Now Accepting Resumes

is what the sign says in the window. I'm completely baffled at first when I come to realize what they really mean to say is "Help Wanted". Now Accepting Resumes - it cracks me up - but it's everywhere. And they mean it.

"I applied for a job at Madison Market (food co-op) and it was four pages long. They wanted four professional references. Three volunteer references and three personal references and I didn't even get a call back!" One of our interns exclaimed. "It just follows the attitude of this city." Granted she was sort of upset when she said it because as a freshly mented college graduate she can't find a job in Seattle "Even Baristas, yes, the people who serve you coffee, need three years experience. Three years." A friend of mine looking for a bartending job, whose been to bartending school, had the same experience and he was just looking for a way to suppliment his income.

Part of it probably has to do with the fact that this city is highly educated, well read, etc., that retrailers, coffee shops, heck even people looking for volunteers can ask for so much. (Kind of like how the housing market is such a sellers market that they can ask you to wave the inspection.)

But it is still kind of funny, to see the new agey, incent, candle, dream catcher, metaphysical book store next to the bus stop advertise "Accepting Resumes, 5 years experience in retail, 2 specifically metaphysical require". The sign has been up since January.