There are things that seriously I do not understand….let me re-phrase, I understand why they are done. What amazes me is that people believe the people the spit the garbage out to us like we a herd of cattle waiting to be fed. Unemployment – what is the situation? It is a total crap shoot. Sectors are rising and falling more than any historical average, we have no known correlation anymore between the economy and jobs due to technical productivity gains, globalization, and of course the debt…

I'm not talking about Facebook or other forms of social media, I am referring to the people that think designing a web page or home page to find a job using services like about.me and flavors.me.  Enough is Enough! Employers are not looking for flashy pizzazz, they are looking for someone that can do the job.  Technology is integrating itself into our lives more and more everyday but the workforce and hiring managers, they still use a calculator and pick up the phone.   It's not that using a…

Going on a job interview is nerve racking and I am certain dreaded by most professionals.  Where do the nerves and stigma come from?  Previous interviews that didn’t go well and the position that wasn’t offered, that’s where. 

Think about it, you have finally gotten the dream interview for the job you have always wanted.  5 minutes in, things start going south and fast.  Stumbling answers, twisted tongue, and the sweat - the company can see right through you.  They know all your…

I agree that you should be paid for the job you do, if you are a Doctor you should be compensated as such, if you are a mid-level manger or a fast food employee you should be compensated as such.  In 2011, male or female can hold many of the same positions, but women only earn 80% as much as men.  It could be for traditional reasons but studies show that the gap is closing and women are no longer accepting these statistics.

Moneywatch.com stated that a MBA study showed that men and…

Keeping people happy especially when it’s a group of people is a difficult task, combine that with all of the other uncontrollable factors in business and you’ve got yourself a challenge.  In a recent article published by Kate Page, she defines results from a study asking employees and managers to rank 10 job characteristics, and then posted the top five (Page, 2011).  They are as follows:

Employees seek:

1. Appreciation for their work
2. Feeling part of…

After combing through countless books, articles, and various online posts - the #1 reason for people leaving a company is their direct boss.  Bosses have the ability to change, enhance or ruin a work environment.  And they can do it quickly.  So if bosses are the number one reason, why do we have so many poor ones?  Training.  Let me put it better, the lack of training.  Bosses, leadership, or management - however you describe the people that oversee your day to day life; are the glowing…

Searching for a job can be very stressful but just as any stressful situation there are things a person can do to relive some of the pressure.  There are five quick steps that I think should be utilized when starting your job search, it will help keep you motivated.

Step 1: Get a notebook and a pencil!  Start asking yourself what it is you want to do and what it is you’re good at!  What would be your ideal position and what will you need to do to get there?  This notebook should stay…

You’ve been working hard to put your resume in the best noticeable format, you’ve contacted everyone in your network, and you’ve posted to every job board you can think of.  Within a few days, the calls start coming in and you have first interviews scheduled for all of next week.  You have prepared studying interview questions, and looking into the company to have some idea who you might be working with in your future.  You get to the interview, sit down, your hands begin to sweat and…

Information technology, although it’s been a part of business for many years it has been a stronger influence lately.  Business has accepted that information technology is here to stay and that a budget needs to be allotted for IT.  While that seems like a simple concept we must consider that IT is its own world with its own language and it changes very rapidly, this can be difficult for business.  IT has been in business for some time and there is talent out there that knows everything…

Should you send just any employee to an IT conference?  The answer is no!  A conference is a great place to build networks by meeting other industry leaders and contacts.  Attending a conference is a great way to boost employee morale and give people a break from the daily grind, should you really send every employee?  Will you foot the bill for a party weekend or a weekend that will bring long term added value to the company?  Not to mention deciding who should attend is an important…

The talent pipeline, an overused phrase developed by larger professional staffing firms that produces the idea that you need a strong set of professional people waiting at a moment's notice for the new position, the right job, the next career step.  It has become so engrained in our minds that this "best practice" is a must have.  But does it really work?  Think about it, are the best people simply waiting for the next role or the next step up the ladder.  I challenge you to re-think your…

The gas price national average is $3.53; the commute for most is about 30-45 minutes, miles put on a vehicle.  How much does that cost every person per year that commutes to work?  The buildings and energy it takes to house a business, how much does that cost every company per year?  These costs have no prejudice; they are fixed except for gas that will probably be higher after you read this.  Information week provided these statistics; the US could save $38 billion dollars annually if 53%…

  It’s not expected that benefits should be equal with every opportunity or position out there but is it possible that the benefits offered for government positions are better than private positions.  It depends on what benefits and opportunities you’re looking for, what appeals to you.  I will say this; can you ever reach a government employee after 5pm even 4pm if you’re calling on a Friday?  For most of us working tirelessly, to make enough money for the government just to have a bit left…

The adoption of the new social media platforms by many employees is of great concern to IT leadership across the country.  New technologies can be easily utilized by employees most usually at the expense of the enterprise security, but that is very often not spoken about.  I read continuously about the smarter employee, the better employee, etc… yet find little information discussing the enterprise effect of such adoption.  Social media though important does not offer the large benefit or…

Age discrimination in the workplace is one of those issues everyone knows about, few every admit, and no one speaks about.  Why all the hush hush?  It is against the law however much harder to prove then say racial and sex discrimination as the factors are vague that surround the reasoning.  The whispers in the corner, the discussions in the boardroom, and the smoking breaks all contribute in their separate ways towards the practice.  The executives are thinking cost, the "old timers" taking…

Take a quick look at part of the post from…

I must say I get more phone calls from professional IT staff looking for new opportunities this year than we did last.  I was asked by one why we do not call every single person that applies back.  I thought about it a moment and actually believe that it would be a huge difference between us and other companies if we simply called each and every applicant.  But the time involved with the amount of applicants would pull key staff away from tasks that are essential to the operations.  I looked…

Empowerment of employees - does it work and should you do it?  Being part of an integrator gives me a view into the minds of some of the most interesting managers, some great, some just poor.  What makes the difference, empowerment?  Every company has a different calling for the people they empower, from SMEs to HEROs, etc. but they all do the same thing, they are trusted professionals in their field capable of making decisions and ad hoc adjustments for the benefit of their customer base…

I read this amazing article yesterday on one of my favorite blogs (glassdoor.com).  Take a quick look at the survey that was conducted by AOL - According to an AOL Jobs Survey,”22 percent of the respondents have personally felt threatened or bullied at work. Of those, 57 percent state it was from their manager, while 47 percent say it was from a peer, and 79 percent say that the abuse they experienced was verbal. Twenty-five percent have witnessed someone being bullied at work. Out of those…