Hell, with unemployment at over eight percent and that’s not
counting those who have given up, at least there’s potentially an interested
audience, right?
In addition, there are A LOT of people who are looking to
get out of their present job—some of whom are living vicariously through me—expressing
a mixture of jealousy and pity over my present situation!
Jealous because they long for a respite from the crappy jobs
they now have ---and pity, knowing that for me, it could be a LONG time before
I see anything resembling a paycheck.
The last time I was unemployed was back in 1990. I am
astounded by the contrast that exists in looking for work between then and now:
THEN
1)
Virtually all job listings were through the
newspaper. I anxiously awaited the arrival of the daily fish wrap to scan for
openings.
2)
Application to any opportunities was a matter
between you and the post office. A resume and cover letter are prepared—TYPED—and
then carefully folded, stamped and mailed. Postage, gasoline and time expended—multiplied
by the number of trips you made.
3)
Your method of contact back then was generally
via your home telephone. Smart job-seekers usually replaced the silly voicemail
greeting on their home phone (“Hi…we’re out drinking naked in the backyard-please
leave a message!”) to one that conveyed your businesslike approach (“Hello,
this is Tim Moore—please leave a message with your number and I will
immediately return your call!”) Children were restricted from answering the
phone at all hours.
NOW
1)
Virtually job listings are online. The zillions
of websites catering to the unemployed—or those seeking to upgrade their jobs are
rife with features that sort, categorize and present the position, the link to
the company website and information on the opening. They also have bonus
features like resume writing tips, keys to successful interviewing—and will
automatically forward job listings to your smartphone.
2)
Application to these opportunities is just a few
clicks away. Write a cover letter in WORD (most of it copied and pasted from
the last one) and upload your resume and voila! You have entered the applicant
pool!
3)
Your contact back is now your cellphone—either for
a call or for e-mail!
The net result of this advance in technology is nothing
short of the complete liberation of the job seeker.
Where once afraid to leave home for fear of missing a call,
today’s jobseeker can apply to everything known to be out there within minutes---and
then be free to go about their lives, carrying the lifeline that is their
smartphone along with them!
This is huge.
Of course, none of it actually makes that phone RING or your
inbox fill up, but going about your daily activities can surely distract you
from fixating on the desert wasteland that is today’s job market.
If you’ll excuse me, I have an important tee time to make!
No comments:
Post a Comment