![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
asher553Last week I took advantage of my unplanned vacation to take care of some routine automobile maintenance. I didn't pay a penny for the car service, but I did come home with two jackets and a shirt for 40 bucks. The car, as it turns out, is still under service contract until next August, and I have one more free oil change to use between now and then. And just as I had been thinking about looking for a good thrift store to fill out my wardrobe without emptying my wallet - lo and behold, there's Goodwill right across the street from Beaverton Nissan, staring me in the face. So I drove across and went in.
Back when I was separating from the Marine Corps (some 30+ years ago now), part of the separation package was a series of seminars to prepare you for a professional job in the civilian world. These included resume writing assistance and a "dress for success" presentation. The latter must have made an impression on me, because I remember for a couple of years after I separated, I made it a point not to leave the house wearing anything less than a jacket and dress slacks. I wanted to habituate myself to looking sharp and professional. (My ex's Syrian Jewish family, who set great store by such things, were happy to help, and donated a bunch of dress shirts and jackets to the cause. I think some of these were still in my closet up until recently.)
I don't mind spending what I need to spend for good quality, brand-new clothing off the rack; but I'm also not too proud to supplement my clothing choices with good second-hand stuff. I saw some other name brands in the shop, like Calvin Klein, plus some shirts with the ubiquitous Kirkland (Costco house brand) label. So now I've got more choices for outerwear.
Speaking of creating a professional impression, I sprung for a three-month subscription to the TopResume service, just to give it a try. That Marine Corps seminar served me well in its era, but it's safe to say that the art of resume writing today has changed substantially in the 30+ years since those days. The service includes an online resume template that you can customize.
Along with the TopResume template, I used Grok to improve my old resume's focus and marketability. I'm not a cheerleader for AI (or new technology in general; I'm a late adopter by nature), but sometimes it really is incredibly useful just to be able to tell a computer "do this" in plain language, and it just does it.
So, between the magic of AI and the benefits of a resume-writing service, I finally have a couple of updated versions of my work history that are worthy of the twenty-first-century job market.
And while today's office dress codes (especially in IT) are generally less conservative than back in the day, it's still nice to be able to present a professional appearance - on the job or off.
Back when I was separating from the Marine Corps (some 30+ years ago now), part of the separation package was a series of seminars to prepare you for a professional job in the civilian world. These included resume writing assistance and a "dress for success" presentation. The latter must have made an impression on me, because I remember for a couple of years after I separated, I made it a point not to leave the house wearing anything less than a jacket and dress slacks. I wanted to habituate myself to looking sharp and professional. (My ex's Syrian Jewish family, who set great store by such things, were happy to help, and donated a bunch of dress shirts and jackets to the cause. I think some of these were still in my closet up until recently.)
I don't mind spending what I need to spend for good quality, brand-new clothing off the rack; but I'm also not too proud to supplement my clothing choices with good second-hand stuff. I saw some other name brands in the shop, like Calvin Klein, plus some shirts with the ubiquitous Kirkland (Costco house brand) label. So now I've got more choices for outerwear.
Speaking of creating a professional impression, I sprung for a three-month subscription to the TopResume service, just to give it a try. That Marine Corps seminar served me well in its era, but it's safe to say that the art of resume writing today has changed substantially in the 30+ years since those days. The service includes an online resume template that you can customize.
Along with the TopResume template, I used Grok to improve my old resume's focus and marketability. I'm not a cheerleader for AI (or new technology in general; I'm a late adopter by nature), but sometimes it really is incredibly useful just to be able to tell a computer "do this" in plain language, and it just does it.
So, between the magic of AI and the benefits of a resume-writing service, I finally have a couple of updated versions of my work history that are worthy of the twenty-first-century job market.
And while today's office dress codes (especially in IT) are generally less conservative than back in the day, it's still nice to be able to present a professional appearance - on the job or off.
