JOBSEARCH: Keep a consulting firm open

Sunday, March 11, 2012

http://jobsbl.com/about/report/report.php?issue_num=145

Berman Larson Kane
Career Report
March, 2012 — Issue 145

*** begin quote ***

What can you do to minimize the impact of unemployment on your professional stature?

A. Keep your professional certifications, credentials and licenses up to date and involve yourself in activities that use your professional skills. Take temporary or part-time work in your industry if possible, or do unpaid volunteer work for nonprofits or charitable organizations that allow you to flex your professional muscles, Margolin added.

Also, you could consider starting your own consulting firm, suggested Julie Redfield, a talent management expert in the New York office of the PA Consulting Group. “Setting up a company — the Web site, the business license — can cost very little,” she said. “Use your network and get at least one or two small jobs that you can talk about on interviews and put on your résumé.”

*** end quote ***

Over the years, I’ve opened and closed 4 “one man shows”. Shoulda, coulda, and woulda! Just keep it open eternally. Pepuls Republik of Nu Jerzee charges 500 per year. Argh! Website, call it 10 for the domain name and whatever you pay the web site service provider. Legal & accounting fees, call it under a grand. Business cards, 50$. SO for well under 2k$, you can have an LLC standing around. (Your accountant will tell you why you want an LLC. I’m not a lawyer, CPA, or MD. Nor do I play one on TV. I’m just your average everyday obnoxious know-it-all.)

(Your lawyer can explain why you might want to create several LLCs for holding assets. Ditto above. Wish I done that. If you do several at once, the unit cost per LLC goes down.)

Like your eternal domain name, keeping your email from making you captive of the ISP or WSP, you can always have coverage.

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JOBSEARCH: Sue Simmons – poster girl of age discrimination

Friday, March 9, 2012

WNBC Cutting Longtime Anchor Sue Simmons – TVSpy

http://www.mediabistro.com/tvspy/wnbc-cutting-longtime-anchor-sue-simmons_b41276

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Age discrimination?

This morning Imus was very positive about Sue. I like her. There was some question as to how much money she makes. But that was dismissed as not the real reason. “They want some blonde young girl.”

Us old job seekers know the ugly truth: Age DOES make a difference.

Too bad! We, as a society, better figure the old age problem. “We” have to align the Social Security Retirement Age and Life Expectancy Tables. To do that, folks will have to work later into life. If employers discriminate, this will be impossible.

So Sue Simmons is the poster girl for future age discrimination.

# – # – # – # – #  2012-Mar-08 @ 20:18

 

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JOBSEARCH: The “work till you drop” meme in employment

Monday, February 27, 2012

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/boomers-era-til-drop-160032353.html

For boomers, it’s a new era of ‘work til you drop’
By JOHN ROGERS | Associated Press

*** begin quote ***

Forty years into that run, the 60-year-old communications specialist for a Wisconsin-based insurance company has worked more than a half-dozen jobs. She’s been laid off, downsized and seen the pension disappear with only a few thousand dollars accrued when it was frozen.

So, five years from the age when people once retired, she laughs when she describes her future plans.

“I’ll probably just work until I drop,” she says, a sentiment expressed, with varying degrees of humor, by numerous members of her age group.

Like 78 million other U.S. Baby Boomers, Symons and her husband had the misfortune of approaching retirement age at a time when stock market crashes diminished their 401(k) nest eggs, companies began eliminating defined benefit pensions in record numbers and previously unimagined technical advances all but eliminated entire job descriptions from travel agent to telephone operator.

*** and ***

“My advice is above all don’t retire,” he says. “If you like your job at all, hold onto it. Because getting back in in this era is essentially impossible.”

*** end quote ***

“Jobs” is not a zero sum game. But it is an obsolete meme.

The “gold watch” meme was obsoleted in the early Eighties.

The first torpedo a midship was the ERISA rule that did 5 year pension vesting. We then became a nation of five year employees. “Pension harvesters”. I got two.

The second was the entrepreneurial meme that came into place big time in the late Eighties with the updated Sub S corporation rules.

