I will quit a job in a heartbeat if I’m not happy working there; no matter how much it pays me, which is the reason I REFUSE to do any work that doesn’t give me independence that I desire. I’ve worked jobs paying me no less than $10 an hour with 40-hour work weeks. Again, if I weren’t happy working any particular job I’d quit. Yea I could have made it a happy experience but that’s for “retards”. If a job doesn’t make me happy from the jump, then that’s it for that mumbo jumbo. If happiness doesn’t come naturally in any given thing … then it just isn’t for me. I shouldn’t have to work at nor MAKE something be a happy experience, it should just BE. That’s right. I said it and will say it again: I shouldn’t have to work at nor MAKE something be a happy experience, it should just BE! Raaaaaaaah!

Now the reason I sought work primarily through staffing agencies is because I liked the variety, liberty and guaranteed weekly paychecks. It was the closest thing to being an independent contractor. I’ve got an entrepreneurial trait in me and if it’s not independent contracting of some kind then it’s not for me. And just because I love creating music and designs doesn’t mean I want some sort of 9-5 job doing that. Because I do not. I do not like working in/for Corporate America, which is why I do not to this day.

Oh, I’ve been downsized once by the first job I had after arriving in Austin (CBI); company trying to cut costs especially in a slow time; cut their entire evening data entry shift (which I was a part of). I’ve been fired — no times. I’ve quit……. haha — I don’t know. I’d probably still be delivering papers if the car I was using wasn’t wrecked; no fault of mine of course. I have a picture of the wrecked vehicle (will post later). Once I get another car I MIGHT start delivering papers again. Work with staffing agencies was temporary so fulfilled those. One of them I did quit, though. I worked for DCAA some government agency. Well I can’t really call that work because I had to wait a good month before my security clearance passed and by the time it passed, I decided to quit and move. I thought getting paid to do roughly “nothing” 99 percent (seriously) of the time would be alright, but it was BORING at its core. So I just lost interest during the wait so when they finally and successfully completed my thorough background check with the security clearance and gave DCAA the go to allow me to access highly classified and confidential information I was no longer interested and quit. They were auditing companies in the local area and yes that information is classified. And quite naturally their office was “hidden”. So I got paid for the days I did come in to do “nothing”. But they were some looooooooooooooooooooooong days of boredom. Won’t ever do that again.

Nevertheless, a lot of times a temp employed by a staffing agency gets paid more money than a person hired directly by the company for the same position. Why that is? I forget the reasons. Benefits differ I believe. But I never sought work because of benefits. Their benefits packages never impressed me and I’d never ask about them in interviews. Because 9 times out of 10 I’m not using the benefits. So to hell with them. Now add a benefits package with discounts to stores I like to shop at, then we’re talkin’ something I can use OFTEN. I’d rather have that than medical/dental/vision benefits where 9 times out of 10 I can find a better deal elsewhere. In other words, on jobs I’ve stayed long, I’ve never used the benefits they offer. And that 401k crap… that’s a joke! So as a single person with no children, the benefits package is a bunch of BS. Apparently, to people with kids it’s of some use but not me; not even close. So no company can impress me with their package if it consists of that useless stuff. And well since I didn’t use their benefits package I’d use that as means to increase my desired wage on top of what I can already do well. Did I get the wage I desired when working for companies, sure I did. Play your cards right and you’ll get what you want. Interviews became a game to me.

My experiences and a “few” of my skills are below. Also the names in parenthesis are the companies I was a temp for employed by certain staffing agencies:

