How did I do THAT????

It's been a while since I posted, and that has very much been on purpose.

It seems like I have had good feelings about several job prospects, talked about them here, and they fell through. I got superstitious about it and decided to just stop with the updates.

But something happened recently that completely blew my mind, so I am here to brag about it!!!

Last week, I took the written portion of the civil service exam for the City of Perrysburg.

I have already told you that I took the test for Findlay. In that test, I scored a 94 on the written test and a 95 on the typing test. I thought those tests were very, very easy. Turns out that Findlay is not currently hiring. They are just creating their hiring pool so when they DO need to hire, they will do it from the pool that I am now in.

Perrysburg, however, IS hiring now...one position.

So I took that written test last week, and I'll be honest, it was so hard, I almost quit. I finished the Findlay test in 45 minutes and walked out shaking my head thinking that anyone could pass that. Which is why most of us were called back for the typing test. You had to score a 70 percent (out of 100 questions) to pass it.

But the Perrysburg test was a completely different beast. It took me an hour and 45 minutes for 100 questions, and about an hour into it, I almost threw up my hands in frustration and walked out. I didn't think I would get the required 70 percent needed to move on to the next step. After all, they are only giving the typing test to the top 15 candidates. There were 250 people who applied, and a few more than 200 who showed up for the written test. The odds were very long.

This test was completely different from the Findlay test. At the beginning, they read off 13 pretend 911 calls in a row. We couldn't take notes or anything. We just had to sit and listen. While I am not allowed to share the questions (like I could remember them a week and a half later anyway!!), the first 20 questions were similar to "what was the license plate on the vehicle involved in incident number 3?" and "What was the address where the loud music complaint was reported?" Everything started sounding the same and I kept second-guessing myself. After the first 20 questions, they got even harder.

So I didn't think I was going to pass and I almost quit. I persevered, but I came home and told Jenn we could cross that possibility off of our list.

I got the results back yesterday, and it turns out that I passed after all with 81 percent. I figured I'd be around 60 percent. Not only did I pass, but I have been instructed to take the typing test. That means that I am one of the top 15 candidates!!!! Even if I don't get any farther, I am excited and relieved to have gotten this far.

The next step after I take the typing test is that they will interview the top 6 candidates twice, conduct background checks, drug tests, physicals and psychological evaluations, and choose the new employee.

Wish me luck. I'm back in this with a renewed sense of confidence and drive.

In other news, I applied for a VERY well-paying union job. It's not anything that I ever considered doing before, but the opportunity and the pay are very intriguing. I applied to that, and I have someone on the inside trying to help push me along. The bad news is that it would be second or third shift with some forced overtime. But the benefits and pay are amazing.

I also am working closely with a downtown businessman in Bowling Green on a new Internet market he is creating. We have almost completed the background work and within the next two weeks, we will be rolling out the product and actively marketing it to businesses in Bowling Green. Right now, I am working for free, but once businesses start signing on, he said it will turn into a paying job. So technically, I am an independent consultant and marketer who has yet to be paid. That part sucks, but I LOVE doing it. It's an exciting product and an exciting opportunity, and it will keep me in touch with local businesses and hopefully help me land a full-time job with someone else.

In other business, I have increase the size of my tie collection dramatically. I used to have just a few very outdated, ugly ties. I got rid of several of those, and have pretty much added one or two ties each month since February... and learned how to tie them correctly on my first attempt. Before, it was taking half an hour, untold numbers of tries, a few swear words, and an intervention so I wouldn't run the tie through a shredder or under the lawn mower!

Also, Kaleb started walking at only 8 1/2 months old, and we just can't believe it. It's just a few steps at a time...10 at the most so far, but he keeps adding steps each day.

Lots of cool things are happening, and I'm hoping that several job offers will come through at the same time, and I will have to choose the best one for me and the family! I found my old rabbit's foot at mom and dad's house last week, so I brought it home and hung it on the bulletin board by the computer to give me good vibes as I apply for jobs.

Wish me luck!!
-Greg

Keeping my fingers crossed

Since it has been a month since Chris passed away, it doesn't look like I'll be returning to the Sentinel. My former boss said he would let me know "in two weeks or so" whether it was a possibility or not. That was a month ago, so I assume the answer is "or not."

In the meantime, I have kept my hopes up and my options open, as I have applied for three really great jobs...well, two really great jobs, and one pretty good one with great benefits.

I have applied for dispatching positions in Findlay and Perrysburg. I already have taken the civil service exam for the Findlay position. If I pass that (and I will - call me cocky, but I know I will), I will have to return June 2 to take a computer test.

I take the civil service exam for the Perrysburg dispatching position June 17.

The other job I am applying for is secretary for the Wood County Educational Service Center. I would rather be a dispatcher, but basically, any state job would be good.

Currently, I still am at Peebles. I got that promotion, which is nice, but it's still hurting me because any money I make there just gets taken out of how much I am supposed to get from unemployment. So why do I continue to do it? First of all, I am hoping that I will find a full-time job soon and will be able to stay at Peebles to supplement our income.

PLEASE keep your fingers crossed for the dispatching jobs. They are GOOD state jobs that would represent a 25 percent pay increase for me from my old job. That would be a wonderful shot in the arm for this family.

We need all the help, prayers and crossed fingers we can get. We have been doing well, but when we feel like this bumpy ride called unemployment has smoothed out - when we start to see light at the end of the tunnel - the bottom gives out, and it turns out that the light at the end of the tunnel is another train. We keep getting hit with nasty surprises, so the sooner I find a job, the better.

Take care, thanks for reading, and thanks for your support.