Everything old is new again

I know I have received this e-mail before. This e-mail was dated yesterday from "Amy Smith" with an AOL e-mail address as a "reply-to" address. It's quick to become a classic "scam" e-mail.

Pointer to employers for November 10, 2010

Here's a job listing I found while pouring over job listing e-mails earlier today:

There are a couple of good things about this posting:

I could forward my resume through the job listing website -- I did not have to apply through a third-party website.

The pay seemed reasonable given the job description.

My advice, unsolicited though it is, would be to avoid having someone who is not proficient in writing in English create and post job openings. I have read quite a few postings using the syntax in the above advertisement that, when I read a new one written in the same style, my first thought is "Scam!".

That said, with 12.5% unemployment in my state and me being without the second job, I sent my resume in using the job posting website, not the employer's website. I also removed my physical address and home phone number. I'll post a reply, if I get one, from this mystery company. Until then, here was how the job looked from the e-mail I received. And, yes, each Customer Care Representative position listed points back to the same job description above.

In the "if it walks, talks and quacks like a . ." department

Congratulations to all of those "employers" who showed all manner of restraint in not sending e-mail direct to me offering me a "too good to be true" type of job for the past eight days.

I'll reward you by posting the one I received today from Jennifer Simmons (it doesn't really matter what the name is, btw):

For an administrative job, which would pay between $10 and $18 an hour (depending on experience, type of industry, location, etc.), an offer for a job that starts at $40.00 sounds just so amazing.

So amazing, in fact, because it is most likely a scam. Yeah, these sorts of things can be reported to authorities, I suppose, but this post is really for those who are unsure about whether this sort of e-mail is legitimate or not.

If it walks, talks and quacks like a duck, it is a duck. Quack!!

Continued advice to job opening companies

I did not 'screen capture' the e-mail below because the typeface and size of font were so small, even I had to squint with bright lights on to read it. Here is a little advice to start with when trying to communicate with potential job applicants: use a font size and style which is easy to read for the vast majority of applicants.

Here's the text of the e-mail (personal info about me and the name of the job posting site have been removed):

From the Desk of Raaa Baaaaa, President of Sales and Marketing, (name of company), Inc.

Sunday, September 19, 2010

metalhead39
123 Main St

Anywhere, California (they did not add a Zip Code. My first clue that the site was created by someone outside of the U.S or Canada)

Hello metalhead39,

I am sending you this letter because you are a highly qualified Customer Service professional with over 17 years experience who may be currently seeking a better job opportunity. I'd like to introduce you to (company name and link to their site). I'm sure you realize a resume that matches your skills to the requirements of a job is one of the main keys to getting hired. Writing a resume is very stressful and time consuming. Writing a resume that contains all the right elements for each job application can be virtually impossible for even the most qualified job candidate.

(uh, resume writing is not rocket science. Any job seeker in the last 10 years can write a resume with career/industry specific language)

I'm sure you already know that the first person to read your resume will not be a person.

I'm sure you know that the Recruiting Software logic of an Applicant Ranking and Tracking System (ATS) program must approve your resume before a real person will ever read your resume.

I'm sure you realize that if your resume is rejected by the ATS program, it will never be read by a hiring manager.

Yes! One word will make a difference.
You can be one word short of a better job.
You can be one word short of a better paying job.
You can be one word short of a more fulfilling job.

(so far, the awkward grammar and repetition of subject/predicate tells me I'm not talking to a person who is fluent in American English)

The days of the one-size-fits-all resume are gone. If you are seriously seeking employment, you must update your resume for each job you apply for. (grammar police alert!) You have undoubtedly noticed that the posted job requirements for your position have become much longer and much more detailed. (they have not) Human Resource Department personnel and Hiring Managers use ATS programs to eliminate applicants with resumes that are not an exact match to a job description.

Finding the correct combination keywords, action verbs, and objective phrases for the job you are seeking is too often like searching for a needle in a stack of needles. (nice attempt at tweaking a metaphor, but the metaphor does not need tweaking)

Obviously every word in a job description is not a keyword. Blindly injecting every industry term from a job description into your resume may get you past the ATS program. But it will not get past the first real person to read your resume. Overloading a resume with too many buzzwords and too much industry jargon is a sure way to land your resume in the wastebasket.