• 1/2006 - Present; Self-employed; Austin, TX
  • Freelance Graphic Designer/Web Designer/Financing
    • Design logos
    • Design web graphics
    • Design web sites
    • Financing
• 10/2005 - 12/2005; Austin American Statesman; Austin, TX
  • Courier (independent contractor) - (I liked delivering papers.)
    • Checked mail and made adjustments to route cards
    • Prepared newspapers for delivery
    • Delivered newspapers
• 4/2003 - 12/2005; A.C. Coara; Bucharest, Romania
  • Financial Assistant (work at home independent contracting position)
    • Cash checks.
    • Make bank deposits and withdrawals.
• 4/2003 - 2/2004; Venturi Staffing Partners; Austin, TX
  • Venturi Staffing Associate
    • Typed data (more numbers than letters) into Microsoft Excel Spreadsheet (Sell-Thru Services).
    • Typed numeric data in AS/400 System (CPL).
• 03/2003 - 04/2003; Kelly Services; Fort Walton Beach, FL
  • Kelly Services Associate
    • Make copies (Habitat For Humanity & DCAA).
    • Run errands (Habitat For Humanity & DCAA).
    • Greet customers and assist them with what they need (Habitat For Humanity & UPS).
    • Write receipts for those who pay their mortgage and note it in payment binder (Habitat For Humanity).
    • Check company’s email on Outlook Express (Habitat For Humanity).
    • Answer 2-line telephone (Habitat For Humanity & DCAA [5-line]).
    • Fax documents (Habitat For Humanity & DCAA).
    • Prepare documents for mail delivery (Habitat For Humanity & UPS & DCAA).
    • Booking people to volunteer on certain weekends (Habitat For Humanity).
    • Lock office making sure everything is turned off (Habitat For Humanity).
    • Customer Counter Clerk/Cashier (UPS).
    • Filed papers and reorganized filing system (DCAA).
• 1/2003 - 3/2003; Big Lots; Crestview, FL
  • Stocker/Recovery (I actually really liked this job; just wasn’t paying enough)
    • Return misplaced products to its original place.
    • Straighten up products on the shelves.
    • Assist customers in locating a particular product.
    • Security check - make sure nobody is left in the store when we close.
• 11/2002 - 12/2002; N.E.W. Customer Service Companies, Inc.; Crestview, FL
  • CSR (I absolutely hated this job; it made me feel powerless/limited to the help I could give. Having to say to the customer, “I understand but I’m sorry there’s just not much else I can do.” And I said that quite often on this job and would route them to a manager that can do something because as a CSR there’s only so much you can do to help the complaining customer fix the problem they are having. A WHACK JOB that left me feeling bad each time I got off of a call that I couldn’t help certain people because of my limits as a CSR! Heck a manager is even limited. Did I quit? I sure did! I’d rather clean toilets. Give me more power that’s beneficial to all involved that will allow me and the complaining customer feeling all lovely when we get off of the call and them feeling like they received the best ever customer service to resolve their “terrible” problem and I might just really love this line of work. But like that’s going to happen especially since you won’t see me applying for any CSR positions - haha.)
    • Handle incoming calls from customers that have purchased products from Best Buy that don’t work.
    • Update accounts.
    • Set appointments for technician(s) to fix customers product.
• 3/2002 - 3/2002; Commemorative Brands, Inc.; Austin, TX
  • Artcarved Order Entry (seasonal position)
    • Entered college ring orders into AS400 system.
    • Verified college ring orders that was entered into AS400.
• 8/2001 - 11/2001; Venturi Staffing Partners; Austin, TX
  • VSP Associate
    • Data entry (First American Flood Assoc.).
    • Assembly (Mold Strike).
    • Mail Room Clerk (FirstCare).
• 7/2001 - 8/2001; ATR; Austin, TX
  • ATR Associate
    • Verifed and Corrected W.I.C forms that were scanned into their system (NEUBUS).
    • Scanned W.I.C forms using their scanner (NEUBUS).
• 3/2001 - 4/2001; Staffmark, Inc.; Austin, TX
  • Staffmark Associate (temp)
    • Typed information into Microsoft Excel (LCRA).
    • Typed up documents on Microsoft Word (LCRA).
    • Answered telephones on multi-line telephones (LCRA).
    • Read and sent e-mail using Novell GroupWise e-mail software (LCRA).
    • Logged and faxed documents (LCRA).
    • Made copies of documents on copier machine (LCRA).
    • Shredded paper (LCRA).
    • Sorted and distributed mail to proper employee boxes (LCRA).
    • Put labels on envelopes (LCRA).
    • Filed and retrieved the folder of customer?s account from the record room (LCRA).
    • Entered retirement information from forms into Novell Netware Database (Texas Retirement).
    • Verified retirement information (Texas Retirement).
• 9/1999 - 10/2000; Commemorative Brands, Inc.; Austin, TX
  • Data Entry Clerk
    • Typed 40 class ring orders (an hour) into AS400 (required minimum of 20 ring orders per hour).
    • Verified class ring orders entered into system by other data entry clerks.
• 8/1999 - 9/1999; Austin Community College HQ; Austin, TX
  • Data Entry Clerk (temporary)
    • Typed transcripts of transferring students into their database.
• 7/1999 - 7/1999; Wendy’s Fast Food; Crestview, FL
  • Who knows what my job title was - haha (love their chili so was happy to get a discount on it but it’s the only fast food restaurant I’ve ever worked at and sure did quit — haha.)
    • Cooked on fries station.
    • Cooked on sandwich station.
    • Washed dishes.
• 6/1996 - 8/1996; Accounting & Finance; Yokota AFB, Japan
  • Office Assistant (summer hire)
    • Typed documents using Microsoft word.
    • Answered phones.
    • Ran errands to other offices.
    • Filed military forms alphabetically.
    • Sorted and distributed mail.
    • Entered checks into their system.
    • Shredded paper.
• 6/1995 - 8/1995; Supply Squadron; Yokota AFB, Japan
  • Office Assistant (summer hire)
    • Typed military information for the United States Air Force into their system (data entry).

