Barons April 9th Update

I thought I better update everyone on my job situation before I see a lot of you today. It’s been interesting how I’ve felt like I should get a job for a long time but I just always kept thinking it wasn’t a good time to get a job.

Then all of a sudden I felt like I needed to get a job right away, even though nothing really has changed. I applied for several jobs at the end of last week and beginning of this week. One they told me thanks, but no thanks, via email.

One was for a full-time job at UVU as an Accountant that sounded like a really good fit as far as the job and my qualifications – but right after I applied for it, I was like, “Why did I do that?” They emailed me a day or two later about an interview but it really didn’t feel right. I just knew it was too many hours even though the money and job sounded awesome.

I was emailed about an interview with our credit union but the job was 12:45 pm to 6:00 pm M-F plus every other Saturday and that’s a lot of hours and not fun to get home tired and have to make dinner and do all the mom stuff in a short amount of time. Not to mention, working on Saturdays wouldn’t be good for the family or for selling plants. So I told them no before going in for the interview.

On Thursday night I got a call just as I was finishing dinner about another job I had applied for and the lady, Angela Seamans, was really excited to talk to me. She seems like a very open, talkative person in general but she basically said I am the type of person she has been looking for and having a really hard time finding. She basically offered me the job on the phone but said she wanted me to come in for an actual interview and to show me around the next morning as well.

I went in on Friday morning and did a quick interview and tour since I had to be at the eye doctor soon. It went well and the job seemed like a good fit for both of us. She said she would contact me by the end of the day and let me know for sure either way. She texted Friday night and said I got the job.

I’ll just copy and paste the job description because it’s hard to explain –

Part-time Property / Office Manager
Office Suites Utah

504 W 800 N (in the complex with Sonic, Zions Bank, Redmond Store, etc.)
Orem, UT 84057

12-15 hours per week Monday – Friday, mornings preferred. Pays $16-20 per hour, depending on the candidate’s experience. Compensation is negotiable. Experience in a business or office setting as a secretary, receptionist, marketer, collector or property manager would be ideal for this position. This is a great job for qualified individuals who want to supplement income around kids in school or for a college student who can commit to at least 1 full year.

The person in this position will work independently, under the direction of the owner and another off-site assistant manager, and will be responsible to collect rents, maintain the space, inventory keys, communicate with tenants and prospective tenants, give tours, and oversee the daily usage of 28 individual offices, 2 conference rooms and a common area that are leased on an hourly, daily and monthly basis. The space requires daily maintenance but the pace is relaxed and low-stress.

Below is a list of preferred qualifications and expected work tasks:

Must have professional office work experience, be up to speed in working with a PC and feel very confident working with Google Sheets and Google Docs
Some accounting or bookkeeping knowledge is helpful
Confidence in using office equipment such as computers, printers and scanners, replacing toners, etc
Ability to scan information and email PDFs
Must have confidence in communicating with tenants regarding the collection of monthly rent payments, including past due amounts, until collected.
Ability to work with a Cloud-Based Rental Invoicing System and manage monthly rent collections through the system, troubleshooting and self-training when necessary.
Ability to negotiate short-term monthly rental contracts and document new leases
Ability to connect with people in a friendly manner and look and act professionally
Ability to call and schedule cleaning, HVAC maintenance, handyman repairs, light fixture repairs and minor improvements as needed.
Excellent verbal and written skills
Ability to manage KSL ads and create avenues to attract new tenants
Type at least 50-60 wpm

A Bachelor’s degree in a related field is preferred but not required if a person has a proven work record and solid references.
To apply, please submit 3 professional references, a cover letter and resume. Start date will be as soon as possible. Training will be provided. If you feel this position is a good fit, we look forward to hearing from you!

Here’s a little more about it –

I start Monday (tomorrow) and the hours will generally be 9 am to 11:30 am plus occasional office tours to prospective clients at random times of the day. But if I can’t make the tour time there is a person from their psychology office that can run over.

For now, she said most days I will probably finish all my tasks before it’s time to leave but she wants me to stay so there is a presence there and I can just work on my own thing until it’s time to go.

The owners also own a psychology office and are remodeling a house or condo that they want to be a short-term rental. They are hoping to eventually move the psychology office next to the office I will be at. They have the space. They just need to finish up other projects and get the money and then they will move over after they remodel the space.

So, for now, the job is pretty easy and I should have some spare time – but over time I will have the possibility of adding other responsibilities if we both think it will be a good fit.

It’s business casual attire so I have had to buy some clothes. I’m not looking forward to having to dress up for a few hours every day but I guess it will be good for me – just a bit of a change from jeans and t-shirts all the time.

The hours work well with my schedule and our vehicles and I will hopefully have plenty of time to do my plant business and be a mom since I’m planning on only doing that and not working on other parts of my business, like my food blog and YouTube.

I think it will be a good balance of having some income I can count on but I will still be able to do my passion of selling plants – but without some of the stress of trying to sell a certain amount each month.

Right now, it feels like I am an answer to the employer’s prayers and her to mine. Our personalities match well and they actually only live a few blocks from us.