Are you a team player?

Here is the problem ladies and gentlemen...

Why do people ask this question on interviews?
Here is a typical interview conversation:

HR: "Would you characterize yourself as a team player"?
ConcernedJewGirl: "Of course, I love people"
HR: "Really? How so"?
ConcernedJewGirl: "I get along with all sorts of people. I enjoy all sorts of people and usually get along with my co-workers"
HR: "Interesting"

So, here is my question: Do people actually go on interviews and when they are asked if they are team players they say...NO? Is that not like saying: thank you for bringing me out to interview but I don't really want this job!!!

I guess if I were asking questions I wouldn't ask ones where the answers are so predictable. I would ask questions like:
a. If the fire alarm rang, and the fire man came to your floor and said:"we are evacuating other floors first, we will come and get you when we are ready to evacuate your floor...sit tight", what would you do?
b. If you rise in your position and become manager over your previous job, how would you guide the people underneath you to be successful?
c. Do you like working with people who are really quiet and do not share any of their work, thoughts or opinions with you?
d. If you could set up your own laboratory from scratch, who would be the first people you would hire?

Just some thoughts from the unemployment line :-)

Exxon Mobil posts record $45.2 billion profit

Why, oh why did I not work for this Company?

Here is what I'm thinking:
DOES ANYONE ELSE SEE ANYTHING WRONG WITH THIS?

NOPE, Neither do I ;-)

Have a great weekend!

Responsibility for one’s own actions

I once watched a very interesting program in regards to debt. It was a show based on how to get out of debt. The show found people in debt and provided them with a financial adviser who gave them a plan on how to get out of the situation that they were in. The show centered around three big points; how these people got into debt, what kind of lives they are living to continue their debt problem, and how they are doing nothing about it. Out of the two cases that I watched there was a re-occurring theme. The people in debt felt that they deserved a much better life style than they could actually afford. In one situation it was a female who had graduated university with a student debt of forty thousand dollars. She was able to find a job right out of school which paid fifty thousand dollars a year. With her new found job she decided that she must move out, because her style was slightly cramped living with her parents. This is how her cycle started. Then, for her new job she needed a new wardrobe which added another thousand dollars to the debt. Then she needed to furnish her apartment, the first and last month rent, security deposit and other miscellaneous fees all added another ten thousand dollars to her debt. At the point of the show she had been working for three years and getting nowhere fast. She was always stressed out, and at her ropes end. When the financial adviser came on the scene she started asking questions about her credit cards and any other debts that may exist. There was another couple thousand on credit cards that this girl owed. So, the financial adviser sat down with her and explained to her that if she ever wants to get out of debt that is currently eating her alive she needs to make some changes right away. Some of the things she listed were: not going out as much, not eating out at all, not buying new clothes or shoes for at least a year and possibly moving back home. To most of these suggestions the girl agreed. Then there was another little part where the financial adviser said that she should find a second job to relieve some stress from her and for her to be able to have some kind of spending money. Needless to say the girl did not agree to that. With the plan that the financial adviser made, it would take the girl three years to pay off her credit cards, and her student loans. This would be a hard three years with no savings account and no luxuries, everything going towards paying down the debt. I would love to see if she was able to accomplish that and to see what she is doing now.
Most of the advice given by the financial adviser was good sound practical advice that I agreed with and so did her client. Yet, it seems like if this was so practical and the girl could really understand it and see it, why was she not doing it earlier?
Are some of us like that girl? We know what we should be doing, and what would make financial sense but we are so stuck in our routines and in our own worlds that we do not do it. Are we all running the risk of being so in debt as this girl was just because we are in a routine? Does tightening your belt have a much different meaning now then it did years ago? Do people in general not know how to ‘tighten belts’?
It seems that we live in a very interesting era. We live in a time unlike any other before. Everyday people live as king’s used to live back 3-4 hundred years ago. We live not only to survive but also to derive pleasure. People don’t just want to work to survive; they want to like their work. People want different things out of their lives and therefore choose work that compliments that lifestyle. People have more clothing than they can wear in a month, more shoes than they can wear in a week. In the olden days only the kings and queens were allotted such luxuries. Yet, in our society it is no longer a luxury it is now a necessity.
Is it that we no longer discern what a luxury is and what a necessity is? Or is it that it varies from person to person and there is no more a general definition of those words.

America (the UN-Loved)

Some of my readers may know that I am Canadian, therefore I'm going through the immigration process to become a citizen in the United States of America.
Part of the process is to be finger printed. I had to go for my second finger printing appointment today. What a difference from the other two times when I was at that office.
The other times it was packed. If you came early, to bad you had to wait for your appropriate time. Then, you would have to wait a good hour to hour and a half to be seen! Today I was in and out in 15 minutes.
There was no line, there were just the workers and two other people in line!
Well, what could it possibly be? Could it be that nobody wants to come into America anymore? Could it be the lack of jobs?
I spoke to the lady who was finger printing me. She said that there has been a substantial drop in traffic that comes through that office. She also said that it could be the season.
I think its probably a little bit of both, although I've got my money riding on the awful economics of this country!

How sad :-(

Bonus!

As an employee you are an asset not an expense.
Not only is this true for us, it is also true for people that we employ.

Now, remember the holiday season is upon us. Like you, everyone likes getting bonuses. Keep this in mind this time of year.

Hair Cut

Today I cut my own hair for the first time in my life.
Quite an experience.
I'm actually thrilled that I did it myself.
Yay independence!!!

Do you HAVE to work?

