Adventures in Job Hunting

By: Malanka Sveta

                I have been a stay at home mom for two and a half years, but when my partner was recently injured I decided that now was the perfect time to get back to work.  Part time at first, of course.

                Key to a successful job hunt is the right kind of resume.  For me, an adequate resume makes me attractive to potential employers who are looking for my specific job related experience.  A good resume opens doors to new and different kinds of jobs (not what I am looking for at this point).  And a great resume weeds out employers I have no desire to work for.  I have a great resume.

                I have taken my resume to a few places with no hits, which is fine.  But within 10 minutes of dropping off my last resume I had a call back because of my reason for leaving a specific past job.

                Have you ever had a soul-sucking complete waste of your life humanity destroying they could not possibly pay you enough for what you have to do job?  I spent 18 months as a bill collector for Equifax and, after the company decided to sell the collections portion of their business, Canadian Bonded Credits Limited.  It was, without a doubt, the worst time of my entire life.  I did not get paid enough for the impact it had on me.  I did not get paid enough for the changes it created in my life.  I did not, could not possibly, receive adequate compensation for all of the tiny erosions this job had on my psyche.  The only moment of my job I enjoyed was the receipt of a letter addressed to "The Equifascists".

                I have this on my resume.  It will remain on my resume until long after I have retired.  I have considered making it my epitaph.  My reason for leaving is "Sought more merciful and compassionate employment, perhaps something like euthanizing healthy lovable puppies".  I never want to work for anyone who 1. has no sense of humour, 2. does not appreciate sarcasm, and 3. does not understand how harmful that specific job can be to a certain personality type.  And I will never have to because there are enough people out there who get it, and some of them are working in management.

                Never underestimate the power of a great resume, because sorting out the kind of people you wish to work for is best done prior to the wasted time of an interview.