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. The end of the year is usually marked by much pseudo soul searching, attempts at tallying accomplishments and failures, and a sort of assessment of benefits and deficits. We are indeed plagued by a level of societal-induced self doubt that causes us to try and tabulate exactly who we really are, based upon a calendars' annual arbitrariness. In this respect, the Cubicle Continuum, and your humble writer, as part of the great Jobacle team, is no different, and suffers from the same malady.For the past few months, it's been my privilege to provide you with a weekly column that speaks to the relevant world of work issues that we're all subjected to, and must confront, each and every day. Whether we're discussing … [Read more...] about Cubicle Continuum Looks Towards '08
Life as an MTV Permalancer
Viacom has made headlines recently with regards to their “permalance” system. For those of you not familiar with the term permalance, it's used to describe an employee that falls somewhere between a permanent/staff employee and a freelancer. There was a time not too long ago when I worked for MTV and was placed - as an estimated 75% of their employees are - in the permalance category. What this meant was that you held a full-time position (you know, a 50-60 hour work week) but received no benefits. Try explaining that one to mom!Freelancers can often charge more for their services since they are not a "drain" on an organization's payroll. While a certain level of stability comes along with freelancing, many find it more rewarding to be their own boss and not get stuck in the grind of a daily routine. Permalancers have no such freedom. They are paid the same as regular staff employees, leaving them with the burden of buying their own health … [Read more...] about Life as an MTV Permalancer
Path 101 Gets Your Career On Track
Episode #76 of the Working Podcast brings you the following career advice and employment news: - Path 101 hopes to help you figure out your next career step. We talk with the Website's CEO and co-founder Charlie O'Donnell on getting the site off the ground and the Resume Genome Project. - The rules of gift giving at the office. Should you buy your boss a holiday gift? Do you have to reciprocate? Get the 411. - The Career Filter explores CareerTV, CareerCruising and Rescue Time. 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 Path 101 Gets Your Career On Track
The Argument Against Collaborative Workspace
Recently, Victor Kipling wrote a Cubicle Continuum column on "The Death of the Office""Under the guise of wanting to increase ‘transparency,’ the new organizational trend-setters are touting the benefits of the horizontal work space...that is, the cubicle and (worse yet) the bullpen. From the lowest clerk to the highest CEO, everyone is now expected to march in lockstep and function in an open, non-private environment."When I first entered the workforce in the late 90s, I foolishly had the notion that success was gauged by the pay you earned, the title you floated and the size of your office.As a kid going to work with dad always left me impressed. The helpful secretary, the "reserved" parking space, and yes, the office. A BIG office. The kind I will likely never have in my entire life (unless I build it myself). And don't all kids strive to be more "successful" than their parents?A recent article, Collaboration Cancels the Cubicle Culture, spoke … [Read more...] about The Argument Against Collaborative Workspace
Imus Got Rehired. Would You Have?
Just eight months after being fired for using racist and offensive remarks on his program, radio host Don Imus is back on the air. He’s on a new station (WABC 770 AM), with two new cohorts, but promises that the show won’t change. For the most part things are going well for Imus. His audience nearly doubled on his first show back with its heaviest numbers coming in the first hour. Clearly there was a curiosity that will (and has already) tapered off, but he’ll still have great numbers. He seems to be remorseful and has already settled back in to doing his job. I, for one, have never listened to Imus. I have had two Imus experiences though. The first came when I was working at a private airport in New Jersey. It was Labor Day and he was returning home with his wife and child from his Ranch for Kids with Cancer. I unloaded his luggage and he gave me a $20 tip - a great tip. The second came only a few months later when I was working at CBS and my first task was … [Read more...] about Imus Got Rehired. Would You Have?
