Boston.com - The Job Blog

A few local CFO's may be hiringBy Chris Reidy, Globe staff Be nice to chief financial officers - at a time when every day seems to bring news of more layoffs, some local CFOs are hiring. That's one headline from a financial hiring index compiled by Robert Half International Inc., a California firm that provides staffing and risk consulting services and that has a presence in Boston. According to the local component of the Robert Half survey, which was based on interviews with 200 chief financial officers from a sample of companies with 20 or more employees, the hiring of full-time accounting and finance professionals in the Boston area is expected to increase in the second quarter, with 9 percent of chief financial officers surveyed planning to add s
» 3 Mar 2009, 6:49 am

Where's your bailout?Do you have a job, pay your mortgage, invest prudently, and pay for health care? Should the federal government be spending hundreds of billions to help those that don't? What's in all these bailout and stimulus packages for you? Globe reporter Robert Gavin would like to hear from you. E-mail him at RGavin@globe.com.
» 19 Feb 2009, 7:16 am

Grants for older workers announcedThis article originally appeared in the Business News Updates blog on Boston.com. By Chris Reidy, Globe staff A Massachusetts state agency said it has issued grants that target worker retention strategies. "The purpose of these grants is to research and design methods of retaining older workers in fields such as health care, manufacturing, and higher education,” Secretary Suzanne M. Bump of the Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development said in a statement. “With these new strategies in mind, businesses in the commonwealth will be better prepared to preserve and maintain an experienced and knowledgeable workforce.” One recipient of a $50,000 grant is the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center, said Bump's office, which adde
» 12 Feb 2009, 4:53 am

Monster launches displaced workers initiativeThis article originally appeared in the Business News Updates blog on Boston.com. By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff Monster.com announced the launch of Monster Evolutions, a customized outplacement solution for employers designed to help recently displaced workers explore and identify new career possibilities. With much of its operations in Maynard, Monster.com is a global online career and recruitment resource and the flagship brand of Monster Worldwide Inc. "Monster Evolutions offers a comprehensive solution to companies who want to help employees affected by workforce reductions," Steve Cooker, senior vice president and general manager of sales for Monster, said in a statement. "By providing our customers with the latest in outpl
» 11 Feb 2009, 7:23 am

Rise in Greater Boston's college employmentThis article originally appeared in the Business News Updates blog on Boston.com. By Chris Reidy, Globe staff Employment in colleges and universities increased 18.4 percent in the Boston area between 1990 and 2006, a steeper increase than the 11.1 percent gain across all industries, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics said. In a report titled “The Prominence of Colleges and Universities in the Boston Metropolitan Area," the bureau looked at employment and wage data to analyze the labor market impact and contributions of colleges and universities on the local economy. One report finding is hardly a surprise: No other metropolitan area in the United States came close to matching Boston’s concentration of employment in higher education.
» 11 Feb 2009, 3:00 am

Backup career plan?Did you recently lose your job or are you trying to figure out what your options are just in case you do? And are you finding that your fallback positions aren't panning out? We'd like to hear from you. Please contact Globe reporter Erin Ailworth at eailworth@globe.com to share your story.
» 9 Feb 2009, 4:55 am

January job cuts soarThis article originally appeared on the Business News Updates blog on Boston.com. By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff Record downsizing in the retail sector helped push the number of planned job cuts announced in January to 241,749, said Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. of Chicago, a global outplacement consulting firm that tracks layoffs. "That is the largest monthly layoff total since January 2002, when job cuts reached an all-time high of 248,475," the firm said in a press release. "The January job-cut total was 45 percent higher than the 166,348 cuts announced in December. It was 222 percent higher than a year ago, when employers announced 74,986 job cuts to begin the year."
» 4 Feb 2009, 1:39 am

Another unemployment extensionThe following article originally appearing in the Business News Updates blog on Boston.com on Friday, Jan. 30. By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff Massachusetts claimants who have exhausted regular and extended unemployment insurance benefits may be eligible for up to 13 additional weeks of benefits, effective Feb. 15, Secretary Suzanne M. Bump of the state's Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development said Friday. Bump's office said in a press release: "All potentially eligible Massachusetts claimants will be mailed instructions the week of Feb. 8 regarding how to file for additional extended benefits by the Division of Unemployment Assistance. The weekly benefit amount will be the same as the amount a claimant collected on their
» 2 Feb 2009, 1:54 am

Report touts casino jobsThis article originally appeared in the Business News Updates blog on Boston.com. By Chris Reidy, Globe Staff The gaming industry, particularly the unionized sector of the casino hotel industry, provides good jobs with good wages and benefits for often neglected parts of the workforce such as those without college degrees, women, and people of color. That's a finding of a new report titled,“Gaming in Massachusetts: Can Casinos Bring ‘Good Jobs’ to the Commonwealth?” The report was released by the Labor Resource Center at the University of Massachusetts at Boston, and it was funded by the Construction Institute and the Future of Work in Massachusetts project, according to a UMass press release. “In the conversion to a serv
» 2 Feb 2009, 12:29 am

Unions add to ranksThe following story originally appeared in the Business News Updates blog on Boston.com. By Robert Gavin, Globe Staff Labor unions in Massachusetts added nearly 80,000 members last year and significantly increased the share of workers they represent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Union membership grew to 458,000, or about 15.7 percent of workers in 2008, up from 379,000, or about 13.2 percent, in 2007. Nationally, union membership rose to 12.4 percent of workers from 12. 1 percent in 2007. "As the economy implodes, workers are increasingly looking for the protection and security provided by unions through collective bargaining," said Richard M. Rogers, executive secretary-treasurer of Greater Boston Labor Council. Massa
» 29 Jan 2009, 9:17 am

Brazen Careerist

Live video chat: How to find the hidden job marketThis video chat will take place Friday, March 12, 1pm eastern. (Sign up here.) This chat will be about how to get a job by looking in the right places. (And, I am experimenting with mysterious titles for my video chats. Do more people sign up if the title sounds like a Nancy Drew mystery?) The [...]Comment on: Live video chat: How to find the hidden job market
» 11 Mar 2010, 7:05 am

The biggest triumph is getting out of bedPsychology Today did an interview with me. It was about my most triumphant moments in my life, and how I overcame obstacles to get there. I knew immediately that the interview was going to be a disaster, so I told them I wanted to do the interview written, rather than on the phone. Then I didn’t [...]Comment on: The biggest triumph is getting out of bed
» 9 Mar 2010, 9:46 am

List of things I hate #3This is not an exhaustive list on the topic. In fact, it may be an inexhaustible topic. There are older lists of what I hate. So today's post is merely my most recent list. Which is notable because hatred is a process. Neurologists have proven that love and hate are closely related, and I have found it's hard [...]Comment on: List of things I hate #3
» 3 Mar 2010, 10:52 pm

Live video chat: Blogging Bootcamp, Tuesday March 2Yep, that's right. I'm going to tell you how to write a blog that will help you meet your goals. Tuesday night at 8 p.m. eastern. The chat will be upbeat and inspirational. At the beginning. And then I will rant about my pet peeves. For example: Why you should not try to make money from [...]Comment on: Live video chat: Blogging Bootcamp, Tuesday March 2
» 1 Mar 2010, 2:24 pm

5 Ways to make telecommuting betterI have this idea that I am going to start working from home. I tried to go into the office. But the only alone time I have in my day is the time I’m not with the kids, and if I spend my alone time with other people, then I don’t have alone time and [...]Comment on: 5 Ways to make telecommuting better
» 27 Feb 2010, 4:42 pm

The nuts and bolts of building a brandI am switching up the blog a bit. It's time to take the Brazen Careerist part off of my blog. It's time for the blog to just be Penelope Trunk, and only my company should use the name Brazen Careerist. We have been saying this in Brazen Careerist board meetings for about five months. The conversation goes [...]Comment on: The nuts and bolts of building a brand
» 23 Feb 2010, 10:29 am

Mindfulness makes you more productiveI’m in the midst of dumping my happiness obsession for something else, but I wonder what is the key to a good life if I’m giving up on happiness? I thought maybe it was interestingness, but I am a little worried because I confess that I’d rather fall asleep in the farmer’s arms than solve [...]Comment on: Mindfulness makes you more productive
» 22 Feb 2010, 10:49 am

How to be more creative at workMy current favorite blogger is Dave Portnoy at Barstool Sports. (Not safe for work.) His topic, as far as I can tell, is smut and snobbery. I think that even though my blog is pointed at the intersection of life and work, I wish it were at the intersection of smut and snobbery. Because I am [...]Comment on: How to be more creative at work
» 18 Feb 2010, 7:48 pm

Test: Is your life happy or interesting?The culmination of my four-year obsession with happiness research is that I think people need to choose between an interesting life or happy life. (Note: This does not mean you are interesting or not interesting. I am talking about what values guide your decision making.) I think the things that make life happy have to do [...]Comment on: Test: Is your life happy or interesting?
» 16 Feb 2010, 9:34 am

Almost a review of Seth Godin's book, LinchpinSeth Godin’s new book, Linchpin, has arrived. I read it on the farmer’s sofa. The farmer is going through a midlife crisis. It’s not really a midlife crisis, though. As an expert on the process of coming of age in one’s twenties, I’d have to say that the farmer is actually going through a quarterlife crisis. Typically, [...]Comment on: Almost a review of Seth Godin's book, Linchpin
» 15 Feb 2010, 9:35 am

Career Hub Blog

Moping, Coping, HopingOne of the things I love about being a career counselor is what I learn from my clients. They are constantly 'teaching' me something. Take last week, for example. My client was talking about people who lose their jobs (he...
» 11 Mar 2010, 7:29 am

Networking: Focus On Warm Contacts, Not The "Right Contacts""Focus on networking with your warm contacts first" - hardly rocket science is it?! Yet so many people (particularly job seekers and career changers), seem to think that networking is all about spending time with the "the right contacts" (whatever...
» 10 Mar 2010, 12:57 pm

23 Es of the Job HuntLately, my mind has been consumed with the alphabet...if by chance you have ever written a book containing 850+ one-liners (tweets) that start with A - Z, you will agree that it is all consuming and sometimes, here's another 'C'...
» 3 Mar 2010, 11:54 am

Recap: LinkedIn Questions & Answers (Plus Further Tips From Readers)During last week, I published 7 daily posts to answer 7 common questions I’m asked about using the professional networking site LinkedIn.com - easily the most popular and effective social networking site for job seekers. In case you missed any...
» 3 Mar 2010, 3:06 am

