Steal This Job Blog

Remember the days when Facebook was just for playing Werewolves vs. Vampires? Ummm...I mean....I don't either.

More news has emerged that it is important to maintain those LinkedIn sites in order to find a job. And Facebook is still emerging as more of a networking arena, rather than just a place to post those pictures of partying on spring break (is nothing sacred anymore?).

NPR has a great story on how technology is coming into play for job recruiters. Apparently, if you have been sending paper copies of your resume out -- STOP IMMEDIATELY! Instead, you may want to get in touch with everyone you know on LinkedIn and have them write a recommendation statement for you. Oh, and don't send unsolicited emails to busy execs.

Also, check out the New York Times piece on how a 54-year-old engineer got hired through Facebook.

And, if you've ever felt like you are sending your electronic resume into a great, dark abyss, read this article in The NY Times about why some job recruiters care about applicants, while others just don't.

This is not 1929. So, are we having fun yet?

I am still enjoying the high life in San Francisco. Last night, I headed to a speak easy with a friend of mine to chat and visit. Funny things these trendy speak easies. Along with a password to get in, this place had strict reservation rules and they promptly asked us to leave after an hour and a couple of $12 cocktails. 

Obviously, people are really trying hard to make drinking seem like something that is again illicit. Or, it's very retro and stylish, kind of like when the swing thing came back in the 90s. Or, maybe people are feeling guilty about having too much fun in the down economy. 

Well, that last postulation seems implausible if one is to look at the trend of "Funemployment." According to the Urban Dictionary, funemployment is:

1. A happy time in one's life when one is not employed and is not wanting to be employed
2. The condition of a person who takes advantage of being out of a job to have the time of their life.
3. To be unemployed and collecting unemployment, welfare, SSI or other means of income from government. This is especially true if you are on unemployment, and obtaining benefits with no desire to try and find a new job. Instead, the time is used to do other things, like travel, chill, etc.

Man, GenXers really ARE slackers (Am I part of that problem?). I got flashbacks of "Reality Bites" as I read these definitions (My Sharona, anyone?). But it's nice to see that young people putting a positive spin on a not so advantageous situation. And laidback Californians are becoming experts in this arena.

The LA Times was the first to report on the trend. There is a blog devoted to worthwhile, cheap and creative activities for the ambitious jobless. And this past week, SF Weekly had a great article on how the funemployed are spending their time--including heading to free cultural events, doing oddjobs and taking on volunteering projects (not everyone is just burning through the trust fund).

Who said youth is wasted on the young?

  "Reality Bites:"
   Sammy:  You got fired? I mean, that just screws up my whole idea of good and evil and God.

I left my resume in San Francisco

This week I am in San Francisco, the city that Tony Bennett loves so--and with good reason. Of course, being one of the priciest locales in the US, this place is lovely: wonderful weather, art galleries on every corner, beaches, hiking, great local food. The purpose of this trip can be seen as threefold: 1) to enjoy myself and take a vacation while I still have a relatively flexible schedule and lack of 9 to 5 job, 2) to see if this might be a place I could live, 3) to meet with potential employers.

I have set up several informational interviews with businesses and organizations in the area. I have done one of these already and find it's a good way to get an idea of the different careers out there that may be related to your background and education.

The process of setting these up can be a little more time consuming. I sent out a dozen emails but received responses from only three organizations. But the effort can be worth it. The informational interview is much more casual than the job interview but is an excellent way to make contacts with potential future employers. You can try to ask the real dirty, gritty stuff about the job. And you may find out about the stuff that people don't usually tell you in the job interview: the major challenges, the daily annoyances, the perks, and the general office atmosphere.

In the meantime, I am (with a healthy dose of guilt) enjoying some fabulous sightseeing and R&R--more on that in the next post.