I don't have a bonnet with all the frills upon it, so that's why I'm here typing instead of marching in the Easter Parade.
Actually, it's a very quiet day everywhere else. Most businesses are closed and just about everyone has somewhere to go today. That provides me time to think. And, what I was thinking of this morning was something that my son said to me just the other day. He told me that he'd never heard the story I'd posted here about providing computer equipment to American Express.
That got me to thinking about other occupational situations and happenings that might be of interest to others. Because, while business itself and the things that happen in one's career are likely of little or no matter to anyone else, perhaps a story or two may be worth the telling.
As I've noted before, I spent most of my working life in the finance business, particularly leasing equipment. But, that's not where I started. I began my real business life selling fork lift trucks, and did that for about six years.
For several reasons that really don't matter now, the time came for me to move on to something else. I had an open mind, was ambitious, but wasn't really pounding the pavement looking for new employment. I was certainly ready to change careers but not necessarily tomorrow morning.
That's why, when lo and behold, my home phone soon rang one evening, I was surprised that the caller was interested in offering me a new job. He was, he said, in the equipment financing business and had an opening for which I seemed an excellent fit. I had, you see, leased or financed a significant percentage of the equipment I'd marketed for the past several years.
After some time chatting, about credentials on my part and the job requirements and benefits on his, I asked him about the compensation package. When he explained what the job paid at the entry level, which would be my position as a new hiree, I laughed and abruptly hung up the phone. I thought that was the end of the story.
But that's not what happened. He called back a few days later. To up the ante and try again. As I recall, I was reasonably polite, but still hung right up again. This scenario went on for a while longer, he'd call, raise the offering slightly, then I'd disconnect. A few days later, he was on the phone once more, inviting me to New England to meet the honchos in management. If I passed their muster, he told me, he'd have a better chance of finding a way to afford my coming on board.
Well, he'd gone to bat for me I realized, so I agreed. I told no one, not even my wife and shuttled up to Boston one afternoon. I ran the gauntlet of capability questions, evidently passed the qualification test and was offered a job on terms and conditions I could live with. I was told that despite my arrogance, belligerence and totally obnoxious attitude I was, in their opinion, worth several bucks more than they'd planned to pay but they'd take the hiring risk. We shook hands all around and bang, I was in the finance business.
When I came home later that evening and told my wife of the news, that some company I'd never heard of had hired me out of the blue, she gasped and said something like "Oh, I forgot to tell you dear. But, a few weeks ago I saw an ad in the paper for the job you just described. I sent off one of those new resumes you just had printed. I guess that's why they called."
Now, imagine how the recruiting scenario would have gone had I known how they'd found me. I likely would have reacted to their initial offer hat in hand, politely trying to negotiate for something better. But I sincerely doubt I would have told them to get lost. So, as it turns out, one of the best business deals I ever worked out that set me on the road to a business-life long career, was an accident. A forgotten resume in the mail followed by plain old dumb luck resulted in a win/win for both sides of the equation. So maybe it isn't who or what you know that matters, but instead: what you don't know that counts.
That's it for today folks.
Adios
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