Comments for Jobless and Less http://www.joblessandless.com The Blog for the Employmentally Challenged Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:17:24 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 Comment on Mission Accomplished by Ted http://www.joblessandless.com/2011/05/mission-accomplished/comment-page-1/#comment-6493 Ted Thu, 12 Jan 2012 21:17:24 +0000 http://www.joblessandless.com/?p=3223#comment-6493 Hi guys! Unemployed? I’ve been there. It blows! When I lost my job in the private sector it took me years to recover. But things eventually came together, thanks to a really good resume. Resumes are SO important, yet we all spend so little time on them. You get one shot at that dream job, don’t you want your resume to make a good impression? That’s why I wrote the book, RESUME POISON. It’s FREE on my website. Just come on over and sign up to receive your copy. It’s packed with information and tips on what NOT to put in your resume. I’m so lucky to have a job now, but I still remember what it was like to be unemployed. Don’t let a bad resume keep you from getting the job you deserve. Download RESUME POISON today! http://capstonecontent.com/free-resume-writing-ebook/ Cheers! Ted Hi guys!
Unemployed? I’ve been there. It blows! When I lost my job in the private sector it took me years to recover. But things eventually came together, thanks to a really good resume.
Resumes are SO important, yet we all spend so little time on them. You get one shot at that dream job, don’t you want your resume to make a good impression?
That’s why I wrote the book, RESUME POISON. It’s FREE on my website. Just come on over and sign up to receive your copy. It’s packed with information and tips on what NOT to put in your resume. I’m so lucky to have a job now, but I still remember what it was like to be unemployed. Don’t let a bad resume keep you from getting the job you deserve.
Download RESUME POISON today!
http://capstonecontent.com/free-resume-writing-ebook/
Cheers!
Ted

]]> Comment on Mission Accomplished by Alina Larson http://www.joblessandless.com/2011/05/mission-accomplished/comment-page-1/#comment-6491 Alina Larson Thu, 12 Jan 2012 18:57:02 +0000 http://www.joblessandless.com/?p=3223#comment-6491 Congrats! Remember this? http://vimeo.com/33729256 Congrats! Remember this?
http://vimeo.com/33729256

]]> Comment on Mission Accomplished by Norm http://www.joblessandless.com/2011/05/mission-accomplished/comment-page-1/#comment-6130 Norm Fri, 18 Nov 2011 03:40:22 +0000 http://www.joblessandless.com/?p=3223#comment-6130 Wow, Doug, that's quite a rant. I agree with a big chunk of what you're saying too. Personality tests are a joke. And most online applications never actually reach a real person. It's the world we live in unfortunately. Wow, Doug, that’s quite a rant. I agree with a big chunk of what you’re saying too. Personality tests are a joke. And most online applications never actually reach a real person. It’s the world we live in unfortunately.

