To be the best...

Hey to all, I am new on this board, but not knew to PM. I have been looking for a job for two months and am going crazy. I am willing and able to relocate, but can't get a nible for an interview. Or if I do get an interview that goes well and I think I have the job, no call back..............so frustrating.

How long have you been a PM? Did you check with Management Companies? I was unemployed for two and a half months, I know how you feel. What did you manage?
BC, sometimes it pays to be honest, if an interviewer is going in the direction of your personal life, just be truthful. After all, if you are going to get or not get a job based solely upon your hobbies, do you really want to work for that company?

gsm, I have been in Pm for 15-20 years. Have managed everything from conventional, to tax credit, to student housing. I have worked in Ct, Ga, SC, Fl..........so I am very flexible career and location.........HELP!!! If anyone out there knows of anything, please let me know. Thanks

Thanks for the input everyone. Needless to say I think the person who interviewed me just went through the motions. I got the gut feeling, with the tone of their voice, that they really were upset about hiring someone. I have no idea if it was the owner,owners' wife/husband, a friend or the person I would be replacing. My details were very detailed lol.. Only thing I didn't go into is what I ate for breakfast everyday. Something was amiss and I always trusted that feeling.

Hi Job Hunting, Hope you find something. I'm now headed into a totally different direction since I am a new PM and no company wants the new kid (jesting here with the word KID lol). I'm going into the healthcare area since living in Florida 3/4 of the pouplation is in nursing homes lol..

BC, GSM and Displaced always looking forward to your postings. You all never fail to hit the nail right on the head!!

ps Hobby? mmmm I collect HR names and file them?

Thanks unemployed, likewise, I hope you find something, also. I'm sure there is one out there somewhere. Just have to keep sending out resumes.

I hate interviewing. You try to be honest, without saying too much. I like to be in control and right now I am certainly not in the driver's seat.

Ok, interview I had for today was cancelled and reschduled for Friday. Oh well, just my luck anyway!!

As for companies not being run properly. I totally agree with that!! It seems the person who asked for more and more details had no idea how to interview. The company is small so I am assuming the person who called me was their 12 year old daughter! The company is close to my home and when the person said "is BLAH BLAH too far away for you?", I, of course, said "no". It's about 12 miles away. What did this person think? I was going to say yes it is too far?

ps Hobby? mmmm I collect HR names and file them?

That is soo funny! :)

Yes, I have met sooo many people who are trained, skilled and have more then one certificate or degree, just so they can have a job to live. A friend of a friend just got laid off, she was making 40K (first yr on job) but now sadly finds that for the same amount of work she can earn $9.00 an hour.

It seems that our wages and insurance are going down, or I should say Way down, but if you are young, don't care and can't speak english you can get a good paying job. It seems companies think they can put a 20 year old in the same position as a 35 Plus year old and get the same results. The higher up the food chain, the further it is too fall. But I am seeing alot of people who are in this position. And trust me 2 months with out work aint nothing, the average is 2 years, you should have 2 years of saving to support yourself, just in case.

hi everyone mimi here !try j.smith in s.c. 573-443-2021
try dorothy long agency in atlanta ga have opening in memphis tenn.
everyone take care keep your chin up and welcome to all new pm's
best regards mimi2

Hey Mimi!! Hope all is well with you.
BC, I've been out of work for 10 months and it's the lonest I've been out. I can't stand it. I thought I wanted to "retire" and live the life but dang it's boring lol...
Yes, companies today want that young thang to answer the phone but there isn't anything anyone of us can do about it. Until TV and print says hey look at 45+ can do the same thing and look good that is when things will change. I believe the media is partly to blame here. Look at any magazine and you see a 18 year old, be it male or female, in the ad.

Hi Mimi,

Hows it going! Find a better job yet?

wow unemployed, 10 months! Well I am not sure we can count all those months since you kept say, "well I quite looking" "well now I am looking" So maybe its more like 6 months.

