Michael Driver

Dear Sir, there isn't much to describe about my last and unfortunately final employment before becoming unemployed. My younger brother and I became incredibly frustrated with the Vehicle Sales industry. We had both clearly seen the writing on the wall and a massive decrease in our incomes and therefore to pay out respective mortgages, out children and families needs. We then lead my brother went to our Bank and basically bought a franchise within a South Australian company called "Cargroomers' We very quickly realised there are the time was a new niche Business for both of us to work side by side. It was all a very simple thing to do as the Franchise we had purchased had included 2 completely set up vehicles and a very impressive Profit an Loss ledger, very well maintained by a very good and professional accountant/Solicitor. The couple were purchasing from were at retirement age and had an enormous amount of Goodwill on the books ( when that actually meant something) they also had more than a few lucrative 2 yearly contracts with places such as Councils, Funeral Homes, privately owned vehicles and luckily for us, what seemed a never ending supply of all of Adelaides Dealerships. ( Enough that we were our confident selves) We purchased the Company at the end of 2007 and I bought my brother out last year for more of a symbol tha anything, because we just weren't able to earn enough income for one of us to sustain a living let alone the 2 of us. Everything was fine at the time, I subsequently found some creative accounting which I believe pushed me out. My brother and I haven't spoken since. The actual job itself is fairly self explanatory, in that we have all washed out own cars, but don't normally have the time nor inclination to fully and completely detail your car. Apart from Goodwill and some local government contracts, the car detailing business had basically begun to suffer huge competition. I am all for competition, but underpaying many many more staff than just my brother and I just completely ruined atleast out 2 man business. The other part of this job was the marketing and networking which was going along quite well, until carwashes and so-called detailers were popping up all over the state in shopping centres and would undercut both this work and out contacts and Goodwill. Now the cost of the exact same offer as ours with half the quality and time spent has doubled. That was my attempt at my own first business and found out the hard way. But not one to rest and be miserable, I am very keenly applying for any position your well established and well known company.

Dear Sir, I began this my chosen career as soon as I had honorably discharged from The Australian Regular Army. As I didn't believe I had too much to offer other than jump out of perfectly fine airplanes along with becoming my Battalions 3rd Sniper. I began to be interested in becoming a salesperson whilst I was working as a car cleaner for United Holden on West Terrace. Although everyday I would mention to my General Manager if he thought I could one day become a New Vehicle Sales Cadet. However, he would keep reminding me that I only had only graduated Highschool. Also that my vocabulary was scant and too rough and Australian. I saw these things as a plus and would at night handwrite letters to Dealer Principles all over the larger Dealerships ( mostly Ford Dealers as I was a mad Ford Fan) After a while I was called by a man whom worked at City Mazda on Port Road. I hadn't been there so I can only assume someone handed him one of my letters. He asked me to come in for an interview and began immediately belittling me, my rough accent and again said that he had clients which included Bank Managers, to multi national fleet buyers and I should do myself a favour and look for anything else. I was young and nobody would stop me. As it happened I walked to the front glass doors of the Major Ford Dealer in town, Stillwell Ford. I was sitting at home one evening and received a phone call from a man named Steve Officer. Anyone who knew anything about Ford motor sales knew that Mr Officer had spent many years in Detroit and bringing back Ford Motor Company back from the brink. This man was speaking directly to me because he wanted to see me in person and give me a type of interview. The very next day dressed in my finest Army service dress uniform I sat down to talk with him. He then asked me if I would work for free until he could see what I was like and to see if I would like the job. He told me that I would be standing in a pulpit answering sales enquiries etc. I very excitedly went home to tell my wife. I had