Social Networking and Blog Links in Your ResumeWith the proliferation of blogs and social networking, many job seekers have begun to wonder about whether to include relevant links to these sites in their resumes. These links could include LinkedIn Profiles, profiles on Facebook, MySpace, Plaxo, Ning, Zoominfo,...
» 1 Mar 2010, 1:11 pm

LinkedIn Q & A [Part 7 of 7]: What To Write In Your Profile When Job SearchingQuestions: If I’m job searching, what should I put in my LinkedIn profile? Answer: Here are 10 tips: 1. If you’ve been made redundant, don’t write “looking for a job.” Factually it may be true, but it smacks of desperation...
» 28 Feb 2010, 6:34 pm

LinkedIn Q & A [Part 6 of 7]: Status Update TipsQuestion: Have you any tips on what to write in the status updates on LinkedIn? Answer: 1. Be Respectful of people’s attention Just because your contacts agreed to connect with you on LinkedIn doesn’t mean you can spam their home...
» 27 Feb 2010, 5:31 pm

LinkedIn Q & A [Part 5 of 7]: How To Get High Quality Recommedations On LinkedInQuestion: How do you get genuine, personalised recommendations on LinkedIn? Answer: Here are 4 tips to follow: 1. Make personal requests for a recommendation via phone or face to face before sending the LinkedIn request for recommendation 2. Request results...
» 26 Feb 2010, 3:00 pm

The Between Jobs PartDo not falter, nor waiver and stub. Do not give up, learn from a flub. Each day is a chance to start over again. Be not disappointed; it goes with the plan. Sooner than later and sooner, I hope. You...
» 26 Feb 2010, 7:09 am

LinkedIn Q & A [Part 4 of 7]: 3 Rules For Connecting With People You Don’t KnowQuestion: ”Are there any guidelines on connecting with people you don’t know?” Answer: Here are 3 rules to follow: 1. Be respectful of what type of networker they are: There are 3 types of people on LinkedIn: a) ‘Open Networkers’...
» 25 Feb 2010, 4:13 pm

LinkedIn Q & A [Part 3 of 7]: How Well Must You Know Someone Before Connecting?Question: ‘How well do I need to know someone before inviting them to connect on LinkedIn?” Answer: Use the same common sense you’d use in the offline world If you met someone at a networking event or conference, you’d usually...
» 24 Feb 2010, 3:22 pm

Cheezhead

jobing acquires cheezheadBy Joel Cheesman - Before Twitter and Facebook, blogging was the quickest and cheapest way to create Brand You. So, when launching HRSEO in 2005, it was a no-brainer to blog in order to do those things, as well as create a positive image and maybe drive a sale or two. Any readers would have been a pleasant surprise, as I was focused on building a business and keeping a roof over my head. But readers came. And as they came, sales followed. And thus began how much of the next 4 years would play-out. What started as a simple subdomain on Typepad quickly became the stand-alone site you see here today. In 2008, I made the decision to hire employees and open an office, dedicating more time and energy around existing and new businesses. The plan
» 9 Sep 2009, 2:01 pm

jobvite raises $8.2 millionBy Vanessa Dennis - Jobvite, provider of next-generation recruitment solutions, has completed Series B financing totaling $8.25 million. The round was led by ATA Ventures, a new investor. According to a press release, CMEA Capital, who led Jobvite’s Series A financing, also participated in this round. Jobvite secured $7.2 million in Series A funding in 2007 from CMEA Capital, bringing its total funding to date to $15.45 million.
» 8 Sep 2009, 9:02 pm

taleo’s new vue on interviewingTaleo has teamed up with HireVue to offer the industry's first pre-integrated video interviewing solution for use with Taleo Enterprise.
» 8 Sep 2009, 11:28 am

not your father’s recruiting conferenceBy John Sumser - On September 23 and 24, I'm going to be in Toronto for the second annual Recruitfest. It's the RecruitingBlogs.com conference event. It's unlike any other get together in the HR - Recruiting - Talent Development industry. A regular review of the Recruitfest Facebook page will give you some idea of what's in store. Most conferences, inside and outside of the industry, follow the same old formula. You're either a presenter or you're the audience. Even the less structured unconferences have a hard time with the dynamic. The idea that authority figures have the answers is nearly hard wired. If that's what you're looking for, Recruitfest is the wrong place to find it.
» 8 Sep 2009, 6:45 am

monster gov. solutions to help hire 270K workersMonster Government Solutions has teamed up with the Partnership for Public Service to help federal agencies recruit qualified candidates.
» 3 Sep 2009, 11:07 am

rev up your resumeResuWe is a new free site that allows users to quickly reformat, restructure and optimize their resume simply by uploading a current version of the document.
» 3 Sep 2009, 8:20 am

talentdrive tests out educationTalentDrive, the creator of the resume sourcing technology, TalentFilter, has announced a partnership with General ASP to assist in sourcing educators.
» 3 Sep 2009, 7:38 am

monster employment index soarsThe Monster Employment Index rose in August, seeing its highest monthly rate of improvement in four years.
» 3 Sep 2009, 6:44 am

10 reasons why niche sites will surviveBy Chris Russell - Lately job board bashing seems to be all the rage in the recruiting blogosphere. This article is my attempt to set the record straight and dispell the myths and rumors out there. First, lets be clear about the term job board. There are many types of boards...general, niche, local, matching, etc. To classify all them as dying is stereotyping the entire industry. Fact is, there are many niche and local job boards who still have a lot of value to offer employers when it comes to recruiting talent.
» 3 Sep 2009, 6:02 am

layoffs hit second lowest level of the yearA recent report from Challenger, Gray & Christmas found that employers announced a total of 76,456 layoffs last month, a decrease from July and the second lowest level of the year.
» 2 Sep 2009, 8:19 am

Escape from Corporate America

Get Creative at WorkImage by moriza via Flickr Are you a creative soul trapped in a cubicle job? Check out this article from Metro: Let Your Office Creativity Fly Free. I shared some tips with Metro columnist Drew Hinshaw for the article. Creativity at work is one of my favorite topics and is also the focus of my upcoming New [...]
» 9 Feb 2010, 7:19 am

Be An Entrepreneur….Or Just Think Like OneAs a career & interview coach, one of my core philosophies  is that we all must learn to think like entrepreneurs when it comes to managing our careers. That doesn’t mean all of my clients are running their own businesses — many are very happy and successful in Corporate America or working for others. However, they [...]
» 24 Jan 2010, 7:35 pm

Join Me on JobRadio USA on TuesdayTune in to JobRadio USA on Tuesday, January 12th at 9pm. Host Kenrick Chatman and I will discuss strategies to help you escape from Corporate America and create a dream career around your passion. We will be taking your calls to help you brainstorm your own escape plans. To attend this show by phone, dial 347-838-9326. [...]
» 11 Jan 2010, 8:05 am

We Wuz Robbed — Career Advice for BurglarsOn Tuesday evening, I returned from leading a 2-day workshop in DC to discover that my apartment had been visited by burglars who helped themselves to some holiday gifts and rifled through our belongings. I was shocked and more than a little freaked out. I have always felt 100% safe in my building and my neighborhood. [...]
» 17 Dec 2009, 7:17 am

Free NYC Workshop — How to Start a Freelancing or Consulting BusinessIf you’ve ever fantasized about escaping from Corporate America to start your own freelancing or consulting business, mark your calendar for Thursday, December 17th. I’m leading a free workshop on making the leap from employee to entrepreneur in New York City, in partnership with the U.S. Small Business Administration and Operation Hope. Join us to get practical [...]
» 13 Dec 2009, 5:45 am

Attention Career Changers: Free Makeover and 15 Minutes of TV FameA major women’s magazine is working on a TV special and looking for a career changer who could use a makeover to update your look, boost your confidence, and wow them at your next interview or meeting. If you’re a woman between the ages of 25 and 45 and currently searching for work, you could get [...]
» 10 Nov 2009, 7:23 am

How to Quit Your JobThis resignation letter is concise, creative and pretty freakin hilarious. Andrew is a genius. He is setting his bridges on fire and laughing as they burn. I love the psychotic threats mixed with prim distaste for lack of “foresight” and “acumen.”
» 10 Nov 2009, 6:38 am

Time for a Career Break? Your Sabbatical GuideHave you ever fantasized about quitting your job to travel the world? Maybe you don’t have to wait until retirement to experience the joys of the wanderer’s life. I wrote about the benefits of career breaks in Escape from Corporate America and I recently had the opportunity to meet some experts on the subject of how [...]
» 3 Nov 2009, 6:45 am

Dream Jobs and Job Nightmares — Work-Related Dream AnalysisDuring this week leading up to Halloween, a holiday designed to let you live out your secret fantasy or nightmare for the evening, I have been plagued by weird dreams about work. I decided to do some research and  it turns out that bizarre work-related dreams are very common. But what do they mean? According to [...]
» 30 Oct 2009, 3:35 am

Dream Job Posting — Chief Strategy Officer for Well-Funded Start-UpI love nothing more than connecting a talented person with a dream job. So when a client asked me to help him find someone for a senior position, I jumped at the chance to do some matchmaking. This is a perfect example of the hidden job market at work. This position isn’t being posted on the [...]
» 19 Oct 2009, 7:59 am

Forbes Leadership Careers

The Weekly Layoff Report: March MadnessChevron and Ford Motor Credit are among those that announced downsizings this week.
» 12 Mar 2010, 3:29 pm

The Importance of Doing Meaningful WorkBusiness students often see little overlap between the jobs they plan to do and those they consider most socially responsible or would most enjoy.
» 11 Mar 2010, 8:52 am

Government Jobs You Should Apply For NowAmerica's biggest employer is hiring. Here are some of the better opportunities at the moment.
» 10 Mar 2010, 2:11 pm

The Best And Worst Cities For Jobs This SpringYou may do best finding work in Alaska or Vermont this season.
» 10 Mar 2010, 1:33 pm

How To Have That Impossible Conversation At WorkDon't put it off--but don't let it backfire either.
» 9 Mar 2010, 9:01 am

