With Halloween coming up this weekend, there's nothing better to put you in the mood for a night of spooky fun than a good old-fashioned monster movie. This weekend's offering includes Saw VI, The Vampire's Assistant, and the spooky-without-meaning-to-be musical movie 'Michael Jackson: This Is It.'
The main choice for most people under the age of 25 will be, of course, Stephanie Meyer's latest movie, 'New Moon,' a werewolf/ vampire love story that is predicted to hit #1 at the box office the weekend of its release.
Whether of not you're a fan of Stephanie Meyer, you can't deny that her Twilight series has captured the imagination of teens and adults alike. It seems like the classic rags to riches tale: after being initially rejected by 14 agents, the first book in her teen-oriented vampire romance series became the biggest-selling book of 2008, selling around 17 million copies around the world.
Since then, three other books have followed in quick succession: New Moon, Eclipse, and Breaking Dawn. As a series, the books have been praised by fans and casual readers alike for their readability, whilst drawing fierce criticism from some (including Stephan King) for their simple 'childlike' writing and for reinforcing old fashioned stereotypes of women.
It's not hard to see why - in book after book the heroine Bella Swan is constantly rescued by the hero, the vampire Edward Cullen, whilst following him around like a love-sick puppy and ignoring or even spurning the advances of other human boys her age.
Critics say the heroine provides an unhealthy role model for young women, whilst fans rave about the interplay between the vividly-drawn characters and the themes of forbidden love and realistically-portrayed teenage angst.
Whether you love or hate the series, the second movie in the series New Moon will be released next week, and introduces a new romantic rival for Edward - the young werewolf Jacob Black. Is Ms Meyer a genuine new talent in her own right, or simply yet another writer cashing in on the massive surge in popularity of vampires following the sadly-demised 'Buffy The Vampire Slayer' super-series? Joss Whedon she ain't, but the girl sure knows how to spin a good yarn.
Check out the trailer for the upcoming New Moon movie and decide for yourself:
If you're a big werewolf or vampire fan, check out these great costume ideas for this Halloween:
How to do vampire makeup:
Do you love werewolves? Check out this awesome werewolf costume for inspiration:
Wednesday, October 28, 2009
Monday, October 26, 2009
How to Cure Halloween Procrastination...
So, Halloween is on Saturday night, and you're SO prepared for Halloween this year it's not even funny. You've got your costume sorted out, your house is blazing with lights and exotic spider-webs and plastic neon witches climbing up the guttering, and you have sackloads of candy for the local children and a bunch of scary movies by the DVD player.... in your dreams.
Okay, so in reality, you're kind of sort of thinking about maybe swinging by the costume store on Thursday night to see if they have anything cheap-ish left on sale, followed by a last-minute run to Target on Friday after work to pick up whatever cheap candy the Great Unwashed Masses have left (hopefully) untouched and (mainly) unchewed in the bargain bin. Take heart. You're not alone.
If you're like me and you can happily turn Halloween procrastination into an art form, here's a couple of tips to inspire you.
First-up, for a cheap costume, raid your girlfriends/ mothers/ sisters cosmetics drawers and check out the amazing creature make-up in this vid by Hollywood Mac experts:
Do you like zombies? Would you like to create some realisticly gory Zombie special effects make-up? Is there such a thing as having too many zombies? Find out in this fun video by the fabulously green Indy Moguls, How To Do ZOMBIE Special Effects Makeup.
And finally, if you want to get your own back at those annoying little sticky kids that turn up at your door and cover your hedge in toilet paper, check out this article and find out How To Scare Trick or Treaters.
Happy Halloween! :-)
Okay, so in reality, you're kind of sort of thinking about maybe swinging by the costume store on Thursday night to see if they have anything cheap-ish left on sale, followed by a last-minute run to Target on Friday after work to pick up whatever cheap candy the Great Unwashed Masses have left (hopefully) untouched and (mainly) unchewed in the bargain bin. Take heart. You're not alone.
