March 31, 2005

Economy ends 2004 upbeat, lifts job hopes
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 10:44 AM

As today's Boston Globe reports, with 2004 ending on a positive economic note, job hopes are up for the near term:

The economy closed out 2004 with decent momentum and appears to have picked up some speed since, raising hopes of a better climate for jobs. With the economy chugging ahead -- but not too rapidly -- Wall Street staged a jubilant rally.

With the jobless recovery receding in the rear-view mirror, more opportunities are opening up, good news for job seekers everywhere.

If you haven't taken advantage yet, dust off that resume and get out there. Optimism is contagious, and as employers swing back into growth mode - albeit somewhat more cautiously, realistically, and hopefully without the "irrational exuberance" of the recent past - they will be looking to hire.
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March 30, 2005

Is going gray an asset in the workplace?
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 5:15 PM

This is a big issue, and getting bigger:

Opinions about the impact of gray hair in business remain conflicted as the workforce gets collectively older, with the first baby boomers set to turn 60 next year.

Does gray add gravitas for those seeking to be hired or promoted, or is it a drawback that is best disguised? Experts say the answer depends on the circumstances.

You be the judge, but I, for one, am qualified to speak on the topic (check my bio).
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March 29, 2005

Good news and bad news from BOA
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 10:51 AM

OK, which do you want first, the good news or the bad news?

Let's get the bad news out of the way first: over 1,400 jobs have been lost from the former Fleet operations in Massachusetts since the bank's merger with Bank of America:

The Massachusetts layoffs are double the number the bank had previously disclosed. Bank of America chief executive Kenneth D. Lewis and several other top executives told The Boston Globe in September the bank had cut 700 Massachusetts jobs in its merger with Fleet.

So what's the good news, then?

In its merger with Fleet, Bank of America has pledged to maintain the same number of employees in New England -- about 17,900 -- as Fleet had before the deal. Already, Bank of America has revealed plans to create about 1,100 new jobs, including about 400 executives in its Global Wealth and Investment Management division, which is headquartered in Boston, and 700 jobs in a call center in Rhode Island.

Bank of America's president of the Northeast, Anne Finucane, said the bank plans to create 1,800 new jobs in New England over the next two years and will fulfill its employment commitment by 2006.

One employee doing well is CEO Kenneth Lewis. The Globe reports that the CEO was given $22 million in compensation last year, reflecting his role in the bank's successful expansion of operations into the Northeast.
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March 28, 2005

More women troubles over at Harvard
Posted by Diane Danielson at 9:42 AM

Women are having a tough time over at Harvard. First, they were told that they may not have the brain cells to compete in science. Now they're being told that apparently they don't use the brain cells that they do have to know how to dress appropriately. In this Sunday's "Out in the Field" column, Diane E. Lewis looks at what's appropriate attire for the office and how that's playing out in a lawsuit being brought by an assistant librarian who claims she was passed over for promotions due to how she dressed.

Desiree Goodwin, 40, of Arlington, is at the center of a federal court lawsuit that focuses on workplace attire and alleged bias. Brought by Goodwin, an assistant librarian at a Harvard University library, the suit claims a supervisor implied that the reason Goodwin was turned down for promotion 16 times was because of her attire and physical attractiveness.

Goodwin contends a supervisor told her in December 2001 that she was viewed as a "pretty girl" who wore "sexy outfits," according to an article in The Boston Globe. She also says other women were not penalized or held back because of the way they dressed. Goodwin, an African-American woman with two advanced degrees from Cornell University, says the jobs she sought were given to women with less experience and education. Reportedly, a supervisor also suggested that Goodwin could apply elsewhere because employers were looking for qualified black applicants.

The article then discusses some parameters for appropriate dressing which is useful now that warmer weather may soon be upon us (at least according to the calendar!). Personally, I'm all for dressing up for the office. But, when it comes to what crosses the "too sexy" line: it's o.k. to dress in a manner where your colleagues might imagine that you have really nice undergarments beneath the outfit; it's not o.k. if they can actually tell exactly what type of undergarments you're wearing.
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March 25, 2005

Will your company be there for you?
Posted by Jason Butler at 8:21 AM

You find out the strength of your relationships when times are bad. Is your friend there when you need him? Is he willing to sacrifice at all for the long-term benefit of the relationship? We've all had friends who let us down at the big moment. For most of us, we no longer count those people as friends.

