Last post was just a quick link for resumes. This link below is for the daunting cover letter.
If anyone of you are like me, the cover letter is probably the toughest part. I reworked my cover letter last night and pretty much edited out the whole thing and started over.
Now if you're lucky enough to have a great brother-in-law (or other relative) like I do who reads these things for a living (among other parts of his job) then you're in a good spot to have someone help you edit (Thanks Andrew).
If not, this link might help. I know it helped me rethink a lot of my cover letter last night.
Click me! Click me!
Even if you don't have someone who is excellent at grammar and placement of sentences, find someone to check it over for typos at least. It's easy to miss them when you know what you think you wrote and just skim over the mistakes.
Showing posts with label job search. Show all posts
Showing posts with label job search. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
Monday, July 6, 2009
Working late
Oy! I have been away for along time again. Onset of summer I suppose.
No matter.
I am in the process of job hunting again along with many other lucky people.
So for those who are in the same rut as I am here's a link to help bolster your resume:
Click me!
Go have fun and stay up late working on your resume and cover letter like me!
No matter.
I am in the process of job hunting again along with many other lucky people.
So for those who are in the same rut as I am here's a link to help bolster your resume:
Click me!
Go have fun and stay up late working on your resume and cover letter like me!
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Graduation time
It's that season. :) Graduations are happening all over now. Congrats to all of those who have now passed on from college into the real world.
The graduation of my Alma matter was this past Saturday. I attended and was near sniveling the entire time. I knew a few people graduating so it was nice to see those people making the passage that I did last year.
Quite a few are asking the question of "What now?"
My answer: Try to find a job...
Seriously get your butts out there and do the leg work and apply to a gazillion jobs until you can find one. That's the best thing you can do for yourself right now.
have fun... :)
The graduation of my Alma matter was this past Saturday. I attended and was near sniveling the entire time. I knew a few people graduating so it was nice to see those people making the passage that I did last year.
Quite a few are asking the question of "What now?"
My answer: Try to find a job...
Seriously get your butts out there and do the leg work and apply to a gazillion jobs until you can find one. That's the best thing you can do for yourself right now.
have fun... :)
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Hi everyone,
I'm back for the most part.
When checking my e-mail this morning I came across this job search tip link. It has some nifty advice. There are some good ideas in here. Many that I wish I had thought of before.
Career Advice
Back to work. Have a good day
I'm back for the most part.
When checking my e-mail this morning I came across this job search tip link. It has some nifty advice. There are some good ideas in here. Many that I wish I had thought of before.
Career Advice
Back to work. Have a good day
Monday, March 16, 2009
Odd Jobs Etc.
Hrm. Some of these jobs just seem down right silly. Other's really aren't that strange but perhaps you wouldn't give a second thought to during your day.
This is an article from Careerbuilder.com. I'm sure I mentioned the site before. It's a good search engine for jobs, especially local ones.
Here are 20 odd jobs portrayed in Rica Schiff’s books.
1. Breath odor evaluator What they do: Odor judges smell nasty morning breath or breath “insulted” with strong scents, like garlic or coffee. They rate the breath on a scale from one to nine, one being the worst. To test odor-reducing products like gum or mouthwash, they smell the breath again and assign it a new rating. (Really? Who would want to smell peoples breath all day. Although it doesn't seem like a terribly hard job. I wonder what the pay is...)
2. Diener What they do: Prepare cadavers for the pathologist before autopsies are performed in hospitals. (I would have to pass on this. No matter how much it paid.)
3. Ribbon candy puller What they do: After a heated combination of sugar, corn syrup, water and coloring agent has cooled, batches of different colors are laid out side by side. Someone then pulls the candy thin until it’s about an inch wide. The final product is a multicolored hard candy. (Wouldn't this fall under the category of candy maker? It really doesn't seem that odd to me. I'd try it though).
4. Ocularist What they do: In short, they paint artificial eyes. It sounds easier than it is, since as with real eyes, no two are exactly the same. (I've heard of this one before. I'm afraid if I painted eyes that wouldn't look quite right. Pass).
