Here are my Sunday Shout-Outs.

1. Libby Sartain wrote a(nother) great blog post called ABCs of Employer Brand. Many HR professionals talk about employer branding because it’s trendy; however, they may have no idea what it means. Furthermore, scholars and pundits say that an employer brand will make or break your company. Do you know anything about employer branding? If you want to learn your ABCs, let Libby be your guide.
2. My favorite peeps at Starr Tincupp have a new website. If you’re a student of design—or if you are selling software or service solutions anywhere in the employee life cycle—you need to check them out. I’m doing my best Billy Mays impression, right now, but you can’t hear me. Just imagine it.
   
3. I am listed on Fistful of Talent’s Top 25 blogs. I’m number six, and for the record, I rank higher than Ben Stein’s blog. I’m not even sure how Ben Stein qualifies. He’s an expert on comedy. He’s an expert on financial issues. He’s an expert on conservative values. Oh, guess what? Now he’s an expert on talent management issues? Give me a break. I call shenanigans on this one.

There you go. My list for Sunday.

Who did I miss? What other great things do we need to know about? Pimp it in the comments section.

Here’s a note from Allison in multiple parts.

What happens when you have a boss who tell you you will be getting health insurance, then tells you he never said it and you are advised by other employees to not ask again or you’ll be terminated?

Allison, your boss can’t promise you health insurance. Based on the terms and conditions of the plan, you either qualify or you don’t. Sounds like your boss didn’t know what he was talking about.

Also, what happens when said employer will not allow you time off to get a root canal and you are working in pain and you just have to suck it up and you cant go to the ER because, well, see first issue – no health insurance! bascially , my job was threatened and I had to suck it up because I needed the job and my dentists hours conflicted with my work hours.

Ouch!

Are you asking me if your boss acted illegally? There are medical emergencies that are covered under FMLA, but let’s stop talking about your boss and all that drama. Let’s talk about you.

There are low-cost dental clinics at local community colleges. I have a friend who left her job in Human Resources to pursue a career as a dental hygienist. She recruits patients for her clinic, too. Go visit Google and find one of those clinics. Your teeth are so important. You need to fix this issue.

The I got terminated for being late for a cracked tooth. I was in agony. so, I worked there for 2 years. I never got my health insurance or time off to take care of things like a busted tooth or to move. Suggestions? I just want to make sure I get my unemploymnet as i support myself.

You were terminated for a cracked tooth and being late? You want to know if you qualify for unemployment? Well, there’s no harm in applying. I have no idea if you will qualify. You need to look at your state requirements.

I will say this much: I understand why you feel cheated and mistreated. You’re in an unfortunate situation. I believe that living life well is the best revenge.

• Don’t look back on this employer and wonder if you can sue him for firing you.
• Move forward.
• File for unemployment, update your LinkedIn profile, and create an account on Monster.

Allison, you need to find a basic job — any job — that pays more than unemployment. You can’t support yourself on $300/week. This is why I really advocate having an emergency fund so you can take care of your teeth, buy private insurance if your employer doesn’t offer coverage, or leave a shitty job before it starts impacting your health.

[Any other thoughts out there?]

Good luck and keep us posted on your dental issues!

My husband and I haven’t vacationed together in nearly 2.5 years thanks to the recession, moving to North Carolina, and starting a new job (him) and launching a new career (me). Flying off to the Caribbean for a few weeks isn’t an option for us, right now.

Many of you are in the same boat. You’re foregoing vacations, this year, and opting to stay at home and attack piles of crap in your garage and basement. Thanks to the recession, you are saving money, vacationing locally, and finally donating that big pile of old clothes to the Goodwill. I’ve seen some of your pictures on Facebook. Many of you are working in your yards, staining the deck, and changing the brakes on your wife’s car.

We’re all living the American dream, aren’t we?

Since it’s Friday, I want you to dream & reminisce. Tell me about your best vacation of all time. Where did you go? Who was with you? Would you go back there, again? Do you have a dream vacation you’re waiting to take? I want to hear all about it, and if  you can link to pictures and websites, even better.

My dream vacation? Back to Maui, where I honeymooned, but I would like to spend some time on the Hana side of the island. Lush tropical rainforests. Gentle ocean breezes. Bring me a Mai Tai, too.

Do you have a take-this-job-and-shove-it story?

I wanna hear it. I’m in that kind of mood.

Have you ever used your mobile phone to apply for a job? Have you ever filled a position using mobile recruiting tools?

Both scenarios are the way of the future according to my friends Chris Hoyt and Michael Marlatt. With four billion mobile devices in the world, job seekers and potential candidates are everywhere — and there are always jobs  to be filled. It’s becoming clear to companies that candidates and future employees don’t need to sit at home and send PDF copies of their resumes.

There’s a new way of recruiting out there. It’s mobile.