I have been doing property mgt. for about 10 years now. The key is the owners. You work for them. Their wishes come before anything else. Protect them from liability, and dont be afraid to get them involved if necessary. Your tenants will come and go. Do not play favorites under any situation. Be polite, be firm, be flexible. Contractors are not your personal whipping boys. Weed out the bad workers, cultivate the good ones. Always have a plan B. Most people are honest and respectful, some are just plain rotten. Be careful when screening applicants. They will lie like there is no tomorrow. ALWAYS check references. If they dont want to give you any, pass. Do not discriminate, dont fall for a sob story, and some will have a convincing one. Some renters could win an academy award for acting. If they are doing drugs, give them the boot. It will get worse. Train your tenants and your life will be easy. Let them walk on you and will be miserable because they wont stop.

HI BC, HOW ARE YOU? NO I JUST HAVE HAD A SOME ROUGH TIMES WITH ONE OF MY ADULT CHILDREN, BUT IT WILL BE ALRIGHT, i'M GOING TO KEEP HIM IN PRAYER.
I'VE HAD 4 PHONE INTERVIEWS ONE FACE TO FACE THIS WEEK I'M JUST MOVING RIGHT ALONG. I'M NOT FRUSTRATED ANY LONGER I HAVE PEACE ABOUT EVERYTHING.
GOOD LUCK TO YOU ALWAYS JUST KEEP YOUR HEAD UP AND ALL OF OUR PROUD AND FIERCE P.M. AND ANY AND ALL SEARCHING FOR A JOB. BEST REGARDS MIMI2

Glad your finally getting the interviews, its a numbers game, its hard, but you will find something, it just takes longer now-a-days-.

Welcome Joe, good advice what about from the eyes of an employee who truly was treated badly by a PM? I was the Assistant PM and the PM never took anything I said seriouly for two reasons, one I was OLD and the other I was female!!

BC lol you got me there but I was really looking kinda sorta well maybe I was looking lol... Yeah, about 6 months ok make it 5 lol....

BC your from my neck of the woods.........my mom lives in your area.......my daughters and I all graduated from Roswell High.

I am still sending out resumes (for anything) and not getting any replies. It is just so frustrating. I am in Pensacola and have sent resumes all over the state of Florida and half of Alabama...........maybe I just just leave the resume blank and see what happens. LOL

I have thought seriously about going to DC, one of my daughters lives there.

Anything ya'll are doing that you could suggest would be appreciated.

D.C. is expensive, I am from there. GA is cheaper to live but the commuting to work is a killer. Jobs here are tight. I would select jobs or fields you are interested in, write a cover letter tempelet for each one, say one for recepinist jobs, one for sales (always put in $$ you made for the company), etc.
Then go throught the jobs on the boards and creigs list and apply. Have 2 or 3 different resumes as well to go with the cover letters. Don't forget to put the persons name on the cover letter if there is one. Also talk with several headhunters in your field, see what's up. The fewer headhunters in your field means that jobs are hard for them to find.

Hey Job Hunting, Have you ever considered a position in health care? I'm a licensed Property Manager but hopefully tomorrow I will have a job in a nursing home. Try looking for activity assistant, it a lower paying position and you really do not need a degree or certificate in that unless you want one. Also, you can get a certificate as an Activity Director.
Try activitydirector.net, they list jobs in different states for both directors and assistants.

BC, I have three different resumes lol.. a general one for whatevers, one for real estate and one for healtcare. Good advice! Thanks for sharing you knowledge!!

Ok my friends, after all the excitement about me going to an interview today fell right on it's face. The salary offered from the director was ok but when I got there the salary dropped by a small amount. Even though it was a tiny drop it was still a drop!! How can you offer one salary and then HR tells you differently? The interview went badly because I got that feeling there was someone else waiting in the wings for the same position. Long story but I was told I had the job but had to go through the steps only! Talk about a slap in the face!!

Ok I confused. Yes you had to go through steps, so you still have the job. Also I would talk to the Director and say HR offered me this but you said this, whats up, Then you need to go back to HR and say the director said this, and that is what I am going to work for. Also even if you get the feeling someone is waiting in the wings, look out for yourself, you are worth more, that person may not be all the company thinks they are, This is were you negoiate salary. Hand write everyone a thank you letter, and express your concern, see if they can't all get on the same page, if they can't they can't, its not your problem. But don't feel offended, this happens at the highest levels.

