I digress...

First and foremost, I'm going to rip off my pal Nik's site (www.pastadivingjeter.com) to tell you that:

Google insists that I mention the following:

• Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on this site.
• Google’s use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to this site’s users based on their visit to this sites and other sites on the Internet.
• Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy.

Since there are ads on my page, they come from the same place, and heaven forbid someone actually has an issue with them, now you know. (Thanks, Nik, I knew you'd understand.)

In other news, I feel the need to share with you all some of the current job-search-frustrations I'm experiencing. Please feel free to skip this post entirely if you only came here to find out who I'm spinning this week (it hasn't changed since my last post).

As you may already know, I am unemployed. 

I was laid off on January 30, 2009, from a job I enjoyed, by a boss who did not want to let me go, but was left with no other choice when the economy continued to accelerate on its already rapid nosedive. 

Of course, after allowing myself a week or two of ruminating on my misfortune, I conceded that it was time to update my resume, and with a little help from my sister, I began actively searching for re-employment elsewhere. I'm over the feeling of personal injury one typically experiences during such a traumatic event, and have begun to relax a little, enjoying my time at home, and even considering it an extended vacation- but without the restaurants, fanny pack, and amusement parks.

I suppose I should tell you that previously, I was a buyer at a metal distributor. In layman's terms, that means I am mostly S.O.L for finding a similar position elsewhere right now, as most companies are looking to SELL tons of product, and if possible, not PURCHASE anything.

I have created "please-read-my-resume" profiles at multiple job board sites and attempt to "update" my professional summary (i.e., change punctuation or hit enter and delete- any activity is updating) at least twice a month, so that it stays fresh in the listings and attracts more views than the rest of the unemployed masses. 

If you've used monster.com lately, you're probably experiencing the same amount of disgust I am with their layout and search options. It's bulky. There are way too many things on my home page that I never use, search options are getting too elaborate, and, oh yeah, three out of five companies to whom I might want to send my resume require that I submit a full professional profile (with information identical to that which I have posted on monster.com) through their own Web site, using an embedded application such as Taleo, or something similar.

Reader, I ask you: What is the point? Why must I spend 20 minutes doing this again if the information is already available through the directing job site? If these companies are trying to ensure that I am not a robot attempting to flood their HR inboxes with phony applicants, then they would do better to team with monster.com and require applicants to decode a "Captcha" or other "type the symbols you see in this box to validate your authenticity as a human being" tool. Am I wrong? Think about this. If I send fifteen resumes a day, and only six of the receiving companies accept applications directly through monster.com, I have spent approximately three hours entering information that is identical to that of my monster.com profile!  Yes, I know finding a Good Job is important, but aren't there better ways to spend three hours that don't involve mass redundancy?

I'm sure you can understand why I try very hard to avoid monster.com, except for those two occasions per month that I log in and make a small adjustment to some random information that might help me get my profile at the top of the list again, even if it means I'm being contacted for out-of-state jobs for which I'm not really qualified and don't really want. 

You say I'm being choosy? You bet. I've had my share of "it's a job" jobs- mostly because it's what you do when you're not in school, and I needed to show my parents that I was actually "going to work" every day. I'm sure I don't need to explain, though, that most of those don't pay the bills. I went to college, which means that along with my education, I acquired a student loan. I don't own my Jeep, Citifinancial Auto does. I have auto insurance, rent, electricity, propane, and a cell phone that sap my meager unemployment check dry every month, and old credit card debts that I had just begun to eliminate when I lost my job. And as I refuse to be frustrated and miserable at my next job, you'd better believe that I won't settle for any old paycheck.

Am I bitter? Perhaps. Am I doing something about it?

Yes.

I am active on Facebook. Oh yes, it can be used as more than just an outlet for such drivel as "ohmigosh did you see who she's with now?!" As has been brought to my attention three times today alone (are you all trying to tell me something?), check your privacy settings. Yes, people are being fired due to questionable content on their Facebook pages, or being tagged in such a photo on a friend's page! Think of it this way- if you wouldn't want your boss or your mom to see it, either don't post it, or hide that s--t, homie!