Good Recruits

Personal Assistants Worth Their Weight In GoldThe daily life of anyone who has managed to secure themselves a PA job is certainly never dull!  The main role of a PA has certainly changed over the last few years and PAs are now regarded as being practically the lynchpin of the management suite.   A good PA will not just organise their manager’s diary, but also ensure that calls are screened and that time is set aside not just for meetings, but to carry out essential duties.  PAs also act as a buffer zone between all those people who want to meet the boss or take up his/her time and it is often said that a good PA is practically worth their weight in gold.   Highs include successfully ensuring that difficult situations are dealt with appropriately, which often requires really q
» 5 Dec 2008, 10:01 am

Managing Your Talent PoolHaving a productive talent pool is now considered as the best approach in terms of recruitment. This productive talent pool should always be cultivated and also be developed in order to maximize the benefits from it. How do you ensure a "productive talent pool"? Well, you could consider these clever sourcing strategies:-referral networks-tapping into Alumni communities-revisiting stored CVs/ResumeThe candidates gathered through these activities should be processed in one way or another in order to ensure that you maximize these people. Of course, you have to give back if you are going to consider these applicants. Here is an excellent suggestion on how companies could give back:"If you are being clever about attracting candidates to your ca
» 28 Jul 2008, 7:15 pm

Focusing on Fresh GraduatesIf your company is more into the "massive hiring" type then attracting fresh graduates is definitely the best strategy that you could implement in the company. One thing that you could do as recruiters is to have an "online" connection with fresh graduates since they are the ones who spend a lot of time online. Through establishing an online connection, you would be able to connect and communicate with them thus enticing them to apply to your company.Here are some tips from Recruitment 2.0:-Create a top-notch interactive graduate site that will get graduates’ attention and keep them coming back to your site. -Get graduates to your web site and then have them opt in so you can communicate with them.-Use professors, lecturers and assistants
» 28 Jul 2008, 8:45 am

Funny Job AdsWhenever I use vending machines or ATMs, I usually ponder on a silly thought: What if someone was actually inside doing the transaction for me? As I mentioned, this was just one of the silly thoughts that popped into my head whenever I get tired of interviews. Imagine my surprise and glee when I spotted this picture: Someone actually had the same thought as I am and translated it into a job ad! Clever, eh? This is just one avenue that job advertising could consider when they are actually thinking of having a different viewpoint when attracting applicants. Personally, I consider "unique" job ads is a great way to actually attract applicants because it would certainly caught their eye and would make them interested in applying.To see more si
» 27 Jul 2008, 11:07 am

Company Culture in RecruitmentAs a recruiter, we should look more than just what the applicants have but also dwell more on what we reprsent as a recruiter in the company or recruitment firm.Usually when we interview, we often look at the behavior of that person and we compare it to the position that they are actually looking for. The second thing is the "culture fit" wherein we are able to more or less predict that the person would actually fit in with the culture which the company and its people exhibit. 
» 27 Jul 2008, 8:29 am

Recruitment Agencies: A ResponseIn order to put a balance in regards to my previous post entitled A Perspective of Recruitment Agencies, I am going to dedicate a post for the other side of the fence which are Recruitment Agencies.This kind of business could either be more established during tough times in the economy or they could either be down due to the same reason. This post entitled Thank Heavens for the Recession really caught my interest as it talks about different strategies which recruitment agencies should consider in order for their business to keep up and running during these difficult times. Here is a very useful advice which was mentioned in this post:"...get to know your clients better and go that extra mile. It is also a known fact that being small has maj
» 23 Jul 2008, 9:06 am

A Perspective of Recruitment AgenciesRecruitment agencies are often receiving only two kinds of reaction, you either hate 'em or love 'em. Personally, I don't really, really hate them but I think if you have the right business partner, your relationship would be really fruitful. In the case that your relationship with this recruitment agency goes bad then prepare yourself for a very bad ride.I would like to share with you this particular write up which really talks negatively about recruitment agencies. Here is the top 10 reasons why it hates recruitment agencies:1. Asking ‘What is your interview process’2. Ring you up to tell you nothing3. Asking to come meet us4. Editing Candidate CV’s5. Lying6. Imaginary Companies7. Spam8. Removing Contact Details9. Recruiting those t
» 22 Jul 2008, 7:19 pm

Resume ScrutinyEvery once in a while, we get one or two odd resume which contains information that are not so relevant or a resume wherein the grammar is way off thus projecting a different kind of meaning. This website actually focuses on the unusual and different kinds of resume and other recruitment-related topics which shows a different light in recruitment.Let me share with you a favorite of mine:"Herbert A. MillingtonChair - Search Committee412A Clarkson Hall, Whitson UniversityCollege Hill, MA 34109Dear Professor Millington,Thank you for your letter of March 16. After careful consideration, Iregret to inform you that I am unable to accept your refusal to offer mean assistant professor position in your department.This year I have been particularly f
» 20 Jul 2008, 10:01 am

Small Companies, Big StrategiesSmall companies when faced when big recruiting requirements should always have a solid plan or strategy in terms of fulfilling the requirements. One reason is because of the "small company" tag hence it could be viewed as an advantage or disadvantage for applicants.Here is a good recruitment strategy for small companies as indicated in this article:The best recruitment strategy for small company is to offer some kind of the benefit for its employees and business partners when they recommend a successful new hire. The employees like to recommend their friends as the employees for the company, when they are satisfied with the job and the job content.To sum it up, referrals and headhunters are actually the best approach in hiring for small com
» 19 Jul 2008, 8:10 pm

Wanted: Internal VacancyFilling up vacant positions through internal job posting could actually help a lot as opposed to hiring external candidates.Opportunities within the company should always be promoted and posting an internal job ad would certainly make your message get through the company employees. Personally. I always like to prioritize internal applicants especially for the positions that requires leadership and also knowledge in terms of the company. This is because more people that are hired externally has a better chance in terms of being productive with that kind of position. One thing that recruiters could actually see as an advantage includes the following:a. cost (it's much cheaper)b. already a "tenured" employeec. offers career path to employeesTh
» 14 Jul 2008, 9:51 am

Sales = Recruitment: Part 5 of 5If sales strategies were implemented with recruitment then the recruitment phase would be a breeze. Eventhough that is the case, not every company could be compatible with this kind of strategy in their recruitment because of their main focus in recruitment.There are some companies where they implement a "mass hiring" strategy thus focusing on the quantity of applicants that they hire. This means that this recruiment strategy is more on numbers. On the other hand, there is also a recruiment strategy which focuses on "quality" thus mainly choosing candidates if they have passed the specific and very rigorous requirement which companies have for their vacant positions. 
» 10 Jul 2008, 11:16 am

Hire Calling

A couple of chartsI'm a visual learner, and I get excited by good charts that communicate a lot of data in a simple way. In fact, every month I look forward to the last page of the Journal of Corporate Recruiting Leadership's last page of data. I just got a preview of next month's issue, and here's  are a couple that I found interesting: The first is from the Employer Brand Institute’s Employer Branding Global Research Study of 2,025 employers around the world.  I find it interesting that only 16% of them feel that they have a clear strategy around employer branding. The second is from a great story that our own John Zappe wrote tracking the progress of the .Jobs domain to date.  Growth has clearly been slowing after the initial SHRM push in 2006.
» 13 May 2009, 10:49 am

Where is social media going?In a comment on RecruitingBlogs.com, Josh pointed out that I have not posted there much, if at all.  His comment was an eye-opener for me. I have always been a supporter of RecruitingBlogs.com, and given the connection that I feel to the community on that site, it was a pretty big shock to see him point out that I had not posted there in over a year.  It made me think. And the more I thought about it, the more it made sense.  My professional social network is not about ERE.net, RecruitingBlogs.com or any other single site.  I feel a strong connection not to the domain name or the social media platform, but to the people on the other end of the conversations that I have, wherever they are. For instance: I connect with Dennis via email,
» 30 Jun 2008, 10:00 am

Taleo acquires VurvSince getting started in this industry over 10 years ago, I've been amazed by the never-ending stream of companies trying to build better mousetraps in the Talent Management (aka Applicant Tracking) space. I understand why it's a tempting niche - customers routinely report that they are unhappy with their existing software and want better alternatives, but somehow the profits never seem to arrive for most.  Industry watchers have been predicting consolidation for years. Today, Taleo (profile; site) announced that they acquired Vurv Technology(profile; site) for $128.8 million in cash & stock.  The deal combines two of the strongest players in the space, so the consolidation is finally underway - at least among the major players. For the r
» 6 May 2008, 6:03 am

Ch-ch-changes at FordyceLetter.comIt's a long-term goal of mine to expose more independent recruiters to the 30 year old gem that is The Fordyce Letter - the bible of the profession. A big part of making that happen is FordyceLetter.com. At the end of March, Jason left the FordyceLetter.com to go spend more time with his true love.  I don't blame the guy - RecruitingBlogs.com is a great site and he is doing some very creative things with the community there. We've seen some amazing things happening on FordyceLetter.com in the last few weeks - in particular blog posts and videos by people like Jeff Skrentny, Dave Staats, Bill Vick, and Dennis Smith.  Every one of these people has years in the recruiting trenches, is passionate about the profession, and knows recruiting ins
» 1 May 2008, 4:00 pm

Amybeth's going to Web 2.0!O'Reilly's Web 2.0 conference is in San Francisco this week.  For those living in a cave for the last couple of years, there is a huge amount of excitement, confusion, and sometimes hostility over the new tools and possibilities that have arrived with these new technologies.  How useful are they today?  How useful will they be?  Which ones are the "good" ones?  Inquiring recruiters want to know. To me, it's beyond debate that we are experiencing the biggest burst of creativity on the Internet since the bubble burst in 2000 (arguably before). ERE is sending one of our favorite researchers, Amybeth Hale, to the conference to see what she can see and report back on the implications of Web 2.0 tools for recruiters. How Amybeth and I connec
» 21 Apr 2008, 8:04 am

SMA Conference / Chad & CheezheadI am in Nashville for the SMA Conference. I am heading down to the event in a few minutes, but I've already heard that they had to stop accepting registrations at 1,500 attendees.� SHRM is a machine! I will try to post some thoughts from the show over the next couple of days, but in the meantime here are Chad & the Cheez sounding off about the ERE Expo.� Thanks guys!
» 15 Apr 2008, 7:34 am