If you're like me and you can happily turn Halloween procrastination into an art form, here's a couple of tips to inspire you.
First-up, for a cheap costume, raid your girlfriends/ mothers/ sisters cosmetics drawers and check out the amazing creature make-up in this vid by Hollywood Mac experts:
Do you like zombies? Would you like to create some realisticly gory Zombie special effects make-up? Is there such a thing as having too many zombies? Find out in this fun video by the fabulously green Indy Moguls, How To Do ZOMBIE Special Effects Makeup.
And finally, if you want to get your own back at those annoying little sticky kids that turn up at your door and cover your hedge in toilet paper, check out this article and find out How To Scare Trick or Treaters.
Happy Halloween! :-)
Wednesday, September 30, 2009
Texas Tech pulls the plug on Twitter
So the latest furor over the use of the insanely popular social networking site Twitter is centered on the Raiders. Texas Tech recently issued a team-wide ban on the Raiders team's not-so-private usage of Twitter, after a senior linebacker confessed to his Twitter viewers Sunday afternoon that the season was not going as expected, in a Tweet which read:
The danger of sites such as Facebook and Twitter (come on, is anyone actually using MySpace any more?) is that within seconds, a single random (and possibly career-destroying) thought can be broadcast worldwide to a phenomenally large audience.
They may not be sitting in front of a microphone, but stars and celebs alike need to realize that their 'private' usage of Twitter is akin to putting out a worldwide press-release each time they so much as report on what they're eating for breakfast.
Forget Drunk-Calling, Highway-Texting or Pants-Pocket Dialling, the Twitter Hangover is the latest and greatest social Faux-Pas. Whether you're famous or not, the fallout from an errant remark like this can be not only embarrassing, but potentially libelous. Here's five Tips on how to avoid embarrassing yourself on Twitter.
For those of us still in the Dark Ages on how to use Twitter, here's a nice simple introduction to the site:
His post has now been taken down, but Williams' gut-reaction to the Houston loss - "WTF I can't believe what happened man my senior season isn't goin' anything like what I busted my azz for... - still remains proudly posted, along with very similar sentiments from offensive lineman Brandon Carter:
"This is not how I saw our season," [Carter] wrote on Twitter early Sunday morning. "I just cried like am (sic) idiot. I want us to be so good my last year and I feel like I’m letting everyone down."
Carter also used the feed to break the news that he'd been suspended for next week's game against New Mexico and stripped of his captaincy. That post was also soon deleted, but not before it had fueled a round of high-profile wire stories Sunday night.
Obviously one might wonder why anyone even remotely famous would be using a public social networking site... but as the Raiders found out, it's not about what you say but how you say it.The danger of sites such as Facebook and Twitter (come on, is anyone actually using MySpace any more?) is that within seconds, a single random (and possibly career-destroying) thought can be broadcast worldwide to a phenomenally large audience.
They may not be sitting in front of a microphone, but stars and celebs alike need to realize that their 'private' usage of Twitter is akin to putting out a worldwide press-release each time they so much as report on what they're eating for breakfast.
Forget Drunk-Calling, Highway-Texting or Pants-Pocket Dialling, the Twitter Hangover is the latest and greatest social Faux-Pas. Whether you're famous or not, the fallout from an errant remark like this can be not only embarrassing, but potentially libelous. Here's five Tips on how to avoid embarrassing yourself on Twitter.
For those of us still in the Dark Ages on how to use Twitter, here's a nice simple introduction to the site:
Tuesday, September 22, 2009
Match It for Pratchett - Donate $1 to Alzheimer's research
Terry Pratchett, the bestselling fantasy author, is suffering from a rare form of Alzheimer's but would like it to be known that he is not dead yet.
In a statement posted on the website of his illustrator Paul Kidby, the author in typical humorous fashion describes the diagnosis as "an embuggerance."
He adds: "Frankly, I would prefer it if people kept things cheerful, because I think there's time for at least a few more books yet."
