halfway done

for those of you who are wondering whats been going on. i've been in the town of yorkton, saskatchewan for the past 5 days working, and i'm halfway done. i'm supposed to be working 2 full weeks (10 days straight) to help out the blockbuster store in the area. if you remember, i was actually here last december to help cover some staff shortages as well. anyway. the store manager left the company, and i've been brought on temporarily to clean up the store and train up some new staff including the newly hired assistant manager.

I've had pretty long days, often putting in 1-3 hours of overtime on top of the 8 i just worked, although i'm technically not allowed to as an hourly employee (and i'm certainly not clocking overtime pay). but i do love work, and i guess I realised this week how much i enjoy equipping and helping people do their jobs better. its especially encouraging when people always seem to respond so well. I don't see this time as a burden on my studies (even though it is), but i'm kinda enjoying life working again. i've always preferred working life to student life.

i've been told i'm a dreamer. so this next excerpt is a dreamer alert to all those who care, attached with all the usual spiritual provisos if you happen to subscribe to that kind of lifestyle. there was a job posting a few days ago for a loss prevention investigator at the vancouver blockbuster head office. basically, its what it sounds like and i would be responsible for investigating and implementing processes to reduce theft in 4 districts in the BC region. It would include a lot of reports analysis from each store (close to 50-60 i think), and then personally visiting stores to conducts audits and training sessions with staff. one of the most appealing things for me is that i would get to travel a lot and i would gain the big picture experience that i've been wanting for a long time. i'd also get to connect my much missed policing experience to my management career. which is just fantastic. the job pretty much combines all of my life's experience into one great paying job that situates me in the city my heart calls home.

i've been encouraged by pretty much every big wig i know in the company to apply for it. it first started out with my store manager, who initially was speaking to a discouraged tired student who didn't seem to think that the company would take him seriously, as this is a fairly senior position. its basically (rank and pay wise) somewhere between a store manager and a district manager, and also the EXACT position that i would have liked to have after my degree with much potential for growth. anyway, i figured there would be lots of other managers in the ranks with more experience waiting to get the position, but i was encouraged by Corrie to apply anyway, because i do have my own unique set of experiences and abilities.

after i spoke to her, i decided to read the posting in detail and found that i not only met the job requirements but exceeded it! wow. i then promptly called 4 other higher ranked people in the company, and they all felt that my education coupled with my policing experience would put me in good position for at least as shortlisted interview. the director of loss prevention in toronto is a former police officer, so that might be a good thing!

so i'm getting my resume together this weekend and i'll send it off on monday. its a long shot at best. really it is. but if i get it, I suppose i will be making more adjustments. the story of my life in the past couple of years so far has been unpredictability. and those of you who have met me in that time will agree to that about me. but those of you who have known me for much longer will realise that it seems to be more unpredictable BECAUSE i've backed off on planning my life and am comfortable with lettings things happen and making the best choice when i am presented with it to the best of my faculties.

I probably won't get the job, but thats what i initially said about grad school, new york and india. but somehow. it has worked out. so we'll see. i've got a great year ahead of me in school, and should be finishing in about 8 months. I wasn't even searching for a job, but this one seems to have just fallen in my lap and the least i can do is just send in a resume. couldn't hurt.

anyway, just wanted to update you.