I often think about Dino. Whenever I hear Springsteen, Miles Davis, or think about the New Orleans Jazzfest (an event that Dino never missed), I think about what a great boss, great friend and great man Dino was. So the holidays are upon us, and what better way to celebrate Thanksgiving then to take a moment to tell you about someone I am truly thankful to have had in my life.My career started in radio. It was a small local station, and while it wasn't exactly what I wanted to be doing, I felt it put my foot in the door. I had dues to pay, so the sooner these positions got out of the way, the better.Rather than bore you with the details of the work I'll just let you know that it was the bottom rung. I worked overnights, weekends, and holidays. I learned little and moved on to the next rung. I'm not sure if it was a stepup or down.My second gig was also in radio. It was a children¹s station that wound up being sold to a Spanish broadcasting group - and I was included in the sale … [Read more...] about Thankful for the Greatest Boss I Ever Had
Archives for November 2007
Find a Job With Podcasts
Jobacle is proud to present episode #74 of the Working Podcast. This week, the Web's #1 career advice podcast brings you: - An Interview with Chris Russell, founder of Jobs In Pods - a revolutionary way for employers to find great candidates and for great job seekers to find jobs. - We bring you the best career resources in the Career Filter, including: Yahoo Kickstart, Tractis, Emurse and Dice Discussions. - Are you committing conversation no-nos at the office? The weather, Fridays and the holidays should be banned... Learn about the Five Small Talk Sins. Plus, a song about work and more! There are three ways to listen: - Stream on our homepage (shows plays instantly) - Stream from the player below (about a 60 second load time) - Download direct … [Read more...] about Find a Job With Podcasts
Losing a Finger on the Job…Kinda
Recently, Andrew G.R. took a walk down memory lane with his blog: Working at K-Mart Taught Me How to Work. I thought it was nice to read about what my friend had learned at his first part-time job - and it got me thinking about my first jobs. I had several as a teenager, and while I’m sure I took something away from all those positions, my fondest memory- or at least the one that is the most interesting to tell- was the one that took something away from me… a fraction of my left index finger to be exact.It was a Thursday in November of 1993. I was 16 years old and worked maintenance (for lack of a better description) at the local bowling alley. The job consisted of a few main tasks; Oiling the lanes; sweeping the gutters and approach before league bowling started at 4pm; wiping down the tables and keeping them free of beer bottles, overflowing ashtrays, and plates of cold French fries, etc. For a short time, before the mechanic showed up, I was also in charge … [Read more...] about Losing a Finger on the Job…Kinda
Confessions of a Job Search Addict
My name is Eris S. and I was once a Job Search Addict. I would like to go on record right now and say that all things considered, I have a great job (knock on wood). My boss trusts me to do what he hired me to do, I have a great office/studio (one of the perks of being an audio engineer), and above all, I am doing what I set out to do. There was, however, a time when I was not so happy. Sure, I was still in the same industry, but I felt like I was working at a level that did not challenge me. I also had problems with the way my departments were run. Not to mention my bosses left little to be desired with regards to leadership. It was during these years - yes YEARS - that I found myself descending deeper and deeper into a world of serious addiction. I got hooked on job hunting. In the beginning, it seemed harmless. I was dabbling; just a couple times a week. But before I knew it, hunting began to take control of my life. First I was just seeing what else was out there. I … [Read more...] about Confessions of a Job Search Addict
Office Worker Gift Guide 2007
There's no escape: the holidays start NOW. The Jobacle gang has rounded up a list of gift ideas for your favorite office worker. Whether you pulled a co-workers' name out of a hat or just want to bring some holiday spirit to your cubicle, we've got you covered with the 2007 Office Worker Gift Guide. If you're looking for a motorized tie rack, move on!Smencils$1+Back in sixth grade we had a "invention contest." I vividly remember submitting a flavored pen. Basically, I popped open a 19-cent Bic, poured some fruit juice inside and thought I'd be sharing flavor across the world with my fellow pen cheers. I didn't win. But I sure likethese Smencils.Made out of paper that is soaked in "gourmet liquid scents," these pencils are packed with fun scents such as cherry, rootbeer, watermelon, chocolate, etc. - or buy a kit and make your own at home.You already know how important positive items are on your desk, at $1 a pop (minimum pack of … [Read more...] about Office Worker Gift Guide 2007
Working at Kmart Taught Me How to Work