EDUCATION

• 1997-1999 Crestview High School Crestview, FL
  • Graduated with high school diploma.
• 1999-2000 Austin Community College Austin, TX
  • Completed 1.5 years.

SKILLS

• Hand Code - HTML Web Design (self taught) - Intermediate
• Paint Shop Pro (self taught) - Intermediate
• PhotoShop CS (self taught) - Intermediate
• PhotoImpact (self taught) - Intermediate
• Front Page Editor Any Version (self taught) - Intermediate
• Microsoft Word Any Version (self taught) - Expert
• Microsoft Excel Any Version (self taught) - Intermediate
• Microsoft PowerPoint 97 & 2000 (self taught) - Beginner
• Microsoft Access 97 (self taught) - Beginner
• Microsoft Outlook Express 2000 (self taught) - Intermediate
• Internet Browsers MIE, Netscape, Opera (self taught) - Intermediate
• Windows 95, 98, XP (self taught) - Expert
• Right Fax FaxUtil V5.2 Software using split screens
• Claims Examiner and Adjuster using Phoenix Model Office 1.6.5b Application
• Type 12,209 kph (A/N) by touch (203.5 kpm) - 98%-100% Accuracy
• Type 17,229 kph (10-key) by touch (287.2 kpm) - 98%-100% Accuracy

Other jobs/work I’ve done that I just forgot the dates I did them are:

• Telephone Directory Delivery
• Selling Cutco Knives
• Selling Kirby Vaccum Cleaners
• Selling Telephone Service
• Telemarketing
• Writing up evaluation reports for employers (mystery shopping) about their employees (generally targeting specific employees) and overall facility cleanliness.
• Work from Home Data Entry on a contract basis (Goodwill, EMP, TRS and two others)
• Trades and Currency Exchanges Online (freelance work I still do every blue moon if I’m up to it - as far as the currency exchanges go. Trades of ISI, I don’t do anymore.)
• Financial Payment Servicing to persons in countries unable to use certain TPPP in doing business or shopping online. (freelance work I still do frequently - “roughly” the same thing I did for the Romanian in my resume above).

What jobs I enjoyed the most:

• The one that paid me approximately $2000 every month working less than 2 hours per month:

• • Financial Assistant for the Romanian (currently working on landing more contract(s) of similar nature - I’ve got 3 prospects so far, so … keeping fingers crossed.)
  • Financial Partnerships with only verifiable persons in countries unable to use fast online methods to receive cash money from companies in the US for generating sales for them online via being an affiliate so that the persons do not need to wait 7 to 30 days to receive and cash American checks. (freelance work I still do frequently - “roughly” the same thing I did for the Romanian in my resume above).

• The ones that allowed me to drive and navigate my way around the city:
  • Telephone Directory Delivery (seasonal)
  • Newspaper Routes (considering doing this one again)
  • Mystery Shopping - Writing up evaluation reports for employers about their employees (generally targeting specific employees) and overall facility cleanliness.

The jobs I enjoyed the least:
Even though I’m really good at what I can do and from what employers say “The best they’ve had” I’d have to say all the rest are the least enjoyed. I despise office work no matter how much it pays. Point blank.

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