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So, okay, life is going mobile. What does this mean for you as a job seeker?

Well, companies are starting to make their career sites mobile-friendly. As a job seeker, you can use mobile apps for the iPhone (and other devices) and apply for a job in an instant — without fancy documents or widgets. Furthermore, once a company captures your information, the possibilities are endless. Businesses can send you text messages when they are hiring, they can contact you and ask if you’re still interested in a future opportunity, or they can text you and ask for a referral for a tough-to-fill job.

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So I have some questions for you.

• Have you ever applied for a job through your phone? What was it like?
• Does your company care about mobile recruiting?
• Are you interested in applying for a job through your phone?

Here’s my most pressing question: does a mobile-enhanced career website mean anything to you as a job seeker?

I’m still thinking about the uninsured woman with cancer who wrote to me and asked for advice. I’m wondering

• When you look for a job, what’s more important: the salary or the health care benefits?

Would you accept a great job with a salary & crappy benefits, or would you take a mediocre job simply for the health care benefits and health insurance?

I want to thank you for giving us your best advice for job seekers. You guys are awesome. Seriously, the list is an amazing collection of tips from HR professionals, recruiters, job coaches, and regular old joes.

My best advice? Stop being needy.

• No one is doing you a favor by interviewing you.
• When you are speaking to a potential employer, remind yourself that you don’t need the job.
• If you really needed a job, you would work at Wal-Mart.

Work is an exchange of goods & services. Your company exists to make a profit, and you work to earn money so you can support the things in life that have the most meaning for you.

Too many of us are involved in co-dependent relationships with our previous employers. We bring that psychological baggage into our interviews. There’s no bigger turn-off than a clingy, needy, desperate candidate who lacks confidence and self-awareness.

If you lack meaning in your life, and if you feel disconnected from the ones you love, a job will not fill that void. Dump those insecurities, re-prioritize your life and think about why you’re working, and engage each potential employer with a sense of determination and confidence.

I know you can do it.

The winners of the Punk Rock HR Advice contest [based on random numbers generated on a website] are Tracy Tran, Lisa Wallace, and Apollo.

Unfortunately, Apollo is disqualified because he doesn’t like this contest.

I’m giving his box of swag to Bonita Martin who likes chocolate.

Please email your address to yo@punkrockhr.com and I’ll send your boxes right away.

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What’s in the boxes of swag? Well, each one is a little different.

1. Shirts from I Hate People and Snag a Job.
2. A set of *unused* Bliss products from The W Hotel.
3. Books: I Hate People, How To Wow, Amazing Adventures of Working Girl, Anti 9-5 Guide.
4. Pack of Hall’s cough drops (unopened) that I bought but realized that I don’t like the flavor.
5. Bags of chocolate from Totally Chocolate.
6. $10 Game Play Card from the nice guys at the Dave & Busters booth.
7. Calculators from ADP — so you can calculate out how much you’re getting fleeced by your employer.
8. Walking doctor toy tchotchke from Concentra.
9. More chocolate from See’s Candies.
10. Tote bags from Halogen and The National Conference Center.
11. Duck from Aflac.
12. Mug and gum from The RightThing.
13. Lip balm and hand sanitizer from Careerbuilder.
14. Brain pen from Vertical Screen.
15. Pens from Monster.
16. Notepad from Levengers.
17. Potato Chip bag clips from VPI.
18. I Love HR beads [as modeled by Emma, above] from SHRM.

Is that enough crap for you?

America’s jobless rate in June is the highest rate since 1983. Some of my Punk Rock HR readers weren’t born in 1983, so this may be the first time many have experienced such a sad & depressing state of affairs in the job market.

It gets better. I promise.

I would like to spend the month of July offering honest, practical, and smart tips on my site. Most job seekers need a fistful of antidepressants, better resumes & interviewing techniques, and up-to-date accounts on LinkedIn. Those are basic competencies in this job market, right now.

• What else?
• What are people missing?
• What’s the single best piece of career advice you can give to someone, right now, who really needs a job?

I have three boxes of swag from the most recent HR conference I attended. There’s everything from books to t-shirts to candy. If you submit an item of advice, you’ll be entered to win one of the boxes. I’ll do a video blog and announce the winners on Tuesday. l will provide the best piece of advice I have for anyone who needs a job, too.

Let’s hear your best Punk Rock HR advice for job seekers. Do your patriotic duty and share a piece of advice that is absolutely required in this job market.

Ah, the 80s. Michael Jackson’s death has me walking down memory lane in a weird way.

I don’t remember The New Show, but I love how Billie Jean was so infectious that even Steve Martin took a stab at mimicking the video.

It’s also weird to see Eddie Murphy do stand-up that isn’t all that funny. I like how he sings in this video, though.

I’ll tell you what: good music sustains itself forever, but comedy is so subjective and rarely stands the test of time.