Career and Resume Videos on CareerTV
This is a guest blog post by job hunter Sally Lawton.Company: CareerTV.comSlogan: Careers brought to life!Pros: Advice for new grads and young professionals, video resumes, information on corporations and universities, interviews with professionalsCons: Cheesy production value, categories limited, many features not yet availableDo you ever wish you didn’t actually have to read all of the career advice floating around on the Internet? CareerTV gives you everything you could read elsewhere, but in video form. The videos offered include profiles of companies and universities, resumes, career advice, and interviews with professionals.The company profiles, presented in full evening-news style, cover mainly big corporations such as IBM and Google. While it is fun to visualize a prospective company, the information is not any great insight into the company’s culture. More interesting are the vlogs that give career advice. None of the advice is particularly groundbreaking, but all … [Read more...] about Career and Resume Videos on CareerTV
Salute to the Office Secretary
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. As part of an annual ritual, I usually amble into Staples at this time of the year to buy next years' appointment book. If you read my last column, you know that I do everything possible to avoid, avert and evade the holiday hustlers who patrol the entrances of drug stores, mega-stores and everything in between.Once in the store, I’m surprised to find that these appointment books are in very short supply, since almost the entire store is dedicated - no, devoted to - all sorts of techno stuff. It's almost like paper is going out of style. Call me old school, but for me there's nothing like a clean, fresh, high-quality genuine leather appointment book. It's almost mystical, scanning the blank calendar pages, and knowing that … [Read more...] about Salute to the Office Secretary
Should I Switch From White to Blue-Collar Work?
About once a year I find myself daydreaming about how nice it would be to leave my office life for one a little more rugged. One that would allow me to spend a little more time in a natural environment actually using the body I have. I’ve noticed that this desire usually pops up around the spring season. As I get in my car and head to the grind I’ll drive past a construction site. There will be a group of people already well into their day, enjoying the sunshine, burning calories, all while building homes, offices, schools and other tangible things. I imagine the pride that must be felt after a hard day’s work; not to mention the satisfaction one must feel when they drive through a town and know that they’ve help build it. I’m sure a lot of that stems from that whole grass being greener thing. I’m well aware of the days - especially here in the south - when I am so grateful for my air-conditioned office. Still, I was raised in a blue-collar family, in a blue-collar town, and have paid … [Read more...] about Should I Switch From White to Blue-Collar Work?
Office Gift-Giving Rules and Reminders
Are you buying a gift for your boss this holiday season? I’m not. And I actually like the guy. I am a big believer that employees should NOT buy their bosses holiday gifts. Every year we all wrestle with the issue of who to buy for at the office and what to get them. Here are some rules and reminders that will hopefully alleviate some of the holiday pressure.DO IT PRIVATELY: If you plan to give a gift to your boss or a colleague it should be done privately. Public displays of gift giving open you up to criticism and judgment.“Oh my God, did you see what a kiss ass Andrew is?”“He didn’t tell me he was giving XYZ a gift!”“That’s all he spent?”Gift giving is a personal choice that should come from your heart. Do your best to keep it quiet and personal.LEARN THE CULTURE: The holidays can be particularly difficult if you’re the newbie at the office, as you have no idea what to expect. Rookies … [Read more...] about Office Gift-Giving Rules and Reminders
Holiday Tip: Who and How Much?
I’m happy to report that holiday tipping is not a problem for me. In fact, I didn’t even know it existed until I was in my twenties. I’m talking about the outrageous holiday gratuity exercise of bringing holiday cheer to people that play bit parts in your life, $50 at a time. The doorman, the mailperson, the gardener, parking attendants, trash collectors and so on. People's hands certainly aren't extended, and I doubt my subscription to Wired will suddenlty start to disappear if I don't tip. However, are we really breaking etiquette laws when we decide not to extend a gratuity?Where I live trash companies are privately run. Since I have no real relationship with my trash collectors, I feel no need to tip them. To my understanding, tip itself is actually T.I.P. and it stands for “To Insure Promptness.” So when the hell did it become such an automatic? Do I really need to kick in more than the monthly fee that the company came up with in … [Read more...] about Holiday Tip: Who and How Much?