If you've ever felt trapped in your career, there is a good chance that you have considered relocation. The thought of a new city and a fresh start feels like just the thing to jumpstart your stalled professional life.As someone who has personally looked into uprooting his life in the past, I can tell you firsthand about what a daunting task it is. Not for the weak of heart. One of the most important things you can do to make your life easier is to narrow down where you want to live. I don't need to bore you with the importance of location. When it comes to real estate, location is everything.When searching for a home in a new area, you'll research the schools, analyze the taxes and crunch those crime rate numbers. But an often overlooked point of research is the "culture" of the neighborhood. By this, I mean local events. From sporting events to street fairs, performing arts to comedy clubs, identifying these events will not only ensure entertainment … [Read more...] about Relocating? Fizber Launches Neighborhood Event Finder
CareerBuilder Super Bowl Ad 2008
CareerBuilder wants you to self-help yourself. As you know from last year, we think that Super Bowl ads dis hard-working Americans across the country. In fact, we've even considered boycotting sports. Rather then piss and moan about all that wasted money, we're just hoping that Career Builder gets it right this year. We were fans of their chimpanzee co-workers, but thought the "wild office jungle" was an example of going back to the well (zoo) one too many times. The ads were misdirected and ineffective. “This year’s campaign is more poignant and urges the sense of empowerment,” said Richard Castellini, Vice President of Consumer Marketing at CareerBuilder.com. Already sounds better than last year. Between stuffing your pie hole with chicken wings and pizza, you can expect to see Career Builder ads that emphasize; change is possible, it lies within and that it's up to YOU to be proactive. Amen. There's a viral marketing element to the ad campaign as well. So if you see a bright … [Read more...] about CareerBuilder Super Bowl Ad 2008
Get Your Employer to Pay for an Online Degree
Even if your employer doesn't have a program in place to pay for continuing education, you still have a shot of getting them to foot the bill for an advanced degree. Sometimes, all you have to do is ask. Your boss might even be willing to pay for GMAT prep as well as credit-based courses. In this blog entry we're going to address requesting an online degree since they are A) more convenient for you and your employer B) becoming more widely accepted C) we get a lot of e-mails questioning their validity. Here are some things to know before you decide you're going to ask your job to pay for an online course: KNOW YOUR EMPLOYER Before approaching your boss, it is of paramount importance to understand the state of your company. Are economic times lean? Is a massive reorganization underway? These could be hindrances or they could help you structure a solid case. The key is to have an idea of what is happening internally at the organization and use it to … [Read more...] about Get Your Employer to Pay for an Online Degree
Severe Job Cuts Loom in 2008
Career Protection, an agency that offers employees counseling on negotiating better benefits, severance pay, and retirement packages, has released its Annual Layoffs Forecast for 2008, and it ain't pretty.Over 1,375 corporate executives nationwide completed the confidential annual survey regarding workforce reduction plans (Survey conducted January 2-25, 2008). And the results yielded a 37% increase in companies planning layoffs and reductions in their workforce this year - the worst such forecast in five years.With the economy on the verge of a recession, if it isn't already there, grim layoff news is not a surprise. However, now is an excellent time to remind you that in some cases, severance packages are negotiable. Upon accepting one, a company will expect you to sign a General Release of Legal Claims in exchange for the package, this is your leverage. While we've never personally used Career Protection or similar services, with the job market in a state of … [Read more...] about Severe Job Cuts Loom in 2008
Would You Take a Rocket to Work?
I'm all for cutting down my commute time. Forget the HOV lane, you'll blow by everyone as you suit on a Thunderpack by Thunderman Aerosystems. The lofty $90k price tag is out of my budget and I work a little too far from home. Apparently, the contraption only keeps you airborne for about a minute. Will we see rocket-powered humans on our way to the office in our lifetime? … [Read more...] about Would You Take a Rocket to Work?
