Marty Nemko's Blog, page 439

Video: College is Overrated

I was on Huffington Post Live again today. This time, we discussed whether going to a university is as wise a decision as it used to be. Especially if you were a weak student in high school, the opportunity cost of attending a university is so high that for many students it's a worse choice than entering an apprenticeship, a short-term community college program, the military, or working at the elbow of a master guitarmaker, an ethical entrepreneur, etc. I enter the discussion at around the 5-minute mark. Here's the video:

Jobs Fighting Terrorism

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My AOL contribution today: jobs fighting terrorism. I list lots of options.

America the Tootiful: We brag even when we're not very good

Here's an advance look at my next The Life Well-Led column in the Mensa publication, The Intelligencer.




America the Tootiful


America
loves to toot its own horn, even when we're not very good. For example, after
the Boston Bombing, President Obama crowed about how great America is:




The
terrorists failed because, as Americans, we refused to be terrorized...That
American spirit includes staying true to the unity and diversity that makes us
strong -- like no other nation in the world.




Huh?! The terrorists didn't fail: Despite America having
spent billions on anti-terrorism, the terrorists accomplished just what they
wanted: They disrupted that iconic American sporting event The Boston Marathon,
killing three, wounding hundreds, and spawning a manhunt that has already cost
all of us billions
of dollars. And did we truly react "like no other nation in the world?"
Does Obama really believe that not one of the world's 196 nations could even
match our unsuccessful effort?




Our undeserved horn-tooting
descends from there. Examples:




In the most recent presidential
election, both candidates fell over themselves to genuflect before the altar of
American exceptionalism despite, for example, the U.S.'s
child poverty rate ranking 34th
among the most advanced 35 countries, edging out only Romania. But
don't worry, we rank
#2 in beer consumption. Politico reported,
"The President took American exceptionalism to a whole new level Wednesday
by suggesting that not only is the United States the greatest nation
on Earth, but every other country wants to be us." But even that pales in
comparison with Romney's view, which the Huffington Post summarized
as, "God chose the U.S.
above all the nations of the Earth to bring light, hope, and freedom to all
humankind."




Of course, politicians far from
monopolize the gasconade.




According to a panel of experts
convened at Columbia College (IL), Michael Jackson is widely
referred to as a genius. Michael Jackson, a consensus genius??! 




As a career counselor, I can
attest that the amount of puffery in job seekers' resumes, cover letters, and
interviews could fill a dirigible: "I'm uniquely qualified for the job.
I'm a self-starter yet also a team player who delights in exceeding customer
expectations, and I spearheaded initiatives that saved the company $10
million." If you added up all the savings job seekers claimed, it would
exceed the Gross Domestic Product.




Of course, product marketers know
absolutely no bounds. For example, Here's how Pom Wonderful pomegranate juice has been promoted: "This 'antioxidant superpower' is straight-up 'health in a
bottle' that’ll help you cheat death with
beneficial effects on everything from prostate cancer to cardiovascular health to
impotence." In fact, Time
reported, "The FTC says there is no science to back up the claims. The
results of studies that have been done show that Pom products show no more
efficacy than a placebo."




"Wonderful" is downright
modest compared with, for example, a kitchen cleaner named Fantastik! not to mention  the makeup, Super Orgasm .




Even the world of theatre, where stage
plays relentlessly assault capitalism, can't resist its unwarranted
horn-tooting when it comes to lining their
pockets. For example, Berkeley's pricey Aurora Theatre's
current play is The Arsonists. Its promo: "See what everyone's talking
about!" I live heavily in the Bay Area theatre scene. Not one person has
mentioned The Arsonists.




A decade ago, the company that
made the two-wheel Segway promised it would revolutionize travel. When was the
last time you saw a Segway? Perhaps the revolution was impeded because its CEO
James Heselden died when his Segway accidentally rolled off a cliff.




From whence stems America's
bloviation? One likely suspect is America's obsession with building people's
self-esteem. We praise them or certainly don't criticize them for bragging
about attributes they've acquired without effort: "Black is
Beautiful," I'm Italian and I'm Proud," Girls Rock." Such
phrases are no mere sideshows: A Google search on "Girls rock" revealed
3.4 million hits (and only 0.9 million for "Boys Rock" but I'll leave
the reasons for the disparity for another column.) Ironically, studies find
that Asians have the lowest average self-esteem and the highest achievement while
Blacks have the highest self-esteem and the lowest achievement. That makes
sense: If you think you're already wonderful, you're less likely to feel the
need to work hard.




