What the hell?

Resumes
"On several occasions, I have woken at night from a sound sleep, having had a vision of the perfect wording for a job-description bullet. "I didn't allocate, I formulated!" "I instituted, not initiated!"

Ain't that the truth. I started reading Tim Johnson's Diary of a Job Search on the WSJ. He's funny. (And if you're not subscribed and want to read it as well, email me.)

A few sprinkles from his writings:

Last month I went to an old friend's second wedding at the Buffalo Club -- in Buffalo, N.Y. The club is a throwback to another era; a time of game hunting and cigars, when men were men. Teddy Roosevelt ran the country from there as William McKinley lay dying next door from an assassin's bullet. As the hour grew late and the room filled with cigar smoke, I found myself at the bar with an investment adviser in his 50s who had had plenty to drink. We chatted a bit, then he asked me about my work. When I told him about my job search, he explained that providing investment advice was his cover for counseling people on matters of the soul.

We talked about meditation and the meaning of life. I didn't have to worry about finding a job, he explained. I simply had to spend a lot of time in silence, listening to my inner wisdom, and the problem would resolve itself. Then he passed out.

AND

The Internet is great for research, but I'm learning to limit and focus the time I spend online. When I had my own consulting business, I loved the convenience of working from my home office in my bathrobe. Some days I wouldn't get dressed until noon. Now that I'm unemployed, sitting around in my underwear is depressing. Spending too much time online can lead to sitting around in your underwear.

Tee hee.

And now that I'm looking for a cell phone, this hits home:

there are countless forms to complete. As if to taunt me, each form asks for my employer and work phone number. Even the checkout person at the supermarket where I applied for a discount card knows I'm jobless.

I went to see a doctor for a routine checkup. I left the employer portion of the form blank. The receptionist shouted across the waiting room: "Who's your employer?" I shouted back: "I'm unemployed." People buried their heads in their magazines.

posted by irene @ 8/28/2002 11:53:00 AM