Career Advice Blog

If you wanna make money, stay away from media.  Sure you'll be able to exercise your creativity, but that doesn't pay the bills, right?  Working in "creative fields," I've resigned myself to be lost in the middle class for all eternity.  That's cool.  At least I get to enjoy myself (not really, but that's what I tell myself.)I only bring this up in light of the ol' hottest salaries post from yesterday.  Ever notice how artsy fields NEVER make the cut?  Just to reinforce that this is a global issue, check out these numbers from the Council of Labor Affairs in Taiwan:Lowest Paying JobsBeauty salon worker: $18,680Mass transit workers: $19,713Restaurant employees: $20,103Craft workers: $20,190Film workers: $20,294Ah, it's nice to see they have plenty of beauty school dropouts in Asia too!People are always scared to reveal their salaries - but instead of hearing about what you make now - I'd love to hear about your crappiest paying job.  Mine was … [Read more...] about The Lowest Paying Jobs. Share Yours!

In a truly professional environment, word that a colleague is being fired should never trickle down to your level. It's business between the big wigs and the person being released from their duties - that's it.  In the real world, however, it doesn't seem to work out that way.  In this day and age of full disclosure (aka diarrhea of the mouth) you might get word before your poor colleague does.  This puts you between a rock and a hard place. Do you tip them off or keep your lips sealed and plead the fifth?I made the mistake of pulling the ol' "between you and me" at my first job many years ago.  What a mistake.  But a lesson learned.  I posed this question to the wisdom-filled folks trolling around on Yahoo Answers.  Here's what a few people had to say:*If the person is being fired on unreasonable grounds it is up to THEM to seek justice through the legal system. You are not responsible for their job just as they are not responsible for your … [Read more...] about Firing Tip Off, To Tell or Not to Tell

Why do lists like "The Hottest Salaries" get "dugg" so frequently?  I can understand lists that give you a fighting chance, a la, up and coming cities, etc.  But this recent Business 2.0 list does not deserve the front page of Digg.First off. the info is culled from '05 and '06.  That means, by the time you say "hey, lemme give that a try" - the career choice is already flooded and likely on the decline dollar-wise.Secondly, what the heck is HOT about these?HR coordinator = $40,200(anyone can plan the company picnic)Restaurant general manager = $49,800(crazy hours, mad stress, little payoff)Assistant store manager = $39,100(this will never be HOT to anyone with a degree)The list is filled will holes.  Yet, all the career blogs are all over it. Why does the career genre on the Web herd people around like sheep?  Why do we follow?  I don;t always succeed but I will always try to give you a fresh take - so please subscribe.I can … [Read more...] about Hottest Salary List Is Ice Cold

Everyday they fly in front of my face and escape my swatting hands.  These damn gnats are everywhere at work!  Now as a Buddhist layperson, I have made a conscious effort to let these little bastards live.  So I realize that I might be part of the problem.  However, I am sick and tired of them landing in my salad and heading straight for my mouth.  So while you can't use a sledgehammer to kill a gnat you might want to try some of the methods below.- Don't leave any food around - Make sure the trash is emptied regularly- They lay eggs in drains, plants and other "safe" areas with a food source.Here's a recipe that should keep them away from your desk or anywhere else where they are uninvited.Vinegar + Liquid Soup = Gnat killerThese little buggers like vinegar, and when they take a cool, refreshing drink, the liquid soap will kill 'em in their tracks.Since I'm not a natural born killer, I'd be happy just repelling the gnats to someone else's cube.  … [Read more...] about How to Kill Cubicle Gnats

It's graduation time, which means a whole bunch of fresh-faced "adults" are ready to jump headfirst into the workforce. For those of you already doing a perpetual doggy-paddle, I'm sure you welcome these rookies with open arms.  As I rattle my brain to look for excuses to escape the backyard barbecues and stuffy Italian restaurants that always follow the cap-and-gown festivities, I thought back to that now Web-famous commencement speech given by Mr. Conan O'Brien.See, we were once there.  The world sat before us for the taking. We were gonna break down the cubicle barriers and redefine what a career was all about.  But we grew tired of updating our resumes with new objectives. Four-percent raises became good enough.  But Conan's words of hope let us believe there's hope ahead.  Below you will find  a transcript of his Commencement Speech to the Harvard Class of 2000.  I suggest you read it and welcome new hires with a smile.  And not … [Read more...] about Welcome to the Workforce, Love Conan

For the first time in two years, the U.S. airline industry has seen an increase in employment opportunities.  Don't jump for joy just yet.  The rise was miniscule, but it's better than a decline.According to several airline recruiters, many companies are now hiring at all levels. The large U.S. air carriers employ over 66% of all airline workers.  Since they are almost through with their restructurings (June '07), the upward trend looks like it might really be taking off.What I'll never understand is how these guys constantly file for bankruptcy and then "emerge" from it.  It almost annoys me as much as AT&T brainwashing all of us to think they're Cingular and now trying to reverse it again by becoming "the new" AT&T! … [Read more...] about Work for the Friendly Skies

Put the Father of the Year award on hold.What would an 11-year-old child have to do to bring forth such rage?  That's a question Alec Baldwin's camp is already bobbing and weaving around.In case you're under a rock, listen to the audio here.Why am I writing about this on a career-related blog?  Because I propose a new entry into the American pop culture dictionary.Baldwin (verb) - An act of ragePut it this way, it's a step before going postal.Of course, you might recall from the movie Clueless that a "Baldwin" was a good looking guy.  Whatever.He's displayed plenty of anger before.  Whether it's a political screamfest or picking on service industry folks, this creep has displayed this type of behavior over and over and over again.  "You don't have the brains or the decency as a human being."Man, it almost sounds like Alec was looking in a mirror and talking to himself.  So, next time someone loses their temper at work, just let them … [Read more...] about Alec Baldwin Is a Rude, Thoughtless Pig