Good Ear vs. Bad Ear – A tale of two recent graduates, and their opposing views on job hunting

Recent La Salle graduate hands resumes out to passing cars in Philadelphia

Corn on the Job’s feeling a little weird today.  There is a part of me that’s very excited, impressed, and inspired by the creativity of a recent La Salle graduate, and his job search antics.  And there is another part of me that’s feeling somewhat disappointed, and maybe even bitter with a recent graduate from Monroe College.  In a terribly corny effort to keep the COTJ theme, I’m going to present both of these recent college graduates situations in COTJ’s very first “Good Ear vs. Bad Ear”.

Good Ear

Sean Christman, a recent La Salle Graduate has done it.  He has gone, and done it!  Sean found a way to stand out against other job seekers without relying on his resume, social media, networking, or any other item on the list of ‘normal’ job seeker tactics.  On Wednesday, July 22, Sean found himself wearing his finest suit, standing on the median of a busy Philadelphia street (presumingly during rush hour), holding copies of his resume for passing cars.  Brilliant.  I’ve never successfully guessed how many jelly beans were in the jar, but I’ll try to guess how many cars passed by Sean that day?  1,000?  2,000?  5,000?  Your guess is as good as mine, but the answer is, enough.  Lets just say that Sean gave out 100 resumes that day, we’ll shoot low.  So, where did Sean’s resume go that day:

• His resume absolutely ended up in the hands of hiring managers, entry-level to senior-level professionals, and possibly executives of organizations in the Philadelphia area.
• Sean successfully reached multiple industries and organizations without needing an ounce of help from a search firm or the glorious world wide web.
• Lastly, his resume was picked up by those who could possibly refer him on to a company, friend, or co-worker.

Sean may not see his actions from that day directly result in him receiving a job, but at least in COTJ’s opinion, Sean has proven himself way beyond an interview.  Many of us say, “actions speak louder than words”, correct?  Well, isn’t an interview just a big pile of words?  Sure, some interview techniques can prove to be damn effective, but it’s ALWAYS a gamble.  Sean has proven himself to be creative, innovative, and in my mind hard working.  His strategy proves he’s far from lazy, able to think outside of the box and carry out a plan.  When you think about it, Sean created his own social network that day, without even touching a computer, or attending a group meeting.  Amazingly, he found a way to completely randomize where his resume ends up, reaching an unknown number of Philadelphia area organizations and industries.  Again, brilliant!  Now, someone tell Sean to contact me so I can set up an interview with this chap.  I’m beyond interested to see how everything turns out for Sean.

Bad Ear

Trina Thompson has just recently graduated from Monroe College with a bachelor’s in Information Technology.  Trina Thompson has just recently sued Monroe College.  Trina Thompson is an idiot, but maybe not just recently.

Trina can’t find a job, so has decided to sue Monroe College in the Bronx for the cost of her tuition, $70,000.  Thompson is stating the school’s Office of Career Advancement hasn’t provided her with enough help to land her first job.  Jesus Christ, give me a break.

Here’s my advice to Trina:

• Get yourself on Linkedin.  I checked, and it looks like you’ve decided not to join in on the fun.
• Attend networking events, specifically for IT professionals like yourself.
• Read up on COTJ, I’ll make you smile and prepare you for an interview.  Free of cost!
• If you need serious help with your resume, consider working with a resume writer.  Contact Elaine Basham at The Resume Group.  Her email is elaine@theresumegroup.com
• Don’t be lazy, read up above about the “Good Ear”, and think of a creative way to market yourself.

Ok, I’m done for today.  Thanks for reading Corn Heads!