Life Before Noon: A Millennial’s Manual

While watching the news recently, I saw a report about the funniest, and most creative, way to post your resume – wear it.

DamnINeedAJob.com, a new Web site that’s all about the job hunt, allows people to create a shirt which boasts their skills and abilities, just like a resume. The $25 shirt, written as a type of cover letter, includes text chosen by the buyer and even starts with a hand-picked salutation. And to make sure no potential employer misses the message, the shirt boldly displays the words, “Damn, I Need A Job. Know of Anything?” across its front.

The creator, who seems to prefer being anonymous- I couldn’t find his name anywhere on the Web site- is completely changing the way people look for jobs, while at the same time poking fun at the “your next employer could be anywhere” mentality. He says the shirts attract so much attention that he’s started carrying around resumes to hand people who are interested.

Several new features have been added as the Web site gains popularity, including a blog, discussion forum for the unemployed and DamnINeedMoney.com, a collection of articles and other resources for those finding the job hunt difficult and tedious.

No word on if the idea has actually landed him a job, but I think he should get props for sheer creativity.

-Haley

Last week, I spent some quality time with my dad, a product of the final years of the Baby Boom. A diesel engine mechanic, my father’s true passion is in woodworking. In our reasonably sized backyard sits a woodshop that was carefully planned and executed by my dad himself. With the help of a few close friends, he moved our small shed across the backyard with a pulley system before piecing together the timber frame of his shop.

At home, I’m surrounded by reminders of my dad’s talents-Windsor chairs, hope chests, the remodeled kitchen.

What my dad lacks in tech-savvy, he more than makes up for in ingenuity and skill. It seems to be quite the opposite for our generation. Our lack of ability for manual skilled labor is made up for in our ability to outsource and navigate the treacherous Internet.

Is one skill set better than the other? No, we’re all just cogs in the wheel, right? But, in a society that continues to value information and knowledge, the value we place in these types of labor decreases.

Last year, The Daily Herald, of Everett, Wash., published an article discussing the shortage of young people wanting to take labor jobs. The arguments for this problem touched on perceived laziness of Generation Y and emphasis on academics not vocations.

We all reserve the right to choose our own path in life. For many of us, that path does not lead to woodworking or engine mechanics. But, in the absence of those paths, are the men and women of Generation Y losing out on the understanding of what it feels like to physically create something? To build something, or make something work with our own two hands (no computer involved)?

I can’t remember the last time I put something together that didn’t come with Ikea instructions.

-Rachel

I recently went on two job interviews and was extremely disappointed by the results. Not so much what I did, but the experience itself. Because my interviews resulted from job hunting Websites, I have since become wary about online career sites like Monster. Not that these sites won’t help speed up the process and occasionally give you great advice, but I have now learned that not all companies posting are professional.

Here are some things to look out for:

• The job description is extremely vague. In this case, call them and ask for more information. However, if they seem unwilling to give it to you or whoever answers the phone claims they have no idea, this could be a sign of trouble.
• They want you to apply without knowing the company’s name. How do they expect you to research what they’re about?
• Once there, you are really unimpressed with the location or office. If the office gives an impression of being unprofessional, there’s a high probability the job will too.
• The interview takes less than ten minutes. Enough said.
• You have finished your second interview and no one has discussed salary or benefits with you. It could be that the job has a performance-based salary, which you should have been told in the first interview, not the third.
• You have an overall bad feeling about the job or the company. It seems like common sense, but you need to trust your gut. Don’t get dragged into something because you’re nervous and afraid you’ll never find work. You need to have the confidence to step back and say, “I can do better than this.”

Whether you are searching for a job online, in the newspaper or via networking, make sure right away that you are not wasting your time. It may seem like you’ve accomplished a lot if you e-mail your resume to everyone who claims they’ll read it, but remember that you have a right to know what you’re getting into. It will save you a lot of time and energy.

-Haley