Bogus Oil Spill Jobs

As with any disaster there are immediately people who are capitalizing on the Gulf Oil Spill. Bogus ads for oil spill clean-up jobs in the Gulf are appearing in newspapers, online, and in email inboxes. Many of these scammers claim they have jobs waiting for you once you pay them for training or certifications.  Others require you to pay a fee to “apply” for positions.  Some are using emails that appear to be from BP or they falsely claim they’ve been authorized by BP to hire clean-up crews.

The typical red flags for scams apply here:

• Guaranteed jobs – no company makes guarantees about placing someone in a job

• Up front payment – legitimate companies don’t ask for training expenses in advance

• Vague offers – we have “thousands of jobs” and “get hired today” and “$40 an hour” are come-ons

• Your financial information is required – no real employer asks for your bank information to hire you.

Here are some helpful sites for legitimate information about possible jobs:

1. Deepwater Horizon Response
2. BP
3. Alabama — Environmental Cleanup
4. Florida — Florida Attorney General
5. Louisiana – the Louisiana Oil Spill Coordinator’s Office
6. Mississippi Mississippi Department of Employment Security

The kind of people who would take advantage of a disaster and the vulnerability of people desperately needing jobs defies description.  There are far too many real ideas available for making money to have to resort to scamming good people.  I have to assume these leeches are lacking intelligence, morals, ethics and creative thinking.  Avoid them.

Give me $80,000 salary and I’ll catch lunch

I just read in our local paper that a high school senior, right here in my home town of Franklin, TN, just received a fishing scholarship to attend Bethel University in McKenzie, Tennessee.  The fishing team coach, Garry Mason, says they wanted to be the first college in America to offer fishing scholarships.  He says they are looking for young ladies to be on the team as well.

On what appears to be a related note, collegegrad.com reports that 80% of the 2009 college graduates moved back in with their parents upon graduating last year – most without jobs of any kind.

“Many factors are responsible for the trend of recent graduates moving back in with their parents,” says Adeola Ogunwole, CollegeGrad.com Director of Marketing and PR. “The economy is tough right now. Every year, living independently becomes more expensive and entry level jobs become more competitive.”

Another factor, said Ogunwole, is that “Gen Y” students–born in the 1980s and 1990s–tend to have close ties with their parents, depend on them for support and guidance, and feel no stigma at moving back home after graduation.

At Center College in Danville, KY you can get college credit for their course in the Art of Walking.  At Alfred University in New York you might want to enroll in Maple Syrup, the class that looks into the profession of making maple syrup.   And if you’re looking for a grant to help with those college expenses, check these out:

• The Sammy Award: $7,500 is awarded to students who demonstrate academic success and leadership skills and can wear a milk moustache.

• Chick and Sophie Major Memorial Duck Calling Contest: $1,500 is awarded to the student who can call ducks with the most flair.

“Many recent graduates are turning down good job offers, holding out for better jobs and salaries in the belief that a college degree entitles them to more than entry level,” says Ogunwole.

Or maybe it’s because they got degrees in “university studies,” political science, Biblical literature, mass communications, American history, maple syrup, the art of walking, or fishing.

Oh I’ll bet you were….

I am increasingly amused while reading current resumes.  I know that in today’s competitive workplace you need to stand out and I am the first to say that a resume is a place to brag on and embellish accomplishments.  However, we are seeing a blurring of embellishment and downright misrepresentation.  The rule of thumb seems to be – exaggerate and confuse.

Rather than reporting being a greeter at Wal-Mart, the new resume shows “customer service coordinator for Fortune 500 company.”  The grease monkey at Jiffy Lube becomes a “petroleum distribution specialist.”  Yesterday’s taxi cab driver appears on the resume as a “transportation logistics manager.”  The credentials for an 18-yr-old McDonald’s worker become “Engineer for meat inspection and preparation.”  The kid who asked three friends to join FaceBook is now a “social media consultant.”

Keep in mind that today’s “VP of Personnel” was a likely a struggling college student herself a few years ago.  She probably knows the tricks of the trade, having presented herself as a “human resource specialist” rather than a babysitter.

The bottom line is this:  the purpose of a resume is to help you get an interview.  But in today’s workplace it plays only one small part in the hiring process – if any.  You can bypass the competition with:

• An overview of a major project you’ve handled
• Photos or examples of your work
• Extraordinary letters of recommendation from people your prospective employer knows well
• A website that showcases your talents
• A blog that is compelling and engaging

If all you have is a great resume, you may be seen as simply one more person needing a job, whether you are a recent college graduate or a former CEO.  Be prepared to show how you are remarkable, amazing and spectacular. Then present yourself with confidence, boldness and enthusiasm.

Gimme that job!

