I found out that I lost my teaching position while I was away visiting my parents during Memorial Day weekend. Organizational changes at Regent merged a couple of schools and when it all shook out, there was an extra HR professor in the mix: me. My wife and I thought of trying to sell the house and moving back to NJ, but with some help from Mike (now the former dean of the School of Business), I landed an instructional design position within the university. I had never professionally done "instructional design" (I wasn't really sure what it was), but I had built some courses the previous year, so I guess I qualified. Mike left Regent and I spend the next four years helping faculty design courses and learn about Blackboard. In 2008, I won the President's Award; I must have been doing something right.
In 2010, a colleague became the dean of the College of Arts & Science and I applied for the Assistant Dean of Instruction position to work for him. I was intimated by the responsibilities and the title, but in another leap of faith, I took the job. A promotion to Associate Dean of Instruction followed. After seven years in those positions, I found myself in a new position in Academic Affairs: Associate Vice President. I don't need to describe these positions too much, as least for my son's sake. He knows what I've been up to these last few years. I still work at Regent...making a living.
A few closing thoughts tomorrow.
Sunday, February 17, 2019
Saturday, February 16, 2019
A Couple of Surprises
Mike and I had attended Rutgers together; he went on to complete a PhD while I stopped at a masters. We stayed in touch over the years, so I wasn't surprised when he called me in early 2005. But I was surprised with what he asked me: He wanted to know if I was interested in becoming a professor at Regent University, a Christian institution in Virginia Beach, VA. Mike was dean of the School of Business and he needed someone to teach in management and leadership. We talked for awhile. When we hung up, my mind was still reeling.
When I was in college I had an English professor, Dr. McDonald, who was an inspiration to me. He was a great teacher and a nice man. Since that freshman year class with Professor McDonald, I had thought of becoming a college professor. There was something about sharing knowledge and helping students that appealed to me. I also liked the ebb and flow of college life: a season of teaching, rest in the summer, and then a new start in the fall. When I was in graduate school, I taught in the computer lab and liked it. Later, I taught Sunday School in my church and enjoyed that as well. Admittedly, I was nervous thinking about the prospect of leaving my current job and moving 400 miles away to Virginia, but part of me thought that this could be the opportunity of a lifetime. I asked my friends, parents, and people I trusted, and they all told me to take the risk and take the job. One man in particular - a good friend of my parents and my former Sunday School teacher from 9th grade - gave me some prescient advice; he said, "You may be going there to teach, but don't be surprised if God has other plans for you." Let's just put a pin in that statement for now.
Long story short, despite having to leave family and friends and taking a substantial pay cut, I took the job, and my young family and I headed for Virginia Beach. The house search turned out to be a bit of nightmare and, since I had never taught college students before, the learning curve was steep. But I guess I figured it out and completed my first year without traumatizing too many students. I also learned that I liked online teaching and was able to connect with distance students in ways I could never have imagined.
With my first year behind me, I was ready to take the summer off, do some writing, and prepare for the fall.
Not so fast...time to check the pin I mentioned above. God did indeed have other plans.
When I was in college I had an English professor, Dr. McDonald, who was an inspiration to me. He was a great teacher and a nice man. Since that freshman year class with Professor McDonald, I had thought of becoming a college professor. There was something about sharing knowledge and helping students that appealed to me. I also liked the ebb and flow of college life: a season of teaching, rest in the summer, and then a new start in the fall. When I was in graduate school, I taught in the computer lab and liked it. Later, I taught Sunday School in my church and enjoyed that as well. Admittedly, I was nervous thinking about the prospect of leaving my current job and moving 400 miles away to Virginia, but part of me thought that this could be the opportunity of a lifetime. I asked my friends, parents, and people I trusted, and they all told me to take the risk and take the job. One man in particular - a good friend of my parents and my former Sunday School teacher from 9th grade - gave me some prescient advice; he said, "You may be going there to teach, but don't be surprised if God has other plans for you." Let's just put a pin in that statement for now.
Long story short, despite having to leave family and friends and taking a substantial pay cut, I took the job, and my young family and I headed for Virginia Beach. The house search turned out to be a bit of nightmare and, since I had never taught college students before, the learning curve was steep. But I guess I figured it out and completed my first year without traumatizing too many students. I also learned that I liked online teaching and was able to connect with distance students in ways I could never have imagined.
With my first year behind me, I was ready to take the summer off, do some writing, and prepare for the fall.
Not so fast...time to check the pin I mentioned above. God did indeed have other plans.