But what about potential employers? We take jobs for the money, for power, for the ability to do something interesting. Have you ever taken a job based on a company's integrity, how it will react in times of adversity?

John Porcaro was recently in the hospital for burns, and he contrasts Microsoft's response to that of his 9-year-old roommate's father's company.

Just after they moved in, I heard the boy's father on the phone with his company.  He was asking his boss for two things: 1) for two weeks vacation to help take care of his son; and 2) access to his retirement account (401k) funds to help with medical bills.  His company flatly denied both requests.  Because he was two weeks shy of being there a full year, he was told he had no accrued vacation.  They told him if he took any time off, he'd be fired.

(Via Robert Scoble)
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March 24, 2005

Older workers please apply
Posted by Jason Butler at 10:54 AM

Yesterday's New York Times jumps on the trend of companies hiring older, more reliable workers.

After years of encouraging workers to take early retirement as a way to cut jobs, a growing number of companies are hunting for older workers because they have lower turnover rates and, in many cases, better work performance.

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March 22, 2005

The envelope, please
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 9:29 AM

". . .And this year's Digital Edge Award for Best Employment Site goes to. . .BostonWorks!"

That's right. You are now reading the award-winning BostonWorks.com site. The "Edgies", as they are known, are conferred annually by the NAA (Newspaper Association of America) New Media Federation on the top digital products and services in the industry.

At this year's NAA "mega-conference" currently underway in Dallas, BostonWorks was recognized as the winner in the category "Best Employment Site, Circulation Greater Than 250,000" for "fulfill[ing] its mission as a career mentor with a focus on local jobs and deep information about Boston-area industries and employers."

Read the full citation and see the list of other award winners, including our sister site Boston.com for Best Sports Site. Meanwhile, rest assured that we are still hard at work striving to improve the services we offer, for job seeker and employer alike, in order to maintain our digital edge.
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March 19, 2005

Being unemployed is a taxing situation
Posted by Colin Moor at 3:54 PM

Conducting a job search has its challenges, but there are some potential tax advantages to being unemployed that you should be aware of when preparing your filing paperwork this year. Jackie Perlman, of H & R Block, provides some practical guidance in an article posted on CareerJournal.com.

The tax man is on your side when you're job hunting. Search expenses are deductible as long as you are looking for a new position in your current field -- even if you're still working.

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If women want to be heard, they need to talk politics, not sex
Posted by Diane Danielson at 11:19 AM

The world needs more female political columnists, at least noted New York Times columnist Maureen Dowd thinks so.

There's been a dearth of women writing serious opinion pieces for top news organizations, even as there's been growth in female sex columnists for college newspapers. Going from Tess Harding to Carrie Bradshaw, Dorothy Thompson to Candace Bushnell, is not progress.

This job has not come easily to me. But I have no doubt there are plenty of brilliant women who would bring grace and guts to our nation's op-ed pages, just as, Lawrence Summers notwithstanding, there are plenty of brilliant women out there who are great at math and science. We just need to find and nurture them.

Similarly of interest were some of the letters written in by readers.

Maureen Dowd also notes in her column that "There's a lot of evidence of that male bloggers predominate ..." One blogger who writes on entrepreneurial issues for women, Kirsten Osolind of Re:invention Inc., had some back and forth on a related issue with marketing guru Seth Godin earlier this week.

And finally, overheard at a recent women's business conference in LA - a group of conference planners were trying to come up with some protocols, and decided that if any member were crossing over the boundaries of appropriateness, they should be taken aside and cautioned that they might be "pulling a Larry." (as in Summers).
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Mass. firms add jobs for sixth consecutive month
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 9:29 AM

Today's Boston Globe reports more good news on the local economy:

Massachusetts employers boosted payrolls by 1,300 jobs in February, a modest gain, but enough to keep the state's economic recovery on track, economists said.