Terry Pratchett, who was diagnosed with Alzheimer's in December, recently donated $1 million to the Alzheimer's Research Trust to help find a cure.
The best-selling author said:
"I am proud to become a Patron of the Alzheimer's Research Trust. Alzheimer's is a nasty disease, surrounded by shadows and small, largely unseen tragedies. I understand the desperation of sufferers and their carers and their hopes for, if not a cure, at least some regime that might help us live with Alzheimer's. Frankly, I'd eat the arse out of a dead mole if it offered a fighting chance. It was a shock to find out that funding for Alzheimer's research is just 3% of that to find cancer cures. Right now, one thing we can do is make certain that Alzheimer's does not remain out in the shadows. Once upon a time, cancer was only spoken of as "a long illness". When people felt able to talk about it, the battle could begin. The same thing can happen with Alzheimer's. Before you can kill the demon, you have to say its name."
Rebecca Wood, Chief Executive of the Alzheimer's Research Trust, said:
"We're so pleased to have Terry's continued support. He is an inspiration to the 700,000 people who have dementia and 25 million friends and family affected by the disease. With a force like Terry demanding a drastic increase in dementia research funding, the government must recognize soon that it can no longer put off urgently needed reform."
Pratchett, 59, is best known for his satirical Discworld novels and he has sold more than 55 million books.
Pat Cadigan started an online campaign (dubbed "Match it for Pratchett" by participants) on her blog to get half a million Discworld fans to each donate a pound (that's about two dollars in U.S. currency) to Alzheimer's research, thus matching the half-million pounds/a million dollars donation Terry Pratchett made yesterday to the Alzheimer's Research Trust in the U.K. Cadigan says on his blog, "So whaddaya say, guys? … You can spare that much. Go here and make your donation. Tell them it's in honour of Terry Pratchett."
The Match It For Pratchett site, www.matchitforpratchett.org, has been set up for more information. A Facebook page has also been set up by the originator of the initiative, which includes a letter from the Alzheimer's Research Trust.
Check out this latest interview with Terry Pratchett (below). You can donate directly to the trust by going to their official site at the Alzheimer's Research Trust.
Monday, August 31, 2009
Summer Sounds - Def Leppard, Poison and Cheap Trick show review
If you're a music fan, one of the greatest joys of summertime is the opportunity to enjoy your favorite bands outside, in the fresh summer air (or the not-so-fresh air, if you live in LA right now).
This weekend, I was fortunate enough to get a VIP pass (ok, so they were lawn seats. So I'm cheap. So what?) to one of the most talked-about concerts of the Rock Summer -the much touted Poison/ Def Leppard summer tour. This show was at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine.
THE VENUE - THE GOOD
As a venue, the Verizon Ampitheatre holds its own with the best of them. The stage itself is a good size, although the seating is on a very steep hill - which is actually good if you want to see the show but you can't afford to shell out $150 for stageside seating. Even those right up on the lawn at the top get a fairly decent, unobstructed view of the stage, and the two Jumbotron screens provide close-ups of the action.
THE VENUE - THE BAD
If you're a fan of the traditional pre-show tailgate parties, be aware that the venue practices a zero-tolerance policy against Outside Alcohol - even in the parking lot. Be warned that dozens of uniformed officers on segways (licence plate: PRTYPOOPER) patrol every inch of the parking lot hours before the show. If you are caught with alcohol (even unopened bottles or jello-shots in a cooler) you will be asked to pour it all out or leave - and no, drinking it all in one go if caught is not an option. (We tried). Just a little heads up!
Drinks inside the venue are (typically) over-priced, starting at $8 for a Red Bull, $10 for a beer, $18 for a frozen margarita and $22 for a bottle of white wine.
THE SHOW
The show itself was a mixed bag. The two rock dinosaurs Leppard and Poison were supported by Cheap Trick, who gave a solid if short performance with 4 old songs and one new song. After 35 years together, their sound was tight and lead singer Robin Zander proved he's still got what it takes to get 16,000 people on their feet and cheering for more... despite the odd onstage temper tantrum.