5. Flatulence smell-reduction underwear maker What they do: Create underwear that protects against bad human gas for people who suffer from gastrointestinal problems. The underwear is made with various materials and filters to help remedy hydrogen sulfide gases, the main offender in foul smells. (O_o lol who really ever would have thought about making underwear that reduces the smell of someones gas? I wonder if it actually works).
6. Beer tester What they do: Taste – and spit out – beer all day to approve new and existing flavors. (There seriously has to be more to the job than just tasting beer. Not a big fan of beer, I'm afraid I'd be terrible at this. Now if it was wine I might do alright).
7. Crack filler What they do: Using a silicone sealant, they repair the wear and tear inflicted on monumental structures, like Mount Rushmore. (Again. How about catagorizing this under "Construction").
8. Ball tester What they do: Assess basketballs, footballs, volleyballs and soccer balls for air-retention, inflation, roundness, weight and reboundability. (Quality control anyone? If this didn't require any athletic skill, I could do that).
9. Video game tester What they do: For eight hours a day, five days a week, a group of males and females of all ages play video games. They repeat levels, games and characters, looking for any bugs and/or glitches in the software. (I've heard of this one before too. I've also heard it's not as fun as it sounds).
10. Tampon tester What they do: Check all sizes of tampons for absorbency and cord strength in accordance with Food and Drug Administration standards. Most testers check up to 125 pieces per day. (Quality control...it makes sense).
11. Gold reclaimer What they do: Scour old teeth for fillings, melting the gold from them with broken gold jewelry into tiny gold pellets, which are then resold to jewelers. (er...does this mean they dig up dead people and pry their fillings out? Gross).
12. Dog sniffer What they do: Once a week, they analyze the odor of dogs' breath to test the effect of the animals' diet on their teeth. Breath is graded on a scale of zero to 10 and is categorized as sweaty, salty, musty, fungal or decaying. (From smelling human's breath to dog's breath. I wonder if they use a breathalizer like they do for DWI's).
13. Potato chip inspector What they do: Search for overcooked or clumped chips to discard as they come down the assembly line. (Discard? I could discard them right into my tummy. This would be a bad job for me).
14. Porta-potty servicer What they do: Like regular restrooms, portable toilets need maintenance, too. Once a week, service workers clean these single-stall facilities to achieve certain standards of sanitation. (Hat's off to the people who can do this and not vomit constantly. I hope you get paid well).
15. Barbie dress designer What they do: Fashion designers at Mattel Toys, the company behind Barbie, create hundreds of new styles for Barbie and her ever-expanding entourage. (Makes sense to me. Otherwise she'd be going naked).
16. Wax figure maker What they do: Mold wax to create figures, often for, but not limited to, the human form. Figures are often made in the likeness of people who have achieved historical or celebrity recognition. (Wax museums are very cool and slightly creepy).
17. Safecracker What they do: When combinations are lost or forgotten, safecrackers use their ears and fingers to open the safe. (Awesome :) This might be fun to try for a day or two).
18. Wig maker What they do: Put simply, they make wigs, but the process is anything but simple. First, wig makers create a plastic model of the wearer’s head and hairline, and then they transfer the mold onto a padded canvas similar to the client’s general head size, covering it with wig lace. Using a needle, they knot and pull thousands of hairs, one by one, through the mesh cap. Once all the hairs are in place, the wig is styled to the wearer’s preference. (This is another job that makes sense. Where else would they come from?).
19. Paper towel sniffer What they do: Paper towel manufacturers prefer their products to be odorless before, during and after their use. Naturally, paper towel sniffers ensure that once a paper towel is used, there is no noticeable scent. (Seriously? I kind of question this one).
20. Foley artist What they do: Use whatever they can find to create and record the noises used to make the sound effects in films, like heavy footsteps, rolling thunder or creaking doors. (I've seen the Foley artist accredited in the end titles, but was never sure what it was they did. This is pretty fun. I'd do this for a living).
Written by (With comments added by me): Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.
The article came from this link
This is an article from Careerbuilder.com. I'm sure I mentioned the site before. It's a good search engine for jobs, especially local ones.
