Resume - Do Over

Do you recall the saying, "Cleanliness is next to godliness?" Good writing can take inspiration from the sentiment. Just when you think you've 'nailed an assignment' should be the first indication a second or third look is in order, even after you've edited it numerous times!

Such is the case for my last blog entry where I literally inserted my resume into the post! I read a few entries and I see now the idea of posting the resume in conversational tones. That makes a whole lot of sense - why would anyone be interested in a checklist! 

Here is the revised resume assignment:

Goal - To find work that I can sink my teeth into or to put it politely, something that will make a difference in the world.

Experience - I've worked as editor, photojournalist, researcher, content licensing, database administrator, archivist, reporter, graphic designer, adjunct instructor and have even done real estate sales throughout the last several years. The majority of my career has been in publishing, first print journalism and currently producing for web platforms.

Publications - My work appears in print and online media such as Waterbury Republican-American, Plainville Observer, AOL Patch, New Haven Magazine, Hartford Magazine, American History Magazine, Gannet Publishing Military Times Magazine, Southington Magazine, TheatreCT Magazine, TPO Magazine, CT News Junkie, The Christian Science Monitor and Record-Journal newspaper. 

Skills - Adobe CS6 to include Premiere, PhotoShop, Illustrator, InDesign, Acrobat, Flash, Edge. HTML, CSS, Word, Excel, PowerPoint,  and Wordpress. 

Volunteer - I really enjoy working within a community helping others. I've done photography and web site design and administration to help out causes that spoke to me - for example Relay For Life, (who doesn't know someone who has suffered because of cancer?),  portraits for the poor (Help Portrait),  mentored photography students, food pantry work, and I help a friend who suffered a stroke leaving him paralyzed. I'd love to just volunteer but having a mortgage prevents me from doing that.

I didn't delete former resume post because it included personal information. Take a look for an in-depth view of my background: Does Resume Define Self?

Does Resume Define Self?

If you've ever had the thrill of working alongside someone you enjoy, you know a job doesn't get any better than that. A good friend Tom and I would drink coffee during the night shift, waiting for news to break. We'd process images using PhotoShop 2.0 on Mac computer stations that replaced Dektol and Rapid Fixer, chemicals that were used for black and white film and print processing before the phenomenon of digital imaging replaced traditional photography workflow.

Our respective titles were Lab Technicians and as they morphed into Digital Technicians we recognized we were working in an industry that was quickly changing. Using what was new to us then, the software tools of PhotoShop quickly advanced to newer versions of 3.0 and all its subsequent iterations, we'd verify and often write captions (all pertinent data) to accompany the photography using the IPTC fields for the next day's newspaper. There were deadlines to meet and beat and it was a pure adrenalin rush to file the story and pictures.

We sometimes waited for things to happen, for the photographers to return with their rolls of film from various assignments - from shoot outs to fires to fashion shows to a celebrity sighting....whatever and wherever the pulse of a news story took place, we would be there - to get the picture processed, caption information verified and transmitted to the receiving end where it would be placed into the layout and sent to press.

Those days remind me of today's Twitter fever and the occasional mad dash to be the first to tweet and beat out traditional news sources. What was once an industry specific tendency - to rush and scoop the competition, is now a ubiquitous normal way everyone operates. Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Scoop.it, Digg and so many more social media sites, too many to list here, are web platforms that many twenty-year olds take in stride, much like what I favored at twenty. What was 'trending' then was just as interesting to me at the time, only it wasn't called 'trending' but instead, new things were 'cool' but really meant, 'hot' and was simply whatever was in style at the time.

Tom would joke as we walked the halls of the New York Newsday office building, "Beam me up," referring to Star Trek technology that would transport Spock,  Captain Kirk  or any member of the crew USS Enterprise to "Get me out of here." He meant, "When will the night end?" But for me, being there as part of the news cycle was so about being valued and important and part of the process that all I could do was enjoy, enjoy and enjoy.

That was some time ago and since then I've added a few bells and whistles to my resume. The skills I've acquired only half represent the motivation behind job choices. That is a whole other subject for a new blog post! My resume, like my life, is a work in progress. Job descriptions are a tidy sum of our capabilities. I've always wondered about the things I haven't done. Suggestions are welcome:

Choosing A Topic Offers Challenge

I write for local newspapers. Up until now I've told about other people's stories and it's always been a subject assigned, not something I'd choose as a topic. Stories on Planning & Zoning developments or Board of Education budget meetings aren't always exciting, but their outcomes usually are, especially for those who attend the meetings, knowing the votes have a direct impact on their lives.