POISON
For me, Poison was the highlight of this lineup. One might make fun of lead singer Brett Michaels for his high-publicity reality-show appearances, but as a frontman he's still got the looks and the moves that leave others in his genre far behind.
Although initially Michaels sounded very hoarse on a number of songs (payback perhaps for a summer schedule chock-full of gigs), he was able to guide the band with enviable energy through a scorching back-catalog of hits such as 'Nothing But A Good Time' and 'Every Rose Has It's Thorn.' Every song was greeted with a rousing chorus of cheers and a forest of flickering cigarette lighters. The fact that the vast majority of the audience was in its early 20's and dressed to the nines with eyeliner and Big Hair gives fans hope that glam rock is not yet dead!
Guitarist C.C. Deville stole the show as always with a blistering solo matched with a truly impressive light display synched to his playing. Bassist Bobby Dall was absent for this performance.
C.C Devillie up to his usual tricks!
DEF LEPPARD
Def Leppard headlined the set, but despite their far more elaborate set and infinitely superior sound mix, fans knew it was more of a co-headline. 'The Lep' may have some of the most loyal fans in rock today, but even though I count myself as one of them, I felt that they were outdone by Poison on this particular performance in terms of energy and performance.
Don't get me wrong. I've been a Def Leppard fan since I was a kid, but seeing them paired with Poison draws attention to some of their music shortcomings.
Yes, this summer's tour provides a stunning show. Yes, if this is your first show it will blow you away. You certainly get your money's worth. But for me, Def Leppard's set felt very over-produced compared to the rougher, rawer energy of Poison.
Whereas Poison had real pyro and lots of it, Leppard had banks and banks (and more banks) of 50-foot high video-screens showing - you've guessed it - videos of pyro. And therein lay the problem. I watched the pretty backdrop videos with rapt attention throughout the first two songs before I even noticed the band was on the stage too.
The theatrics should've been turned off after the first song, or at the very least used sparingly rather than run at full two-million megawattage blast through EVERY SINGLE SONG. The colors were bright, the images house-sized and ever-changing. The flames morphed into beautiful women and stormy cloudscapes and moody clocks swirling over purple alien landscapes, prompting the questions a) who made this beautiful monster, and b) why won't it let go of my eyes?
Where's Waldo? Spot the band on this stage!
Musically, Def Leppard matched their over-elaborate, attention-sucking backdrop with similar layers of backing tracks. It's no shame to play with a click-track, especially not in this day and age when two gee-tars and a drum don't cut it no more, but after the clean-cut live sound of Poison, I felt like I was drowning in Leppard's harmonies. I had to look very carefully to see who was actually doing the singing, and pause every few songs to pour about two pints of Reverb out of my left ear.
Frontman Joe Elliot's voice was also a little lacking, perhaps because of the heat or the exhaustion of trying to keep up with the over-energetic visuals. It was hard not to notice how his vocals were carefully turned down as he approached some of the higher notes, then turned back up afterwards. But he made up for it via sheer force of personality and his trademark charm. His between-song banter went down particularly well, and as a Brit myself it was very refreshing to hear some personality coming from a frontman instead of the usual 'Lemmie-hear-a-'Hell-Yeah!'' pseudo-cool banter so beloved of many lead singers.
The other attention-stealer in the Leppard set was (you've guessed it) guitarist's Phil 'Shirtless Wonder' Collen's ever-exposed washboard stomach. It shone. It gleamed. It made you stop dancing to 'Photograph' to ponder whether he used Olive-oil or turtle wax to keep it looking so shiny.
