Monkeying Around: Worst Summer Jobs

As summer sadly comes to a close, I thought it would be a good time to reflect on our worst summer jobs. I can think of a few personally – picking up trash on the freeway, washing dishes in a truck-stop diner – but none of them match the terrible, if not strange and possibly illegal, job mentioned on the Monster boards:

“How I wanted to earn money in the summer of 1983 -- enough dough for hot dates, ice cream and Springsteen tickets. Because my older sister had an in at an amusement park in central New Jersey, I was a shoo-in to get the job at the parking lot detail.

About halfway through the summer, I got promoted to work the end gate at the Safari. My responsibilities were laid out by my manager. He dropped me off at the end gate of the Safari and asked Jose to show me the ropes -- or the bat, that is.

You see, the end gate was a passage to the real world for the monkeys and baboons. The inner fence was controlled electronically as cars drove up to it to exit the final portion of the safari. About 30 yards after that gate was my new post. The gate remained open until the safari closed. Here, Jose showed me how the baboons and monkeys would try to make a break for it by riding atop a car, under a truck or just plain rush my gate. I was trained on how to use the Baboon Beater -- a three-foot-long, six-inch-round bat -- to dissuade our fuzzy friends from exiting.

As weeks went by, the baboons and monkeys learned to respect their new master as I maintained a batting average that would assure me a seat on any major league team. One day, I fell asleep on the job in my booth. As I lay asleep inside my booth, the baboons surrounded me. And they had my bat! I had left it outside the booth against the side. One baboon started banging the bat against the roof of my booth as I awoke in horror. I scrambled to close the door just in the nick of time. I spun the tiny latch and felt a sense of security -- but not for long. They had me right where the wanted me: Stuck in the wooden shed with Plexiglas windows in 90-degree heat. Luckily, I had a radio and called for reinforcements. All this to earn $5.75 an hour and break every child labor law at the age of 15!”

Now I’m curious... anyone out there have a story that compares to this one?

Crossing Borders: Turning your CV into a Resume

Whether you've been calling it a Lebenslauf (Germany), a Meritförteckning (Sweden), your Bio-data (India) or a Curriculum Vitae (Great Britain), get ready to start writing a resume if you are interested in landing a job in the U.S. Getting a job in the U.S. is difficult enough already, so why not get your new life off to a great start by polishing up your resume has best as you can before getting off the plane.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

1. Omit personal information
International CVs often contain personal information about the candidate (e.g., age, religion, ethnic group, marital status).

In the United States, however, it is illegal for any employer to make discriminatory employment decisions based upon:

* Age
* Sex
* Race/National origin
* Ethnic group
* Religion
* Possession of a disability

Depending on the employer's state, it may also be illegal for them to make employment decisions based on:

* Sexual orientation
* Parental status
* Marital status
* Political affiliation

Employers are so worried about discrimination lawsuits, that if you explicitly include the above information in your resume, it will likely go directly into the garbage can.

The only information that you should list at the top of your resume is your contact information:

Your name Your mailing address Your phone number Your e-mail address

For example, this might resemble the top of your resume:

John Doe 123 Pine Street Philadelphia, PA 19102 Phone: (555) 555-5555 E-mail: JohnDoe@yahoo.com

Don't place the word "Resume" at the top as it is sometimes done in European countries. Just start with your name.

2. Know length requirements
CVs are usually rather lengthy, explaining past work experience in detail. Unless you are applying to be a teacher or a scientist (which have their own unique resume standards), follow this rule of thumb: A resume should never be more than one page long. The average employer spends less than 30 seconds reading a resume, so brevity is key.

To shorten your resume:

* Use sentence fragments with as few words as possible
* Use action verbs
* Eliminate articles and pronouns

A CV might have a line that reads:

"As a Project Manager, I was responsible for helping the organization recruit clients. In my first three months, I recruited 250 clients, and I recruited another 200 clients in my second three months. These clients eventually brought the organization $45,000 worth of revenue, making my department the most valuable."

On a resume, it might read:

"Recruited 450 new clients in six months. Total revenue raised: $45,000"

3. Use accepted headings
Resumes consist of separate sections, each of which should provide evidence of your skills and talents. The list below outlines sections that are commonly used, in the order in which it should appear.

* Objective: A brief sentence explaining what kind of job you are looking for.

* Work Experience: Under this section, the candidate lists jobs the candidate has held, with some impressive details proving job excellence.

