October 31, 2003

Tales From The Commuter Commode
Posted by at 12:04 PM

Yesterday a Bronx commuter dropped his cellphone into a toilet on an outbound Metro-North Railroad train, and got his arm stuck -- wrist to elbow -- when he tried fishing it out. It took firefighters three sets of power tools, including the jaws of life, to cut through the toilet and free the man. The coup de grace? The cellphone was never found. The moral of this story? Unless it's your wedding ring that you dropped in there, Luke, let the cellphone go...

"It cost our customers a long, convoluted commute, and it cost this railroad many thousands of dollars," said Dan Brucker, a spokesman for Metro-North.

--------

...

 

October 30, 2003

Good news, bad news
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 9:42 AM

OK, the bad news first, a not-so-positive snapshot of the Massachusetts employment market:

Despite signs of an economic recovery, the state's job market remains exceedingly weak, with one in nine Massachusetts workers unemployed, underemployed, or no longer looking for work, according to the study by Northeastern University's Center for Labor Market Studies. The study paints a bleaker picture of the Massachusetts economy than the state's jobless rate, a historically modest 5.7 percent in September, would otherwise indicate.

Yeesh. Now for the good news, also from a piece in today's Globe on the growth rate in the nation's economy, the best since since 1984:

The economy grew at a scorching 7.2 percent annual rate in the third quarter in the strongest pace in nearly two decades. Consumers spent with abandon and businesses ramped up investment, compelling new evidence of an economic resurgence.

Obviously we're still seeing mixed signals, but we do appear to be headed in the right direction. We'll take the signs of hope.

--------

...

Youthful attitudes, sobering realities among Gen X, Gen Y workers
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 9:19 AM

From our parent publication The New York Times, a report on "the attitudes of America's newest labor force, 30-something workers — the so-called Generation X — and their 20-something counterparts, Generation Y":

They form "a dramatically different labor market that is changing not just the way people are hired and fired, but also how they view their jobs, their employers and their careers," said Peter Cappelli, the author of "The New Deal at Work: Managing the Market-Driven Workforce" and a professor of management at the Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania.

--------

...

Please don't shoot the piano player
Posted by Jason Butler at 9:16 AM

I wonder if this will become a trend? The union for customer service workers at the phone company in Vancouver took out an ad in the local paper saying "Please don't take your frustration out on the workers."

The text of the ad goes on to say that Telus management has cut staff and centralized operations, resulting in "dramatically" reduced service.

"Unfortunately, some customers who are at their wits' end in dealing with the company are taking their frustrations out on us," the ad continues. "We want you to know that those of us who are still on the job are doing everything we can under extremely adverse conditions to meet your needs."

--------

...

 

October 29, 2003

Finally, a wave of new jobs approaching
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 4:52 PM

From our neighbor publication in Boston, The Christian Science Monitor, another encouraging report that things are indeed beginning - finally- to look up in the job market:

In surveys, businesses say they intend to hire more workers. This is supported by anecdotal evidence. IBM says it will create 10,000 new jobs next year in consulting and software. Union Pacific, the nation's largest railroad, will add 1,000 conductors and engineers before the end of the year. And Hyundai, the Korean vehicle company, is building a 400-employee tech center outside of Ann Arbor, Mich.

In addition, reports of new layoffs are slowing down. "The layoffs and working out of the bubble from the excesses of the 1990s is almost finished," says John Challenger, whose outplacement firm, Challenger, Gray & Christmas, tracks downsizings.

--------

...

Fleet workers awaiting gain
Posted by Jason Butler at 12:52 PM

Globe columnist Eileen McNamara discusses the merger's impact on Fleet's customers and employees.

The contrast between the giddiness in the boardrooms and the wariness in the ranks this week speaks to the disconnect between the working men and women who labor at these corporations and the men who buy and sell them.

--------

...

 

October 28, 2003

Who wins when jobs move offshore?
Posted by Richard Cook at 3:06 PM

I hope I don't sound like a broken record, but the job related stories I see in the tech magazines I read all have to do with offshoring. This article makes its case that offshoring, in the long run, will be good for the US.
From CNET News.com Who wins when jobs move offshore?
--------

...

 

October 27, 2003

A little job insecurity
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 3:59 PM

Now even I am getting a little (ha, ha) sick of this topic, but given my previous blogs on the issue (Blog #1, Blog #2, Blog #3, Blog #4), I feel compelled to round out the Grady Little story with at least one final blog entry:

The team had until this Friday to exercise an option year on Little’s contract. The manager’s status was an issue team management skirted around whenever it was brought up this season.

