So, you wanna do QA up in Washington, eh?

DESCRIPTION:

Software Test Engineers play key roles in multi-discipline teams working on new products and solutions. You will be part of a team that create tools, test harnesses and develops test designs and test plans that validate software for networks, systems and applications ensuring the overall quality of the products that are released. You will conduct strategic test investigations and provide recommendations based on schedule, resources and risk assessment. You will provide customer focused test strategies and solutions to improve test efficiency and increase test coverage leading to increased customer satisfaction and loyalty.

Software Test Engineers are responsible for creating, and executing manual and automated tests to ensure the stability of our software applications. Duties will include functional, usability, and regression testing. Responsible for identifying and documenting software defects and the ability to communicate these defects in a clear and concise manner. Must actively work with the development team in tracking and solving software defects. Candidate must have strong troubleshooting skills and be comfortable working with end users to resolve issues.

QUALIFICATIONS:

Education
Typically a Bachelors degree in Engineering, Computer Science or related technical field and a minimum of 3 years related experience or equivalent. Depending on the candidate, experience may substitute for education requirements.

Experience and knowledge
Three or more years of experience in software test planning, test development, and test execution. Working with cross-functional teams as well as practical experience in all phases of the software lifecycle. Must be experienced with multiple operating systems, particularly Windows XP, Windows 2003, Windows Server 2008, Vista, Windows 7, and SQL Server. Experience with test planning is a must.

Skills
-Analytic ability to research technical issues and generate creative/innovative solutions.
-Demonstrated in-depth technical knowledge of software testing process and release cycles.
-Extensive knowledge developing & reviewing Test Plans & Requirement documents.
-Proven problem solving creativity; balance of thoughtfulness & speed.

-Good understanding of software life cycles.

-Demonstrated ability to work independently to achieve desired results from general objectives.

-Excellent teamwork and interpersonal skills
-Excellent communication skills: listening, speaking, writing and presenting. Able to express thoughts and concepts to a variety of people with different skill levels.
-Strong initiative and willingness to learn.

-Tests software releases during the product development.

-Reports test results and enter problems and issues into the bug database. Monitors and updates bug reports as needed including bug report closure.

-Configures necessary hardware and operating environments as needed to complete assigned testing.

-Provides technical expertise on specific products, operating systems and specialized environments.

-Writes or assists in the development of test plans and test procedures.

-Completes assigned test-related tasks.

-Manages the defect database under the guidance of senior QA engineers.

-Assists in the automation of relevant test procedures.

-Assists in review of test processes as they are developed.

[Via http://highlandersolutions.wordpress.com]

Get Connected on LinkedIn

The fact that nearly 70% of jobs are found through networking and 45% of hiring managers use social networking sites makes it pretty clear that establishing an online presence is a good idea when you’re on the job hunt- or anytime for that matter. So where do you start? Almost all of us have a facebook- which can break or make your chance of being hired, but creating a LinkedIn account may prove to be even more beneficial.

LinkedIn is a network of over 50 million members- it’s like a professional version of Facebook that cuts out the extra noise of spring break photos and “farmville” applications. Your profile is a short summary of your career aspirations and has information about jobs and internships that you have held.  The social networking site serves as a platform to get connected with past professors, advisers, supervisors, peers, co-workers, and future employers. One of the best parts about LinkedIn is that it ranks very high in search engine results, so it’s the perfect place to promote your accomplishments, skills, and qualifications to a potential employer that may “google” your name.

Simple Steps to Create your Linkedin:

Although you don’t have to complete all parts of your profile, LinkedIn says that a profile that is 100% complete is 40 times more likely to be seen by employers than one that is just 90% complete. Check out the LinkedIn Grad Guide for a step-by-step tutorial.

Helpful Features:

Get connected with classmates and colleagues from past jobs, and your email contacts that have LinkedIn accounts.

If you land an interview, you can do a little research on LinkedIn to learn more about your recruiters’ or interviewers’ backgrounds to gain an edge over the other candidates applying.

Search for jobs that are posted on LinkedIn as well as jobs that are posted on external sites.

If you find a job that you want to apply for, obtaining a referral can help you get a foot in the door. Just click “Request Referral” to see if there is anyone in your network connected to the person who posted the job opening.

Download the job insider toolbar, so that when you search jobs on an external site, you can see any “inside connections” you have with a company.

If you come across a job that you think would be perfect for one of your connections, you can click the “Email this job to a friend” button to help them out, and then they might just return the favor!

[Via http://erinns2cents.wordpress.com]

We're Here, Now what?

Most of us have probably went through the following: 2-3 years of KG, 12 years of highschool and finally 4-5-6 (depends) of university. We worked so hard throughout those years waiting for the day when we actually complete this indoctrination period so “we can get out in the real world”, We’ve done an amazing job developing our cheating strategies, skipping tactics, acting skills and bullshitting most of our papers.. but we have done it, yes we have fucking did it.. but hold on….. NOW WHAT?

Well for starters, recall most of what you learned in school and you will find that…yeah, you dont remember shit.. especially if you’re in Business.. and even if you do there are probably thousands of other dandy graduates like yourself who know this shit..So begin with accepting the fact that you’re not so special and no you probably won’t get some managerial job or even supervisory. Once you have accepted that, then you gotta lower your standards.. apply for jobs that you actually believe in and know you can do well in, for most of us some of our skills and abilities do not go hand in hand with our degrees..and if you are worried about the money.. well these days every fucking endeavor will make money.. doesnt really matter what you do..think about that for a minute. If that doesnt sound appealing then you have to actually lower your standards in your arguably bullshit field of studies. Say you studied restaurant management, WOW good for you!! reality is you gotta start in the kitchen or as a server. You’re degree only comes in when you want to move up..it doesnt move you up by itself.. you gotta develop some kind of passion for whatever you are doing in order to actually utilize that degree to excel. so going back to my example, if you start at a restaurant as a server, you will probably find those who are much older than you doing the same job! and thats where you’re degree comes in as a lift, a moral lift in the sense that it pushes you to actually go the extra mile and think ahead instead of being another robot! It sounds harsh but in reality, it is quite true… if you look up most executives, CEO’s or what have you; you will find that they started quite low, and that is what separates them from others, developing an dynamic of experience combined with that “lift”.. you know what i am saying. Another important ascept to this subject is the fact that you’re education plays a very important part in taking you beyond being an employee. If you want to sit in some cubicle and all you actually achieve is moving into a bigger one then you just wasted a shit load of money on education. its so much what you learn, its also how you learned it and what you can do with it ( I hope most of you agree on this, if anybody is actually reading this shit!!). So So SOO what now? or now what?..If you already have a job and you dont think you like it or dont believe in it, then drop that shit pronto, sounds like a shallow comment?? well offcourse it does, fuck, people have been saying that for so long, it became an abstract piece of advice. lets put it this way: Youre in your mid 20’s, fresh graduate, life seems to be dandy and you have high hopes… You work in some god forsaken place that you prolly dont give two shits about and you dont like it…You need the money… You keep working there…You get to are getting old… You get stuck at that job (you what i mean here)… You need the money even more.. You pass away. Let me remind you that your job takes most of time, its were you probably spend most of your time and if you are unhappy at your job you probably wont be such a happy person, or at least it would reflect on your personal life negatively.. So what the fuck are you still doing there?? ok Ill leave Mr.writer, Now what? well find something that you will like, doesnt matter if you are good at it, just find it.. work towards getting there! you probably heard this a million times.. but it is too short, yes folks one day you are gonna have to back up and get the fuck of this earth to make room.. so why waste it. I know life isnt all rainbows and green fields! but you gotta create that mindstate or at least die trying, it doesnt really matter how? (unless its illegal). life is not perfect and shit will happen but at the end of the day we must do what makes us happy, thats what money, family and everything we do, even taking a shit.. is to make us happy or delighted or satisfied whatever the case you have to pursue that.

Anyways , so lt me recap.. you graduated.. look for a career not a job and i am not referring to the abstract idea of a career, i am referring to the actual meaning of career, an occupation undertaken for a significant period of time, or to be realistic.. something you want to actually fucking do for the rest of you’re life by CHOICE..Start low, you must, get out if you dont like it, pursue another… reach the one that fulfills you and excel excel excel. Life is too short to sit idle..give it all you have.

P.S This is not meant to be some kind of bullshit motivational article, it is simply facing a little bit of reality, take it or leave it I honestly do not care.. but I hope it flashes some kind of light that says ” fuck, this makes a bit of sense” !

[Via http://blahblahsohnos.wordpress.com]

Missing the Forest for the Trees: What Christians Misunderstand About Suffering

I know that your first response when you see the title is—How does he propose to deal with this issue in a short space, or maybe you roll your eyes and think—there he goes again with one of his long rants. But here goes, and I promise to be brief.

One of the major shifts historically after the Second Great Awakening was away from a focus on the sovereign God and his goodness and glory, and onto man. A friend from the University of Georgia has a new book that bears reading entitled Serving God and Wal-Mart about how the corporation took evangelical principles of man first and meeting man’s needs and turned them into the marketing idea of the century. That pretty accurately defines the church today. Church is a buffet line where you walk through with a tray and pick and choose what you want to take and leave the rest. It is about our happiness, wellness, wealth, and wellbeing and we have molded God into our best friend, our buddy, who spends all his time making me happy, raining down money on me, and making me feel good. Therein is the conflict not only with the old Puritan ideas of God, but the Bible as well. So then, what are we missing about suffering?