Sure, when it's exigent, we may
feign modesty. After all, humility is core to America's New Testament roots:
"I accept this honor not just on behalf of myself but of my colleagues, friends,
and family without whom this wouldn't be possible. It truly was a team
effort." Not withstanding such calculated understatement, we are America the
Tootiful.




I cannot claim that every word
that has emerged from my lips or fingers rises to sainthood but I write this
column in hopes it might encourage us to pull on ropes of restraint and become
a little less tootiful. It is key to
the life well-led.

The Hail Mary Cover Letter: For when you're a longshot job applicant

If you're a longshot job applicant it may be worth a Hail Mary resume and, the topic of my post today on USNews.com, a Hail Mary cover letter.

What's New in Finding a Job

My AOL post today is on some relatively new angles on using the internet in finding a job.

What's New in Finding a Career, Landing a Job, and Starting a Business

I was on KGO Radio's Ronn Owens Program today. In preparing for the show, I made notes. Lest they go to waste, I've adapted them into this post.





Likely source of new jobs: Comprehensive immigration reform/mass legalization.  It will create jobs preparing immigrants for the citizenship exam. Illegals are high users of the health care, legal and social service systems, so just there should burgeon: bureaucrats, translators, health care providers, lawyers, legal clerks, etc. In the private sector, supermarket chains such as Mi Pueblo should burgeon and nightclubs, radio, and TV shows, etc. will be repurposed to accommodate the change in audience tastes. And this amnesty, if it's like the previous amnesty will trigger new waves of immigrants, ensuring that the job market in these areas will be strong. Learn Spanish. 




Pockets of opportunity in the tech space. there's a decent chance that mobile and social media, currently hot, will soon peak. I'm more bullish on:


computer security 
digital forensics: prosecute hackers, spouses hiding money, employee theft.)
and especially Big Data: data warehousing, architecture, and mining. I'm bullish because the massive data is already close to enabling marketers to predict what you'll buy, when and why. In the health care space, the data will be used to identify more cost-effective diagnoses and treatments. Credit card companies will use Big Data to more accurately predict if a transaction is likely to be fraudulent. Stock pickers will use big data to develop more predictive models of what to buy and sell. 



Some careers that many people would find fun:: pyrotechnician, store
merchandiser, hairstylist, garden designer or coach, beer brewer, sports
announcer. Alas, it's not easy to land a job in these fields. 




What's new and working in landing a job?

·        
Writing a business plan: what you could do in the first 90 days.

·        
Including a portfolio of your work products with your applications

·         Cleaning
up your Google results. If you've posted things you wouldn't want your employer to see, consider taking it down. 

·        A  great
LinkedIn profile including an engaging headshot,

·        
Twesume
e.g., Tech PR pro, experience both in-house and agency: [link].

·        
CareerSonar
ranks all jobs available online by the strength of your connections on Facebook and LinkedIn. That makes it easy for you to know when to try to get a connection to try
to help you.




Job-search Hail Marys: The resume as an Amazon page, infographic,
or monopoly board.


Walk in. If there's a security guard, arrive when lots of employees are and try to get one to say, "He's with me."
Take control of part of the interview, for example, ask if you might go to the white board and explain.
Ask probing questions: "Would you tell me something about working
here that wouldn't appear in the employee handbook?" or "Why should
and shouldn't I want to work for you?"

Advice for people who get frustrated with their coworkers? It's tough to change people so after a brief effort,minimize interaction with them, get them to
leave, or you leave. 



Self-employment ideas  



Match.com ad coach
High-quality coin-operated laundry (with a kid center, coffeehouse/concerts/videos/internet access, big-screen TV. 
Videoscribe

Semi-retirement jobs. Interim
Executive, healthcare
advocate, inn sitter, tour guide, advisor to returning college students, teach classes in adult school or as visiting lecturer at university. 






Advice for new college grads that are stuck: Circle a date on your calendar a month or two out by which date you will have picked something. Most people who are happy with their careers wouldn't have known it going in. They end up loving their career only when they've become the go-to guy/gal.  Then look for a launchpad job--an entry-level position that will put you at the elbow of people who can teach you and get you promoted.

What's New in Landing a Job

Sometimes it feels that job searching hasn't changed in eons: Write a resume, network, answer ads, interview.



