November 30, 2006

Doing it the old-fashioned way
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 9:25 AM

Ever thought about becoming a lawyer? And were you put off by the daunting prospect of getting into - not to mention the expense of attending - law school?

Well, this information may just make you reconsider the legal profession as an option. As a report from NPR's evening news program All Things Considered revealed earlier this week, there is another path you can take to becoming a practicing attorney - and you don't even need a college degree:

Legal apprenticeships are still recognized in seven states, but the requirements vary greatly.

In Vermont, participants don't need a college degree, but they must have completed three-quarters of their undergraduate course work.

Then they have to spend 25 hours a week for four years studying alongside a licensed attorney.

To hear the piece, click here to visit the NPR website, then click on the "Listen" icon. Segment running time is four minutes.

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November 28, 2006

Balance schmalance
Posted by Diane Danielson at 8:22 AM

Carol Hymowitz of the WSJ CareerJournal focuses on women at the top and how they want to banish the word balance from their vocabulary, as it does nothing more than create guilt for women with careers.

The word "balance" should be banished from women's vocabularies, said Carol Bartz, executive chairman of the board of Autodesk. "Balance equals perfection, which none of us are, so I think we just have to get over it, otherwise [women] spend all their time being guilty," which causes stress and limits their goals.

Having both a demanding career and children are not mutually exclusive -- as long as women stop trying to evenly balance these spheres all the time.

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I'd love to come in boss, but...
Posted by Jason Butler at 7:53 AM

I've seen deer on my commute in from Holliston three times in the last week. They've never prevented me from coming in, though. A rogue buffalo, on the other hand, may cause me to call in with this excuse:

2) A buffalo escaped from the game reserve and kept charging the employee every time she tried to go to her car from her house.

Here are the other fourteen best excuses for skipping work.

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November 27, 2006

'Tis the season. . .for holiday retail jobs
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 11:33 AM

With Thanksgiving now in the rear view mirror, 'tis officially the season for retail sales. Which means it's also the season for retail sales jobs.

As today's Globe reports, we're off to a good start:

Retailers got what they wanted over the Thanksgiving weekend -- a strong start to the 2006 holiday shopping season.

Stores and malls drew a bigger-than-expected turnout, and robust sales for the first day of the season offset slower business as the weekend wore on, according to early reports.

Interested in exploring local retail and hospitality jobs? Start here. There are hundreds listed on BostonWorks.

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November 21, 2006

Giving thanks
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 1:20 PM

A story came across the news ticker on Boston.com this morning about a sinking fishing boat that was rescued off Nantucket yesterday:

The Coast Guard rescued a 50-foot boat off the coast of Nantucket Monday that had sprung a leak and was taking on water.

The "Susan Marie" of New Bedford began to flood Monday afternoon when it was 32 miles east of Nantucket. At 2:55 p.m. the Southeastern New England branch of the Coast Guard received a distress call from the vessel.

At 4:52 p.m. a helicopter arrived on scene with a pump. After locating the leak, the "Susan Marie" and its crew were escorted to Stage Harbor in Chatham.

There were no reported injuries.

There's a Thanksgiving story in the making. Imagine those families around their dinner tables later this week. Happy just to be alive, and together. Kind of puts things in perspective.

Think about the jobs these folks do day in and day out. Fishing is among the most dangerous occupations one can undertake. We should thank them for the dangers they endure, every day, putting themselves in harm's way, for our benefit.

So next time you think about complaining about your boring desk job in a tiny cubicle, maybe you'll remember that it is also in a heated space, with plenty of light, and a comfortable chair, with colleagues nearby, and probably a cafeteria upstairs or a coffee shop a few steps around the corner.

Even though it may not be ideal, it's keeping you going. And isn't that something to be thankful for?

From all of us here at BostonWorks, have a Happy Thanksgiving.

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November 20, 2006

Time to buy?
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 1:50 PM

If you already own a house or a condominium in Massachusetts, maybe it's not such great news. But if you don't and you're looking to buy, them just maybe it is.

Massachusetts housing sales and median prices are off once again this year:

Statewide, the number of third-quarter sales for detached single-family homes fell 23.4 percent, compared to a year ago, and Greater Boston sales decreased 19.5 percent.

The statewide median selling price dropped 4.9 percent to $352,000, compared with 1.9 percent dip to $505,000 for Greater Boston.

The market correction, as it is being called, is welcome news not just to home buyers but to the region's employers, as well, who have faced difficulty attracting new hires to the area due to the high cost of living, led primarily by notoriously high housing costs.

Read the "Daily Business Update" from the Globe on Boston.com.

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November 15, 2006

Fitting the profile
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 2:02 PM

Here's an interesting exercise. Take a job description, and see how many different people might fit the bill. You lay out the attributes and "screen" candidates for the position, seeing who fits and who doesn't.

In this case, we have a rare opportunity to see several individuals who have already filled a specific position over time. Here are the sought-after attributes that comprise the position profile:

Male

Actor

Handsome

Physically fit

Of British extract

Possesses suave manner, with a sense of humor

Has a way (or at least appears to) with the opposite sex

Looks good in a tux

Photogenic addition to bars, restaurants, and a variety of breathtaking global settings

Comfortable with guns, violence and adventure

Credible as international spy

Holds his own in conversation and conflict with endless series of international warlords, criminals, and terrorists

And here are the results - those who have filled the position over the years.

It makes you realize that more than one person can - and does - fill any given position, bringing his or her own personality and attributes to the role.

So keep your hopes up, Mr. and Ms. Job Seeker. You never know when you will become the next. . .well, fill in the blank ____________________________.

