Every time I space out in front of the TV after work, listen to the radio on my way to work, or click over to cnn.com while at work, I can’t help but be bombarded by news of people who don’t have work. Yes, these are crappy economic times. Companies where people assumed they would work until retirement are laying people off in hordes, dream homes in foreclosure are regular occurrence, television commercials are spinning the merits of staying home and saving money, and everyone is walking on eggshells. I really can’t say anything on the topic that hasn’t already been said. Twenty first century technology allows the unemployed and shakily employed to vent enough for us all on their blogs, tweets, and facebook status reports. As one of the 3 people who’s chief responsibility it is to clear out the customer service inbox here at Sixthman I’ve watched as the number of job inquires we receive has risen from one every few weeks to 3 or more per day. Before you ask in the comments field, we are unfortunately not currently hiring.

I’d love to say that my current state of employment is directly connected to my100K liberal arts degree; a bachelor’s in literature and creative writing, but that would just be dumb. Well it is dumb, it’s dumb luck that I still have a job when so many of my friends don’t, but I sincerely doubt that my hours spent writing a thesis on painter Duncan Grant’s influence on Edwardian literature or personal essays about feminism and grocery shopping have much real world validity on any job I have held since graduation. You may be thinking by now that with such a fancy undergraduate degree in literature I should have come up with a better word to describe our current economic times than “crappy.” I should also be good at crafting a well-organized and written resume, at least according to my unemployed and unhappily employed friends who have been asking me to edit or rewrite their resumes for years.

In an age where social networking (both virtual and actual) is king, the art of resume writing feels like an arcane relic which has hung on as a necessary requirement that everyone needs but no one is 100% confident in. A resume is a document that is somehow immensely personal and impersonal at the same time. In my very limited experience filtering through resumes and picking people that I would like to call in for an interview (albeit for unpaid internships at a job I held shortly after college), I found that a resume is both the most important document you will ever write and the most insignificant. Rarely is the person with the actual decision making power the first one to see your resume. That person usually has so many things going on that by the time they see your resume the decision to interview you has already been made. While living in New York City, I had a friend who worked as an executive assistant was in charge of sorting weeding through resumes. At the time I was unemployed myself so it was a reality check when she revealed that she received so many resumes she had resorted to throwing out anyone who did not attend a Top Ten college.

You never know what is guaranteed to land your resume on the top of the pile and I’m just as clueless as anyone else. I have never worked in Human Resources and am certified as an authority on writing a resume by no one. My parents each have over thirty years of experience as copywriters in the advertising industry and I grew up watching all of their friends and eventually my own friends consult them when it came time to polish their resumes. This does not make me an expert in the least bit, but it does not stop me from having a lot of opinions. I’m not going to write you a resume that proves you should listen to me when it comes to writing your resume but I am going to share with you what I believe to be the top 10 most egregious resume mistakes.