* Skills: This section may contain important information such as computer knowledge, languages spoken and memberships in professional organizations.

* Education: This section should briefly list the candidate's educational history going back as far as an undergraduate degree, listing the institution(s) attended, the degree(s) received and the dates of attendance.

4. Put the most recent information at the top
If the top of a resume doesn't grab recruiters' attention, they'll never get to the bottom. As a result, most resumes are organized in reverse-chronological order - the most recent information is placed at the top of a section and works its way backwards.

5. Use American paper sizes
If you are going to send a resume through the mail, remember that the standard size for an American resume is 8.5 by 11 inches. Use only one side of the paper, with a legible font and margins of at least .75 inches on each side.

6. Spell-check and proofread
Whether or not English is your first language, there is no excuse for having any spelling errors in your resume. So before submitting your resume, be sure to double-check your spelling. Then give your resume to a friend (one who is fluent in English) to give it a second read.

Even native English speakers from abroad should check their spelling using an American-style dictionary, because there are words that are spelled uniquely in the U.S. For example:

"organized" not "organised"

"favorite" not "favourite"

"theater" not "theatre"

"color" not "colour"

Searching for a job in the U.S. can be a daunting experience, but a standard American resume can put you one step closer to your dream.

Say Goodbye to Cold-Calling

When it comes to generating leads for your business, cold-calling is so 1995. With today’s technology, all it takes to get your business’s name out there is an internet connection and little creativity.

Entrepreneur Magazine has an interesting article on this topic. They suggest writing a “free report” about a topic that is pertinent to your business. Once this report is completed, include a link to it on all of your marketing material. If this report is well-written and interesting, the leads should start flowing into your business.

MetaTech's Placement Program for Startups

MetaTech has always fought for the little guy. To reflect this, we have launched a placement program tailored specifically toward startup companies. This includes:

- A flat recruiting fee of $5,000 per position. We have eliminated the costly percentage based fees that most staffing firms charge.
- We have an extensive technical screening capability conducted by our award-winning software engineers.
- We offer contract recruiting options at reasonable hourly rates.
- We can also offer our extensive technical screening service for your own candidate pipeline.

In addition to these great services, the MetaTech Blog will now be offering startup specific hints in tips in addition to our normal material. Helping people find careers or careers find people – that’s just one more way MetaTech is revolutionizing the staffing industry.

Network at your New Job

You might think that as soon as you land your new job, networking should be the last thing on your mind. However, all of the experts say this isn’t so.

In fact, internal networking, right from the beginning, is key to maintaining the upward trajectory of your career. Here’s how to successfully launch your networking campaign at a new job.

Why Network from the Start?

“When you start in a job, you’re going to be judged early, and you want to be judged as someone who makes things happen,” says Richard Moran, a partner at venture capital firm Venrock Associates. Introducing yourself to coworkers in a wide range of roles is a good way to begin.

So networking is important from the get-go. But given your newbie status, your internal networking should be carefully calibrated. Soon after you start a job, “you’ve got to increase your visibility, but without being pompous,” says Bill Behn, managing director for financial staffing firm SolomonEdwardsGroup.

Whom to Network With

Even early on, your network needs to go beyond the folks in adjoining cubes -- without embracing everyone on the payroll. But where to begin?

“Start your networking with people who started the same job you have about a year ago, because they’ll tell you what you’re going to be measured on,” advises Moran.

After that, says Gayle Lantz, president of consulting firm WorkMatters Inc., “ask your boss who the most important people are for you to meet.”

Next, seek out people with more clout, Moran says. “Organizations have samurai who are out there doing the big stuff every day, and you have to figure out who they are and whether you can become one,” he adds.

How to Make Internal Networking Happen

When you’re new on the job, you want to make a lot of contacts fairly quickly while also building your reputation as a hard worker. “You don’t want to be the person who’s hanging out at everyone’s cubicle,” says Brendan Courtney, a senior vice president at staffing firm Spherion. “You want to take advantage of those opportunities that happen during lunch or while you’re getting coffee.”

When you’re asking for more substantial advice, be mindful of your colleagues’ full schedules. “Breakfast, before the workday starts, is a good time to pick people’s brains,” Courtney suggests.

Cast Your Network Across the Company

It’s also important to extend your network beyond your department or division.

“There’s a body of research that says that your weaker ties get you jobs; your stronger ties are mostly to people who already know each other,” says Jeanne Hurlbert, president of Optinet Resources LLC and a professor of sociology at Louisiana State University. “Strong ties can have positive payoffs in terms of promotion.”