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Study: Many tech firms launched by immigrants
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 1:18 PM

There has been a lot of talk about immigrants lately, such as building walls on borders to keep out illegal entrants.

But what about legal immigrants? Are they a good thing? And what have they done to contribute to the betterment of society?

Well, here's one answer from today's Globe:

Immigrants have fueled the US entrepreneurial economy, starting one in four venture-backed companies since 1990 and two in five in high technology, according to a study being released today by the National Venture Capital Association trade group.
- - - - -
"Skilled immigrants are huge multipliers for the United States economy," said Vinit Nijhawan, an Indian-born serial entrepreneur who is now a venture partner at Key Venture Partners in Waltham. "Venture capitalists like to fund big ideas. And you could argue that immigrants are risk oriented and like to take on the big ideas."

New companies mean new jobs, says the study. So the answer to the above question is that they have and are still doing a lot for the American economy.

Read the whole piece.

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US lags behind most of the world in maternity leave policies
Posted by Diane Danielson at 1:33 AM

One of my favorite facts from the 20/20 piece on working moms:

We found that the United States lags far behind when it comes to family-friendly policies.

For example, of 168 countries surveyed in the world, only four offer no national maternity-leave program: Lesotho, Swaziland, Papua New Guinea, and the United States of America.

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November 11, 2006

Why moms drink
Posted by Diane Danielson at 10:06 PM

It's a rough month to be a mom:

• According to the New York Times - stay at home moms are back to boozing;


• 20/20 ran an item last night which showed just how dismal corporate America is for working mothers; and


• a new report was published this month that says women don't "opt out" but are pushed out.

After all that, this working mom could really use a martini!

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November 10, 2006

Should I stay or should I go?
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 12:23 PM

That's the question that thousands of Greater Boston college seniors ask themselves each year as they approach graduation.

Now, some local business groups are making an effort to keep these seniors around:

. . .[T]he Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce, . . .this week is sponsoring its second annual Hub Crawl, a series of meetings between local students and executives from top local finance firms.

Half of all college students in the Boston area leave after graduation, according to a 2003 chamber study, and 15.8 percent of the area's 20- to 34-year-olds left between 1990 and 2000, a "brain drain" that became the catalyst for the program, the goal of which is to keep as many students here after graduation as possible.

Read the full piece from today's Globe.

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November 9, 2006

The Joe board
Posted by Jason Butler at 8:07 AM

Sometimes management brings in a new person you're amazed can tie his own shoes. Here's a story where the put-upon co-workers fill a whiteboard with all the incredibly smart things Joe said.

Boston.com has pretty smart people, so I don't think I could do this here, but some places I've worked before would need acres of whiteboard.

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November 8, 2006

Career transitions
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 9:41 AM

At least two people we know of are facing major career transitions in the near future (as in January): Kerry Healey, who will step down after four years from her Lieutenant Governor's role and leave the State House, and Deval Patrick, the political newcomer who will assume the Governor's chair.

For Patrick, the transition is historic. Not only is he the first Democrat to win the gubernatorial election in the Commonwealth in sixteen years, he is the first minority and African-American ever to win the office and will be only the second Black governor in US history:

Although a liberal bastion, Massachusetts has elected Republican governors since 1991 -- in part to maintain a check on spending by the Democratic-controlled legislature.

Historically, blacks have faced steep obstacles running for state office in the United States. Only one black, Democrat Douglas Wilder of Virginia, has been elected governor -- holding the job from 1990 to 1994.

Learn more about the transition process Patrick is entering and the cooperation he will be receiving from the outgoing Romney administration.

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November 7, 2006

Overheard in the Office
Posted by at 2:14 PM

From Ryan Rose, via Break Room, the BostonWorks student center blog:

Yes, this site is exactly what it promises to be. That is, a repository of ridiculous sayings, many of them posted by interns, temps and entry-level workers. And luckily, it's anonymous, so fear no retribution if you decide to post that priceless exchange you heard near the water cooler this morning. Some of the posts are a bit raunchy, but most are good for a laugh. Check it out at http://overheardintheoffice.com, or send your funny stories directly to us here (ryanrose.boston@gmail.com) and we'll consider reprinting them here!


-Ryan Rose

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November 6, 2006

US jobless rate hits 5-year low
Posted by Douglas Eisenhart at 1:46 PM

More good news for job seekers on the statistical front:

WASHINGTON -- The US unemployment rate unexpectedly fell to a five-year low of 4.4 percent in October and growth in service industries accelerated, countering speculation the economy is headed for recession.

Siezing on the news just prior to the mid-term elections, White House officials had this to say:

"The great news for the American worker is that there are lots of jobs out there, and that's good for America," said Allan Hubbard, director of the White House's National Economic Council . "The American worker is enjoying the benefits of this economy."

Gains were strong in finance, education, healthcare, and leisure and hospitality.

No matter your political stripes, it's good news for job seekers. Read the entire piece from the Globe.

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November 5, 2006

Another Gender Gap
Posted by Diane Danielson at 5:49 PM

Looking for a new career, or perhaps some glass ceilings to smash? Look no further than your local state house. The Boston Globe Magazine focuses on the lack of women in politics:

THIS ELECTION SEASON, ONE CHANGE IN MASSACHUSETTS GOVERNMENT IS attracting little notice. Come January, Beacon Hill will likely hit a six-year low in the number of female legislators. A self-styled citadel of progressive politics, Massachusetts ranks second among states in its percentage of women with at least four years of college, fifth in the percentage of women with managerial or professional positions at work, fifth in women's median annual earnings - and 19th in the percentage of women in its Legislature. And a look at who's on ballots around the state shows that the number will almost certainly drop.

Even if you don't run, don't forget to vote on Tuesday!

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