My 10 Commandments for Resume Writing

1. If it’s embarrassing for you to write, it’s even more embarrassing for someone else to read. Probably the most sensible advice my father ever gave me. The “objective” section is one that a lot of people, specifically those fresh out of college with minimal work experience think they have to have. There is no clear-cut rule about whether or not you have to have your objective stated a top of your resume. If you know exactly what you want and why you want it and are able to write it without sounding trite, cliché or desperate then it could really serve to tie your resume altogether. If not, you are better off spending your attention on actual accomplishments and leave the introductions to your cover letter.
2. If your resume is longer than one page, you better be my mom. During my time reviewing resumes for interns the number of people with less than 1 or 2 years of actual work experience that deemed it necessary to write 2 or 3 page long resumes appalled me. My mother’s resume is just barely 2 full pages long, and it should be. She has been working in the same field since 1978 and has extensive upper management experience. Unless you are entering a field that requires a different kind of CV or resume, or you are my mom, not trimming your resume makes you look lazy, not impressive and no one’s going to read it.
3. Emails do not replace cover letters. Although most companies request that you email resumes rather than send them by regular mail these days; that does not mean that you responsibility to write a cover letter has ended.
4. Was Reagan still president when you held that job? You should probably take it off your resume. Update your resume regularly, even if you aren’t looking for a job. You never know when you’ll need it.
5. No one cares about your “dreams.” This applies both to your cover letter and the optional objective and summary field and goes back to commandment number 1. I’m sorry, but no one cares if it has always been your dream to work in industry X. Yes, passion and enthusiasm are important but let those shine through in your accomplishments and actions and eventually in your interview.
6. Spelling and grammar errors are never acceptable. Never count solely on spell check. Make everyone you know read it before you send it. Don’t let an errant punctuation mark be your coffin nail.
7. Address your cover letter to the right person. Sometimes just finding who has the hiring power can be as difficult as actually writing your resume. In the case of larger companies and corporations, addressing your cover letter to human resources and “To Whom It May Concern” may be your only option, but with smaller companies it’s often as easy as a simple phone call. Addressing your cover letter and resume to the person who’s job it is to read it might just really appreciate the extra effort.
8. Skip the fancy font. Make it legible. Do you feel that “Edwardian Script” in 18pt font brings out your personality? No one cares. Stop it.
9. Don’t bore them with job descriptions. List your accomplishments on the job and focus on times you went above and beyond what you were expected to do. Don’t rewrite the wanted ad.
10. Make every word count. Brevity is king. Write every word with intention. If you’ve reached the end of this blog, you already know that I am the biggest offender. Thankfully, blogs don’t count as resumes. Yet.

See you on the flip side,

Joy

Steve and Lauren discuss artist announcements on Simple Man Cruise 2010 and TRB X, then sit down to interview Katie Herzig and her bandmates Jordan and Claire who stopped by the Sixthman office while on tour.  After the interview, the girls perform “Songbird” from Katie’s 2008 album “Apple Tree.”

Sixthman Podcast #23 - Katie Herzig [ 14:10 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

My youngest sister, Katie, and I have always had a pretty good relationship.  For the first few years of her life, we even called each other “lovies.”  I would play with her all the time, read stories, sing songs, watch Lambchop and Barney with her, and care for her however I could.  We had a really special bond.

But something happens when there’s a 7 year age difference…you stop having things in common.  Suddenly I was in middle school, and playing with my 6 year old sister wasn’t cool anymore.  Sure, we were family and we loved each other, but inevitably, we began coexisting instead of spending real time together.  7 years was just enough time to be out of reach of each other’s place in life.  When she got to middle school, I was leaving for college; when I graduated college and entered the work force (if you can call Sixthman the “work force”), she was just getting into high school.

And then last year, she went to college.

Suddenly, perspective changed.  We could relate again.  Have real conversations about our family, friendships, struggles, relationships.  She’s a grown up!  It’s weird.

This past weekend, my parents were out of town and Katie was put in charge of house/dog sitting.  She didn’t want to stay there alone, so I went over and helped her out.  We spent 3 days bonding in a way we haven’t in a long time.  We watched movies, ate way too much, laughed, walked around the Highlands, played drinking games (her college contribution), had a dance party, ran around outside, and reconnected.  It was the best.

And now, I’m happy to report that the lovies are back in action.

-LC

At a meeting a few months ago, our good friend and consultant, Jim Doggett, made a statement that turned the room upside down.  We were discussing the paternal role of a CEO in the workplace and the impact he/she can have on the team by letting each person know that you believe in them.  He said “We are who (we think) our father’s think we are”.

Are you kidding?  How can I be 38 years old and not hear this before?  Is this true?  What do my kids think I think?  What does everyone at Sixthman think I think?

It has set in motion a self reflection where I summarized what I think my father thinks of me and I audited it.  Before I assume he feels a certain way, perhaps I should ask him to clarify?

This was powerful and I am trying to figure out the best way to talk to my dad about it this weekend on our golf trip.

Any advice?

I love to eat.  And what’s more I love to eat well.  And by “well” I mean natural/organic and local.  Thing is, I am in a family that’s on a budget – a tight one – so trips to Whole Foods just aren’t always possible.  It’s hard to justify the expense when you can get your groceries for half as much at Kroger.  We shop at our local Farmer’s Market and at a few local markets whenever we can, but they just don’t carry everything we need on a weekly basis, and with a baby in-tow we have to make sure that a lot of our shopping is “one-stop.”  Isn’t it a shame that in order to do what’s best for our bodies we have to do what’s worst for our wallets?

