Tips: Longhorn cover letters-bad, better, best

Everything IS bigger in Texas. For example, The College of Liberal Arts at UT Austin has a career center of its own. They offer an interesting take on crafting cover letters, including a progressively improved sample. Check it out:

From Bad to Better to Best: The Evolution of A Cover Letter

NotJobs: a bright future in sales

One of the frustrating parts of the job search is the waiting. Your hot resume and painstakingly crafted cover letter fly off your computer into the ether, and then… nothing happens. Sometimes the wait happens after an interview.

The secret is: Neither side of the desk likes the wait.

Sometimes Mr. Candidate decides to take matters into his own hands and follow up. There’s a right way and a wrong way to follow up. Over on the Passive-Aggressive Notes blog, sales candidate Steve delivers a perfect example of the Wrong Way. Prior to sending the e-mail, Steve was one of the top five candidates. Here’s a brief snippet of Steve’s message:

Dan,

Thought I would hear from you this week. I guess no interest. Part of the deal is you make commitments and stick to them, particularly in the sales process.

You must see Steve’s entire ego-filled e-mail, as delivered by an anonymous submitter in Kansas City. Steve was one of the top five candidates before he sent his e-mail.

Droll commenter #38 raiseyourglass replies with the e-mail that many a recruiter or HR type would love to be able to send (but NEVER would):

Steve,

Sorry we did not respond promptly. You know how slow human resources can be with the hiring practices and job offers. We were very excited about accepting you as our new sales associate. However in light of the recent e-mail you sent, we are only able to offer you the door.

P.S. We hear the post office is hiring. Good luck in your future endeavors.

Nothing against the Post Office, of course…

The Start of the Great Boomer Workforce Exodus?

Last week, the first Boomer applied for Social Security. Aren’t these folks the ones who first branded themselves with the mantra, “Never Trust Anyone Over Thirty”? That great sucking sound you hear is billions of dollars leaving the Social Security Trust Fund.

America’s first “baby boomer” filed for Social Security benefits Monday, becoming among the first of nearly 80 million Americans born after World War II who are expected to apply for such benefits over the next two decades.

Kathleen Casey-Kirschling, 61, was born one second after midnight on Jan. 1, 1946. She becomes eligible for Social Security in two and a half months. On Monday, she completed filing electronically for the benefits before a horde of reporters and photographers at the National Press Club in Washington, D.C.

[snip]

In what’s being called America’s “silver tsunami,” 10,000 Americans a day will become eligible for Social Security benefits over the next 20 years.

This could be the start of the Great Boomer Workforce exodus. These same 10,000 Americans will be changing their work habits. We don’t yet know if these Boomers will have enough on hand to start retiring at 62.5 years, but some will.

This could lead to more part-time and intermittent workers as these Boomers start taking time off to smell the roses. On the other hand, some analysts suggest that the Boomers lack of strong money management skills will mean that many will be forced push off retirement until they’re in their 70’s. The upcoming labor shortage will also mean that some companies will provide incentives to keep their Boomers on the payroll.

Or, this could be the start of what The Onion named the “The Long-Awaited Baby Boomer Die-Off“.

Articles of note:

• CBO: The Retirement Prospects of the Baby Boomers
• About.com: How Baby Boomers Will Change Retirement
• CNNMoney.com: Corporations woo baby boomers

NotJobs: Über on How Not to Get a Job at Apple

Over at Über, Adam Guttentag details his plot to network his way to a job at Apple Computer:

You know you’ve thought about it. You go out of your way to drive past the building on your way to work every day. For thirty minutes each morning, you feel like you work there as you wait in traffic with actual Apple employees before you head to your un-magical office park.

Most people take the conventional route of applying for an open position. This, however, does not work. Apple knows there are millions of crazed zealots around the world who dream of life in a Windows-free office (aside from their cubicles). So the company makes things more challenging. Apple only hires people who know Apple employees. So how do you meet an Apple employee? That’s the tricky part.

At first I tried hanging out at the Donut Wheel across the street.

Hilarity ensues. See the whole thing for the results.

As a recovering Macintosh fanatic (I once had charge of every Mac in the Bureau of Mines) and former Apple junkie (I insisted that my bride and I drive by the headquarters in Cupertino on our honeymoon), I know where Adam is coming from.

At least he’s trying to “Think Different“!

NotJobs: Advice from FreeMoneyFinance

The author of the FreeMoneyFinance blog links to a CNN story featuring the “standard examples” put out by Accountemps on How Not To Get A Job.

However, after musing on these old chestnuts, FMF offers some great advice:

Think what the person hearing what you say or reading what you wrote will feel about what you do, then act accordingly. Don’t simply “be yourself” and expect them to love you. Let’s face it, we’re all a bit quirky in one way or another. That’s ok, that’s what makes life interesting. But we don’t need to display our quirks to a complete stranger who has a business to run and holds our financial well-being in his hands. It’s usually a recipe for disaster.

The emphasis above is mine. Quite Right.

See the whole thing here:
http://www.freemoneyfinance.com/2007/10/how-not-to-get-.html

Interesting Google Results

It appears that I’m getting a lot of hits from Google. Many people are coming here when they search on the phrase “can a life be complete without children“.

From personal experience, I’d have to say “No.”

Thanks to niece Allie for the montage!

Supreme Court on Employment Law

Discrimination. Arbitration. Me-too legalism. Fiduciary Liability.

Just the things we all stay awake at night contemplating.

The Supreme Court session starts in October, and this year’s session brings some interesting cases. Michael P. Maslanka at Law.com has an interesting take on four cases on the docket that will possibly affect how we all work together:

Four Employment Cases on the U.S. Supreme Court’s Menu
Michael P. Maslanka
August 9, 2007

What is the U.S. Supreme Court dining on from the employment law menu this coming term? It’s a four-course meal, and here is what the discerning diner needs to know.

Click the title above for more on these four cases:

• Holowecki, et al. v. Federal Express Corp.
• Hall Street Associates LLC v. Mattel Inc.
• Mendelsohn v. Sprint/United Management Co.
• LaRue v. DeWolff, Boberg & Associates Inc.