...

Of skeleton crews, worker morale, and what to do
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 2:43 PM

The latest BostonWorks in the Sunday Globe has a feature on today's stripped down workforces, where those left behind after staff reductions don't always feel so lucky:

Life isn't easy for members of these lean and mean work forces. One employee is apt to be doing the work of two or three. Forty percent of employees surveyed by the Discovery Group, a Sharon-based consulting firm, say that their workload is unreasonable.

Added to this comes the not-so-surprising report that worker morale is in the tank, all across the country:

Insecurity is the reigning sentiment in an economy that has shed an unprecedented 3 million jobs. Employees of all incomes and in all occupations feel dissatisfied or overworked. In addition to job-loss fears, rising premiums for health insurance and the smallest pay raises in nearly three decades fuel their anxiety. Many feel stuck in a job market with few escape hatches.

So what do you do in times like these? It's never easy, but if you are still employed, you really want to think twice before you make a lot of noise in the workplace, as 1,000 eager applicants are waiting just outside your door. Like it or not, you have to redouble your efforts, repeatedly prove to your employer that you are the best person for the job, and thank your lucky stars that you have a job - and income - while millions out there don't. You'll want some stress relievers, too - exercise, entertainment, travel. And keep your eyes open for alternatives if your situation grows worse. But in all but the direst cases, something is better than nothing.

If you're out of work and looking, that's the toughest of all. You envy anybody on the inside and can't believe they have the gall to whine about anything! But you, too, have to suck it up and keep putting one foot in front of the other. You know - you know - it has to get better. And ask yourself, too, if you are doing all the right things to promote your case and find the best fit for what you bring to the table. In that regard, BostonWorks continues to stand ready to help with thousands of local job openings and a steady stream of expert advice to help you get back in the saddle again.

Whatever your situation, chin up, and keep at it. It's always preferable to the alternative. And despite the bare bones situation, make sure you have a Happy Halloween.

--------

...

Fleet Boston sold to Bank of America for $47 billion
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 9:42 AM

Following closely on the heels of the sale of John Hancock to a large Canadian firm, the region's leading and last remaining major New England-based commercial bank, FleetBoston, is being sold to Bank of America for a whopping $47 billion. The official announcment is expected this morning in New York. While regional HQ and control for the bank may be gone, there are a couple of positive notes in the announcement from an employment perspective:

Details were sketchy last night. But the banks are expected to announce in New York City this morning that Fleet chief executive Chad Gifford will remain as chairman of the combined company, while Bank of America's Kenneth D. Lewis will retain his position as chief executive. Bank of America will replace the Fleet name in the Northeast. In a critical element for Gifford, Bank of America agreed to keep employment in New England at current levels.

Bank of America has no current retail banking operations in the New England region, an important sign of hope for employees seeking not to be eliminated through combined operations.

--------

...

 

October 24, 2003

Badgy fiddlers, funambulists & qwylwryghtes
Posted by at 9:39 AM

Had you been alive 200 years ago, you might have heard yourself telling the local Belhoste (tavern keeper) between quaffs of mead, that you earn your keep as one of these antiquated names for occupations.

Via Metafilter.
--------

...

Take back your time
Posted by Jason Butler at 9:04 AM

Today is national "Take Back Your Time" day.

TAKE BACK YOUR TIME DAY is a nationwide initiative to challenge the epidemic of overwork, over-scheduling and time famine that now threatens our health, our families and relationships, our communities and our environment.

--------

...

 

October 23, 2003

Are we there yet?
Posted by at 3:02 PM

There is some interesting economic/job market news in the Oct. 27, 2003 issue of BusinessWeek. While we've been hearing for several months that the market has hit bottom and we should be in a job market upswing, many have been asking "so where are the jobs?" The BusinessWeek article "Jobs: The Turning Point is Here" examines the discrepancy between the growing economy numbers and the weak job market:

Economists predict the Commerce Dept. will announce on Oct. 30 that gross domestic product grew in the third quarter.... Job growth, however, has been the missing link. Although the U.S. economy created a modest 57,000 jobs in September, it lost jobs in the third quarter as a whole. In fact, the third quarter was a spectacular anomaly: the only time in at least 40 years in which the economy actually shed jobs while growing at a rate of 5.5% or better.