Recruiters, consultants and advisors tell you to search the web and employer job postings sites. Manually researching all the job posting sites for each job you apply for is very impractical. It is a total waste of time if the employer is no longer accepting applications by the time you complete your research. (in my experience, if the employer is not taking applications, the link to the job posting disappears and the job seeker is told as much) (Our company) has already done this for you.

It is clear that having a tool to assist you to get the right job is a major investment in your career. If you are currently seeking a new or better job (our company) is the tool you need. (yes, the comma between 'job' and the company's name was missing).

Metalhead39, I have read your resume. Your qualifications for a better position are very impressive. However, your skill set does not include professional resume writer. (aww. I'm hurt. 99.5% of job seekers don't write resumes for a living; however, when one's mortgage, food and sundries money is on the line, one becomes fairly prolific and prosaic pretty quickly). You can spend hours and even entire days writing and updating a resume for a job application. However, if your resume does not contain what the screening software logic wants, you will not be considered a candidate for the position.

Visit our website (link to the website) to see how (the company's name) will help you get the job you deserve and why (the company's name) is the Must Have Tool for Job Seekers in the Digital Age. (where do I start with grammar and punctuation rules on this one?)

You Have the Skills to Do the Job!
You Need a Tool to Get the Job!

Sincerely,

Raaa Baaaaa
President of Sales and Marketing
(the company name)

(the company) has a strict NO SPAM policy. (perhaps they mean the spiced, canned ham popular in Hawaii?) You have received this e-mail because you signed up at our website or posted your resume with an affiliated job seeker assistance service. If you no longer wish to receive future newsletters or emails from (the company), click on the Unsubscribe link below. Unsubscribe

This e-mail may be considered an advertising or promotional message. © 2009 (company name). All rights reserved.

(the company name).
PO Box 213333, Royal Palm Beach, FL 33421

So, they can't abbreviate California, but the Postal Abbreviation for Florida is readily available along with a PO Box? If you want to view this company's website, the address starts with 'www.', then starts with 'resume' and ends with a word rhyming with 'rapper' which could be synonymous with a cartographer. Ooh, and don't forget the ".com" at the end. If there was any doubt of the legitimacy of this site, a visit to it without me typing in any of my info ground the doubt into the dust. I could not find any individual person's name or photo anywhere in the site. The photos used are photos that are 'stock photos' one can purchase on-line and use in one's website. Though the service costs $49.00 (not bad for this type of service), my bet is that no one ever just gets $49 taken from them.

Pointers to employers, part 2

Two "phishy" e-mails in two days. I feel so . . lucky? The e-mail below was sent after I received three other e-mails almost like it. See if you can spot what makes this one a scam:

1) Be sure the city in which the job is located is spelled correctly throughout your e-mail (it's Glendale, not Glandale as stated in the first paragraph.

2) Grammatical errors make these sorts of e-mails smell "phishy". In the first paragraph, find ". . "

3) "Will an interview be required? No". Really? Is this the sort of job where a human resources staffer with mind reading capabilities just stare at me for 60 seconds to determine if I would make a good match? Seriously, perhaps the statement just means that the employer uses some other means of determining who to hire. If this is the case, it is always best to sell as an employer what you feel is a more positive screening process instead of saying what you will not do.

4). The section below speaks for itself:

NO EMPLOYER EVER needs one's Social Security number in full unless they are doing a background check (which is rare - other info should suffice) or verifying one's citizenship status. If that is what the employer wants to do, that is what they should say they are doing and it only should be given in person once you are sure the employer is making a legitimate job offer to you (for the background check).

Have a laugh when you check out the site from which the e-mail was sent (it is in the signature section of the e-mail). No head shots can be found, no names of owners, founders, CEOs, etc., could be found either. Perhaps you'll have better luck -- just don't give any of your own info.

I'll keep my eye out for any more of these types of e-mails. Please let me know if you spot one yourself.

Job search: a few pointers to potential employers

I received this e-mail earlier today:

It seems that ZEOXMark LLC has a website. These folks also have the unfortunate distinction of being sniffed out as a scam. Click here for the report of this scam and user comments on the scam.