Thursday, February 14, 2019
Changing Focus
While the Dawson ship was sinking, I jumped ship and went to Automatic Data Processing or ADP. My wife worked there and suggested that I interview.
At the end of my run at Dawson, I came to the realization that I didn't really like working in human resources. In school, we were taught that HR could be a strategic business partner, helping organizations manage talent, navigate re-engineering initiatives, and manage compensation and benefits to give an organization a competitive advantage. All cool stuff. In the real world - or at least in my real world - HR was still the company police, enforcing rules, coordinating terminations, handing out forms and, of course, organizing the company picnic. In most cases, HR served in a capacity tangential to the core business. And, if you remember, my initial motivation to work in HR was to help people: well, in most organizations, when HR isn't done right, HR doesn't really help people...it just annoys them. But there was one part of HR that interested me: information systems. In graduate school, and then at Samsung and Dawson, I gravitated toward the systems that stored the HR information. I liked that the information was organized and logical.
ADP was (and still is) a multi-billion dollar company that offers payroll, benefits, and human resources systems outsourcing services. The HR stuff was fairly new to ADP, so I thought the job was an opportunity to get in on the ground floor. At first, I was disappointed: I was essentially assigned to payroll implementations. After two weeks, I almost quit. But I stuck it out and after a year, I was assigned to a small national team (10 people) that was tasked with leading the rollout and implementation of a brand new HR system. It was one of the most exciting times of my life. Within a couple of years, I had become an expert. I was asked to build a technical support team for our regional center. My first hire was Joe. A great guy and a brilliant technician. We were always trying new stuff and often figuring things out as we went along. During that time, I looked forward to going to work everyday. That's rare. Also during that time, the Lord blessed our home with children and income. My wife had stopped working when the kids came, so we were down to one income. But at ADP, I received generous raises and bonuses, and was making enough to support my family. I didn't think I would ever be able to make such a good living.
Eventually though, the job changed. I was a manager now, supervising nine people as part of a helpdesk service. We had to be concerned about metrics and numbers...and I wasn't. I felt like it was time to move on. I interviewed at a couple of places, but nothing came of those opportunities. I was offered a job at Rutgers University doing fund-raising. I passed on it; it didn't seem right.
A couple of months later, I received a call from an old friend, a call that would radically change the direction of my career.
At the end of my run at Dawson, I came to the realization that I didn't really like working in human resources. In school, we were taught that HR could be a strategic business partner, helping organizations manage talent, navigate re-engineering initiatives, and manage compensation and benefits to give an organization a competitive advantage. All cool stuff. In the real world - or at least in my real world - HR was still the company police, enforcing rules, coordinating terminations, handing out forms and, of course, organizing the company picnic. In most cases, HR served in a capacity tangential to the core business. And, if you remember, my initial motivation to work in HR was to help people: well, in most organizations, when HR isn't done right, HR doesn't really help people...it just annoys them. But there was one part of HR that interested me: information systems. In graduate school, and then at Samsung and Dawson, I gravitated toward the systems that stored the HR information. I liked that the information was organized and logical.
ADP was (and still is) a multi-billion dollar company that offers payroll, benefits, and human resources systems outsourcing services. The HR stuff was fairly new to ADP, so I thought the job was an opportunity to get in on the ground floor. At first, I was disappointed: I was essentially assigned to payroll implementations. After two weeks, I almost quit. But I stuck it out and after a year, I was assigned to a small national team (10 people) that was tasked with leading the rollout and implementation of a brand new HR system. It was one of the most exciting times of my life. Within a couple of years, I had become an expert. I was asked to build a technical support team for our regional center. My first hire was Joe. A great guy and a brilliant technician. We were always trying new stuff and often figuring things out as we went along. During that time, I looked forward to going to work everyday. That's rare. Also during that time, the Lord blessed our home with children and income. My wife had stopped working when the kids came, so we were down to one income. But at ADP, I received generous raises and bonuses, and was making enough to support my family. I didn't think I would ever be able to make such a good living.
Eventually though, the job changed. I was a manager now, supervising nine people as part of a helpdesk service. We had to be concerned about metrics and numbers...and I wasn't. I felt like it was time to move on. I interviewed at a couple of places, but nothing came of those opportunities. I was offered a job at Rutgers University doing fund-raising. I passed on it; it didn't seem right.
A couple of months later, I received a call from an old friend, a call that would radically change the direction of my career.
Wednesday, February 13, 2019
Dawson Home Fashions
I guess it's true that when you start a new job, you never really know what you are walking into. That was the case when I started at Dawson Home Fashions. There were multiple company sites, but I worked at one of the shower manufacturing plants in New Jersey. What an experience.
