Editor’s Page: A Work in Progress

A note for job applicants: Please don’t call me “Mr. Young.”

PHOTO: KAREN DB PHOTOGRAPHY

Over the past 11 years of hiring people in Hawai‘i, I have seen my share of job application mistakes. There are the classics: applicants who misspell my name, greet me in email as “Mr. Young” or forget to replace the words “place of work” in an obviously generic introduction letter. A few stand out, such as the mother who called to ask for an internship for her daughter, a 22-year-old college student. (I told her to have her daughter call me.) A recent graduate said in an interview that he wasn’t “quite sure what you do, but it might be interesting,” while another told me that she didn’t really like or follow news. She was applying for an entry-level job in a television newsroom. One especially memorable applicant left a scathing voicemail message when I did not immediately return her five calls made over two days. I was out sick.

My first impression at HONOLULU wasn’t my best. I was an hour late for the interview. A Mililani kid, I was stymied by the one-way downtown streets that kept me circling the magazine’s office building while keeping me at least a block away. (Note: I got the job.) Still, I’ve decided my next line of work should be as a job application coach. I’m not sure that position actually exists, but after talking many friends and co-workers through their next move, I would relish the opportunity to help job seekers and keep them from annoying potential employers.

Chances are good that I may get to try something new. According to a 35-year study commissioned by the U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics, the average baby boomer switches jobs 11.9 times before he or she is 50. That number includes every kind of employment, even seasonal, held since the age of 18. I am on job five, which includes my college job of dressing and undressing actors at UH Mānoa’s Kennedy Theatre. (My record was 30 seconds.) And it doesn’t stop there. Staff writer Jayna Omaye found more Hawai‘i people are changing things up later in life to pursue their passions or to better balance their lives.

The late Sen. Daniel Akaka was one of them. He worked as an educator before joining Congress at the age of 52. His spirit inspired heartfelt tributes when he passed away in April. Editor at large Robbie Dingeman recalled meeting the senator when she first started covering Hawai‘i politics in the mid-1980s. “He was always gracious and polite, taking time to answer reporters’ questions, even some that other politicians dodged,” she says. She looks back at his life and legacy.

Enough about work. Our All-Island Restaurant Guide focuses on powering up your pau hana. Food and dining editor Catherine Toth Fox guided our team to discover places where you can wind down and avoid rush-hour traffic with a locally brewed beer and salmon and taro chips, uni pasta or an amazing burger that’s beef-free. Our list of 30-plus dishes goes from downtown Honolulu to Waikīkī, Kapolei to Kailua, Kapa‘a, Makawao and Hilo and includes some vegetarian options even meat lovers will find tasty. Craving a great plate of fries? We have eight.

While you’re out, raise a glass to those who fought for Hawai‘i, mentors who helped you work here and your future life in the Islands. Just don’t write a résumé or cover letter afterward. And if you do, please double-check your salutation.

Got a good story? Reach me at christiy@honolulumagazine.com