Here are 20 odd jobs portrayed in Rica Schiff’s books.
1. Breath odor evaluator What they do: Odor judges smell nasty morning breath or breath “insulted” with strong scents, like garlic or coffee. They rate the breath on a scale from one to nine, one being the worst. To test odor-reducing products like gum or mouthwash, they smell the breath again and assign it a new rating. (Really? Who would want to smell peoples breath all day. Although it doesn't seem like a terribly hard job. I wonder what the pay is...)
2. Diener What they do: Prepare cadavers for the pathologist before autopsies are performed in hospitals. (I would have to pass on this. No matter how much it paid.)
3. Ribbon candy puller What they do: After a heated combination of sugar, corn syrup, water and coloring agent has cooled, batches of different colors are laid out side by side. Someone then pulls the candy thin until it’s about an inch wide. The final product is a multicolored hard candy. (Wouldn't this fall under the category of candy maker? It really doesn't seem that odd to me. I'd try it though).
4. Ocularist What they do: In short, they paint artificial eyes. It sounds easier than it is, since as with real eyes, no two are exactly the same. (I've heard of this one before. I'm afraid if I painted eyes that wouldn't look quite right. Pass).
5. Flatulence smell-reduction underwear maker What they do: Create underwear that protects against bad human gas for people who suffer from gastrointestinal problems. The underwear is made with various materials and filters to help remedy hydrogen sulfide gases, the main offender in foul smells. (O_o lol who really ever would have thought about making underwear that reduces the smell of someones gas? I wonder if it actually works).
6. Beer tester What they do: Taste – and spit out – beer all day to approve new and existing flavors. (There seriously has to be more to the job than just tasting beer. Not a big fan of beer, I'm afraid I'd be terrible at this. Now if it was wine I might do alright).
7. Crack filler What they do: Using a silicone sealant, they repair the wear and tear inflicted on monumental structures, like Mount Rushmore. (Again. How about catagorizing this under "Construction").
8. Ball tester What they do: Assess basketballs, footballs, volleyballs and soccer balls for air-retention, inflation, roundness, weight and reboundability. (Quality control anyone? If this didn't require any athletic skill, I could do that).
9. Video game tester What they do: For eight hours a day, five days a week, a group of males and females of all ages play video games. They repeat levels, games and characters, looking for any bugs and/or glitches in the software. (I've heard of this one before too. I've also heard it's not as fun as it sounds).
10. Tampon tester What they do: Check all sizes of tampons for absorbency and cord strength in accordance with Food and Drug Administration standards. Most testers check up to 125 pieces per day. (Quality control...it makes sense).
11. Gold reclaimer What they do: Scour old teeth for fillings, melting the gold from them with broken gold jewelry into tiny gold pellets, which are then resold to jewelers. (er...does this mean they dig up dead people and pry their fillings out? Gross).
12. Dog sniffer What they do: Once a week, they analyze the odor of dogs' breath to test the effect of the animals' diet on their teeth. Breath is graded on a scale of zero to 10 and is categorized as sweaty, salty, musty, fungal or decaying. (From smelling human's breath to dog's breath. I wonder if they use a breathalizer like they do for DWI's).
13. Potato chip inspector What they do: Search for overcooked or clumped chips to discard as they come down the assembly line. (Discard? I could discard them right into my tummy. This would be a bad job for me).
14. Porta-potty servicer What they do: Like regular restrooms, portable toilets need maintenance, too. Once a week, service workers clean these single-stall facilities to achieve certain standards of sanitation. (Hat's off to the people who can do this and not vomit constantly. I hope you get paid well).
15. Barbie dress designer What they do: Fashion designers at Mattel Toys, the company behind Barbie, create hundreds of new styles for Barbie and her ever-expanding entourage. (Makes sense to me. Otherwise she'd be going naked).
16. Wax figure maker What they do: Mold wax to create figures, often for, but not limited to, the human form. Figures are often made in the likeness of people who have achieved historical or celebrity recognition. (Wax museums are very cool and slightly creepy).
17. Safecracker What they do: When combinations are lost or forgotten, safecrackers use their ears and fingers to open the safe. (Awesome :) This might be fun to try for a day or two).