The state has added jobs in each of the past six months, and more than 20,000 in the past year, the Division of Unemployment Assistance reported yesterday. Recent job growth, however, has been too weak to dent the state's jobless rate, which rose slightly for the second consecutive month, to 4.9 percent, from 4.8 percent in January, and 4.7 percent in December.

While there are still signs of weakness, the overall picture is improving, and it is spreading across industry sectors:

. . .Economists said the outlook is brightening. Manufacturing added 500 jobs in February, the first monthly gain since July, while another key sector, professional, scientific and business services, added 1,400. In the last year, the sector nearly 11,000 jobs, the most of any.

Pace, the Global Insight economist, said these gains indicate that firms believe the recovery is well-entrenched and are ready to hire. He added that consumer spending, a vital economic driver, remains solid as leisure and hospitality, which includes hotels and restaurants, added 2,500 jobs last month.

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March 18, 2005

It's not what you know but who you know
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 4:22 PM

Everyone knows how critical networking is to a successful job hunt. Your network can open doors for you that might otherwise be closed.

And many of you may know that the web now has several so-called "social networking" sites that allow you to connect not only to your own contacts but to contacts of contacts, in an exponentially expanding network that could potentially open many more doors. Pretty neat concept, harnessing the hidden power of the web's connective tissue.

Now one of the leaders in this new web app arena, LinkedIn, has announced the launch of a jobs service that leverages the power of their network:

It's not what you know but who you know. That's particularly true with job hunting.

Social networking firm LinkedIn is hoping to capitalize on that axiom. The Mountain View, Calif., company has launched LinkedIn Jobs, a bulletin board job service where degrees of separation may be as important as degrees from universities.

Seems to be gaining traction already, at least with employers, who have posted 300,000 job openings in the first couple of months.

Read the article from InternetNews.com, or check out LinkedIn Jobs directly, or join the brave new world of online networking by signing up for your own LinkedIn account. It's free, and you never know who your contacts may know, or who your contacts' contacts may know, or who your contacts' contacts' contacts may know, or who. . . (you get the picture).
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March 14, 2005

The long road back from "opting out"
Posted by Diane Danielson at 1:39 PM

This week's BostonWorks' Out in the Field column looks at some of the statistics behind women opting out.

Women who leave the workplace after having children often have a tough time getting back to work. The reason: Many companies are reluctant to take them back, according to a survey of 2,443 executive women and 653 men.

The survey, funded by Ernst & Young, Goldman Sachs, and Lehman Brothers, reveals that most high-performing women in top jobs don't simply opt out: Ninety-three percent plan to return. And, on average, they stay out only 2.2 years, a much shorter period of time than conventional wisdom suggests. Of those polled, 40 percent took time out at some time.

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March 11, 2005

Economy adds 262,000 jobs
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 4:21 PM

The latest economic news out of Washington was mostly good last week, with a couple of down notes:

The nation generated a better-than-expected 262,000 jobs in February, the government said yesterday, a sign the economic recovery is finally translating into a healthier job market.
- - - - -
The good news was tempered by two other pieces of information from the jobs report: the unemployment rate in February rose to 5.4 percent, up from 5.2 percent in January, and wages did not rise at all. Economists said that while the job market is improving, it could take six to 12 months before conditions are good enough for Americans to see any real gains in their paychecks. ''Workers still have very little negotiating power," said Mark Zandi, chief economist at Economy.com in Westchester, Pa.

Translation: hang in there. Things ain't as bad as they used to be, and they're certainly headed in the right direction.
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Microsoft buys Beverly-based Groove Networks
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 2:33 PM

Local tech guru Ray Ozzie's firm, Beverly-based Groove Networks, a creator and provider of collaborative workgroup software, announced yesterday its acquisition by Microsoft:

Groove Networks Inc., a Beverly company that makes software enabling roving and far-flung knowledge workers to collaborate, is being acquired by Microsoft Corp.