When job requiring obsolete skills go unfilled because business can’t find anyone qualified at a price they could afford to pay, how is an old person taking it depriving someone younger person?

If anything, it’s “good” that boomers are clogging those old “jobs”. Like making buggie whips. This may induce youngsters to recognize the new meme and open their own biz. Growing the pool of “jobs”.

The pie isn’t a fixed size. We should want the yutes out creating new wealth; not laboring in dead end corporations.

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JOBSEARCH: Top tech companies investigated for employee-poaching ban | TechRepublic

Wednesday, February 1, 2012

Top tech companies investigated for employee-poaching ban | TechRepublic:

Home / Blogs / Career Management
Career Management
Top tech companies investigated for employee-poaching banBy Toni BowersJanuary 30, 2012, 5:17 AM PST

*** begin quote ***

A couple of years ago I wrote about U.S. Justice Department turning up the heat on allegations that some Silicon Valley companies were acting monopolistically in their hiring practices. This week, a federal judge ordered Google, Apple and five other high-tech companies to court over accusations they violated anti-trust laws by conspiring not to poach each other’s employees.

*** end quote ***

Big news! Like this is a unique way to screw the employees.

SO what’s the remedy?

When they get finished on Silicon Valley, then they should look at Wall Street.

I wasn’t allowed to even suggest to one of my peers that we had an opening. There was a “gentlemen’s agreement” back in the late 80’s and 90’s. When I was recruited by hunter to go from Shearson to (CS)FB, the hunter told me to go check with my boss because he approved it. About a month after I went there, a DB2 ace went from (CS)FB to Shearson. Trading players.

And, if you were laid off from one place, don’t waste your time applying to the competition. They wouldn’t even bring you in for an interview. You had to be out for “years” to get back “in”. Argh!

SO, now that our enlightened Gooferment masters have found that there is this evil goin on and about int he land, who’s going to get compensated for the lost opportunities.

Fines to the Gooferment. And, the people who got <synonym for the past tense of the procreation act.>? They get a “tough <synonym for excrement>”!

Argh!

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JOBSEARCH: More confirmation that the concept of a “job” has changed forever

Saturday, December 3, 2011

http://www.chrismartenson.com/martensonreport/future-work

Executive Summary

* Many of today’s current job positions will vanish as the debt that has made them possible retraces

* Future demand for work will come from non-financial sectors

* Cost management will re-assert it’s importance on par with income growth

* Non-market and hybrid work models will grow to employ many more people than they do now

* Participation in social and capital networks (both physical and virtual) will become increasingly valuable

*** end quote ***

This goes along with, or at least concurs, that the meme of a “job” has forever changed. Not necessarily for the good. No memo has been issued — “Attention Kmart shoppers; the metaphor is changing. Please adjust your paradigms and meme. Failure to do so will cause unnecessary pain.” Argh! I know, in at least one case, where imho the parents are steering their child into the old meme (i.e., seek lifetime employment with steady salary, benefits, and pension). OTOH I know another parent that is raising “entrepreneurial” children. Who’s to say who’s right and who’s wrong. But it certainly seems that fmpov one can. YMMV, fjohn

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JOBSEARCH: Advice to a baby turkey

Friday, October 14, 2011

*** begin quote ***

I will look into. Just found out yesterday that I need to start a job search and need to figure out the social networking piece besides LinkedIn. Any suggestion would be appreciated.

*** end quote ***

I’m sorry to hear that. Not so much that you’re changing but that you’re not fully ready.

For techies, I think you should have a professional blog. Where you display your dikw (i.e., data, information, knowledge, wisdom) for all to see.

You need a professional sounding domain name. You can even use WordPress for just the cost of the domain. (I think it’s 15 or 20 bucks a year.)

I have http://www.reinkefaceslife.com/ on the free WordPress offering and http://www.technologylegacies.com on a hosted site (60$ per year, but I have complete control of it).

You hook that INTO your linkedin account and you then have a stream of professional content flowing to your linkedin network.

Get a twitter account with the same or similar “professional sounding” name and hook the blog to that. Voila, you have a good stream of tweets that reflect well on you. (http://www.technologylegacies.com has the twitter account @technologyleg)

DO the same thing on FACEBOOK.