]]> Comment on Mission Accomplished by Doug Vernon http://www.joblessandless.com/2011/05/mission-accomplished/comment-page-1/#comment-6126 Doug Vernon Thu, 17 Nov 2011 20:34:47 +0000 http://www.joblessandless.com/?p=3223#comment-6126 Hi, Norm, just saw your site today, as I'm finally at my wit's end with unemployment. I've been out of work, more or less, since February when the gay couple that ran the company I worked for had a spat over me (one of them had the hots for me. *cringe*) and termed me for insubordination. Yeah, I know.. I got to collect unemployment and file a sexual harrassment suit and all that, but I was still out of a job. I tried a couple call centers.. sorry.. I'd rather be unemployed. What a sweatshop.. boot on your neck kind of place... both of them.. not worth it for 9 bux an hour. Then, an old friend of mine called me out of the blue last June and offered me a job up in Albuquerque. Unfortunately, they ran out of money in September, so I'm back home again looking for work. My point? What's the deal with all these companies making you do the online app dance to get work. What happened to putting on a suit, grabbing a stack of resumes and applying in person.. put a face with a name.. hope for a lucky impromptu interview.. all that? And what's with these personality profile questionairres? Who's getting rich off of that? They're stupid for one. "Let me ask your opinion on something" "WRONG!" employment denied. How can my opinion be 'wrong'? This particular question in particular: I believe that everyone is basically not trustworthy. I don't strongly agree or disagree with that. Lots of people are not trustworthy, but not everyone, for sure. So I would answer SOMEWHAT agree or disagree because that is the CORRECT answer for HOW I FEEL about it. But it doesn't do anything. It's useless. It's nothing more than a non-discriminatory filter to reduce the workload and number of applications the HR department has to comb through. Just like places that are looking for bilingual but can't LEGALLY say that they're only hiring bilinguals use the 'voluntary disclosure' trick. If you answer that you're white, they will not hire you, assuming you don't speak the other desired language. If you answer "I prefer not to answer" they know you're white answering that way to hope for a chance at getting at least an interview, and pass you up too. And the most amazing thing I found is that 90 percent of the places I apply for that use this method don't have BLACK, PACIFIC ISLANDER or other nationalities; they just want to know if your white, hispanic or of hispanic origin, or native american descent. If that's not racial profiling and discrimination, I'm a turnip. Of course I live in New (old) Mexico where EVERYONE is of Hispanic descent, even though when the census comes through, about 43% of them report themselves as white. Reason being is that they're eSpanish, not Mexican... saying that they're family comes from Spain, not Mexico. Well, they did come from Spain, to America, then to Mexico where they diluted the native american and mexican bloodlines with spanish blood.. but they're still hispanic. I just don't get it. I called up an employment agency last week, who has like 4 people in the office doing absolutely nothing most of the day, and asked when a good time to come in and get set up with them would be. I was told to go online and fill out an app there and they would 'contact me with a time to come in and discuss skills'.. A week later.. nothing. So I went online (ugh) to try to find the phone number again, got to their website, and they don't even list it.. they use an online comment form. I mean, COME ON! Does ANYONE actually WORK anymore? So, I write a strongly worded comment in there and submit and lo and behold, 404 error, your message could not be sent... because the system itself was trying to send the comment to the noreply@blah.com address. Jeezus! I can actually fix that, too.. given access to the domain and content, of course. So, I had to go to google and put in the company name, find their address and phone number listing that way, called them and talked to Frank and told him how much money his employment agency was throwing away every day for the last 3 years by gaffing off my applicaion. Well, when Frank realized that I was telling him that he was doing his job poorly if not incorrectly, Frank was so excited that he scheduled me an interview for TOMORROW. Now, why is it that I not only have to look for work, but I have to do my potential employer's HR personnel's jobs for them as well.. I might as well interview myself, set my own salary, hours and benefits too, yes? In conclusion, I have figured out what the problem with unemployment is. PEOPLE KEEP FIRING PEOPLE. Duh right? Actually, that was comedy, but true, nonetheless.. it's actually, I believe, these impersonal online applications and personality profiles that are causing the unemployment problem. Corporations are using them now because some genius convinced them it was THE WAY to weed out the good employees from the bad, but what it really does is trashes about 80 percent of ALL applications because the "Opinion questionairre" is always 'wrong' and the app is rejected or labeled as 'disqualified' for getting too many opinion questions 'wrong'. So, a person like me, who can do just about anything, gets passed over by a stupid computer program instead of letting a real human being meet face to face, learn a little about me, hear my skills, read my resume and decide if I'm a turd with skills, or a diamond with no brain or some happy medium of the two. Anyone feel me here? Get rid of the computer program, hire ONE person whos job it is EVERY DAY, to return phone calls on applicants, meet with applicants, make applications, file them, track them, maintain current job opening status on sites like careerbuilder and all that, and pay him for it. Didn't we have people like that in the past? Ironically, this stupid electronic infobox is one of the major reasons for all of these problems. People got computers, learned how to use them, and then learned how to make them do 90 percent of all the busywork for us. Well, that's so efficient, we have to let 30 people go now, since the computer is doing all of their jobs. CEO's get rich, baseline workers get fucked. Thanks technology. Hi, Norm, just saw your site today, as I’m finally at my wit’s end with unemployment. I’ve been out of work, more or less, since February when the gay couple that ran the company I worked for had a spat over me (one of them had the hots for me. *cringe*) and termed me for insubordination. Yeah, I know.. I got to collect unemployment and file a sexual harrassment suit and all that, but I was still out of a job. I tried a couple call centers.. sorry.. I’d rather be unemployed. What a sweatshop.. boot on your neck kind of place… both of them.. not worth it for 9 bux an hour. Then, an old friend of mine called me out of the blue last June and offered me a job up in Albuquerque. Unfortunately, they ran out of money in September, so I’m back home again looking for work. My point?
