Furthermore: Where the Headlines Take You

Best Job in World?

A friend of mine sent me an email linking me to the following story. It seems that Queensland, Australia is prepared to pay someone a nice hefty sum to come be their island ambassador, spending time snorkeling the Great Barrier Reef, lounging around, and talking to people about the whole experience via blog and video. It's a temporary six month gig they are calling Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef...not too shabby.

So, you're thinking of applying? Well, you'll probably be up against thousands of other applicants, so perhaps the library can help you improve your chances of landing the "best job in the world". First, you should know a bit more about what it means to live and work in Australia. David Hampshire put out a book titled, Living and Working in Australia that gives tons of practical information on what you can expect regarding salaries, health care, holidays and retirement. He also lets you know about the postal service, how you go about making a phone call, and what the public transportation systems are like. And just in case Australia doesn't pan out, the library has many other books on living and working in foreign countries.

And how about wowing Tourism Queensland by showing off your knowledge of the Great Barrier Reef? As well as your concern for its future. J. E. N. Veron recently put out an amazing book titled A Reef in Time that looks at the Great Barrier Reef from its beginnings, exploring the biodiversity of coral reefs in general, and the damaging effect climate change is having on these ecosystems. The Great Barrier Reef makes up the "largest construction of living organisms" anywhere on this planet.  Veron argues, in a passionate yet pragmatic way, that unless we curb greenhouse gas emissions immediately, we could face a mass extinction "the world has not seen for 65 million years". A Reef in Time contains some beautiful pictures of the Great Barrier Reef, and some heart-breaking facts about what we, human beings, are doing to destroy it. But Veron is hopeful that we still have time. Think of how great it would look on your job application if you were not only sensitive to the fate of the Great Barrier Reef, but had ideas on how to save it!

But let's be honest with ourselves, there's only one opening for Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef.  So what are those of us who don't get the "best job in the world" to do? And not to add insult to injury, but according to the U.S. Department of Labor's Bureau of Labor Statistics, Oregon's unemployment rate was at 8.1% in November 2008. That ranks us as the 47th highest state in unemployment rates, not a top ten list anyone wants to be on. Obviously, we are all feeling the crunch. Well, the library has a lot of resources for folks looking for employment. We have pulled together a job seeking guide, covering some of the better databases and websites to help land you a job. And we have hundreds of books on how to find jobs, on writing resumes and cover letters, on interviewing, and on exploring careers in general. McGraw-Hill puts out a line of books in their "Careers for You" series which includes one that's perfect for the person who wants the island ambassador job, but misses this particular cut. It's called Careers for Aquatic Types & Others Who Want to Make a Splash, written by Blythe Camenson, and includes tips, tricks and resources for landing your perfect job, whether it be cruise director or commercial fisherman.

Obviously I'm attempting to have some fun with what is a very serious concern for many of us - employment - and the library is here to help. Contact us anytime about our different job hunting resources. And for that person who gets the Caretaker of the Islands of the Great Barrier Reef job...congratulations! Watch out for the great white sharks!