Ever wonder why some people get the cool jobs – even if you have better experience and credentials?  Here’s an example of a guy using creativity to snag a great opportunities. 

HeadBlade President Todd Greene was looking for someone that could handle social media for the company.  He said he was looking for someone like himself, someone who was passionate about the product.  He posted the job on Craigslist and got tons of resumes. But one stood out above them all, by far. Eric Romer was himself a “headblader,” and had been using the product and even blogging about it on his own. Within a day of the Craigslist entry going public, Eric put up the following web page:  HireMeHeadBlade. Now that’s a creative way to get the attention of an employer!

Want to guess who, out of the hundreds of correctly submitted resumes got the job?  Yeah – it worked.  Eric now has a new site up:  HeadBladeHiredMe  where he’s continuing to tell the story.

So what are you doing to stand out from the crowd?  I’m hearing of people sending resumes wrapped around an ear of corn, on a business card DVD, delivered with a dozen roses, or by standing in the boss’ parking spot at 6:40 AM.  Now is the time to be creative – pull out all the stops and let potential employers know why you are someone they won’t want to miss. 

Thanks to 48Days.net member Brian O’Keefe for alerting me to this story.

Can you teach a horse to fly?

The sultan of Persia had sentenced two men to death.  One of them, knowing how much the sultan loved his stallion, offered to teach the horse to fly within a year in return for his life.  The sultan, fancying himself as the rider of the only flying horse in the world, agreed.

The other prisoner looked at his friend in disbelief.  “You know horses don’t fly.  What made you come up with a crazy idea like that?  You’re only postponing the inevitable.”  “Not so,” said the first prisoner.  “I have actually given myself four chances for freedom.  First, the sultan might die during the year.  Second, I might die.  Third, the horse might die.  And fourth…I might teach the horse to fly.”  Source:  The Craft of Power, R.G.H. Siu, 1979

Wow – I like this guy’s thinking.  Rather than giving in to victim mentality, with one creative suggestion, he creates four possible outcomes other than just being put to death.

So let’s imagine you’ve just been told your job is being eliminated?  Can you propose a solution that would benefit both you and your employer? 

 We will award the 48 Days Fresh Start Package to two people with the most creative answers by Thanksgiving Day.

50,000 are Jobless in Nashville

This was the recent headline in the Nashville Tennessean newspaper.  Oh no, the sky is falling.  Actually, that number puts Nashville solidly at 6.2% unemployment. So let’s see, that means that we have 93.8% of the people fully employed and going to work every day, or roughly 760,000 who still have jobs.  Experts consider 5% unemployment “full employment” as there are always that many people transitioning or taking a break.  So really we are up 1.2% or about 9700 more people looking for work than normal out of the 810,000 workers in this area.  So why don’t the headlines scream that Nashville has 760,000 people who are getting regular paychecks each week?  Because good news doesn’t sell newspapers.

Be careful how you receive the “news” being offered right now.  You could get the impression that no one is hiring, all banks are failing, everyone is losing their home, and every small business is on the brink of disaster. 

Incidentally we have a 99% chance of sunshine tomorrow and a   1% CHANCE OF HAIL, TORNADO, EARTHQUAKE, AND LOCUST ATTACK!

Hire Me — Please

I have had several people send me this video – so I guess I need to pass it along.  It may make you angry but frankly, I found it to be hilarious, as well as extremely well done. 

It’s been a couple of years now that I’ve been hammering the message that the workplace is changing.  And I keep running into people who are alarmed that things are not the way they used to be.  Just yesterday on a radio interview I had a caller who was distraught that he was losing his job after 27 years with the same company.  But then again, it is not the “same company.”  There have been multiple mergers and acquisitions along the way.  All his old bosses and co-workers are gone, yet he is angry that they are now pushing him out the door.  It should not come as a surprise – especially since his compensation has crept up over the years to $268,000.   This doesn’t mean he’s dead in the water.  It just means he better be aware of the new opportunities for “free agents.”  And then rock and roll.

Am I gifted to be self-employed?

Each week I select some of the most interesting questions submitted and answer them in a 48-minute podcast.  Here are a few of this today’s edition.  You can listen immediately here on 48 Days Online Radio. 

1. Over the past few years I have lost over 200lbs through a self-developed regimen. I wrote a book that is for sale on my website, http://www.iweighedmorethanjared.com. I would like to become a personal trainer with the niche in helping people over 150lbs overweight. Do I need to be certified? What do you suggest as far as a certification approach?

2. I have children’s stories I would like to get published. I read that it could take up to 2 years for a story to get published going through a MEGA Publisher. Can you recommend a self publisher?

3. I’ve heard you talk about how your son works full-time for you as an independent contractor. How can he do this and still be classified as an independent contractor by the IRS? I thought you had to have a business that was open to other clients.

