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2004: THE YEAR THAT WILL BE (PART 2)

Riccardo Discepola
Thursday, December 16th, 2004, 1:38pm
Montréal, Québec, Canada

Hi everyone, sorry for the delay in writing the second part of my previous story, so much has happened since then.

For quite some time I was very unhappy at work about what I was doing. I kept telling myself to relax about doing something that I didn’t like and that the feeling would pass. The more I denied my true feelings (about the situation) the worse my workdays got. Eventually I got enough courage to see that I was stuck in a bad situation, and decided to leave. That was in September.

During the next couple of months I put my full energy behind trying to identify my skills, abilities, and traits so that I could target jobs that match my ideal work preferences. This was a soul-searching exercise that forced me to be brutally honest with myself in terms of what I like to do and what I do not.

With these types of exercises completed, I soon began to search for jobs. I had no trouble getting interviews but I became worried about finding the perfect job for me.

The one important fact that I learned during this search that I would like to pass on to other is as follows:

“Even if you aren’t sure what you would like to do in terms of jobs, pick 2-3 strengths that define your character and apply them to any job”

During my job search I decided that I would be willing to relocate anywhere between the Toronto-Montreal corridor.

This mobility led me to Toronto quite a few times where I got a chance to explore and see completely new surroundings other than Montreal. For all it’s worth, I think Toronto is a great city, and has a whole bunch of special attractions that Montreal does not. Now I know why my cousin Michele and my friend Ryan moved there.

While searching for jobs I tapped into my networking skills to spread the word and tap into the hidden job market. This led me to reacquaint myself with some old high-school buddies: Neil and Sharon.

They helped me land an interview with a prestigious pharmaceutical company. Unfortunately I did not end up getting the job but rather some disappointing news.

I consider myself tough skinned and persistent but when I keep getting let down in terms of job interviews it starts to affect your confidence levels. I had 4 interviews for sales positions with 3 pharmaceutical companies and in all 4 cases I did not end up getting the job due to a lack of sales experience.

Maybe its for the best that I did not get the job because the whole pharmaceutical market is hyper-competitive, and is in a bad situation right now with some big named companies laying off sales reps thereby putting experienced reps in the unemployment line, and drugs being pulled off the market due to safety concerns.

Just as I was beginning to lose hope the phone rang. It was a recruiting firm that called and asked if I was still looking for a job. I immediately asked which recruiting firm and the person on the other end replied “ Cast-A-Way”

They are a firm that specializes in recruiting people to work onboard cruise ships. I was shocked, they offered me a job as a sales associated working onboard Celebrity Cruise Lines the Mercury in the gift shop on a 6-month contract. The catch was that the ship would be leaving on Friday December 17th.

I had 20 minutes to confirm or else they would choose someone else due to time constraints. After seeking council from various sources I decided to commit and began a last minute dash to gather my belongings together.

I can’t wait until I get onboard because my ship will be sailing from San Diego going along the Pacific coast of Mexico for approximately 4 months visiting ports such as: Cabo San Lucas, Mazatlan, Puerto Vallarta, Acapulco, Ixtapa. Then starting March/April the ship changes its course and we will start sailing to Alaska visiting ports like Vancouver, and other small places along the coast. I can’t wait!

I want to thank all those who supported me during these last couple of months and want to share my exciting adventures with you on RyanRowe.com as they happen so remember to check soon and often.

Have a Merry Christmas, and a Happy New Year to you all!!!!!!!
 

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