The article indicates that the strength of the job market recovery will be dependent not only on a strong increase in demand for new supplies but also innovation resulting in new industries:

How strong will the job recovery be? It's hard to tell, because more than ever before, employment growth comes from the creation of brand-new jobs. Creating work from scratch takes considerably longer than rehiring people to old ones.... Employment won't really go gangbusters until innovation spawns new industries.

Additional pieces of interest linked to this article are:
A Bit More for the Coffers
Commentary: All the World's a Call Center

--------

...

The Case for Coolie Labor
Posted by Richard Cook at 10:13 AM

More comments on tech outsourcing and the pressures companies face to be competitive.

"'We need to focus on long-term strategies and not short-term protectionism,' said Chris Israel, deputy assistant secretary of commerce for technology policy. 'Companies need to be competitive, strong and growing -- at the end of the day, these are the most important issues.'"

Wired News: The Case for Coolie Labor --------

...

How to get a job making video games
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 9:32 AM

Here's a review from the Globe of a new book titled Break Into the Game Industry: How to get a Job Making Video Games. The book is written by game industry veteran Ernest Adams:

Q. Who did you write the book for?

A. I'm not a career counselor; I'm a game developer. It's definitely not written for the veteran. It's for newbies. It's for people who just think video games are incredibly cool. You play games and it just makes people want to make them. It's for people who have that dream.

For more on the video game industry and its Boston roots, read Scott Kirsner's latest "At Large"column.

--------

...

Job fits no description
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 9:21 AM

I'm having a hard time letting this one go - and I'm betting a few others are, too. So here's a little more on being a manager in big league baseball, and specifically being the manager of the Old Towne Team:

I can't remember the last time anyone in New England examined the role of a big-league manager. Can you?

Oh, have a little fun. It's a joke

----------

That's the beauty of the job. If you're lucky enough to get it, one thing you have to accept -- depending on the market -- is that you're going to be studied and questioned and doubted. The observation is going to be constant and it's not always going to be fair or informed.

Want some more? Here you go from today's Globe - the latest from Grady on job security and his thoughts about his future with the Red Sox.

--------

...

How towns react to job losses
Posted by Jason Butler at 9:01 AM

Here's an interesting article from this morning's Globe about how different towns react to factory-job losses.

Over time, it is possible to replace the lost jobs and create a successful new economy. But as the experience of Pittsfield demonstrates, not everyone or every place will be able to make the leap. Between 1980 and 2000, when the latest downturn began, Massachusetts shed 236,000 manufacturing jobs, but still ended the period with 669,000 more jobs. The new jobs were not all low-paying service positions. In the Boston area, in particular, good new jobs were added in high technology, healthcare, finance, and a range of professional services, from consulting to law.

--------

...

 

October 22, 2003

Barrett slams California leadership from News.com
Posted by Richard Cook at 10:48 AM

Intel CEO Craig Barrett blames 20 years of mismanaged government in California for forcing Intel and other high tech companies to leave California. He goes on to question how the U.S. will compete with the 250-500 million highly educated workers in India, China and Russia.

"All this talk of offshoring (moving high-tech jobs to lower-wage countries) is interesting, but it's a microcosm of the larger issue of how the U.S. will compete" in a global economy, Barrett told an audience of 6,000 corporate technology buyers.

Barrett slams California leadership
--------

...

Fearing the brain drain
Posted by Jason Butler at 10:43 AM

The Boston Globe discusses a report from the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce on how 50% of those who graduate from area institutions leave the state.

The report concluded 20 percent of the graduates -- 2,100 were polled -- would have left anyway. But the other 80 percent might have stayed if the Boston area offered more job opportunities, rents and home prices that are more affordable, and a more diverse and vibrant atmosphere, the study said.

--------

...

 

October 20, 2003

Low moments in employment history
Posted by at 10:53 AM

Blatant disclaimer: Hi. My name's Dean and I'm a Sox fan (All: "Hi, Dean, welcome to Soxaholics Anonymous") and I am in no way an apologist for Grady's appalling Game 7 decision. So please spare me the flames when I say that I find some merit in Globe Sports writer Michael Holley's assessment that calls for Grady's ouster may be jumping the shark.

By this I'm saying who among us -- who do our jobs and do them flawlessly, often beyond expectation 98.5 percent of the time -- can honesty say they never, ever made at least one embarassing or costly mistake on the job? We are human, ergo, we are designed specifically to make stupid decisions that result in disasterous consequences especially, when it counts the most.

