*rips open envelope*

Me, Myself and I!!!

I’ve spent too much time, effort and energy not to complete my courses and get my real estate license. I started last year, did the required 75 hours, and then..nothing.

I scheduled my proctored exam from home, and on the day of my test, they couldn’t read my license. Seriously, I know my camera was working correctly. I offered my Notary Public license to prove my identity but they couldn’t accept that. You know, another license from PA. So in disgust I let it go.

But this pandemic is brutal. Not just lives lost, but the job market as well. I’ve never been unemployed for this long in my life. I’m not saying I can’t adjust to “stay at home” but even with 5 cats now keeping me up all hours of the night, you miss having things to do during the day.

So I’ve applied to jobs and was hired as a Business Office Manager at a local nursing home that was rife with Covid 19. I started on a Wednesday, and they had a table set up in the lobby and reviewed all the steps to follow from temp screening to how to handle the residents. They were all to stay in their rooms, and not be in the public areas. However, they had a nice old man named Martin, who refused to stay in his room. There’s always one in the crowd. I sat with the receptionist day 1 afternoon and day 2 to grasp the overall functions of the front office as it were and the additional duties she did on top of greeting guests, Covid screening and answering the phones. Fast forward to day 3, I come into work on her day off. I check the Covid Screening and not one employee had been screened. I look at the thermometer on the desk and the batteries died. Goodbye.

So needing money I applied to be an Enumerator for the 2020 Census. Did the training, took the tests and received all my supplies and the Iphone 8 (thanks Government) to perform the NRFUs. I had 52 houses on the first day. Got to the 4th house (my neighbor) and at the end of the very different census questions from the one I answered, I threw my back out. They helped my up, I hobbled home and called my supervisor. Done

Now a year has passed, my unemployment was denied because I didn’t have a doctor’s note saying I couldn’t perform the Census before I started. WTF, PA, so I lost my appeal and my benefits.

The pandemic is still going strong, and the job market is hell. If you apply for a job, guaranteed anywhere between 100-500 people have applied for the same job. Except for the job I’ve now interviewed 3 times for. You know when you see the job reposted as “new” after you’ve interviewed, they haven’t picked you. But I did my 2nd interview yesterday and 3rd interview today, with the acknowledgement of a 4th interview in the making.

The job pays what I need, its local and a small company I actually enjoyed the interview yesterday and today, but I have a feeling that it’s just not what I want or need. So I reached out to another Real Estate Agent who I’ve known for the past couple of years.

When I called him to tell him what was going on he laughed and stated that he didn’t know how I lasted 20 years with my boss ,when he couldn’t stand him for 20 minutes. Saying that, I told him where I was mentally and job wise and before I would lose my house to forbearance, I’d list it with him. His kind response was that he would rather hire me on, and its the worse time for agents right now, even though its a seller’s market, they are losing out on bidding wars for the lack of inventory out there. We got into discussing new builds and everything that I loved about real estate and construction in general. So at the end of the call I told him I would reach out when I had my license.

I booked a refresher on 5/22 for a 6 hour course to help my pass my test. I’m confident I’ll be able to do this and that they’ll be able to confirm my ID. I know who I am and even after 4 trick questions on my interview today, I solidified my choice for my future.

Now where are those dang cats?