But like Def Leppard's backdrop (The flames! The women! The 3D bubbles!), it was a constant distraction. Whereas the others changed costume several times during the set to match the mood of the music, Colleen's jaw-dropping figure was proudly on display at all times. Don't get me wrong, if I was in such great shape myself, I would go around shirtless all the time. I would give my stomach its own Facebook page, and possibly shares in Wunder-Tan. But when every conversation you hear around you in the audience seems to center on what exercise/ diet routine the guitarist uses to look that tanned and toned, you can't help but wonder what happened to the music.
To sum up, if Def Leppard wants to keep winning the headlining slot over Poison, they'd do well to watch themselves play from the lawn seats at the back of the stadium, and perhaps tone down their show just a touch. They may have a fifty-foot high all-singing, all-dancing backing video, but for the majority of Leppard fans out there, just a photograph is (more than) enough.
This weekend, I was fortunate enough to get a VIP pass (ok, so they were lawn seats. So I'm cheap. So what?) to one of the most talked-about concerts of the Rock Summer -the much touted Poison/ Def Leppard summer tour. This show was at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre in Irvine.
THE VENUE - THE GOOD
As a venue, the Verizon Ampitheatre holds its own with the best of them. The stage itself is a good size, although the seating is on a very steep hill - which is actually good if you want to see the show but you can't afford to shell out $150 for stageside seating. Even those right up on the lawn at the top get a fairly decent, unobstructed view of the stage, and the two Jumbotron screens provide close-ups of the action.
THE VENUE - THE BAD
If you're a fan of the traditional pre-show tailgate parties, be aware that the venue practices a zero-tolerance policy against Outside Alcohol - even in the parking lot. Be warned that dozens of uniformed officers on segways (licence plate: PRTYPOOPER) patrol every inch of the parking lot hours before the show. If you are caught with alcohol (even unopened bottles or jello-shots in a cooler) you will be asked to pour it all out or leave - and no, drinking it all in one go if caught is not an option. (We tried). Just a little heads up!
Drinks inside the venue are (typically) over-priced, starting at $8 for a Red Bull, $10 for a beer, $18 for a frozen margarita and $22 for a bottle of white wine.
THE SHOW
The show itself was a mixed bag. The two rock dinosaurs Leppard and Poison were supported by Cheap Trick, who gave a solid if short performance with 4 old songs and one new song. After 35 years together, their sound was tight and lead singer Robin Zander proved he's still got what it takes to get 16,000 people on their feet and cheering for more... despite the odd onstage temper tantrum.
POISON
For me, Poison was the highlight of this lineup. One might make fun of lead singer Brett Michaels for his high-publicity reality-show appearances, but as a frontman he's still got the looks and the moves that leave others in his genre far behind.
Although initially Michaels sounded very hoarse on a number of songs (payback perhaps for a summer schedule chock-full of gigs), he was able to guide the band with enviable energy through a scorching back-catalog of hits such as 'Nothing But A Good Time' and 'Every Rose Has It's Thorn.' Every song was greeted with a rousing chorus of cheers and a forest of flickering cigarette lighters. The fact that the vast majority of the audience was in its early 20's and dressed to the nines with eyeliner and Big Hair gives fans hope that glam rock is not yet dead!
Guitarist C.C. Deville stole the show as always with a blistering solo matched with a truly impressive light display synched to his playing. Bassist Bobby Dall was absent for this performance.
C.C Devillie up to his usual tricks!
DEF LEPPARD
Def Leppard headlined the set, but despite their far more elaborate set and infinitely superior sound mix, fans knew it was more of a co-headline. 'The Lep' may have some of the most loyal fans in rock today, but even though I count myself as one of them, I felt that they were outdone by Poison on this particular performance in terms of energy and performance.
Don't get me wrong. I've been a Def Leppard fan since I was a kid, but seeing them paired with Poison draws attention to some of their music shortcomings.
Yes, this summer's tour provides a stunning show. Yes, if this is your first show it will blow you away. You certainly get your money's worth. But for me, Def Leppard's set felt very over-produced compared to the rougher, rawer energy of Poison.
