Comic Relief: Job-Seeking Humor – Volume 2

May 24, 2010 at 12:01 am 10 comments

A few weeks ago, I took a break from my usual “advice for job-seekers” mission, and offered up a blog of pure humor. [“Comic Relief: Job-Seeking Humor.”] To my great surprise, that blog received a record number of hits (over 2,500 views within the first 36 hours!) as well as a huge number of comments. Readers seemed to really appreciate the welcome shot of comic relief from their daily job-seeking grind that Monday morning. So with that reaction in mind, I’d like to revisit that same theme and offer up this second edition of comic relief for job-seekers.

Now again, I fully realize that being unemployed is generally not a laughing matter. However, much like “gallows humor,” the intention of “job-seeking humor” is quite simple: to lift the spirits of people who are in an otherwise depressing situation. I’m a firm believer that maintaining a sense of humor is a key component to positive mental health. And I’m a still a tough critic when it comes to job-seeking humor. I figure, if it makes me laugh out loud, it’s worth sharing here!

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In the category of Videos, I came across the following hysterical animated piece called “The Unemployment Game Show.” Funny and sad at the same time, this 2-minute video pokes fun at how those official government unemployment statistics are arrived at, and how inaccurate they may be:


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In the category of Cartoons, here are more miscellaneous funnies – all on the theme of interviewing – that I couldn’t fit into any other blog articles, but I think are hilarious nevertheless … and deserve to be shared here:

And one more, just for the IT people …

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Finally, in the category of “Reality Humor,” the following “Job Application” was an internet hoax that went viral a couple of years ago and became somewhat of an Urban Legend. It was circulated (without credit) under the guise of being an actual job application submitted to a McDonald’s in Florida by a 17 year old boy. The story was that McDonald’s actually hired the boy because his application was so “honest and funny.” The actual truth is that it was a totally fictitious parody piece created by a writer named Greg Bulmash who was frustrated with his own job-seeking process! Real or fake, it’s still very funny:

SEX:   Not yet. Still waiting for the right person.
DESIRED POSITION:   Reclining. Ha ha. But seriously, whatever’s available. If I was in a position to be picky, I wouldn’t be applying here in the first place.
DESIRED SALARY:   $185,000 a year plus stock options and a Michael Ovitz style severance package. If that’s not possible, make an offer and we can haggle.
EDUCATION:   Yes.
LAST POSITION HELD:   Target for middle-management hostility.
SALARY:   Less than I’m worth.
MOST NOTABLE ACHIEVEMENT:   My incredible collection of stolen pens and post-it notes.
REASON FOR LEAVING:   It sucked.
HOURS AVAILABLE TO WORK:   Any.
PREFERRED HOURS:   1:30-3:30 p.m., Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday.
DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIAL SKILLS?:   Yes, but they’re better suited to a more intimate environment.
MAY WE CONTACT YOUR CURRENT EMPLOYER?:   If I had one, would I be here?
HAVE YOU EVER BEEN CONVICTED OF A FELONY?:   Is “felony” sex with a cat? Because if it is . . . no.
DO YOU HAVE ANY PHYSICAL CONDITIONS THAT WOULD PROHIBIT YOU FROM LIFTING UP TO 50 LBS?:   Of what?
DO YOU HAVE A CAR?:   I think the more appropriate question here would be “do you have a car that runs?”
HAVE YOU RECEIVED ANY SPECIAL AWARDS OR RECOGNITION?:   I may already be a winner of the Publishers Clearinghouse Sweepstakes.
DO YOU SMOKE?:   Only when set on fire.
WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO BE DOING IN FIVE YEARS?:   Living in Bimini with a fabulously wealthy supermodel who thinks I’m the greatest thing since sliced bread. Actually, I’d like to be doing that now.
DO YOU CERTIFY THAT THE ABOVE IS TRUE AND COMPLETE TO THE BEST OF YOUR KNOWLEDGE?:   No, but I dare you to prove otherwise.
SIGN HERE:   Scorpio with Libra rising.

Entry filed under: Advice for Job Seekers. Tags: , , .

Age Discrimination: Exposing Inconvenient Truths The Brutal Truth on How Résumés Get Eliminated

10 Comments Add your own

  • 1. Michael Kusuplos  |  May 24, 2010 at 1:18 pm

    Michael:

    Thanks for putting this together for us. Given the current hiring
    situation, really is nice to just have a smile on your face for
    even a brief momment!

    Reply
  • 2. Eric L. Girven  |  May 24, 2010 at 2:19 pm

    The video is keenly provocative. Is it possible that the United States unemployment rate could actually be twice what is being reported by mainstream print and television news services?

    Reply
  • 3. Michael Kusuplos  |  May 24, 2010 at 3:37 pm

    Eric:

    This is happening. There are many individuals that have just
    given up looking!

    Would not be surprised to see the actual unemployment / underemployment rate to be at the 17% rate suggested in the video.

    Reply
  • 4. Prakash  |  May 24, 2010 at 6:46 pm

    Interesting and amusing stuff.
    U sure cheered me up and had me laughing away to some of the stuff in there. Thanks for those cheerful & hilarious articles, videos & cartoons.

    Reply
  • 5. Jennifer Perry  |  May 26, 2010 at 1:00 pm

    Yes, thank you for these. The job hunt can be so demoralizing and depressing, especially if we’re already doing everything that every expert has told us is the thing to do now. Sometimes we just need to know that someone understands, really understands, and can make us actually smile and laugh.

