| Who Am I? |
| Hi, my name is Jim Kline and I am Corporate Finance Professional seeking a Director level Financial Planning and Analysis position with a medium to large size organization. I have strong analytical skills and financial skills combined with a exemplary supply chain operations and staff background. My unique combination of skills makes me an extremely qualified candidate for organizations going through transition or the ones that want to beat their competition on a daily basis. My background is supported by a Bachelors of Science in Business Logistics and an MBA from Penn State University. |
| Career Connection |
| Career Connection is a great career and job search group in the Dallas Metroplex area. They have helped tens of thousands of people over the years find themselves and the next career move. While not a charity, the costs are very reasonable $10 to join, $10/month and they offer programming, jobsearch help, some counseling, and even a cup of Joe. The goup meets 10-12AM Tuesday Mornings (9:00 for newbies orientation) @ Preston Hollow Presbyterian Church (Don't worry no one is going to make you pray).
http://www.careerconnection.org |
| Dennis Smith |
| Dennis writes a blog for the talent aquisition portion of T-Mobile.
Yes he is a company flack, but he is a good kind of company flack.
(And no, I am not trying to suck up to him for a fee account, job, or even the latest phone, although I would accept all 3).
If you want to learn more about T-Mobile from the company side of talent aquisition, go to
http://www.wirelessjobs.com |
| Other things |
| more information to come. |
| Other things |
| More information to com. |
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| What a long strange trip it has been this week |
| Friday, September 29, 2006 |
Man, what a long strange trip it has been this week. I can't begin to tell where it all started and where it is all ending. All I know is now that the week is over, I am mentally spent.
Monday was an interview with ATCLE,for a business planning manager position. Tuesday morning as I was getting out of the house to go to Career Connection, I got a screening interview with NAL Worldwide, the I get to Career Connection late only to leave early to meet with the President of ATCLE who is an old associate from my FedEx days. I really wanted to get a handle on his view of the future of the company and where he say it going.
From Ft Worth is was to Downtown Dallas for another interview with the RHI SPS gang. Then a quick trip home so I could pick up my daughter to take her to dance then back downtown for a FENG meeting. Somewhere in there I had a series of recruiter calls.
Wednesday was an interview with Aaron Brothers a Michaels Stores company, then another interview with another recruiting firm, Thursday was a light day with an interview with another recruiting firm and finally today was a recruiting firm in the early afternoon followed by a screening interview for a Director position in the late late afternoon.
Something has got to shake open soon. I am getting a lot of activity and I know there should be more coming in the next week. I will have a follow on with Cadbury and I expect to hear from McKesson this coming week as well.
Even stanger I get a letter today thanking me for submitting my resume and I expected it to finish with "While your credentials are impressive ....." instead is finished with "After reviewing your resume, we have determined that your qualifications merit further review and will give your candidacy careful consideration." It goes on to say we will be contacting you shortly.
Huh? I have never gotten a letter telling me I have been accepted for further interviews. I either get a phone call, email asking me to come in for more torture I mean interviews. What gives? I had to read the letter about 5 times to make sure it said what I thought it said. Go figure!!!
At best right now all I can say is wow what a long strange week it has been. I am whipped. |
posted by Jim @ 9/29/2006 09:49:00 PM
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| Interesting Reactions |
| Tuesday, September 26, 2006 |
It is always interesting to see the reactions of people when you throw them a curve ball.
Yesterday I had an interview for a slightly lower level position that I am really going for, but still within the realm of possibilities. I first interviewed with the hiring manager, then I met with the HR person.
In my interview with both people I told them I had scheduled some time (an informational interview) with the President of the Company who is a former associate from my days at FedEx, and at one point I was to have gone to work for him in Singapore.
The reactions from the two people were completely different. The hiring manager, whom I believe feels secure in his position, and has a pretty good understanding of his role and upward mobility opportunities, thought it was great. It may have made him nervous internally, but he seemed the kind of person who is genuinely interested in seeing people succeed.
On the other hand the HR person, when I told him of my past relationship with the boss closed my credential folder and with a forced smile asked me if there were any additional questions I had, basically letting me know the interview was over.
I told both of them in a spirit of full disclosure, so I would not have anyone surprised nor handed a done deal without at least being able to provide thought out objections before it happened.
While it is my fault that I know the President from a past life, I am not strictly trying to trade on that relationship. I feel because I am working that relationship to gain information about the organization, I will be penalized by HR and they will throw roadblocks up.
I guess I have much to learn about the organization before I commit to taking on the position if it is offered to me.
I will keep you posted. |
| posted by Jim @ 9/26/2006 08:45:00 AM
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| Another Candle Lit |
| Monday, September 25, 2006 |
I lit another candle this week and the magic seems to be working.