Suffering Shows God’s Sovereignty

Suffering has to have meaning. For us, who are so adept at playing the blame game, someone has to be responsible for why we suffer. That is so human. Adam started it in the Garden when God asked, “Who told you that you should eat this fruit?” Adam being a typical man did what men have always done—He blamed his wife. “This woman that you gave me—she made me eat it!” It was God’s fault. It was Eve’s fault. And she said it was the serpent’s fault. It is always someone else’s fault. We like cause and effect. We think that if we can figure out the cause we might be able to mitigate the future effect on our lives and lessen suffering. But we do not like Scriptures like John 9. “And as Jesus passed by, he saw a man which was blind from his birth. And his disciples asked him, saying Master, who did sin, this man, or his parents, that he should be born blind?” They fell into the human trap. Jesus’ answer destroys so much of the shallow theology of the prosperity gospel when he says—“Neither hath this man sinned, nor his parents: but that the works of God should be made manifest in him…..I am the light of the world.” In effect, Jesus said, this man has sat here by the side of the road all these years waiting for me to walk by to demonstrate that I am the light of the world. We do not understand that fact. What about Job, the good man, the godly man, the great man, until one day calamity after calamity befell him, and he gets up in the morning the wealthiest man in the land, and he goes the bed a pauper. He awakes with children and a wife, and he goes to bed aggrieved that his children are gone, and the wife is left to test him even further. His friends immediately take the line that he has sinned and is reaping the result of his transgressions. But notice Job 38-42 carefully. God does not explain to Job why he was doing this—and in this as readers we have an unfair advantage. We know the whole story. We know how it ends, and Job does not know how it will end—or even if it ever will end. But God deals with Job’s suffering by talking about His sovereignty, His power, and His wisdom. A huge lesson here is that suffering is not about us—our comfort, our material blessing—it is about God. He is sovereign in the affairs of our life and while we hold to the fact that “He is working all things to our good,” we realize that His glory is more important than our comfort. Ephesians 1:11 reminds us that God “works all things according to the counsel of His will.”

Suffering Gives God Glory

One of my favorite texts is John 11 and the account of the raising of Lazarus. The thing we have such a hard time with is the delay of Jesus when word comes that Lazarus is sick unto death. Jesus tarries three days. And what is more confusing, the text tells us that Jesus allowed Lazarus to die because He loved Lazarus, Mary, and Martha. How is that considered to be love? In the Greek there are at least three words for love. “Eros” is the word for sexual love. “Phileo” is the word for brotherly love. “Agape” is the word for the kind of love that always does the right thing by those who are being loved. (The weakness of English translations of the Bible is seen in the dialogue between Jesus and Peter after the resurrection, when Jesus asked Peter the question: “Lovest (Agape) me more than these?” Peter replies, “Lord, thou knowest that I love (brotherly love—phileo) thee.” Peter finally gets to the right word after being asked three times). Jesus’ delay to the tomb was because he loved (agape) them. And the Holy Spirit adds that to the text in verse 5 lest we misinterpret His lack of concern for a lack of love. Just because Jesus’ feet did not rush to the side of his beloved friend in the midst of his suffering and death did not mean that His heart was not there monitoring the situation. The suffering and death of Lazarus was for a greater good—the glory of Christ. Had He been there, Lazarus could not have died and been raised.

Suffering Comes Because of Sin and the Fall

In this modern age of man and his centrality, the idea of the Fall of Adam and Eve is outdated and no longer accepted. It is hard to preach the humanist message or even the feel good message of modern churches with the outmoded, outdated belief that somehow Adam’s fall blighted the whole race. This idea does not mesh with the American Exceptionalism of today’s Christianity. But the rule is that we change to come in line with the Word of God—we do not change the Word to come into line with our own ideas. Romans 8: 18-25 explains the reason for suffering in the world. This world is broken, fractured, and spiraling downward. It is headed in exactly the opposite direction as that proposed by the Humanist. What rose-colored glasses must one wear to appraise our present world as getting better? What one factor can we point to and say—See man is on the upward road. He will one day arrive at a perfect state? It is not there, but in the words of Romans—“For we know that the whole creation groaneth and travaileth in pain even until now.”

Suffering Conforms Us to the Image of Christ

Romans goes on to remind of the purpose of suffering—that of conforming us into the image of Christ. Romans 8: 28-30 tells us that “all things work together for good to them that are the called according to his purpose.” His purpose is to make you look more like Christ, and nothing accomplishes that goal like suffering. I have stood at the bedside of many a dying saint who suffered long and were very tired. I remember Granny Cash, a dear old saint, and sometimes our church would go to her little house and sing for her. Her favorite song was “I’ve Been Waitin Lord to Go.” While we sang she would point her old, boney finger towards that world which was to come. Her face would glow with the glory of God. Her life of struggles had confirmed her in the image of her Savior. The Bible teaches that when we come to Christ, the soul is regenerated. It creates a state in which the flesh is still fallen and depraved. We gain a new standing of being “in Christ” and yet it is possible that our state can still be quite deplorable. So the Holy Spirit undertakes to work on every son whom God receives. He chips away, sands, miters, and works on those areas of our live in which we need work. And the Holy Spirit has a pattern to work by. He looks at the image of Christ and then looks at me, and he works to bring me in line with the image of Christ. Suffering is the saw, it is the drill, and it is the sandpaper by which God the Holy Spirit seeks to conform me to the image of Christ. This is a major part of the Spirit’s work and He is not concerned with anything else in your life other than your being conformed to the image of Christ. Of course, you have a role to play as well. You can get with the program and allow the Holy Spirit to shape you and mold you and that is the least painful way. Or, you can resist the hand of God—yes even in our life as a Christian you can resist, and the Holy Spirit will continue to work, but each resistance changes the greatest of the vessel being made. Of course, the clay in the potter’s hands is another sermon, but the lesson is to surrender to the hand of the Holy Spirit and allow him to have his way in your heart. Accept suffering as from the hand of God knowing that through the suffering you are being conformed into the image of Christ.

Finally, soon there will come a day free of suffering and pain for those who trust and rejoice in the Lord. Believe it…hope in it…trust in it. Revelation 21:3-4:” And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, “Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. 4 He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more…”

[Via http://faithforthesetimes.wordpress.com]

Sales Consultant Required At Harrogate Recruitment

If you are hunting for job in Harrogate and didn’t find any good opportunity till yet then recruitment Harrogate is there to help you. We have experts in our agency to guide you on your way to job search and also provide free tips on resume writing and how to handle interview. Recruitment agency Harrogate was established in March 1997 and since that time; we have maintained a standard in recruitment industry. Harrogate recruitment has strong relations with many potential employers who want temporary and permanent staff time to time.

One of Harrogate recruitment agency’s clients is a long established and one of the country’s leading furniture and antique specialists are currently seeking a Senior Sales person for the prestigious showroom in Chelsea. Job description is as follows:

Location: West London

Salary: 25,000 – 27,000 OTE 30-35k + Healthcare + Pension (with service)

Branch: Bury

You Must Have

• A proven ability to deliver amazing service and develop your customer base
• A strong career history in maximizing sales and managing customer accounts
• A creative and pro active outlook to building on new sales opportunities with trade clients such as Interior Designers, Furnishers, Architects, and Boutique type Hotels etc.
• An assured confidence and ability to build rapport with customers both in the showroom and on the telephone
• Extremely high standards of personal presentation and attire
• An excellent command of the English language both verbally and written
• A degree of flexibility in approach to your working hours in accordance to customer needs
• A knowledge or ability to use digital communication & media, email, digital photographs etc.
• A “think outside the box” approach to building your own client base
• A strong desire to work and build a career within a prestigious independent furnishings & antiques business is essential.
• Confidence in dealing with high net worth clients
• An ability to work Saturdays within the showroom on a Rota basis
• Living within a commutable distance of Chelsea

To be considered for this opportunity, please forward CVs with covering information to davidb@putpeoplefirst.com and for more details on this role and other jobs in Harrogate, visit our website putpeoplefirst.com.

[Via http://webcommons.wordpress.com]

Random Update on Several Topics (F1, Life, Music)

Just a quick update as it’s 3AM and I need to try to get back to sleeping normally within 2 days for Christmas (yeah, that’s going to work! Haha!)

F1

Firstly, F1. According to the BBC, who quoted German newspaper “Bild”, Michael Schumacher has signed for Mercedes for 2010 and it will be formally announced tomorrow. Good or bad news depending on which way you look at it, I will however be intrigued as to how he fairs after retiring in 2006, now being the ripe old age of 41, against young, fit, talented drivers such as Lewis Hamilton. With Ross Brawn again on board with Michael (Mr. Brawn being the brains behind all seven of Schumacher’s world championships, and the man behind 2009 WDC and WCC team Brawn GP), anything is possible. It should be one hell of a season, with the top teams that are likely to be competitive in my opinion, lined up as follows:

• Mercedes – Nico Rosberg, Michael Schumacher(1994-1995, 2000-2004)
• McLaren – Lewis Hamilton(2008), Jenson Button(2009)
• Ferrari – Fernando Alonso(2005-2006), Felipe Massa
• Red Bull – Sebastian Vettel, Mark Webber

This really could turn out to be a cracker. McLaren were incredibly fast at the end of last season, and not much in terms of design rules has changed since then, other than the refuelling ban, which, due to the extra weight involved, should play into Jenson Button’s driving style, as he is easy on the tires due to his smooth style. Mercedes were Brawn last season, and we know that they along with Ferrari focused on 2010 fairly early on, the difference being that they were competitive during 2009 as well. And Red Bull were their main challengers, with arguably the best young driver on the grid other than Lewis Hamilton (Sebastian Vettel). Plus with Mercedes having the 7-time world champion Schumacher on board, and Nico Rosberg, another great young talent that impressed me in 2009 in the fairly underpowered Williams… Theres so many factors to consider. I’ll also be keeping my eye on Hulkenberg, I believe he’s got a lot of potential, and watching Kobayashi should be fun. He livened up the last 2 races of the 2009 season. Also, Bruno Senna. I hope he does well. All in all, 2010 should be a good year for F1, I just hope the racing’s decent!

