Winter Meetings Job Seeker Journal: Jim Angell, December 8
By Jim Angell, special to MiLB.com
Throughout this year’s Winter Meetings in Nashville, four attendees of the PBEO Job Fair have agreed to chronicle their employment-seeking experiences (meet them all HERE.). In this, his third installment, Jim Angell investigates trends, plays the waiting game and meets Opryland angels.
Comfortable Shoes and Unexpected Angels
It’s true, people seldom look at your feet. If they do, they don’t remember what you were wearing. So, what do you do when you hang out in the interview posting room at the PBEO job fair? You watch feet. More precisely, the flow of job seekers as they scan the tack boards for their targeted jobs.
See, the tack boards are big enough to cut most people off at just about the knees. Thus, all you are left to notice are legs and feet. Simply fascinating if you’re interested in the fluid dynamics of crowds. I am not (well, sort of), but I do spot trends and today I noticed the trend to more comfortable shoes.
You really can’t blame the job seekers for seeking refuge for their tired toes and heels heading into the third day of the Job Fair. One, it’s a hike to get to the posting, work, and interviewing rooms. Two, there’s just a ton of walking to get anywhere in the Opryland Resort.
Pardon me for one digression: I met a lady today wearing workout clothes and commented to her that she was wearing the right stuff for getting around the resort. She agreed but asked if I knew the way to the gym. She was lost. (What a shocker!) After telling her that I was no help there, she scurried off in search of better fitness.
Okay, back to feet.
The trend in footwear today has begun to slide to the comfy side. Fewer high heels, more flats. (I raised two girls, so I know the lingo, boys). More casual men’s shoes and even a tennis shoe sighting was noted. There were suits and interview garb, but the look was definitely in decline.
As comfortable became vogue, the interviews ramped up as groups of job seekers waited nervously outside the interview rooms for their call to an appointed table. As for me and a handful of prospective hires, we hunkered down in the interview posting room wondering why the jobs we supplied resumes for were not interviewing yet.
According to one returning job hunter, some of the teams may not get around to interviews during the Winter Meetings. It depends on how busy they are. Makes sense…business first. So we shouldn’t be surprised that there may not be a face-to-face meeting in Nashville. Patience is key here but it does make for some long days not knowing when the interviews will be.
Today finished up a little early as interview posting quickly tapered off, sending all of us out of the convention center happy to know that we could finally kick off our shoes and put up our feet.
Here’s a tip to all of the future job seekers out there who are thinking about coming to the next Winter Meetings: You never know when you’ll meet angels who will be willing to help you in your job search.
It happened on my way out of the resort today, when I offered to help two women who were lost (it’s a trend). As we talked about the trials of traveling the Opryland trails, they asked why I was here. I told them that I was looking for a job after being cut just over a month ago.
They sympathized and began offering up suggestions about jobs in Major League baseball that I hadn’t thought about. They said you just have to get in. Then, as you get to know people and they know you, you can move around.
I asked what they did. One was married to a vice president of communications for a MLB team and the other was married to a gentleman in MLB. When they asked if I had a business card, I was floored. Me. They wanted to help me. Wow.
So, never say never folks. Angels do exist and they are everywhere at the MLB Winter Meetings.
I love how my days here are ending.
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Will Jim feel the thrill of victory tomorrow? Or the agony of da feet? Stay tuned tomorrow.
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I vote for victory! Good luck, Jim!