You're getting dressed for another day at work, and suddenly the phone rings. You pick it up, and the person says, I’ve got a job for you. It pays about $210,000 per year. If you take the position, you can work as long as you choose, and unless you really act crazy, we won’t even consider firing you. What do you say? Well, apparently someone said “Yes!” Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock, everyone is talking about the new Supreme Court appointee. Judge Sonia Sotomayor, President Obama’s appointment to the Supreme Court to replace Justice David Souter, probably received a call similar to the one above recently. Although I covered the Supreme Court in the requisite high school civics/government class, I still had to refresh my memory on the requirements and characteristics for a person in the position. If you don’t remember the specifics, it never hurts to know information about the U.S. Constitution. How would you like to work … [Read more...] about Supreme Court Justice Sonia Sotomayor: $210k for Life
Career Advice
What if Everyone was a Teacher? Part 2
Welcome back to this week’s “What if Everyone was a Teacher” series. Yesterday, I told you about a few of the characteristics of the teaching profession uses that many of us could benefit from in our own careers. Today we will cover another one of those wonderful features. Summers Off Teachers get summers off for professional development and to prevent the inevitable loss of sanity brought on by associating with two dozen children every day for nine months. They use the time to rest and rejuvenate, and they might even have a little fun. It’s one of the most valuable perks of a teacher’s job, although since they plan for it every year, they might not see all of the possibilities a summer break contains. For most of us, we would be overwhelmed if our boss came to us and said, “Joe, it’s May 25th. I won’t need you to come back into work until August 20th. Enjoy your summer.” I have a firm grasp on what I want to do with my life, and I … [Read more...] about What if Everyone was a Teacher? Part 2
What if Everyone Was a Teacher? Part 1
I talk often about my wife, because her job is intriguing to me. Teaching is so much different from other careers. Many of the rules that would normally apply to a job are completely different when it comes to educators. These different expectations have both negative and positive nuances that may not be immediately apparent. Today we’ll focus on the positive aspects of applying teaching principles to other career tracks. We would love to hear your feedback on this. It’s super-simple to respond, too! All it takes is a comment below, an email, or a phone call to our voicemail system. And while it may challenge your thinking, just remember that it’s coming from a guy whose greatest accomplishment so far is snitching on his old employer for having a nasty workplace. Student Teaching Try to imagine this scenario. You are nearly finished with college. Your degree is almost within your grasp. The final hurdle? Four months of “practice” in the field you are … [Read more...] about What if Everyone Was a Teacher? Part 1
New Legit Book on Making Money at Home
For many professionals, working from home is not just a dream, but it is THE dream. Since every scammer, shark and charlatan is aware of this fact, the world is flooded with work-from-home schemes. One of the better resources that we've seen in quite some time for folks looking to make a living from home is Undress for Success: The Naked Truth About Making Money at Home.Whether you're a freelancer, employee or business owner, you will find useful tips and advice that will bring you one step closer to becoming an e-worker.Several surveys I've come across recently have stated that up to 75% of companies are currently offering e-work as an employee benefit. As many of us hold on for dear life during this recession, you would think that ALL employers would see the benefit in "telework." E-work does not just benefit the employee, but the rewards are often even greater for the organization - and the world. Who doesn't want to reduce our nation's dependence on foreign resources? Lower … [Read more...] about New Legit Book on Making Money at Home
When Gen Y Just Doesn't Fit In
What do government agencies, nonprofits, and unionized entities have in common?Dinosaurs. (And I mean that affectionately.)While many career blogs and job-related social networks would have you believe otherwise, there are still many baby boomers in our workforce. Don't let their weaker eyesight and slower response times fool you--these folks are not going anywhere for the foreseeable future. Many of them are still damn good at what they do.Jobacle recently received the following E-mail:My organization recently hired a worker fresh out of college. While she performs competent work, her attitude and demeanor have rubbed the majority of staff the wrong way. How do I address the issue? --DonThis isn't the first time I've heard the issue raised. There is a certain swagger Generation Y brings along. In many industries, such as media-driven fields, this know-everything, do-anything confidence helps foster career advancement. However, there are plenty of other industries and companies where … [Read more...] about When Gen Y Just Doesn't Fit In
Fake Posts Part V – Isis Financial Investment Inc.