The Globe's reporting that a decision on Grady's job won't happen until after the World Series.

--------

...

Better living through chemistry
Posted by Jason Butler at 9:44 AM

Evolutionary biologist Zack Lynch predicts that mental health is the ultimate competitive advantage, and that to compete in the 21st century, job-seekers may need a little outside help.

As more people live longer and global competition intensifies, many people will turn to regulated neuroceuticals as the next set of tools they will adopt to help them survive and succeed. Using cogniceuticals to increase memory retention, emoticeuticals to decrease stress and sensoceuticals to add a meaningful pleasure gradient, neuroceuticals will allow people to compete without being constrained by their neurochemistry.

I may be ahead of the curve; after Game Seven last week, I drank me a case of them regulated neuroceuticals.
--------

...

 

October 17, 2003

Recovery of jobs lost in state seen taking years
Posted by Jason Butler at 9:00 AM

This morning's Globe reports on a New England Economic Project study which says it will take years for hiring to fully rebound.

The long, slow climb ahead -- job growth next year is projected at an anemic 1 percent -- is a product of how far, and how fast, the state's economy fell during the recent recession. The state's concentration of technology and financial services firms, the hardest hit by the bursting of the Internet and stock market bubbles, made the recession here far more severe than the nation as a whole.

--------

...

Belly up
Posted by Jason Butler at 8:47 AM

All good things must end. With heavy hearts and heavy eyelids, we now return you to your regularly-scheduled Job Blog.
--------

...

 

October 16, 2003

An important day at the office
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 2:03 PM

OK, here's your typical workday: You show up to the office and go to your accustomed place. As you find your place, 50,000 people settle into their seats to watch you while you work. Countless millions more tune in to watch you on television, while millions more track your performance on the radio in multiple languages around the globe. And tonight you have a very important meeting, on the road. And you and your colleagues are out to prove once again that you're the best in the business.

Your job? Throwing a ball to another man, getting it past a guy with a stick so he can't hit it.

Sound tough? Maybe so, maybe not. But are you up to the task?

If you're Pedro Martinez of the Boston Red Sox, you most certainly are. Importantly, your management has great confidence in you and is behind you 100%:

Sox pitching coach Dave Wallace is looking for Martinez to pitch like the Hall of Famer he likely will become.

"We're very comfortable with him going out there, and we'll see what happens," Wallace said. "Pedro is pretty much under control. How can you not be excited about what is going to happen here tomorrow night? These two teams with these two pitchers in this park. Goodness gracious. It can't get any better."

Meanwhile, if you're one of the rest of us workers out here and you’re having trouble concentrating on your work today, you're not alone. An unprecedented Red Sox-Yankees Game 7 for the American League pennant and a trip to the World Series. Tonight. This is big. This is exciting. Go Pedro. Go Sox. Time to go to work.

--------

...

 

October 14, 2003

Early birds and night owls
Posted by at 10:19 AM

Jason is an early bird. To sleep by 10 p.m. most nights, he's up by 5:15 a.m. and is ready to roll. As for myself, I rarely get to sleep by 1:30 a.m. and the thought of rising before sunrise is sheer heresy.

Having worked late and overnight shifts at newspapers and restaurants for much of my life, I believe I'm hard-wired to stay up into the wee hours and can if called upon, go without sleep for 24-48 hours without batting an eye.

Now researchers at the University of Surrey say they have found a link between people's preference for mornings or evenings.
--------

...

Long-term unemployed say networking has run dry
Posted by Jason Butler at 8:51 AM

A somewhat depressing article from the New York Times about employed friends of job-seekers who suffer network fatigue.

"It's a lot like spam," said Diane DiResta, president of DiResta Communications, which assists in career development. "People keep hitting up the same contacts over and over again. But people have a lot more to do these days and are less benevolent than they were in the past. There's no time for all the requests."

--------

...

The unwritten rules of job-search email
Posted by Jason Butler at 8:48 AM

CareerJournal takes a look at mistakes to avoid in email job-hunting.

Writing effective e-mail is critical to your job-search success and isn't difficult, but many candidates get flunking grades. Consider whether you're among them by putting yourself in the position of your e-mail recipients. Why would they read your message? How will they react if they do read it?

--------

...