Occasionally a feature assignment will take me in a direction I wouldn't find myself in otherwise. Take gardening for instance. I wrote about one Connecticut Historic Garden as a day trip feature and it turned into a series that ran over the course of the summer in 2010. Whatever the case may be, it's always been a learning experience.

I'm interested in ways people are alike and different. Using technology as a guideline, I'd like to focus on ways folks challenge and motivate themselves. What impact does social media have on feeling connected to others? Does technology add or detract from quality of life? Questions that seem varied are meant to explore what people think about because that's what I'd like to cover.

To be given a choice of what to write is a challenge I hope to fine tune over the duration of the semester. 

Nickname For Inspiration

I'm not an expert on anything. In fact, the reason I'm in grad school now was to finish something I started a long time ago.

One year into competing a Master of Science in Social Research at Hunter College - City University of New York, I said yes to a full time job working for a newspaper. The pay scale was generous, more than I'd earn with the Master degree. The choice was a good one providing me with a career lasting twelve years.

During that time publishing industries changed rapidly - from hands on operations like printing in a darkroom and laying out the paper in a composing room, to that of a digital work flow. My job title evolved from Darkroom Technician to Digital Technician. Subsequent job titles include: Photo Editor, Newsroom Librarian, Reporter, Photojournalist and Graphic Designer.

When choosing a pseudonym for Interactive Writing assignment, I remembered a nickname my father called me. It came from showing him my homework writing assignment. The penmanship was neat handwriting, the standard rule many nuns extolled on their Catholic students, "When writing stay within the lines!" The lines were the margins on loose leaf paper and thinking about that now makes me so glad those days are over! I can't imagine staying within the lines now - there's too much happening in the outer alleys of life!

Customer Service: WOW

I walked into Dunkin' Donuts today for coffee and got something better. "Welcome to Dunkin' Donuts!" said the woman behind the counter with an ear-to-ear grin. I could feel her enthusiasm and I hadn't even had my first sip of caffeine.

I splurged on a 'Box O' Joe' and as soon as I placed the order, I could tell she was new. The cash register beguiled her and she had no clue how to key in the order. She quickly asked for help, and as I watched her associate go through the order menu, I was grateful to the more experienced of the two. I counted four sub menus strokes to get to the requested item:

1) beverage

2) hot

3) size, and lastly,

4) 'Box O' Joe'

It seemed a long way around to get to what is one of their staples. In my mind a quick key on the register resembling a facsimile of a 'Box O' Joe' would be ideal!

©Dunkin' Donuts - Box O' Joe®

I wondered at precisely the same time my host did, how funny it was to key in 'hot' because what else would a 'Box O' Joe' would come in other than hot? We looked across from one another and chuckled. The simple task of ordering was to this newcomer, something that needed to be learned.

What a wonderful skill she had, a genuine smile and eagerness to connect with me, the customer, on the other side of the counter. I watched her practice pressing keys to get to the button that would display the charge while the more experienced woman put together the order. The newbie wanted to know the routine and have it down, without a stumble.

I wished I'd asked her name because I wonder what it is. Just being part of her brief falter, followed by watching her do a dry run of register panel, and committing it to memory, endeared her to me.

I told her what a great job she did because she took the time to connect with me as much as she did the task at hand. That was a real energy jolt - even better than what was in the box.

Public vs. Private Persona

My head is spinning from the many user id's and passwords needed to navigate through any given day. Life was simpler when an email account was still an exciting aspect of one's identity. It felt important to hear the 'You've got mail' announcement, and by now maybe you know I'm not twenty years old.

Age is something you feel in your head and in your body, if you don't take care of it. I aim to take care of the only real estate that is important to me, once I finish my degree and sell my house.

This sounds funny even as I type but it's all about goals. I sneak in an occasional three-mile run and protein shake just to remind my body that I know what's going on.

There's the public self I present to my place of employment, the private self that knows better and the persona or person I'd like to be. I'd like to treasure every moment ... I'd like to have a moment! Part of any given day is knowing the things we must do vs. the things we'd prefer to do.

What makes setting goals so special is the idea of setting forth a direction of our own choosing as opposed to the doing those tasks that allow for paying bills and putting food on the table.

I will go forward from here with subject specific posts, namely how does one at any age, keep up with new apps, varied platforms and numerous programming languages to present a combination of the all the parts that make up the whole self - public and private = person. I like the assignment of finding your voice - is that the same as finding your self?