My interview on XtremeRecruiting.tvLast week I did an interview with Bill Vick , and he just put it on his site.  Bill's a smart guy, and in the course of the interview he had a great observation about social media favoring independent recruiters vs. corporate recruiters that I intend to blog about some more. I'm pretty goofy-looking on my best day, and that headset didn't help. Enjoy! Flash | QuickTime Share.. by: vPIP Embed (copy & paste): close //
» 7 Apr 2008, 1:20 pm

Neal BruceI got an email from Neal Bruce yesterday saying that he would be leaving Monster and moving on to bigger and better things. For those of you who have not met Neal, he has been Monster's public face to the industry. I'm not sure how much - or even if - Neal's departure will affect Monster's bottom line, but it's a big loss for the company nevertheless.  He did a great job of humanizing what had become a huge faceless organization.  Before Neal, Monster was effectively estranged from it's customer base, who only heard from the company's reps when it was time to renew their packages at ever-increasing prices.  Neal provided an outlet - someone in management who had actually done recruiting himself, went to industry events and had a personal
» 7 Apr 2008, 7:30 am

Startup presention videoAt ERE Expo we ran a session for startups in the space to give their elevator pitch to the crowd. The four presenting companies were: Charlie O'Donnell, Path 101 Ben Yoskovitz, Standout Jobs Clint Heiden, VisualCV Dan Arkind, JobScore I was disappointed that more people did not choose to attend the session, but those who were there got the chance to hear some solid new ideas. Matt is saying that Path 101 and VisualCV were the two most likely to succeed, and the folks at Workforce agreed. Watch the presentations and judge for yourself!
» 5 Apr 2008, 1:52 pm

Post-expo thoughtsThe latest ERE Expo is over, and the reviews are starting to come in. Here are a few of my thoughts from the show: It's been said before, but can never reall be said too many times.  Networking, networking, networking is where some of the most valuable and unvarnished information gets passed along at these conferences, and it's why the ERE Expo gets more valuable as it gets bigger.  As a company, it is our challenge to make sure that the events don't lose their intimate feel as they get larger. Twitter was one of the experiments that we tried this time around as a tool to make the show more personal, the feedback more immediate, and to foster more personal connections.  I was pleasantly surprised.  We created the ereexpo Twitter acco
» 4 Apr 2008, 3:36 pm

Awards pics are upHere's an ERE Excellence Awards photo that we just uploaded to Flickr. Check out the rest!
» 2 Apr 2008, 1:15 pm

Jobacle.com Blog

Hey Boss, We're Not Illiterate!There's something I've hated since the third grade, yet I've found it trailing me like a bloodhound over the past two decades.  It's when a teacher hands out a syllabus or assignment and then preceeds to read the entire thing around.  This is not teaching.  This is not lecturing.  It is laziness.This problem has seeped into many of the meetings I attend.  Workers prepare reports and then read them alond - word for word.  If we are having a meeting, isn't it fair to expect that we will verbally discuss and expand upon the information contained on the paper?  These verbatim readers never see the attendees' eyes glazing over because they are too busy reading!Reading aloud might be effective for my wife's second grade class, but in the b
» 11 Mar 2010, 8:05 am

Forced to Come to the Office in a Snowstorm?Unless you earn a living as an emergency responder or snow-plow operator, there's no reason to report to work amidst a winter storm. Or, at least that's what logic and humanity seem to dictate. But who said cooler heads prevail at work?! Unfortunately for middle-of-the-ladder employees, we rarely get to see our bosses' "softer side." In the northeast, we have experienced some the worst snow conditions in 114 years--and even that didn't make employers change their rigid tune.Missing work when it snows is serious business. Read more from Andrew G.R. on "snowjobs" at U.S. News & World Report.
» 10 Mar 2010, 6:06 am

How to Choose an “Emotional” Pitstop - Part IIFinding Help for Major Career IssuesThere are so many job issues facing us these days - threats of layoffs, no merit increases, toxic work environments or a bad job fit. But who is the best resource to consult for help when it’s more than you can handle? In Part I, I discussed using your personal support system (friends, family, parents and co-worker/friends). Today, I’m looking at the pros and cons of using a professional network, including your boss.
» 9 Mar 2010, 6:15 am

How to Choose an “Emotional” Pitstop - Part 1Finding Help for Major Career IssuesI can only recall one job that had no inherent stress: I worked in a small card shop while in grad school. I read funny cards, rang up a few sales and had plenty of time to study. The majority of people experience some level of stress or difficult issue at work and it helps to have a supportive, sympathetic ear when you need to talk it through. But sometimes it’s hard to know who would be the best fit when discussing major career issues. Do you talk to your co-workers, boss, a psychotherapist, friends, family or parents, etc.? When does it make more sense to consult a career coach?First, let’s look at the pros and cons of getting emotional support from the people in your personal life. (Co-workers fal
» 8 Mar 2010, 6:53 am

Leaving a Job? 4 Ways to Brand Yourself Until the Very EndPeople are so wrapped up in finding job opportunities, that they often forget the importance of how to quit a job.   If you’re not using the final weeks, months, days and hours at a job to reinforce your passion and expertise, you are missing out on a golden personal branding opportunity. The people you work with today, from the newly minted intern to the curmudgeon in clerical, could be the lead to a new job tomorrow. Work hard until the very last secondThe reality is that people WILL talk about you after you leave a job. They’ll likely blame you for things that you had nothing to do with.  Imagine how nice it would be for someone to come to your aid, defending your honor, even after you’re gone.  It is possible!  Give people ve
» 4 Mar 2010, 11:28 am

Don't Let Daylight Saving Time Impact Your Work: 5 Ways to Offset the Clock ChangeRemember that cool car Michael J. Fox drove in the movie, ‘Back to the Future’, that ultra-suave time machine that allowed him to not only look cool on screen, but also impact events in past and future? On Sunday, March 14 at 2 a.m., we’ll be wishing we looked that dapper. Daylight Saving Time has more of a bewildering effect on our organism than anything else. It is mini jet-lag at its best. Every year it’s the same old story. We switch the clocks, blink bleary-eyed out the window, and wonder why it’s still dark outside. We battle with our own instincts to curl up into the fetal position for one more round of sleep.
» 4 Mar 2010, 7:33 am

Working Podcast #98: Twitter Job Search TipsFive Twitter job search tips from the authors of The Twitter Job Search Guide.  Learn where to find 50,000 job postings you might not find on those SimplyHotMonsterBuilder sites. Direct Download
» 3 Mar 2010, 12:00 pm

Three Good Novels About WorkYou’d think the last thing that you’d want to do, after spending eight or more hours at the office, is read about working at an office. But, much like that TV show everyone loves, representations of lives similar to ours--even if they’re satirized or dramatized--give us comfort. Empathy is a powerful emotion. And it’s a coping mechanism. The following are a short list of good books--by turns dark, funny, and evocative--that share with us in the joys and agonies of the workplace.  1. Then We Came to the End by Joshua Ferris Joshua Ferris’ celebrated novel about working at an advertisement agency has been compared to The Office, but I think the book is much funnier. Winner of the PEN/Hemingway award for best first novel and Time ma
» 3 Mar 2010, 7:00 am

Networking Pays OffSometimes it IS Who you KnowI stopped in a local art gallery (Hayley Gallery) yesterday to see the owner. I interviewed her for a magazine article last year and we hit it off. I hadn’t seen her or been in the gallery for quite awhile, but I had an ulterior motive - I wanted to tell her I was looking for a job. Prior to opening her gallery, Hayley worked in marketing and advertising and she knows people. And it’s not just because she is so personable, she’s amazing at networking.You always hear the majority of people get their jobs through a network of who they know. A recent article in the Wall Street Journal, “Internal Hires, Referrals Were Most Hired in 2009,” by Sara Needleman cites some stats to back that up. She reports that,
» 2 Mar 2010, 7:00 am

Jobacle Survey Panel: March 2010In order to provide readers with content they want, and to keep our finger on the pulse of everything work-related, Jobacle.com proudly presents our monthly survey series. Results are 100% anonymous and your personal information will NEVER be revealed. One participant each month (if you choose to share your e-mail address) will be selected to win a neat prize. var PDF_surveyID = "991F7922F24FA5A7"; var PDF_openText = "View Survey"; View Survey  View Survey
» 1 Mar 2010, 7:15 am

life@work

Is the Nonprofit World for You?Who in the corporate world hasn't dreamed about changing jobs or careers and doing something that "really matters?" When you're fed up with being a cog in a big corporate wheel, or you just can't seem to care about selling...
» 10 Mar 2010, 10:17 am

Mom's life@work Post #5: How Work Is Like Blackberry BushesThis post is fifth in my "mom's life@work" series, which is bridging the work I do here with what I'm up to at Mom In The Balance. Other posts include Help for the Working Mom, Blend or Separate?, How to...
» 4 Mar 2010, 10:54 am

Help for the Job Search BluesThis month the Career Collective, a group of career coaches and job search experts, is offering help for the very discouraged job seeker. Follow us on Twitter at #careercollective. [photo by photolupi]. Are you singing the job search blues? So...
» 24 Feb 2010, 11:13 pm

Mom's life@work Post #4: Why My Kids Should Tune Me OutThis post is the fourth in the "mom's life@work" series, which is bridging my work here with what I'm doing at Mom In The Balance. Other posts in the series include Help for the Working Mom, Blend or Separate? and...
» 10 Feb 2010, 6:13 pm

Mom's life@work Post #3: How to Reduce Your Stress During the Second ShiftThis post is third in the "mom's life@work" series, which is bridging my work here with what I'm doing at Mom In The Balance. The first post was Help for the Working Mom, and the second was Blend or Separate?...
» 3 Feb 2010, 12:14 pm

Kaizen and the Art of Your Job SearchThis post is part of the Career Collective's collection of January 21st posts on helping job seekers make the most of the new year. Follow us on Twitter at #careercollective. Have you already broken your resolutions for 2010? We're three...
» 20 Jan 2010, 11:01 pm

Mom's life@work post #2: Blend or Separate?This is the second post in the "Mom's life@work" series I'm writing on this blog. Read the first post, Help for the Working Mom, here. Are you a blender or a separator? I'm not talking kitchen appliances or bras here...
» 4 Jan 2010, 2:38 pm

Mom's life@work Post #1: Help for the Working MomThis post is the first in the "Mom's life@work" series that I'm writing on this blog. I'll be exploring career topics that are of special interest to mothers, such as transitioning, on-ramping, balancing, blending, and negotiating. If you're not a...
» 16 Dec 2009, 2:12 pm