As a service to job seekers and legitimate employers, here are some things to review before e-mailing potential new hires:

1) Send the e-mail from your company's website, not a third-party server:

2) If the e-mail's composer does not speak English as a first language and speaks with a heavy accent, review that composer's e-mail for grammar, syntax, etc. The e-mail is an extension of your company's image. The more egregious the errors, the more the e-mail reeks of "scam".

From the main page, there is no request for a Social Security Number and/or bank account number. Good for you for having a little restraint.

As unemployment continues to be high, these sorts of train wrecks will continue. While finding, arresting and prosecuting scam artists of this sort is pretty unlikely, if we assume e-mails like this are scams before we provide private information, we can cut down the number of hits and dry up the supply of suckers.

Five days ago.

Thirty three days ago, I was fired from one of my two full-time jobs. It was the better paying job, monetary-wise and health care benefits-wise; however, the 2 1/2 hour round trip commute and time away from my life partner were pretty big drawbacks to that job. So, for the past thirty three days, I have been one of the nearly 12 percent of Californians actively seeking a job.

The percentage above is taken from a sample. The government explains it more clearly that I can. I am not sure how exactly one tracks the "underemployed". In all honesty, my math mind falls apart at the merest mention of statistics that are any more complicated than Earned Run Averages. And the financial industry and insurance worlds of numbers? Duh . . derrr . .

So this post isn't about numbers. Liberals like me turn to folks like Nate Silver to make sense of the data. Conservatives have their own statisticians, too, though I'm out of my depth going there in this post.

It's not even about the search for a new full time job with benefits. With a four-year college degree and over 10 years (I'm not saying how far over) of work experience, the working world is like an English Garden where I just need to root around for that one "flower" that connects to me and vice-versa. My resume is posted on all the big job search sites, I apply for at least one job a day (if I was Spanish language fluent, I could double or triple that rate. Sadly, I could not ask for higher pay for that added skill. Another post for a blogger with a better perspective, perhaps?).

I have had only one legitimate job interview to date. The job opening for which I was interviewed was brought to me through a friend. I also have another possible opportunity through a friend of a friend, though the contact is affiliated with a temp agency. Still, it's pointless to dismiss anything out of hand before the agency/employer has the chance to pitch the job to me and field my questions about the job.

This long and winding post is, instead, about the other two times in the last thirty three days on which I strapped on a tie, polished my shoes and strutted out the door with resume, smartphone and business portfolio in hand.

It's disgraceful to employers who post job opportunities to call these other two events "interviews". I'll describe the scenario and just how the experience makes someone with my business acumen feel afterward. I also write this as a cautionary tale to those who are called by these types of employers so that you are made aware of the difference between a standard job interview and the slickness I encountered.

Here's how to know you are walking into what is, essentially, a sales pitch.

1) When you walk into the office/suite, the music is played loud enough to qualify the space as a coffeehouse or a nightclub. Seriously, outside of retail outlets, who plays music through a stereo with speakers any more? Retailers only play music in their retail space for one reason - to slow and confuse customers so they may buy more of whatever the retailer is selling.

2) You have an appointment time, yet at least two other people are in the reception area completing applications and you are not sitting in an office rented by a temp agency.

3) You are introduced to more than two people working at the company, not counting the interviewer. This happened only at one of my two experiences and, for the most part, the "employees" confessed to having worked for the company for "only a short time". At the same time, steps 1 and 2 above continued for still more applicants.

4) The "interview" consists of 5 questions or less. When I interviewed people to bring into a Customer Service department or assisted a manager with hiring, I asked 10 questions minimum. I watched body language and eye movement, delay time between question and answer and whether the answer is spoken like intellectual conversation instead of community theatre rehearsal.

5) Your interviewer is watching anything but your body language, eye movement and or response time and tone to the questions asked. To be generous, perhaps the interview is just anxious to get to their "second interview" with "those select few" that the employer "feels are a best fit".

6) The second "interview" includes you and at least two other applicants.

7) The second "interview" includes a PowerPoint presentation, something that approximates an orientation movie or both.

8) In the presentation mentioned in items 6 and 7, the interviewer (oh, let's call him/her what they are -- salesperson) tells you all you could ever want to know about how the company makes its profit and how you drive how much you earn. While this sounds like the employer is telling you that you have applied for a sales position with commission, you are told when you are called for the "interview" that they are looking not for sales people, but people who are "customer service oriented".