    I began writing about my job interviews. Here are a few.
    http://memoirsofamisanthrope.blogspot.com

    Reply
  • 6. Suzanne Benet  |  May 27, 2010 at 10:25 am

    Love it!

    Finding the humor, however, black gets me through the day or more importantly, through this terrible job search process.

    Reply
  • 7. Sheila Giano  |  May 29, 2010 at 7:56 pm

    Loved it – they say the truth hurt but a good laugh heals. Thanks

    Reply
  • 8. Sheba Marx  |  June 4, 2010 at 6:03 pm

    Humor is a must. Thanks for the video and cartoons. Enjoyed them. My attempts at unemployment humor can be found at unemployedmarx.blogspot.com

    Reply
  • 9. Sheba Marx  |  July 7, 2010 at 9:26 am

    Needed that. Thanks. The other day, I received a rejection e-mail for a job I didn’t apply for. No kidding. I’m sure I win a prize for that one.

    Reply
  • 10. Eva Wong  |  September 7, 2010 at 7:27 pm

    Thanks for sharing, this is great! Being unemployed is definitely no fun, but bringing some levity into the situation helps to put things in perspective. Thanks for reminding people how to laugh. We just need to think of this transition period as an adventure that one day down the line, we can all really have a good laugh about. Good luck to everyone with their search!

    Reply

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Michael Spiro

About the Author:

Michael Spiro has been a 3rd-Party Recruiter and Account Executive for over 20 years. He is currently Senior Recruiter / Midwest Region for Jefferson Wells, a division of ManpowerGroup. Other recent positions include Senior Recruiter at Midas Recruiting, a boutique head-hunting firm, Director of Talent at Patina Solutions, and Executive Recruiting positions with two of the largest search firms in North America. Before his career in the staffing industry, Michael was a manager in a large non-profit social-services organization. And in a former life, Michael was active in the entertainment industry, with extensive road-warrior experience as a touring performer (singer-songwriter / guitarist / comedian) and as a recording artist, producer and booking agent.  [More...]

Index (by Topic):

Résumés & Cover Letters:
 The "T" Cover Letter - The
         Only Type Worth Sending

 The Brutal Truth on How
         Résumés Get Eliminated

 Explaining Short Job Stints
         and Employment Gaps

 The Résumé Test &
         Checklist: Does Yours
         Pass?

 Beating the Résumé-
         Elimination Game: Where
         Do Recruiters' Eyes Go?

 The Truth About Lying on
         Résumés

 "Why Did You Leave Your
         Last Job?"

Networking:
 How to Network: A
         Step-by-Step Guide for
         Job Searching

 Looking for Networking in
         All the Wrong Places

 Targeted Networking: How
         to Effectively Reach Out

 The Art of Giving: the Key to
         Effective Networking

Interviewing:
 Face-to-Face Interviews:
         Secrets, Tricks and Tips

 Phone Interviews: Secrets,
         Tricks and Tips

 Video Interview Tips in the
         Post-Pandemic World

 Nuggets: A Secret
         Interviewing Technique

 Answering the Dreaded
         Salary Question

 20 Surefire Ways to Blow
         an Interview

 "So, Do You Have Any
         Questions?" Nailing the
         Interview Closer

 Cool InfoGraphic: "What
         You Wish You'd Known
         Before Your Job
         Interview"

Age Discrimination:
 Age Discrimination: Secret
         Conversations Revealed

 Age Discrimination:
         Exposing Inconvenient
         Truths

 Are You "Overqualified?"
         Handling the Age Issue

 Baby Boomers to the
         Rescue! An Idea Whose
         Time Has Come ...

 Overcoming Job-Search
         Obstacles and
         Redefining Your Career
         After 50

 Advice for Recent Grads
         and Career-Changers

Switching Jobs:
 The Proper Way to
         Quit a Job

 Counteroffers: Just Say No!

General Job-Seeking Info:
 The Real Truth About
         Working with Recruiters

 Contract/Consulting Jobs
         Explained ... Available in
         3 Different Flavors

►  What Recruiters Say
         vs. What Job-Seekers
         Hear

►  The Dirty Truth About
         Misleading
         Unemployment Statistics

►  Let the Jobs Find You:
         Making Yourself More
         "Searchable"

 "Help ... I Need a Job!" A
         9-Step Guide for Newly
         Minted Job-Seekers

 Avoiding the "Black Hole
         of HR"

 Is Your Elevator Pitch
         Taking You UP
         or DOWN?

 Time Management: Recipe          for a Well-Balanced Job          Search
 Getting Un-Stuck from your
         Rut!

 The Double-Whammy of
         Rejection and Isolation

 "Unemployed Need Not
         Apply" - Working Around
         This Scary Message

 Using Social Media to
         Enhance Job-Searching

 Warning: That Rant You
         Posted Just Went Viral!

 The Golden Rule for
         Business: Never Burn
         Bridges

 The Power of a Positive
         Attitude

 Why Job Hunting is a
         Consultative Sales
         Position

 Top 10 Most Helpful Things
         for Job Seekers

 Top 10 Most Annoying
         Things for Job Seekers

 New Year's Resolutions for
         Unemployed Job-
         Seekers

Job-Seeking Humor:
 Comic Relief: Volume 1
 Comic Relief: Volume 2
 Comic Relief: Volume 3
 Comic Relief: Volume 4
 Comic Relief: Volume 5
 Comic Relief: Volume 6
 "In Transition" and Other
         Awkward Euphemisms

 Candidates Gone Wild:
         Recruiter Horror Stories

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