Filling the Funnel

Things are happening on the job search front. Ted has 4 interviews lined up. Anyone who has been unemployed knows that it's a great pinnacle just to get to the interview. It's hard to get noticed these days in a sea of resumes. Many people will tell you "it's who you know". I always thought that sounded so exclusive and didn't really believe it, but I do believe that if a hiring manager can get a referral, they will more likely pursue that person first. There is less risk to hire someone you know, or someone who you trust knows, than to hire someone you don't know from Adam. All of our interviews came from knowing someone who referred us (or actually knowing the hiring manager as is the case at Ted's ex-job). Ted's been telling EVERYONE that he was laid off. At first, I was like, "Aren't you embarrassed? Isn't this humbling?"...."I'm filling the funnel", he said. Huh?

"It's a sales term. You pursue as much as you can, hoping something will stick", he said. You see, Ted's sales experience has been extremely helpful in looking for a job, only the product he's selling now is himself. He has two interviews tomorrow. One with AT&T over the phone for an account executive selling to businesses, and the other is a face to face with his ex-cable company for the same type of position. Then he has one Tuesday with AT&T for another position that was doing the same thing he did before (negotiating service agreements with apartment complex owners). The last one will be a phone interview for a pharmaceutical sales position. Phone interviews are popular because phone skills are important in sales.

Ted and I are excited. The funnel is filling! We almost feel overwhelmed with the possibilities...but who knows which ones will stick. We'll be happy to have a choice between two. This is when you just pray. You pray that God makes it obvious what direction you are supposed to go in. I find that if you just wait, the options become slimmer and then somehow you feel a peace at a certain place. Either it's the people you meet, that make you feel like that company is a comfortable fit, or it's just a feeling....or it's a negative experience that makes you rule one direction out. So we'll just wait and see.