9) You are told that upward mobility in the company is encouraged in the company. Also, part of that upward mobility depends on how many other people you can manage to "work under you". Managers at these companies receive a percentage of each employees' earnings for each widget made. Both of my experiences had to do with personal finances; however, the exact description of the service offered is not important to the post. However, if you have been in the work force even a few years, the challenge to see this arrangement for what it really is only mildly engages you.

Now, here is what I have not read much about: how the people "invited" to these "job interviews" feel after the above experience. The last one I went to was this past Thursday. I went to the "interview" only because my life partner got the call from the employer and he could not recall what type of position the employer wanted to fill. As it turns out, I had visited this employer almost two years ago and was treated to steps one through nine. As the first visit to that employer was "after business hours", the vibe was more nightclub than coffeehouse. I only needed to get within 20 feet of the front door before I heard the boisterous conversation through the drywall and realized what, for the second time, I was about to endure. I did something this past Thursday I have never done to any job interview before.

I turned around 180 degrees and quickly walked back to my car.

I then turned to a tried-and-true way of dealing with the feeling of being a commodity and not a person of worth: a weekday afternoon matinee at a neighborhood movie house. I stuffed the burn and disgust with a large popcorn and complicated, fantasy plotline. It took a few hours to stop feeling like an interchangeable cog in a massive machine.

It took me five days to write about it without all of the emotions I was feeling ending in a keyboard thrown through a screen or a pad of paper scribbled and torn to shreds.

Please don't let this sort of experience make you feel like you are nothing more than dollar signs to a faceless corporation. I went through it and came out the other side of that far wiser and just a bit more calloused.

Yet not defeated.

first lieutenant part two

Quite a moving moment. This is where Choi's and my paths begin to part, I suppose. Choi stands to be the face of a movement, while I try to write about it by relating it to my own experiences.

I have submitted my first resume. Not quite the same as handing my proverbial "you're fired" papers over to a U.S. Senator, but a journey of a thousand miles . .

1st Lt. Choi and I now have two things in common

Before today, it was just one thing uniting us. The unity between any two out gay men makes many nervous, giggly, squirmy to talk about. In all fairness, he doesn't know me and me seeing him interviewed tonight does nothing earth-shattering in me getting to know him as a person.

He and I will always be gay.

Now, we both share this particular day as the day we both were fired from our primary livelihood.

While Lieutenant (now "Mr.", I guess) Choi admits to having been in his chosen livelihood "since (he) was eighteen (years old)" and I was working a 40 hour a week (not including the 1 hour lunch time and 80 minute, one-way commute) for the last 16 months, the feeling he described having for much of the day nicely sums up my own feelings in the last few hours since my unceremonious firing.

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

There is every possibility that Choi has a career as a rally/protest/community organizer, a politician or even make some other use of the skills he learned while in the National Guard.

While he weighs his options, I will weigh mine. Meanwhile, with all of this free time on my hands, maybe I'll post a little more often.

More rainbows

Another southern California storm and another late-day great big rainbow over the Boulevard.

There have been a few stories that borrow from the principal of the rainbow -- the very picture of the beginnings of light shining through a dark and stormy scene.

First, Lt. Dan Choi, who has put a face on the fight to repeal the "Don't Ask, Don't Tell" policy within our military, was able to drill with his unit (no laughing, please) recently. While it's not the bright, shimmering rainbow one would hope for, I'll take anything that leads toward a repeal of this absurd policy.

Another survivor was pulled from the rubble yesterday in Port-au-Prince and the man is still recovering. That would make him having survived, somehow, for 27 days. And, life goes on in that nation. If it only took sheer willpower and spirit to recover from last month's earthquake, Haitians would have already rebuilt their country and thrown a city-wide party this past weekend. Still, their needs will change in the coming weeks and months, so I'll keep the Red Cross link posted at the top. If you've been fortunate to find extra money or you're being blessed with a tax refund, a few extra dollars donated to the Red Cross or any of the other organizations who are trying to help will still go a long way.

The slowly growing rays of sunshine seem to be piercing even the darkest clouds in our nation's capitol. The President chatted with the press earlier today about his meeting with Legislators from both major parties to see what sorts of bills could be crafted to provide more help to those in need of a job and businesses who may want to hire but think they cannot afford to do so. I'm a little hazy on when, if at all, President GW Bush had done the same sort of thing in the last couple of years of his presidency. So, even if only a couple of things are worked out this week creating even the smallest movement forward toward recovery, it won't be due to a lack of effort to get both sides to work together by the President.