18. Wig maker What they do: Put simply, they make wigs, but the process is anything but simple. First, wig makers create a plastic model of the wearer’s head and hairline, and then they transfer the mold onto a padded canvas similar to the client’s general head size, covering it with wig lace. Using a needle, they knot and pull thousands of hairs, one by one, through the mesh cap. Once all the hairs are in place, the wig is styled to the wearer’s preference. (This is another job that makes sense. Where else would they come from?).
19. Paper towel sniffer What they do: Paper towel manufacturers prefer their products to be odorless before, during and after their use. Naturally, paper towel sniffers ensure that once a paper towel is used, there is no noticeable scent. (Seriously? I kind of question this one).
20. Foley artist What they do: Use whatever they can find to create and record the noises used to make the sound effects in films, like heavy footsteps, rolling thunder or creaking doors. (I've seen the Foley artist accredited in the end titles, but was never sure what it was they did. This is pretty fun. I'd do this for a living).
Written by (With comments added by me): Rachel Zupek is a writer and blogger for CareerBuilder.com. She researches and writes about job search strategy, career management, hiring trends and workplace issues.
The article came from this link
Friday, March 13, 2009
50 Jobs in 50 States
I thought this was pretty cool. This was shown on ABC news back in January.
A graduate student was having trouble finding a job after graduation. This video shows how he managed to land himself 50 jobs in each of the 50 states of the great old U.S of A.
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=6607573
He's actually come away from some of these jobs with actual job offers.
A bit old but for those who haven't seen it, it's pretty interesting.
Good luck with your job searching.
A graduate student was having trouble finding a job after graduation. This video shows how he managed to land himself 50 jobs in each of the 50 states of the great old U.S of A.
http://abcnews.go.com/Video/playerIndex?id=6607573
He's actually come away from some of these jobs with actual job offers.
A bit old but for those who haven't seen it, it's pretty interesting.
Good luck with your job searching.
Monday, February 2, 2009
The Hidden Message in Job Ads
Here's some fun jokes about the job search and what employers really mean when they say...
"Fun work environment:" - Your coworkers will be insulted if you don't drink with them.
"Must be deadline oriented:" - You'll be six months behind schedule on your first day.
"Competitive salary:" - We remain competitive by paying less than our competitors
"Join our fast-paced department:" - We have no time to train you; you'll have to introduce yourself
to your coworkers.
"Immediate opening:" - The person who used to have this job gave notice a month ago. We're just
now running the ad.
"Self-motivated:" - Management won't answer questions.
"Some public relations required:" - If we're in trouble you'll go on TV and get us out of it.
"Some overtime required:" - Some time each night and some time each weekend.
"Flexible hours:" - Work 40 hours; get paid for 25.
"Duties will vary:" - Anyone in the office can boss you around.
"Where employees feel valued:" - Those who missed the last round of layoffs, that is.
"Must have an eye for detail:" - We have no quality control.
"Career-Minded:" - Female applicants must be childless (and remain that way).
"No phone calls please:" - We've filled the job; our call for resumes is just a legal formality.
"Seeking candidates with a wide variety of experience:" - You'll need it to replace three people
who just left.
"Problem-solving skills a must:" - You're walking into a business in perpetual chaos.
"Requires team leadership skills:" - You'll have the responsibilities of a manager, without the pay
or respect.
"Good communication skills:" - Management communicates, you listen, figure out what they
want you to do.
"Ability to handle a heavy workload:" You whine, you're fired.
"Aspirations for growth within our department:" - We loooooove brown-nosers.
hehe.
For the next post I'll be posting some questions to ask a potential employer during an interview. Stay tuned.
"Fun work environment:" - Your coworkers will be insulted if you don't drink with them.
"Must be deadline oriented:" - You'll be six months behind schedule on your first day.
"Competitive salary:" - We remain competitive by paying less than our competitors
"Join our fast-paced department:" - We have no time to train you; you'll have to introduce yourself
to your coworkers.
"Immediate opening:" - The person who used to have this job gave notice a month ago. We're just
now running the ad.