Well along that vein, there is a new documentary coming out called Food, Inc. and it’s all about the United States food industry and how profit is often put ahead of consumer health.  Now I love a good doc that gets me riled up and on my soap box, so the trailer and my recent efforts to eat as natural a diet as possible have really gotten me intrigued about this film.

Apparently a large part of the documentary discusses why not much is being done about the current food industry problems.  And from what I can tell by the preview, a good deal of the issue is that consumers don’t realize their power to change how the industry is run.  Simple as that.  I mean really, if every family in the US said, “I want to eat the best way possible for my family” and started shopping their local/independent grocers for organic and natural foods instead of taking whatever they could get at the closest supermarket, can you imagine the major shift those big supermarkets and the food industry in general would have to make?

And it really applies in so many customer service circumstances.  For instance, my health insurance provider recently tried to back out of paying for a doctor’s visit that they promised me was covered.  When I got the bill ($500) I made several phone calls, to which I kept receiving a “no.”  So then I very calmly told them.  “That’s ok.  I am going to appeal the charge.  And if you keep denying it, I will just keep appealing it, because time doesn’t cost me anything, but this insurance sure does.  And there is no point in me paying you for this service if you won’t do what you say you will.  I can take my business elsewhere.”  Well I just paid the bill…. in the amount of $20, which was the co-pay I was supposed to have been charged in the first place.

At Sixthman, we really try to push our customers to make us be the best.  If there is an issue we can fix for you, then we want you to feel like it’s not only okay to tell us about it – it’s your job to do so.  Otherwise, how do we know what kind of product you want to receive from us?  I encourage you  to start taking whatever steps you must to make every other industry that serves you do the same.   It may start small with just a few of us, but it’s the small movements who spread like wildfire that have changed the world.  Meanwhile, I am off to find a local food market/diaper store…..

So here we are, Summer.  You and I have not been friends since I was eighteen years old.  That’s right.  You come around, you make everything all hot, you make me feel uncomfortable, and you always make me want to lose weight.  Making me want to lose weight is probably a good thing, but the actual process…ugh.

I’ve tried all kinds of diets.  Several years ago, I decided to become a vegetarian.  I thought, “I’m an animal lover, and eating meat isn’t healthy, right?  So, I’ll just cut that out.”  I’m not a PETA person per say, but I felt like it would be a good move at the time.  Well, apparently replacing meat with cheese pizza and french fries doesn’t exactly equal weight loss.

So, I moved onto the Atkin’s Diet.  Now, I know what you’re thinking.  That diet is bad for you, don’t you know you need carbs… Well, I did it anyway.  And let me tell you, the Atkin’s diet as a vegetarian isn’t exactly a walk in the park.  However, I did it.  I worked out, I ate vegetables and substitute meat, and I lost 20 pounds!  I felt great. Then, I gained it all back.  I blame it on being in a happy relationship and roller derby taking up too much time to plan meals.

Next, I tried weight loss supplements.  Now, I know what you’re thinking.  That’s the worst! Well, it is.  I was so jittery and I had such a mean streak at times, that I couldn’t function normally.  And that, needless to say, didn’t help me lose any weight.  Especially since I was hoping to just lose weight on a pill rather than watch what I was eating and exercise.

I’ve also been given some other weight loss opinions:  Quick Weight Loss Centers, of which I’ve heard good and bad, Sparkpeople.com of which I signed up for and then immediately ran out of time to fill it in, the calorie counting app for the iPhone (I would need to buy an iPhone to use it) where a friend of mine lost 20 pounds, and on and on, but I just don’t know what will work for me.

Now, here I am.  Back at maximum weight in the highest heat of the summer and I feel just plain chunky.  So, what’s next?  Well, if the cheese pizza was not helping, maybe I should look at cutting out the cheese.  I decided about two months ago to become vegan.  And now I know that going vegetarian is one of the easiest things I’ve ever done.  With this diet I can’t have milk, no eggs, no yogurt, no mac and cheese…  Shopping at the grocery store takes an extra hour to look at all the labels, and it’s not exactly a money saving lifestyle.

