TheJobBored

If you have career or job search question you would like answered on this blog, click here to Ask Brian.

Just Trying To Work asks:

I have a question about a touchy/socially taboo subject: nursing mothers in the workplace.  A woman that I work with who is still on maternity leave, comes into the office at least once a day for an hour or two.  She always brings her newborn baby with her, and at first it was a novelty to see such a little baby, that nobody complained.  She is one of those very pro-nursing women that insist upon physically breast feeding (not pumping and then giving the baby a bottle) at any time or location.  As a woman, myself, I think that nursing should be done in private because I know it makes people uncomfortable (that and I’m not about to whip out a boob in public). In addition, she changes the baby’s dirty diapers on her desk in the middle of the open office.  The smell alone is unbearable.  [Read more →]

Share on Facebook

If you have career or job search question you would like answered on this blog, click here to Ask Brian.

M asks:

I am hoping you can help me or offer some expert advice.
I am a young professional [mid-twenties] but I am very successful in my career. Throughout my college experience I held multiple internships and this helped secure a great job directly out of college. Since then I have been promoted and have moved to a few different companies all working my way up the corporate latter. Needless to say my work ethic is very strong and I take pride in this. At all my previous jobs I have been complimented on this work ethic and have never done anything to jeopardize my position.

So here comes the problem- my current boss. I have worked with many types of people before [man, women, old, young etc] but I have never worked with somebody similar to my current boss. She is extremely disorganized to the point where she loses everything [her desk area is called the “pit”]. [Read more →]

Share on Facebook

I don’t particularly like to “review” or speak ill about other employment services or companies on this blog. If people are genuinely try to help others find new and better work, then god bless I say.

But in this particular case, I think I’ve stumbled across something that is such a bad idea, I feel compelled to talk about it.

The site is called CareerExcuse.com (or, probably better named, Careercheat.com… both urls return the same site). What they will do, if you can believe it or not, is sell you fake career references.

How do they do this? For a (seemingly inexpensive) monthly fee they claim they will go to the trouble of setting up a fake company, fake letterhead, fake 800 number… the whole ball of wax. Then when your prospective employer calls to get references, they will of course give you glowing reviews, based on your desired background/expertise level.

Is it legal to do this? [Read more →]

Share on Facebook

Here’s a very basic resume writing question: What font should you use for your resume?

It’s not an insignificant issue.

First of all, you want your resume to be legible. And you want your resume to be legible (easily readable) not just for human eyes, but also for computer eyes… in case your resume might be scanned into a database. You want your resume to be legible if faxed, scanned, transmitted, emailed as a photo attachment, etc.

But secondly, and just as important, the font you chose can communicate a lot about your professionalism and intentions. If you’re an accountant, you want to stick with normal, conventional “professional” fonts. But if you’re a graphic designer, you want to and probably need to be a little more adventurous in your font choice.

So what are the fonts I would recommend using for most professions in most cases? [Read more →]

Share on Facebook

Sorry I’ve been away so long. Business has been busy. Let’s not get into it.

But I’m ready to get back in the regular posting saddle. Over the past 2 years, I’ve written 500-odd posts sharing various bits of job search and career advice. But, looking back over the archive, it occurs to me that I haven’t written very much on my area of expertise, which is resume writing.

Part of the reason for this, of course, is that I believe that a professional resume service is something everyone should consider, no matter what your writing skill level might be.

But there is plenty of resume help I can give to help guide you in the right direction even if you don’t take my advice and work with a professional.

So, for the next several posts, I’ll dig into my bag of tricks and post a few resume tips that you might find helpful. [Read more →]

Share on Facebook

Should you hide your tattoos when going in for a job interview?

According to this article the conclusion a lot of people are coming to is an emphatic YES!

Add tattoo removal as another growth industry in this crappy job market.

Share on Facebook

They’re not in Oregon, apparently. Anyone else got some state-specific numbers?

Oregon’s seasonally adjusted unemployment rate rose to 12.1 percent in March from 10.7 percent (as revised) in February. The state’s unemployment rate has risen rapidly and substantially over the past nine months, from a rate of 5.9 percent in June 2008.

Source article here.

Share on Facebook

Apropos of our recent discussions of Twitter and it’s usefulness in the job search, it’s important to remember that, as with Facebook, you have to watch what you say.

Read the following cautionary tale from I’m Not Actually A Geek:

A lucky job applicant tweeted the following:

Cisco just offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.

This tweet caught the attention of Tim Levad, a channel partner advocate for Cisco. To which he responded:

Who is the hiring manager. I’m sure they would love to know that you will hate the work. We here at Cisco are versed in the web.

Might be a good idea to not immediately share your post-interview impressions on teh Twitter.

Unless of course, they’re extremely, extremely positive. Then it could be helpful… they don’t know that you know that they’re watching you. They think, “That guy was so jazzed to work for us, he twittered all his friends.”

Then again… maybe they wouldn’t like you sharing their private business practices or interview practices with the world.

Sigh… modern gadgetry… why must every useful new tool also have a minefield of potential pitfalls?

Share on Facebook

This a shout into the void. So we have twitter trends. And Twitter proximity search. Can we not combine the two? I want to know what people are “trending” within 5 miles of me!

Share on Facebook

If you have career or job search question you would like answered on this blog, click here to Ask Brian.

Reader Cee has a question very in tune with our times.

I landed a job after a lengthy search in Feb. Having been a high flyer and self employed for 15 years I needed a change, but it was very difficult finding employment in this climate. So, although I found a menial job I value it enormously. Trouble is, its the wrong job in the RIGHT company. I took a sales role, absolute last resort, I hate working shop floor, but as I said I was getting desperate. I see a lot of potential for career progress with this company, they encourage it — offering funded study and vocational in house training. Basically, I would love to work within an office role with more creative responsibility – anything to get me off the shop floor. I’m currently demonstrating enthusiasm and passion for the job. Without sounding arrogant, I know I have a ton to offer, and this sales role is not for me (bores me to death), I undersold myself to get it. Oh The irony. Now I need to make them see all the assets I kept quiet about. How?

My question is — how do I play it from now on, they are recruiting for a couple of creative positions now, but I am only half way through my initial three month probationary period . Is it too soon to start asking for a role transfer?! I want them to see an ambitious creative individual invested in company progress, not a flaky dissatisfied person who is an inconvenience, since they did just hire me, and would have to rehire to fill my slot. I feel its an ambiguous step and I want to be sure before I leap.

Brian answers after the jump… [Read more →]

Share on Facebook