completely forgotten to ask when to come in, what to wear, anything at all? The phone rang again and this time it was the General Manager of ADTRANS/ STILLWELL FORD, David Holst. Mr Holst asked me to visit with him at the boardroom on Greenhill Road. I did that and saw that I was one of around 20 applications with no idea how many if any positions were available? Mr Steve Officer, Mr David Holst, Mr Joe Hinora and a gentleman named Tony Ford from Ford Credit approached me and asked me after all of us had had a Q + A to follow them into their boardroom, where I swear to god I genuinely thought I would faint because I had absolutely no idea what to do or say? I hadn't said a word when Mr Steve Officer offered me an actual New Vehicle Sales Cadetship. I asked about the phone boy position and he explained to me that he could never employ me and pay nothing, so he welcomed me into the fold. I was the only person on that day and for the rest of my cadetship employed. I went to my old beaten up car and hopped in when Mr Holst told me to get my wife to drop me off at work the very next day, a Saturday. I rushed to my parents home, borrowed my Dad's best Black Suit and bought some very cheap patent leather shoes and a tie. Very long story a little bit shorter, I put holes in the back of my skin on my heels because of the shoes and walking around all day. I would not let them see me in pain. Home time came and I received a Brand new EF Falcon XR6 to drive home and with my luck it was manual with a stiff clutch. I somehow drove it very slowly and carefully to the Emergency park at the RAH. I went in and I was seen immediately once I had removed my shoes and blood began to ooze out. It was genuinely the worst pain I had ever had in my life, until they gave me an injection in both heels and I felt like I could run a marathon. Whilst they were working on my heels they had completely cut out both of the back of my heels and replaced them with a melting synthetic material designed to melt away over a week or so and also acted as pain control. I returned to work that Monday and was directed to my permanent dealership yard to stand under until I could speak with people and sell some cars!? I had not one idea of what to do. Obviously as weeks go by, they either see something in you or they ask you to leave. I had assumed that the training they had been talking about should be coming soon. Anyway, it turned out that I was going to be pretty good at this career, because alongside 15 other salespeople of whom your in competition with I SOLD 18 cars with absolutely no training whatsoever within my first fortnight. To give that some relevance, selling 15 cars as a very experienced sales person is considered excellent. I then very quickly rose up through the ranks to General Manager of Stillwell Hyundai, Sales manager at Graham Cornes Used cars at Medindie once Bob Moran had been caught doing some horrible things. Myself and my General Manager completely built that Dealership from the ground up and as a team we sold more cars than ANY other company who had ever attempted to succeed there. That yard is where I personally Spoke to, demonstrated and sold 12 cars and delivered them in one work day. That record stands today with a plaque. I am aware of how long and laborious this resume in, but it's in my eyes one chance to stand out! (Good or not)! I would like you to know my character, my very good, hard work ethic, my ability to just keep going without giving up and just how loyal, hard working and reliable I am. There is so much more about I could tell you about this incredibly detailed and complicated job, but you do have to go home. I purposely removed myself from this incredibly competitive and Anxiety provoking industry because I couldn't make the money I needed to make. After leaving this career, I have realised just how ridiculous it is when you tell someone what you did is. I still need money, but it's now cents on the dollar compared to what I thought I needed. I am now 55 years old, I am a very happy and satisfied person. I love to work and I love to work hard. I also love my downtime, which is always so much better after a hard day's work. I am fit, I am strong, I am on very good shape, like most X soldiers. I have no injuries and would sail through any physical exam. I don't drink and haven't since I was 19 years old. I have never taken or sampled ANY type of illegal drugs in my life because it just never interested me. As I said, I am physically fit and strong and able to do repetitive lifting of heavy weights. I would very much be grateful for any chance of an interview if there may be any positions at all?

