Looking for my forever job - Part 1
This is the first of a series of blogs about me optimistically looking for my forever job or as my daughter puts it For Heaven's sake, find a place you like and Stay. Put.
A few years ago I posted a blog about me leaving a position I had been at for 17 years to work locally. It was still in real estate, which is one of my passions, and was still in a support position, which is one of my strengths. I learned a long time ago that the agent life is not for me. Not only does it make me twitchy not having a regular income, but I resent having to work weekends, no matter what the reward. So I left a good job where I worked offsite and online, for one in an actual office with real people and office furniture. It was a good fit, right up until it wasn't.
The agent had been without support staff for awhile, so the files were either a complete mess or nonexistent. Straightening out the files (both computer and physical) took a big chunk of my time. Websites had inaccurate, outdated information and paperwork was overtaking the paperless office. It took me a good month to wade thru the tasks and set things straight. Finally files were neatly labeled and organized. Websites were updated with fully functional links. Online tasks no longer showed as incomplete. Flyers were spiffy and fully stocked at both house and office. And, most importantly, listings and transactions tasks were both up to date and accurate. And then, one day, I looked around the office, which now looked like an actual workspace and not a hoarder's dream in the making, and realized there wasn't much left to do. In hindsight maybe I shouldn't have rushed to clean/organize/update. Perhaps I should have taken my time, slowly and methodically putting things in their place, with a lot of breaks in between. But I can't do that. Clutter offends me. Whether it be on a desk or table, in a file drawer or online, clutter makes me twitch. So I didn't take my time, I worked steadily and quickly, so that I could be ready for the good stuff, where I interacted with buyers and sellers and other agents. Where I was an active and valued participant in the business of real estate. And that is when I became of aware of two startling facts.
1. I was never going to get to the good stuff.
Real estate is a business unlike many others. If the agent who is generating business is not out and about generating business, you simply have no business. That's where support staff comes in. Assistants and office managers like me act as liaisons between the agent and others in the industry. We deal with appraisers, title officers, buyers and sellers and make sure that while the agent is out showing property or prospecting for buyers, the business flows smoothly. This is the good stuff, the part of the job that I am best at. Talking to people. Calming down sellers, soothing buyers, coordinating the moving parts for listings and making sure transactions close on time. But this agent had no interest or intention of handing any of that over to me. The paperwork? That he willingly, giddily turned over. He wanted to keep all the good stuff for himself. He neither wanted not needed me to talk to sellers or buyers or any of the other people involved in the transactions. How dare he! Yeah, yeah, I know it is his business and he can run any way he sees fit. But still. And then realization number 2 hit.
2. He didn't need a full time assistant.
He especially didn't need a well paid, full time, experienced assistant. Whatever paperwork was generated by the work he did, could be dealt with in one morning. 5 hours per week max. Which left 35 other hours with absolutely nothing to do. I am not kidding here. And when you are finished for the week by 2 on Monday, surprisingly there is very little motivation to actually show up.
Looking back I am kind of surprised I lasted as long as I did. I was miserable, cranky, eye-crossingly bored. Time to look around and see what other opportunities there might be.
The agent had been without support staff for awhile, so the files were either a complete mess or nonexistent. Straightening out the files (both computer and physical) took a big chunk of my time. Websites had inaccurate, outdated information and paperwork was overtaking the paperless office. It took me a good month to wade thru the tasks and set things straight. Finally files were neatly labeled and organized. Websites were updated with fully functional links. Online tasks no longer showed as incomplete. Flyers were spiffy and fully stocked at both house and office. And, most importantly, listings and transactions tasks were both up to date and accurate. And then, one day, I looked around the office, which now looked like an actual workspace and not a hoarder's dream in the making, and realized there wasn't much left to do. In hindsight maybe I shouldn't have rushed to clean/organize/update. Perhaps I should have taken my time, slowly and methodically putting things in their place, with a lot of breaks in between. But I can't do that. Clutter offends me. Whether it be on a desk or table, in a file drawer or online, clutter makes me twitch. So I didn't take my time, I worked steadily and quickly, so that I could be ready for the good stuff, where I interacted with buyers and sellers and other agents. Where I was an active and valued participant in the business of real estate. And that is when I became of aware of two startling facts.
1. I was never going to get to the good stuff.
Real estate is a business unlike many others. If the agent who is generating business is not out and about generating business, you simply have no business. That's where support staff comes in. Assistants and office managers like me act as liaisons between the agent and others in the industry. We deal with appraisers, title officers, buyers and sellers and make sure that while the agent is out showing property or prospecting for buyers, the business flows smoothly. This is the good stuff, the part of the job that I am best at. Talking to people. Calming down sellers, soothing buyers, coordinating the moving parts for listings and making sure transactions close on time. But this agent had no interest or intention of handing any of that over to me. The paperwork? That he willingly, giddily turned over. He wanted to keep all the good stuff for himself. He neither wanted not needed me to talk to sellers or buyers or any of the other people involved in the transactions. How dare he! Yeah, yeah, I know it is his business and he can run any way he sees fit. But still. And then realization number 2 hit.
2. He didn't need a full time assistant.
He especially didn't need a well paid, full time, experienced assistant. Whatever paperwork was generated by the work he did, could be dealt with in one morning. 5 hours per week max. Which left 35 other hours with absolutely nothing to do. I am not kidding here. And when you are finished for the week by 2 on Monday, surprisingly there is very little motivation to actually show up.
Looking back I am kind of surprised I lasted as long as I did. I was miserable, cranky, eye-crossingly bored. Time to look around and see what other opportunities there might be.
Next up: Why am I not rich yet?
This isn't the actual office I worked in, but it was pretty close to this!