For liberals like me and, I'm sure, a health number of conservatives, the changes aren't coming often and fast enough. As much as I'd like to think one post written on one blog would be all that's needed to make everything come together, I'm a bit more realistic about those chances.

Then again, to get the strongest looking rainbow, you need a hard rain, dark cloudy skies on one side and bright sunlight on the other.

I lasted about 36 hours

I was all set for a politics-free weekend. The "honey-do" list I had was long and, as of now, is not yet complete so I can finish it up today and still have tomorrow to goof off. I finally saw Inglorious Basterds (expected gory and chatty, got both. Didn't expect funny and got that, too) and am rocking out to the Sonisphere festival, highlights of which are being broadcast on Palladia as I type.

I had only heard of Van Jones in the last few days from various radio chat show hosts. I then checked in with Crooks and Liars to find that he had resigned effective yesterday. I would be the first person to call this sort of thing routine, supposing that many an Administration's appointees had resigned in the past rather than sink deeper into controversy and bring their President down along with them.

Then, the comment in the article I read said:

So this is what we can expect from Obama: When the right gets into full-froth rabid attack-dog mode, he folds. He'll even throw one of his best friends and most loyal liberal allies under the bus.

Best of all, he's just handed the most rabid of the haters who are undermining his agenda -- namely, Glenn Beck and the rest of the Fox crew -- their biggest scalp yet. The crowing that will follow is just the start.

They certainly won't be satisfied with this. Hell, this is just the appetizer. Beck has already made clear that Valerie Jarrett is the next one in his sights.

I'm watching Press Secretary Robert Gibbs chatting with Stephanolopolous and it seems to underscore the C & L article above. In the long term, sunny, sweet and smart wins over all else. Sadly, this is not a long-term fight . . the Legislature will have some sort of bill to vote on in the next three months and either it passes or it falls to pieces for another 10-15 years.

By my nature, I'm not inclined to anger, vitriol or puffing up grains of truth in to a tubful of b.s. I've signed an online petition posted by Howard Dean making my opinion known about health insurance reform. Whatever your take on all of the facts may be, it is time to make your voice heard as well.

A new challenge

Starting tomorrow, I'm officially off the unemployment rolls as I begin a new second job!

I began this blog a few weeks after having been laid off.  Somewhere in the back of my mind, I wondered if I would continue to post after I found a second job.  Almost five months later, I had to admit to a friend recently that I've felt compelled on a daily basis to write something, even if it is just a few sentences.  So, it looks like, for the moment, the postings will continue.

I also have to admit that I was told my new second job will begin tomorrow over a week ago.  However, a background check would first be conducted.  I heard from the agency earlier today letting me know when and where to show up tomorrow and assuring me the background check turned out just fine.

I'm all at once relieved (I had about 2 months of unemployment claim money left) and nervous (starting something new).

Wish me luck !

My days of unemployment are (hopefully) over!

I said "Yes!" to a job offer I received earlier today.  The job, pending my passing a background check, starts on 3/25/09.

Like many others who have been unemployed and found a new job recently, I had to take almost a 30% pay cut.  Even with that, the pay is still a little better than continuing to collect Unemployment.  The office is quite close to public transportation, so I should be able to keep my gasoline costs and car insurance costs down.  While my management chops will be sidelined for now, the company is in what appears to be a growth industry.

In this little sliver of the blogosphere, the only concern is that once I start the new job, I'd hate it if the volumne/quantity of writing slows way down or stops altogether.  Last time I wrote for my own pleasure was when I had a job which had several hours of down time during the day.  My hope is that the light rail rides will give me the chance to at least sketch out some ideas I can blog about here.

A whole new adventure awaits !

Adventures in job hunting, part 2

I had my first "second interview" earlier today since I began the job search in late October 2008.  All I can say is that for a position with no management responsibilities, I still cannot figure out why I had to spend two and a half hours talking to four different managers.

Even with that, I still appreciated the experience of interviewing.  I finally realized that I spend a lot of time in interviews answering what should be fairly routine interview questions.  My guess is that I either babble when nervous or, because I'm nervous, I use a lot of words when just a few will do.

