A Young Man With What It Takes To Succeed

Yesterday, I wrote about some of my thoughts when applying for a new position.  It was maybe a bit too blunt for some people.  I really want to apologize for offending anyone, but this is one of those times I am not going to.  I'm not going to because it was meant as something helpful, especially for a lot of younger people out there that just don't seem to have a clue.

This morning when I woke up, I perused the normal social media sites to see if there was anything interesting today that really spoke to me. I found it in an article on CNN entitled "Teen Goes to Target Looking For A Tie, And Gets That And More".

This is what I'm talking about!

It's right on the nose.  Here is this young man going to what is probably his very first interview ever.  He takes it seriously.  He makes sure he's dressed professionally, he listens to advice of others on how to handle himself.

But, that's not what really spoke to me the most.

He was interviewing at Chik-fil-A.  Yes, you read that correctly.  He was getting dressed professionally for a job interview for fast food.  I can't even put into words how impressed I am.  With too many of the people I've seen come and go for interviews, this young man is the exception, and I work in a professional office!

This young man is going to go somewhere in life.  He is going to make it and I don't doubt he is going to make it big.  He has that drive to do the job and take pride in it, even if it's considered to be one of the lower jobs in the country.

Best of luck to you young man whoever you are!

So You Want A Job?

It's crazy busy at work.  We have so much to do that the day finally came that we need some help.  I must say that I was excited... yeah! 

My boss put an ad on Craigslist.  It was a pretty standard ad.  We just need a part-time receptionist to begin with.  Ideally, this is someone that we can train to do more and really help with our clients in the future.

We received around 400 responses to our ad.  So, how does someone make themselves stand out to get that call. 

1.   This is a professional office, please do not use hot pink lettering on your resume.  Yes, it will make you stand out, but not in the way you were hoping.

2.   If the ad asks for a cover letter, and you do not include one, the chances of you being considered are pretty nil.

3.  Check your grammar!  I received literally dozens of resumes and cover letters that had horrific grammar.  These were not instances of spell check or grammar check going wrong.  I even saw some that did not include any capitalization or punctuation.  

4.  Keep the cover letter short and sweet.  A couple paragraphs should do the trick.  I really have a lot of them to go over so if you cover letter is a full page and single spaced, I probably won't read the whole thing.

5.  Different font sizes may be okay in some situations, but please don't use multiple fonts and font sizes in the same paragraph.  All that this shows me is that you are not detailed and don't care about how something looks.

Okay, now you made it past the resume stage.  You have received that call to possibly set up an interview.  What should you or should you not do?

1.  Do not talk with your mouth full.

2.  I understand that I may be calling you at home or out and about.  I understand that there may be kids hollering in the background.  I'm a mom, I get it.  If this happens, ask if you can call me back, and then call back as soon as you can.  If you wait a day or two, I will probably have moved on and scheduled someone else already for that interview.

3.  Be friendly.  I am not saying act as if you are my best friend, but be pleasant.  This is for a receptionist position.  If your phone mannerisms are not good, then you won't be coming in for that in-person interview.  

Yeah!  The interview is scheduled, it's time to meet your potential employer or supervisor.  Here are a few tips for you.

1.  Do not drown yourself in perfume.  I already know that you were sitting in your car for a half hour chain smoking, I would rather you take a moment and go to the ladies room to freshen up first then douse yourself in cologne right before you walk in.  I'd rather know you are a smoker from the get go then you try to hide it.  

2.  This is an interview, do not come dressed to go out to the mall or a night out.  Corduroys are not fine.  Skin-tight latex pants are not fine.  I do not expect that you will be coming dressed in a three piece suit, but please take some time to think about how you should dress for the type of work environment you are applying for.

3.  Do some homework.  It may be for only a receptionist position, but find out what type of business you are interviewing at.  You have our name, our address and I told you a little about us during the telephone interview, Google us.  I want to see some initiative, I especially want to see if you will take that extra step before you come in.  If you do, then you are more likely to take the extra step with our clients.

4.  Take off your outside jacket.  I know that it's chilly outside, but I want to know that you can make yourself comfortable.  If you look like you are ready to run for the door, you probably don't belong sitting in that chair across from me.

5.  Absolutely follow-up.  Write a short e-mail saying thank you would be great.  I want the feedback as much as you do.  I want to know that you are really interested in this position.

*    *    * 

Now, good luck in that job hunt.  I know it's not easy out there right now, so it is more important than ever to put your best foot forward. 

Baby Oil Again ... Dusting and Emma

There are so many different uses of baby oil.  It's amazing and one of those basics that I like to keep in the house.

I like the fact that it is non-toxic and is so versitile.

One of my favorite uses of baby oil is to dust and clean my furniture.  I have a lot of old wooden furniture around my house.  My daughter, Emma, is in charge of oiling the furniture on a regular basis.

Not only does it keep the wood moisturized and looking good, I, personally, love the smell.

The New School Year and the Dreaded Lice

It's a new school year.  The summer is over, and kids are heading back to school.

It's so exciting, and then ...

Lice!  But, it's too soon in the school year.

Sadly, it's not.

I noticed Emma was itching her head.  That didn't seem right, she just washed it and she doesn't have a problem ...

Wait...

What is that?

As I looked closely at her head, I saw the dreaded "It".

It is a louse.

One, just one, that's all it takes, and now the regimine must begin.

