Regulations for HR are no different than the policies we create for artifact care (or ethical practices), they are usually tedious and intrusive if you are trying to skirt around the needed precautions and experience of professionals. It may be easier to hire your friend's niece for a job, but how is that fair to the 100 applicants who are better qualified and every bit as easy to work with? As a professional I have no wish to do the work of HR, I do not want to read resumes or interview people, I have no skills in these areas because it is not what I do. I hope they have no wish or need to try to create storage for valuable artifacts because HR employees have no skill in doing do and it is not what they do. Dismissing and minimizing the skills of others with thinly veiled political venting helps no one. Hiring is a complex issue of skills AND personality, thus it involves multiple people making decisions for most hires. I have worked places with and without HR departments and I can say, by far, I prefer companies WITH HR. HR saves the time of skilled employees so they can do their jobs rather than spending 80% of their time with busy work in order to hire an entry level employee. When you are an employee and you need help with a harassing co worker, or health insurance problems, you likely will not be so dismissive of them. Is it unfair we have to cater our applications to the updated hiring policies of HR departments? Yes, it is fair because everyone has to do it. Why should someone who bothered to learn the system get beaten out by someone who has not taken the time or put forth the effort? On Wed, Aug 21, 2013 at 12:58 PM, Signa <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > Hi Ashley, > > When I write in a venting mode and then hit send (and maybe you were on a > smart phone given the text of your message -- and we all know what that > sometimes ends up reading like! [who has time to look at what one is > writing!]), versus structured and edited writing, I get your paragraph and > its poor usage (you appeared to be "speaking" as you typed versus writing). > > I THINK YOUR POINT was there are too many layers of bureaucracy and people > have become disconnected from certain tasks they used to be an important > part of (since they are the ones directly involved in the end); new layers > of "professionals" take over -- and I agree. > > To me, this is like not performing charity directly and letting our taxes > and some government program (and its layers of bureaucrats and paperwork > and tax dollar provided funding) do our charity work for us -- but golly, > we can still pat ourselves on the back because this program makes us feel > good (but not necessarily the intended targeted recipients). We've become > disconnected and other professionals self-perpetuatng themselves have > stepped in and whole departments in Universities spit out these surficial > (often, but not always) layers of mediating people. > > I say often but not always, because: in some industries, where they've > been regulated to death (for our own good, you know, and in a few cases, > yes), there are too many regs to know about and comply with, and one's time > would be consumed learning and dealing with those; thus, one would never be > able to do one's job ever again. In these cases, professionals have sprung > up to deal with those regs (and the business person pays them [more added > costs, not all recoverable in raising prices]; and we all pay the > bureaucrats in the government entity from where those regs are > administered, i.e., our taxes just went up to fund another government > program that was put in place for our own good). So, hiring now entails > more than just hiring an employee, for there are so many regulations, it > has become too complicated, would consume our real "job" time, so now > professional "experts" must intervene and take over. 77,000 pages of tax > code is one example of needing to hire a professional "expert", an > accountant, because of all the regs. > > Welcome to the "experts" running your life since they know so much more > than you do about what is good for you and everyone else (not talking > professionals here, as they are filling a need caused by the other > "experts" touting government fix alls for all ills, even where case basis > is best versus class). So much for @ 6 million years of hominine evolution > and successful reproductive strategies. > > That said, the advice before is very good to get you in the door; that > really must be followed. > > Signa > > > Signa Pendegraft, MA, RPA > 970 Icehouse Ave > Sparks, NV 89431 > > On Aug 20, 2013, at 6:25 PM, Jim Lyons <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > > Ashley, I'm going to point out two things in your question: > > 1) In my opinion, your message is much too long for one paragraph. I > have a short attention span, and I had a hard time following your > thoughts. I would have had a far easier time if it had been broken down > into two or three shorter paragraphs. (You're not alone. Half a dozen > answers above are even longer. About half of those I just skipped.) > > 2) It's very important that your letters and resume are crystal clear and > carefully proofed. They are the prospective employer's first (and maybe > only) impression of you. I refer specifically to this sentence: "I think > that department of human resources is what it really hurt many of the > qualified applicants