So look for opportunities to branch out. “Volunteer to serve on a cross-functional team,” advises Lantz. “Meeting regularly with people from other departments is an ideal way to network and learn about other aspects of the business.”

A Mentor Can Supercharge Your Networking

Especially when you’re a rookie, a mentor can be a great help in extending the upward reach of your internal network.

“There are usually three or four people who set the tone of the company’s value system,” says Courtney. “It’s good to have one of them as your mentor; someone who can help prepare you for your next step in the organization.”

But, Courtney cautions, do tread carefully when choosing a mentor. “If you’re creating a mentor relationship outside your immediate manager, you have to let your manager know,” he says.

Relax and Let Your Network Work

Finally, most of your internal networking efforts should be low-key and informal. “If you set up too many meetings too early, people will think, ‘What does this guy want from me?’” says Behn.

And although networking is important, many other priorities will compete for your attention in the beginning. Says Moran: “You don’t have to start networking before lunch on your first day.”

Top Jobs for Gadget-Loving Geeks

We all know that in today’s world the word “geek” no longer carries the stigma it once did. Many self-proclaimed geeks run multi-billion dollar companies, work in high-paying government jobs, or even, write for company blogs.

However, if you are a gadget-loving geek who needs a career change, one of these might tickle your fancy:

Software Engineering
Many “killer apps” – which increase sales of supporting hardware – start with software. It’s what the Excel application did for its operating system, Space Invaders for Atari computers and the iPod for the Apple brand. Learn to code and gain tools to create amazing products. Application development, simulation and modeling, artificial intelligence and user-interface optimization are just a few things you’ll learn while enrolled into master’s and doctoral programs in computer science.

Hardware Engineering
The newfangled concept may be a car navigation system or RFID e-passport. Whatever it is, management drives the project and the product. A bachelor’s in organizational management/engineering studies meshes best practices of civil, electrical and mechanical engineering for entry into corporate, private and public sectors. Even veteran engineers can freshen their organizational skill development in a fast-paced age of shrinking microprocessor transistors, with a Ph.D. in engineering management.

Game Design
Support killer apps with killer game-design skills, and join the $7.4 billion entertainment software industry. Learn game development, game maintenance administration with a bachelor’s in game software development. The interactive software you design could be applied in the military, health care, television and even education.

Medical and Industrial Applications
Not all gadgets are for fun, games and communication. Medical and biotech devices are joining the club in the form of tactile video displays, subcutaneous medication delivery patches and portable ultrasound systems. To incorporate them into today’s health care delivery, one must grasp how the system works. Learn the system with a bachelor’s in clinical laboratory science, a certificate in gerontology health care or a health care administration degree with a concentration in informatics for IT management know-how.

How to Prepare for a Job Interview

If you’ve done your best to properly prepare your resume, you might find yourself receiving the ever-coveted phone call: an interview request.

After the initial joy of actually getting an interview wears off, it is normally replaced by the nervous feeling of actually preparing for the interview. Here are some tips that you mind find useful:

The Clothes Make the Job Seeker

Make sure your interview clothes are clean and pressed a few days beforehand.

The last thing you want to worry about the night before an interview is pleading with your drycleaner or getting burned by a hot iron.

Also, make sure you have a neutral colored umbrella on-hand in case of rain.

Don't Forget Your Resumes!

Make good-quality copies of your resume on a nice grade of paper. Take more copies than you will possibly need -- just in case. Store the copies in a folder where they will stay clean and unwrinkled.

Organize your portfolio, tear sheets, professional reference lists or any other papers you think your prospective employer would like to see.

Make sure your purse or briefcase is stocked with everything else you'll need: A working pen (no pencils!), a notebook, breath mints, a comb, the umbrella I mentioned and some tissues.

Practice Makes Perfect

Like most things, people get better at interviewing with a little practice.

Dedicate one night prior to the interview to a mock QandA. You can set this up with a friend or conduct the interview yourself with a list of frequently-asked interview questions and a mirror.

Don't panic if, during the actual interview, you are not asked any of the questions you practiced. The point of practicing is to "warm up" to the process of answering questions on the fly.

Do Your Homework

Spend at least two days before the interview researching the company. Take notes. Memorize important facts.

A little preparation goes a long way. A couple of hours researching the company and practicing answers to interview questions can give you that extra bit of confidence you need to ace the interview.