Crabby Office Lady

For the past year, jobs have been disappearing at an alarming rate. You're nervous, I'm nervous: No one is 100% safe. Rather than sit here frozen in fear and anger, let's all wander over to Office Online, where a new site is devoted to helping you find work.

We on the various Office Online teams (developers, testers, program managers, writers, editors, crabs, etc.) are not immune to the pall cast over our country as we hear about climbing unemployment rates (edging up to 10%, where it's supposedly going to stay for a while...).

I'm going to highlight the main parts of the Career Center, a site we've created in partnership with Monster.com.

Resume samples and CV templates

Yes, I know — the thought of listing your education, work experience, and of course, all the wonderful qualities you have that make you oh-so-very-suited for the job is daunting, if not a tad distasteful. And of course, you have to begin and the beguine with a resume, and although resume templates can be found in many, many places, consider this:

• Does someone who is just starting out after graduation need the same sort of resume that a seasoned worker does? Probably not.
• And even you folks who've already had years and years of experience in the working world don't necessarily need boilerplate resume templates, either. What if you worked at the same company for 25 years? You're still going to have to illustrate the fact that, though you've had various duties at that company over the years, there's a through-line that proves your vision within the company.
• And what if you've had 15 different jobs in 25 years? You're going to need a resume that displays your excitement and verve for a variety of things — your lust for adventure, your can-do attitude...

You get the idea. The Career Center has a multitude of of resumes and CVs. So whether you're just starting out or you're looking to change careers (by force or whim), the Career Center is likely to have what you need.

Creating that resume

Templates are all well and good, but if you don't know how to fill them out, what good are they? Maybe after you've perused the resume and CV templates we have, you could read a few of the articles about what to say and how to say it. Look under the heading Build a great resume and cover letter and check out some of the articles listed there: "Find the right keywords for your resume" and "Resume advice for job termination" are examples. This is information you can really use, not just fluff. It's like getting free counsel from your very own career expert.

Job postings and fairs

From the Career Center you can go straight to Monster.com where you can search jobs, post your resume, and even keep abreast of local job fairs.

Oftentimes, at job fairs, you can meet with employers and hand them your resume in person. After all, what good is that amazing resume with its perfectly-crafted keywords and impressive list of particularly transferable skills if no one meets the talented worker behind it?

Final, not-so-Crabby words

Writing this column, I've experienced an acute and unfamiliar feeling of tenderness toward those of my readers who really need the kind of help the Career Center offers. It's a difficult time for working folks right now; I imagine the stress and worry of being out of work can be overwhelming. All of us at Office Online hope that things turn around for you soon.

(Note from the Editor: In case you don't recognize Crabby with all this "feeling" business, just know that it's probably just gas...it'll pass.)

About the author

Annik Stahl, the Crabby Office Lady columnist, takes all of your complaints, compliments, and knee-jerk reactions to heart. Therefore, she graciously asks that you let her know whether this column was useful to you — or not — by entering your feedback using the Was this information helpful? tool below. And remember: If you don't vote, you can't complain.