So, “how’s it going?” you might ask.  Well, my boyfriend has gone vegan with me, and he’s lost 10 pounds, I have lost maybe 2.  You’d think all the exercise that goes into roller derby would help out, but unfortunately all it does is make my thighs and ass bigger.  So, I’m trying to motivate myself to do other things to help.  1.  I’ve been looking into gym options that won’t take anymore of my grocery shopping money 2. Exercising with coworkers on days when I don’t have derby practice (We actually talked about doing this at our staff meeting this morning) 3. Trying to avoid eating starches 4. Hoping for a miracle.

Here’s the biggest problem.  I actually have two jobs.  Sixthman and a part-time writing gig.  Also, derby takes at least 10 hours a week.  Can someone tell me how to fit all this stuff into my life, while also not neglecting my boyfriend and my dogs and of course a little R&R?  I thought being busy and active would help the pounds melt away.  Wrong!  Now, where’s that magical wizard man that can put a skinny spell on my ever growing stomach?

-Lisa

Just when I thought my job couldn’t get any cooler, Lisa and I got up at the crack of dawn, drove 5 hours, and ended up in the coolest place I’ve ever been. I’ve always defined cool places by the amount of shag carpeting found on the ceiling, so Graceland takes first prize in that aspect. I’m sure everyone knows about the Jungle Room, decorated in 1970’s Awesome. Yes, there is green shag carpeting on the ceiling. In addition to that, there is a TV room decorated in 1970’s TCB Awesome, featuring mirrors on the ceiling. Elvis was a classy man, as you can tell by his attention to even his ceilings when choosing his decor

As we toured the Graceland mansion, Elvis’s car collection, and then on to Elvis’s private jet, the Lisa Marie, something happened. I went from an Elvis appreciator to a full-blown Elvis Fan. There is an eternal flame burning at his grave that serves as a reminder of his “eternal presence.” I could definitely feel the presence of this icon of American Rock & Roll, but it wasn’t at all what I expected. I went in thinking there would be palpable energy, but instead I felt something much more sobering. There was reverence mixed in with the excitement that made it feel somewhere between a funeral and a party and a gospel revival.

We got to hang out with DJ Argo on Elvis Radio. He was a gracious host (Just like EVERYONE at Graceland. I guess they all take after The King.) and a great DJ. We chattered about the normal things one would discuss while doing a radio promo- the cruise, the music, activities, all that good stuff. But what made it great was the fact that we were sitting in the middle of a very crowded thoroughfare that led between various exhibits and Elvis memorabilia. There was a knock on the booth door, and Argo returned with a tall styrofoam cup. Apparently, Kiki, a woman from Germany who moved to Memphis to be closer to Elvis, brings him coffee every day. That’s my kind of fan.

The highlight of the trip came when I made my vegan travel partner sit and watch me eat ribs at Rendezvous. Anyone who knows me knows about my meat problem. Ask anyone about the meat sweats. They’ll roll their eyes and regale you with some asinine story involving me and too much gyro meat… But I digress. It was delicious. She had beans & rice. I came out the big winner, if you ask me.

Here are a few pictures of my favorite moments. From left to right, you’ll see my favorite jumpsuit (rawr!), the Lisa Marie, and the famous Pink Cadillac.

Lauren returns to the Sixthman podcast as she and Steve discuss their favorite Gaelic Storm and Oakhurst memories from past cruises, followed by an interview with Oakhurst and their performance from Simple Man Cruise 2009.

Sixthman Podcast 22 [ 17:45 ] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download

Last week, I went to see the new Pixar movie, “Up.”  Some of you might wonder why a 24-year old went to see a “kid’s movie.”  You want to know why?  Because Pixar kicks ass, and the movie was absolutely incredible.  I laughed, I almost cried, I said “awww” at least a dozen times, and I left the theater with a big grin on my face and learned a few life lessons.  It was certainly better than 95% of the movies I’ve seen in the past year, that’s for sure.

