Career Fair at Crowne Plaza

Again. It's today from 3 to 6. Why didn't I post this sooner you ask?

The same employers seem to be showing up every time. There is also a new development, but this new development dates back to England's 19th century. I'm talking about 'letters of recommendation.'

There was once written a tale, probably by Jane Austin, of a young man desperately seeking letters of recommendation from a powerfully rich but bitter and vindictive widow.

He desperately needed her help to get a position somewhere, and she used him to her heart's content, ultimately destroying him and others around him, so the plot goes.

Now the Illinois State Journal Register published a section in their newspaper for today's job fair. In this section there was an article written by Allan Woodson, Director of Workforce Development for the Greater Springfield Chamber of Commerce.

The article is titled 'Game Plan Strategy for Success at Job and Career Fairs,' the contents of which are the usual standards by which one should organize one's self for job fairs, but then, instead of just providing references, one now has to provide letters of recommendation!

It's certainly an improvement on the vetting process. It almost eliminates the need to do anything more that just sit at the booth and jawbone with your fellow recruiters.

To the recruiters: Do you really think I should just let you know who my friends are before we even have the first interview? I'm not that stupid.

Would you share your friends contact information with job recruiters who keep showing up again and again at job fairs? It's disturbing. Like seeing the same employer persistently advertising for workers week after week, month after month for the same positions.

Those are symptoms of employees leaving frequently.

Military recruiters are different. You can't go AWOL. They promote soldiers . I was a soldier. I was promoted five pay grades in four years, I also survived.

If you can handle the arrogance, contempt, scapegoating and incompetence, go for it. It's a meat grinder here in Springfield if you didn't grow up here, and you might come out smelling not-so-sweet.

Career Services at UIS

I received an email from the Career Services office at the University of Illinois at Springfield about the wonderful opportunities to print my resume for FREE!

The Subject: FREE Resume Printing

Option #1:

On March 10, 2009 FedEx Office, locations (formerly FedEx Kinko's) will host a Free Resume Printing Day , reports Yahoo! . Each customer will be able to print or copy their resume up to 25 times on resume-quality paper for free. For more information visit: http://dealnews.com/Upcoming-Fed-Ex-Office-Free-Resume-Printing-Day/282900.html.



Option #2:

The IL Worknet Center at 1300 S. 9th Street (9th & S. Grand) offers FREE resume paper. (Limit 10 copies per day). Their office hours are 8:30am-5pm, Monday – Friday.


UIS Career Development Center
Student Affairs Building, Room 50
One University Plaza, MS SAB 50
Springfield, Illinois 62703-5407
217)206-6508
careerservices@uis.edu
www.uis.edu/careerservices

I received this email through my student email address.

I think it's nice. What was option zero? Getting help directly at the UIS Career Development Center?

Someone justify their salaries, please!

Laid Off!

Sooner or later we all get laid off. It's a fact of life. GM is getting laid off by its customers, or lack thereof. What is happening to the millions of us who are getting laid off? We are actually accelerating the process by changing our habits. Which is good. It's about time.

Since gas prices went up really high, everyone started thinking about gas prices and they have not stopped. Many people changed their spending habits permanently because they know that gas prices, even though they are down now, will always climb higher.

I changed my habits too. No more will I buy brand name products. It turns out that off-brand or generic products are even better in quality than brand-names.

Aldi's stores were once the cheapest place to get groceries, and some are still cheaper than Shop-n-Save, but since last year they have discovered the Wal-Mart baiting tactic and raised prices on half or more of their most desirable products.

Another tactic is not putting prices on the product. County Market stores have what appear to be generic-like products that have only bar codes. I really like their Chocolate covered Bridge Mix. a sixteen ounce container costs over seven dollars, but you won't know it until you get to the register.

Time to stop the snacking.

I have to say that County Market has reasonable salads at the deli for around five dollars, but you need to make them last for more than one day to make them worth their price.

A day's worth of meals at McDonald's you might think will be more expensive than the grocery store, but the trick is being able to cook and refrigerate the food from the grocery store. When you add in the expense of having access to a refrigerator and a stove, McDonald's may be cheaper, if you stick to just one item.

You will need to carry water with you, so it might be a good idea to buy two bottles of water, then alternatively refill them at what ever tap you can find.

Always have an extra pair of clean dry socks somewhere.



I think we're in it for the long haul. Get whatever benefits you can, then hunker down and watch your wallet.