Monday, July 31, 2006

Bought and Paid For

It was announced today that Southern Star Bank has been acquired by Fiscal United, a financial services company that does not currently have a banking foot print. We can expect some changes to start happening over the next year or so. No time table has been revealed as to when our name gets switched.

I have long had a disagreement with my friend Stacey about the way the chain coffee shop operates. You wait on one interminable line to order, then you wait on another interminable line to get your drink, and it seemed like there was a third line just to throw your trash out. This one operates quite differently. It seems like one giant line that just weaves in and out of itself at random places. I’m starting to remember why I don’t drink coffee. Every day I go home, I have to clean my nose out.

Monday, July 10, 2006

How Did I Get Here?

How Did I Get Here?

Today was my first day at work for Southern Star Bank. And I was late.

I misread the schedule and thought I was supposed to show up at 8:30. Apparently, I was supposed to show up at 7:30. Got the call at 7:45. I made it to work by 7:50. (I live about 1000 feet away from the bank.)

There is a Starbucks here right in the branch! How cool is that?

Heh, who would have thought that I would have ended up working for a bank?

Let's review how I got here:

I graduated from Southampton College in 1997. Straight out of school, my best friend Bill got me a job working as a graphic designer. There I met my other best friend, Stacey. I eventually became the production manager, and quit after two years because the owner is a soulless abomination. After working another design job, I got a job as a softball coach (best job EVER!) and took a flexible construction job as my primary occupation to clear my schedule for coaching. Eventually, I went back to that first design job as a simple graphic designer again, with no desire to be manager of anything. They hired me back, and after two more years, they had me train three new designers and then downsized me because I made more money than anyone else and they were overstaffed (I TOLD you he was a soulless abomination).

I ended up back at my Alma Mater, which was sadly slated to close it's doors. I worked as a coach, a public address announcer for the sports teams, an administrator on call for Residence Life, and the Administrative Assistant to the Director of Alumni Affairs and Development (what can I tell you, there were a lot of job openings due to the impending closing, and I love my school).

When the school closed, I lost four jobs. I looked for another design job, but everything was in the city, and the few employers hiring designers out here all stated I was overqualified. I ended up spending three horrific months working for the Nike Outlet in Riverhead (a job for another blog). When I had enough of that crap, Stacey told me her sister's company (Southern Star Bank) was hiring. I took the teller test, and the rest is history!

No, it's not what I envisioned myself doing at age 32 when I was a kid (I kinda figured I'd be the first astronaut playing professional baseball). But work is work, and I need some money! My dad says I'll be running the place in no time.

Showing up late on day one is not the best start...