Clog Those Phone Lines

November 21, 1997

Perhaps it stands to reason that AT&T is promoting telecommuting. After all, they own a good percentage of the phone lines we use.

But never mind that--or the discussion of monopolies or anything else.

Instead, enjoy the concept.

Do you really enjoy driving an hour or so to and from work each day? Does it cause you pleasure to lean out your window with digit upraised? Is it so utterly delightful to practice your "colorful" vocabulary that you couldn't bear the thought of no more commuting?

What could you do with those two extra hours each day? Those ten hours a week?

Yes. You could sleep in. You could watch your kid play soccer.

You could also work more and be more productive.

Sound good?

Look at the how AT&T suggests you create a memo for your boss to convince him or her that telecommuting might be a good idea. Then, take a look at the other Internet resources that discuss telecommuting and its surrounding issues.

All you need is a computer, a modem, and a phone line. You can do most anything -- we do. And it's absolutely terrific.

AT&T isn't the only one with the idea. Back in July 1996, Governor Carlson, of Minnesota, declared a telecommuting week. This year, there was a national Telecommute Week during the end of October. New York was involved, as were Minnesota, parts of Arizona, Massachusetts, a few others, and Canada.

So. Were you at working at home? Or, were you in traffic?

We'll Put You First

November 20, 1997

CareerPath wants your business.

They've been online for two years and their competition is growing. In fact, all the job sites want you. But, Career Path has caught on.

They realize that all the job sites are vying for the attention of the job hunters. Some sites are going as far as trying to treat their visitors as people rather than statistics.

And Career Path is doing just that. They want you to come, to browse, to stay, to find.

In addition to having more than 200,000 fresh jobs, it has added a set of services geared toward hunters. According to Renee LaBran, the company's interim CEO:

"The future of job hunting and recruiting on the Internet belongs to the company that can deliver a sufficiently large number of resumes and job listings, and then follow through by seamlessly matching like-minded employers and employees."

To that end, Career Path has added employer profiles so you can learn before you burn.

Even more delightful is their use of the new Junglee technology which means you save time. (To learn more about this dynamite new technology, see the 11/2 column in our sister newsletter Electronic Recruiting News.) Junglee makes it possible for you to search through several corporate Web site's offering job postings--without having to leave Career Path. Quite a nice touch since we like anything that saves us time and clicks.

What Not to Write

November 19, 1997

A colleague on a listserv passed along a little chuckle last week. We wrote for permission to use it, but learned that it wasn't hers.

She got it from a friend who found it on another listserv who had received it from another friend on yet another list serve. We really did make diligent efforts to track down the original source, but it seems to be one of those Kurt Vonnegut type things. Someone somewhere wrote it, but the name's been lost. It's a bit like those handouts your teachers used to circulate amongst themselves about the horribly written "please excuse my son, Jamie" notes; everyone's seen them, but no one knows who wrote it. So here goes, with all due apologies to the original one who compiled all these.

In any event, what follows are some examples of supposedly real statements made on resumes.

How not to use the spell-checker:

• "Education: Curses in liberal arts, curses in computer science, curses in accounting."
• "I am a rabid typist."
• "Instrumental in ruining entire operation for a Midwest chain store."
• "Proven ability to track down and correct erors."
• "Strengths: Ability to meet deadlines while maintaining composer."
• "Disposed of $2.5 billion in assets."
• Cover letter: "Thank you for your consideration. Hope to hear from you shorty!"

And here are examples of why it might be a good idea to have a friend read your stuff before you send it out:

• "I have an excellent track record, although I am not a horse."
• "Exposure to German for two years, but many words are not appropriate for business."
• "Personal interests: Donating blood. 15 gallons so far."
• "I have become completely paranoid, trusting completely nothing and absolutely no one."
• "References: None, I've left a path of destruction behind me."
• "Don't take the comments of my former employer too seriously, they were unappreciative beggars and slave drivers."
• "My goal is to be a meteorologist. But since I possess no training in meteorology, I suppose I should try stock brokerage."
• "Qualifications: No education or experience."

People say the darndest things. We did get a delightful chuckle out of all this.

But wouldn't it be awful if the chuckle were at your expense?

Learn It Now

November 18, 1997

Delphi Internet offers a public service. A worthwhile service to job seekers.

No, they don't have job postings on this site. Instead, they have a glossary.

Yup. That's right. A glossary. Kind of like a dictionary. Specifically, it's an interactive glossary of Internet and World Wide Web terminology. Even more than that, it's an internet course in itself. Terms are linked to related terms, FAQs, and tutorials.

This is a terrific place to start your own learning -- to catch up to those high school kids turning down job offers left and right.

Then, once you know your terms, take a look at Geocities where you can get a free homepage. Take advantage of it.

Learn a bit of HTML (see our 11/3 column for some sources.) Add a little design know-how. In other words, show your skills in practice. Advertise yourself.

You don't need to make this page into a resume, but you should think of it as a virtual resume-- a portfolio if you will. Something that demonstrates in actuality what you can do.

Degrees Of Practice

November 17, 1997

Do you really need college to get a job?

Take a look at a column written by Stuart Silverstein of the LA Times on 11/9.

In it, he talks about an 18 year old computer whiz who's being flooded with $30,000+ job offers.

And this kid is not alone. Alone another kid turned down $60,000 a year so he could go to college. Lots of start-ups find young talent and make offers.

Hmmm... let's see. One of our associates spent six years in college and about $20,000 in tuition (yes, that was a while ago). Of course, during that time, said associate also had no "real" job and so you could count lost money there, as well. That might bring the total way higher.

Now, young men and women are finding that their time on computers and the knowledge they've gained through fun and games--as well as hard work and intensely personal learning--is paying off.

What means all this?

As companies become more desperate for computer savvy workers, degrees are not always what can get you in the door. Experience and ability count considerably. And this is where resume writing can be quite handy.

The world of work is slowly being defined as skills and abilities rather than titles and functions. Your skills, whatever they are, are your marketing tools--particularly if you highlight them and demonstrate that they can transfer to any position in any organization.

Take a look at Margaret Riley's (now known as Margaret Dikel) resources on resume preparation. In particular, pay attention to anything related to skills and transferability.

Yes, there are jobs. Yes, many are related to computer wizardry. But, most all skills are in demand in some fashion. It's up to you to demonstrate how you can use what you know in new contexts.

-Jennifer Hicks