Life

It’s nearly Christmas and I’m looking forward to it! I’m very nervous about my new job starting in the new year, but hopefully it’ll be okay. I’ve also been using Omegle lately. It’s a completely anonymous chat client where you can just talk to random people. It sounds stupid, but it is actually quite fun and I’ve met some really interesting people. Give it a go if you’re bored. You can always disconnect if the person is asking for webcams with 14-year-old girls or something, but you could meet someone really interesting.

Music

KILLING IN THE NAME GOT THE CHRISTMAS NUMBER ONE SPOT! Power to the people! It achieved over 500,000 sales, which was 50,000 more than Joe, the X Factor winner. Fantastic stuff. I was one of those 500,000; and proud of it to! To hear it on the radio (“The Christmas number two is… Joe.”) was so epic, I literally shouted “YES!” at that point, just by myself in my room. I just felt like I, amongst everyone else who bought the track, achieved something, against the odds, we proved what we really want from music. Usually, being in the minority for this kind of thing, I’m used to losing arguments and battles of this nature, but for once, I was part of the winning majority. And that felt great.

Relevant song lyric of the post: Rage Against The Machine – Killing In The Name

“Fuck you, I won’t do what you tell me!”

Closing KoLd Quote:

“The 2009 Christmas number one battle is a story that I’ll be proud of telling to my friends and family in years to come. Seriously, when people think of rebellion, of epic battles against authority, they think of riots and civil wars. Maybe I won’t partake in such things in my lifetime, but not many people can say they would. But not many people can say ‘We fought the masses, we campaigned for real music, we campaigned for soul over faceless corporate PR packaging, and we won’. I can, and that’s a great feeling.”

[Via http://kolddoom.wordpress.com]

Benefits of Working as a Health System Pharmacist

There are benefits to working in Healthcare System as opposed to a retail environment. Stable working hours – Pharmacists in an intuitional setting will work the normal amount of hours but may be required to work evenings, nights and weekends as medications are required around the clock.

What is a Health System Pharmacist? A pharmacist is a trained individual who dispenses medications to patients. They are trained in the selection, dosing, and administration of drugs to patients.

Their training includes knowledge about basic compounds which go into a formulation for a drug, its effects, side effects and interactions with past and present medications that a patient may take. A Health System pharmacist works in various organizations such as a hospital or clinic.

Where do Health System Pharmacists work? A health system is the combination of all the organizations, institutions and resources whose purpose is to promote and improve health.

This includes hospitals, insurance companies, clinics, doctors, nursing homes, and other places where people get help when they are ill or require recuperation. The skills and experience of a pharmacist is required at many levels within the Healthcare System, for example in a hospital, clinic, or nursing home, a pharmacist is usually in charge of the medications dispensary. Each day, there are a number of medications which are dispensed to patients by nurses or other floor staff to patients.

A team of pharmacists prepare and record all medications which are dispensed to each patient. Details are recorded as to the dose and type of medication, as well as changes to the regimen by a physician.

In addition to medications other drugs are dispensed on an individual need basis for emergencies, surgery and other one time treatments. Other duties include advising the medical staff on the selection and effects of drugs, making sterile solutions to be administered intravenously or plan, monitor and evaluate drug programs or regimens.

They may counsel hospitalized patients on the use of drugs before the patients are discharged. At a large physicians practice or clinic a pharmacist may be in charge of prescribing medications for patients, advising them on patients about general health topics such as diet, exercise, and stress management, and provide information on products such as durable medical equipment or home health care supplies.

At an insurance or benefits company, a pharmacist will be counted on to monitor the requests for medication by the physician to ensure that the treatment is correct and within standards.

They will have a hand in composing and reviewing the processes and procedures for approval to reimburse for medications or what types of medications can be substituted in treatments.

Another benefits:

Income – Pharmacists are highly trained individuals, requiring testing and licensing to practice. Their income would be commensurate with those of other healthcare professionals.

Opportunity to advance – In addition to dispensing medications, pharmacists may also advance to managerial duties, supervising other pharmacists and technicians or leading a department.

They also my have the opportunity to teach or advise to staff or groups about new and upcoming medicines and treatments. Other duties include composing and establish process and procedures for the recommendation, dispensing and approval of medicines.

Author: Amy Nutt.
Source: isnare.com
Staffing Agency offering full time and part time pharmacy jobs. Visit us to learn more about the wide range of pharmacist jobs opportunities. Visit us http://www.rphonthego.com/

[Via http://articlehealthylifestyle.wordpress.com]

Got sick of looking for a job... Found something better!!!

Got sick of looking for a job… Found something better!!!

A little about me, my name is Myla Brugmans. I was born September 5, 1970. I was married and had twin girls in March 1992. Yes the same month. In fact it was only 15 hours apart. I gave birth in my birthing suite where I also had to get a quick marriage ceremony since they decided to come 6 weeks early. But I am pleased to report that I did not have my kids out of wedlock. My life changed dramatically again in December 1993, at the young age of 23, I had a massive stroke leaving me paralyzed on my full left side. I learned how to do everything again, to sit, walk and live. I re-entered the work force a different person and totally driven and disabled to boot.

In the next couple of years I saw a disabled skier on a magazine over and thought… If he can do, it why not me? I immediately called the editor and he told me I could call the organization to get involved. My family thought I was crazy for even trying. They said you can barely walk, now you want to go plummeting down a hill? I went and in the next 3 days and was off the bunny hill by the afternoon of my first ski day. Only 3 years after I was invited to join the Ontario Alpine Ski team.

Another hurdle was presented to me March 2009, I was diagnosed with type 1.5 diabetes, wich is a Late presenting type 1. The Diabetes specialists were surprised to see me in their offices because I had spent everyday in the gym for the past 8 months prior and had gone from a size 16 down to a 2.

It was a nice run working in the IT industry for 20 years. Even better when they kept trying to lay me off but instead offered me a promotion each of the four times in my last 6 years. I was lucky I was offered a telecommuting position as middle management with a nice raise and the opportunity to work at home. In the winter I would move my laptop in front of my fireplace. In the summer I put on my bikini (my work clothes) and sit outside. People would ask me where I got my great tan. I would say at work!

Yes, this was the life to work at home and get paid.

Then the recession hit, I was finally the next victim. I decided to accept the severance package to concentrate on my newly diagnosed Diabetes. My Levels were 30+ (Canadian measure) and I managed to research and apply all I learned to bring myself to the normal target ranges of 4-8 within a 9-week duration.

I started looking for a position back in the IT industry only to find that not only will I have to leave my comfy home office but also I would have to accept a 30 sometimes 40% pay cut from my 80K salary.

This just did not sit well with me. I scoured the Internet for a viable option. I knew the Internet was a goldmine. What I found was a community of already successful Entrepreneurs who were willing to share what they have learned, the pitfalls and what works to help me succeed.

Again… Why not me?

Why not you?

[Via http://mylabrugmans.wordpress.com]

Hey You, Meet Rock Bottom

Hey you sorry to see you go. Well not really. I’d be lying to you if I said i didn’t see it coming. After all how many people have you laid off. Showed them the door. Frankly you got what you had coming. And it couldn’t come any later. First time in what 13 years now. You stupid bastard.

Maybe if you didn’t spend your time sleeping in the office. Or maybe if you treated everyone with a little more respect. Perhaps if you didn’t fart in front of your co-workers. After all you were are little joke.

Well maybe not that little. So tell me boss have you packed your bags a left town. Did you go get your wife from her country? Or did she leave you after finding out you lost your job. After all she only wanted you for two reasons, papers and money. And now money isn’t there anymore. What’s left? Papers? The pain is too great.

I remember people fearing you because you could fire them. I remember hearing you walking people to HR office and leave the office alone.

That Hotel sucks but now with you gone things are looking up.

You are Rock Bottom. You were the beginning of the end. And now there are only a few heads left to row.

Tell me underneath that bottle that you many be drinking do you find closure? Don’t worry you wont. But keep going. Keep drinking.

Good bye you fuck!! And may you never work at another hotel again.

OUT     

[Via http://downshane.wordpress.com]

Saudi Female employment

Resource by AFP

RIYADH — Saudi female university students are ambitious and eager for job opportunities but their more conservative male counterparts are likely to put barriers in their way, a pioneering new survey shows.

The “Bridging the Gap” study of more than 4,400 university students also suggested that religious beliefs in the Muslim kingdom were not the main barrier to women finding jobs.

Instead, the key challenge stemmed from traditional male views that women should marry and stay at home while men work. Another possible barrier is the competition for scarce jobs for both genders.

Conducted by Saudi and Austrian social scientists over 2007-2008, the first mass poll of Saudi university students assessed the barriers to employment for women, who are graduating in greater numbers than males but not finding jobs.

“Everything they do, it all comes down to gender,” said Fawziah al-Bakr, a King Saud University education professor and one of the study’s authors.

With a high unemployment rate among young Saudis, the oil-rich country needs to generate more jobs and women university students want to compete for those jobs, said Bakr, one of the country’s most prominent women’s rights advocates.

Saudi women now view university education as a step toward work, and not just as education for its own sake ahead of marriage and raising children, she said in a Riyadh presentation of the study this week.

“They want to realize their full potential and strive in the public sphere: paid employment is a new priority for young female Saudi students,” the study says.

It showed about 80 percent of women seek the same opportunities as men and aim to compete in their fields. But over half of men were opposed, with only 22 percent agreed that women should be able to compete head-to-head with men.

However, nearly two-thirds of male university students had a positive view of their female counterparts going to work after graduation.

“This is important, for male acceptance is generally the prerequisite for female job occupation. Male allowance is the female entrance ticket into the world of employment,” the study’s authors wrote.

Both genders were uncertain of any substantial changes to women’s rights in Saudi Arabia over the next five years. Only 44 percent of women were confident, with another 36 percent mildly hopeful.

Meanwhile, only 26 percent of men were strongly confident that such change would take place.

“A person who considers the changes in gender roles necessary is also more likely to predict that these changes will actually occur,” the survey said.

