8.10.2003

It's always an interesting week here at JobFairy.com

Scam of the Week

"After reviewing your credentials we believe that you may have the experience and skills required to become an ACTION International Business Coach.  This is not a job offer, but rather an invitation to consider the alternative of being in a business of your own as a Business Coach."

OK, my credentials include systems architecture, Java, Linux, and the like. I implement financial systems, but I am nowhere near qualified enough to tell CEOs how to run their business better. That takes an MBA and a hell of a lot of business experience. They'd like to imply this is a do-it-yourself KPMG/ Accenture/ Ernst & Young-type franchise opportunity. What will happen is that they'll sell you a kit, throw in some stale leads, and give you expensive but worthless training. You pay them lots of money and then have no actual business as a result. In contrast, Good Times Hamburgers are a great franchise; they don't have to spam e-mail everyone in the world in order to get more restaurants built. (Note: Job Fairies love their frozen custard. ADORE it. Mud Pie, yum. Spoonbenders, super yum! A personal favorite of the Black Fairy.) But I digress. When the economy is bad, these scams are attractive because jobs are scarce. Unlimited money! Be your own boss! Take greater control of your career! But this isn't the path. Unfortunately, it takes good old fashioned plain solid honest hard work. And planning. Plus adequate funding and brilliant marketing and a little bit of luck.

Update as of 8/7/2003: I have received four emails from these people in the last week. Shoot, they haven't even paid for the full version of their e-mail campaign software - they're using the limited version that sends your message with their tagline and link at the bottom. Decent mass emailing software can be had for as little as $39.95 (i.e. the kind we use here at JobFairy from G-Lock Software). Obviously this is a seriously low-rent, boiler room operation that should be avoided like the plague... If you can't cough up as little as $40 for a piece of full version software to do your mass e-mailing... you're lame. Oh yeah, Action - one more thing - you're losers, too. Is this the kind of coaching they're gonna give small business owners? Oh yeah, baby - sign me up!

You can help us here at The Job Fairy to help you better. Please take the site survey today. Thanks!

The "B" Word

• When I stand up for myself and my beliefs, they call me a b****.
• When I stand up for those I love, they call me a b****.
• When I speak my mind, think my own thoughts or do things my own way, they call me a b****.
• Being a b**** means I won't compromise what's in my heart.  It means I live my life MY way.  It means I won't allow anyone to step on me.
• When I refuse to tolerate injustice and speak against it, I am defined as a b****.
• The same thing happens when I take time for myself instead of being everyone's maid.
• It means I have the courage and strength to allow myself to be who I truly am and won't become anyone else's idea of what they think I "should" be.
• I am outspoken, opinionated and determined. I want what I want and there is nothing wrong with that!
• So try to stomp on me, try to douse my inner flame, try to squash every ounce of beauty I hold within me.  You won't succeed.  And if that makes me a b****, so be it.
• I embrace the title and am proud to bear it !!!!

B = Beautiful
I = Individual
T = That
C = Can
H = Handle Anything

Actually, it's good news

The Teal Fairy just got laid off from her job last week. Ordinarily, that would be bad news, but she's already getting lots of recruiter calls... and for contract work at just a smidge under twice her previous rate of pay. Once she found out what her skills were worth now... you couldn't wipe the grin off her face. When life hands you lemons you make lemonade and all that good stuff. I think that in about a month, she'll be the highest paid Fairy of us all. Hear that, Nightshade?

Things are picking up a bit...

The bureau says that a rise in temporary help is considered a leading indicator of a turnaround in employment as employers who need more workers -- but are still a bit gun-shy in an uncertain economy -- often hire temps right before resuming full-time hiring."

And they often hire temp to perm. So don't hesitate to take that temporary position... it could pay off. Holding out in the hopes that you'll get a permanent job instead only delays you from getting paid. Money is money, whether you get it from a perm job or a temp one. And while you have that contract position, you can keep looking for something better. I've found that there really is no such thing as a "permanent" job anyway.

Interesting...

Even though monster.com has gotten rid of their "activate resume" option in favor of "make resume searchable", I'm still going to edit and save my resume instead of "renewing" it. Wonder what they'll be up to next...?

Thank you to everyone who has filled out the user poll so far. Your feedback is really helping us Fairies get an idea of what you like best (and hate the most) about jobfairy.com. Interesting comments so far (comments in italic mine):

• "The guy in the tutu rocks"
• "I like the site search"
• "I think the site search is awful"
• "My favorite fairy is definitely The Fairy Of Utter Darkness" (how much did she pay you to say that?)
• "I love the logo"
• "You should offer financial resources for the unemployed"
• "How about links to state unemployment agencies?"
• "I think the site search is excellent" (there's a lot of variation on this one!)
• "The info is easily accessible, no searching to find what I need"
• "Is the webmaster gay?" (in response to what users think of all the pink on the site)

Want to have your voice heard? Please take 10 minutes or so and fill out the site survey today. We would love to hear from you. Really!