Now, I knew nothing about this movie before seeing it other than it had something to do with balloons and an old man. This wasn’t a problem because I had unwavering faith that Pixar would deliver an incredible experience; they didn’t disappoint.  I’m not the only one that thought so either: Up is currently at 98% on Rotten Tomatoes and has made over 137 million dollars in its first two weekends.  I’d say I’m a trusting individual, but I’m also quite frugal with my money (and who isn’t these days?).  In order to earn my trust (and money), Pixar has had to consistently operate at an unparalleled level of cinematic perfection.  Not only have they done this every year, but they do it with a new concept, new director, new cast, new plot, and new characters every time.  From A Bug’s Life to Monsters Inc., Finding Nemo to WALL-E, each film has had very little in common with its predecessors.  Sure, there’s the occasional sequel (Toy Story 2), but each film has been resounding success with both critics and audiences alike.  After so many spectacular movies, I will not hesitate to head to the movie theater whenever the next Pixar “kid’s movie” comes out.

So, where am I going with all of this? Sixthman has only been around for 10 years, but I can’t wait until we “grow up” and have this effect on our customers.   Over the next year we’re very excited to launch new cruises with new bands, new companies, and new locations.  More often then not, we’ll be dealing with new customers who have no idea who we are or what we do.  By the time they finish their first Sixthman experience, I want customers to associate “Sixthman” with “Best freaking vacation EVER.”  Anything less means we haven’t done our job properly.

I read a book recently called Groundswell that discussed the various perceptions of a company; what they tell their customers they are, and what their customers really think about them.  Thanks to the ever growing influence of the internet, no matter what a company picks for a motto, the REAL motto is what their customers experience and decide.  Comcast will always be associated with “poor customer service” because they continue to dump money into marketing rather than improving their customer service.  To me, Pixar has become a company that always delivers a compelling, thoughtful, funny movie that I need to see as soon as possible.  I want Sixthman to be a company that is known for always delivering a compelling, enjoyable, unforgettable, epic vacation that people not only love to experience on a yearly basis, but will go out of their way to tell their friends about how much fun they’ve had.

How do we get there? Instead of a $10 movie ticket and 2 hours of your time, it’s $1000 and five days of your vacation, which means we have a much higher mountain to climb.  We need to provide each and every guest with the best possible experience every single time they step on board one of our ships.  After ten years of The Rock Boat we’ve been fortunate to gain the trust of the TRB alumni, almost selling out TRB X after only a handful of bands had been announced; however, that doesn’t mean we’re going to simply rest on our laurels.  If we start to slack and decide “hey, our guests love us and will come no matter what, why bother trying so hard?” we will quickly lose that reputation (M. Night Shyamalan, I’m looking in your direction).  If you’re coming back for your 10th Rock Boat, your 4th Simple Man Cruise, or your 3rd Cayamo, thank you for trusting us with your vacation again – we’re going to make sure it’s worth it.

For our new cruises, we need to exceed our guests expectations from the moment they initially book their cabin until they step off the ship on the last day of the event.  We need to do this every year, with every guest, on every cruise.  It’s quite the undertaking, but something that is absolutely vital to the longevity of Sixthman as a company and culture.

-Steve

Just about every concert you go to is classified as either a “Hard Ticket” or a “Soft Ticket” event.  A “Hard Ticket” concert is one held at a traditional venue where you pay an amount for a ticket that is based on supply and demand.  Seeing Coldplay at an arena and paying $75 is an example of a “Hard Ticket”.  A “Soft Ticket” concert is often held at a non-traditional venue where the amount you pay for a ticket is either free or unreasonably cheap based on the caliber of artists are playing. An example might be a casino or fair, where crowds will gather regardless of the act and where performers can make decent guaranteed money without having to count on people paying for a ticket that allows entrance into a concert and nothing else.

Why is this important?

We consider our events to be the “Ultimate Hard Ticket”.  It’s one thing to pay $50 to see your favorite artist at a concert in your hometown but it’s a much more significant investment of time and money to take 5 days off work and part with $1,000 to go on vacation with that same artist.  When we are looking for artists to join us on a cruise, answering the “Hard Ticket vs. Soft Ticket” question is key.

And to be clear, it is not important that 1,000′s of people will buy a “Hard Ticket” for every artist.  We will take an artist who can sell 100 “Hard Ticket”s over 1,000 “Soft Tickets” any day.

-Andy