Neither gender linked women’s moves into the job market as contrary to the ultra-strict version of Islam practiced in Saudi Arabia.

Asked if this would undermine Saudi religious practices, only 24 percent of men and eight percent of women said yes.

The poll shows that women themselves are hesitant about pushing their way into the top ranks of an entirely male-dominated society, with only eight percent agreeing that women should take political leadership roles.

Government leadership is totally male, with the exception of a woman deputy minister of education, appointed this year, the first-ever female with ministerial rank.

Women account for almost two-thirds of university graduates but only seven percent of the Saudi work force.

“The female talent pool is taking over in terms of numbers and qualifications,” said Edit Schlaffer, the chair of Women Without Borders, a Vienna-based women’s advocacy group which supported the study.

Guided by a strict interpretation of Islamic teachings, Saudi society has some of the world’s toughest controls on women.

Women can not drive, must have a male relative’s permission and company when moving outside the home, and are banned from mixing with unrelated males, whether in universities or government or private sector offices.

[Via http://thepwjo.wordpress.com]

From a Mentor to a Mentee

FLOWER BLOSSOM BLOOM and FLOURISH

From a Mentor to a Mentee

By

VIKRAM KARVE

Long back I learnt a trick from an eminent trainer on how to get the audience to focus. I too use this technique on a few occasions when I want my audience to settle down to receptive vibes.

The moment you take the stage, you tell the audience to close their eyes for one minute and think of the one person who they consider as their most important mentor.

A few days ago, one of my brilliant ex-students, who attended a motivational lecture in her new organization and was subjected to the same exercise, rang me up and told me that it was my face that came to her mind as a mentor. Then she talked about her work, that she was not very happy with her new workplace which apparently did not measure up to her high expectations. I feel privileged that my ex-student considers me a mentor and I write this “pep talk” especially for her and all my dear mentees, protégées and protégés .

Ou Dieu vous a seme, il faut savoir fleurir

YOU MUST KNOW HOW TO FLOWER WHERE GOD HAS SOWN YOU

Every person, sooner or later, goes through a moment when it seems that he or she is on the wrong road, that his entire way of life is wrong.

Have you ever experienced this feeling?

Think about it.

Do you find yourself stuck in an incongruous career or in an incompatible relationship or in a redundant place?

And sadly there is nothing you can do about it, owing to compulsions and constraints beyond your control.

You cannot turn around and retrace your steps or change your road of life.

It seems you have crossed the point of no return and you have no choice but to keep on travelling on the “wrong” road of life.

Failure follows failure.

And with repeated failure comes the fear of failure.

It is indeed a terrible vicious cycle which gradually overwhelms you with the chill of despondency.

What can you do in such a situation?

Maybe the answer lies in a saying I read somewhere a few years ago and noted in my diary:

“ Ou Dieu vous a seme, il faut savoir fleurir ”

which roughly translated means

“You must know how to flower where God has sown you” or “wherever God plants you, there you must learn how to bloom”.

How does one learn to flower where God has sown you, bloom wherever God plants you?

One may turn to the Enchiridion of Epictetus for guidance.

Epictetus (A.S.55 – A.D. 135), the great Stoic Philosopher, states that happiness and freedom begin with a clear understanding of one principle: Some things are within our control, and some things are not in our control.

This is the basic Stoic truth of subjective consciousness and it is only after you have faced up to this fundamental rule and learned to distinguish between what is in your power from what is not in your power, and know what you can control and what you cannot control, that inner tranquility and outer effectiveness become possible.

On analytical reflection we find that the mind alone can be brought under our control. Everything else, the world of events and people’s behaviour, is beyond the scope of our control.

What disturbs you are not events but your attitude towards them. Don’t demand or except that events happened as you would wish them to. Accept events as they actually happen. And you will be at peace with yourself.

Except for extreme physical abuse, other people cannot hurt you unless you allow them to. Don’t consent to be hurt and you won’t be hurt.

You must learn to approach life as a banquet and not as a buffet. Think of your life as if it were a banquet where you would behave graciously, when dishes are pass to you, extend your hand and help yourself to a moderate portion. If a dish should pass you by, enjoy what is already on your plate. Or is a dish hasn’t being passed to you yet, patiently to your turn. Carry on the same attitude of polite restrain and gratitude to your children, spouse, career and money. There is no need to yearn, envy and grab. You will get your rightful share when it is your time.

It then becomes our paramount duty to control the mind and practice total unconcern to externals. “When something happens, the only thing in your power is your attitude toward it; you can either accept it or resent it.”

To accept an event is to rise above it, to resent it to be overpowered by it. With acceptance come happens, with resentment, misery.

Acceptance of an event is not to be mistaken for a life of passivity or submission to fatalism characterized by laziness and a sense of helplessness. “Simply doing nothing does not avoid risk, but heightens it.” Epictetus exhorts us, therefore, to brave the storms of life with planned action born of clear thinking. He recognizes, too, the practical necessity of working for worldly gains, but cautions us only against the false belief that happiness depends on the results such endeavours.

Being an integral part of social structure, you cannot live in isolation; social interaction is inescapable. In your relationship with others at home, at work or in society, no matter how people behave, you have to maintain inner tranquility, with unwavering attention on achieving your own merit and excellence. People act under their own inner compulsions over which you can exercise no control. Epictetus advises: “Focus not on what he or she does, but on keeping to your higher purpose.” He assures that if you truly live in tune with your will and resolve, and in harmony with your inner self, nobody’s words or actions (barring extreme cases) can disturb your mental equipoise.

This glorious attitude to life and knowledge of your self makes you free in a world of dependencies and enables you to flower where God has sown you, to bloom wherever God plants you.

” Ou Dieu vous a seme, il faut savoir fleurir “
Wherever God plants you, there you must learn how to bloom.
You must know how to flower where God has sown you.

From a Mentor to a Mentee
By
VIKRAM KARVE

http://vikramkarve.sulekha.com

http://www.linkedin.com/in/karve
vikramkarve@sify.com

[Via http://karve.wordpress.com]

Job 41

1 “Can you pull in the leviathan [a] with a fishhook
or tie down his tongue with a rope?

2 Can you put a cord through his nose
or pierce his jaw with a hook?

3 Will he keep begging you for mercy?
Will he speak to you with gentle words?

4 Will he make an agreement with you
for you to take him as your slave for life?

5 Can you make a pet of him like a bird
or put him on a leash for your girls?

6 Will traders barter for him?
Will they divide him up among the merchants?

7 Can you fill his hide with harpoons
or his head with fishing spears?

8 If you lay a hand on him,
you will remember the struggle and never do it again!

9 Any hope of subduing him is false;
the mere sight of him is overpowering.

10 No one is fierce enough to rouse him.
Who then is able to stand against me?

11 Who has a claim against me that I must pay?
Everything under heaven belongs to me.

12 “I will not fail to speak of his limbs,
his strength and his graceful form.

13 Who can strip off his outer coat?
Who would approach him with a bridle?

14 Who dares open the doors of his mouth,
ringed about with his fearsome teeth?

15 His back has [b] rows of shields
tightly sealed together;

16 each is so close to the next
that no air can pass between.

17 They are joined fast to one another;
they cling together and cannot be parted.

18 His snorting throws out flashes of light;
his eyes are like the rays of dawn.

19 Firebrands stream from his mouth;
sparks of fire shoot out.

20 Smoke pours from his nostrils
as from a boiling pot over a fire of reeds.

21 His breath sets coals ablaze,
and flames dart from his mouth.

22 Strength resides in his neck;
dismay goes before him.

23 The folds of his flesh are tightly joined;
they are firm and immovable.

24 His chest is hard as rock,
hard as a lower millstone.

25 When he rises up, the mighty are terrified;
they retreat before his thrashing.

26 The sword that reaches him has no effect,
nor does the spear or the dart or the javelin.

27 Iron he treats like straw
and bronze like rotten wood.

28 Arrows do not make him flee;
slingstones are like chaff to him.

29 A club seems to him but a piece of straw;
he laughs at the rattling of the lance.

30 His undersides are jagged potsherds,
leaving a trail in the mud like a threshing sledge.

31 He makes the depths churn like a boiling caldron
and stirs up the sea like a pot of ointment.

32 Behind him he leaves a glistening wake;
one would think the deep had white hair.

33 Nothing on earth is his equal—
a creature without fear.

34 He looks down on all that are haughty;
he is king over all that are proud.”

[Via http://gypr.wordpress.com]

Tweet Your Way to a Job

One of the skills that makes recent college grads so attractive to employers is our knowledge of using social media, so it makes sense that employers would be using Twitter to find us. One company, MediaSource, Inc. was looking to hire a media relations specialist, so they only advertised the position on Twitter, LinkedIn, and two other niche job boards because they wanted to specifically target people who understand social media. With so many people out of work and searching job boards, employers are turning to Twitter because it produces a manageable number of job leads and eliminates an overwhelming pile of résumés.

If you already have a Twitter account, you’ve eliminated that step, but if not, it’s easy to set up- just go to Twitter.com. After setting up an account, check out TweetMyJobs.com- it’s a website that brings recruiters, hiring managers and job seekers together on Twitter, and it’s been featured on NPR, ABC, CNN, the Wall Street Journal and Forbes. When you arrive on the site, scroll down and under “For the Job Seeker”, click on “Learn More”, then set up a free account- it’s very quick and easy. They’ll send you an email so you can activate your account, and then you can start searching for jobs- by title and location.

TweetMyJobs.com is different from a normal job board because it shows jobs that employers have “tweeted”—I just did a quick search for “content producer” and it was great because it gave me the link right to employers’ Twitters with the corresponding job tweet. Rather than searching for jobs on the traditional job boards like Monster.com, CareerBuilder.com, or Indeed.com, TweetMyJobs.com may yield more relevant opportunities for our generation… check it out and see what you think!