While driving to an interview in Ft Worth, I got a call from an internal recruiter at Michaels. We have set up an interview series for Wednesday.
I called LSG Sky Chefs and eventually spoke to the hiring manager. It seems there is some delay because upper management is not completely committed to the mission this position would create. However, the good news is I am the leading external candidate. So stay tuned
I found a position at a former employer that is pretty much of a fit. I called my former boss (Jeff) and asked him to submit my resume for the position. He was more than glad to do it. While I was only a contractor at that company, they kept renewing my contract until I really needed to get a job with benefits. The nice part is we parted ways in an amicable way and I left behind good relationships with people. Perhaps this will help me finally land in a postion I really want.
Is it the candle? Is it just good timing and a confluence of cosmic forces, or is it the ground work I have been laying for a few months. I don't know, but I am going to go out and keep buying my job candles. |
| posted by Jim @ 9/25/2006 09:02:00 PM
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| Feast or Famine |
| Friday, September 22, 2006 |
Well where I thought early this week, the wheels had fallen off my job search, it looks like it was only to change to racing tires.
This morning while I was meeting with the hiring manager of my potential contract gig, another Talent acquisition manager from Michaels was trying to reach me for an opportunity there. I suspect I am took expensive for them, as this has happened before, you just never know.
In the meantime, the potential contract gig has made some progress. We have an agreed upon rate, although the time side is indefinite, we have some general agreed upon operating specs and now all we need is management's approval to go forward. I even made sure my rate was lower than what he said his maximum allowable would be (not by much, but enough to make the sale easier) and I hope it will work out to everyone's benefit both short and long term. As the hiring manager aptly put it, "it comes down to work or starve. I understand where you are coming from.
I am still waiting to hear about the opportunity in Houston, and Robert Half SPS is finally getting back to me to discuss meeting the various parts of the sales staff, another step to go through with them.
A lot of times it is feast or famine. I hope this is feasting time. |
| posted by Jim @ 9/22/2006 01:51:00 PM
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| It is turning in to an interesting kind of week |
| Thursday, September 21, 2006 |
This week is turning around and starting to become interesting. Where I did not have a lot of expectations in the beginning, I had a screening interview today with a Bimbo Bakeries, it looks like the short term contract opportunity might turn it to a possibility, (keeping the wolves away from the door) and I have an interview set for next Monday for a position with ATC Logistics and Electronics. There is also an opportunity brewing with Oxy Petroleum in Houston. Although I think that may be a longer shot.
I guess my level of confidence is growing and I am even taking a shot at something in the east coast that would pay quite well. I am not sure my wife would go with me, but I could afford the airfare if it came to pass. Of course this is truly a Hail Mary kind of pass, from a statue of liberty play fake. To many moving pieces to come together for it to happen, but as Joe Paterno used to say, "you got to have some kind of gimmick play in every game."
I spoke to my wife about this and she reminded me that this is the first week I have lit my job candle in many weeks and that is what is causing all the activity. I believe in divine intervention, but I don't think that was what is truly the cause. Of course I proved myself wrong once before.
Whatever the case, I am glad for the activity!! |
| posted by Jim @ 9/21/2006 10:53:00 PM
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| A mixed kind of Day -It just feels good to win one once in a while. |
| Tuesday, September 19, 2006 |
This has been a mixed kind of day. The guy from K-Force (Jason Rush) that promised almost on his mothers grave would give me a call today, did not.
I got through to a potential contract position only to find out the hiring manager has not fully decided if he wants some hired analytical capacity, but if he does he is looking favorably on me. I do have to thank Meg O'Malley for passing on the opportunity to me. Meg is one of those almost mirror images that I found at FENG.
I left messages for the person I interviewed at LSG Skychef a few weeks ago, yet he does not return my call, I wish Wolfram would either give me a thumbs up, thumbs down, or tell me what the delay is. No respone is not fair to the candidate. The time when he said he would be moving forward has passed.
On the other side of the coin, I have to give kudo's to Isabel Darwin at McKesson. Isabell has kept me in the loop. She told me when there would be delays, when I should next hear from her, and what to expect. When things changed, she let me know as well. Isabel is winning my Talent Aquisition Manager of the year award so far. While I hate to see the delays, (I need a paycheck), I am not being kept in the dark and I can throttle my expectations. Whether I get the job or not, I have a lot of respect for what Isabel and McKesson in general are doing. Today was a pretty good day at Career Connection. I am thrilled that it gets me out of the house and meeting with people on a regular basis. My luck is about to change. I won the CC Texas Sized Lottery today worth about $23. I guess when you consider the number of times I have thrown my $1 and business card in the basket, I am still about break even. It just feels good to win one once in a while. 
