I like cars. I like browsing for cars. I like driving cars. Don’t care much about working on them, but I have always had a fondness for them, and try to own only cars I really love. Not a big fan of the process of buying a car, though. The whole game that car dealers play is tiresome.

As my unemployment continued, I started wondering if I should take some kind of part-time, short-term, or temporary work, just to have cash flowing in. There was a lady that was part of the management of my kid’s preschool at my wife’s church, whose husband was a sales manager at First Texas Honda. My wife mentioned to her that I might be interested in doing some work there to help make ends meet, but I had no previous car salesman experience.

Her husband called me. He explained that if I wanted to do this, I would need to start as an assistant salesman in the used car lot. Once I got settled there, I could move into the new car showroom.

I asked him what the compensation range of sales people were. He indicated something very low for me to something just higher than average software people made for the top performers. I told him I would think about it.

There were several drawbacks to this plan:

1. The pay wasn’t great.

2. It would take time away from looking for a software job.

3. At least for a while, I would be a USED CAR SALESMAN!

I called him back, and thanked him profusely for his generous offer, and that I might be calling him later if nothing panned out, but that I would be trying to get a software job for a bit longer. He understood, and said call him anytime.

Still haven’t had to.