[Via http://erinns2cents.wordpress.com]

Jackson lost his

Jackson lost his watchdog job shortly after store cameras were
installed.

mebbeh wuz long dey

Picture by: Christy Caption by: soulessminnions via Loldog Builder

» Recaption This!

» View All Captions

[Via http://ihasahotdog.com]

Tale of Two Evaluations

This is your Captain speaking………..welcome aboard fuckers.

I’ve had something that’s been bugging the shit out of me for a couple days.  Sometimes on my job I am privy to information that just plain pisses me off!

Take two employees in the same section, one male, one female and they have the same job function.  The male missed 10 days during the year due to an accident that was not his fault.  The female was out for more than three months for a pregnancy.  This particular female was also out for the same amount of time last year for the same reason.

The male employee documented work product is well above the prescribed standards, yet because he was out for more than the “allotted” amount of sick time, his supervisor was forced to give him a review of simply “meets expectations”.  The gentleman understands that there are rules and does not have a problem with his lowered evaluation, as he put it “those are the breaks”.

What he does have a problem with is that the female employee was NOT held accountable for her time away even though her situation was a result of her own actions.  Keep in mind that this gentleman and others in her area had to take on extra work as a result of her being gone for those three months. However because of the Family Leave Act, the supervisor was not allowed to take her lack of attendance into consideration.  If he did, he would open himself and the company up to legal action.  Her documented work product barely meets the standards and she also got an evaluation of “meets expectations”.

God Bless America!  Because we’re fucked and we need some kind of divine intervention to clean up this clusterfuck.

So lets review, a woman can do just enough to get by, take a quarter of the year off and still get just as good of an evaluation as the person who had to pick up her slack when she was out of the office……….nice………really fucking nice.

Typical American entitlement whore, she craps out kids at her discretion (or lack of), and the rest of us have to pitch in!  Yes, to sweeten the pot this bitch also gets government assistance, isn’t that fucking nice.  Maybe if she rode the time clock like she rode a dick, she wouldn’t need government assistance.

But hell, what does she care, she’s not paying for it.  She doesn’t even have to show up for work!  Now she can schedule doctor appointments during the day for her little drape apes to give her yet another reason to skate out on the job.  UN-FUCKING-BELIEVABLE!

Thanks for listening fuckers.

You are now free to punch a baby.

[Via http://no2marriage.wordpress.com]

Moving up the Work Ladder: Earned or Entitled?

The old adage is true, hard work will win you rewards. It doesn’t matter if you work in fast food, a factory or an executive office; at the end of the day it is hard work that will propel you forward and open doors of opportunity. There is something to be said for earning a reward through hard work, it has more meaning and a deep sense of satisfaction that can’t be achieved by merely being handed it.

So often there is a sense of entitlement that comes from people in all aspects of our lives. Our kids think they are entitled to everything that the “other” kids have. Often people around us at work or in our personal lives feel entitled to opportunities even though they may not have taken the steps or made the accomplishments to have earned them. The pride that comes with earning your own success is priceless. As you work through your careers, I challenge you to be the earner.

BE the EARNER. An Earner:

• Volunteers to take on additional responsibilities; seizing opportunities presented to them
• Is willing to stay late and go the extra mile
• Is always driven to achieve and enjoys it
• Continually seeks feedback from others, in continuous improvement mode
• Thinks ahead and plans for many scenarios
• Is dependable and gets the job done
• Looks at every situation with positive energy and a positive attitude
• Is thought of as a professional
• Is the go to guru and if they don’t know the answer, they take the time to help figure it out
• Is always learning formally, informally and from those around them
• Is active and engaged with their co-workers, managers and their community
• Is an attentive and active listener
• Exudes confidence and an optimism
• Realizes that every single thing is better accomplished with a team
• Surrounds themselves with positive, driven and engaged people

The earner mentality will serve you well if you live it. You will be easily recognized as a natural leader and someone who will impact the organizational culture, bottom line and success. Earners easily climb corporate, social and educational ladders. Those who feel entitled will often say phrases like, “I’ve been here longer and deserve it” or use the term “favorite” to describe the earners around them. Regardless of longevity if you are just meeting the status quo or “doing your job”, you are not positioning yourself to move forward. You must go beyond the call of duty and change those habits, attitudes and barriers that are holding you back. A person with an entitled sense of self can become an earner with some simple changes but it all starts with motivation. You can’t just see yourself as a successful person, you have to work for it.

Amy
Amy Chastek, Director of Career Services, Herzing University Online

For more information about Herzing University Online please visit us on the web at www.herzingonline.edu. Are you an employer looking for a great employee? Click here to view our interactive map of job seekers.

[Via http://herzingonline.wordpress.com]

The informational interview...

Today was the last day of my PR class at MSU, and so we spent some time talking about networking and how to get a job.  I gave them the one piece of advice that I have been giving my students for 17 years—use the informational interview as a stepping stone to finding a job.

The informational interview is a way to talk to someone either at a company you are interested in or in a job you would like to learn more about for a few minutes of their time–start with 15 minutes.  You promise them you will take no more than 15 minutes of their time to ask them about their job, how they got there, what they like about their job, and any advice they have for someone trying to break into the field.  After 15 minutes are up, thank them for their time.  If they insist on talking more, let them.  If not, say good-bye and hang up.  Afterwards, send them a thank you note for their time.

This informational interview is helpful to the student because it will give them information about a position that they might not know unless they actually worked at that company or in that job.  It gives them information to think about in terms of how this person spends their day or the types of things they do, and then the student can decide if this sounds like a good “fit.”

In addition, if you were pleasant to talk to, they will want to help you find that job or interview.  They will start asking you questions, like, “Where would you like to work?”, or “What type of job are you looking for?”, or “Send me your resume and I’ll see what I can do.”

If we call folks and directly ask them for a job, we put them on the defense, because they may or may not have a job or any knowledge or one at the time.

But, if we approach them as the expert and ask for a few minutes of their time, we build trust with them in a way that they are willing to become our advocate.  And, as well all know, it is not always what you know, but who you know.

-karen

[Via http://totaltrust.wordpress.com]

Discipline

Identifying and counting the cost of consequences supports #discipline.

When the cost is known we have greater clarity of thought. Reality check: “This is not worth it or I better get this done”. The instant gratification of sleeping late pales in comparison to the cost of losing your job.

The key is to understand that discernment is an essential companion of discipline.

[Via http://trevoressmith.wordpress.com]

How to get started as a Venture Capital (VC) analyst?

I get asked this question often: How does one become a VC? Well, if you are an analyst/associate candidate, this should really help you. Click on link below for the rest of a very useful article…Great pointers on how to be a strong network node!

As an analyst, you can be useful at pretty much only three things: communication, sourcing, and analysis. The great thing for VC wannabes is that these are all things that you can do now, before a job even comes up. There's nothing stopping you from putting forth your analysis of a new startup, or tipping VCs off to potential deals today, even when you're not at a firm.

Many students have the misconception that, as an analyst, you're going to be put in front of a big stack of business plans and your filtering skill is what's going to make you the next Mike Moritz. Guess again. VCs hustle hard to track down deals and they expect everyone in the shop to be bringing deals to the table, because you should be in the flow of interesting things going on.

via How to get started as a Venture Capital (VC) analyst | from This is going to be BIG! – Comments on New York Tech Community, Startups, Venture Capital and Career Education.

[Via http://bznotes.wordpress.com]

You are only as good as your last post.

A previous boss of mine always said, “you’re only as good as your last piece of work”. Every time I heard this, I scoffed a little bit inside my head.

“Yeah, right.” I’d think.

But unlike most young millennials, head strong on their way to the top (or so they hope), I have learned the value of that lesson, and it’s something that I think everyone should try to live by. Everyone is constantly being evaluated. We live in volatile times, and even though the recession is waning, statistics still say we will change jobs close to every 2 years – a total of 14 changes before the age of 45, for some Millennials. That means you must constantly and consistently produce good (or better) results.

What I’ve come to realize though, is that the rule can apply to so many things, both personal and professional. Often, you only get one shot, whether you realize someone is watching or not.

Always make everything you do your best that you can do, and you will always be as good as your last project, last blog post, last presentation – last whatever.

[Via http://kimberleymosher.wordpress.com]

Life Update

I have been interviewing with Cerner, the electronic medical records company from Kansas City that my IT job was outsourced to earlier this year. Too early to tell what the outcome will be, but I remain positive in my attitude. The real issue for me will be salary. For me to move and for me to continue to work in the field I would have to be well compensated. I would rather bag groceries and have the freedom to be myself than restructure my ethics in the name of corporate culture.

Back at the gym; best thing I’ve done in a long time. I feel better and I bet I will look better soon. The going seems slow, but I continue to push that iron around.

Music seems to have taken a bit of a back seat these last few weeks. It is still in my head to be sure, but the actual playing, writing and recording just doesn’t seem to be in me right now. I know that it is a part of my total existence, but I have to follow the path as it is laid out for me.

I also reminded the Universe that I am open to a relationship. Yup. If the Universe sees fit to send that perfect partner into my life, or wake him up, or wake ME up to his presence, then, hey! Go for it, Universe!

The holidays are here and I will be spending more mental energy getting that going in my and heart. It was snowing earlier this evening…just flurries, but it did my heart good.

[Via http://stuartdmt.wordpress.com]

I'm drunk today

I’m drunk today! Well, somehow it happened after I fed the cat and before I had my last Vodka/Monster. Don’t ask me what the hell “Monster” drinky is, but I found it in my fridge and I’ve been dancing all day long. I can’t stop moving and running errands in my own room. By the way, Ellen, I would NEVER drink on the job. I’m only drunk, well, superiorly buzzing due to international Skyping with friends who are drinking in the evening when it’s just noon here. Whooops.