During my first week on the job, I was walking into work and ahead of me was one of the secretaries. I don't know how else to describe her, but she dressed like a hooker. Lined up, hanging out the factory windows were the workers gawking at her and saying things in Spanish. I'm pretty sure they weren't wishing her a nice day or quoting Bible verses. This was 1993, and sexual harassment was in the news. I had to tell the GM to tell his guys to cancel their morning ritual. When I spoke to the secretary, she didn't seem to mind the attention.
Within a month of my arrival, we had a surprise OSHA inspection and were fined $20,000. The place was a health and fire hazard: chemicals were everywhere and not stored properly, and workers did not use protective gear; they told me later - through a translator - that the gear was too hot. I guess a slow death was a better option. We also had an office in New York City: 666 5th Avenue. I should have known this job would be hell. Anyway, I had to take the train once a week into NY. Talk about culture shock. I went from non-English-speaking factory workers in a chemical deathtrap to the beautiful people in the fashion district. I preferred the deathtrap.
Before I arrived, Dawson had been named Hygiene Industries; not sure what comes to your mind, but that name sucked if you were trying to sell shower curtains and accessories. The company decided to rebrand itself to Dawson Home Fashions and hired a bunch of (expensive) executives from the cosmetics industry. They wanted to become the leader in high-end bathroom décor. I remember attending fashion week to show our wares; my only thought was, "What the hell am I doing here?"
My boss was the VP of HR. I didn't like him. We got along ok, but he made me nervous and he was full of himself. Did you ever have a job where you sat in your car in the morning staring at the entrance, debating whether to go in or just turn around a go home? This was that for me.
I lasted a year and two months. The rebranding wasn't working and I knew that the company wouldn't last. I had gone through a plant shutdown at Samsung. I didn't want to go through that again. I was right. Six months after I left, the company was sold and a year later the plant in NJ was closed.
During my first week on the job, I was walking into work and ahead of me was one of the secretaries. I don't know how else to describe her, but she dressed like a hooker. Lined up, hanging out the factory windows were the workers gawking at her and saying things in Spanish. I'm pretty sure they weren't wishing her a nice day or quoting Bible verses. This was 1993, and sexual harassment was in the news. I had to tell the GM to tell his guys to cancel their morning ritual. When I spoke to the secretary, she didn't seem to mind the attention.
Within a month of my arrival, we had a surprise OSHA inspection and were fined $20,000. The place was a health and fire hazard: chemicals were everywhere and not stored properly, and workers did not use protective gear; they told me later - through a translator - that the gear was too hot. I guess a slow death was a better option. We also had an office in New York City: 666 5th Avenue. I should have known this job would be hell. Anyway, I had to take the train once a week into NY. Talk about culture shock. I went from non-English-speaking factory workers in a chemical deathtrap to the beautiful people in the fashion district. I preferred the deathtrap.
Before I arrived, Dawson had been named Hygiene Industries; not sure what comes to your mind, but that name sucked if you were trying to sell shower curtains and accessories. The company decided to rebrand itself to Dawson Home Fashions and hired a bunch of (expensive) executives from the cosmetics industry. They wanted to become the leader in high-end bathroom décor. I remember attending fashion week to show our wares; my only thought was, "What the hell am I doing here?"
My boss was the VP of HR. I didn't like him. We got along ok, but he made me nervous and he was full of himself. Did you ever have a job where you sat in your car in the morning staring at the entrance, debating whether to go in or just turn around a go home? This was that for me.
I lasted a year and two months. The rebranding wasn't working and I knew that the company wouldn't last. I had gone through a plant shutdown at Samsung. I didn't want to go through that again. I was right. Six months after I left, the company was sold and a year later the plant in NJ was closed.
Tuesday, February 12, 2019
Breaking into HR
As a teaching assistant, I had a few duties: do research for my professor, proctor exams, and help with management training seminars. The latter job was pretty cool: the training seminars were residential and managers from various companies would basically live together for an entire week learning how to manage people. I helped out by serving during happy hours and passing out food. You gotta start somewhere! Proctoring exams was interesting: I've never seen so many people trying to cheat. Students didn't even try to hide it. I hated proctoring exams.