Cross post the blog post’s url to GOOGLEPLUS (haven’t figure how to do that automagically yet).

And you’ve got all the major social media.

Then you’re a social media guru.

But, don’t emulate me. My personal blog is very opinionated. Probably hurts me to be so out there. But, I’, just a fat old white guy injineer at the end of his career and life.

Hope this helps,

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JOBSEARCH: “first, help; then, be helped”

Tuesday, October 11, 2011

http://thedegree360.onlinedegrees.com/features/how-to-network-tailgate-party.html

How to network the tailgate party
By Kirstin Swagman
Sep 30, 2011

*** begin quote ***

5. Focus on what you share, not what you want

A tailgate is a social event not a business one, and students should approach it as such.

“Networking doesn’t have to begin with a business discussion at all,” Machado said. “It could very much be a casual conversation. What they want to do is get to know this person and get to know about this person. Ask the alum about themselves. ‘When did you graduate?’ ‘What did you study?’ ‘What do you do now?’ “

Turner suggests students use the shared college experience as a point of entry into their interests and experiences.

In Turner’s case, “These are individuals that have the University of Michigan as a common connection.” She said, “These are possible points of conversation–talking about what their experiences on campus have been and through that highlighting their skill set.”

Extra points: “Be a good listener,” Machado advises. Networking is a two-way street.

*** end quote ***

Everyone seems to, in the panic to find a “job”, that dictum: “first, help; then, be helped”.

How may I help you?

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JOBSEARCH: What is the break even point on investing in yourself?

Tuesday, October 4, 2011

http://www.getrichslowly.org/blog/2011/09/27/10-career-lessons-from-julia-child/

10 Career Lessons from Julia Child
Tuesday, 27th September 2011 (by April Dykman)

*** begin quote ***

3. You’re never to old to learn something new. Julia was 36 years old when she started learning a new language. She didn’t enroll in culinary school until age 37. Julia had a constant thirst for knowledge and didn’t rest until she’d mastered or learned whatever it was that piqued her curiosity.

*** end quote ***

I’m not so sure that this is true.

In my case, at age 64 with a “career” of 5 to 7 years at best, what’s the ROI on learning a new language or studying for a new skill?

I heard some one at a job search networking group tell the table that she was so busy working on getting 4 different paper certifications. She had enough skills to get a job; so one has to question the ROI.

imho

Like the kids going to college, for something other than law, medicine, or engineering, taking four years out and spending enough for two houses, ignores the ROI.

What the break even point is I have no idea, but folks are NOT even asking the question.

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JOBSEARCH: Fired by phone

Thursday, September 8, 2011

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/09/07/us-yahoo-ceo-idUSTRE7857R320110907

Yahoo CEO Bartz fired over the phone, rocky run ends
By Alexei Oreskovic and Edwin Chan
SAN FRANCISCO | Wed Sep 7, 2011 10:44am EDT

*** begin quote ***

(Reuters) – Yahoo Inc Chairman Roy Bostock fired CEO Carol Bartz over the phone on Tuesday, ending a tumultuous tenure marked by stagnation and a rift with Chinese partner Alibaba.

Chief Financial Officer Tim Morse will step in as interim CEO, and the company will search for a permanent leader to spearhead a battle in online advertising and content with rivals Google Inc and Facebook.

*** end quote ***

By phone!

That’s low class.

But this should be a lesson to EVERY employee, it could be you.

You have be the CEO of your own biz and have multiple income streams.

It brings back on of my favorite lessons:

“You’re only assured of the last paycheck that you cashed.”

Forget that at your peril.

# – # – # – # – # 2011-Sep-07 @ 11:08

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JOBSEARCH: LinkedIn “rot”

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

What do you do when folks drift away? Their LinkedIn account is attached to a bouncing email. None of the mutual contacts know what happened. Strange? And, it’s happened more than once but less than a dozen. Social Networking version of PTSD?

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Add to the “rules”: Don’t accept a LinkedIn connection when someone is not using their own domain email account. Not an employer. Not yahoo, hotmail, or gmail.

Argh!

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