The last interviewer forced me to answer with two adjectives only on two of her questions.  It was a mirror in to which I needed to "look".

********************************************************************************

Lots of politics/science/religion news to digest, but I need to detour for tonight.  I found this 80 second clip on BBC's news website about a melee which broke out in Bogota, Columbia.

And it's not what you might expect for a violent outburst in Columbia.  The problem started when fans of the band Iron Maiden busted past temporary barriers before a concert.  Here's the story.

Iron Maiden was the first band I saw live for which I bought a ticket.  I had seen a rock concert a few years earlier; however, my uncle was the drummer in a local band, so I kind of had more of a backstage pass.  That was the same summer I was introduced to one of the best rock albums of all time, Rush's "Moving Pictures" and I seemed to have not stopped trying to find the band that can top them.

I did hear a song released just a few months ago and it is now starting to get some airplay:  The Last Vegas "I'm Bad".  I could have sworn that the singer was the original singer for the '80's hair-metal band Ratt.  I got educated on the band pretty quick.  The sound reminds me a lot of that hair-band sound while mixing in present day rock music (lyrics here).  Enjoy!

A sign of things to come or a reflection of California's current economic state?

A tent city in California's state capitol, Sacramento?

The story has been told on Oprah and a photo version of it is on the MSNBC website.  In the interest of being impartial, here is a version of the story as told from the English point of view.

While the photos and video tell a very dramatic story and February's unemployment figures are like icing on a really lousy cake, here's a little perspective.

As of 2007, the population of Sacramento, CA is just over 460,000.  A close comparison population wise in California is Fresno, roughly in the center of the state, at a population of 470,000.

From the National Alliance to End Homelessness, 2007 estimates of the homeless population in Sacramento (city and county) was 2,452.  In Fresno, the number was 4,247

As far as foreclosures, which is likely to generate some percentage of newly homeless, RealtyTrac now lists over 4400 properties in Sacramento as "Pre-foreclosure" and over 7200 properties as "bank owned".  In Fresno, over 2600 properties are listed currently as "Pre-foreclosure" and nearly 3600 as "bank owned"

While the articles I found about Sacramento estimate 1200 live in the tent city at the outskirts of the city, I could not find current estimates for Fresno, if a tent city has even been permitted to stand.  If one exists there, it is likely a couple of hundred people are living in that tent city.

So, what does all of this mean?

First of all, California is one of five states which is experiencing the highest percentage of foreclosures.  Further, our state's unemployment rate is now over 10% (San Diego county is doing better than the rest of the state - - scroll 2/3rds down the article for the entire state's latest unemployment numbers).  With figures like this, residents feeling the need to move into vans, tents, etc., is not as surprising.

While at least one charity has been providing assistance to those living in tent cities, the state is just now getting over the budget drama and is not in the best position to provide help.  The Recovery Act and the U.S's upcoming fiscal year budget will provide some assistance with getting as many as want to return to apartments/houses.  

However, as we all have heard these last few months, do not be surprised if this situation gets worse before it gets better.

Home front news follow up

Both interviews I went to yesterday were breaths of fresh air.  In both cases, the agency representatives were very professional!  I had become accustomed to trudging to the agency and getting uneven treatment at best.  With yesterday's experiences, it is clear there is at least one professional agency geared toward placing office professionals into jobs and that there is also one agency who successfully keeps separate their warehouse/manual labor placement and office professional placement lines of business.

Meanwhile, I got an e-mail from another employer (not an agency) for a part time job.  The obvious question is, when I have two other full-time job opportunities, why consider a part-time job?  The biggest bonuses with the part time job is I can work up to 29 hours a week with work hours anywhere between 4 am and 7 pm during the week and Saturday work hours which end no later than 3:30 pm.  My partner, I'm sure, will appreciate having me available during the daytime and during the week.

Sadly, part time positions do not offer health care.  I would have to be hopeful that under President Obama's proposed health care reforms that I would be able to access health insurance eventually even while working part time. 

>  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >  >

Even with all the chaos scattered throughout our country, I continue to be grateful for all that I have.  That said, I regularly get e-mail newsletters from the Grameen organization.  Today's e-mail had a link to the story of a woman with an MBA who was led to become involved in a microfinance group in Egypt based on a chance meeting with one its borrowers.

