My first try at a monsterboard resume... don't know if you can see it or not... critic if you can...

http://my.monster.com/viewresume.asp?resumeid=15282953&original=current

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

Answers

All I see is the page where one would log in to create a resume.

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

Oops... center and fonts off, I hope... :) Did it work?

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

that did.

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

Hey Barefoot, what are you doing up so late?

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

Home from work at 2, its 320 now, I just had dinner. Reading for a bit before turning in.

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

The only criticism I have is that resumes are usually done in the third person, but I don't know if employers care about that these days. Otherwise, it looks very professional and business-like.

I think I might take out the available immediately thing because of the psychological effect. It's true that it's always easier to get a job when you already have one--if you're unemployed, employers wonder if you were let go because you farted in public or something. But once they hear your dulcet tones on the phone, once you have human contact, then there's a difference--hook 'em first; tell 'em you were laid off only if they ask!

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

Damn, just noticed in Objective, "preferable" should be "preferably." Last para of Govt Sales Mgr, "insured" should be "ensured."

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

Hi Carl, Teledyne came to mind, maybe put your name in there. When I read your resume, I'm not sure if this is suppose to be Stockton.

"EDUCATION 5/1982 San Joaquin Delta College US-CA-Stokton"

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

Oops, thanks Old Git... I'm a lousy proofreader, actually, they want me to still work for them through September, but it sounds like they are like on the verge of bankruptcy, I agreed to take care of my clients that call my voicemail or e-mail me, in return, I get to keep my free internet and voicemail for my job hunt... I doubt I'll see any commission out of them. I already checked with unemployment, and they said fine, so long as I report any earnings...

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

Carl, I've done some recruiting. Overall, you have an excellent resume! In addition to what others have said, here are two other small items to consider:

1) Your job objective might disqualify you from some jobs that you might want. I suggest making it shorter and leaving out the last part about the government, unless you won't consider any other work.

2) Are you absolutely sure that you won't consider relocation? What if there's the perfect job for you up the coast? When you're on a serious job hunt, you pull possible points off the board when you close that door. I won't name names, but there are posters on TB who have thrown themselves into a sub-standard way of life because they refuse to consider moving to where the jobs are. The implications of that have long-term effects, such as retirement.

I wish you the best of luck in your search. If you're not overly picky, I think you'll have at least two offers on the table by the end of the month -- your skill set is solid!

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

I've moved to where the jobs are on many occasions, both by myself and since I've been married to Sweetie. I once moved from England to the US :) At one point, my son had been to so many different schools (in two countries, three states), we lost count. When The Wall came down and we found ourselves in Norfolk with defense work swirling down the drain fast, we chose to move to RTP because of its 20 years of low unemployment. Of course, the dot.com depression hit, Sweetie was laid off, and we were unemployed.

During the three months he was laid off, Sweetie was offered interviews in Indiana and Pennsylvania and, I believe, Illinois. We refused for two reasons: one, I'm not in any shape to do a house move; and two, in this market we would have a difficult time selling or renting our house. Carl doesn't own a home at the moment but I'd guess he doesn't want to get too far away from his young daughter, nor take his son away from his sister. My son was 21 when we moved to Norfolk and he chose to stay in the New Orleans area, but it was still a hell of a wrench.

With that said, I agree with removing the location statement. Someone might call with a job out of town and, even though you refuse, might be favorably impressed and call you back about a more geographically suitable job later.

P.S. Carl, Rogue Wave just closed its Stingray division here and laid off all the sales people. Other staff were already laid off and the remainder will be let go September 1.

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

Or, sometimes one has to take a job out of town and then transfer back later. I've seen this happen quite frequently lately: a whole slew of California people have had to relocate to Columbus to keep their jobs. Those a little higher on the feeding chain have recently been able to move back out West.

I can sympathize about not wanting to leave young family members, but one must not lose sight of the long-range salary implications: we simply can't count on social security! And those of us in the prime earning years need to be ever mindful of the future. One or two years at a low wage can be made up, but more than that is asking for trouble down the road.

And I've relocated. And I'll relocate again if necessary, but I can't complain about the Columbus job market: it's been very good to me.

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

Thanks for the great critic's, making changes... I've already have had offers at much better pay than I was making, but they wanted me to relocate. My son is almost old enough he would be up for it, but right now, if I were to move him to far away, his mom would never see him... though I guess if it was only a couple of hours away, I could consider it... I relied on her and her mom to help watch him when I had to travel, and so on... maybe should keep that open...

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

Having reared a child without help from relatives, except during the summer vacation, I know how crucial it is to have reliable and trusted care. So often I had to leave my son with someone I didn't really trust--or sometimes even by himself when he was legally too young--because I had to work and proper daycare was either unavailable or far too expensive in those days.

I hope you can hold out long enough to find a job not too far away.

-- Anonymous, August 11, 2001

Old Git, sounds like your younger years were pretty rough, like my mom's, and of course, us kids with her. At least you've got your Sweetie now :)

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2001

Oops, thank's Maggie!

I read your comment about Teledyne, and started thinking about that and skimmed the rest of the post... just now realized you were pointing out I had spelled Stockton wrong :)

Fixed it... it's right in my "real resume", but creating one of these searchable online things, it was a first for me, used to spelling & grammer checks :)

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2001

Carl, if it weren't for Sweetie I honestly don't know what my life would be like right now. I can't hold a full-time job any more, so I believe I'd be living in a ratty little apartment in a bad neighborhood, maybe on food stamps or something. (I would never live off my son.)

