What better time to start a blog back up than at the end of the year when reflecting on life. This year in particular has been a very tough one for me: working as a Manager at Bank of America and although proud of working for a large corporation, feeling like an ant in an ant farm and overall lack of fulfillment, which caused me to quit my 4-year career in Banking. Also having a major surgery that put me out of commission for months, barely being able to walk or breathe and having random, dangerous fainting spells and causing a big dent in my pocket, trying to find myself by quitting BofA and working at Robert Half International - Accountemps as a Staffing Manager where I found after a couple of weeks that also wasn't for me, having some difficult family moments, etc. But the one highlight of the year was great enough to overshadow all of this year's hard moments and make me feel extremely lucky. How many people can truly say they love what they do? The one major highlight of this year for me was finding a career where I can honestly say: I love my work.
When people ask me what I do, it's difficult to describe. First of all, I work for Sears Home Improvement Products (no, not the Sears retail stores) and I'm the Regional Marketing Manager, but I do so much more than that. The best part is, I get to incorporate everything that I'm good at and have a passion in into one position: business and interior design, which I went to college for, sales, which is what I excel in because I'm all about numbers and rankings, and HR, which is a field I've been fascinated about and wanted to get my foot into. This rare position I'm in fulfills all my needs. I run the entire Region in Recruiting and Hiring, training and overseeing all the stores. The process starts with me being a Recruiter and Hiring Manager where I recruit the best of the best Marketers and put them through an intense interview. My work requires a great deal of strategizing: Hire the perfect candidate for the right store, who speaks the right language according to the demographics, who has the right personality for each demographic and works at the best times and days for marketing. I hire and then I conduct New-Hire Orientations and Trainings and teach them how to become the best Marketers and provide product knowledge around our remodeling products. Once they are fully trained, I let them out on the field and then monitor their numbers and see them progress, increase their numbers and success. I visit different stores every week and drop in on them and give them a bit of coaching and motivation. Within 2 months of starting my job, the Regional Manager published my accomplishments and picture in the quarterly Newsletter as the top-performing Manager in the entire country turning the Bay Area the bottom in the entire country to one of the top in the entire contry. I can't wait to see it published next month! Success motivates me.
Can't decide what my fav part of my job is: conducting interviews, getting people a good job when times are tough, New-Hire Orientation/Training, seeing the #s, seeing the Associates make goal and good $, being able to reward their success with other fun incentives including just buying them gift cards, recognition lunch, or cell phones, etc. as incentives, having great relationships and support with Area and Regional Managers, making changes so I can grow to be better in Management, being able to be myself (and even curse!) and not having to brown nose to Management, being able to make my own schedule n work from home when I want or on the field when I want, being paid for mileage and supplies, never having a "case of the Mondays" or waiting for Fridays, the goal of making the Bay Area #1 in the country again. I think finding this job was the best thing that happened to me this year. =)
Of course, other great things happened to me this year as well. I learned the hard way to be frugal with money and that includes putting myself to the test to not spend 1 penny for an entire month except for one trip to the grocery store and I succeeded! Also, really maturing and having a tighter relationship with family, Sidney and I still going strong and him backing me up when times get tough as I did for him, still have a condo I'm proud of and still living in the city, which I love. My car finally died and I was able to buy a new car that I love, an Infinity G35. Being able to maintain great relationships with my close friends and so much more. Despite it being a rough year, all the positives made up for it in the end. I'm truly looking forward to a successful 2010!
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