Sunday is the “day of rest” and I rest my case, that I’m just a wee bit drunk today..um buzzing…

Solution: run 3 miles, swim 34.3 laps in the rec. pool (forgot rec. card, so had to hide in the elevator and run into the locker-rooms and hide in bathroom stall until sure unnoticed), do backflips off of the diving board until I accidentally bellyflop, then eat an organic burrito until my head stops spinning. What a Sunday! Life is good.

Life would be better if hired by the Ellen Show!

[Via http://hiremetomorrow.wordpress.com]

What Have I Been Up To?

Well, I checked out a church this past Sunday. We all enjoyed it, and Micah even decided to add his “two cents” to the sermon. He was quiet the entire time except every time the pastor spoke. Guess he’s taking his being named after a minor prophet a little too seriously (Hee hee).

I’ve also finally started getting some call backs on my resume. Interviewed with a temporary service yesterday and have an interview for a job on Monday. The job seems like something I’d be good at, but a little different than what I’m used to. I’m looking forward to the interview so they can explain more about the position and what I’d be doing. I look at job interviews as more than just the company’s opportunity to check me out. It’s my opportunity to check them out also and see if I think I would be a good fit.

While typing this, I got a call from the temporary service. They have a PT position I can work in the interim of looking for a job. The job is scheduled to last about a week for starters. It’s only 6 hours daily and starts very early in the a.m. which is fine with me since I get up early anyway. So, I start tomorrow – yep, Saturday. Better get to bed on time tonight. Six a.m. comes pretty early… (Don’t you hate when people say silly stuff like that. Six a.m. comes at the same time every morning – at six a.m. Just checking to see if you were paying attention. Giggle, giggle.)

Look for the blessing!
Chyrisse

[Via http://mynewseason.wordpress.com]

But I'm tiny...

So.. I have a new job.. newer than the new job that I started in September..

Without getting into it too much.. let’s just say that there were things that I didn’t expect when taking that job.. and it didn’t sit well with me.. so I made the executive decision to just quit.. hands clean.. and never look back..

That brings me to this new job.. I work as the Quality Assurance Tech for a pet food company.. and I’ve been there for a week..

It’s.. interesting..interesting good and interesting bad.. let me explain:

Interesting good
I’m doing quality control and assurance on batches and batches of pet food.  It’s overwhelming to think that I am partially responsible for some of the petfood you are all buying your dogs.. and cats.. it’s amazing to think that I have to check it to make sure that it’s suitable to sell.. it’s a learning experience.. and smells a lot better than the vet lab I used to work for..

Interesting bad
It’s a mix of manual labor.. and laboratory work.  Since I’m working in a huge manufacturing plant.. I have to have the hard hat.. steel toed shoes.. ear plugs.. eye protection.. the works.  I’ll be getting a uniform as soon as they give me one.. so I come home sometimes dusty and smelling like dog food.. My hair is always flat because of the hard hat.. I can no longer have manicures.. and I can’t wear my ring.. so that means that if Joe ever pops the question.. I won’t be able to flash my fancy bling around at work.. haha..

Today was interesting.. I was learning how to test finished product and I didn’t realize that it meant I had to pull random bags from the assembly line.. well.. today.. the bags were 52lbs!

52lbs!

On a good day.. I weight between 120-125lbs.. that bag is a little less than half of what I weigh!!  And they expect me to eventually be able to pick that up?!

Insane!

That is pretty much the worse part of my day.. the heavy lifting..

I’m scared I’ll get man-hands.. eek!

Thoughts?

[Via http://artsyprincess.wordpress.com]

2010 Prediction: U.S. Unemployment and Under-Employment

Due to ravages of economic crisis there will be over 28 million people unemployed or underemployed by 2010, with nearly 50 million people living in poverty (e.g. a family of 4 with a income of no greater then $22,050) and struggling with no health insurance or health care of any kind. (November 30, 2009)

For more 2010 predictions (so far) and to read my other predictions for 2009, visit my website.

[Via http://williamstickevers.wordpress.com]

Summer Teaching Opportunities!

The Institute of Reading Development is seeking candidates for summer 2010 teaching positions. We seek applicants with an undergraduate degree or higher from any discipline. We provide a paid training program and comprehensive on-going support.

Summer teaching positions with the Institute offer the opportunity to:

• Earn more than $6,000 during the summer. Teachers typically earn between $525 and $700 per week while teaching.
• Gain over 500 hours of teacher-training and teaching experience with a variety of age groups.
• Help students of all ages develop their reading skills and ability to become imaginatively absorbed in books.

The Institute is an educational service provider that teaches developmental reading programs in partnership with the continuing education departments of more than 100 colleges and universities across the United States. Our classes for students of all ages improve their reading skills and teach them to experience absorption in literature.

We hire people who:

• Have strong reading skills and read for pleasure
• Have a Bachelor’s Degree in any discipline
• Are responsible and hard working
• Have good communication and organizational skills
• Will be patient and supportive with students
• Have regular access to a reliable car

We welcome you to submit an online application and learn more about teaching for the Institute at our website:

http://readingprograms.org/teachingjobs

[Via http://tmccareerguy.wordpress.com]

And now I hear from the opposing team

My first week of work I was rounding up my license’s for the new boss.  I wasn’t sure about one of them and really didn’t think it was the real one.  Bill had a tendency to take care of me with all of that stuff and I was even surprised I had them in my possession.  So in order to figure out if this was indeed the correct one I texted Kathy. The old secretary.  I asked her to check in my file in his office, she asked where I was working, someone had called to verify my employment there and *gasp* they wouldn’t tell her anything else.  Nosy bitch. This happened to be the day I fell apart at work so forgive me, I wasn’t thinking.  I told her where I was working.  And when she asked if I liked it?…I told her I hated it.

I’m sure it took her mere seconds to look up the address of my new company and figure out I was a mile up the road.  A mile up where none of them travel because there is a road that runs parallel with less traffic. 

Now I know that woman waddled her large ass back to Bill as quick as possible and filled him and Joey in on the news.  Why can’t I keep my trap shut?  It took four days for a text to come in from Joey.   The first I have heard from him in 7 months.  He said he had a job offer I might be interested in and to please call him.  I’m not going to lie….I set my phone down and took a step back.  Bill was in on this.  I know what happened the second I let those first texts send.  This was more of a trap and I could do this on my own.

It took every inch of will to text him back a No thanks, I have a job.  It would have been so easy to jump back into that comfort zone. Tucked up nice and close to Bill, but I couldn’t depend on those people anymore.  I took the notion that part of him still cares.  Part of the man I know is still there but I have to leave it at that.  I have made it this far on my own and I can damn well keep going.  I may hate my job but I got this stupid shitty ass job on my own and without his help. 

That was the first bit in 7 months.  The first crack into anything.  And when I pulled out of work the next day, sitting there at the intersection, was Bill.  Like I said, Kathy tells all. I took the green light and hit the gas in the other direction.

[Via http://lovedyoumore.wordpress.com]

Pantyhose, Frappuccino Bars, Dying Houseplants, etc.

Let’s do a quick recap of my previous employment, shall we?

• Waitressing. Family restaurant that served a copious amount of gravy-drenched deep-fried meat-products. I had to wear orthopedic shoes, thick pantyhose and a ruffly dress with attached overalls. That’s what I said. Overalls. Pay: $2.13/hour plus tips.
• Theater: Got to see Evita 16 times for free. Worked in customer service.
• Temp work: Handing out free Frappuccino bars in downtown Portland, Oregon, which should make people like you. But it was Portland, so I mostly got lectured about the evils of Starbucks. Hi, I’m a 21-year-old temp. Stop yelling at me.
• First real job: Data entry at a large corporation known for their fancy athletic shoes.
• Next job: I worked in marketing at a winery. Frankly, it was awesome. I only gave it up for one of the few things in the world that could be better: Moving to a beach town in Australia where my main job was to lie in a hammock all day. Eventually, foreign countries kick you out unless you’re a citizen.
• Next job: Receptionist at an architecture firm. Phhht. Off to grad school.
• Admin for a literacy program. Highly emotionally fulfilling. Highly, stupidly broke.
• Marketing for medical devices. (See below, re: gray cubicle.)

It’s an odd variety, I suppose, though somehow the last 12 years sort of blend into one gigantic cubicle. The winery was a nice office, but other than the 3 years there (and the 1 year traveling), I can’t say I was in love with any of the jobs in any sort of this-is-my calling kind of way. Okay, I loathed (loathe) corporate environments, what with their freezers packed with Lean Cuisines, fake coffee creamer flavors and frigid conference room tables. Most office environments make me want to weep.

I do believe we all have callings, and that is not mine. I suppose I also believe that life isn’t deigned to be ultimately fulfilling all the time. Sometimes we’re exactly where we’re supposed to be and that place happens to suck. I do acknowledge, with gratitude, that even the most dreadful jobs did serve a purpose, in retrospect.

But I’ve spent the majority of my career so far feeling like I’m wearing the wrong sized shoes. No conventional job option really felt right to me until I met the world of freelancing. And while I was trying stuff on and gathering what would eventually become fuel for starting my own business, the topic of work felt woeful for about a decade. “What am I meant to be doing” hung like a rain cloud over most jobs. Even at the winery—a very cool job—I didn’t feel a “this is MY CAREER!” kind of feeling. I think, at 33, I may finally be onto something.

Right now, I’m doing freelance writing and some design work for businesses. I have an office at home, and sometimes I sit there and sometimes I go out. I’ve been doing this for over a year and a half now, and I’m pretty sure leaping into this life was the best move I’ve made yet. And now, just as I’m getting settled, here comes a baby. That’s amazing and exciting and lovely, and it means I’m going to have to re-shuffle things, and I’m not quite sure how. Frankly, I’m a little afraid that I’ll get so wrapped up in loving the new kid that I’ll wake up one day and realize that the career I’ve worked so hard to create out of nothing will have withered on the window sill. A crispy, neglected houseplant. (Digression: I have officially killed my orchid. This does not bode well.)