I genuinely had one of those "a-ha" moments when reading the story of how the Grameen Bank in Bangladesh was founded and how it has grown throughout the years.  I'm looking forward to being able to accept one of the jobs for which I am a candidate so I can begin to participate again, even though just through donations, in helping women, one by one, gain their financial independence and rebuild their world.

Interesting developments on the home front

Instead of my usual comments tagged back to me from Huffington Post or some kind of diatribe about something political (wait a few days . . . it will come), I actually had my first full interesting day at home!

I got a call late yesterday afternoon from a temp agency looking for a Supervisor.  Before I could interview; however, I had to pass a series of administrative on-line tests administered by Prove It!.  I got the call back from that temp agency this morning saying I had passed all the test with flying colors and even confirmed that I do type 68 words per minute (so there !).

So, I have an interview tomorrow at 9:30 am.

My dogs, unfortunately, spent the morning (and I assume some of the afternoon) pacing around my feet and panting as if something were freaking them out.  Ruling out other humans, cats, things scurrying on the ground and tofu in their dog food bowls, my best guess is that they were feeling earthquakes.  The USGS site did not do anything to confirm that guess - - maybe they thought Wednesdays were allowance days?

After several hours of panting and hovering by both my dogs PLUS a repeated short chirp which sounded like one of the three smoke detectors.  I tested all three and all were working fine.  No chirping now for the last 30 minutes, though the bits and pieces of plastic all over the floor may say something about how that little issue got resolved  (just kidding . . .)

So, I escaped to the movies and saw the 3-D version of Coraline.  Lots of "wow"s as the 3-D effect is 99.9% crystal clear.  The story was quite good, but I'd keep the little kids at home (gets kind of Grimm's Fairy Tale creepy)

As the movie was starting, I got a call from a second temp agency wanting to interview me tomorrow for a  different job.  I now have another interview at 1:30 pm!!

I have not had any interviews since just after Christmas 2008.  When it rains, it pours !  More details tomorrow.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * 

In far more consequential news, one of my favorite comediennes, Kathy Griffin, is getting  paid for writing a memoir.  Perhaps I should be saving all of this typing until my big paycheck for my memoir is deposited in my account?

Free advice from a job seeker

My quest for a second paying job continues.  My last interview was a long time ago (click on the Employment label below to see how long).  After getting two e-mails today, I need to get up on my metaphorical soap box and exorcise this mess that comes along with this job hunt journey.

If you're going to take the time to post a job opening, include your company's name.  Or, if that's too much trouble, at least say the industry your business is classified.  If your concern is that listing your industry would scare away potential applicants, perhaps listing your job in a trade publication or making an appearance at a job fair is a better way to go.  Job seekers like me avoid ads like this - it leaves the impression that the business is less than reputable:

Please give me the option of being specific about jobs for which I am looking on an automated search:  This is a list of jobs I received not so long ago. I do have retail experience, but only because I worked at a store's Call Center.  Still, this is an odd partial list:

I thought big banks like Chase and Wells Fargo were getting big money from the government (via taxpayers like you and I) .  If your company has lost so much money that you needed government assistance, wouldn't the first thing you'd do is figure out which employees to lay off?  Why are there still job openings at banks??

AND, by the way, the two "Customer Service" jobs are listed as being in Los Angeles within the list. When you enter the posting, you're told that, for both listings, the actual job is in Utah.

. . . and, now for these e-mails that inspired this posting.

If you're going to e-mail me direct after viewing my resume, please do not just give me an IP address.  I now Google your company's name to make sure your offer is legit.  If you include your physical address in the e-mail and it also appears at your company's website AND your sender e-mail address matches one that could come from the company (according to your company's website) then I will be much more convinced the offer is legitimate.  Otherwise, I think you are phishing and will trash your e-mail immediately.

Where do I begin with this second e-mail?  Sad to say there will be a few out there who get the e-mail below, reply and join just for the sake of "earning" what appears to be "easy money".  I'll contact Google shortly (they used a g-mail account) and see if there's anything else I can do about communications like this.

The best advice here is the oldest: if it looks too good to be true, it definitely is!