 

October 13, 2003

Productivity helps profits, not jobs
Posted by Jason Butler at 10:09 AM

Yesterday's Globe reports on how banner years for profits no longer lead to new spurts of hiring.

Cranston Print Works Co., which has printed textiles here since 1936, recently posted its biggest profits in a decade, handed out generous profit-sharing bonuses to its 500 employees, and invested nearly $2 million to further modernize its operations in this old Central Massachusetts mill town.

So what will the Rhode Island-based firm do to follow up on this success? Cut 24 jobs.

Productivity improvements grow the economy, but don't always create jobs.

--------

...

McKinsey to America: "Suck it up"
Posted by Jason Butler at 10:08 AM

Globe columnist Charles Stein discusses a new report from the McKinsey Global Institute, a think tank associated with the high-end consulting firm, in which McKinsey tells Americans to have faith in capitalism, that the long-term gains of off-shoring justify the short term suffering.

McKinsey starts with the obvious: that Americans whose jobs disappear will suffer and that they will need substantial help -- far more than we currently provide -- to make an adjustment to new careers. The pain of free trade is always easy to see. The gains are tougher to identify, but no less real, according to McKinsey.

If you're interested, go to McKinsey's website and read for yourself.

--------

...

WSJ: Casualties of a changing job market
Posted by Jason Butler at 10:07 AM

The Wall Street Journal Online has collected many of its recent articles on the changing job market into a special section called Left Behind.

You need to be an online subscriber to view these articles, but if you are, this section is quite compelling.

--------

...

Marathon Woman
Posted by Jason Butler at 10:07 AM

Hearty congratulations to our own Sarah Hubbell, who ran the Chicago Marathon Saturday! Sarah finished in a speedy four hours and fifteen minutes. In a related story, sales of Advil along Lake Shore Drive have gone through the roof.

Also, a hearty "Grr" to whoever put together the marathon's website. They know that people will want to link directly to their favorite runner's results. Why then, do they do the results page as a post instead of a get? Grr. Argh.

--------

...

 

October 10, 2003

Zen without leaving your desk
Posted by at 2:13 PM

While a lack of job creation and increased layoffs have been the most obvious effect of the economic downturn these past few years, one positive outcome has been increased worker productivity and business unit efficiency in the workplace. In fact, economists say productivity has risen at an annual average of 5 percent during the initial stages of this recovery, faster than any rebound in 40 years.

The cost to workers has been less recreational time, increased stress and free-floating tension. But some workers have discovered there are a variety of behavioral and visualization/meditative techniques available to help workers relax when stressors hit.
--------

...

Power women
Posted by at 1:58 PM

While the glass ceiling still exists for women seeking many of the top jobs in a company, more and more women are reaching the top tier in IT than ever before.

"We're seeing more female CIOs in client companies across the board," Deloitte & Touche senior manager Diane Toscano told NewsFactor's CIO Today Magazine. "As more women are doing training in management, they're coming in better prepared for those executive-level slots."

--------

...

Full court press
Posted by at 10:33 AM

US Treasury Secretary John Snow said yesterday that evidence of a rapidly improving economy is "irrefutable and unmistakable" and a rebound in the job market is not too far behind.

Snow was in town yesterday to talk up President Bush's economic policies, as the administration has begun a full-scale public relations blitz on campaign issues.

We're now getting into a strong recovery, and with a strong recovery, I'm confident we're going to see a pretty good job pickup in the months ahead," Snow said. "Consumer spending remains strong, housing remains strong, [business] spending has come back, and all of that suggests the job picture has to improve."

All I can say is bring on the jobs, bring on the jobs, bring on the jobs.

--------

...

 

October 8, 2003

Carrier is leaving Syracuse
Posted by Jason Butler at 10:51 AM

As you all know, I'm one of those horribly annoying Syracuse grads who congregate here in Boston. I don't get back up to the 'Cuse often, but I still keep tabs. That's why this story jumped out at me this week.

Carrier Air Conditioning is leaving Syracuse, moving its manufacturing overseas and leaving thousands jobless. This hits me personally, not just because I spent two years walking around the Carrier Dome on the way from Sadler Hall to class, but because I interned at this very factory.

Back in '93, Carrier brought a bunch of us OPM (Operations Management) majors in to help them with their kaizen transformations and other aspects of Total Quality Management. Now, they've decided the best way to improve their quality is to get the hell out of town.

The story is a sad one, told many times.
--------

...