Right now, my husband and I are planning to give life a try without childcare for the first while and see how it goes. The good news is that we both have flexible, ever-changing schedules. The bad news is that they’re largely unpredictable, which makes a consistent childcare arrangement tough. We’ve each claimed a day we’ll be out of the house. We split the rest. Sometimes we’ll both be home at the same time, but working, and can tag-team taking care of the baby. I hope that starting out with a fairly casual arrangement with one another won’t cause trouble. And I guess we won’t know until we get there.

Balancing work and family life is, of course, and ancient, common issue. There are SO many perfectly valid ways to arrange work life and the raising of children. There are options. We’ll figure it out. Hopefully with some sort of happy-medium compromise that, er, allows us to have a PERFECT balance where we don’t miss out on anything. Realistic, right?

[Via http://wingingitnaturally.wordpress.com]

Ein Job den keiner will?

Es ist manchmal schon echt komisch. Nach ein paar Jahren macht man eigentlich kaum noch das, was man ursprünglich mal gelernt hat. Man wird in anderen Sachen gut. Manchmal so gut, dass ein Job bei rausspringen könnte. Und? Man nimmt ihn nicht.

Lieber unterbezahlt woandershin?

Da bietet man Leuten einen gut bezahlten Job. Von zu Hause aus zu festen Konditionen. Gutes Einkommen. Kein MLM. Festanstellung, Agenturarbeit im SocialNetwork mit Profilen via Internet. Einrichten, Löschen, Kontakte knüpfen, für Kunden Profilhilfe geben, ein paar Screenshots hier und da machen usw. etc. Und ab und an ein kleiner “Spezialauftrag”?

Pustekuchen. Will keiner. Oder habe ich einfach nur die falsche (n Person)  Leute gefragt?
Hier würden sich die Leute drum reissen. Aber woanders hat man es wohl nicht so nötig. Lieber weiter schön zu Hause, unterbezahlt irgendwo putzen gehen.
So ganz versteh ich’s nicht. Egal.
Ich schreib die Stelle jetzt mal offiziell über AMS.se aus. Der Job muss schließlich gemacht werden und ich bin mir fast sicher, dass sich hier mehr dafür begeistern werden.

[Via http://schwedenclassic.wordpress.com]

...And Played The Occasional Chord

     

It’s been a slow and relaxed day here in rhino manor.  This is a list of most of the stuff I did today.

Drank coffee

Fed the cats

Had a 1/2 gallon of coffee

Ran 7.6 miles in 1:00:25

 Worked out

 Took a shower (after all the sweating i did, the wife would’ve kicked me the hell out if I hadn’t)

 Cleaned out the cat boxes

 Cleaned cat food off of the kitchen floor

 Watched some not very good football

 Read some political news on politico.com

 Went to monster.com and hotjobs.yahoo.com to look for work (the looking for work portion of the day isn’t done and is never done until i get a job)

 Signed up for a work at home thing, a rare reputable one, to fill time and make a few bucks while I’m home and not working full time.

 Plugged in the Christmas lights and enjoyed the subdued lighting for a minute.

 Made dinner (Beef stroganoff)

 Washed the dishes

 Fed the cats

 Cleaned the bathroom sink. (it needed it)

 Watched some more not very good football

 Checked my fantasy football team 

Checked my fantasy hockey team

 Wrote some small things here on the “rhino nugget” and “running commentary” pages

Was astounded by the amount of hits I’ve gotten over the last few days (over 2,800 the last 2 days, thanks in large part to Christmas pics and posts and whatnot)

 Made sure that my paypal account is still active  

 Fed the cats

Signed up for quantcast

 Looked for work on craigslist, got annoyed that there are no new job listings this week, then found a new one when I gave the system a final look through, and responded to it. (fingers crossed)

 Played canasta and keno on Pogo, and vampire wars on facebook (VW is starting to get old)

 Listened to Christmas carols on XM on the computer,

 Wrote this…

 And played the occasional odd chord. 

Like I said, a slow day.  No wonder I’m getting fat. 

_________________________________________________________

Gonna go do a Lil more looking for work, just in case I missed something,  play a bit more guitar, and finish this blog.

Have a good one.  Later!

Today’s nuggets, via wikiquote: Many people when they fall in love look for a little haven of refuge from the world, where they can be sure of being admired when they are not admirable, and praised when they are not praiseworthy.   Bertrand Russell

It is one of the strange ironies of this strange life — those who work the hardest, who subject themselves to the strictest discipline, who give up certain pleasurable things in order to achieve a goal, are the happiest people.  Brutus Hamilton

A human being should be able to change a diaper, plan an invasion, butcher a hog, conn a ship, design a building, write a sonnet, balance accounts, build a wall, set a bone, comfort the dying, take orders, give orders, cooperate, act alone, solve equations, analyze a new problem, pitch manure, program a computer, cook a tasty meal, fight efficiently, die gallantly. Specialization is for insects.  Robert A. Heinlein

[Via http://mikeytherhino.wordpress.com]

We Don't Lie to Google

Earlier in November, writer Ben Casnocha wrote this on his blog:

Someone once told me that there is nowhere we are more honest than the search box. We don’t lie to Google. Period. We type in what we’re thinking — good, bad, and ugly. There’s probably no piece of information that would better show what’s on someone’s mind than their stream of searches.

We don’t lie to Google. Nowhere is this more evident than in a handy feature Google uses in its search box called auto-complete. You start typing, and Google begins making suggestions on how to complete your search. If you’re like me, maybe you ignore these suggestions, but paying attention to them yields some interesting results.

Google simply makes suggestions based on the most popular search terms to follow the words you or I enter. Sometimes, the feature is useful, but, other times, we get a peek into the collective minds of others using Google. We see the brazen bluntness with which we search. Sometimes we see the ridiculous questions on our collective minds. Other times, we’re left scratching our heads, asking, “Wait, those are the most popular search terms for those words?”

Why Do We Trust Google More Than God?

We are always honest with Google. It may be the anonymity. It may be the literal nature of search engines. Regardless the reason, we are more forthright with a search engine than we often are with others, with ourselves, and with God. However much we try, though, while we may be able to fool others and ourselves, we cannot fool God. Let’s look at a couple examples of people doing this in the Bible.

• Adam & Eve. In Genesis 3, God doesn’t give Adam and Even the answer they want regarding the fruit of the Tree of Knowledge, so Eve allows herself to be persuaded by the serpent. Adam allows himself to be persuaded by Eve, and, in the end, they seek to blame God for their own error by verses 11-13.
• King David. In II Samuel 11, David commits adultery with Bathsheba, but that’s just a couple verses of the story. The rest of chapter 11 deals with David trying to cover his tracks, to the point, in verses 16-17, of conspiring to murder Bathsheba’s husband Uriah. He sinks deeper into sin to avoid others learning of his initial sin.
• Ananias & Sapphira. In Acts 5, this pair seek to look as impressive as the Christians in Acts 2:44-45 and 4:32-37 who give up much, if not all, to share with the brethren. Ananias and Sapphira try to make themselves look more generous than they really are, but their lies find them out.

We can turn to the anonymity of Google to find justification or vindication for almost anything we want. Anything we want to believe, justify, or desire – there’s a site for it. We may be afraid that God won’t give us the answer we want to hear. We may feel like others will judge us if they know about our struggles or sins. We may try to feel better about ourselves by making ourselves look better to others. We wear these façades and shroud ourselves in subtle deceptions to make ourselves more tolerable to ourselves and to others. In the end, though, the only ones we end up fooling are ourselves.

Honesty with Ourselves, Others, and God

This is not a lesson about the dangers of the Internet or the evils of Google. Google is a collection of algorithms, and the Internet is composed of writings, images, and other media created by people. They are what they are. Rather, this is a lesson about trust. It’s about being honest with ourselves and the challenges we face, relying on our brothers and sisters to carry us through difficult times, and ultimately trusting in God to deliver us from temptation and forgive us for our transgressions.

• King David. Psalms 3, 6, 11, 12, 19, 23, 25, 39, 51 – these and many more illustrates David’s complete trust in God’s word, His protection, and His forgiveness. Psalms 19 celebrates God’s word. Psalm 51 is a prayer for forgiveness after that sin with Bathsheba, and he demonstrates total submission and vulnerability before God. For this trust, God calls David a man after His own heart.
• Job. Throughout his book, Job is very honest with God and with himself. Job stays true to himself regardless of his wife’s or friend’s opinions. They judge him, but he knows his heart, and Job 31 stands as an example of self-accountability. He knows his heart. He knows how he treats others. Therefore, he can stand before God unspotted.
• Jesus. Where Adam and Eve reject God’s answer, Jesus submits in Matthew 26:36-42 when He says, “not as I will, but as You will.” His life of service culminates in an ultimate act of trust in God in His willing sacrifice on the cross. He knows God will deliver Him from death.

I Peter 5:6-7 exhorts us to humble ourselves and open up to our God. He cares for us more than any search engine ever can. Hebrews 4:15-16 assures us that our Lord relates to our challenges and shortcomings, and He is willing to lift us up if we only come to Him. Furthermore, Romans 15:1 encourages us to bear each other’s burdens. Galatians 6:1-2 reiterates this and tells us to be gentle with one another during these trials. We have a God willing to help us. We have brothers and sisters willing to help us, but we have to be honest with them and ourselves before we can heal.

Conclusion

God’s word will not always have the answers we want. We can find those answers all around us. It does, however, give us the answers we need. We all have faults. We all have challenges. We need to be honest with ourselves about those shortcomings so we can be honest with our brothers and sisters about them. We may fear judgmental attitudes. We may fear harsh treatment, but, if we love each other the way our God loves us, then we will bear each other up in patience and kindness. We should feel as open with each other and with God as we do with Google. Only then, can we truly begin to build the type of spiritual relationships we should have with one another.

