Career Advice

An open letter to Spencer Pratt and heidi Montag... Dear Speidi,This is a challenge: sit in my cubicle for a day and I guarantee it will be harder than anything you have experienced in the Costa Rican jungle.Challenges include 8-hour meetings, cleaning out the community refrigerator, withstanding co-workers never-ending stories, and surviving the infamous paper-cut chamber.Your privacy will be stripped away; your posh lifestyle checked at the door. Reservations for lunch? Hell no. You get a brown bag with a turkey sandwich and 45 minutes. Ready...go! And you better have exact change for the vending machine.Your canned tans will fade under the heat of fluorescent lights. Too hot? Too cold? Whatever. Your boss controls the thermostat so he'll decide how comfortable you will be.Want to call your agent to get you out of here? No problem. Just keep in mind that the Communications Policy you signed indicates that any calls/Internet activity may be monitored. Your fellow cubemates will do … [Read more...] about I'm a Cube Dweller, Get Me Out of Here

Some of the stranger Jobacle topics come to me while I am driving to and from work. Today I would like to speak to you about your pre-work bathroom ritual. Come on now, don't be bashful. From what I gather, people have very stong opinions on going to the bathroom at work. So let me ask: How desperate are you to "eliminate" waste before you get to the office? … [Read more...] about Do You "Eliminate" Before Work?

"Show me yours and I'll show you mine." That's a popular stance amongst Gen X and Gen Y in today's workforce when it comes to revealing salary. Boomers, however, tend to keep their salaries shrouded in secrecy. Regardless of the year you were born, this Website, which reveals the salaries of almost EVERY New York State worker, is the subject of heated debate at Jobacle HQ.The goal of SeeThroughNY, the site which is taking salary reveals to a whole new level, is to give "New Yorkers a clearer view of how their state and local tax dollars are spent." Simply select the branch of government, enter the agency/area in which they work and punch in their full name (you will need to get the exact spelling that appears on their payroll).Voila. You will be presented with '07 and '08 payroll data. And it's accurate...to the penny.I just spent the last hour looking up the salaries of almost everyone I know. The database is comprised of over 263,000 employees.On one hand, I understand why this … [Read more...] about I Know How Much Your Earned Last Summer

My poor e-mail address; riddled with more and more phony job offers everyday.  The latest came from some fake named Priscilla FURLONG...Hello.Your CV reviewing resulted in job offer.Our company offers acquisition under the free zone scheme land, realty relocation, legal, etc.We plan to expand our activities in US and need a team of creative people to make our company competitive.We're looking for right candidates who will be able to support the sales in the fastest and way possible.As Customer Service Manager you must rule processes for transactions; process orders from customers by E-mail, via phone or in person; ensure that payments disbursed timely; compose and collect information for monthly reportsBase salary is about 2 – 3 thousands of USD a month (after your trial period expires).Plus you will get bonus – 5% from each transfer.We will reimburse your entire Money Gram, cellular, banking expenses.Our company not only offers you the job, this is your chance to … [Read more...] about The Fake Job E-mails Keep On Coming

  Over the past two days, we have covered some of the great aspects of a teacher’s job. Some of those would be wonderful if we could blend them into our own jobs (sabbaticals, teaching others, and student teaching), because they would help us to work better overall. Today, we are going to see one of the problems with the teaching industry that needs to be solved. When you started your job, I’m willing to bet that you worked your tail off. As time went on, your performance may have stabilized some, but you always try (successfully or not) to keep it above the “You’re fired!” level. The association of bad performance and termination is an easy one to make, and it doesn’t take much prodding for you to see that you have to do well or you get canned. What if that fear wasn’t there? Can you honestly say that you would perform better if you weren’t held accountable for your work results? As for myself, I know for sure that I would spend a … [Read more...] about What if Everyone Was a Teacher? Part 3

 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

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

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

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