Mmm, cookies
Posted by Jason Butler at 10:50 AM

Christopher Ryan sends in a pointer to the latest innovation: business-card cookies.
--------

...

 

October 7, 2003

Sous chef forced to cook up another job
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 3:56 PM

From PRI's Marketplace radio show, a mini-case study on facing and dealing with a job transition in this continuing tough economy:

The slow economy and the struggling job market mean that more people are being forced to start over. Executive sous chef Jim Dowling is one of these people. Performing in the only job he has ever known, Dowling clearly had talent, but the work was physically difficult – and he had to quit because of chronic neck and back pain. So, what should he do now? While he had an idea to start a multicultural food class in public schools, he wasn’t sure how to get the ball moving. With the help of The Life's Work Center, an unconventional career counseling organization, he’s meeting with others like him in group sessions to try to get a business plan together. Now, he’s moving forward.

To access the segment, go to the Marketplace archives for October 6th, scroll down to the piece entitled "Sous chef’s forced to cook up another job," and click on the link or speaker icon.

Happy listening. And if you're really interested, you can hear more pieces from the Marketplace "Starting Over" series, which "highlights individuals that weren’t satisfied with just making a living -- they wanted work that gives them a life."
--------

...

The older you get, the harder you work
Posted by at 10:19 AM

Early retirement? Living off of Social Security? Moving South and living the good life? For many Americans, such a reality is swiftly being replaced with the knowledge that they'll be working well into their Golden Years.

Such is the case for Patsy Sechrest, 58, wife of 38 years and mother of two grown children who once thought she'd be retired by now or at least counting down the days, but insteads finds herself serving flapjacks every morning at a Hardees in Archdale, N. Carolina. Sechrest is just one of an increasing number of older women finding they must continue working for money and benefits.

This day will be the fourth straight in a stretch that will go on for 13 in all. She often works 50 hours a week, earning $8.50 an hour for awakening at 3 a.m. so she can be unlocking the Hardee's by 4. By 4:05, she is firing up the biscuit oven. By 4:30, she has the fry vats bubbling. By 5:15, she has the entire restaurant ready to go, and by 5:25 she has her headset clamped in place when, five minutes early, the first customer rolls up to the drive-through window in search of a sausage-and-egg on a bun.

"There you go, hon," she says, handing it to him, and the way she says this makes it sound as if there's nothing else she'd rather be doing at this hour, that she welcomes the back twinge that comes when she leans out the window, and the grease fumes already penetrating her shirt, and the mystery smell that turns out to be unemptied garbage left by some night-crew member, a teenager probably, bored out of his mind, with no concept of what it's like to be a woman nearing 60 who is opening a restaurant in the dark hours because she needs the money to live on.

--------

...

Sleepy but happy
Posted by Jason Butler at 9:16 AM

I don't know about your office, factory or dock, but here at BostonWorks world headquarters, the only talk around the watercooler is about our beloved Red Sox, and their insane victory last night.

The angel of unrequited baseball dreams smiled last night on the Red Sox as their Dominican superstars -- Pedro Martinez and Manny Ramirez -- paced an improbable comeback from a two-game deficit in the best-of-five American League Division Series to eliminate the A's in a 4-3 thriller

Bring on the evil empire.
--------

...

 

October 6, 2003

BostonWorks' #1 Sox fan
Posted by at 11:24 AM

If you happened to be sitting near the lower left field wall for Game 4 yesterday, or else saw the centerpiece photo in the special Playoffs03 pull-out in today's Globe, you might have caught a glimpse of our very own Tim Murphy, BostonWorks Director of Marketing and Product Development.

The "hardest working man at BostonWorks" was taking a break from his usual work-all-weekend schedule to cheer on the hardest working team in baseball. Go Tim! Go Sox!

btw, is that one of those snazzy BostonWorks baseball cap's he's clutching in his left hand?
--------

...

Execs dinged by low-level HR staffers
Posted by Jason Butler at 9:51 AM

Here is a really interesting article from CareerJournal about executives who are comfortable working with C-level counterparts, but blow their job chances by working poorly with the entry-level HR screener.

What's worse, you may have to undergo one or more HR interviews before you get to see a hiring manager. It's alarming to think that a person with perhaps two years of business experience is making quick and unilateral decisions about whether a senior-level candidate stays in the candidate pool. But it's common practice, so be ready for it.

--------

...