Whereas Poison had real pyro and lots of it, Leppard had banks and banks (and more banks) of 50-foot high video-screens showing - you've guessed it - videos of pyro. And therein lay the problem. I watched the pretty backdrop videos with rapt attention throughout the first two songs before I even noticed the band was on the stage too.
The theatrics should've been turned off after the first song, or at the very least used sparingly rather than run at full two-million megawattage blast through EVERY SINGLE SONG. The colors were bright, the images house-sized and ever-changing. The flames morphed into beautiful women and stormy cloudscapes and moody clocks swirling over purple alien landscapes, prompting the questions a) who made this beautiful monster, and b) why won't it let go of my eyes?
Where's Waldo? Spot the band on this stage!
Musically, Def Leppard matched their over-elaborate, attention-sucking backdrop with similar layers of backing tracks. It's no shame to play with a click-track, especially not in this day and age when two gee-tars and a drum don't cut it no more, but after the clean-cut live sound of Poison, I felt like I was drowning in Leppard's harmonies. I had to look very carefully to see who was actually doing the singing, and pause every few songs to pour about two pints of Reverb out of my left ear.
Frontman Joe Elliot's voice was also a little lacking, perhaps because of the heat or the exhaustion of trying to keep up with the over-energetic visuals. It was hard not to notice how his vocals were carefully turned down as he approached some of the higher notes, then turned back up afterwards. But he made up for it via sheer force of personality and his trademark charm. His between-song banter went down particularly well, and as a Brit myself it was very refreshing to hear some personality coming from a frontman instead of the usual 'Lemmie-hear-a-'Hell-Yeah!'' pseudo-cool banter so beloved of many lead singers.
The other attention-stealer in the Leppard set was (you've guessed it) guitarist's Phil 'Shirtless Wonder' Collen's ever-exposed washboard stomach. It shone. It gleamed. It made you stop dancing to 'Photograph' to ponder whether he used Olive-oil or turtle wax to keep it looking so shiny.
But like Def Leppard's backdrop (The flames! The women! The 3D bubbles!), it was a constant distraction. Whereas the others changed costume several times during the set to match the mood of the music, Colleen's jaw-dropping figure was proudly on display at all times. Don't get me wrong, if I was in such great shape myself, I would go around shirtless all the time. I would give my stomach its own Facebook page, and possibly shares in Wunder-Tan. But when every conversation you hear around you in the audience seems to center on what exercise/ diet routine the guitarist uses to look that tanned and toned, you can't help but wonder what happened to the music.
To sum up, if Def Leppard wants to keep winning the headlining slot over Poison, they'd do well to watch themselves play from the lawn seats at the back of the stadium, and perhaps tone down their show just a touch. They may have a fifty-foot high all-singing, all-dancing backing video, but for the majority of Leppard fans out there, just a photograph is (more than) enough.
Monday, July 20, 2009
Goodness, It's Hot!!!
I can't believe how hot it is this summer! I haven't seen any record breaking temperatures, but I'm guessing that the average temperature is higher than it has been the last couple of years. Anyways, I've been looking for some things to do over the summer, but It's so hot that all I've been doing is going swimming. It's fun, but I'm guessing everyone else had the same idea as me because it was packed. Beach balls and hoops would hit me left and right and I'd bump into someone every 10 minutes, but it was well worth it being in a large pool of water.
Besides swimming, there are many things that one can do, it's just up to you whether you can find it or not. One great idea is to go to the beach. Of course, this is pretty obvious, but the question is what are you going to do there? There is swimming in the sea, but there are many more places to explore when you go there. You can play beach volleyball, which is a fun game to play in the sun, although it might get hot, so wear plenty of sunscreen lotion. You can also visit the shops along the beach for some added fun. If you have no money, you can always window shop. If you do have a lot of cash on you, you can splurge a little bit and buy yourself something nice.
You can go on the pier to watch people fishing, or you can go fishing yourself. Despite what others think, fishing is actually pretty fun. Even though you might have to wait a while before catching some fish, it's a perfect chance to catch up with some friends and have some time where you guys can bond. Plus, once you catch that first fish, it's actually pretty exciting!
