So Should I Add Facebook and Texting to my Resume?!

So I was in Cincinnati last weekend and I was in my hotel, bored, and reading through some local papers/ads I had picked up (in an attempt to familiarize myself with the town my husband will be living in for a year) when I skimmed across the following job posting:

"Marketing, Promotions, Event Planner Manager


Hiring for XXXXX in downtown Cincinnati on Fountain Square. This job will require booking parties, Happy Hour events, etc. by e-mailing, texting, telephone answering, operting the company facebook, working with the Convention Bureau, the Chamber of Commerce and others."

Besides the fact that this is just a vague and I feel bad job description, I highlighted a few areas of interest. First being that the word operating is spelled operting. I think accurate spelling in a two sentence job posting is fairly important. Obviously, they are looking for a Marketing Editor as well….if anyone is interested.

Next, since when did booking parties by texting become the appropriate means of which to do business in the Marketing/Event world? I know I have been out of the event world for a few years but is this how things are done now?! “Big prty 2nite @ XXXX. Hope 2 C U there. RSVP 2 me ASAP. CU Soon!!” I mean, really. And BTW (just practicing for the job) when did actually texting become a skill set in a professional job?

Um, telephone answering? Besides the wording of this I just want to say DUH!! sigh Moving on.

Operting the company facebook. Now I realize that facebook is the new thing when it comes to marketing and many businesses are starting a facebook page and I think that is great because it is a fast way to have access to many people but does it need to be added to the job description in a newspaper ad right after telephone answering? Answer - not so much.

My point is, when I was looking for a job a couple years ago I started noticing how sloppy & unprofessional job descriptions were getting both online and in print and how places that I believe to be good places to work seemed to have very shoddy job descriptions. Now granted I know in this economy you can’t turn your nose up to every job just because you don’t like the wording in the job description, but a job description like this makes me think this job is nothing more than a joke. As much as I would love planning happy hour events, operting facebook, texting and telephone answering all day I think this job description sounds perfect for a 16 year old.

And this was not the only job description that had issues. Lazy.

Dear companies – Take a little pride in your available jobs, even if it is just facebooking and texting all day.


P.S. As an actual event planner, I am a bit insulted by how many jobs get labeled “Event Planner”. I think they just throw around that job title on any job that deals with scheduling something for a business because it seems hip and cool to have an Event Planner position. Anyone who has been a REAL Event Planner knows that, though it is a fun job at times, it is FAR more than just hosting parties and putting dates in a planner and it is a job that can kick your ass and is not always easy.

Ok, hold on while I find a way down from my soapbox.

I am not even looking for a job right now, but I can only imagine if this is how bad it is now what it will be like in a few more years!!

A Little Story:

So there once was this girl in her late 20’s who was a bit cheap when it came to getting her hair cut. She didn’t mind spending a good amount of money at a high end salon on things such as body waves, coloring or highlights, but on a simple hair cut…..well lets just say she wasn’t buying it. Infact this girl did not like to spend more than $20 for a cut. Of course this girl had had her share of bad haircuts at cheap salons but she also had some good ones.

Now one day this girl decided she wanted her hair cut, as it was dull and lifeless. It had no shape and she was tired of her current style, or should we say lack of style. So she decided to call around to some mid-range beauty shops, but alas, no availability until the end of the week. She didn’t want to spend the money at the higher end salon she typically goes to nor did she want to wait for an appointment. The girl was sad and desperate (a combination that never goes well together) and she was determined to get a hair cut that day.

So as she headed home, a bit tired from her work day but steadfast with the thought of getting her hair cut THAT day she remembered seeing a sign for a hair place right off the exit and figured they took walk-ins. She had never been there, but thought she would check it out.

So as she pulled up to the place she noticed that some things looked strange, first being the little hand made crafts in the window as well as the pieces of paper taped to the window that held information about their products and services. Oh well, she thought….at least go in and see what it is like, it is probably not expensive and will be done quickly..…it can’t be that bad. But no sooner had she thought those words then she realized it COULD be that bad. As she walked into the door she was instantly hit with the aroma of mothballs and old beauty products. As she looked around and glimpsed over the dusty, fake floral arrangements from 1984 she noticed some movement in the back of the shop. Sitting in two chairs at the far end of the shop were two rather old individuals. They each had completely silver hair and walking canes. She then quickly glanced at the person who would most likely be cutting her hair and noticed a slow moving older lady with blue elastic wasted pants and a white shirt with two puppies playing in a bed of flowers on the front. The lady was sweeping up the silver hair from her previous clients.

With out a second thought or a word to anyone in the shop she quickly turned around and headed back to her car. As she walked away from the twilight zone she had just entered she grabbed her phone and dialed the fancy salon in town. At this point the thought of spending $50 for a cut and style as well as having to wait for a week didn’t matter in the least. She had seen what trying to be TOO cheap could have led too and it terrified her. Of course this wasn’t the first time this girl made a mistake when it came to her hair, and it surely won’t be the last….however I think she learned that she is not quite ready for that particular beauty shop and that she needs to go some place where people are at least in the same age box that she is in.