Thursday, March 3, 2011

The Job Hunt

I have been unemployed for one year. Luckily, it has been my decision to be unemployed for a year, until now. Now, I'm ready to get back to work, feel the satisfaction of earning a paycheck, and wear my cute heels everyday. As I am in the midst of searching for job openings, revising my resume and preparing for interviews, I thought I would share a few thoughts that go through my head on a seemingly regular basis.

  • I HATE looking for a job - probably the consensus of most people. The process requires patience, something I don't have, yet have been praying for a lot lately.
  • I think cover letters are dumb and a waste of time. I know they are "necessary" and required for most of the jobs I am applying for, but still, dumb. While their purpose is to help the employer understand why I, the prospective employee, applied for the job and help decide if they should spend any more time looking at my resume, it seems like a waste of time on both our parts. Instead of summarizing my entire resume in a completely unique and personalized letter to you and your company, just read my resume and decide if I'm worth an interview. If letter-writing skills are a make-or-break kinda thing for the job, then check out my handwritten thank-you note on my super cute stationary that you'll be getting after the interview. Booya.
  • I will never understand the purpose of including an "objective" at the top of my resume. My objective is and always will be to get the stinkin' job! That's why I'm applying for it! I guess I could put "to successfully obtain employment at _____ company." That sounds a little nicer than GIVE ME THE JOB! It seems the only thing an objective really does is shorten the already limited space I have as I try to fit everything on one page.
  • Please put the salary range on the job posting. I know what I'm looking for and you know what you can afford.