Have a Holly Jolly Job SearchThis month the Career Collective community, a group of career coaches and resume writers, is posting about how to make the most of your job search during the holidays. Follow us on Twitter at #careercollective. December is in full swing,...
» 8 Dec 2009, 8:31 am

Time Keeps on Slippin'When everything appears to be spilling and leaking all over in my life, I notice how attracted I am to finding the perfect time management system. Ideally I'll find one that also cleans my house. Sue Shellenbarger wrote recently about...
» 20 Nov 2009, 12:32 pm

Microsoft Job Blog

Modifying your resume isn't always the answerDear JobsBlog: Would you recommend I tailor my resume when applying for a job? Does this help or hinder my chances of getting the position?-Resume Riled   Dear "Resume Riled": As with many areas of recruiting, it depends. It can definitely be valuable to tailor your resume for a specific position and, generally, I would tell my friends to do so. For example, if you are applying for a Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET) position, you may want to highlight or emphasize your QA/testing experience. While you don’t have to have hardcore testing experience to be a successful SDET, it definitely helps if you have prior experience in that area. That being said, when you apply via the Microsoft career site, you can only have one resume
» 22 Dec 2008, 5:30 pm

Going out for a stretch... assignment, that is!Microsoft has done it again. They have amazed me in the way they accommodate and treat their employees. As you read from my previous post, I was job sharing in a Staffing Consultant role working 24-hour weeks. In October, I decided to switch back to working full-time. Well one of the career paths I have always wanted to explore is in program management working with our staffing systems. Guess what? It just so happened that the team needed some extra help, so now I am doing a stretch assignment for them for the next 8 months! A stretch assignment is a temporary role where you work full time in that new role and have a new manager/team. At the end of your assignment, you’ll return to your previous role, unless of course you decide your str
» 19 Dec 2008, 11:00 am

Softwear: The ideal interview attireIt’s the night before your interview and being the conscientious candidate that you are, you’re reviewing your check list to be sure you’re prepared for the big day: • Interview day schedule – check!• Confidence – check!• Classy yet casual outfit – question mark? When you pair a laid-back dress code with the high expectations of a competitive tech company, knowing how to dress to impress can be tough. But now, Softwear might just be your ticket. And, no, I didn’t forget to use spell check. Softwear is a new clothing line created by Microsoft and Chicago Hop-Hop artist Common to tell the world: “I’M A PC!” The designs sample retro bytes and bits from the 80s – when Microsoft and Common were both really coming
» 15 Dec 2008, 10:20 am

The JobsBlog team is packing our bagsHere at JobsBlog, we're packing our bags, but don't worry ... we're not going anywhere. Based on reader feedback, we're moving JobsBlog to our own website (yay!) where we can provide richer and deeper information on job searching, resume writing, interviewing, and working at Microsoft. Nothing about our blog will change, and everything should redirect seamlessly. But for those of you who just like to check in from time to time to get specific information, this new site should help tons. In preparation for our migration, we're turning off comments for about a week. But in the meantime, if you have anything burning to discuss, please be sure to join the conversation over on the Workin it at MSFT page on Facebook. We'll be back in full force
» 11 Dec 2008, 1:52 pm

Interview advice from someone who's been therePreparing for an interview can be daunting -- and James McNaul would know. The University of Miami senior came all the way from Florida to Washington for an internship interview at the Microsoft HQ last spring. He wrote a blog detailing his interview experience and gave JobsBlog the go-ahead to share it with our readers. James said checking out blogs like this one really helped him get ready for his interview (which led to a successful summer internship and, later, a job offer -- way to go, James!).  Hope you find this helpful while preparing for your interview. Good luck! Thanks again, James! -Janelle
» 8 Dec 2008, 1:15 pm

A home away from homeFor international candidates, moving to a new country for a job opportunity can be daunting. The good news is that Microsoft takes care of most of the details such as relocation, temporary housing, filing for a work visa -- and now, helping your spouse/partner to assimilate.   Microsoft recently created its first immigrant spouse/partner website: the Microsoft Immigration Family Network (MSIFN).This site contains relevant career-related information, a schedule of upcoming spouse/partner networking and self-development events, a message board, blog and much more for Microsoft employees' loved ones. In addition, the company sponsors personal and professional development workshops to help spouses/partners advance their skills while network
» 3 Dec 2008, 3:40 pm

Intern roundtableHere on JobsBlog we talk a lot about getting a job at Microsoft and provide various tips for jumpstarting a career. But what about internships? For many students, this is the first step to getting on a career path and can give great insight into what lies ahead in the post-graduation world. Richard Bretschneider, a Program Manager for Office PowerPoint, interviewed a team of five PowerPoint interns who worked at the Microsoft Silicon Valley Campus for three months this past summer. They came from schools across the country including Stanford, BYU and U-Penn. In this podcast, they speak to their first impressions of MS, what surprised them about the company and the perks of a California summer. These interns came from all three development
» 26 Nov 2008, 3:10 pm

Can I get a job at MS without a degree?Dear JobsBlog: I have tons of real world experience but no degree. I have seriously deep industry knowledge, accomplishments and “next wave” roadmaps for my industry. Do I have any shot at getting a MSFT recruiter’s attention? How about giving a guy a few clues, eh? - Degree of Interest   Dear "Degree of Interest": Great question. Microsoft has always prided itself on finding the best talent anywhere, regardless of where it comes from. Yes, we do a lot of recruiting on college campuses and that gets a lot of press. But we also spend a great deal of time scouring resumes, job fairs, industry events and shows looking for people with great talent. In the beginning a degree can be important. CS grads know the basics, know the theory, a
» 20 Nov 2008, 3:15 pm

Imagine Cup 2009 inspires solutionsHere’s a quick shout out to college candidates looking to change the world. Imagine Cup, a global student technology competition focused on finding solutions for real-world issues, is diving into its seventh year. This year’s theme is "Imagine a world where technology helps solve the toughest problems facing us today." Students will be asked to create software solutions that are aligned with one of the UN's eight Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The MDGs range from halving extreme poverty and halting the spread of HIV/AIDS to providing universal primary education. More information about the MDGs can be found here. Those interested in Imagine Cup 2009 can sign up online. The finals will be held in Cairo and Alexandria, Egypt durin
» 18 Nov 2008, 2:45 pm

How can I get a job as a Connector shuttle driver?Dear JobsBlog: I see the Microsoft Connector shuttles all over the Seattle area. How and where would I apply to be a driver for the Connector shuttle service? – Connector Curious   Dear "Connector Curious": We get this question a lot. Many facilities-related roles at Microsoft are staffed and managed by specialized companies, and the Connector is no exception. To apply for a job driving for our Connector fleet, cruise over to MV Transportation, the largest privately held and domestically owned transportation management company in the United States. Vroom! -Gretchen
» 14 Nov 2008, 11:40 am

Are year-old job postings still valid?Dear JobsBlog: Some of the jobs I’m interested in were posted almost a year ago. Are those jobs still available or has someone just forgotten to remove them from the website? - One-Year Wondering   Dear "One-Year Wondering":  That’s a great question!  First, yes, the jobs should still be available. Each position has its own story, but here are a few of the common reasons why some positions on the career site have been posted for almost a year:   The role contains a very niche skill set. In these cases, the role could be opened for the full year while we search for the 1 to 2 percent of candidates that have this skill set. The position was put on hold and when it reopened, it wasn’t refreshed. When this happens, the position’
» 11 Nov 2008, 2:40 pm

Monster Career Advice

Is It Time to Consider Part-Time Work?Today's workers, whether employed or not, are facing a tough situation. If you're unemployed, you're looking for a job in what is still an extremely tough market. And if you've kept your job, you are likely feeling overworked and underappreciated,...
» 18 Feb 2010, 8:00 am

Get Inspired Watching the Olympics -- and Don't Forget Your Own Gold MedalsI'm not following the Vancouver Olympics like the folks over at Rings -- I'm a casual observer at best. What really gets me while watching the world's best athletes is that a little wobble at the ankle or just missing...
» 16 Feb 2010, 10:33 am

Is Office Romance in the Air Where You Work?Word on the street is that work couples are going public. Office romance, once considered taboo, has become much more acceptable in the workplace. In fact, in a recent Monster.com poll, only 24% of respondents said flat-out that workplace romance...
» 11 Feb 2010, 10:58 am

Super Bowl Commercials Recap Around the WatercoolerLast week, I promised to look at how the 2010 Super Bowl commercials tackled the office, and this year it just didn't happen like last year. Perhaps we're all looking for a more optimistic time, and the anger towards the...
» 8 Feb 2010, 1:14 pm

Why Does Work Show Up in the Super Bowl Ads?Pass the chips and dip, because this weekend I'm ready to hunker down to watch the Super Bowl commercials. I'm sure the action between the Colts and the Saints will be exciting, but for me it's secondary to the ads...
» 3 Feb 2010, 9:51 am

Are You Ready for Job Shadow Day?While I hope Punxsutawney Phil doesn't see his shadow tomorrow (did you know the forecasting groundhog is hip to texting, Facebook and Twitter?), I hope many workplaces see plenty of them -- job shadows, that is! Yes, February 2nd is...
» 1 Feb 2010, 11:35 am

One Person's Revenge on the Job Search Black HoleJob seekers far and wide have expressed their anger and frustration about the job search black hole. And in this economy, folks seem to be getting lost in it more often. But for all of you who have felt this...
» 28 Jan 2010, 6:26 am

Before You Tweet, Does Your Employer Have a Social Media Policy?The NFL doesn't allow players to post to Twitter, Facebook and other social media sites at certain times on game day. The US Marine Corps has banned access to social networking sites from its network. Companies take such measures when...
» 26 Jan 2010, 6:05 am

What the Stars Say About Your WorkI was recently talking to a friend about an article we had posted about understanding your boss based on astrology. I am a Leo and I feel the article paints my leadership skills in a nice light. While I would...
» 21 Jan 2010, 6:46 am

High Stakes for High-Profile Jobs -- Just Ask Leno and O'BrienAfter a failed prime-time slot for Jay Leno, NBC wants to put him back in his old spot, which has been occupied, briefly, by Conan O'Brien. The two talk-show hosts have been using their monologues -- and the rest of...
» 19 Jan 2010, 9:14 am

