while he still has time.  While Sprat and I did the College tour the hubbs and Big T went fishing again.  They did catch some fish this time, Big T caught three and the hubbs caught one.   The hubbs said they had fun even though it was hot as blue blazes.  He has another fishing trip scheduled for tomorrow with his brother.
Today Sprat goes for his interview with our insurance agent.  Our insurance agent requires an interview with the student and the parents before he will sign off on an insurance policy for the student.  I do not think all agents do this but ours does.  He believes if he is going to give insurance to someone he should know them.  He knows the hubbs and I very well because he is a family friend and has been taking care of our insurance since we got married.  I actually think it is not a bad idea for the interview, this will help prepare Sprat for possible College interviews and certainly job interviews.

Times Have Changed. . .

Big day today, Sprat is off at camp, Big T gets to be an only child for a week, and the hubbs is off to his first face to face interview in 24 years.   He has had several phone interviews over these last several weeks some proved positive others proved he has too much experience for what ever these folks were looking for.  This is quite the daunting task for anyone on the job hunt after 24 years.  Many things have changed in the way you find jobs since my dear sweet hubby and I last looked for jobs.   You only get face to face with a possible employer if you have jumped through the many hoops of electronic submissions and phone interviews.  This makes your resume the most important piece of your job hunt tool box, it is one of the first things a prospective employer will see and evaluate before they decide to make contact.
My hubby was in sales so they want to see and know that he can sell.  They want to see proof of success in his field.  The hubbs went to a professional group to help him set up his resume, he had twenty-three years of success to put into one resume and make it stand out.  There is no shame in seeking help, anyone in a professional position should seek a professional to set up their resume and guide them through these murky waters.
This has been a very interesting experience, the job game has really changed since I was last in the job market.  This will certainly help us to help our kids when they start their application process for their first jobs and even their application process for college.  Many thanks for all those that are praying for us and the kind words.

Below is a quick picture of Sprat as we were dropping him off at camp yesterday.