When we first got married in 1986, I had a thriving little business and good income and was healthy and energetic, although the impaired vision was already a slight problem. My health and energy slowly went down the tubes over the next few years, so that by five years of marriage I was a bit useless--but you'd never know it by Sweetie. He treats me just the same as he always did, maybe better. 'Course it helps that his No. 1 was a real bitch;)

If I have a bad day and sleep 80% of it, no problem. Sweetie never complains, even if he has to go out and get subs or something because I'm too tired to cook. It really doesn't bother him, he's so laid-back. Don't think I take him for granted--never! I know how lucky I am and I reflect on that fact quite frequently.

Our layoff was so scary because I have only that tiny job with the paper and TV station; they don't bring in much. I've never been a dependent adult before and it's a bit scary. The thought of having no health insurance was the scariest of all. You can see why I'm trying to get a bit of typing work (no calls yet, put up two more flyers today though).

Carl, I hate that you have to move; it's a bitch to pack all that stuff and go live under someone else's roof. But I'm glad you're smart enough to do it now, before things get a bit desperate. I think we could have managed quite comfortably for another two or three months, providing there was no medical emergency for us or the cats, but I'm glad we didn't have to find out.

I keep thinking how grateful I am to you all and those we don't hear from any more--all those tips on frugal living, the impetus to stash things, info on shelf lives, and how to make do. I was caught a bit short on canned catfood, but that was the only thing. (I was waiting for a sale!) We were lucky and so will you be, Carl. Remember we're all real survivors. Meemur has offered encouragement through her difficult experiences and I know there are many more out there who've survived tough times.

If it gets a bit dismal, e-mail me your phone number and I'll cheer you up :)

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2001

Gonna post it on bathroom walls or something? LOL

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2001

Damn, you had to spoil it, BF. I had the bus station loo in mind.

-- Anonymous, August 12, 2001

Probably as usefull as monsterboard :)

"Will analyze for food" .... naw, bad idea, too much room for the semi-literate to confuse that with a sexual act...

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Carl, if you placed that saying on a sandwich board and paraded yourself around Starbucks in Silcon Valley, you might get some takers!

In case you're getting bogged down in moving details, I present my quick check list of things to be doing while finding a job:

1. Submit resumes online to major job boards.

2. Submit resumes and cover letters to appropriate firms in your area (check the yellow pages to make sure you haven't missed any). Tip: call ahead and make sure your resume is going to the right person. Reference that person's name in the first line of your cover letter. (Names get attention!)

3. Phone/email all of your contacts and old bosses. Let them know that you are available and hunting for work.

4. Block out time each day or every other day to scan the online job ads and job ads in hard copy (appropriate journals, trade papers). Sometimes employers put ads only in hardcopy, not online because there aren't enough people around temporarily to hand email. (August is vacation month in some quarters).

5. If appropriate, also block out time to phone job hotlines once a week. If your sales background could be used with the state, a large hospital, or the feds, using the hotlines becomes important because they don't always have good web help who keep the website updated. It's easier for a lot of the secretaries to keep the phone hotlines updated.

6. If you have access to any college placement offices, check there. I used to go down to the campus, even when I wasn't a student to read the free employment journals (had listings) and to scan the boards. The jobs were coded, but I could usually figure out who the local employers were and send them a resume.

7. If appropriate, apply with an upper-level temp agency. Some handle management positions. Here it's Adecco. Your yellow pages will give you some clues.

Good Luck! Don't take "no mail" personally. It *IS* Vacation Month. I think June and August are the worst months for job hunting. Things will pick up after Labor Day!

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Oh, Yeah. Lastly, using trade journals, the yellow pages, (etc) and your memory, make a list of firms, etc., where you might want to work and either do some online research into those companies or if short on time, phone and ask who should receive your resume and follow-up.

In my wayward youth, one of my jobs was finding jobs for displaced auto workers. I could usually place skilled tradesmen (welding, etc) within about two weeks if they were willing to relocate. Others, who were still in denial about being laid-off, refused to follow the suggestions above. A fair number lost their homes, resulting in damaged credit for years. That didn't have to happen.

Ironically, I was down-sized from that job, but I saw that coming and was able to move into an entry-level lab tech position at a nearby hospital because by then I had taken enough micro biology classes in college.

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001

Wow, that's great advice, Meemur! I'd also add:

If your favorite newspaper has job classifieds on-line, start checking after about 7 p.m. on Saturday. The time varied for our paper's Sunday's ads to appear but if you keep checking and get a resume e-mailed ASAP, yours will be among the first to arrive.

Bear in mind too that many schools will be hiring people for the new school year so you might check all the educational institutions around, including vo-tech--the jobs might be on general state hiring sites and appear there before they appear in the newspaper. The larger institutions have their own temporary services and sometimes need IT people.

Here in NC, those on unemployment are allowed to earn a small amount of money to add to their benefits without any loss; you might want to see if your ESC does the same. You could also consider private tutoring in subjects in which you have expertise. (Private math tutoring here nets $15-20 an hour.)

-- Anonymous, August 13, 2001