Carolina Footsteps Premier February 2018

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4 JOB HUNTING How to find a job where they aren’t How to fi nd a job that doesn’t exist… (at least, it isn’t visible yet!) by Terry Leigh Britton B efore we get started, I’d like to ask you a few questions, the fi rst of which being: if you apply for a job being advertised in a newspaper or job service or agency, will you be the only person being interviewed at that time? “Well, DUH, Mr. B. ,” I hear you saying. OK, here’s another one. If you call a company when they are not advertising for anyone, what is the most likely answer you will receive if you ask them if they are hiring? Like, “Hi, I’m looking for a job. Are you hiring?” I am still receiving those looks, you know… Question three: How will a company respond to this question? “I’m interested in working for your company. What kinds of jobs are open right now? I’ll do anything!” I certainly hope you are very good at doing everything, in that case. Including cleaning bathrooms. Four: “Hello, I’ve heard you are in the [fi ll in the blank] business. Is that true? If so, I’d like to work for your company!” Will this go over very large? Five: Do employers only hire people who are qualifi ed for a certain position? Or, do they hire people whom they like? Or both? I know, that was a bunch of questions thrown in there. Six: Will an employer create a job that formerly did not exist – just for you – if they like you? Lastly, Seven: Can you get hired because you have fi gured out how you could be useful to the employer in ways that they themselves hadn’t thought of yet? Now I’ve got your brain a’bubblin’! Truth is, although everybody has ideas how to create a resume, how to dress for an interview, how to send a thank you note or write a cover letter, nobody ever tells you that you do not have to do any of that stuff, and you can still land a better job than those who do all those right things. This takes more work in some ways than just preparing for a job interview for some advertised job, but it can lead to good paying, soul-satisfying employment much faster than any other method there is. And here is the secret. Preparation and Moxie First, let me warn you, I will be telling you that you will have to make so-called “cold calls” to companies whom you wish to work for. That said, how do you know what companies you would like to work for? Research! I know that sounds a bit too much like homework, but it is essential homework. It would be very wise of you to know more about the company you are considering working with than they even know about themselves. Before you allow them to consider you, you consider them! Ask yourself: Would you consider hiring these people to be your employer? Do you feel strongly enough that they’d be a good fi t for you to spend some of your valuable time to interview them? Now, of course, companies do not mail out resumes to prospective employees … exactly. But they do provide information about themselves, and it is up to you to unearth this information. It is up to you to fi nd answers to the following questions before you pick up the phone to call them. 1. Do their employees like working for them? Is there a high turnover rate? If so, why? (Beware of sour grapes as well as ‘company man’ answers.) Ask the employees themselves. And the receptionists. The receptionists are your best friend. 2. What does the company really do? It isn’t enough to know so-and-so is a printing company, for instance. Who are some of their major clients? What are their specialties, if any? How many employees work for them? Are they the only branch, or are there other branches elsewhere? Might they be looking at moving some operations overseas? Might they be looking at moving you overseas? (… at least, look into their policies and practices regarding relocating employees.) 3. What successes have they had that they might be proud of? Have they invested largely in new equipment or facilities lately? Have they recently landed a big contract? 4. Who would you actually be working under as your supervisor? Who does that person report to? Who makes the actual decisions for hiring people in the particular department(s) you are interested in? You want to talk to these people! 5. What kinds of plans do they have for the future? Do your detective work to discover where this company plans to go in its future endeavors. 6. This may seem silly, but not to them. When was this company founded and by whom? Has it changed hands through buyouts or mergers? Has it gone public, and if so, when did it do so? What are its stock prices currently? Would you consider them a good investment? Would a broker? 7. Who has won awards within this company, and for what? Be able to name names alongside their accomplishments. Bring notes to the interview with such information. 8. Do they have benefi ts? What are those benefi ts, and how does one qualify? Are there company ‘perks’ that, although largely unoffi cial, are enjoyed by many of the employees there? (like a golf club membership, an annual trip to Disneyland for the whole staff, reduced rates for flights or hotels, generous vacation time, etc.) Are there probation periods one has to pass before benefi ts kick in? 9. What hours of operation do they have, and how do their shifts run? Two or three shifts? Can you start off in a day shift, or do all new employees have to take the 2nd and 3rd shifts? Do they have fourday workweeks (usually four 10-hour days and three days off) or three-day workweeks like they have in Europe (usually three 12-hour days and four days off)? Are people expected to work overtime – nearly all the time??? (Overtime pay gets old after a whole summer of lost weekends, believe me!) You may be wondering by now, “Where the heck am I supposed to fi nd all the answers to these questions???” And although many of the questions asked above seem understandable, some may seem to have nothing to do with you anyway. Why would you need to know about any of their recent successes? For the rest of this article, go to http://terrybritton.com/ TERRY LEIGH BRITTON I wax philosophical often, and love to write to encour- age and inspire, as well as to kindle the sense of wonder in people. Story telling is the medium that I’m most familiar with. For more of my writings go to http://terrybritton.com/
