Married folk - living/working apart?

denise m

Liesje

It's only about 1.5-2 hrs most, so we could definitely meet on weekends. 

LOL! 2 hours is a normal daily commute for a LOT of people I know. If DH and I were in a similar situation I'm sure he would drive it most days and just get a hotel room occasionally.
 

 

Yeah but 2 hours in Lake Effect snow = highway closed.  If it were two hours in ANY other direction, it would not be much of an issue (well, we'd have to buy another car since we only have one....).

Liesje

(well, we'd have to buy another car since we only have one....).

I forgot what happend to your van! How will you guy split the car you have now until the van is fixed?

BlackLabbie

Liesje

(well, we'd have to buy another car since we only have one....).

I forgot what happend to your van! How will you guy split the car you have now until the van is fixed?

 

We share a 1995 Caravan we bought cheap from DH's grandma.  We just drive each other to work or walk or bike (though I can't bike anymore, my bike was stolen last week).  The brakes are already going out and the tranny is struggling so we're just keeping our fingers crossed that it lives until we get the other van back, which we will again share.  We're just very frugal about vehicles.  No sense in two car payments when we both have working legs.  It just makes long term commuting (out of the bus line) not an option.

 

BUT this all is probably a mute point.  DH met with his career adviser and she advised him against taking the job.  He found out they want to put him in a highschool, which is really disappointing for him because he is an el ed CI teacher and that's what he applied for.  Also they keep dragging their feet, changing their minds on this or that.  The career counsellor said she thinks they might not even have a job, like it's one that they may still cut last minute because of our economy.  Meanwhile I found a job that is perfect for DH and I kinda hacked around until I figured out that the starting salary for this position 6 years ago was already more than what he is going to be offered for the job where he'd have to move.  So tomorrow I'm writing the best cover letter I've ever written (I write all of his cover letters and resumes, hehe, that's what *I* went to school for).

Liesje

So tomorrow I'm writing the best cover letter I've ever written (I write all of his cover letters and resumes, hehe, that's what *I* went to school for).

This is a bit off topic, but have you ever thought about doing cover letters and resumes for people as a little side job from home?  With the current unemployment situation so many people are dealing with, those skills are highly desirable.  I know if I had to prepare those things, it would be tough because I haven't had to update them in a very long time.  Many unemployed people may not have the extra money to spend on such a service, but some would be willing to pay for it if it meant getting their documentation in tip-top shape so they can be competitive in the job search world.  Even if you just made an extra $50 here and there, you could probably put an ad in a local paper or online.  All you need is a computer and some paper stock, so the overhead would be minimal.  I'm always trying to think of some way to make a little extra money from home, and I thought of that when you said you have educational background in such things!

Anyway, I hope this new job lead works out for your husband!

I've thought about it, joked about it, not sure if it's ethical though?  DH has me do it b/c if I'm "helping him" I'm basically sitting there telling him what to type.  I really write the entire thing, even go into his e-mail and compose the e-mails that they are attached to, but then yell to him when I need clarification on some of the technical terms relevant to his job (which I know nothing about).  He said he can't do it well because he has never had to do it and wasn't taught.  I find that really odd since in college we had to take lit courses and all these random things we never use, yet business writing was not/is not required (but I was a business communications major and took HR courses, so I did it all the time).  Also I think a lot of it really is still subjective.  I wrote one once for myself and sent it to two people in HR who both review letters and hire for a living.  One said I would be the top candidate, if not hired based on the cover letter, and the other didn't like the style at all.  I have a certain "formula" that I use for all of mine and DHs, wrote one a month or so ago just to keep up with it and instantly got an interview, was a top candidate for the job but overqualified.  It's not that it's fun for me, but in a way I like doing it because I'm a methodical, analytical person plus I'm a grammer/syntax nazi (I used to be a TA and a huge chunk of my job was reviewing research proposals, essay outlines, works cited pages, etc).  So far he has had better luck with my resumes and cover letters than the ones he submitted to career services.

Liesje

I've thought about it, joked about it, not sure if it's ethical though? 

Lies, I don't know why it should be any less ethical for you to do it than for companies that specialize in  that very thing to do it.  My son found a place on line that polishes up resumes (of course I paid for it - $169 which included a nice cover) and they didn't put anything in there that wasn't true or that he hadn't put in his own resume.  They just had a way of wording it that made it sound so much better.  If you have the gift to do that, I think you can make a nice little side income.

Joyce

fuzzy_dogs_mom

Liesje

I've thought about it, joked about it, not sure if it's ethical though? 

Lies, I don't know why it should be any less ethical for you to do it than for companies that specialize in  that very thing to do it.  My son found a place on line that polishes up resumes (of course I paid for it - $169 which included a nice cover) and they didn't put anything in there that wasn't true or that he hadn't put in his own resume.  They just had a way of wording it that made it sound so much better.  If you have the gift to do that, I think you can make a nice little side income.

Joyce

 

Definitely no ethical issues, at least IMO. It's not like a college essay where they're looking to see your writing abilities. Format, organization, phrasing, and careful selection/omission of positions can make a TREMENDOUS impact on a resume! As well you know!

If you're interested, you should give it a try. My mother used to do work like that on the side - helping people touch up their resumes and practice interview skills - and people were more than happy to pay. 

I agree - no ethical issues in preparing letters or resumes for someone else.  Like Joyce said, there are companies that do exactly these types of services (at steep prices).  As long as the info being supplied by the job seeker to the resume/letter preparer is TRUE, then the preparer is simply putting it in a format that is the most marketable or presentable. 

It's like some "authors" of books (such as a memoir by someone with zero writing background) who have co-authors who are more experienced writers.  Also, I think I remember hearing once about a paper-writing service for students (like doctorate candidates) -- to write their papers using data and research conducted by the student.  I don't remember where I heard that . . . maybe I'm imagining the memory!  But, I swear I heard about a term-paper-writing service sometime in my life!

Well, it's something to consider while your husband continues his job search and you want to replace a little of his income with a side job at home!