Hi everyone - I'm glad to see you're all still here.

BC, No I do not have the job. When HR said $XX she stood up and said "let me know later today if you want the job". When anyone stands up at the end of an interview the interview is over and done with. She didn't give me a chance to say yes or no! The more I'm thinking about it the more upset I'm becoming. The director,from what I understood, talked to HR about me. I wouldn't work for this company at all. I feel I was slapped in the face. Yes, I realize it happens all over but I am worth more than what was offered. OH dear I could go on and on but won't.

There is a follow up to this story which I just found out. It's not what you know it's who you know that gets you a job. Seems someone knows the corporate bigwig and got the job. Only goes to show you experience does not count in some cases.

Sadly that is true, I have heard many complants such as that. Just keep on looking you will find something you are getting the interviews. Its good.

Fay just dumped lots of rain in my area and wind but up north Florida is getting it really bad. Thank goodness we made out ok here. Thanks for asking!!

Yeah, power is good lol..... I read Neil Rogers web pages but haven't heard him speak yet.

Hurricane Ike Ok everyone please say a prayer for us folks down here in Florida. Ike might make a direct hit on my area or just below me near Miami...Cat 4 is no picnic but my house can withstand a Cat 3 which it did before. Thanks!!

So how come you have not evacuated to Atlanta like all the other Fl. people? I am running in to quite a few. And a storm may hit here too but not near a cat 4 or 3. Well hang in there!

BC, I would love to visit Atlanta but not under these conditions. Been to Macon but never to Atlanta. I live in a house that can take a cat 3 so figured it is better to stay home. Since my last posting it seems that Ike is headed towards the Florida Keys at a Cat 4. If that happens it will wipe out the Keys since it's a very low area. When you drive the bridges you actually see the water on the sides of the road. It's like riding on water in a car.

Thanks Displaced!!

Hi Everyone!! Hope you are all well and kickin!! I am letting my license expire at the end of the month. Decision was a hard one but one that had to be made. I never did find a job that fit my area of expertise in the field. Also, I declined an offer in a assisted living facility because the pay scale was very low. So, what's new with you all?

Host said: What are the top 3 traits or skills every property manager must have to excel?

Can you suggest any tips or insights to develop your property manager expertise?

1. Skill
2. Knowledge
3. Desire

You can do many things with the first two listed, but without the last (DESIRE) you will not succeed nor will you excel.

Just some food for thought.

PM - I lost the desire. Hence, no job.

Kelly in Fredericksburg, Virginia said: No such luck, it was for a small community in DC however.. The man was really nice and it went so smooth... I just followed everyone's advice and thought before I spoke. I think it's our year, we will find our job!

Kelly, I have been unemployed for 7 months, am in my mid forties,
10 years of property management, from small to large, I have
sent over 200 resumes and only 1 interview, which was a flop!
I'm just about ready to give up.

Jena said: hmmmmmmm

I have been in property management since 1981. I was groomed by the BEST and took my first property one year later. I am not mid 50s and have been working as a property manager for my career with a 3 year out of the business break. The property I am on now I have 12 years. I have sent a very direct and appropriate resume outlining my career accomplishments and guess what...out of about 30 resumes sent...how many responses have I received? ZERO.....which I know they do not know ME..they just know what is on the paper. OR is that they see I have many years of experience? Somebody pleaseee tell me why I have yet to even get a nibble? The reason why I would like a change ...more money!! Thank you...

I to have a resume with years of experience and feel that the person reading it must think that I must be too old. Not sure, but I have thought about putting my picture on my resume. I know this sounds vain, but I am very polished and professional, and I would like to show that visualization to a prospective employer. With technology as it is today, why not.

Thanks for the advice.