Get a clue people. We will never fall for job ads that ask us to respond to generic e-mail addresses.Dear Sir/Madam,I am responding to your internet resume and would like to offer you an opportunity with our company.Isis Financial Investment Inc. is announcing about the recruitment of employees for the financial department in USA.Our company:Isis Financial Investment Inc. is a United Arab Emirates investment company established to become a multi-facetted company, which engages in investment and financial activities primarily in the Middle East, Asia, Russia, North America and other emerging markets.My proposal to you is probably different than you may have envisaged when you posted your resume. You would be working from home around your existing schedule. You would earn an income commensurate with what you produce and not what a traditional corporate structure, politics or your educational background dictates.For this kind of vacancy we are looking for the 18-60 years old' … [Read more...] about Fake Posts Part V – Isis Financial Investment Inc.
Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It
Why does work suck? If you ask people why work sucks, they will usually give one of two answers. They will reach for something vague—it’s a hectic world; people are busy; that’s life. Or they will latch onto something specific to their workplace—a controlling boss who clocks every minute of every break, an unfocused management team that creates a constant state of emergency. But we would argue that the answer is both deeper and more widespread. There are symptomatic problems that every workplace shares. The details change from person to person and place to place, but the underlying problem is the same. And it’s a bigger problem than life being hard or that business now travels at blinding speeds. Work sucks in corporate life today because we have time all wrong. So begins the book “Why Work Sucks and How To Fix It” by Cali Ressler and Jody Thompson. The Jobacle slogan has always been “Make Work Better,” and these two ladies are … [Read more...] about Why Work Sucks and How to Fix It
Fake Job Post Part IV – "checking spelling in text"
The latest BS job to hit the Jobacle inbox. From: Rosetta Rojas Hi.Have you ever thought that you can earn extra money by checking spelling in text? Description:Your task will be to revised and corrected texts what we provide to you.You as an English speaking person will check the texts for spell and grammar mistakes, correct them and send them back to us. You can work at home and complete work during couple hours! Remuneration: you will be paid $5.00 for every 1Kb of the text which you revise. Usually we sent 4-5 Kb of text, thus you will earn about 750 usd a month. You will get paid once a month.Requirements:Candidate must be USA citizen, aged 24 , be computer user, have personal e-mail and have knowledge & experience in MS Word.To apply for the position, please, provide us with the following information to: dwayne.harley68@gmail.comYour full name: Full address (state, city, zip):Contact phone:Personal E-mail:Your age:Occupation:Education:Thank you. … [Read more...] about Fake Job Post Part IV – "checking spelling in text"
Office Fridge Cleanup Sends 7 to Hospital
I never realized that I was taking my life into my hands when I cleaned the refrigerator at the office. An office worker cleaning a fridge full of rotten food created a smell so noxious that it sent seven co-workers to the hospital and made many others ill.Firefighters had to evacuate the AT&T building in downtown San Jose on Tuesday after the fumes led someone to call 911. A hazmat team was called in.What crews found was an unplugged refrigerator crammed with moldy food.Authorities say an enterprising office worker had decided to clean it out, placing the food in a conference room while using two cleaning chemicals to scrub down the mess.The mixture of old lunches and disinfectant caused 28 people to need treatment for vomiting and nausea.Authorities say the worker who cleaned the fridge didn't need treatment — she can't smell because of allergies.Source: Associated Press Related reading: The Poison Office … [Read more...] about Office Fridge Cleanup Sends 7 to Hospital
Laid Off? "Recycle" Those Old Business Cards
With almost 9 percent of the American workforce out of work, one thing's for sure: there's no shortage of outdated business cards hanging around.Aside from keeping a few for nostalgia, there's really not much you can do with hundreds of paper squares that contain irrelevant information.Until now.The good folks at Cardsofchange have come up with a way to capitalize on biz cards from your former employer.What you do is take your old business card and cross out your former contact info. Then write in your new email address along with 1 positive change that happened in your life as a result of losing you rjob. You then upload the photo to their Website.From their mouth:There's more talent out on the streets than ever before. Brilliant people looking to reshape their country, build their career and perhaps even grow your business.Cardsofchange is a place where the glass is always half-full. A destination where all the bad news of the day takes a back seat to stories of individual success. … [Read more...] about Laid Off? "Recycle" Those Old Business Cards