4. What is the best way for someone to determine if they are truly gifted to be self-employed? Is it true that some are better suited to be employees than to be self-employed?

5. You mention a lot of times about putting a business plan together, that having one is essential. What if you truly don’t have a clue how to do that? Do you have a step-by-step how-to on that?

6. Our church is fund raising parallel to the story of the servants who were given talents and returned double to the master. We were given $25 to invest for the Lord for 3 months. Ideas?

7. My husband’s miserable with his job. He’s focused on his passion and wants to transition to self-employment. We live paycheck to paycheck and don’t think we can afford this. We follow Dave Ramsey. Does he need to wait until we eliminate our debt in 3 years to transition or is there something he can do now?

False Resumes – You Did What?

 

Robert Irvine, the star chef of Dinner Impossible has acknowledged fabricating parts of his resume that got him the position as host on The Food Network.  It seems he just added a few impressive details like cooking for Britain’s Royal Family and several U.S. presidents.  The Food Network said the chef has “challenged the trust of our viewers” and his contract will not be renewed. 

It turns out the B.S. in his “B.S. in Food and Nutrition” stands for something other than Bachelor of Science.  I know that in today’s competitive workplace you need to stand out and I am the first to say that a resume is a place to brag on and embellish accomplishments.  However, we are seeing a blurring of embellishment and downright misrepresentation.  The rule of thumb seems to be – exaggerate and confuse. 

Rather than reporting being a greeter at WalMart, the new information is “customer service coordinator for Fortune 500 company.”  The grease monkey at Jiffy Lube becomes a “petroleum distribution specialist.”  Yesterday’s taxi cab driver appears on the resume as a “transportation logistics manager.”  The 18-yr-old McDonald’s worker suddenly becomes an “Engineer for meat inspection and preparation”.

Keep in mind that today’s “VP of Personnel” was a likely a struggling college student herself a few years ago.  She probably knows the tricks of the trade, having presented herself as a “human resource specialist” rather than a babysitter.

The bottom line is this:  the purpose of a resume is to help you get an interview.  But it plays only one small part in the hiring process.  Be prepared to present yourself with confidence and to discuss your ability to contribute.

Incidentally, I suspect that Robert Irvine would have gotten the opportunity even without the misrepresentation.  Now instead of riding high, he is the butt of talk show jokes, rasing the money for his partially completed restaurant in St. Petersburg, FL is in jeopardy, and his reputation is forever tarnished.  As always, it would have been a whole lot simpler to just tell the truth.

Hey did I ever mention that I spent some time with Jake and Elwood of the Blues Brothers? They had all the time in the world for me — never seemed distracted and appeared genuinely interested in my story

 Read more on Resumes that Work

Still Selling Typewriters?

My wife Joanne was dismayed to see the signs stuck in the medians yesterday as we were driving leisurely through Franklin, Tennessee.  Our local Hollywood Video store is closing.  They recently filed for bankruptcy protection, citing increasing real estate and labor costs, and growing competition.  They want to close 520 unprofitable stores and concentrate on 4,000 stronger locations. 

Frankly, I think they should liquate their stock and sell the real estate as quickly as possible. 

Look at the changing history in a comparable industry – music.

I still remember the 331/3 rpm vinyl records.  I listened to Pretty Woman and I Want to Hold Your Hand by spinning the big discs.  Then we saw 8-track tapes.  Soon we had the marvelous introduction of the smaller and more efficient cassettes.  Then came CDs.  And now we have digital downloads that don’t require any physical product at all – and you can select just one song rather than being forced to purchase the other 10 you don’t care about.  Would you want to be a vinyl record manufacturer today?

Now at one time we have these options available for movies:

1.  Carmike Cinemas – you drive out to the local shopping mall, park the car, fight the crowd, spend $10 for each family member, $7 for a bag of popcorn and then sit down right in front of 8 giggling teenagers.

2.  Hollywood Video – you get in your car, go across town to the nearest location, browse through the possibilities, make your selection, discover all of that title are currently loaned out, choose another title, go home to watch the movie and then hope you remember to reverse your trip the next day to avoid the late fee.

3.  Netflix – you select your favorites, the physical DVDs arrive in the mail a few days later, you watch them, make some new selections, send back the watched movies and wait for your new batch to arrive.

4.  iTunes – you log on the iTunes site from the comfort of your own home, take 30 seconds to find your selection, instantly load it to your laptop, eat your own $.99 popcorn and include 6 family members at no additional cost. 

Where would you put your money if you were going to invest in one of these models? 

Let me ask you this?  Where is your current job or business on this development scale?  Are you hoping for revival in a model that is dead?  Are you using business principles that were effective 20 years ago – but are dreadfully out of date today?  Are you going to fight to continue selling typewriters – or can you see the writing on the wall and embrace the inevitable changes?