Reinke Faces Life

http://www.americamagazine.org/blog/entry.cfm?blog_id=2&entry_id=4342

GE, Coal Operators Latest to Eliminate Pensions
POSTED AT: SUNDAY, JUNE 26, 2011 03:26:14 PM
AUTHOR: CLAYTON SINYAI

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The pension was a good fit for the dominant business model of the postwar era. Blue-chip firms like GM and IBM assumed long-term employment relationships. They competed less by downsizing than by drawing more value out of their existing workforce – by upgrading their skills and improving productivity. Corporations could afford to invest more in worker training and development only if they knew the worker would be around long enough for that investment to pay off. Hence the pension, a benefit that was more valuable the longer one stayed with the company.

Today’s firms don’t want a long relationship with their workers; they want to show stockholders that they are cutting payrolls NOW, not developing human capital for some future decade. Holdouts who tried to preserve the old model became goats in the market, panned as stagnant and inflexible. High labor costs put them at a disadvantage against competitors who declined to offer an expensive pension benefit. IBM began a controversial pullout from the defined benefit pension in 1999; GM shifted new hires into a 401k beginning in 2007.

The disappearance of the pension is a catastrophe for working families whose full effects won’t be felt for years; many of the boomers are retiring with a pension benefit, but few of their successors will. But the past few decades have already shown that personal retirement accounts are no substitute for pensions. Hard-pressed workers are seldom able to put enough into a retirement account for reasonable security in old age. And while a properly funded defined-benefit pension plan can spread risks across decades, an individual retiree needs to cash in when he retires – whether the market is up or down.

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For the “clueless”, that need a memo to tell them that the “gold watch” era is over, then let this serve the purpose.

An AT&T actuary in the mid Seventies disabused me of the value of the pension and the purposes of it. Wow, was that I an eye opener! I was stunned at how little the Biz put aside for “my” pension. Pennies! I was ever stunned further when the rationale for pensions was explained; the concept “involuntary servitude” came to mind! In my MBA Accounting classes, I learned about diversification and “sinking funds”.

And, have you ever wondered why folks get “fired” before the five-year vesting period?

Social Security is the mandatory Ponzi scheme. Pensions are cut from the same bolt of cloth.

One thing that “workers” need to learn quickly is that “There’s no one to depend upon but oneself”.

Pensions are history.

The Social Security fraud pays off at the pleasure of the Congress. Not something I’d recommend to depend upon.

401Ks and IRAs are systematically “looted” by Wall Street and their accomplices in Congress. Either blatantly by outright theft or surreptitiously by “fees”, commissions, or compromised fiduciaries.

So what does this translate to for today’s workers?

(1) ruthless financial discipline — no bad debt;

(2) save big bux; it’s your version of a pension or Social Security;

(3) a blue collar skill for hard times — never saw a poor plumber;

(4) one or more internet based businesses — your store is always open; and

(5) a free time hobby that generates income.

Fore warned is fore armed!

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There is a new comment on the post “The Skinny on Fake Job Postings”.

http://www.jibberjobber.com/blog/2010/01/08/the-skinny-on-fake-job-postings/

Author: American Express fake jobs

Comment:

American Express is repeatedly posting the same positions month after month. It then says they choose not to fill the position via email.  

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Just about the worst press possible for an employer. Certainly ignore anything from them. Their loss; my time.

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Once again fine tuning the SFYG formula based on input and discussions.

(1) Reduce it to 5 ± 2.

(2) Put action verbs into the points.

(3) Try to make it relevant.

Here it is.

Success for your generation is:

(1) develop ruthless financial discipline — no bad debt — no credit cards like Dave Ramsey says;

(2) create a life long interest in learning — pick up a degree along the way — they can’t take it away from you;

(3) get a NON-OFFSHORABLE white collar job in order to save big bux;

(4) learn a blue collar skill for hard times — never saw a poor plumber;

(5) make one or more internet based businesses where your store is always open from a free time hobby that generates income; (6) build a large well-maintained network of people who can and will “help” you — it’s not numbers on Facebook or LinkedIn — it’s real people who connected with your needs; and

(7) find your soulmate. The boy or girl who rocks your socks, is a better person than you are, and makes you a better person. You might be able to make it without one, but it’ll be much harder. May well be impossible. Marry ’em and forsake all others. Have lots of children; if you can’t, “borrow” everyone else’s. They are your legacy.

Even if you disagree with my formula, you have to have your own. Whatever it is, have one. Of course, you can share yours, argue with mine, or just ignore the whole thing.

Donna Nobis Pacem

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http://lylynn.com/post/4978703765/tattoos-and-piercings-shouldnt-jeopardize-your-chance

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Tattoos and piercings shouldn’t jeopardize your chance of getting a job.

gnargoyle: Boo hoo. Assuming societal norms will bend to allow poor planning and irresponsible decisions while being perfectly aware of their limiting implications in certain sectors/fields/occupations should jeopardize your chances of being considered a reasonable and/or responsible adult.

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But they do and are only just slightly worse than “digital dirt”.