Dragon in Pompano Beach, Florida said: in condo management
Know your product
know the statutes and administrative codes
know contracting
Know mechanical systems
be part babysitter, part shrink and part ego player
you will do well

I have been a property manger for 5yrs and became a shrink,counseler,classifeid for those who are looking for work,babysitter,charity and a landlord and a friend ....also a chris cringle and it been a experience of a lifetime after retiring from being a chef lol but the pay is bad

gator61 in Alexander City, Alabama said: I to have a resume with years of experience and feel that the person reading it must think that I must be too old. Not sure, but I have thought about putting my picture on my resume. I know this sounds vain, but I am very polished and professional, and I would like to show that visualization to a prospective employer. With technology as it is today, why not.

It's easy to send out 200 resumes when you apply all across the U.S. through Careerbuilder.com, Monster.Com, and state unemployment sites.
I don't think they think you are to old, but I think the
economy status is playing a big role in obtaining these jobs.
It helps if you put percentages (Occupancy and delinquency),
and the knowledge of working with NOI and Variance Reports.
Picture? I've thought about doing the same.

sherrie said: It's easy to send out 200 resumes when you apply all across the U.S. through Careerbuilder.com, Monster.Com, and state unemployment sites.
I don't think they think you are to old, but I think the
economy status is playing a big role in obtaining these jobs.
It helps if you put percentages (Occupancy and delinquency),
and the knowledge of working with NOI and Variance Reports.
Picture? I've thought about doing the same.

Thank you for your comment. I do have this information on my Resume, but will double check to see if I can elaborate more in some areas.
Thanks.

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: Don't do it. No matter how professional you may appear, the employer may not see you (sorry) the same way you see yourself.

People have differing perceptions. I've heard many reasons why one should not include a picture with a resume. The best one I've heard is you could remind the employer of a person he/she doesn't like. Why chance it?

On the other hand, the person could see your picture, like it, and form judgments. But, through no fault of your own, your in-person appearance may disappoint the person when you finally meet.

Paint your professional image on your resume and cover letter. Hopefully your personal image will bolster the image you have created on paper. Good luck with your job search.

HEY DLP!!!!! How ya been? Got a oaralegal question for ya ok? When a legal document comes in via regular snail mail, return receipt, registered, sign for - Now there is a debate at work (yeah I'm FINALLY working lol) 1) Should the envelope be tossed in the garbage? 2) Should the paperwork (regular letter or court papers) be date stamped on the first sheet?
I said save the envelope (you need the post date) and date stamp the envelope. DO NOT date stamp the papers at all. Who is correct me or the other "gal"? OK I am working in Propety Management but in the office answering the phone lines but heck I"m working FINALLY after what 2 years? Hope all is well with you and are you among the employed?

Displaced Legal Professional in Denver, Colorado said: CONGRATULATIONS, UNEMPLOYED!! I guess perseverance can pay off. Another way to view it is all things cometh to he (she) who waiteth.....while he (she) worketh like HELL while he (she) waiteth. I've seen it done both ways. Neither way is correct or incorrect. Much depends on how anal you want to be or should be. In these instances I lean toward anal.

Some firms save the envelope; some don't. I would lean toward saving the envelope and stapling it to the back of the papers, especially considering the envelope contained legal papers and arrived by certified mail.

Same answer. No right or wrong method. Some firms date-stamp the papers' front sheet and some do not. While I don't think I'd want to deface the actual papers, I see no harm in date-stamping them. Defacing important papers by scribbling on them is quite another matter. I knew at least one attorney who would.

What you can do, Unemployed, is slap a Post-It or similar sticky on the front page of the papers and date-stamp the sticky. I would paste a small strip of green Scotch tape at the top of the sticky to hold it in place. Don't use regular Scotch tape; it's unpeelable.

Negatory, but it's okay.

Hope all is well with you, Unemployed, and, again, congratulations on your new job.

Hey DLP ! THanks for the input. The paralegal at work said no envelops, but date stamp the papers. Guess, it is just personal preference huh? I'm glad you are OK and alive and well on Indeed. Don't forget your input is valuable to those of us who have nuttin' goin' on upstairs lol.. like me!!!! I went from Assistant Property Manager to opening mail and answwering the phone but heck there are bills that have to be paid. Hubby took ill and unable to work so.... Thanks again!!