Pay Raise

I received word tonight, that when I return to work on Sunday morning, I will have a new job title. I will no longer be a shift supervisor. Instead, I will be the Assistant Manager. Which means I will be getting a nice pay raise. However, it also means I will be salaried. Which as you know, means I will be working 50-60 hours instead of 40.

I am excited, I finally made it, to the position that I have been after for a long time. My job search, will now be put on hold. The income level is finally at a level, that I like. It's not $60,000, but it's realistic for an industry that there isn't much profit in (1 cent out every dollar, is profit , according to industry statistics).

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Job Interview

OK, I thought I would try some new features out that Blogger has introduced. The features are only available if you log into what they call Blogger Draft. The 2 features that caught my eye was the ability to now be able to schedule a post for the future. While I am actually writing this post at 11:41 PM (Central Time), it will (or is suppose to) post at 7 AM on Wednesday morning. Even, if I am still in bed, it will be able to post.

The other feature that blogger has created is a blogroll. I have already noticed one thing I don't like about it. That is that if you are linking to a specific page in a blog, it won't let you. For example, my list of blogs that aren't in the side bar. At the bottom of the link list I created, I had a link to a specific page within this blog, however when I put that link in the Blogger blogroll, it became a link automatically to the front page. In addition, the blog I write for the newspaper, it changed the link from my blog to a link to the front page of all the blogs on CJonline. Obviously, I don't want that. I think, I might just keep the link list and delete the blog roll feature. Anyway, this post is suppose to be about a job interview, so let get on with it.

This week I was called for a job interview. The guy who was doing the interviews, emailed me and made the joke that he was Dave Ramsey. When I arrived for the interview on Tuesday morning and meet him, we talked briefly about Dave Ramsey and my two blogs and then moved into the interview process. I must say, it felt very comfortable. It is a family run operation that owns 20 convenience stores in the area. I am not sure what will happen, but I will know within a week. Meanwhile, at my current job, there are things in the works there, that is to early to discuss.

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Miscellaneous Thoughts - Writer Troubles, Retirement, Etc

I have been working the last couple of days trying to get comments from certain individuals for a post, that I had planned to post here and on my Capital Journal online column. Due to them being to busy to get a response back, being out of town or whatever, I have not been able get a response. I will continue trying to bring you the post with the comments, but if no comments come today, I will have to run it without them. However, I won't be able to post the article on my CJ online column.


On another note, I received my 1st quarter statement for my 401-K and everyone of my investments, except two lost money. Of course those two are both smaller investments, within my retirement plan. Those two are JP Morgan Stable Asset Income Fund-Select and the other is First American Real Estate Securities. All-in-All my retirement investments took a $251.51 loss, while I infused $534.80. So much for diversifying. Over the life of the retirement I have lost 8.71%. The thing is, it appears these funds may be bing transfered again to yet another broker/account so waiting out the down turn in the market doesn't appear to be much a possibility.

The commentary that came with the quarterly report, said

Equity markets suffered their worst quarter since 2002 as the credit crunch intensified and more evidence began to point toward a looming U. S. recession.

At work it appears some things are in the works and I am excited about the future.
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Contacts Via Monster

I recently was contacted by an insurance company, who had viewed my resume. They wanted to offer me a chance to apply with them. Saying my "first year earnings, advances and bonuses can range from $45,000 to $75,000 for new representatives."

At first thought, I was like, wow, I could pay off all my debts (including the IRS and car) in 7 months with that kind of pay. Then, I did some research on the company and found that they have a lot of negative comments made against them and their job offerings.

Most of the complaints deal with unpaid training period of 2-4 weeks. Not to mention most of the new representatives quiting within 6 months, having only made $2,000.

I am not sure that all the complaints are completely valid, but I do know working completely on commission is hard work. I have done it. I was a telemarketer for a now defunct company known as Capital Carpet Systems. This company, paid their telemarketers (at the time) no base wage. The commission was $10 per appointment set, when the job was actually completed. At the time minimum wage was $3.45. As a bright-eyed go getter in my early 20's at the time, I was promised I could easily earn $50/day. Well as time went buy over the 3-4 months I was there, I became the one who got all the call backs, as others quit. I became the top seller in the room and I was working both shifts from 9 am-9 pm. Yet, I was only earning $50/week.