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http://pajamasmedia.com/blog/why-its-bad-business-to-hire-the-long-term-unemployed

Why It’s Bad Business to Hire the Long-Term Unemployed
The Obama administration has overseen the utterly preventable destruction of human capital that is arguably unprecedented in human history — and it’s their fault.
March 15, 2011 – by Tom Blumer

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If a person is already working somewhere else, they’re demonstrating that on a daily basis, not in the recent or sometimes distant past, their work habits and output are more than likely satisfactory to someone else. There’s at least a decent chance that this person has kept his or her skills sharp, and has kept up with technological and market developments in the industry. The effort involved in training such a person in their new job will often be fairly minimal. There will also be a lower likelihood that the person will flunk a background check, credit check, or their drug test.

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Does anyone really believe these government statistics? It’s like their “jobs created or saved” mantra. imho the rates were much higher. Dropping the 99 weekers is just one way they put their thumb on the scale. “You have overseen the utterly preventable destruction of human capital that is arguably unprecedented in human history — and it’s your fault.” is exactly spot on. From the massive Gooferment spending, the Obamacare overhang — who’s going to hire employees without any idea what they will cost, the regulatory blundering — gulf oil drilling permits, and on and on. Government is out of control.

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Dear HotJobs® Job Seeker,

This is our final notice to let you know that Yahoo! HotJobs has been acquired by Monster® and the integration will be completed on Feb. 12, 2011. This means that you can have a more robust job search than ever before — more employers, more opportunities, more industry depth, and more tools — if you give us permission to transfer your information.

{Extraneous Deleted}

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Of course, this ASSUMES that the email that was registered with HOTJOBS is still current. :-) Given the way folks have been getting nuked, and they stpidly use their employer’e email address as if it was their own, oh well, they may be OUTTA_LUCK?

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http://news.cnet.com/8301-13845_3-20030241-58.html#ixzz1Cq6592H8

February 1, 2011 10:16 AM PST
Get ‘The Career Survival Kit’ e-book collection free
by Rick Broida

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Amazon says these three e-books are worth $45. But they’re actually worth $30. Does it matter? They’re free!

Every so often, Amazon.com rolls out an e-book freebie that’s perfect for the business crowd. Here’s the latest: “The Career Survival Kit (Collection).”

Available for the Kindle reader or any device that can run a Kindle application (including Android and BlackBerry devices, iPhones/iPods/iPads, PCs, and Macs), this download contains three e-books.

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Probably to get folks using their Kindle or Kindle software?

Works.

A little confusing.

You must install the Kindle Software on your PC and / or MAC. Or other IOS devices.

Then, you buy the book collection. It’s free. Just strange to buy a free book.

Then, you tinker to have it deliver it to the registered platform.

Then, you go to archived content, and double click.

And, you’re done.

Neat!

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http://lifehacker.com/5737076/your-employer-can-read-your-emails-even-to-your-lawyer

Your Employer Can Read Your Work Emails, Even to Your Lawyer

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In a 3-0 decision, the Sacramento-based court ruled that a woman sending an email to her attorney, in a matter regarding plans to sue your employer, from your office was akin to “consulting her lawyer in her employer’s conference room, in a loud voice, with the door open, so that any reasonable person would expect that their discussion of her complaints about her employer would be overheard.”

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As if you needed another reason!

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Is job hopping the new normal? : The Work Buzz theworkbuzz.com

Job hopping used to be taboo, but today it’s not only common, it’s also considered a good quality in many workers. What changed?

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FJohn Reinke • https://reinkefaceslife.com/2010/12/01/jobsearch-is-the-age-of-the-job-over/

The “gold watch” era is over. “Job hopping” is still taboo. But, the perception is reality. Today, it’s all about being “entrepreneurial or intrapreneurial”. Everyone is on their own. In an organization or not, you’re really on “The Apprentice” every minute.

That may sound to cynical, but …

Success for this generation is:

(1) ruthless financial discipline — no bad debt;

(2) a life long interest in learning — education — a degree — they can’t take it away from you;

(3) a NON-OFFSHORABLE white collar job in order to save big bux;

(4) a blue collar skill for hard times — never saw a poor plumber;

(5) one or more internet based businesses — your store is always open;

(6) develop a second business or avocation – under the radar – start small part-time;

(7) a large will-maintained network of people who can and will “help” you;

(8) buy and save assets that hold their value over time; and

(9) emulate the Amish and Mormons for their sense of community, simple thrifty living, and true to core values.

Notice that “loyalty to an employer who will screw you when it suits their purpose” is nowhere on that list.

It’s a complete paradigm and meme change that’s required.

It’s all about creating value. However one is uniquely qualified to do it, you have to do it in such a way that you retain some. And, you must always focus on unlocking value. For yourself primarily. And, developing skills at doing it.

Very cynical, I know. Very blunt. But, what does one expect from a fat old white guy injineer. And, you really don’t think the “unemployment rate” is under 10%? Lot of people have to learn a new set of paradigms and memes to compete in the new world.

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