Dear Sir, after a Company I had worked as an Apprentice Cabinet Maker Closed Down, I decided with some "Gentle" persuasion to apply to Join the Australian Defence Force. I then " happily" went to see an Australian Regular Army Recruitment officer. By the end of the day at around 3pm I was now called recruit Driver. I had lost my name and given my service number "454411" That number has been in my mind since I was just 17 years old. It can be quite hard to describe what it's like voluntarily joining the ARMY and not just the Reserves for 2 weekends a year. I had signed up for 6 years! The first day was genuinely exactly the same as you see on those American Army/Navy films. You are no longer a person. You are your number. They firstly supplied us with very very ill fitting green fatigues, which were atleast 5 years old. You are then screamed at by a Drill Sergeant for 3 months minimum. If you fail any physical or IQ test or written exam you were what is called "Backsquaded" to a bus containing more brand new recruits. Then you are left into the chow hall for breakfast, still wearing those same fatigues. The Soldiers whom were already there had gained there gold tags, which signify that you are in your last 2 weeks of recruit training at Kapooka Barracks. The cooks will then have fun with you by yelling out YOU, in the green and you all turn around. A recruit is not even a non rank private yet. You are called recruit or Digger. Everyone also has fun with that as we all turn around. As you are left back toward your lines, (where you live) you go to get have all of your hair shaved off. Then they make you grab everything you own and brought with you as the leaflets you receive from the Army ask you to bring tennis racquets, golf clubs and any type of snack you like. The Section Corporals empty the bags you've bought and steal your golf clubs, tennis racquets and snacks and they are NEVER seen again. You are then further humiliated by being stripped completely naked and having all of your hair shaved off. Then you are assigned your beds and rooms, along with your rifle and magazines. You're told to put absolutely anything out of your cupboards very neatly in there. This is when (PT) Physical Training begins by the fittest men on the planet. You return after (PT) and what your instructors have done is absolutely destroy your room, closet and get you to clean it again. You then receive your clothing Boots and head cover for the duration. Suddenly we are all packed on a bus and driven down to the rifle range. The weapon I used was an (SLR) SELF LOADING RIFLE. With a 7-62mm mayo round. You are then told to begin firing them into a hill of dirt to get used to the recoil. If your never shot any rifle before you'll never get used to it. I ended up at the end of recruit training, number 3 Sniper, number 2 (PT) number 2 Drill ( Marching). After 3 months of absolute hell and I mean hell. You graduate and have a March out Parade to which you can invite family and friends. By then you think you have done it, but when your family leaves, you must complete the FEC (FINAL EXAMINATION COURSE) Which consists of a 40km route forced march which means double steps. If you fall back you are Backsquaded. If you don't and you make it, then you are finally an AUSTRALIAN REGULAR ARMY SOLDIER. You then choose where you would like to be posted. I picked INFANTRY/ GREEN BERET. It's another 3 months of 10 times the difficulty as was recruit training , because now you're attempting to become a ROYAL AUSTRALIAN REGIMENT GREEN BERET. Even the instructors tell you what a bad choice you made attempting this. I'm not going through all of this, but I succeeded first time every time. Just to run salt in my wounds, o could have just left for my posting and a fairly cosy life until WARTIME. But I wanted my PARATROOPER WINGS AND THE WORLD WIDE SYMBOL OF THE BEST, THE CHERRY RED BERET! I began jumping out of perfectly good, serviceable airplanes and loved the rest of my stint in the Army. I rose to the rank of Lance Corporal.

Dear Sir, this position was my absolute dream position directly from high school. Even my Tech Studies teacher who I learned woodworking with got me the position, based on just how much I love making things and working with my hands. Every started off very very well. I was in my element and could not wait to get to work every day. I understood that I was the "LAD" because I was the youngest by a long way. The two men who employed me whom I won't name used to work together at IJF CABINETMAKERS/KITCHENS. What I wasn't aware of was that another person had been employed at the same time as me. I had no idea that he hadn't been there for years. I was a bit worried, but I said nothing because I just loved it. We would prefab most of the kitchens and robes for a company called Homestead when Golden Grove began to be built. We would also travel to Victor Harbour to build kitchens, robes, vanities etc for 52 retirement homes. After a couple of years the guy who started at the same time as me said he was surprised that I hadn't received my indenture papers yet or been to any Business SA TAFE days. I was still very young and just put up with it, until my Dad who was an apprentice engraver at the Star Newspaper in Manchester went I and confronted both of my bosses and asked where my apprenticeship was basically. There answer, was that they had lost the Homestead contract and would have to shut down. It still didn't make sense because I was offered an advertised Cabinet makers Apprentice, not just a LAD (LACKY) Looking further into it , I was being paid atleast $50 per week than I should have been because they told me I was an Apprentice. They also neglected to pay even one cent to any of their tradespeople or Apprentices. However overall, i took it positively, because at the time there were some new techniques coming through like nova loc and Alby and Turner wanted to interview me. However my Dad was getting more and more concerned so he threw me in the Army. At the end of the day, I have learnt alot, I can make things, I can use power tools, I know about OHS, I'm still physically and mentally sharp and fit/strong, I'm very motivated, loyal, reliable, punctual, in 16 years I did not take one sick day off work and I was given a bottle of Penfolds every year aswell as my bonuses. You can count on me to want to do the work and just do it to the best of my ability. Thankyou so much for reading my life story if you even had time.