The deal provides a nice nod and could be a big boost, over time, to the battered local tech economy:

Romney administration officials applauded the Groove deal, saying it represented an investment by Microsoft in Massachusetts, a state that fought the company doggedly in its long-running antitrust trial.

''The governor and I are thrilled that Microsoft, through the acquisition, is expanding its presence in Massachusetts," said Secretary of Economic Development Ranch Kimball. ''A privately held company gets an infusion of capital from Microsoft. That's exactly what we want. That's money flowing out of Redmond, Wash., into Massachusetts."

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Degrees of separation
Posted by at 2:00 PM

The LA Times reports today on the growing number of people who fall into the category of being college-educated but unemployed.

Specialization, advanced degrees, years of experience, still mean something, but the pool of candidates employers have to choose from means that jobseekers need to perpetually sharpen their skills and demonstrate, and communicate directly how they can impact a potential employer's business.

Paul Kostek, an official with the IEEE, said employers had become pickier about what skills they wanted. "When there's a lot of people out in the marketplace, companies can afford to say we want someone truly with this experience, not someone who just says, 'Well, I've taken a couple of classes in this area,' " he said.

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March 9, 2005

Maybe blogging won't get you fired
Posted by Jason Butler at 8:43 AM

Sun's Tim Bray goes against the current tide and gives his reasons why blogging is good for your career.

3. It really impresses people when you say "Oh, I’ve written about that, just google for XXX and I’m on the top page" or "Oh, just google my name."

I agree with Bray. I've advocated blogging to help your career for the past three years, even giving talks to that point. I'm an example myself; I've made contacts from writing on The Job Blog I wouldn't have made otherwise.

I've also found some interesting leads by writing on my personal blog. I don't need to link to it; just Google my name.
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10 things I have learned
Posted by Jason Butler at 8:23 AM

Here's an entertaining essay by a designer distilling what he's learned.
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March 8, 2005

Talent vs. Capital
Posted by Jason Butler at 11:47 AM

It's the age of talent. Capital no longer dominates the power equation. If employees are creating most of the value, shouldn't they take home most of the reward?

In the struggle between capital and labor, more often than not capital has won, because the real source of value for most companies has historically been the hard assets that they owned and controlled. ...

But in a host of industries—most notably in what we now call the knowledge economy—the arrangement is different. In Hollywood, in Silicon Valley, on Wall Street, and in professional sports, hard assets matter far less than people. The employees—the so-called knowledge workers—make the difference between success and failure.

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Maybe you need a job spouse
Posted by at 9:28 AM

I discovered Do You Have an Office Wife via recruiting.com. At first, I thought this was about office affairs, but it's not. I laughed out loud at parts of this. Keep reading until you get to this part:

But in our own casual, platonic way, we became a couple: I didn’t have to love, honor, or obey—I merely vowed to hang out with her at ?re drills. We ate lunch together, mocked coworkers together, and shared the few genuine feelings that didn’t get soaked with cynicism and sink to the bottom of our souls forever. She kept me from sending hotheaded e-mails I might later regret. “Step away from the keyboard!” she would tell me. I kept her entertained. For ten, twelve, fourteen hours a day, Amy was my work wife. I was her day husband.

I kept reading, and wasn't disappointed with the rest of Prince's piece. I particularly liked the parts about Work Wife Number Five.

Work Wife Number Five, Marie, invited herself to dinner one Mother’s Day, adding a dangerous layer of intrigue to her relationship with my wife. After years of practice, Marie thinks every woman should have an office husband, “especially if you’re single and they’re married, because then there’s no worry—at least for this nice girl—that things will cross the line.” Marie has left a legion of heartsick work husbands behind her. “They tell you about their kids and their home renovations and the suburbs,” she says. “You tell them all about your insane dates and how you need to freeze some eggs.”

I never thought of my work buddies as work-spouses, but I have reaped the benefits of other people who could be sounding boards at work, especially when they helped me not send that email...
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March 4, 2005

A tale of two resumes
Posted by Jason Butler at 10:58 AM

It was the best of jobs, it was the worst of jobs, it was the promise of the new economy, it was the revenge of the old economy. It was the year one thousand nine hundred and ninety-nine and I was but a guide leading our fearless development team to the promised land of Internet toy sales.

