A few tips for job seekers

I see a LOT of resumes. I mean an insane amount for all different kinds of positions. I always get asked, "Pamela, I'm sending my resume out. Any good tips?"

Here's what I say:

FOR THOSE MAILING IN RESUMES OR BRINGING THEM TO INTERVIEWS:
If you are going to use a resume paper with a watermark on it, please for the love of all that is holy, PLEASE make sure your watermark doesn't come out upside-down and backwards. Pay attention. This is one of my all time pet peeves. If you have to print it 2 or 3 times, do it. It's the little signs that show attention to detail. Seriously. It is so distracting to see a backwards watermark and you really have no idea how often this happens to me. I'm proud of the few that get it right. If this is something you don't really care to "waste your time on" make sure you get resume paper without a watermark.

It actually serves a purpose too. It's to let you know how the grain is supposed to go through the printer. (Paper has grain- you can sometimes feel it.) In ink printers, going against the grain will sometimes cause ink to bleed. This is also visually distracting. This is all especially important to consider when applying for a creative/graphic design type of position. Our creative director has even told me that he doesn't want to see those resumes. HELLO! Would you send something to your client if it was bleeding, smeared, wrong colors or upside down? Of course not! (If they are qualified, I will send those candidates to other departments where it doesn't matter as much to their position, obviously.)

THIS APPLIES TO ALL JOB SEEKERS, NO MATTER HOW YOU SUBMIT YOUR RESUME:
Do not use a Microsoft Word template. They really do all look the same.

If you must use a word template, change the fonts. There's nothing unique about Times New Roman font. While we're talking about font, Comic Sans is never ok. Ever. Your fonts should be clear and easy to read. If you use more than one, do not use more than two. More fonts than two are usually distracting and messy looking.

One more thing. This is going to sound ridiculously obvious but it needs to be addressed. I know that this is not the only job you applied for and that is perfectly fine. Just remember to change the name of the company in your cover letter and objective, if you decide to incorporate those elements. For example, if you're applying for an Account Director position at XYZ Inc. make sure your materials don't say Account Executive at ABC Agency.

Oh, and use spell check. Seriously.

My Husband is Hilarious

"Hey, Babe, why do I have She'll Be Coming 'Round the Mountain stuck in my head?"

Seriously? I am laughing my ass off. How in the hell did he get THAT song stuck in his head?! He doesn't find it quite as funny as I do...

Tarnish? It's nothing a little toothpaste can't fix.

My husband's mother brought over some more of his childhood things a few days after Christmas. Two small boxes contained ornaments from his godfather. They were beautiful sterling sliver bells- one for the year he was born and one for his first year, I guess. Anyway, they were incredibly tarnished. I recalled a memory of my mom cleaning my grandmother's silverware after a huge family dinner once. She scrubbed it with toothpaste and washed them by hand with dish soap so I thought I'd give that a try and it totally worked! I'm sure real silver polish would probably look better but who am I kidding? That bottle of polish would last years and years and I'd still probably never use it again.

Take a look at the before and afters:
I obviously cleaned the 1981 Bell first but they were both as tarnished and the 1982 Bell.

Here are a couple more detailed shots:

Of course I was so excited, I immediately cleaned the 1982, forgot to take another picture and now I'm too lazy to do it but the change was impressive and now they both shine like the 1981.

Deep Thoughts by... Michael... Quigley...?

He came home from work today and immediately took a nap. (I think he's fighting a cold.) I later came home and made a pizza for dinner. Not realizing he woke up and ate a piece he came up and gave me a hug and said, "I hope you don't mind but I ate a piece. It was good pizza. It tasted like love."

He's cute.

While watching American Idol:
"I think I like Randy Jackson more now- knowing he's not Michael Jackson's brother."

He's funny too.

Deep Thoughts by Pamela Quigley

I have a really good sense of smell. It's really good. Like a bloodhound. If I was a superhero, my power would be that I can identify almost any fragrance in a flash IF I've smelled it before. You will not hear me say, "Are you wearing (___I'm actually having a trouble coming up with a fragrance I'm not familiar with...___)?" because I haven't smelled it yet.

Also, (maybe this is what freaks them out the most) often I can still smell it at like 3 in the afternoon even though you put it on at like 7am. This also goes for some shampoos, men's cologne, hand lotions and times when someone says, "It smells like... I don't know.... it smells like something in here." I can usually give a pretty good description like, "burnt popcorn and pledge," and at that moment they look at me and say, "YES- it totally does!"

Try me.... I freak people out.