What’s the deal with all these companies making you do the online app dance to get work. What happened to putting on a suit, grabbing a stack of resumes and applying in person.. put a face with a name.. hope for a lucky impromptu interview.. all that? And what’s with these personality profile questionairres? Who’s getting rich off of that? They’re stupid for one. “Let me ask your opinion on something” “WRONG!” employment denied. How can my opinion be ‘wrong’? This particular question in particular: I believe that everyone is basically not trustworthy.
I don’t strongly agree or disagree with that. Lots of people are not trustworthy, but not everyone, for sure. So I would answer SOMEWHAT agree or disagree because that is the CORRECT answer for HOW I FEEL about it. But it doesn’t do anything. It’s useless. It’s nothing more than a non-discriminatory filter to reduce the workload and number of applications the HR department has to comb through. Just like places that are looking for bilingual but can’t LEGALLY say that they’re only hiring bilinguals use the ‘voluntary disclosure’ trick. If you answer that you’re white, they will not hire you, assuming you don’t speak the other desired language. If you answer “I prefer not to answer” they know you’re white answering that way to hope for a chance at getting at least an interview, and pass you up too. And the most amazing thing I found is that 90 percent of the places I apply for that use this method don’t have BLACK, PACIFIC ISLANDER or other nationalities; they just want to know if your white, hispanic or of hispanic origin, or native american descent. If that’s not racial profiling and discrimination, I’m a turnip. Of course I live in New (old) Mexico where EVERYONE is of Hispanic descent, even though when the census comes through, about 43% of them report themselves as white. Reason being is that they’re eSpanish, not Mexican… saying that they’re family comes from Spain, not Mexico. Well, they did come from Spain, to America, then to Mexico where they diluted the native american and mexican bloodlines with spanish blood.. but they’re still hispanic. I just don’t get it.
I called up an employment agency last week, who has like 4 people in the office doing absolutely nothing most of the day, and asked when a good time to come in and get set up with them would be. I was told to go online and fill out an app there and they would ‘contact me with a time to come in and discuss skills’.. A week later.. nothing. So I went online (ugh) to try to find the phone number again, got to their website, and they don’t even list it.. they use an online comment form. I mean, COME ON! Does ANYONE actually WORK anymore? So, I write a strongly worded comment in there and submit and lo and behold, 404 error, your message could not be sent… because the system itself was trying to send the comment to the noreply@blah.com address. Jeezus! I can actually fix that, too.. given access to the domain and content, of course. So, I had to go to google and put in the company name, find their address and phone number listing that way, called them and talked to Frank and told him how much money his employment agency was throwing away every day for the last 3 years by gaffing off my applicaion. Well, when Frank realized that I was telling him that he was doing his job poorly if not incorrectly, Frank was so excited that he scheduled me an interview for TOMORROW. Now, why is it that I not only have to look for work, but I have to do my potential employer’s HR personnel’s jobs for them as well.. I might as well interview myself, set my own salary, hours and benefits too, yes? In conclusion, I have figured out what the problem with unemployment is. PEOPLE KEEP FIRING PEOPLE. Duh right? Actually, that was comedy, but true, nonetheless.. it’s actually, I believe, these impersonal online applications and personality profiles that are causing the unemployment problem. Corporations are using them now because some genius convinced them it was THE WAY to weed out the good employees from the bad, but what it really does is trashes about 80 percent of ALL applications because the “Opinion questionairre” is always ‘wrong’ and the app is rejected or labeled as ‘disqualified’ for getting too many opinion questions ‘wrong’. So, a person like me, who can do just about anything, gets passed over by a stupid computer program instead of letting a real human being meet face to face, learn a little about me, hear my skills, read my resume and decide if I’m a turd with skills, or a diamond with no brain or some happy medium of the two. Anyone feel me here? Get rid of the computer program, hire ONE person whos job it is EVERY DAY, to return phone calls on applicants, meet with applicants, make applications, file them, track them, maintain current job opening status on sites like careerbuilder and all that, and pay him for it. Didn’t we have people like that in the past? Ironically, this stupid electronic infobox is one of the major reasons for all of these problems. People got computers, learned how to use them, and then learned how to make them do 90 percent of all the busywork for us. Well, that’s so efficient, we have to let 30 people go now, since the computer is doing all of their jobs. CEO’s get rich, baseline workers get fucked. Thanks technology.