Business Week suggests adding some stories to your resume, but I'm not sure corporate America is quite ready for that. Maybe I'll stick with "1999: Program Manager."

Maybe I'll lay off the cliches, too.
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Good news: health coverage for part-time, contract workers
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 9:07 AM

Here's welcome news for a growing segment of the workforce, a new plan offered by a consortium of major employers that makes health insurance coverage available to contract and part-time workers:

Called National Health Access, the group plan is the brainchild of 60 Fortune 500 companies that joined forces to attract insurers who would be willing to cover the firms' uninsured workers and their families -- a potential pool of about 3 million.

Ask yourself which firm you'd want to work for: one that offers health coverage, or not? Part of the stimulus is that, in the competitive market for workers, employers see the benefit, too:

''In terms of attracting talent, this will put us in a great competitive position," said Delia Vetter, director of benefits at EMC, a data-storage firm in Hopkinton. ''Also, for those people who are 55 to 65 and have left our companies, this will make it more appealing to come back on a contract or temporary basis."

The hope is that this is just the beginning, and that National Health Access or similar plans will eventually extend to many firms and their non-full-time employees. In the absence of government or other health coverage that is independent of one's employment status, this is a welcome - and overdue - response to a major issue.
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March 1, 2005

Come again? AARP to provide job board?
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 12:15 PM

It may seem a bit of an oxymoron, but the AARP (aka, the American Association of Retired People) is launching a job board:

The AARP launched an online service Monday designed to link workers aged 50 and older with job opportunities from a group of preselected employers -- the latest in AARP's efforts to draw attention to the concerns of an aging work force.

The idea came from workforce pioneer Home Depot, the Atlanta-based home improvement chain that is not only one of the nation's largest retailers but one of the most innovative employers, as well. Part of this is driven by need - by 2010, one in three workers will be at least 50 years old, and the pool of replacement workers will not be big enough. But for older workers (ie, card-carrying AARP Baby Boomers like me), such initiatives are welcome news indeed.
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Happy on the job?
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 11:55 AM

Are you happy in your work? According to a new study, workers' on-job happiness has declined over the last decade:

US workers, pushed to produce more and uneasy about new technology and other changes, are markedly less satisfied with their jobs than a decade ago, a survey says.

But the decline in on-the-job happiness, which continued through economic cycles in recent years, has at least temporarily leveled off, according to the survey released yesterday by the Conference Board, a New York-based business research group.

If you are among the unhappy, what to do? Well, you still have some key tasks ahead of you, to sort out your talents and abilities and determine the most suitable work environment for you. This can take years for many folks to figure out, a lifetime, in fact.

But if you continue to search and are open to new possibilities you will get there. And, BostonWorks can help. Start right here at The Job Hunt, with tips, tools, and access to experts, all laid out in the major job search steps to get you going and help you succeed in your quest.
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Are you read to interview your potential employer?
Posted by at 11:38 AM

If you're interviewing, or considering looking for a new job, read Lisa Haneberg's How to Interview Potential Employers. A sampling of her great advice:

1. Always ask the hiring manager: What do you like best/least about your job? What are your career aspirations? How do you tend to manage people? What are your hot buttons? What stresses you out? Do you have fun at work? Of which accomplishment are you most proud? What is turnover like in the department? Why do people leave the department? Describe the work culture. What type of person is most likely to succeed/fail? How many people have you promoted? How did you get into management? What do you like most about managing people? (not all at once, mind you, sprinkle the questions into the conversation, or perhaps over several conversations)

2. Ask people OTHER THAN the hiring manager: What’s it like to work for the _____(the hiring manager)? Does he or she enjoy his or her work? Describe what it is like to work in the department. What do you like most/least about working here? Why have people left the company? What type of person is most likely to succeed/fail in this department? Do you have fun at wor?

Great advice for what and how to ask when you're looking for a job.
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