10.12.2005

My New Hated Term - "Skill-Set"

Well in the past weeks I have placed applications with a variety of companies. At this point the count is close to twenty specific, as well as three job placement services - not including online services (which have initiated a WHOLE new level of spam and 'offers' from parasitic bastards).

I have a "six degrees of separation" story - I stopped into a placement service in Augusta, GA to follow up on a meeting with one of the company reps at a local job fair. I stated who I wanted to see and had a seat in the waiting room. The door opened and there was the woman, as well as another woman who was tending to another individual who was waiting - we looked at each other and our mouths dropped in unison - she was the lady who was the FOSTER MOM to our latest adoption - Lily. Her job? She is Director of Operations at the placement service.

Tell me that's not freaking amazing! Anyway, we talked about dogs and jobs and we'll see her again this weekend at the Molly Fest, where Molly's Militia raises funds for rescuing dogs. My hope is that she will be looking for a job for me also.

Oh, another story. Last year at Molly Fest, we won the raffle (the first time I have EVER won ANYTHING in a raffle). It was a computer monitor. We didn't need it and donated it BACK to Molly's Militia. Well, you would have thought that we had given them a million dollars. The director wrote us a nice letter AND when we sent in the paperwork for adopting Lily, she sent it back with our check saying that our donating the monitor was payment enough.

Anyhoo, we will have fun this weekend, and BONUS, the sun is supposed to come out. We have had rain, mist, and overcast skies for the past 10 days and I am ready for SUN! I should have some pictures to post.

Oh yeah, the title of the blog. The conversations I have had over the past weeks about my resume have added a new term to my jargon - "skill-set".

Here's how the conversation goes:
"Well Mr. Eisenmann, I see that you have done this and that and this and that, and you have a number of abilities. Well we would love to have a guy like you in our company but your (HERE IT COMES) skill-set doesn't fit our needs right now."

Me (In my head for the time being): "Uh. OK. What fucking skill-set are you looking for?", or
"Really, I'm curious, what do you see as my skill-set, and how exactly doesn't it fit?",
Or even, "I know that I can be more honest and LESS full of bullshit than YOU are doing right now. Can I have YOUR job?"

Ah, schmoozing in the workforce world. I am kind and polite (don't freak Jody) BUT I don't like being patronized very much.

More later:)

WH

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