One Louder

But I just want to pay!!!You can never know what happened in this case, except for the fact that it was caught on film, so you totally can know. I won't even talk about employee screening processes because honestly, an alleged "crazy person" (oh take it up with Gawker) can slip through the most thorough of screening processes. Because really? Did you ever wonder how I got hired by a technology company? Technology! Stuff happens. But the aspect of this that I find interesting is that people can totally believe that this can happen for a legit reason. OK, first of all "genius bar"...gag. I mean, not one trite word but 2? I'm sure we do equally gaggy things. So. And Apple does a lot of things right and I really respect their design discipline and marketing. Their ab
» 12 Mar 2010, 4:17 pm

The part where I acknowledge a minor obsession with a particular snack foodIt's part of my childhood (where have you gone, taco flavored Doritos?). And sometimes it's lunch.   Someone recently brought to my attention the prevalence of salty, cheesy snack foods in my facebook updates. Yeah, I know. Also, I really hate that I know who that Evan kid is.
» 12 Mar 2010, 12:33 pm

Something about pen and paperI still like to carry a date book but wish it would sync with Outlook. I like the paper and the pen and the book; the smell of books and the heft (yay, vocab!). I like these things like others like the crack. My attention and amore is starting to grow for things like the phone (they keep getting awesomer), but my love for paper endures. There's something incredibly romantic about the written letter; not just the love letter but letters, in general. Something beyond the words is said in the script and the texture of the paper. Oh, I am so weird like that. I would totally smell that paper. But since I am not going to get the chance to sniff important letters, I like to read them and imagine what they smell like.   Click if you have an a
» 4 Mar 2010, 10:37 am

Differentiating is like VoodooLoves me some VooDoo Doughnut. The maple bacon bar was a highlight of a Portland holiday weekend that was otherwise highlighty. So yeah. Maple bacon. Ooh, and like marketing goodness. Instead of being incrementally this or that (mini cupcakes, whole wheat, 20% bigger), VooDoo is just different. I was planning on impaling my donut anyway but it's much more fun when my donut has a face.
» 4 Mar 2010, 9:17 am

The design guy behind the Windows Phone 7You know that I don't spend a lot of time pushing Microsoft products. I use them, but I'm not a techy first-adopter of much. I like what I like though and right now I'm loving Windows 7, Office 2010, Zune and Bing. And I am super excited about where we (Microsoft) are. Awesome stuff is coming out all over the place. So you'll have to excuse me if I gush a little bit. After five years of blogging snark; I think I am allowed to do that just a bit. Anywayz, the Windows Phone 7. Mmmmm, I want it so bad! I don't need "an app for that." I just want to get to my stuff...and the apps I already have. Windows Phone team, please put one of those phones in my hand! Here is an article on Albert Shum,  the design guy behind the Windows Phone 7 interf
» 4 Mar 2010, 8:07 am

Diversity data holdouts and what some of the biggest silicon valley companies don't want you to knowNPR reports on some of the largest tech companies in the silicon valley withholding their diversity numbers for what they claim to be competitive reasons. This might lead you to think that these companies have good diversity numbers (meaning an increase of under represented minority populations in their employee base). But I that really, companies with declining diversity numbers don't want to release them because, as their diverse populations decrease, they are worried that competitor companies will start to pick off their folks that are considered under-represented. Because the declining numbers represent a more complex and serious problem: that many American companies, including technology companies where you would expect us to do bette
» 1 Mar 2010, 11:42 am

As suspected, David Lee Roth is a business genius.OK, it was never suspected. Didn't even cross my mind really. I mean, the brown M&M thing? It was just so much easier to assume it was diva tendencies. Zebra spandex and general nuttiness? Also things DLR excelled in. Who would have known he was an operations expert?
» 24 Feb 2010, 10:17 am

Multitasking Kills PuppiesOK, maybe it doesn't but it's definitely overrated. And I can't do it. I sometimes have focus so intense that someone walking up behind me and saying "hi!" can scare the crap out of me. Like heart-leaping scared. So flipping my focus back and forth between two things is just a huge drain. And it's totally not worth it. So it's good to hear other people in support of a ban on unnecessary multitalking. Singletasking is where it's at. All the cool kids are doing it.
» 16 Feb 2010, 11:28 am

Intensity, achievement, ridiculousness and villainry on The Amazing RaceIt's exciting to see a Microsoft employee, and his wife, as contestants on the 16th season of The Amazing Race. I've had so little time for television lately, but will make a point to watch this season. I love the show and would have otherwise taken a season off, but you gotta pull for a fellow Microsoftie. Yeah, my recorded show queue just got a little more cluttered. There are some contestants on the show, more than usual, that I find a little annoying. So this may be trying. Or totally awesome. It looks like our Joe may have been pegged early as the villain by a Birmingham blogger. This blog also referred to a father-daughter team as "pretty normal" and then in the next sentence says that he wasn't around much when she was growing up (b
» 15 Feb 2010, 2:44 pm

Ugly is the new prettyLooks like we consumers respond more favorably to commercial images that look like "us." This is all fine and good except when we are talking about politicians. I don't want a politician that's like me or worse (cheaters!). I mean, I get the product advertisement stuff. I am skeptical of anything that looks "too good." But there is a line to be drawn. I don't need clear skin or every hair in place. But I do want that car to be cleaner than mine and I do want the people making the rules to be smarter than me. Much.  
» 9 Feb 2010, 9:46 am

Managing your social mediaEven if you don't engage social media for work (I do, obviously), there is a lot of information coming through different accounts and profiles and it can be hard to manage all of it. Fast Company has a short article (for the n00bs, OK, I admit) to help you streamline.
» 9 Feb 2010, 9:38 am

Positive Sharing

Friday Spoing!OK, that’s it! I’m getting two exercise balls so I can try this: Who’s with me? Have a happy weekend.
» 12 Mar 2010, 9:09 am

Whoah – we’re on TED.com :o)Holy crap – one of the videos from our conference last year is featured on the front page of ted.com. And featured very prominently! Which means that it has now been viewed over 50,000 times! And it’s no wonder – the presentation in question was one of the highlights of our 2009 conference on happiness at [...]
» 9 Mar 2010, 3:41 am

Kill your chairMost of us spend most of the work day sitting down. We sit at our desks, we sit in meetings, we sit down at lunch and we sit down for seminars, phone calls, orientations and just about anything else that goes on during a regular work week. Which is why this excellent NY Times article by [...]
» 8 Mar 2010, 7:00 am

Dog is watching youThis dog lives across the street from our office: He is regularly found at his post, surveying his domain which is (i’d guess) the whole street. I especially like how his elbow is up on the banister. It’s suave yet domineering!
» 8 Mar 2010, 6:12 am

Friday Spoing!Here are two very different ways to start your working day: Which one did you use this morning? Have a very happy weekend!
» 5 Mar 2010, 2:23 am

Good morning – in German!Last week I wrote about the value of touch in the workplace. Basically, I’m for handshakes, high fives, pats on the shoulder and even hugs in the workplace as one way of creating and maintaining good workplace relationships and there’s science to indicate the importance and value of touches. Gaby from Germany wrote this comment on [...]
» 4 Mar 2010, 1:00 am

The crisis? Let me tell you how I feel about the crisis!Like just about anyone else, my favorite café here in Copenhagen is tired of hearing about the financial crisis. And this is how they’ve reacted: That shows guts, initiative, playfulness and a commitment to fun. I love it! It doesn’t stop at the posters and postcards (which I apparently inspired), the owner does many things to make [...]
» 3 Mar 2010, 12:12 am

QuoteIf you’re crazy enough to do what you love for a living then you’re bound to create a life that matters. - Herb Kelleher, ex-CEO of Southwest Airlines Here’s Herb: Looks like he’s having fun :o) Related posts Servant leadership at Southwest Airlines Leadership is…
» 1 Mar 2010, 6:52 am

Friday Spoing!Here’s a group of people who know how to celebrate their victories: You may want to turn the sound down or off before watching – the accompanying music is LOUD :o) What if people in your workplace were just as good at celebrating success? Have a very happy weekend!
» 26 Feb 2010, 9:17 am

The science of touchThe NYTimes has an excellent article that looks at what happens when people touch and concludes that: Momentary touches — whether an exuberant high five, a warm hand on the shoulder, or a creepy touch to the arm — can communicate an even wider range of emotion than gestures or expressions, and sometimes do so more [...]
» 26 Feb 2010, 3:13 am

Shifting Careers

Now It's Time to Say GoodbyeA closing post for the Shifting Careers blog.
» 1 Dec 2008, 12:33 pm

Laid Off From My Non-JobEarlier this month I learned that The Times had decided to discontinue this blog. Suddenly, so many of the things I report and write about have been thrown right onto my own doorstep. When I started Shifting Careers as a column in May 2007, one of the things I wanted to explore was the fluid relationship [...]
» 24 Nov 2008, 7:00 am

They Never Write, They Never Call ...Michael Melcher, a career coach, offers tips for dealing with the silence that often follows job search related calls and e-mails.
» 17 Nov 2008, 3:40 pm

Keeping Up, When Your Industry ChangesA panel on the changing landscape of the media highlights both innovations and challenges.
» 12 Nov 2008, 2:40 pm

When to Work for NothingMichelle Goodman, the author of a new book on managing a freelance career, writes a guest post on when it makes sense to work for free.
» 9 Nov 2008, 5:18 pm

Politicos Scramble for New Jobs, Like So Many Other AmericansKarl Rove, formerly of the Bush White House, on Fox News, where he is an analyst. (Photo: Fox News) As President-elect Obama chooses his transition team, one thing is for certain: thousands of politicos in both parties are looking for new jobs. This morning I was a guest on WNYC Radio's "The Takeaway" with John [...]
» 6 Nov 2008, 12:48 pm

Taking Stock of Life's Options While at Business SchoolIn a guest post, Ricky Opaterny, a first-year business school student at N.Y.U., asks the big questions surrounding his return to the classroom.
» 4 Nov 2008, 2:26 pm

Keeping Kids Off the Streets, Through BusinessA nonprofit teaches low-income young people how to start businesses, as a way to take control of their lives.
» 2 Nov 2008, 3:32 pm

A Board Game for the New Rules of WorkVenkatesh Rao, a blogger, came up with the idea for a board game, Brandhood, as a metaphor for a new way of thinking about work.
» 30 Oct 2008, 1:33 pm