Bosses at my first job referred to me as Clock #26 and required me to wear a red vest. Yes, friends, $6.05 an hour at Kmart was where I received my inaugural paycheck. Don't laugh, I learned a lot! In fact, I attribute portions of that job - even though it was about 15 years ago - for getting me into podcasting. I started innocently enough by collecting carts, ringing registers, and stocking the shelves. I don't know if it was the way I scanned or the way I bagged, but I was quickly moved up to the big time: Register Supervisor. Now, when someone ran out of quarters or needed a 15-minute break, they came to me, Clock #26, keeper of the keys and master of your bladder. Now you're probably wondering - what the heck does this have to do with podcasting? See, a register supervisor was allowed to play God in one other way - he or she had control over the store intercom. A long-necked, flexible microphone with a black button that only I could press. And when I did, my voice echoed … [Read more...] about Working at Kmart Taught Me How to Work
DayTipper Podcast Launches – Lifehack Central
I am pleased to announce that your Jobacle Cubemaster, Andrew G.R., is producing a spankin' new Internet radio show: The DayTipper Podcast.In a nutshell, the podcast is jammed with lifehacks; tips designed to make you more productive than ever before. On episode 1:- A new use for Silly Putty- How an orange can help keep you awake- Best/Worst tips of the week- Dryer Sheets enter the DayTipper LabsFrom employment to family - gardening to home improvement - DayTipper has tips for everything. Plus, they'll pay you $3 per published tip. As someone who used the service before I got to know the gang - it's the real deal. If you're a fan of the Working Podcast I think you'll like the DayTipper podcast. It's done in a similar style: quick moving, me running my mouth, etc. Check it out and let me know what you think!Stream DownloadSubscribe … [Read more...] about DayTipper Podcast Launches – Lifehack Central
Working on Veterans Day? A Disgrace!
For a country that plasters yellow bows all over their SUVs - proclaiming "Support Our Troops" - we should get Veterans Day off from work, no?And I'm not just saying that because I'd like an extra day off from work. Rather then give the day off to teachers, bank tellers and political suits to shop the day away, we all should get the day off, and then have to spend at least half of it truly honoring members of our armed forces. Spend some time at a VA hospital or VFW hall. Raise some money. Raise awareness. Do anything you can to help veterans. A recent study showed that 26% of the country's homeless population are veterans.That's how we thank out troops?With over 200,000 strong in Iraq and Afghanistan, we clearly need to take better care of these folks. Employers can start by mobilizing their workforces to do more on Veterans Day. I know I'm generalizing. There has to be some employers out there that do something special. Right? Please let … [Read more...] about Working on Veterans Day? A Disgrace!
Paid Bloggers Wanted for Jobacle.com
Due to some serious growth, Jobacle.com seeks two new bloggers. 1) Career Web 2.0. You will bring the latest and greatest career tools to our readers' attention. Quickie reviews should be objective - pointing out the pros and cons of new employment-related Web sites and/or tools.2) Career Advice. You need to be able to put a unique twist and/or spin on the standard career advice. Our goal is to deliver realistic advice in a voice that our readers trust. We're true believers that there's enough carbon-copy stuff on those HotMonsterBuilder sites. You must be original!Send me whatever you think is necessary to get the gig and an approximate figure of what you would like to earn per post (you won't get rich - but we can help with the groceries). You might be asked to write a paid sample blog entry. Payment will be made via Paypal. We'll plan to start at two posts a week per position (approximately 250 words each) and see how it goes from … [Read more...] about Paid Bloggers Wanted for Jobacle.com
5 Office Small Talk Sins: R U Guilty?
I’m not too big on compiling lists of things that will 'change lives.' However, today a conversation occurred in my office between two of my co-workers that made me (as it always does) start to grind my teeth. It was mindless, boring, cliché banter that was used as nothing more than a device to fill a void of silence between two people that really had nothing to say to one another. Silence is golden...especially at the office.We’ve all taken part in it at one time or another. Maybe we let ourselves get dragged in or maybe we sparked up the exchange ourselves. I’m not a sociologist so I have no idea why people in quiet moments with other people feel the need to always say something, no matter how trite. I think it may have something to do with the fact that we’ve become a society - that between cell phones and iPods - no longer feel comfortable with our own thoughts.Those moments seem so rare these days that when the opportunity of … [Read more...] about 5 Office Small Talk Sins: R U Guilty?