If you don't want to go to the beach, find something that will cool you down in your local area. I know for a fact that going ice skating will cool you down for sure. If you don't know how to skate, have fun learning. If you do, have some fun learning a couple of tricks and techniques to make you able to skate better.
If you don't want to go out anywhere, you can call over some friends. The problem with that is that all that body heat in that one room is going to make it extremely hot for you and your friends, so it's probably not the best idea. But whatever you can think of, as long as you're having fun, I'm sure it's going to help you forget about the summer heat.
Besides swimming, there are many things that one can do, it's just up to you whether you can find it or not. One great idea is to go to the beach. Of course, this is pretty obvious, but the question is what are you going to do there? There is swimming in the sea, but there are many more places to explore when you go there. You can play beach volleyball, which is a fun game to play in the sun, although it might get hot, so wear plenty of sunscreen lotion. You can also visit the shops along the beach for some added fun. If you have no money, you can always window shop. If you do have a lot of cash on you, you can splurge a little bit and buy yourself something nice.
You can go on the pier to watch people fishing, or you can go fishing yourself. Despite what others think, fishing is actually pretty fun. Even though you might have to wait a while before catching some fish, it's a perfect chance to catch up with some friends and have some time where you guys can bond. Plus, once you catch that first fish, it's actually pretty exciting!
If you don't want to go to the beach, find something that will cool you down in your local area. I know for a fact that going ice skating will cool you down for sure. If you don't know how to skate, have fun learning. If you do, have some fun learning a couple of tricks and techniques to make you able to skate better.
If you don't want to go out anywhere, you can call over some friends. The problem with that is that all that body heat in that one room is going to make it extremely hot for you and your friends, so it's probably not the best idea. But whatever you can think of, as long as you're having fun, I'm sure it's going to help you forget about the summer heat.
Friday, July 17, 2009
Been Laid Off? Top 10 Resume Tips from a Hiring Manager
So, it's that wonderful, carefree time of the year again. Summer's coming, the sky is blue, the birds are singing, and... what's that, boss? The firm is downsizing? You appreciate all my years of hard work but... yes, I understand. Cuts have to be made. Change is A Good Thing. And yes, I do realize the cost of outsourcing my entire department's work to Thailand
Being made redundant can happen to the best of us, usually at the worst of times, but this doesn't have to be the end for you. Not knowing where your next rent check will come from is scary, but rest assured that you are not alone in your situation, and that you do have the power to make losing your job into an opportunity for personal and financial advancement rather than the end-of-the-world disaster it probably feels like right now.
The first thing to do is to blow the dust off your resume and take a good hard look at it. Your resume should be your best friend, your ambassador, something you feel proud to send out into the world to represent you. There are hundreds of good books out there telling you how to craft the perfect resume, but all your hard work will go to waste if you don’t get past the first hurdle: the person who will read your resume. In other words, the Hiring Manger.
THE RESUME
Tip #5: Keep it short. Resumes these days need to be kept short, one or two pages at most. If you’re applying to be a PHD instructor then by all means, give us pages of references. If you’re applying to work in a Kwick-E-Mart, just let us know that a) You can work a till, b) you have no finger injuries that will prevent you from pushing the Copier button, and c) you have up-to-date health insurance and you recently won a Marksman of the Year award at your local shooting academy.
Tip #6: Put your best strawberries on top. Even if your resume is short, put the most tantalizing and tasty information about yourself on the top. If you used to run a company just like theirs, live two blocks from their offices or raised 4 million dollars of corporate funding, tell them so. Give them one good reason why you alone should get the job out of all the similarly qualified people who also applied.
Being made redundant can happen to the best of us, usually at the worst of times, but this doesn't have to be the end for you. Not knowing where your next rent check will come from is scary, but rest assured that you are not alone in your situation, and that you do have the power to make losing your job into an opportunity for personal and financial advancement rather than the end-of-the-world disaster it probably feels like right now.