After my first year at Rutgers I applied for internships, three to be exact: IBM, M&M Mars, and Clorox. I flew to Mississippi for the Clorox interview; I forget the name of the town, but it looked like it was the armpit of the world. I didn't get any of the internships although my wife-to-be scored one with IBM in Tucson, Arizona. At about the same time, I found out that teaching assistantships were removed from the budget...I lost my free ride. I decided to look for a full-time job and found one with Samsung International, a television manufacturing subsidiary of Samsung, Inc., located in New Jersey. I was hired as the Human Resources Supervisor. I took care of all of the benefits, recruiting, employee relations, etc...all of that HR crap. But in Korean companies, the HR guy was also the facilities and office manager, so I was in charge of the sprinkler systems, HVAC, maintenance, janitorial services, and waste disposal. On the HR side, I also dressed up as a gorilla and Barney the Dinosaur for the company picnic. I did it all. I learned on the job. I had some book-learning from school, but this was the real deal.
Three months after I started the job, the television manufacturing was shipped to Mexico. I was in charge of letting everyone go. Part of the facility remained as a service center. I stayed on in HR. About a year later, I got a call from Rutgers: they found a full scholarship for me. I decided to leave Samsung and finish my degree full-time. When I returned, I took a job in the computer lab - minimum wage, but I was able to help a lot of people.
As I approached graduation in 1993, I got married and then started looking for a full-time, start-my-career job. Again, I checked the want ads and found a posting for an HR manager position in Passaic, NJ. The company was Dawson Home Fashions - an international manufacturer of shower curtains. With the possible exception of being a lot boy for Cortese Dodge, it would become the worse job I ever had.
After my first year at Rutgers I applied for internships, three to be exact: IBM, M&M Mars, and Clorox. I flew to Mississippi for the Clorox interview; I forget the name of the town, but it looked like it was the armpit of the world. I didn't get any of the internships although my wife-to-be scored one with IBM in Tucson, Arizona. At about the same time, I found out that teaching assistantships were removed from the budget...I lost my free ride. I decided to look for a full-time job and found one with Samsung International, a television manufacturing subsidiary of Samsung, Inc., located in New Jersey. I was hired as the Human Resources Supervisor. I took care of all of the benefits, recruiting, employee relations, etc...all of that HR crap. But in Korean companies, the HR guy was also the facilities and office manager, so I was in charge of the sprinkler systems, HVAC, maintenance, janitorial services, and waste disposal. On the HR side, I also dressed up as a gorilla and Barney the Dinosaur for the company picnic. I did it all. I learned on the job. I had some book-learning from school, but this was the real deal.
Three months after I started the job, the television manufacturing was shipped to Mexico. I was in charge of letting everyone go. Part of the facility remained as a service center. I stayed on in HR. About a year later, I got a call from Rutgers: they found a full scholarship for me. I decided to leave Samsung and finish my degree full-time. When I returned, I took a job in the computer lab - minimum wage, but I was able to help a lot of people.
As I approached graduation in 1993, I got married and then started looking for a full-time, start-my-career job. Again, I checked the want ads and found a posting for an HR manager position in Passaic, NJ. The company was Dawson Home Fashions - an international manufacturer of shower curtains. With the possible exception of being a lot boy for Cortese Dodge, it would become the worse job I ever had.
Monday, February 11, 2019
On My Way
As I mentioned earlier, I had started to swerve right in my politics and by 1988, I was a full-on, William Buckley conservative. As a new Christian, I also began to see the importance of family and the traditional family structure: the husband and father provides, wife and mother manages the home. This was what I believed was best and wanted for my life.
After my break-up, I met a girl at work who was a freshman at Calvin College and a believer. We got to know each other fairly well. I won't expand on that story line, but one day we were talking about traditional families and I told her what I wanted in my life. I remember she looked a bit puzzled and said to me, "Well, if that is what you want, do you think you can accomplish that working at UL as a technical correspondent?" That hit me hard. She was right. How could I support a family being a human test subject and pumping propane? That exchange literally changed my life. Thanks, Debbie, wherever you are.
I decided to find a career. I went to the library (no Internet yet) and looked through the Department of Labor's list of occupations. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of listings. I decided that human resources was something I could do: I liked to help people - I figured HR people did that. I tried to move into HR at UL, but the director said I didn't have the experience or education. OK, so I decided to go to graduate school. I applied to The Ohio State University, University of Rhode Island, West Virginia University, and Rutgers University. I was accepted to all of them, but Rutgers gave me the most money: a teaching assistantship which included full-tuition remission and a stipend.
In the summer of 1990, I said goodbye to the shock treatments and the Weather Channel people and headed to Piscataway, NJ to start my masters degree in Industrial Relations and Human Resources. I felt like I finally had some direction in my life.
