Cool Jobs

This time of year, the people who are involved in tracking santa as he leaves the North Pole and makes his way around the world, are very high on my list of those with cool jobs! The men and women who work at NORAD have responded to phone calls from children personally, and have enabled viewers from around the world (the web site at http://www.noradsanta.org/ is available in six languages) to follow Santa and his reindeer as they make their way around the world.

As I was thinking about bookmarking the Santa web site for my youngest son, I got to thinking, "Santa has a cool job. I wonder what Santa's resume looks like?" Santa has knowledge of distribution and supply chain management, is the director of operations for a fairly large sized organization (I'm not sure just how many elves he has on his staff), has experience in branding, production management, customer service, conflict resolution, project management and would need a pilot's license and knowledge of flight manoeuvres.

Off to the internet I went to do some research. Sure enough, someone has created a resume for Santa Claus! The job title for Santa is: Global Gift Giver. Isn't that cool?

The summary of Santa's position is similar to the following:

"Respected, deadline-driven professional with a global perspective, renowned for infinite generosity. Project and solutions-oriented, patient and tolerant listener, gains the trust and respect of countless stakeholders located across 24 time zones. Child-friendly and considerate, exudes energy and confidence, extends a warm welcome to persons of all faiths and nationalities. Multi-tasker, excellent time management skills, strives for operational excellence in a fast-paced environment. Brand conscious, constantly sees red and white, devises and executes creative marketing strategies to deliver dreams."

I would call him for an interview, wouldn't you?!

What if you had instead read about a elderly, overweight gentleman who works one day out of the year? Doesn't have quite the same tone, does it?

I know this may seem a little silly, but as one idea lead to the other, it was a perfect example of how the professionals at the WorkOne Centers teach jobseekers how to showcase and present their skills when describing their work experience in an interview or on a resume. For example, we often hear people describe their work experience as, "I have certain jobs to do everyday and I just get them done." WorkOne would coach this person to say, "I effectively manage time to meet deadlines in completing assigned projects."

I encourage everyone I talk with who is working on their resume to register themselves (its' Free) at http://www.indianacareerconnect.com/, click on "My Individual Profile", then "Personal Profile". In the "Assessment" column, there are lists of Job Skills to view. You will be amazed at all of the skills you have that employers are looking for. Did you know that the average worker has 600-700 employable skills?

You can also take a free workshop at your nearest WorkOne called "Showcasing Your Skills". This workshop helps you define your skills and transfer these skills to many other occupations that are in demand. For more details, visit http://www.work-one.org/

Employers want people who demonstrate flexibility, a good sense of humor, the ability to listen and have a positive attitude…hey, that sounds like Santa, too!

~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

Tracy Dishman is the marketing director for WorkOne and Eastern Indiana Regional Workforce Board (EIRWB). Readers may write to Dishman at P.O. Box 1856, Muncie, Indiana 47308-1856 or tdishman@work-one.org.