Being part of a community is all about getting to know the great people. So in that line of thought, here is part of what has been going on in my life in the last few months. 
I currently work as a Business Analyst working with HR software. I work in a bank and while I try and get more involved in the strategy of software management, I?m WAY too bogged down with day to day operational stuff to do to allow myself time to focus on that.
I?ve been doing such job for the last 8 years. While I have learned a lot, I need to take a step to progress my career (and save my sanity). I spoke with my boss about it, but as I expected, I just got a generic ?we?ll do our best to help you? answer.
I have my profile setup on LinkedIn, which is basically a Myspace/Facebook for business contact. I got an email from Oracle, a leading hardware and software company, who are looking for a Senior Sales Consultant. I would be using my 8 years of technical and functional knowledge to help clients find the right software solution and also help the sales team win bids. Involves travel, presentations and a bunch of other interesting stuff that I touched on in a prior job many years ago, loved doing, but haven?t seen in over 6 years.
So I?m seriously considering it.
Back in September, my wife and I had nothing to do on a Sunday afternoon. So we decided to go to the 46th annual psychic expo. We are not really believers in all that, we see it as more of a novelty.
So we pay our $10 to get in and then realize that to get a reading, we need to pay someone like $50 for 30 mins. Thinking this is kinda steep for a novelty, we go sit in on the free presentations. One guy, who was a working psychic at the expo, gave a presentation of what he did, the different types of readings and such. He looks at my wife and I and tells us ?You are deeply in love?. What a genius! My hand is on her lap. We both kinda roll our eyes. Brilliant deduction Einstein.
Then he looks at her and starts pegging things about her life that are true. He says that he sees an official paper in her near future? like a certificate or diploma. Fact: She is planning on going to University next spring. He then says that he sees 2 diplomas. Fact: She is taking 2 intensive programs back to back and should have 2 certificates within a few months.
He then goes on to explain her sleeping issues that she has been having for the last 6 months and mention that he sees us moving out of the city. I was a hair away from accepting a job in Toronto a few months ago and we have discussed the possibility of moving out of Montreal to pursue career opportunities.
So after this, we decide to take the hit and pay some other guy the $50 for a reading. Reason we went with a different person is that we want to see if he says something different or the same from the free guy in the presentation. He says the same thing about my wife?how he sees her taking some workshops or classes early next year. He mentions the same thing about changing houses.
I ask him about my job and he said that within 6 weeks or so, he sees me having a job change. Nothing drastic, like going from business analyst to fire fighter, but staying in my same line of work, he sees me doing something different, with different responsibilities.
And dudes, I went there on Sept 27. In my 6th week, I got a call from Oracle. I went to my first interview with my would be manager the next day after the call. She happened to be in town and we jumped a few steps in the normal process. We got along great, had some good laughs, which is rare in an interview.
I?m going on my second interview with a Team Lead tomorrow morning. If this pans through, I?m off to Ottawa for a mock presentation in front of my would be boss, the director and a few other chaps.
Totally different from what I am doing, but still building on what I have done over the last 8 years. Thrilling, yet very scary.
The psychic also said my wife is going to be pregnant within the next 12 months?
[insert eerie music here]
I currently work as a Business Analyst working with HR software. I work in a bank and while I try and get more involved in the strategy of software management, I?m WAY too bogged down with day to day operational stuff to do to allow myself time to focus on that.
I?ve been doing such job for the last 8 years. While I have learned a lot, I need to take a step to progress my career (and save my sanity). I spoke with my boss about it, but as I expected, I just got a generic ?we?ll do our best to help you? answer.
I have my profile setup on LinkedIn, which is basically a Myspace/Facebook for business contact. I got an email from Oracle, a leading hardware and software company, who are looking for a Senior Sales Consultant. I would be using my 8 years of technical and functional knowledge to help clients find the right software solution and also help the sales team win bids. Involves travel, presentations and a bunch of other interesting stuff that I touched on in a prior job many years ago, loved doing, but haven?t seen in over 6 years.
So I?m seriously considering it.
Back in September, my wife and I had nothing to do on a Sunday afternoon. So we decided to go to the 46th annual psychic expo. We are not really believers in all that, we see it as more of a novelty.
So we pay our $10 to get in and then realize that to get a reading, we need to pay someone like $50 for 30 mins. Thinking this is kinda steep for a novelty, we go sit in on the free presentations. One guy, who was a working psychic at the expo, gave a presentation of what he did, the different types of readings and such. He looks at my wife and I and tells us ?You are deeply in love?. What a genius! My hand is on her lap. We both kinda roll our eyes. Brilliant deduction Einstein.
Then he looks at her and starts pegging things about her life that are true. He says that he sees an official paper in her near future? like a certificate or diploma. Fact: She is planning on going to University next spring. He then says that he sees 2 diplomas. Fact: She is taking 2 intensive programs back to back and should have 2 certificates within a few months.
He then goes on to explain her sleeping issues that she has been having for the last 6 months and mention that he sees us moving out of the city. I was a hair away from accepting a job in Toronto a few months ago and we have discussed the possibility of moving out of Montreal to pursue career opportunities.
So after this, we decide to take the hit and pay some other guy the $50 for a reading. Reason we went with a different person is that we want to see if he says something different or the same from the free guy in the presentation. He says the same thing about my wife?how he sees her taking some workshops or classes early next year. He mentions the same thing about changing houses.
I ask him about my job and he said that within 6 weeks or so, he sees me having a job change. Nothing drastic, like going from business analyst to fire fighter, but staying in my same line of work, he sees me doing something different, with different responsibilities.
And dudes, I went there on Sept 27. In my 6th week, I got a call from Oracle. I went to my first interview with my would be manager the next day after the call. She happened to be in town and we jumped a few steps in the normal process. We got along great, had some good laughs, which is rare in an interview.
I?m going on my second interview with a Team Lead tomorrow morning. If this pans through, I?m off to Ottawa for a mock presentation in front of my would be boss, the director and a few other chaps.
Totally different from what I am doing, but still building on what I have done over the last 8 years. Thrilling, yet very scary.
The psychic also said my wife is going to be pregnant within the next 12 months?
[insert eerie music here]
Be sure to let us know how it goes, though from what I can tell, it looks like you've got a pretty solid shot. (Coming from someone so inexperienced with these things...take that as you will. 
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