After my break-up, I met a girl at work who was a freshman at Calvin College and a believer. We got to know each other fairly well. I won't expand on that story line, but one day we were talking about traditional families and I told her what I wanted in my life. I remember she looked a bit puzzled and said to me, "Well, if that is what you want, do you think you can accomplish that working at UL as a technical correspondent?" That hit me hard. She was right. How could I support a family being a human test subject and pumping propane? That exchange literally changed my life. Thanks, Debbie, wherever you are.
I decided to find a career. I went to the library (no Internet yet) and looked through the Department of Labor's list of occupations. Hundreds, maybe thousands, of listings. I decided that human resources was something I could do: I liked to help people - I figured HR people did that. I tried to move into HR at UL, but the director said I didn't have the experience or education. OK, so I decided to go to graduate school. I applied to The Ohio State University, University of Rhode Island, West Virginia University, and Rutgers University. I was accepted to all of them, but Rutgers gave me the most money: a teaching assistantship which included full-tuition remission and a stipend.
In the summer of 1990, I said goodbye to the shock treatments and the Weather Channel people and headed to Piscataway, NJ to start my masters degree in Industrial Relations and Human Resources. I felt like I finally had some direction in my life.
Sunday, February 10, 2019
Still No Career in Sight
After an underwhelming career performance in upstate New York, I headed back home to Long Island at the age of 24. I lived at home with my parents at first, but I knew I had to get a place of my own. To do that, I needed a job. I hit the want ads again and saw a posting for a "Technical Correspondent" at Underwriters Laboratories. UL is the company that checks and certifies all kinds of appliances, chemicals, plastics, etc. for safety. If you look closely, you'll see the UL trademark on your home appliances. I think the ad mentioned that an English degree was preferred so I applied. I interviewed an shortly thereafter got a job in the Research Department. I found out that "Technical Correspondent" meant "do whatever the researchers wanted." I created a lot of reports, did some computer programming, reviewed technical manuals, and participated in testing. The latter was the most interesting. One experiment involved my arm being strapped to a table with electrodes attached to my wrist and index finger. The engineer would send electric current through the electrodes and I would have to tell him when I felt the shock. Sometimes - by accident - he left the dial turned up a bit too high and I got quite a jolt. All in a good day's work.
While having all that fun was great, the $17k annual salary wasn't much to live on. I eventually picked up a second job in the evenings and weekends at BGS: an appliance, video rental, and propane gas-filling store. I was mostly a stock boy who picked up and delivered appliances, but I also pumped propane. (FYI - A full-tank of barbeque-sized propane tank weighs 20 pounds.) One time, this guy pulled up in a Toyota Tercel and wanted his 100 lb tank filled. Those tanks are about 5 feet tall. We filled it and the guy shoved it in his trunk with the tank sticking straight out the back of the car; it looked like a torpedo. Would have hated to be within a mile of that car if he got into an accident on the way home! The store was family-owned and the owners were a bit on, let's say, the eccentric side. The husband and wife fought constantly. The wife's twin sister worked there and was married to the manager of the video rental operation. They were always talking about their next vacation to Florida, and they were all fascinated by the Weather Channel.
I worked both jobs, moved to an apartment, and was doing ok. But then...my fiancé (my college girlfriend) broke off our engagement. My life felt like it was unraveling and I hit a new low in my life. It was at this time that I discovered that I was one of God's elect. My life began to change dramatically.
While having all that fun was great, the $17k annual salary wasn't much to live on. I eventually picked up a second job in the evenings and weekends at BGS: an appliance, video rental, and propane gas-filling store. I was mostly a stock boy who picked up and delivered appliances, but I also pumped propane. (FYI - A full-tank of barbeque-sized propane tank weighs 20 pounds.) One time, this guy pulled up in a Toyota Tercel and wanted his 100 lb tank filled. Those tanks are about 5 feet tall. We filled it and the guy shoved it in his trunk with the tank sticking straight out the back of the car; it looked like a torpedo. Would have hated to be within a mile of that car if he got into an accident on the way home! The store was family-owned and the owners were a bit on, let's say, the eccentric side. The husband and wife fought constantly. The wife's twin sister worked there and was married to the manager of the video rental operation. They were always talking about their next vacation to Florida, and they were all fascinated by the Weather Channel.
I worked both jobs, moved to an apartment, and was doing ok. But then...my fiancé (my college girlfriend) broke off our engagement. My life felt like it was unraveling and I hit a new low in my life. It was at this time that I discovered that I was one of God's elect. My life began to change dramatically.
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