]]> Comment on Re-unemployment: back in or out of the saddle again by Denise http://www.joblessandless.com/2011/01/re-unemployment-back-in-or-out-of-the-saddle-again/comment-page-1/#comment-6091 Denise Fri, 11 Nov 2011 16:21:00 +0000 http://www.joblessandless.com/?p=3209#comment-6091 Loved reading the post and the comments. I've freelanced for 2+ years now. To keep work coming in, recommend looking for new freelance jobs every day, even if you only spend 15 minutes a day looking for new clients. If you're a freelance writer Media Bistro, Morning Coffee, Pro Blogger Jobs, Journalism Jobs, Higher Ed Jobs and LinkedIn are good places to look for writing projects. Best! Denise www.writemoneyinc.com Loved reading the post and the comments. I’ve freelanced for 2+ years now. To keep work coming in, recommend looking for new freelance jobs every day, even if you only spend 15 minutes a day looking for new clients. If you’re a freelance writer Media Bistro, Morning Coffee, Pro Blogger Jobs, Journalism Jobs, Higher Ed Jobs and LinkedIn are good places to look for writing projects.

Best!

Denise
http://www.writemoneyinc.com

]]> Comment on Mission Accomplished by Tom Coleman http://www.joblessandless.com/2011/05/mission-accomplished/comment-page-1/#comment-6075 Tom Coleman Tue, 08 Nov 2011 21:08:08 +0000 http://www.joblessandless.com/?p=3223#comment-6075 Hi,Norm! Can we get an update on where you are now? We miss you! Are you still employed? How is your job working out, and has your working experienced changed how you view joblessness? (And are you afraid of losing this job?) Hi,Norm! Can we get an update on where you are now? We miss you! Are you still employed? How is your job working out, and has your working experienced changed how you view joblessness? (And are you afraid of losing this job?)

]]> Comment on The rejection letter… a children’s story by Katie http://www.joblessandless.com/2010/11/the-rejection-letter-a-childrens-story/comment-page-1/#comment-6061 Katie Fri, 04 Nov 2011 16:25:59 +0000 http://www.joblessandless.com/?p=3197#comment-6061 Hi everyone - please read my blog post about how employers should respect potential employees more!! http://thelittlebarnowl.blogspot.com/2011/11/on-unemployment-and-respecting.html Hi everyone – please read my blog post about how employers should respect potential employees more!!

http://thelittlebarnowl.blogspot.com/2011/11/on-unemployment-and-respecting.html

]]> Comment on Mission Accomplished by Jeff Williams http://www.joblessandless.com/2011/05/mission-accomplished/comment-page-1/#comment-6010 Jeff Williams Thu, 27 Oct 2011 23:05:12 +0000 http://www.joblessandless.com/?p=3223#comment-6010 Congrats on the new job, and I'm sorry I did not discover this place until after you were done writing about your own unemployed experiences. Blogging seems to be a great way to stay engaged. I'm writing about my own unemployment experience (and other things) at www.4thandgoals.com . Hope things are working out well in your new venture! Congrats on the new job, and I’m sorry I did not discover this place until after you were done writing about your own unemployed experiences.

Blogging seems to be a great way to stay engaged. I’m writing about my own unemployment experience (and other things) at http://www.4thandgoals.com .

Hope things are working out well in your new venture!

]]> Comment on The rejection letter… a children’s story by Jo smo http://www.joblessandless.com/2010/11/the-rejection-letter-a-childrens-story/comment-page-1/#comment-5937 Jo smo Tue, 25 Oct 2011 15:49:25 +0000 http://www.joblessandless.com/?p=3197#comment-5937 Hiring managers are simply acting like little bitches and do not want to hire someone who has been out of work for a while. This has become a childlike mentality especially because the jobs I am talking about any idiot could do. The first thing these little hiring managers get negative on is if you have been out of work. I can only hope they get to taste their own medicine soon. And if you have some wise or snarky words to say f*ck off. I was making more money than most of them during the boom years and now because they have an inflated sense of self worth as opposed to their former feeling of not having made it during the good times they want to act like little gods and get overly analytical and judgmental for jobs that anyone could perform well. Again go to hell if you have something smart to say because I have sent out over a hundred resumes and filled out almost the same amount of applications only to be told by little nobody's they are looking for a more qualified applicant. Hiring managers are simply acting like little bitches and do not want to hire someone who has been out of work for a while. This has become a childlike mentality especially because the jobs I am talking about any idiot could do. The first thing these little hiring managers get negative on is if you have been out of work. I can only hope they get to taste their own medicine soon. And if you have some wise or snarky words to say f*ck off. I was making more money than most of them during the boom years and now because they have an inflated sense of self worth as opposed to their former feeling of not having made it during the good times they want to act like little gods and get overly analytical and judgmental for jobs that anyone could perform well. Again go to hell if you have something smart to say because I have sent out over a hundred resumes and filled out almost the same amount of applications only to be told by little nobody’s they are looking for a more qualified applicant.

]]> Comment on Mission Accomplished by Steve R http://www.joblessandless.com/2011/05/mission-accomplished/comment-page-1/#comment-5032 Steve R Sat, 08 Oct 2011 22:32:54 +0000 http://www.joblessandless.com/?p=3223#comment-5032 I see you decided not to post again. Probably for the best I think. I have just started an unemployment blog of my own - http://www.JoblessandBored.co.uk/ (shameless plug) and have been wondering what to do when I do get another job. I think your final post is the way to go and I will probably do something similar. Anyway, congrats on the job and I hope it is still going well. Good luck to any other job hunters out there, I know there are millions of us at the moment, don't give up! I see you decided not to post again. Probably for the best I think.

I have just started an unemployment blog of my own – http://www.JoblessandBored.co.uk/ (shameless plug) and have been wondering what to do when I do get another job. I think your final post is the way to go and I will probably do something similar.

Anyway, congrats on the job and I hope it is still going well. Good luck to any other job hunters out there, I know there are millions of us at the moment, don’t give up!

]]>