Thanks to my dad, you can also find me at http://www.linkedin.com/in/ashleytphillips. This is one of my favorite social networking sites, because it's not overrun by horny teenagers, photos of your drunk roommates, or that ex-boyfriend you try to avoid at all costs. LinkedIn is all about real professionals making real networking contacts, without all the job-search-site mumbo jumbo.

And then there's Twitter. I'll admit it- I'm an addict. I tweet several times a day. I'm known as "Jeepsterette." If I think of something interesting, or find a good video, cartoon, or article, I share it. I keep tabs on some of the bands I enjoy, follow Tony Hawk's vacation and skateboarding endeavors, and I have met quite a few like-minded Tweeps, with whom I share my love for all things Jeep (incidentally, check out allthingsjeep.com, or jeepworld.com, should you require... well...anything Jeep). 

Through Twitter, I have met quite a few friendly faces who share their encouragement during my job search (thank you, it really is appreciated). 

All of the Tweeps I follow are adults, most of them are business-people, and as a result, I have been privy to quite a few good articles about the economy and other job search tools (did you realize you can actually use Twitter for this purpose?). I even attended a Webinar this afternoon on using the aforementioned "social networking" sites to further the search, thanks to a comment I left on an article by user "HilzFuld." 

The world is not so big anymore, thanks to these new networking tools. Yes, it is a little frightening to think that almost nothing is private anymore, but then, it's all in what you choose to share, is it not?

Update on free music...

Hi, out there in Internet land.

Remember a couple months ago when I told you guys all about a handful of ways to get your music fix for free?

I've got an addition to that.

Some of you may know I'm now on twitter (Jeepsterette), which... I can never, ever close because Jeep people keep finding me and they're fun to know... and there's just so freaking much interesting stuff going on with Tony Hawk, Penn Jillette, Dane Cook, PostSecret, and my favorite ever band, Railroad Earth... But my addiction to the latest "news" is beside the point, and I digress.

I have a buddy whom I've known for... I guess... well, let's say at least six years. This guy is responsible for my twitter addiction. You know who you are. But, knowing that I have this thang where I let you all know what I dig for tunes, he said, "http://blip.fm. You need this. For your blog."

Truer words were never spoken. 

blip.fm is like Pandora radio, but on a less playlist, more individual level. You "blip," or search, whatever artist or song title you want to hear, select a track from the pop-up list, and your selection will show in the list below your search bar. You will see your selection for probably a second before it is engulfed by an extremely rapidly changing list of other selections from people all over the world, as they blip their selections. 

You can listen to more tracks you choose to blip, or play something someone else is playing. If you like a song someone else digs, you can give that user "props" on their selection. You can also receive "props" on your selections. I'm not really sure what the point is behind "props" other than it probably shows you have decent taste in music. I give them out as I see fit, I've earned a few, and I listen to whatever the heck I feel like.

Bonus points: blip.fm has a LOT of stuff I would never expect- tons of live Railroad Earth tracks (I couldn't decide what to play first), classics (Jerry Vale - Volare), oldies (the Jamies - Summertime), modern rock, rap, world music... this site definitely runs the gamut on selections. 

Also, you can choose to link your blips to your twitter feed- then, every song you blip will show up on your twitter feed as a tiny url- but you can also pick and choose which blips will tweet. Let's face it- the entire planet does NOT need to know that I'm listening to Michael Jackson's "Dirty Diana" after T.I. & Justin Timberlake's "Dead & Gone," correct? 

When your blipped track has finished, it will automatically play the track at the top of the list on your screen- usually from another user's blip. This is awesome if you get a bunch of people who like the same stuff you do, or if you love any kind of new music- and if you don't want to listen to that track, you can skip to the next. These tracks will NOT post to your twitter feed, either. Less embarrassment is good.

Demerits: You may not always get the best quality of a track on your first search- some of my selections, while live (and impressive), were of absolutely terrible Kbps quality. 

Also, trying to give props to someone is tricky, as the list is constantly changing- several times now, I've attempted to click on one user and ended up three ahead of him/her in line because of the constant flow of new tracks. This "wastes" your props, and once you give them, you can't take them back. 

And of course, because it's a streamer, you will probably have some "spots" in the playback. It's supremely annoying, but  you do have a "pause" button, so make good use of it.

Happy blipping, folks.