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| posted by Jim @ 9/19/2006 09:37:00 PM
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| Everyone Knows What is Best for You |
| Sunday, September 17, 2006 |
This entry today falls under my rants and raves category. If you don't want to read me complaining, then skip this article! You were warned!
This morning I spent a few minutes on the telephone with my oldest brother and my father. As a note of explanation my oldest brother is currently living with my dad since he can't make a living in his country. He left his family there and as he can earns some money he sends them some. Mostly he is leeching of my dad. His most current re-incarnation is selling health insurance in South Florida where my 82 year old father has retired. (Mom died in '85).
All my life I heard my father telling me what a terrible life it is to be in sales. He never wanted to be in sales, but he could not find work doing anything else, or maybe he took the path of least resistance. He always blamed someone else for his troubles and never looked inside. I grew up vowing I would never go in to a job (or at least stay in one) that I really hated. Sales is at the top of my list. For a short time in my life, I had an insurance license and sold pre-arranged funerals door to door. I was terrible at it. It was a pure commission job and I starved.
My entry numbers were terrible, and if I made an entry my close rate was sub par. Needless to say I was not given any good leads they were saved for the guys that could turn them in to sales for the company. I don't blame the company either, because I was such a miserable salesperson. It is not that I did not try, I was just not very good, frankly I was terrible.
Well now that I have that out in the open, my dad and my brother are both pushing me to go in to insurance sales because I have hit the skids, and have not worked in 3 months. (oh Horror). I know if I were in sales I might as well as be an Antarctic explorer. In either case I would be standing out in the cold and not making any sales.
I just wish they would get off my back.
On the other hand, I want to tell you what a wonderful wife I have. (No she is not standing over me with a cast iron frying pan ready to brain me for the first bad thing I write about her.) She has been very supportive, and understanding, and knows that I will land on my feet and continue to bring home a paycheck. Yes, she is tired of me being home and on occasion getting depressed, or moody. She is not asking me to do something that is just not me. She is a wonderful person.
I also have a wonderful friend and neighbor, Mike, who checks up on me every so often and takes me out for coffee or just stops by to check on me. He has been through this as well and understands how to listen, what to suggest, and when to say nothing and when to speak out. I have gotten more solid advice out of him than most anyone else. Thanks Mike! |
| posted by Jim @ 9/17/2006 10:11:00 AM
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| Pat Dunn Done at HP |
| Tuesday, September 12, 2006 |
Pat Dunn Stepped down at HP today.
I guess you can't rule a corporation with an iron fist anymore. I am glad to see companies are getting back to staying legal. Of course this should never have happened in the first place.
Perhaps Pat Dunn can join me blogging for her next job. |
| posted by Jim @ 9/12/2006 04:34:00 PM
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| RIP Mat Matlock |
| Sunday, September 10, 2006 |
Below is the obituary of "Mat" Matlock. Mat was a friend to all that got to meet him. I knew him from Career Connection where he often taught spreadsheet classes to those needing some extra help in that skill.
He will be dearly missed.
William Robert Matlock
MATLOCK, , WILLIAM ROBERT "MAT" 61, passed away on September 7, 2006 in Irving, Tx. He was born on September 25, 1944 in Morgan City, La. He had been a resident of Irving since 1993, he was a 1972 graduate of Southern Colorado State College. He served in the US Army Security Agency in Germany and Vietnam from 1965 to 1969. He was self employed as a spreadsheet consultant. Mat described himself as a baker, programmer, trivial pursuit player and movie buff. He is survived by his Wife, Jane Roehl and One Brother, John Matlock. A Memorial Service will be held Sunday, Sept. 10, 2006 at 4PM at the Horizon Unitarian Universalist Church, 1641 Hebron Pkwy., Carrollton, TX. In lieu of flowers donations may be made to the Horizon Church or the charity of your choice. Irving Calvary Funeral Home 624 East Second Street Irving Texas 75060 (972) 579-7356 |
| posted by Jim @ 9/10/2006 09:00:00 PM
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| I've added a new feature |
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Hey if you did not notice, I have added a new feature, the linked in button to the side. I am working to develop my network and if you are not a part of my network, ask to join in. I will be glad to add you.
Hope you are having a great day, Today I choose to have a great day!
Jim |
| posted by Jim @ 9/06/2006 07:21:00 AM
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| Stock Futures Up Ahead of Jobs Data |
| Friday, September 01, 2006 |
Stock Futures Up Ahead of Jobs
I am just a confused about this as anyone can be. A previous posting said job numbers were looking bad, the rest of the market is considering them good in the US. So what is it.
Am I in the tank, or about to ride the crest of a wave. I guess I need to roll the dice and just get a job and get on with it.
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| posted by Jim @ 9/01/2006 10:22:00 AM
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| About Me |
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Name: Jim Kline
Home: Plano, Texas, United States
About Me:
See my complete profile
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