like us here." I know what you're saying, but I had a > hard time getting there. > > I hope this helps you (and others with looonnng paragraphs). I wish you > well. > > -Jim > > > On Tue, Aug 20, 2013 at 2:26 PM, Gayle <[log in to unmask]> wrote: > >> I wrote a blog a year ago covering much this same language as well as a >> trick for resume assembly. The blog includes where to look, how to read a >> job add, the resume, and the cover letter. I am including the links here >> for ready reference. The article was initially skewed toward a SoCal >> audience as it relates to links, but everything else is generic. >> >> The Intro: >> >> http://monrovia.patch.com/groups/gayle-m-montgomerys-blog/p/bp--job-seekers-watch-this-space >> **** >> >> Where to Search: >> >> http://monrovia.patch.com/groups/gayle-m-montgomerys-blog/p/bp--lesson-1-where-to-search-for-a-job >> **** >> >> How to Read a Job Ad: >> >> http://monrovia.patch.com/groups/gayle-m-montgomerys-blog/p/bp--lesson-2-how-to-read-a-job-ad-blog >> **** >> >> Resume: >> >> http://monrovia.patch.com/groups/gayle-m-montgomerys-blog/p/bp--lesson-3a-resumes-and-cover-letters-blog >> **** >> >> Cover Letters: >> >> http://monrovia.patch.com/groups/gayle-m-montgomerys-blog/p/bp--lesson-3b-cover-letters-blog >> **** >> >> I had intended to cover many more topics, but the environment in the >> resident site became far too contentious during the election, and I opted >> to pull away. >> >> Hope this helps. >> * >> >> * >> >> ------------------------------ >> *From:* James Tichgelaar <[log in to unmask]> >> *To:* [log in to unmask] >> *Sent:* Tuesday, August 20, 2013 10:49 AM >> >> *Subject:* Re: [MUSEUM-L] Department of Human Resources >> >> When the HR department is screening applications, they will usually rank >> applications according to how closely they match the job description given >> in the job announcement (if a large organization, be sure to check their >> web page to see if there is a longer announcement than the job ad that was >> posted or printed). The trick is to specifically address the key language >> of the job ad, and whenever possible use the exact term (HR people may not >> know all of the synonyms for your skills and knowledge). The closer you >> can honestly match yourself to the announcement, the better your odds of >> getting past that first hurdle. >> >> Often this means reformatting or changing words in your resume to match >> the specific job. You should tweak your resume to fit the position, >> emphasizing the skills and duties listed for the position. >> >> >> On Tue, Aug 20, 2013 at 1:21 PM, Ashley Watson <[log in to unmask]> wrote: >> >> Hello all, >> As I am continuing my frustrating job search since I graduated with >> M.A. in Museum Studies from Syracuse University in May 2012, one >> interesting detail that have come to my attention in my job search and >> analyzing why the actual evaluation of the potential applicants is flawed. >> Not just for the museums, but also for many fields, the department of >> human resources is the FIRST WALL in your path to a potential call up for >> an interview for any job you apply for. From my observations, the staff in >> that department tend to KNOW very little to absolutely NOTHING about any >> specific museum job and they are armed with the power to screen those?? >> According to my friends from the old days, they said it used to go >> straight to the APPROPRIATE person in the department that the job opening >> was created in, with the HIRING/FIRING power. I think that department of >> human resources is what it really hurt many of the qualified applicants >> like us here. Any thoughts on this? No, I am not giving up on my job >> search, I just need to bypass that wall by continuing to build on my >> professional connections with some important museum professionals armed >> with the power. >> >> Thanks, >> Ashley Watson >> Exhibits/Collections Intern >> Haggin Museum >> Stockton, CA >> >> ------------------------------ >> To unsubscribe from the MUSEUM-L list, click the following link: >> http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-HOME.exe?SUBED1=MUSEUM-L&A=1 >> >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> To unsubscribe from the MUSEUM-L list, click the following link: >> http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-HOME.exe?SUBED1=MUSEUM-L&A=1 >> >> >> >> ------------------------------ >> >> To unsubscribe from the MUSEUM-L list, click the following link: >> http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-HOME.exe?SUBED1=MUSEUM-L&A=1 >> > > > ------------------------------ > > To unsubscribe from the MUSEUM-L list, click the following link: > http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-HOME.exe?SUBED1=MUSEUM-L&A=1 > > > > ------------------------------ > > To unsubscribe from the MUSEUM-L list, click the following link: > http://home.ease.lsoft.com/scripts/wa-HOME.exe?SUBED1=MUSEUM-L&A=1 > ========================================================= Important Subscriber Information: The Museum-L FAQ file is located at http://www.finalchapter.com/museum-l-faq/ . You may obtain detailed information about the listserv commands by sending a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "help" (without the quotes). If you decide to leave Museum-L, please send a one line e-mail message to [log in to unmask] . The body of the message should read "Signoff Museum-L" (without the quotes).