[Via http://simplygospel.wordpress.com]

Business Objects Developer with BO XI experience including Designer including WEBI - 30-35K - East midlands

Business Objects Developer with BO XI experience including Designer including WEBI – 30-35K – East midlands

My market leading client is seeking a Businessobjects/Business Objects Developer with Report development, Web Intelligence, Business Objects Security Admin experience and Kimball/Star Schema exposure.

The ideal candidate should have experience of:

• Business Objects XI R2 or R3 inc Webi
• Kimball/Star-schema modelling exposure

Any experience of ETL, Deski or SQL Server would benefit but by no means essensial.

Please send me your CV and I will contact you with more details.

Regards

Adam Sparey

Head of Business Intelligence, ETL and Data Warehousing

adamsparey@peoplesource.co.uk

0117 922 7000

[Via http://businessintelligencespecialist.wordpress.com]

Thanksgiving

After four days of zero views, and many more of zero updates I thought I’d FINALLY do something about it.

 

So, Here we are.

Happy Turkey Day, unless you aren’t eating turkey– I understand that a lot of people are weirdo vegetarians or happen to like meats besides gobble-gobbles.  I get that.  I love veggies, but I feel that becoming a vegetarian would be awfully mean to all of those veggies out there.  I read an icon, once, it said:

“I’m not a vegetarian because I love animals, I’m a vegetarian because I hate vegetables.”

Ah ha.  That’s hilarious, I love it.  I wish I was a vegetarian so that I could wear a pin that says that.

Speaking, though, of icons.  I think they’re the bumper stickers of our generation.  I mean, you used to look for bumper stickers to get your fill of witty quotes, but now you go to icons.  Truthfully, I like the change– because icons are easier to find a cheaper to use, while you actually have to buy bumper stickers.

I think everyone thanks whatever for the same stuff, generally.  Food, a job, money, a house, and especially friends and family.  But we stood around the table, held hands, and said: “over the lips, past the gums, look out stomach, here it comes.”  That was our blessing, told by my grandfather it was absolutely beautiful.

Reminds me of a scene in Gran Torino, in fact, the first scene.  ”Spectacles, testicles, wallet, and watch.”  I don’t know about you guys, but I thought that was a fabulous movie.  I also should’ve been thankful for all of the fantastic movies out there, I don’t know what the world would be like without people like Chuck Palahniuk and Will Smith.

By the way, has anyone seen the movie Choke?  I read the book, but I have heard next to nothing about the movie, and yet if it was written by Chuck Palahniuk (author of Fight Club) it has to be good, no?  I heard it won something, or something, but I’m not entirely sure what.  Gimme a second, I’ll look it up.

Well, it got a 6.7/10 on IMBD, but is that good?  Truthfully, I don’t really know. D=  I thought it came out a while ago, but it actually came out last year (2008), which is kind of shocking.  That I can see, it didn’t win anything too notable.

“A sex-addicted con-man pays for his mother’s hospital bills by playing on the sympathies of those who rescue him from choking to death.” That about sums it up, doesn’t it?  Great book thought, if you have a chance– read it, before you watch the movie.

I’ll check out the movie and write up one of those lame little reviews I like so much.

Oh, lemme do what I came here to do: Happy Thanksgiving.

[Via http://blellum.wordpress.com]

Counting blessings

It is Thanksgiving today, and I would like to join quite a few people in writing about what I am thankful for. I hought I did this sort of entry every year, but when I looked back through my old blog’s archives I realized that the last time was right before Dorkface flew off to Spain, three years ago. This is a bit ridiculous, but perhaps there are some years where I feel the holiday spirit a bit more than others. In any case, said list is as follows:

 1. I am so incredibly thankful for my family. Without Mom and Dad…well, I wouldn’t be here, but besides that, I would never have gotten this far. More recently, I probably woud have self destructed post-graduation if it hadn’t been for their open arms and constant support. I also just happen to have  the most awesome brother in the world, and finally got the sister I always wanted little over a year ago. I wish that I got to see the two of them a bit more, especially on   days like today, but I am so glad to have them.

 

 

 

 

 2. I am thankful for all of my friends, most especially Jessica and Angela. Even though they’re several miles away, rather than just a few feet, our friendship is just as strong as ever. I’m lucky that many of my other friends are a bit closer, and I’ve gotten to see people more than I thought I would. It’s been hard not being able to find new connections since coming home, but these bonds have been enough for me to rely on, and I cherish every moment I get to see or talk to them.

More wonderful friends:

3. Well, I don’t have pictues for this one, but I’m very thankful for my cars. Even though Maggie is long gone at this point, I will always love her as my loyal first car. It was a little rough at the beginning, but Janet and I (yes, I finally named her!) are starting to get along just fine. She is a lovely car, and has been very nice to have for the job and all my little excursions. Leading me to…

4. My job. Some days it drives me crazy, some days it drives me to tears, but then there are some days where I can’t stop smiling. It’s given me a purpose, money in my bank account again, and has allowed me to meet some wonderful new people. I am grateful for it, even on the awful days, because I have it, and it is getting me through.

5. Technology. I spend way too much time online, but it’s still so nice to have it. Similarly, I am thankful for all things that keep me occupied, such as knitting, embroidery, books, television, and ipods. I know I often find it hard to find things to do with my free time, but that list has helped to keep me sane these past few months, even if it does feel a bit repetitive after awhile.

6. Tea. It is delicious and healing and I am off to go make some now.

I hope you all had a wonderfully relaxing and fun-filled day. Be well, readers.

[Via http://warmspringrain.wordpress.com]

Ziua de miercuri!

M-am trezit greu, a sunat alarma de vreo trei ori pana am reusit sa o inchid si sa fac ochi. Cu greu m-am dat jos din pat, si la 7.30 inca ma invarteam in jurul dulapului, si ma chinuiam sa ma imbrac. Am iesit tarziu din casa, cand sa ies din scara blocului, femeia de servici era la usa cu doua galeti goale. Galeata goala e ghinion, iti spune din start ca nu “umbli bine” . Totusi trebuia sa ajung la job si eram si in mare intarziere, asa ca fara superstitii ca-i miercuri.

Maresc  pasul si  uit sa ma opresc la chioscul de ziare sa-mi cumpar cartea de la jurnalul national. Fac cativa pasi inapoi, cumpar cartea si merg sa-mi iau si un corn. Platesc cornul, pun restul in portmoneu sapoi inchid geanta si plec. Fara corn evident. Noroc cu vanzatoarea care a urlat dupa mine. M-am intors cu  capul in pamant, am luat cornul, mi-am cerut scuze si am plecat mai departe.

Conserva verde (autobuzul) a trecut pe langa mine, eu eram la trecerea de pietoni, am ratat-o. Intr-un final pe la 8.15 eram si eu la job.

Am inceput munca, si am pus o livrare la un furnizor pe data de 1.12.2009 cand suntem liberi, noroc ca am vazut la timp si am remediat situatia.

Intr-un final m-am trezit si restul zilei a decurs cat de cat bine, o dezamagire a mai fost in seara asta ca n-am gasit nici un cadou potrivit pentru cineva drag.

E vremea cadourilor si eu sunt lipsita de inspiratie dar o sa perseverez.

O melodie ca sa ma mai destind si eu :

Kip in taci!

[Via http://kidlilly.wordpress.com]

Trying for Employment

Ok, yes I am looking for a permanent role again – contracting is too unreliable at the moment.

Amongst other options, I am also chasing the job adverts.  Being as pedantic as I can be,  I record what I write and to whom, and their response.  You would think that after hearing so much about providing good customer service over the years that all industries will have assimilated some of the rhetoric.

Today was one of those days were you come away thinking that was a good interview (irrespective of whether I am the one for the job or not).  The interviewer was personable, pleasant, knowledgeable, courteous and above all respectful.  He gave me, what I felt, was honest information, he did not pull any punches and he did not give platitudes (he was not nice because he could not be honest).  This told me that there are some agencies that really are working for their money.

At least 50%, on first instance, do not responed all if you are not suitable for the role.  Some make the disclaimer when the register your application, that there will be a nil response unless they do want to interview you  “but we would still like to keep your record on file if something proves more inline with your resume”.   In fact that as happened ONCE – and I did get a job through it (although I was satisfacturaly employed at the time).  About 25% will come back and state if you were unsuccessful.

What surprised me, was the interview I went to with the company itself  (they did not use agencies at all).  I ticked all the right boxes got the impression that I was in the running and told I would hear something within the week, by did wntt move qqickly.  One week lateeI followed up.  An excuse was given that “we had trouble coordinating the times, mainly due to the employing Manager not being around ???? really.  How can they move quickly if they cannot schedule interviews appropriately.   Iwas told they should have an answer the following Tuesday (5 days hence).

And the winner was – who knows, no call, no email, no text.  Completely irresponsible and disrespectful.

And the reelly crazy thnig about all this – my normal role is “Manager”.  Yes I employee staff and I use recruitment agencies AND the feeling is similar from the other side – although you do have a little more clout.

I suppose my gripe with this is due to the fact that part of my portfolio includes Customer Service – my normal title is Customer Service and Supply Chain Manager -  and seeing how bad companies still treat their customers astounds me, especially as the customers keep coming back until something really big changes their mind.  The crazy thing is that honest, respectful customer service is not that hard to do – to set it up is, as there is often a cultural barrier that needs to be removed.

Think about it, good customer service equals good customers, ie they are easier to deal with AND they stay customers.  What  I should do is start a rating register on recruitment gencies, I wonder if that would prompt any form of improvement ??  Also begs the question, are they putting forward the right candidate for the role, are they too lazy (or inept) to do the job right.  Is the potential employer getting what they paid for?

I really do hope it works out for the employer and the new incumbant, and that the recruitment agency did do their job.  Me, I am patiently waiting for the employer that needs my set of skills/experience – just a numbers game I keep reminding myself, so if you are an employer or potential employee, keep asking questions and following up.

Cheers
Mark

 

 

[Via http://speakaustralian.wordpress.com]