How to Deal With Negative People
Episode #78 of the Working Podcast brings you free career advice and employment news: - Tristan Loo, founder of the Synergy Institute talks about maintaining your motivation and dealing with negative people in part two of our interview. - Roger August Young, a listener of the Working Podcast, performs a song about struggling at work to please Uncle Sam. - The Career Filter explores NotchUp, The Work Review and Catch the Best. 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 How to Deal With Negative People
Get Paid to Go on Job Interviews
Company: NotchUpSlogan: Opportunity Knocks.Pros: Get paid for your interview time; Improves the talent pool; Incentives the job hunt for passive candidates Cons: Benefits the people who need the least help; System can potentially be gamed; Stealth startup NotchUp hopes to turn the interview process on its head by having employers reward candidates for their time. A calculator, that factors in your current position, experience, education and salary helps you determine what price to set. However, you are free to pull an arbitrary number out of the sky. Payments are made via Paypal.Sorta like a good faith payment, if a company is willing to pay for your interview time, you can be pretty sure you're not just there to fill some EOE quota. The company also pays NotchUp a fee for each interview that is carried out.What I do like about the concept is that it forces talented workers to shake off some of that complacency dust. No matter how good a job seems, … [Read more...] about Get Paid to Go on Job Interviews
The Best (Fictional) Companies to Work 2008
FORTUNE Magazine has done it again. They've "wowed" us with their "100 Best Companies to Work For: 2008"Are YOU jealous? Don't be. Even Google has gotta have a crappy, passive-aggressive, nightmare-of-a-boss. Or stinky people who don't understand the concept of personal space. Or, dare I say it, the potential for layoffs. America loves this list. They'll spend weeks Googling it. Personally, I don't get it. A truly great place to work lives in your head more than anywhere else. So, here's a list of our own: Jobacle's 100 Best FICTIONAL Companies to Work For. Since they're not real companies, work can't suck as bad! Help us complete the list! Please leave a comment below with the fictional company you'd wanna work for and why. We'll complete the list and go through your picks on a future episode of the Working Podcast. Please subscribe! 100 Best FICTIONAL Places to Work (once you help us finish it...) Arcade Flower … [Read more...] about The Best (Fictional) Companies to Work 2008
Office Animals: Which Do You Work With?
He got his start laying pipe for the Atlas Water and Sewer company. Eventually, he climbed the ranks, becoming responsible for a staff of 800 and annual revenue exceeding $120 million. His name is Victor Kipling. This is his weekly column. With the advent of Chinese New Year in a few weeks, you'll be pleased to know that we say bye to the Pig and welcome to the Year of the Rat! Legend has it that the Buddha invited animals to attend a new-year celebration, and those that attended were forever honored by having an eternal place in Chinese calendars and astrology. And, if you're a good customer at your local Chinese take-out, you may find a calendar next to those egg rolls between now and Feb. 7th.What, you may ask, does any of this have to do with life as we know it at the workplace? Well, when you consider how often all of us liken our bosses, peers and subordinates to various animals, there are some parallels and maybe even inferences to be drawn here. … [Read more...] about Office Animals: Which Do You Work With?
Lessons From the Stars: First Impressions
The two seconds you get to generate an initial feeling in someone is HUGE. Sure, you can change their minds with subsequent interaction, but a first impression has the power to stay with someone for life. For example, when I met my wife (about 12 years ago) I thought she was a gangster chick and she thought I was a Puerto Rican player. After one date I quickly discovered that she was a school-teaching softie and she learned I'm about as Rican as Christian Hans Andersen. So much for first impressions.We were able to debunk the myths we had created in our minds by simply spending some time together. Unfortunately, you might never get to that point with a potential employer. Similarly, famous people are often judged on exchanges that take up mere seconds of their lives. That's why you'll often hear strong opinions from people after they've had an encounter with a star, "He was so nice and down to earth."Why? Because he signed an … [Read more...] about Lessons From the Stars: First Impressions