The first thing to do is to blow the dust off your resume and take a good hard look at it. Your resume should be your best friend, your ambassador, something you feel proud to send out into the world to represent you. There are hundreds of good books out there telling you how to craft the perfect resume, but all your hard work will go to waste if you don’t get past the first hurdle: the person who will read your resume. In other words, the Hiring Manger.
Here are some real-life tips gathered from my own experience acting as a Hiring Manager for many different companies, to help your application stand apart from the pack.
FIRST IMPRESSIONS
Tip #1: Make a good first impression. First up, if you're applying by email, be aware that your email will be the company's first (and possibly only) impression of you. If your email subject-line reads 'Expereenced Proofreader Job Application,' …. then they’re probably not going to open your email and read the ‘perfect’ cover letter and resume you spent five hours crafting the previous night.
Tip #2: Treat your email like a mini-version of your cover letter. This will be your potential employer’s next impression of you. Yes, your cover letter and resume are outstanding, but if the email they are attached to reads 'hey you guyz i saw yer ad on craigslist and i'm your guy, check out my resume and youll see why!'..... do you really think they'll bother downloading, printing and reading your resume?
THE COVER LETTER
Tip #3: Address your cover letter correctly. Spend an extra thirty seconds on Google to find out your potential new boss's name, or simply address it: 'To the Hiring Manager,' or 'Dear Sir/Madam,' rather than the overused and annoyingly vague 'To Whom It May Concern.'
Tip #4: Say ‘Thank you’. Similarly, start or end your cover letter by thanking the Hiring Manager for taking the time to read your resume. These days, an advert on Craigslist can attract over 300 responses for one position, so its possible that the Hiring Manager or Employer will have read several hundred resumes before yours. It's a thankless task, and a comment like that will make us feel all warm and glowy inside…. a good frame of mind to hire you in.
THE RESUME
Tip #5: Keep it short. Resumes these days need to be kept short, one or two pages at most. If you’re applying to be a PHD instructor then by all means, give us pages of references. If you’re applying to work in a Kwick-E-Mart, just let us know that a) You can work a till, b) you have no finger injuries that will prevent you from pushing the Copier button, and c) you have up-to-date health insurance and you recently won a Marksman of the Year award at your local shooting academy.
Tip #6: Put your best strawberries on top. Even if your resume is short, put the most tantalizing and tasty information about yourself on the top. If you used to run a company just like theirs, live two blocks from their offices or raised 4 million dollars of corporate funding, tell them so. Give them one good reason why you alone should get the job out of all the similarly qualified people who also applied.
Tip #7: Give them your phone number! It may sound obvious, but remember to put your phone number on your resume. Most interested employers will contact you via phone to schedule an interview, and so if you don’t have a phone number on your resume and they have a pile of 200 resumes to pick from, rest assured they won’t bother emailing you to try and find out your phone number.
THE FOLLOW-UP
Tip #8: If you didn’t get the job, don’t expect a call to tell you so. A job advert on Craigslist can generate 200+ responses; on Monster etc the figure can be higher. Unless you personally know the boss/ Hiring Manger, it's general policy these days to simply not write back to you if you don't have the job. Sadly, it's the way of the world these days.
Tip #9: Don’t be too needy. If a manager likes your resume, you WILL get a phone call within a couple of days of your application. If a week goes past with still no reply, a follow-up email is acceptable to inquire if the position has been filled. A phone call is not. Think of your job application like a first date. If they like you and want to hire you, they WILL call you back. If not, bugging them for a response will come across as somewhat needy, or even desperate - not an impression you want to give a potential employer.
Tip #10: Thank them for their time. If you have attended an interview, write a short 'thank you' note to the person who interviewed you and email it to them afterwards. To do so shows that you have manners, and will also conveniently put your name and email address right at the top of their inbox.
Good luck with your job search! :-)
- Natasha
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