Potters Raid Edward Potter born 1823 in New York City was popularly known for his mission into North Carolina’s interior in July 1863. This expedition became known as the Potter’s Raid. This raid was conducted by a force of 800 Union soldiers comprising of both black and white North Carolinians including — medics, guides, reporters, cooks, and pack animals carrying ammunition and supplies. Potter’s signifi cant engagements include Rocky Mount, Greenville and Tarboro, as well as several other clashes throughout the eastern part of the state. Potter’s troops traveled an estimated 250 miles throughout the region and left utter wreckage in their wake. JULY 19 1863 In mid-July Potter’s troop left New Bern, and fi nally arrived in Greenville on July 19. Potter’s men met no resistance on arriving at Greenville, and they started looting the houses and set fi re to the Tar River Bridge. While he was in Greenville, Potter sent some of his troops to Rocky Mount while he went with the rest of the soldiers to Tarboro. JULY 20 1863 Potter’s troop arrived Tarboro a small, prosperous town surrounded by productive plantation on July 20, and immediately started destroying military and civilian properties and a Confederate ironclad under construction. The soldiers raced in on West Wilson St. and instantly started damaging properties especially around the town’s elegant Town Common, including railroad cars, cotton warehouses, and a partially-built ironclad gunboat. They plundered the Masonic Hall, houses, banks and several other properties. Later the same day, Confederate forces from Fort Branch at Hamilton stunned the Yankees right on the east of Tarboro, where another heavy gunfi ght ensued for more than two hours. Six Confederates lost their life, and a further 18 were captured while the rest fl ed. JULY 20 1863 Rocky Mount Mills is one of the biggest industrial complexes in North Carolina, and it produces cloth and yarn for the Confederate government. As such it became the target of Brig. Gen. Edward E. Potter’s forces. The objective was to destroy the Wilmington & Weldon Railroad. The attack on the Railroad was a supply line attack because the railroad bridge which spans the nearby Tar River serves as a vital link between the Confederate capital of Richmond, Wilmington, North Carolina as well as other Confederate strongholds. During the Civil unrest, military provisions and foodstuffs were transported via the railroad to Richmond where it could be transported to Confederate armies in the fi eld. The Union commanders recognized that destroying that supply link could likely make things much more diffi cult for the Confederate armies. Potter’s men arrived at Rocky Mount at about 8:30 am and for about two hours; caused signifi cant damage to the Railroad. They burned down the train depot and buildings nearby. Next, they moved north and set fi re to the Tar River railroad bridge, and then burned the huge Rocky Mount Mills warehouses, railroad cars, stables, and 37 loaded army wagons. Some of the soldiers also broke into homes and carted away with valuables. They burned the cotton mills, gristmill, along with copious amount of cotton, fl our, yarn, and hardtack. Local folklore describes how the Mills was completely burned down, but the mill’s owner house William S. Battle was spared. Just as the Union troops was about to burn the house, the mill’s superintendent persuaded the commander Jacobs to spare it, explaining that he, the superintendent, was a Northern man himself and a Mason. LOCAL HISTORY 5 Approximately more than 5,000 bales of cotton were burned, and the amount of property destroyed by potter’s expedition into North Carolina is estimated at 5,000,000 dollars. The destruction of the cotton mills stalled operations for several years and changed the course of the mill’s history. Despite the series of attack on potter’s forces during their return to New Bern, none were successful. Potter’s forces eventually arrived back at the Union base on July 23 with sixty-four casualties from the sixday raid. No doubt Potter’s expedition was tremendously successful, his forces destroyed a Confederate ironclad under construction, the W & W Railroad Bridge over the Tar River, at Tarboro, the Rocky Mount Mills, two other Confederate steamships, and vast quantities of Confederate military supplies and provisions. Furthermore, Potter’s troop also captured 100 Confederate prisoners, 300 horses and brought back 300 contrabands (slaves who fl ed from their former masters to seek the protection of the Union) back to New Bern. These successes were only temporary though, as Wilmington and Weldon Railroad burned bridge was quickly replaced, and the telegraph lines were soon repaired. However, Rocky Mount Mills remained close for the next year. FORT BRANCH CIVIL WAR RE-ENACTMENT NOVEMBER 4, 2017
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