There are new factors, all internet-based:


Employers will google you. If there's something you've posted that you don't want prospective employes to see, take it down. If someone else has written something unfairly negative about you, see if you can get him to take that down.
 Be sure your LinkedIn profile is complete, including an engaging headshot. 
CareerSonar ranks all jobs available online by the
strength of your connections on Facebook and LinkedIn. That makes it easy
for you to know when to try to get a connection to try to help you.
Glassdoor.com makes it easy to dig up the straight scoop on what it's like to interview with and work for a specific employer.
 It can't hurt to make some smart posts on a blog, Twitter, or LinkedIn forum. 
 You might create a website containing a portfolio of your work
 If you're camera-friendly, post a YouTube resume or you explaining something you're expert in. 
 You might try posting a Twesume: a 140-character resume on Twitter. Employers like to screen fast and many are looking for social-media-friendly applicants. Sample: Tech PR pro. 16+ years experience both in-house & agency. Looking in LA.  
 You can also use Twitter to try to get leads, for example,  Looking for a
job in X field, and would greatly appreciate feedback on my online portfolio!
[link]
 
 In answering job ads or making unsolicited queries to prospective employers, include a portfolio of your work products and/or a business plan explaining what you could do if hired. 
 What's working less well is asking for informational interviews. People are sick of being asked. Replace that by being a savvy googler and searcher of LinkedIn groups.

Beware of The Gorgeous Ones: Don't Overvalue Looks

In hiring and in choosing a long-term romantic partner, don't overvalue looks. The additional pride and sexual attraction you feel may well be outweighed by these negatives:



The Gorgeous Ones often feel entitled to be catered to or spent-big on, ironically because of something they deserve little credit for: they were born with good looks.



If only unconsciously, The Gorgeous Ones may believe they can get by on their looks, that is, they needn't work hard on their job skills, work ethic, or personality.



Many of The Gorgeous Ones can be quite cruel to others.



The Gorgeous Ones are more likely to use and withhold sex to get what they want. That can be true not only in a romantic relationship but in the workplace. You want to feel free to make choices on the merits not on having been manipulated.



The old song may have been right: "If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, make an ugly woman your wife." (and perhaps your supervisees.)



Of course, this all applies to both sexes.

Beware The Gorgeous Ones: Don't Overvalue Looks

In hiring and in choosing a long-term romantic partner, don't overvalue looks. The additional pride and sexual attraction you feel may well be outweighed by these negatives:



The Gorgeous Ones often feel entitled to be catered to or spent-big on, ironically because of something they deserve little credit for: they were born with good looks.



If only unconsciously, The Gorgeous Ones may believe they can get by on their looks, that is, they needn't work hard on their job skills, work ethic, or personality.



Many of The Gorgeous Ones can be quite cruel to others.



The Gorgeous Ones are more likely to use and withhold sex to get what they want. That can be true not only in a romantic relationship but in the workplace. You want to feel free to make choices on the merits not on having been manipulated.



The old song may have been right: "If you want to be happy for the rest of your life, make an ugly woman your wife." (and perhaps your supervisees.)



Of course, this all applies to both sexes.

Should You Try to Change Someone?

We all get frustrated with people and thus are tempted to try to change them.





Unfortunately, the odds are poor of being successful in doing so. Much of who we are is hard-wired or the result of early experiences.



Even shrinks, spending years with patients, have a hard time fundamentally changing them. Patients are usually satisfied with tweaks around the edges and learning to accept their basic selves for who they are.



If therapists, highly trained at that sort of thing, find it difficult to fundamentally change people, is it not hubristic of us as bosses, co-workers, romantic partners, and friends to think we can?





I am reminded of a study that looked at 92 couples on the brink of divorce. They were assigned at random to one of two types of relationship counseling. One group's therapists tried to get the people to change. The other group's therapists tried to get them to accept each other as they are. Six months later, most of the couples in the "change each other" group had filed for divorce. Most of those in the "accept each other" group chose to stay together.




So next time, you think about trying to change someone, think twice. Examples: 




If you're a boss with a supervisee that frustrates you, after a brief attempt to try to improve them, you may be wise to get them transferred or to let them go, offering to help them find a better-suited position. 




Try to focus on your romantic partner's good qualities and accept that their bad ones are unlikely to fundamentally change in the near future. If that's not acceptable to you, after a brief attempt at remediating the person (and yourself?) it may be wise to cut your losses. 




By the way, that's one of the many hidden liabilities of having children: you can't cut and run.