Jobs abound in India's technology sector
Posted by Jason Butler at 9:47 AM

Times may be tough for technology workers in Boston, but it's boomtime in Bangalore.

"The market is booming. I can pick and choose a firm of my choice," said the 28-year-old engineer, who has been in the industry for about five years.

Is it me, or does this sound a lot like 1999 in Seattle, San Francisco and Boston?
--------

...

Cowboy Up
Posted by Jason Butler at 9:33 AM

Whether it's the kindergarten teacher picking the perfect sticker to calm the five-year-old, the sales manager delivering the perfect value proposition to close that big client, or the designated hitter hitting the game-winning double with two on and two out, you gotta love it when your stars come through in crunchtime at work.

At least, that's the way it looked from the right field bleachers :-)
--------

...

 

October 3, 2003

Maintaining quality of life
Posted by Jason Butler at 1:18 PM

All of us here at Job Blog World Headquarters have decided that this will be our new strategy for salary negotiation.
--------

...

Demystifying the mystery of job market data
Posted by at 10:27 AM

Trying to make sense out of the mystery meat of job market reports can be a job in itself. Like the annual stories you see about aspirin: It's good, no wait it's bad, no it's good for you??? those stories you read about the job market are a matter of opinion.

IMHO (for the uninitiated, In My Humble Opinion) it's important to take in this data, but the take away at the end of the day is to simply continue trusting yourself and remain confident. Jobs these days may indeed be harder to get, but regardless don't let it sway your confidence, question who you are, what you know and what you can offer a potential employer. Hiring managers -- like a blind date -- can smell the stink of desperation on you a mile away.

Something to keep in mind today when you see September unemployment numbers come out (which coincidently are a bit better than expected).
--------

...

Grr.
Posted by Jason Butler at 9:19 AM

Despite Bud Selig's best efforts at keeping a working man from watching his beloved Red Sox, I was able to see yesterday's playoff game (Thanks, Tivo!).

After watching, I can't decide which of the Seven Duffs best describes my mood. Remorseful? Queasy? Surly.
--------

...

 

October 2, 2003

Bright-eyed and bushy-tailed
Posted by Jason Butler at 9:58 AM

You'll have to forgive the working men and women of Red Sox nation today if they are a bit surly -- last night's playoff game ended at 2:47 in the morning.

Thanks, Bud Selig!
--------

...

 

October 1, 2003

From the "Don't hold your breath" department
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 1:45 PM

"Jobs on way, Bush pledges" says the story headline - sounds good in an election campaign, right? I wish I could believe him:

Brushing aside increasing Democratic criticism about his handling of the economy and Iraq, the president told supporters yesterday, "We're laying the foundations for greater prosperity and economic vitality and more jobs across America."
- - -
Bush acknowledged gloomy unemployment statistics amid other signs of a recovering economy. But he suggested the two major tax cuts he pushed through Congress would eventually help to lift the overall economy. "When Americans have more take-home pay to spend, save or invest, the whole economy grows, and more people are likely to find a job," he said.

The message is still clear to job seekers: the onus is on you in this economy. It ain't gonna happen unless you go out and make it happen. So keep on keep keepin' on, and we'll be here to help you. Or, to paraphrase Tom Bodett of Motel 6 fame, "We'll leave the site on for you."

--------

...

Ouch - DOL says firms' hiring plans still on hold
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 12:01 PM

Not the news we want to hear, but in the interest of "eyes wide open" for those in the hunt:

Companies have slowed the pace of layoffs, but have broken with previous economic rebounds by not boosting their hiring plans, the Labor Department said.

The department said this lack of hiring translated into a net job loss on business payrolls of 356,000 in 2002, the first full year of recovery from the 2001 recession.

Read the full story.

--------

...

Multitasking is insane
Posted by Jason Butler at 11:17 AM

CIO Magazine reminds us that multitasking is an enormous waste of your time and your company's money.

As people divide their attention between two even seemingly simple tasks-reading their e-mail, for instance, while talking on the phone-comprehension, concentration and short-term memory suffer. Switching from one job to another doesn't work any better. Research indicates that that eats up more time than waiting to finish one job before beginning the next-an inefficiency that increases as the tasks at hand become more complicated. Toggling back and forth between a review of the fine print on a vendor's service-level agreement and a discussion about the amortization of next year's IT investments with your CFO over the phone? Not a terrific time-saving strategy after all.

--------

...