Emma has hair down past her waist, and she likes to wear it down.  This means that her hair has a habit of flying everywhare and getting on everything.  And, the first week of school, it also meant, she picked up a louse off of a classmate.

For the next four hours, Emma sat on the floor as I carefully combed through her hair.

Checking...  Searching...  Combining... and going cross-eyed.

The hair was combed and after last year's experience with lice, I skipped the Rid and went straight for the olive oil.  I oiled her hair down thoroughly, combining it all out carefully and then braided it.  I only found two lice, but that's more than enough to warrent a full delousing in my book.

Ten long thin braids, and my off to bed.

The next day to be spent washing every pillow and sheet that could have possibly touched her head.  All brushes and combs will be soaked in alcohol for the rest of the school year, and the weekly lice checks will commence.

Yeap, the new school year is here.  And, sadly, so are the dreaded lice.

I hate bugs!

Green Living? Or, Just Making More Trash?

Greenies beware!

I am about to be a bit of a green snob.

I am so tired of everyone and all the publicity going towards buying "green".

Really, what does that mean, "buy green".  It means replacing something that you already have with something that is energy efficient and should have a lower carbon footprint.  In essence this sounds pretty great.  Good for the environment, and good for the economy.

Wait!  What did you just do with that old car you replaced?  You scrapped it?  But, wasn't it running just fine?  So, now that old car is going to sit in the junkyard.  Luckily, there are a lot of scrap yards that will then recycle as much as possible of the metal and other parts.

But, what about that shirt you just threw in the trash?  Or, the plastic ware?  What about that old garden planter?  Ah, yes, it is more "green" to use the biodegradeables, but what happened to the plastic planter?  It just ended up in the landfill.  Plastic does not biodegrade.  It's one of the wonder of the invention, and one of the horrors of it as well.

If you want to green up your driving, then there are other ways as well to do it without adding to the landfills and junkyards.  I love old cars, and there is no reason that an older car cannot be made more energy efficient.  Most deisels can run on biofuels, and many other vehicles can be retrufitted for so much less than buying a new car.

Clothing can be bought at resale and thrift stores for less while reducing your carbon footprint.  Not to mention, thift store clothes can be unique.  I know I don't like wearing all the same outfits as everyone else.

Next time you go to buy green, think about it.  Are you really buying green?  Or, are you just making more trash with what you are throwing away.

Findings - It's all in the "Picking"

I admit it.  I do it.  I'm a bit of a picker.

In the area of Florida that I live in, it is common for people to put out next to the dumpster or on their curb in front of their house, things that they don't want anymore.  Now, sometimes these are big pieces of furniture, but not always.

A lot of the time, it's other things, lamps, even dishes or a laundry basket full of shoes.

So, if I come across things, I may just pick them up.  To me, these are hidden treasures.  They make my home unique.  After all, how many people have hand painted tiles of beautiful Japanese ladies hanging on their wall.  It was a finding.  That's right, these beautiful tiles were sitting next to the curb, propped up against an old bookcase that someone was also not wanting anymore.  Needless to say, the tiles came home with me.  The bookcase did not.

I enjoy the search for treasure.  I never know if I will find something or not.  Days can go by, even weeks or months with no findings.  Then, all of the sudden.  It's a bonanza!

This past weekend, I found a really need bar table.  I knew the girl's upstairs were looking for one, and I found it!  I was so excited.  I took a picture and texted it to one of them.  She quickly sent her other half over to where I was with her truck and now it has a new home, along with a number of other decorating goodies.

So, next time you have something you don't want, don't throw it away.  If you don't want to donate to a local thrift shop, consider putting it out on the curb, you never know who may find it.

P.S.  Another good resource is FreeCycle.  They are a great group of people and are all over the country.  It's not picking and shouldn't be confused with it.  It's however a great way to recycle your clothes and other goodies around the house.

Permanent Marker ... Oh My!

It was one of those days when you just don't seem to be able to get motivated.  I spent most of my day sitting in front of the computer viewing job postings.  The house is a mess and there is a load of laundry to be done.  So what type of highlight can such a day have?  I have two words "Permanent Marker" ... okay, a thirtd "Ani".

Ani is my little toddler.  She loves to get into anything she can.  If you aren't watching closely, she will become a hurricane through the house.  Nothing seems to be safe.  Pretty standard toddler behavior.

We had gone to the pet store to pick up crickets.  Yes, crickets for the lizards.  When we got home I put away the crickets and then looked into the living room.  Something just wasn't right.  There was an odd shadow across Ani's face and she was covering something up.  No!  Not again.  I knew what had happened.  Ani had found the only permanent marker left in the house.  She had black cheeks, black arms and hands and black legs. 

Whatever shall I do?!  First, count to ten.  That didn't work, take a few more deep breathes and don't say a word.  Internet!  Yes, that is what I will do.  There must be some way to remove this without using nail polish remover or bleach on a toddler's face.  

Baby Oil!  ... baby oil?  No way!  That could not possibly work.  Still I had to try.  I found an old rag, grabbed the baby oil and rubbed softly on her black cheek.  It worked!  Yes, it worked! 

I am so thrilled that I was able to get most of it off her face and the rest of her body.  It doesn't work completely, but it does get most of it off.  Now, we have a greased up little darling who is about to get a shower.

We will never be without baby oil in the house.  I wondered when I had children, why does everyone give baby oil to new mothers.  I thought I would never use all the baby oil I was given.  I was wrong.  Sometimes it's good to be wrong.