"Self-motivated:" - Management won't answer questions.
"Some public relations required:" - If we're in trouble you'll go on TV and get us out of it.
"Some overtime required:" - Some time each night and some time each weekend.
"Flexible hours:" - Work 40 hours; get paid for 25.
"Duties will vary:" - Anyone in the office can boss you around.
"Where employees feel valued:" - Those who missed the last round of layoffs, that is.
"Must have an eye for detail:" - We have no quality control.
"Career-Minded:" - Female applicants must be childless (and remain that way).
"No phone calls please:" - We've filled the job; our call for resumes is just a legal formality.
"Seeking candidates with a wide variety of experience:" - You'll need it to replace three people
who just left.
"Problem-solving skills a must:" - You're walking into a business in perpetual chaos.
"Requires team leadership skills:" - You'll have the responsibilities of a manager, without the pay
or respect.
"Good communication skills:" - Management communicates, you listen, figure out what they
want you to do.
"Ability to handle a heavy workload:" You whine, you're fired.
"Aspirations for growth within our department:" - We loooooove brown-nosers.
hehe.
For the next post I'll be posting some questions to ask a potential employer during an interview. Stay tuned.
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
A Couple of Sites
Here's a couple of sites that are more geared towards College students. JobWeb offers career and job-search advice for new college graduates. A service of the National Association of Colleges and Employers:
http://www.jobweb.org/
Then this site lists more sites for students to look through. Most of these places are actually looking for new graduates.
http://www.careerprep.com/Job%20Info%20Resources/Index.htm
Hopefully those will be of some help to everyone
http://www.jobweb.org/
Then this site lists more sites for students to look through. Most of these places are actually looking for new graduates.
http://www.careerprep.com/Job%20Info%20Resources/Index.htm
Hopefully those will be of some help to everyone
Saturday, January 17, 2009
Topics
It's hard to keep finding things to write about for a blog, especially when nothing really changes.
I got another rejection letter today for a job I just applied to on Thursday. They work quick.
I applied to 2 more jobs today. So I'm going to keep trying. I don't really have a choice but to, if I want to move on and do something besides be a bum around my Mom's house...
I got another rejection letter today for a job I just applied to on Thursday. They work quick.
I applied to 2 more jobs today. So I'm going to keep trying. I don't really have a choice but to, if I want to move on and do something besides be a bum around my Mom's house...
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
More input
Continuing with other peoples opinions. Here's one more:
Let see...LIFE after college is HARD! I didn't think it would be so difficult
to find a job to use my degree with. It's just really frustrating...and I
feel like I'm stuck in a dead end job. Its awful. I am thankful I have a job...
just want one I can use my degree with. Hope this helps and hope there are others
that feel that same as I do.
Sarah B.
I feel like this too. I'm thankful to have a job but what I really want is a career. I would pretty much take anything at this point.
One more rejection letter was added to my pile today.
I've lost track of the number of jobs that I've applied to, but so far the count is somewhere around 40 or more maybe closer to 50. I have 9 I'm waiting to hear from and at least 2 more that I need to apply to before the week is up.
I'm really hoping that something will come up soon so I can start making plans to move on with the rest of my life instead of being stuck where I am right now.
Let see...LIFE after college is HARD! I didn't think it would be so difficult
to find a job to use my degree with. It's just really frustrating...and I
feel like I'm stuck in a dead end job. Its awful. I am thankful I have a job...
just want one I can use my degree with. Hope this helps and hope there are others
that feel that same as I do.
Sarah B.
I feel like this too. I'm thankful to have a job but what I really want is a career. I would pretty much take anything at this point.
One more rejection letter was added to my pile today.
I've lost track of the number of jobs that I've applied to, but so far the count is somewhere around 40 or more maybe closer to 50. I have 9 I'm waiting to hear from and at least 2 more that I need to apply to before the week is up.
I'm really hoping that something will come up soon so I can start making plans to move on with the rest of my life instead of being stuck where I am right now.
Wednesday, January 7, 2009
Here's an Idea
Continuing from the last post...