Sarah the Plumber Seeks Her TurnWomen in the skilled trades in Chicago and St. Louis seize on "Joe the Plumber" hysteria to try to garner media and political attention for their concerns.
» 28 Oct 2008, 5:54 pm

Lawsuits Over Diminished 401(k) AccountsTwo employment lawyers provide some commentary on possible lawsuits that could arise when employees sue employers based on a decline in their 401(k) accounts.
» 26 Oct 2008, 6:48 pm

Slacker Manager

Design Your Own Tequila Bottle1800 Tequila offers a “Design Your Bottle” feature, where you can upload original artwork to make customized tequila bottles. This would make a cool gift — perhaps for the guys in your wedding party. The customized bottles are priced at $99 and the turnaround time is 2-3 weeks. You can also get one of the 1800 Tequila limited-edition Essential Artists bottles, which showcasing eleven designs gathered from over 15,000 online submissions. Visit 1800tequila.com and check it out. Post from: EveryJoe Design Your Own Tequila Bottle Post from: EveryJoe Design Your Own Tequila Bottle
» 12 Mar 2010, 8:57 pm

LeBron James Back, Cavaliers RollLeBron James missed the last two games for the Cleveland Cavaliers due to wanting to rest some nagging injuries. Against the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday night, LeBron was back and didn’t waste any time dominating the action. In 42 minutes, LeBron had 23 points, ten assists, six rebounds and three blocks. Mo Williams chipped in 21 points for the Cavs, while Delonte West had 17 points off the bench. The Sixers, who were playing at home, were actually leading the game after three quarters. But a poor fourth quarter doomed the squad. Andre Iguodala had 30 points, seven rebounds and five assists, [...]Post from: EveryJoe LeBron James Back, Cavaliers Roll
» 12 Mar 2010, 8:56 pm

Lance Berkman Injury Update – Left KneeLast season, injuries kept Lance Berkman from living up to his potential. The bad news for the Houston Astros is that the injury bug has struck again: Berkman needs knee surgery that very well could force him to miss the beginning of the 2010 baseball season. The good news is that the knee injury is considered minor. At most, Berkman will miss a month of action. When he returns, doctors expect him to be near 100%. The surgery is needed due to a knee bruise. The 34-year-old first baseman hit .274 with 25 homers and 80 RBIs last season. Considering that he [...]Post from: EveryJoe Lance Berkman Injury Update – Left Knee
» 12 Mar 2010, 8:55 pm

Larry Johnson Signs with the RedskinsNot long ago, Larry Johnson was one of the most dominant running backs in the NFL. However, he has struggled in recent years. The Washington Redskins now hope that Johnson can regain some of that magic. In Washington, Johnson will join forces with Clinton Portis at running back. Portis is coming off of an injury plagued season and there’s no guarantee he’ll be 100% by next season. With that in mind, Johnson is good insurance. Last year, Johnson had 581 yards in seven games with the Kansas City Chiefs and the Cincinnati Bengals. The best season of his career came in 2005 [...]Post from: EveryJoe Larry Johnson Signs with the Redskins
» 12 Mar 2010, 8:55 pm

Hot Links: Hot Twins and MoreHere’s some reading for the weekend that features hot chicks, cool phone apps and a vajazzled vagina. What more could you ask for? Hot Twins (The Chive) Women of Spring Training (Maxim) Porn May Be Good for Society (Asylum) 5 Phone Apps That Need to Happen (College Humor) Have your ever seen a woman who was Vajazzled? (Crushable) Image: sxc.hu Post from: EveryJoe Hot Links: Hot Twins and More Post from: EveryJoe Hot Links: Hot Twins and More
» 12 Mar 2010, 8:46 pm

Piquadro Laptop Messenger BagThere’s nothing like a luxurious leather laptop bag. When shopping for bag, look for rich calf leather and plenty of organizational compartments. Your bag should be able to hold your computer, accessories, adapters, files and all your other everyday essentials. One of my favorite bags is the Piquadro Light from Forzieri. This classic laptop bag is big enough for a 15-inch notebook. It has a padded pocket for your laptop, two main compartments and lots of other pockets. This bag comes in brown, purple or black calfskin and is priced at $427. This luxe bag is an investment but it will [...]Post from: EveryJoe Piquadro Laptop Messenger Bag
» 12 Mar 2010, 6:42 pm

Bloody MatadorIf you like slushy cocktails, check out this recipe for the Bloody Matador using Jose Cuervo tequila, Red Bull and frozen limeade. This refreshing, energizing drink is perfect for a spring party. Ingredients: 3 oz Jose Cuervo Especial gold tequila 2 oz Red Bull energy drink 1 oz triple sec 3 oz frozen limeade concentrate 1 oz grenadine syrup 1 oz cherry liqueur Method: Mix all ingredients together in a blender. Blend until slushy. Strain into a  cocktail glass. Makes two drinks. Post from: EveryJoe Bloody Matador Post from: EveryJoe Bloody Matador
» 12 Mar 2010, 6:27 pm

What’s Your All-Time Favorite HBO Series?Thank God for HBO. They have brought us some of the best shows on television in recent years. But which one is the best? Many will argue that it’s The Sopranos, but you have to love The Wire, Curb Your Enthusiasm and a handful over other HBO series. The Wire Image: HBO Post from: EveryJoe What’s Your All-Time Favorite HBO Series? Post from: EveryJoe What’s Your All-Time Favorite HBO Series?
» 12 Mar 2010, 2:25 pm

Mustang 5.0 Fever SweepstakesAn all-new 2011 Ford Mustang GT equipped with Ford Racing Performance Parts and Ford Custom Accessories will be given away as part of Ford Customer Service’s “Mustang 5.0 Fever” Sweepstakes. The all new Mustang features a 5.0 V-8 engine, 412 horsepower, 390 ft-lb of torque and highway mileage of 25 mpg. The sweepstakes launched on March 11 and ends on November 23, 2010. Entry forms will be available at the Motorcraft/Quick Lane Racing Experience NHRA display at selected NHRA races throughout the season. March 12-15 – 41st Annual Tire Kingdom NHRA Gatornationals (Gainesville, FL) April 9-11 – 23rd Annual O’Reilly NHRA Spring Nationals [...]Post from: EveryJoe Mustang 5.0 Fever Sweepstakes
» 12 Mar 2010, 1:34 pm

Man Marries His PillowThe dakimakura is a large, huggable pillow available in Japan that often has a picture of an anime character printed on it. People of all ages love these pillows. And apparently Le Jin-gyu loved his pillow so much that he married it…literally. The 28-year-old dressed up his pillow in a wedding dress and married it in a ceremony in front of a priest. As you can imagine, the wedding got plenty of media attention. Now that’s love. [Metro.co.uk] Post from: EveryJoe Man Marries His Pillow Post from: EveryJoe Man Marries His Pillow
» 12 Mar 2010, 1:28 pm

Steve Pavlina

Master Your Workday NowI recently had the privilege of reading the book Master Your Workday Now! by Michael Linenberger. I daresay this is the best book on workflow management I’ve ever read — and I’ve read a LOT of books on that subject. The book just came out this week, and last I checked it was in the top [...]
» 9 Mar 2010, 9:40 pm

Tapping the Promise of Personal GrowthThe nice thing about working on your personal growth is that when you make a concerted, dedicated effort to improve some part of your life, there’s an excellent chance that you will succeed in the long run. You may have a lot of gunk to clear out in terms of limiting beliefs, and you may [...]
» 1 Mar 2010, 3:46 pm

Registration Opens for 3 More 2010 WorkshopsI’m happy to announce that we’ve finalized the bookings for the remaining 2010 Conscious Growth Workshops. Registration is now officially open for all 3 of them. These workshops will be held at the Flamingo Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip on the following dates: May 14-16, 2010 (Fri-Sun) Jul 16-18, 2010 (Fri-Sun) Oct 29-31, 2010 (Fri-Sun) Feedback was so positive [...]
» 24 Feb 2010, 4:26 pm

How to OrderThe universe you live in works very much like a popular restaurant. You go in, you decide what you want, you order it, you receive it, and you digest it. Unfortunately, a lot of people don’t seem to know how to order. Some are downright inept at it. They walk into this restaurant, behave like [...]
» 21 Feb 2010, 8:17 pm

New Raising Your Vibration Audio ProgramErin recently announced the release of her new audio program Raising Your Vibration, which is based on her ebook 10 Ways to Raise Your Vibration in Under 10 Minutes. I thought it would be great to announce it here as well. I wasn’t personally involved in producing this program, but I’ve listened to the whole thing, [...]
» 17 Feb 2010, 5:00 pm

One Week On, One Week OffIf you’d like to boost your productivity far beyond the results you get with the 9-to-5 grind, an interesting alternative work schedule to consider is the One Week On, One Week Off approach. Instead of working week after week, you alternate between one intensive work week followed by one vacation/personal week. This method isn’t very well [...]
» 16 Feb 2010, 1:08 pm

Broadcast Your DesiresDo you hide your true desires from the world? Do you pretend you want one thing while silently desiring something else? For example, do you desire a new lover or playmate while giving potential partners the impression that you’d like to date them first? Do you want to be earning a lot more money while broadcasting that you’re [...]
» 12 Feb 2010, 6:45 pm

How You Give Your Power AwayOne of the themes that repeatedly came up at the last Conscious Growth Workshop was the problem of giving your power away. Instead of focusing on your true desires, you erect false structures in front of your desires and then feed your power to those structures as a delay tactic. Here are some typical scenarios of [...]
» 2 Feb 2010, 12:38 pm

2010 Conscious Growth WorkshopsOur second Conscious Growth Workshop January 15-17 was another amazing weekend of fun and personal breakthroughs. It was a real treat to see so many conscious growth enthusiasts coming together in one place. CGW #3, 4, and 5 We’re already in the process of booking the next 3 CGWs for the remainder of 2010. All of these [...]
» 28 Jan 2010, 1:49 pm

How to Build a Stronger EgoThere’s a notion that’s been spread around the spiritual side of the self-help field that suggests one of our primary aims in life should be ego-less enlightenment, a state where we achieve near-perfect inner peace, where we’re one with everything but attached to nothing, and where nothing in the physical world can knock us off [...]
» 20 Jan 2010, 9:30 am