I stuck it out, until March, when I made all the "spring callbacks," for the spring cleaning. Once I had made all the callbacks, I I quite without notice. The only job, that I ever quit without notice. The only nice thing, is that because I didn't get paid until the job was actually completed, I was able to get paychecks for several weeks after I quit.

In April of that same year, I was hired for the first time by the company that I currently work for. I worked for them 5-years, before moving to Chicago for 2-years. Upon returning to Kansas, I worked for another grocery company for 2-years, then returned to my company company after they sold to Associated Wholesale Grocers. They then merged us with another grocery company they also owned 2-years ago. All-in-all, I have been with the company since 1999. Now piece by piece they are selling off the Kansas stores. Even though, we are told it's business as usual in the remaining stores, I am nervous and worried I won't have the opportunities to move on up.

That is why, I posted the resume on Monster.com. Perhaps, I should also look at careerbuilder.com to. In addition, I placed an application with a bank that wasn't listed on monster.com. I am just hopeful, that future hits on my Monster resume will be hourly or salaried jobs. Even though, I would love to try insurance sales, I am not in a position financially to live on nothing while I am building my sales commissions to a point that I could live on.



***Update, I was just contacted by a 2nd insurance company via Monster.com

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The scoop behind the rumors

Some of the rumors that had been circulating around my company has proven to be true. Of course, like most of these type of rumors the truth is not as bad as the rumors.

Here is what has been shaking around my company:

Dillon's (aka Kroger's)is acquiring 2 of the four Price Chopper's in Topeka. The 2 Falley's (of which I work) has not been affected.

In addition Dillon's is also acquiring the 3 Homeland Stores in Wichita. Homeland is the parent company in the retail division of Associated Wholesale Grocery (AWG). Homeland in turn is a wholly owned subsidery of AWG.

Homeland is buying United Foods in Oklahoma. The United Stores will retain, the United banner as they become part of the Homeland organization.

Associated Wholesale Grocers Inc. has agreed to buy four Dillons grocery stores in Shawnee and Olathe and Pleasant Hill, Mo., for an undisclosed price.

The stores will be passed to independent retailers and supplied by Associated Wholesale in a deal expected to be completed by mid-February, according to a news release.

Kansas City-based Cosentinos Food Stores said it would take over the locations at 22210 W. 66th St., Shawnee, and 2101 N. Missouri 7, Pleasant Hill, and convert them to Price Choppers.

So there is the turmoil. My concern and that of many of my co-workers and employees is that with fewer stores in Topeka and Kansas for that matter, our opportunities for advancement are out the window. Because of those facts and the uncertainty of our future under our current ownership, a number of us have posted our resumes online at sites like Monster.com. This is no secret either. With me being one of the longest serving members and others having giving our life to the company, we feel betrayed by the company that has fed us these past few years.

If I could find the investors to back me, I would happily lead a team to buy some of the remaining stores and ensure the jobs will still be available. Not to mention continue to serve neighborhoods with large elderly and pedestrian traffic.

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Is a New Job in the Future?

I know this may come as a shock to some of my readers, but I am considering a job change. Quite frankly, I love my job, but I am tired of not even earning $20,000. I must get to a position where, I am breaking that $20,000/year mark. It would be better, if I was making $25,000 or more, but I can not continue getting by on less then $20,000.

There is my desire to have a political job, but facts are that I know retail and possibly banking best. For that reason, my focus will be on those areas. In addition, I am tired of the rumor mill that is consistently circulating around work (this has nothing to do with the typical, "who's sleeping with who", "who's doing what", etc kind of stuff) .

So I posted my resume on Monster.com, to see what might happen. (Hey do you think Monster would pay me for this post?)

Perhaps, if I could get a significant raise, they would be able to keep me, but as it stands now, I need to find another job.

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