Several colleagues and I recently decided there was no better way to spend one evening per week in the 100+ degree Texas summer than playing kickball. As a kid, I have fond memories of playing kickball on the playground at recess or in P.E.
As an adult, I now associate kickball with, well, read the comic first…
Perhaps the only bit of comfort I can take from this experience is knowing it’s not an uncommon phenomenon. It’s not much to hold on to, but it’s something.
Twitter is something I have a hard time getting behind. The mere idea that I’m doing something so incredibly important and / or significant at any given moment – so much so that others would find it interesting – is one I can’t comprehend. That’s not to say there aren’t those people out there. Athletes, movie stars, Jon Gosselin… these I get. But me? Really? Doubtful.
I suppose, though, there are some who would point to the similarity between having a blog and using Twitter. It’s an argument I can see and one that makes sense. The difference, at least in my opinion, is the overarching goal of the medium. Where Twitter is designed to capture (at best) quick snapshots of what’s going on in the poster’s life, blogs allow the writer to explore in greater detail those goings on and other, more weighty topics. But maybe I’m splitting idealistic hairs.
Regardless, please excuse me, I have to go yell at some kids who are on my lawn…
Earlier, I wrote some tips for people searching for work. It’s a noble effort. One that’s increadibly frustrating, time-consuming, and mentally taxing. We’ve all been there. That said, there is at least one sure-fire way to avoid some of the pain and frustration involved in the process.
Don’t Apply For Something You’re Not Qualified To Do.
If you’re reviewing a position description and you have to stretch your experience to meet the minimum qualifications, chances are you aren’t going to do anything but waste your time and that of the reviewer(s). More importantly, if there is a section called “Preferred Qualifications,” check your experience against those. If you don’t meet that level, chances are you won’t make the first cut.
Obviously there are some exceptions to the rule. We’ve all heard of that friend-of-a-friend-of-a-cousin who bumped into Donald Trump on the way into the elevator and emerged thirty floors later with a new job and a corner office overlooking Manhattan. But, to paraphrase a movie I recently saw, we’re (collectively) not the exception – we’re (again, collectively) the rule.
In closing, I offer some additional tidbits…
Best of luck to you if you’re out there looking for work.
Obviously this blogging thing has been hit and miss, and that’s being incredibly generous. Posting has been light, and interest from yours truly has been largely nonexistent. Not that nothing has been going on – quite the contrary, actually. Truth be told, I forgot I even had the blog for a while. I suppose that’s a fair indicator of where this blog (and blogging) lie on my priority list. That said, the thought of deleting the thing is something I’m not yet willing to do. Maybe it’s my competition strength, or maybe I’m just stubborn. Whatever.
Anyway, in an effort to bring anyone who cares up to speed, here’s some updates from the recent months:
And there you have it – some of the highlights. With that, here’s to trying to keep this ship from sinking.
Like Ken Griffy, I too am going to Seattle. Sadly, I’m not going to play baseball, make $2 Million, or stay for any great length of time. I am, however, going to see friends and meet some people who might ultimately end up working for us back in Texas. Should be a good time.
With the current state of higher education hiring – especially for non-faculty – looking a little bleaker than previous years, it’s nice to know I work for a university that has positions available and funding / support to seek out the best candidates.
Anyway, I’m looking forward to the trip (and hoping for some good weather, too).
Update
I just looked at the weather. Shockingly, it’s supposed to rain. Also, there’s a chance for snow showers on Friday. Totally fantastic.
And not in the religious sense, obviously, since it’s February 20. But the weather outside is wonderful, I’m off work early (noon today – yeah me), and Liverpool is first in the league table and just beat Man U 3-1 to extend the 1st-to-also-ran-gap by 20+ points.
Okay, so the last one happened in FIFA ‘09 on the Wii, but a win is a win is a win.
Hope your day is going well, too.
Saw this earlier today – pretty amazing stuff. It would be interesting to see a world-wide view, but for now you can watch the spread of Walmart across the U.S. in all its plague-like goodness.
Enjoy!
Dear Applicant,
A few pointers to make your next job search more successful.
First, don’t tell me you’re passionate about x, y, and z in your cover letter when x, y, and z are items directly associated with the field in which you’re applying. People are passionate about film, chocolate, books, friendships, etc… not about making sure the accounts balance at the end of the day, or that students have the best possible experience in their residence hall.
Second, I’d ask that you quickly glance at the space between the start of this sentence and the end of the previous one. See that gap? It’s called a paragraph break. We use them to end one train of thought and begin another. You might try using them, too.
Thirdly – and this is really important – the Thesaurus feature found in your word processing software can be a helpful tool on rare occasions, but should not be the crutch you lean on for every. single. sentence. Remember, you’re writing a cover letter, not a Doctoral Dissertation.
Lastly, keep it brief.
Sincerely,
A Frustrated Reader