The CareerXroads Annex

Peter Cappelli Suggests We Outsource Our Leadership to IndiaPeter Cappelli's recent HR Executive column, Leadership Lessons from India, is much more than  a tongue-in-cheek recipe for solving some of our leadership woes. The George W. Taylor Professor of Management at The Wharton School, makes serious sense in describing that what is amiss in the US is a failure to see Business goals and objectives as anything but money- especially the money that the leader can acquire for himself. Peter points out that Indian business leaders' order of priorities are a bit different than most of their US counterparts as shown below: "1. Chief input for business strategy; 2. Keeper of organizational culture; 3. Guide or teacher for employees; 4. Representative of owner and investor interests; and 5. Represen
» 7 Mar 2010, 12:41 pm

Sources of Hire 2010: Taking Its MeasureJohn Zappe's Source of Hire article on ERE Wednesday (2/17), a day after my ERE webinar, offered a great snapshot of the information we look to share each year.  We we finally published CareerXroads' 2010 Sources of Hire whitepaper Friday. It is our 9th. I almost remember why we began doing it in 2002- to document how the Internet was impacting recruiting (since the hype about "traffic" never seemed to lead anywhere). Earlier last week before finishing the report I dug out a 1998 SHRM/EMA study about 1997 SOH data and used it to start the discussion this year. The purpose, which I wrote about here was to contrast just how much has changed in the last dozen years. In the conclusion of this year's whitepaper, I noted the top sources of an
» 21 Feb 2010, 6:26 pm

Sources of Hire 1997: A Trip Down Memory LaneI just finished CareerXroads 9th annual Sources of Hire whitepaper- its being edited as I write this. We'll publish sometime next week when I have two webinars on the subject (one here with ERE).  To offer some context, I dug out a 1997 SHRM/EMA study to use as part of the intro so I could contrast the evolution. Its a hoot but also a lesson about not standing still...and some still are.   Here’s a bit of history to set the stage, provide some context and entertain. 12 years ago, SHRM, which had recently acquired the Employment Management Association, engaged in a joint survey of “Staffing Metrics” via a mailing to 5500 prospects- all of the 4000 EMA members and a sample of randomly selected SHRM members and volunteers. 256 com
» 12 Feb 2010, 7:38 am

Let the Good Times RollMark and I have completed our numbers crunching for about 180,000 hires we collected from 40+ firms last month and we will publish our 9th Source Of Hire whitepaper probably by the end of next week- we're writing it now. An early peek at the data will be discussed privately in an "open mike" webinar with survey respondents and CareerXroads colloquium members before the end of the month but an ERE webinar next week (2/17) will be the first public look at the current SOH data. In addition to collecting data about how firm's hire, we also ask each year about how they did versus previous years and what they predict the coming year will bring. Two years ago, January 2008, when we asked respondents about their future plans, for the first time, m
» 7 Feb 2010, 11:00 am

Diversity of Thought and the Google-China Controversy: Who Walks the Talk?Google is thinking about leaving China. Really?(he said very slowly and sarcastically) For years I’ve been listening to companies whining about how they have to cave to various local customs that violate basic human rights standards. The most common rationale is that it is better to give some hope to those who are discriminated against, supressed or otherwise denied basic freedoms by being there than not. Really? B_ _ _S_ _ _ Google’s comments are disturbing and disappointing. Their rationalizations would embarrass me if I were an employee. Do no evil indeed. If Google’s leaders couldn’t imagine China escalating from censoring the search queries of dissidents in 2006 to searching for the dissident who made the queries in 2009…wel
» 25 Jan 2010, 12:58 pm

Source of Hire: Slowly we turn...step by step...Mark Mehler, my business partner in CareerXroads, and I are in the midst of collecting Source of Hire data from this past year. We started two weeks ago and will finish in another week and a half (January 31). Then I'll crunch a few numbers and write another whitepaper.  For nearly a decade we've been observing and commenting on the shift of recruiting sources of hire and the context in which the data is collected and analyzed (and then used to invest in the next cycle). The last SOH whitepaper is still quoted several times a week and considered "recent" even though we don't think it is (all of our work is in the public domain). The data is seriously flawed. But that isn't point. It is better to understand what firms "attribute" their hire
» 21 Jan 2010, 11:00 am

Faces in the CrowdToday was Career Day in NJ. Rutgers University hosted their 45th semi-annual career fair for their students, the students from any other college willing to travel to New Brunswick and, actually, anyone else who felt like showing up…student or not. An estimated 3500 did. So did Mark, my business partner, and I (we typically spend a day a month on college campuses or outplacement centers just to get a sense of the playing field.) Janet Jones, one of Rutgers Career Services Directors and a great friend over more than a few years met us at the door. 165 companies had booths. A lot of retail, federal government and smaller firms were in attendance. A smattering of larger firms (but few of these had much more to offer than the smaller ones
» 7 Jan 2010, 6:50 pm

Heading to IndiaI'm in Newark Airport's continental lounge getting ready to head out to India with SHRM's HR delegation. FutureStep, Recruitnblogs.com and Alliance Q are underwriting my adventure and I'll be blogging on the trip from a link on Recruit   ngblogshome page.  Traveling to my 20th country as a student and learning how staffing differs culturally around the world is about as good as it gets. 
» 6 Dec 2009, 4:29 pm

The DOL is interested in your job boards, your career resources and anything else you've got.As the current administration attempts to jumpstart job creation, a parallel effort to help job seekers is being launched through the Department of Labor over the next few weeks. The schedule is extraordinarily aggressive. SHRM's Kathleen Coulombe sent a message explaining the initiative to the members of several of the society's expert panels that read, in part: The Department of Labor’s (DOL) Employment and Training Administration (ETA) is launching the Jobs for America’s Job Seekers Challenge in conjunction with the White House and IdeaScale. The competition will use an online platform designed by IdeaScale that will allow toolmakers and developers to present their free online job tools to workforce development experts and jobseek
» 3 Dec 2009, 9:13 pm

Pay It Forward: Helping Military In TransitionLast July 29th and 30th , over 800 troops returning from active service in Afghanistan and Iraq attended a pilot 2-day event at Ft Dix, NJ.  Volunteers included Tip of the Arrow, Fort Dix staff, ESGRA, and NJ SHRM members led by Sherrill Curtis from the NJ SHRM Garden State Council along with hundreds of professional coaches and 50 employers with openings. Information about the event was promoted extensively including through my blog and summarized later in John Zappe’s article for ERE.. ...but the core of this event, what made it a bit different from other initiatives was the time devoted to personalized, face-to-face career guidance. Many lessons were learned from the pilot. Among them wrote Sherrill: “Service members are not fans
» 20 Nov 2009, 9:36 am

Social Media Summit: Moving Learning to Another LevelERE's Social Recruiting Summit (#socialrecruiting), held in New York yesterday [Monday, Nov 17] was a another milestone in the evolution of niche, community-focused experiences that may eventually change the way we think about "conferences"- how we approach them as attendees and how their "owners" monetize them. The fact that yesterday's subject matter reflected the medium was just coincidental.  The combination of a comfortable guide (Laurie Ruettimann), diverse content (see next paragraph), pre-conference relationship building (#Monstersocial), intimate non-traditional setting (Comix on 14th street), and multi-media virtual conversations (free, live video-streaming, Twitter and google wave) were sufficient to engage nearly every attendee
» 17 Nov 2009, 11:58 am

Work Matters - Bob Sutton

If Your Boss is an Asshole, Don't Give Him or Her the BookOne of the strange things about The No Asshole Rule that took me at least a year after publication to understand is that just owning, displaying, and -- in particular -- giving someone the book as a present (or even...
» 11 Mar 2010, 8:54 am

If Your Actions Inspire People to Dream More, Learn More, Do More and Become More, Then You Are A LeaderApparently, John Quincy Adams, the sixth president of the United States said that. I like that quote because, while so much writing, research, and advice focuses on what leaders say and do (which is right), sometimes people forget that the...
» 9 Mar 2010, 8:59 am

Switch is #1 on The New York Times List: The Heath Brothers Do It AgainI opened that The New York Times Books section yesterday, and there it was: Chip and Dan Heath's new book Switch: How to Change Things When Change is Hard was Number 1 on the "Advice" list (a list that is...
» 8 Mar 2010, 9:52 am

DoYou Like My New Graphics?I was rather shocked, and quite delighted, to get an email from Katie Clark at IDEO yesterday with several different new graphics for the top of my blog. I didn't ask her or talk to her about, she just decided...
» 5 Mar 2010, 5:34 pm

Boris Groysberg's Research on Star Employees: Too Many Cooks Spoil the BrothI have written here fairly often about research by Harvard Business School's Boris Groysberg on the virtues and limits of star employees. One of my posts described has delightful research that shows firms should steal superstar women, not men. It...
» 5 Mar 2010, 9:35 am

Join Us and Whitney Mortimer for "IDEO in 4 Acts" this Wednesday at StanfordThis Wednesday, March 3rd, we are holding a special section of my class on Organizational Behavior: An Evidence-Based Approach. Class will be held in an auditorium at Stanford, at Gates B01. Our guest star for the day is IDEO Partner...
» 1 Mar 2010, 10:57 am

One Answer to the Question:""What's the Worst Advice You Advice You Ever Received?"An editor at Psychology Today, where I am now blogging, wrote and asked for some ideas her might use in the print edition. His question was "What's the worst advice you've ever received (Or just some really bad advice ...)....
» 1 Mar 2010, 9:30 am

“From Chaos Comes Creativity, from Order Comes Profit”There is saying, kind of a crude little formula, I have been using for years when I write and give talks on what it takes to build a culture where people innovate routinely (which I think I stole from Charles...
» 1 Mar 2010, 9:16 am

Blame, Failure, and The No Asshole RuleAs I emphasize on my list to left of 15 Things That I Believe, one of the best diagnostic to assess whether an organization is effective or innovative is "What Happens When Someone Makes a Mistake?" I made that this...
» 28 Feb 2010, 6:44 pm

The Best Asshole Buster Story I've Heard In a Long TimeA reader named Kevin just wrote and told me a great story: A good friend of mine in college was at a busy nightclub, on the crowded dance floor, dancing with his girlfriend. It was very crowded, to the point...
» 28 Feb 2010, 6:13 pm

Is It Time for a Stupid Rules Contest at Stanford?I love my university, I've been treated far better than I deserve during my 25 plus years at Stanford. But as much a I love it, I wonder if it is time for us to run something like a "stupid...
» 23 Feb 2010, 5:47 pm