mercedsunstar.com :: Self-promotion, imagination, handwriting

TREADMILL

Q: Why am I expected to wear several hats, but not paid for any of them? Employers say that "Modesto is cheaper to live in so the wages are lower." Not true!!!! Is there a job out there that pays what I'm worth? -- Pooped Out in Modesto

A: Oh, Pooped Out, I burst out laughing when I saw your e-mail. But this is no laughing matter.

Do companies feed some of your friends the same line? What do all of the friends have in common? Are they short education or experience? Are they women?

So you're not being discriminated against? Are you getting the correct attention for all of your work multitasking and multiskilling? The last time I saw a list like yours -- payroll, work comp injuries and financial, payables, office manager, employee benefits administrator and human resource -- it didn't end with $14 per hour. You tell people you do "miscellaneous?" How about "I'm in charge of the financial operations" or something similar to pique their interest.

Write out a carefully-crafted script. Here's a sample: "I help save money, improve employee and office efficiency and improve morale."

If you really want to stay with the company, show decision-makers how much you do. Make yourself visible by writing a bullet-point memo about results achieved to your boss every month. If, after a few memos or at performance review time, you continue to hear silence on the subject of raises, have a one-on-one. Mention your accomplishments. If that doesn't jump-start your salary, jump-start yourself into another company where you won't be Pooped. -- mlc

DEADENDS

Q: I really need the work, but all I can find is restaurant work or telemarketing. How do other people get their jobs? -- Mystified

A: Getting a good job requires imagination and umph, Mystified. Look at deadend jobs and that's what you'll find. Identify industries and companies where you'd like to work, even if they aren't advertising.

Ask yourself where people from those companies congregate on break. Go there. Strike up a conversation. Share your Snickers bars.

Intensify your effort by finding people in your community who work there. Ask about the kind of work you'd like to do. Ask about timing. Get the names of people who could hire you. Ask whether you might use the employee's name. Listen.

Now, pick up the telephone and call one of the people. Get referrals. Keep doing that until you find the one person who brings you on board. Someone needs YOU! -- mlc

**blogTip**

HANDWRITTEN MATERIALS

Do you think that, in a world of PCs, e-mail, faxes, and overnight delivery, handwriting is dinosauric in a job hunt? Nope. Headhunters have known this secret for a long time.

A survey in late August by Neenah Paper Co. (www.neenahpaper.com) notes a resurgence of handwritten communication in business. Of 537 participants telephoned, 86 percent received material other than bills, solicitations and business/association communiques that was completely handwritten or at least typed and printed. No doubt the paper was of high quality, too.

Think about it. Is a potential employer really going to put your high-end Neenah up to the light to check the water mark? What about health risks? The survey reports that 42 percent of participants had a paper cut within the last month.

Does this mean that you should hire a graphologist to analyze your handwriting? If you're applying to the Humane Society, should you put a dog's paw after "Sincerely?" Try going for broke by handwriting your resume. That'll make you stand out. After one glance, employers will conclude, "No wonder this person is job hunting!"