Good luck to all who are dealing with layoffs or are otherwise trying to find legitimate, good paying work. I am already prepared to get more e-mails like these in the coming months and will do what I can to shine a little sunlight on these . . . communications.

My first busy day in a while!

Hope you're digging the Stephanie Miller "bits".  As a gay man, it's a little peculiar to admit that I wake up to a woman five mornings a week -- still, it's true and it could only be Stephanie.

It's usually the start of a fart joke or her producer Chris Lavoie's "from the bottom of his toes" high-pitched giggle that jumps me out of bed.  It's rather disturbing to fall back to sleep after hearing that (I know because I've tried).

*********************************************************

It didn't occur to me at 7:30 this morning that I would be away from home for nearly 7 hours today (not done since this day last month!).  The day started like any other, with a walk for the dogs and a small cup of coffee.  My partner told me he had barely slept overnight because of the usual aches and pains plus dealing with pulled teeth as he transitions to dentures.  He warned me that he would likely be asleep much of the day (which, was not true, but more on that later) and that he was fine with me skipping out to a movie if I wanted.

It's all the permission I needed.

I skipped out around 10 (with my partner fast asleep -- it lasted until 10 minutes after I left . . more later), took care of grocery shopping and went to see Slumdog Millionaire (it leaves me with Milk to see before 2/22/09 and that I'll have to do with my partner . . the consequences of not doing so are a little scary to ponder).

I'll spare you another review of the "feel-good movie of the year".  Suffice to say, if those that vote for the awards to be presented 2/22/09 are looking for something with an uplifting, romantic ending to match everyone renewed feelings of hope, then this movie's going to win a bunch more awards that night.

I checked messages as I left the theatre and got one from my partner at 10:15 am (so much for spending his day sleeping) saying I got a call regarding a job.  Once I slowed my heart rate down enough (that was exciting news!), I went to a store with Internet and Microsoft access to answer a seven-page form e-mailed from another potential employer.  It took me 90 minutes to complete it as it was filled with open ended questions -- the sort you might get in a face-to-face job interview

I called the woman back who woke my partner up hours earlier.  She explained the job was temporary (OK).  Then, she explained it would last for "a month, maybe more" (all right . . .).  Then she said I would be upselling cel service to existing customers (hmm . . .).  When she got to the part where I'd be a scab, I quickly told her "Thanks, but no thanks." and hung up.

So far, I have enough saved where I don't have to chew and swallow my principles or my pride.

After a second grocery stop to prepare dinner, I was home by 5:30 pm tonight.  Gratefully, the big stuff is finally done for the day.  I have a stack of receipts to compile and a questionnaire to complete before I visit my CPA on Thursday night and more job openings e-mails to review.

At least today was not dull.  Tomorrow, though, is another day.

Rainbows: good news is out there!

A personal update first:  The flood of job postings I was expecting a week ago Monday really has not happened as I expected.  I have submitted less than 10 applications/resume since January 5, 2009 -- it would have been more except I am avoiding jobs for now that pay less than collecting Unemployment and those which require some type of certificate or license, neither of which I have save a driver's license.

I wished things looked more positive on the job search.  However, if I had that 40 hour-a-week job, I wouldn't have as much time to research, surf the 'net and writer.

Here are some recent stories that are chipping away at the walls built to insulate me from all the insanity of the current administration:

Gov Palin is less than thrilled at bloggers like me.  Ouch.  She still insists one can see Russia from Alaska -- and apparently she is technically correct if she stands on the top of the western-most, permanent resident-free parts of Alaska.  I'll resist the urge to be snarky.

Office of Personnel Management is likely to have its first openly gay director.  Very cool! Now, if we could just get this openly gay blogger (Me!) a new job, I'll be euphoric!

Senator Feingold is proposing "legislation to make public some opinions from the Justice Department's Office of Legal Counsel, which issued some of the Bush Administration's most sweeping claims of executive power" and, per Feingold, President-Elect seems likely to support this legislation in addition to "reverse executive orders regarding torture of terror suspects, the military prison at Guantanamo Bay and other controversial security policies".  The full celebration, of course, will happen here once it is actually done. However, it is worth mentioning that these things were said and it is now in writing, waiting to be used to confront the new administration if they stray from these goals.

With all of this, it feels like sunlight cracking through the rain clouds with more sunshine to come. For now, I'm just going to enjoy the rainbow.