I am surprised by the amount of people who like to question my family's financial status by the question "do you HAVE to work"? At times I am appalled. Other times I'm surprised. We live in a world where two incomes is the normality not the rarity. That is why I am surprised to hear these questions being asked of me.
Maybe people feel like it is no big deal to ask if I really have to work. Yet, for me I wonder what do they really mean? Do they mean: "hey are you just killing time working on your career before you have kids and drop it all?" Or do they mean: "hey, why should you work, clearly your husband works, is that not enough money for you two?", or is it possible that they are saying: "common, everyone knows that your work is silly, why don't you just give up and be a stay at home wife!?"
Well in any way that it is meant, I am totally shocked an appalled. Firstly, if I haven't told you otherwise, my household income is none of your business. Secondly, I, like you have obligations and clearly those include me working! Thirdly, why are you sticking your nose into my business!!! If I have shared with you that I am currently unemployed and looking for a job, then what I am sharing with you is that if you can help me out that would be great! If you can't, then hey know that we are available for Shabbat meals!
Its not that I am wishing hate upon people that are interested in helping me out, I'm just shocked an appalled at the level of intimacy that people are willing to go into. Of course I cannot respond with none of your business. Or, are you kidding me, are you really asking me this! I usually respond in a clear, level headed way "We are great till the unemployment runs out, then not so much". My husband on the other hand had a great idea, "why don't you just tell people that you wouldn't need to work if they would like to pick up the tab for our mortgage". Even though I do agree with him, I still think it's kind of rude to answer this way, though these people have no mind about how rude they are in digging into my life.
I am in shock that this is even a question in our day in age where most women I know work. Some work because they have to. Some work because they want to participate in the family finance and want some extra cash to kick in. Some work because of the combination of those two reasons. I am sure there are many, many more reasons why women and men for that matter work. Yet, I do not think that it is anyone's business which of these reasons is true for me!

Awesome city!!!

Yesterday I had to go downtown to meet with a placement agency. I had so much fun!
My experience getting to the agency was so nice. I was holding a map and every time I stopped to look for street names there were at least two people asking me if they could help me find my way. SO NICE!
The agency was good too, I want to take pictures and post them next time. Its actually really fancy and for me its free to use their fancy facility.
Woooohooooo
Now, all I need is a job.

Food.

It is always interesting to me how big of a deal food is. I was just thinking about it and realized that food takes up the better half of our lives. We have to think about it, we have to buy it, we have to prepare it. We go out for food, we stay in for food, we socialize over food. We spend time reading recipes, discussing recipes and picking out just the right ingredient for the recipe. Our lives really revolve around food.
Now, think of someone on a diet. Not only do their lives revolve around food, they also cannot eat it! Now, even more time is needed to review recipes, and measure accurately and count and watch what you eat. Really, in our society our lives revolve around food. It is incredible how more people do not have obsessions on this topic.
It is no wonder to me that the price of food is going up. Gas prices are going up, therefore they have a direct link to all other prices involving transportation. It seems though that people are genuinely shocked when the price of food is higher. Why, because they feel it is a necessity and therefore should not go up in price. The fact is, because it IS a necessity is why it is going up in price. People cannot live without food, therefore, no matter what the price they will pay it.

Now, here is a question: What if someone is on a very limited budget, what can they now buy for $20 a week in groceries to feed a family of 2.

Answer: 1 pound of tomato's, 1 pound of cucumbers, 1 pound of onions, 1 pound of carrots, 1 lettuce, 1 cabbage, 1 bunch dill, 5 pound bag of potatoes, 1 bag of rice (1 pound), 1/2 turkey breast, 5 kiwi's, 1 pound of grapes.

You don't have to pick those particular items but just as an example.

Who thinks that's enough food to last a whole week without feeling hungry? Who thinks that's enough nutrients? I'm not sure that I do.
Last week I spent $40 to feed my husband and I for a week. That did not include shabbat. Where we were invited out for all meals. We brought with us fresh fruit salad that I made.

Just wondering what will happen to the value of the dollar? Wondering what is already happening in countries where the economy is weak? What are people meant to do?

Meat or Fish?

With all of the economic concerns going on this world we have yet another concern. It seems that Rubashkin a leading meat distributor for the kosher meat has been caught with his pants down. Now, on top of rising prices we are also concerned with actually having meat to buy. What is this Russia year 1993? I agree that this is a problem. There seems to be more demand then supply at this point. Though, I am more concerned about people making continual blanket statements such as: “well we’ll just eat less meat”. That is fantastic in theory. In reality and in practicality, not so much. Chicken in my city costs $2.25 per pound. Ground beef costs $5.99 per pound. Chollent meat costs $4.99 per pound. These prices are not on sale this is regular store prices. If on sale most of the above items get a dollar reduction. Now let’s take fish, what appears to be everyone’s solution to the problem. Fish costs $8.99 per pound in the same store as above prices for meat are found. Of course we find it for cheaper, $4.99 per pound in another store where fish is sold. So, seeing these prices my question is: “Should we all just become vegans?” If we are so worried about the price then obviously the only solution is to not eat Meat or Fish and only fruits and vegetables and dairy products. Now, I’m not sure where people see SUCH a high price difference in order to stop eating meat. So in a way we are stuck between a rock and hard spot. So what are our solutions? I propose people eat healthy, don’t buy any junk food at all. With all the money saved on not buying any junk food at all people might be able to afford the price of meat. I know there are skeptics out there thinking but Oreo’s cost $5.00 for 2 packages (which by the way did not go up in price). So my answer is if you refrain from buying 4 packages of Oreo’s you can afford to buy two pounds of meat. It’s a trade off, whether you chose it or like it or not is your prerogative. In general is the economy kicking people where it hurts, yes! Is American economy much worse then any other economy in the world, no! People in America just need to make choices that they are not used to making; one of those is in regards to food. Americans are used to buying a food store out, not looking at prices and over filling their baskets. Now, they have to look at prices and decide if they will actually need the item, to some Americans that is just too much to ‘deal with’.