Second thoughts

I'm nervous about the job.

The guy - let's call him Louis - thinks BIG, to the point that you wonder how schizophrenic he may be. Is his idea for the real estate company good? I guess. How the hell do I know? If it's such a great idea, and it hasn't been done before by those in the know, how could a layman such as myself understand its greatness?

My financial commitment would be the $300 or so that it would cost to obtain my real estate license. I'd also need to take about 75 hours' worth of classes, but that doesn't worry me. In fact, since it's all done on your own time these days (as I've been told), I can likely finish the requirements in short order. What concerns me is the time commitment. Not the 40 hours of work a week; that's to be expected. It's the full year to which Louis will want me to commit. If he asks me to sign a contract for those 12 months, I'll have an issue with it.

I understand that he'll be investing time, money and energy into me, so he won't want to see me leave during or shortly after my "training time." I get that. But hey, how can I be sure that this whole thing won't suck?

I guess I should think worst case scenario. He's promise a base pay of $2500 a month for 12 months, but potential for a lot more. Say that I only $2500 per month. Say that I stay with Louis for a whole year, then leave or get dropped. I'm one year older, with $30K and a year's worth of experience with the guy to show for it. Does that make me a better or worse candidate for actuarial jobs in early 2013?

This is a great question, the kind that I'd love to ask one of my actuarial recruiters. If only they were working this week. Damnit. I don't think I have any connections within my network that can help me either. I've tried three and they're all out of the office, likely for the week. Crap. I'm freaking out.

I can't allow myself to sign any contract today. That might make me appear wishy-washy, but hey, that's exactly what I am.

So, the question. Well, I'd asked be asked why there was such a long expanse of time between my last test and now, and I'd tell them that I worked with Louis in an entrepreneurial venture. I'll explain that he is an actuary that formed a branch of Zurich and left the business to start another company. I'm hopeful that name-dropping will help, and that I won't have to explain a lot more about what we did. I'll also have to hope that he's not known as a loon in actuarial circles, and that hiring folk will consider it a use of time that's better than doing nothing and waiting for any opportunity, which is where I am now.

Heck, if actuaries are suggesting that I take an underwriting or claims job, or even a mail room job in an insurance company, then this job can't be that bad. And I always have the excuse of needing to put food on the table.

Okay, I'll do it. Be calm, Dave. Be a journalist. Ask questions. Use reason. Don't jump to conclusions. Interrupt if you need to. Stay on task. Okay.