In desperation of searching for jobs last night and not finding much I turned to trusty google and typed in "find me a job" and "I need a job."
It didn't find me a job but it came up with links for a quirky idea.
Get your resume printed on a t-shirt and wear it around. If nothing else it's a conversation piece. Whether it will get everyone who wears one a job, well who knows.
Here's a couple different links for the same idea. From what I gather the idea seemed to originate from this guy:
http://www.damnineedajob.com/
but here's another link that offers the same services:
http://www.blackbirdtees.com/store/custom-tees-72/custom-resume-tee-198.html
I thought the idea was fun and maybe it'll get someone a job.
In desperation of searching for jobs last night and not finding much I turned to trusty google and typed in "find me a job" and "I need a job."
It didn't find me a job but it came up with links for a quirky idea.
Get your resume printed on a t-shirt and wear it around. If nothing else it's a conversation piece. Whether it will get everyone who wears one a job, well who knows.
Here's a couple different links for the same idea. From what I gather the idea seemed to originate from this guy:
http://www.damnineedajob.com/
but here's another link that offers the same services:
http://www.blackbirdtees.com/store/custom-tees-72/custom-resume-tee-198.html
I thought the idea was fun and maybe it'll get someone a job.
Tuesday, January 6, 2009
New Year
It's the beginning of another year.
I received an e-mail today from one of the companies I applied to and was rejected for yet another position.
So now it's time for more searching. Here's a few job sites that you may or may not know of:
www.coroflot.com
www.malakye.com
www.careerbuilder.com
www.jobfox.com
www.simplyhired.com
and don't forget
www.monster.com
Hopefully things will start turning around and companies will be a little less cautious about hiring on new employees. Which is very tough with the amount of people being layed off as it is. The economy will right itself eventually, just have to be patient.
I received an e-mail today from one of the companies I applied to and was rejected for yet another position.
So now it's time for more searching. Here's a few job sites that you may or may not know of:
www.coroflot.com
www.malakye.com
www.careerbuilder.com
www.jobfox.com
www.simplyhired.com
and don't forget
www.monster.com
Hopefully things will start turning around and companies will be a little less cautious about hiring on new employees. Which is very tough with the amount of people being layed off as it is. The economy will right itself eventually, just have to be patient.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
There is life after College
I haven't posted in about a week, obviously. I work at a little retail store and the Christmas season is upon us. I'm working a lot of hours so my posts will most likely be spotty until after New Years.
Well to continue a part of the story from my last post...
I happened to see the mother of one girl that I had graduated High School with over the summer in the store that I work. Her husband happens to be a Graphic Designer (which is what my degree is in). She mentioned to me that they knew someone who graduated in 2007 in that field and how much trouble he had finding a job. Apparently he applied to over 1,000 different positions before he even got one call back for an interview. (Sadly the husband wasn't looking for any new hires, or else I would have jumped right on that).
How's that for inspiration?
Now, it's not that bad for everyone. Just for the majority of us.
Currently the two positions that I'm hanging hope on are on a hiring freeze until after the holidays. So I will not even have a glimmer of an answer until mid-January at the earliest.
I need to continue searching for jobs, but I haven't been able to keep up with it this month. So come January I'll restart my goal of applying to 5 new positions every week.
If I don't post again before Christmas...have a merry one :)
Well to continue a part of the story from my last post...
I happened to see the mother of one girl that I had graduated High School with over the summer in the store that I work. Her husband happens to be a Graphic Designer (which is what my degree is in). She mentioned to me that they knew someone who graduated in 2007 in that field and how much trouble he had finding a job. Apparently he applied to over 1,000 different positions before he even got one call back for an interview. (Sadly the husband wasn't looking for any new hires, or else I would have jumped right on that).
How's that for inspiration?
Now, it's not that bad for everyone. Just for the majority of us.
Currently the two positions that I'm hanging hope on are on a hiring freeze until after the holidays. So I will not even have a glimmer of an answer until mid-January at the earliest.
I need to continue searching for jobs, but I haven't been able to keep up with it this month. So come January I'll restart my goal of applying to 5 new positions every week.
If I don't post again before Christmas...have a merry one :)
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