Saturday, April 25, 2009

I know it's kind of a rant, but...


I want to talk about resumes.

I don’t want to post mine; it’s a little late to look for a job (although I still look once in a while at the ads). I am interested in the whole phenomena.

I once had a student at the Maryland Institute show me her resume. She had listed; Salesperson, Exxon Oil Corporation. When I asked about the job she told me she’d worked in a gas station.

A few people who have seen my resume noted that I must have had a great plan to go by because it all fits together so well. Of course I had no plan, shit happens! It just sort of worked out this way and I followed an unwritten path. Hind sight is always 20/20.

My oldest daughter has taken a career course at high school; something I believe is mandatory, as she never would have taken it on purpose. They explored career fields as well as had to put together a portfolio. This is a super resume with all the documents and awards she had won and received. If I had to do this when I was in high school I would have little or nothing to include, or certainly a small portfolio of a few jobs and volunteer things I had done.

As I think about it, I did sell sticky apples in back of school #87, on a card table, for some guy in a truck. I was paid for it.

I did help play bingo with some elderly people in a nursing home, as well I did some entertaining for the elderly (singing), which may or may not have been entertaining as I think about it.

I worked at a furniture manufacturing company on Reisterstown Road (Baltimore) in the office putting together catalogs and getting lunches.

I can’t remember doing much else of a work nature.

My daughter said one day, as we were driving, that she realized that most of the jobs she had, and her friends had, had nothing to do with resumes, but who their parents knew. It was about whom you knew not what you knew. (I can’t write the Valley Girl accent) Ye-ah! Big woop! Surprise! Life isn’t exactly fair! Discovery time! Light Bulb goes off over the head!

My youngest son started his career by working for my oldest son’s father-in-law. My first teaching job came from the woman who lived across the street from me who was a supervisor in a public school system.


Both of my daughters worked for me at one time or another. My oldest daughter and now the younger one work for someone who works for me.

What it takes kids a long time to realize (and sometimes they never get it) is that their parents pay for them to go to school to be with the “right” other kids. This holds true for public school, where you pay a premium for a house to be in the “right” neighborhood. It is certainly true for private schools, and all College and Universities. Because in the big, bad outside world it’s often, or mostly, who you know that counts.

I am not discounting talent or smarts, all of which make a huge difference as well. But, it all matters. Talent and smarts seeem to matter later, when the rest of the stuff it took to get you there wears off. But you need to get there first.

Where there are fraternities and sororities, it makes a difference. Hell, everything matters.

Yes Virginia, there is a Santa Claus and he's probably a relative.

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