http://www.mylifemycareer.com/ a conversation about college, first jobs, and life after college en Copyright 2008 Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:10:28 -0500 http://www.sixapart.com/movabletype/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Beer Pong Isn't a Job? Finding a Career For Generation Y to the server, and you can download it for free. If you are unsure of what this book is about, it's basically my account of searching for jobs and internships during college. There is a chapter on types of entry-level positions which is business-centric so skip that if you are not a business major and even if you are because it barely scratches the surface of all available positions. I would have changed or removed that chapter if there was a second edition. I don't want your email address, donation, or anything else. That's how free this is. Just take it and enjoy. There's also a download link to the right on the main page in case you lose track of this post. Free Download of Beer Pong Isn't a Job? Finding A Career For Generation Y book (pdf file) Now that I have some time on my hands I may have to work on a second book about the first few years in the work force...]]> http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/08/free_download_of_beer_pong_isn.html http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/08/free_download_of_beer_pong_isn.html MyLifeMyCareer Site News Beer Pong Isn't a Job beer book e-book ebook free generation generation y pong y Thu, 28 Aug 2008 13:10:28 -0500 Participated in a management rotational program - This is something I had really wanted to do after college to get a bigger picture of how a business actually works. I had read many books that attempted to illustrate the inner workings of a business, I went to all of my entrepreneurship and small business management classes, but I had never seen or been a part of all areas of a successful larger company (around 200 employees at the time of my start date, so small business by most standards but as big as I was willing to go at the time). I worked or shadowed in all areas of a software company: development, QA, marketing, sales (relationship management is the professional term...), services, training, support, and had exposure and access to senior managers. We even had a lunch series with the CEO and co-founder where we could pick his brain, and learn from his experience building this company over the past 20 years. This program was not as structured as I would have liked, but since it was being offered by a small company where there are not as many resources for given tasks we had to be flexible about when certain meetings could occur. Our team of six recent graduates completed two company-wide collaborative projects which were presented to senior management. The international opportunities research project involved building a competitor database, prospect database, and identifying features that would need to be added to our solutions to be seen as a feasible solution for international prospects. Our client life cycle project focused on the relationship of a specific client from the days when they were a prospect signing their first contract with us, seeing how their needs changed as they grew in size or experienced other business changes, and trying to foresee future needs based on their relationship with us. We even talked to the client with the permission and guidance of the relationship manager which was huge several months into the new job. The rotational program was invaluable in terms of providing a solid foundation for my future positions and career. Developed and matured as a professional - It is really a night and day comparison from where I was at in 2006 coming out of college, and where I am today. I have always worked in client-facing jobs since my first job working on the tennis staff at a country club in high school, so connecting with co-workers and clients has never been an issue. However, working within a software company on the services team I had to really work on and improve the types of communication required for the different audiences. When dealing with the client or our consultants I had to really take a basic and practical approach for the more business-side projects team members as opposed to communicating technical details to our QA team when reporting issues or when working with the client's IT or tech rep during implementations. I improved dramatically after several projects were in the bag, and even had clients mention to managers of mine that they thought I was much older than 24 years old when talking over the phone or through email exchanges. I'll take that compliment as a sign of growing as a professional. Collaborated on small to large scale project implementations - Some companies take the approach that you are dedicated to one project at a time, and they set the expectations with the clients that this will be the case. Our company had projects of all sizes, and we were assigned to around 20 projects at a time - 10 or more would be considered larger implementations that could last 6-12+ months. This worked out well for the most part, as you would be waiting for deliverables on several projects and could knock out tasks on other projects or take care of a smaller project in that time. There were of course waves where it felt like every project had deliverables due, and then it would pass after a few weeks and slow back down. I would work on these projects independently managing the timeline and deliverable schedule directly with the client if it was a smaller project, or work with a project manager, consultant, our support reps, and a larger client team if it was a larger and more complex implementation. Experiencing the butting of heads, schedule conflicts, delays on either end, scope creep, pressure from many directions, and everything else that you don't read about in text books or experience in case studies was huge. I am pretty sure my spine grew several more inches having to stand up to internal team members and to clients on certain issues all while maintaining a good relationship and moving forward as smoothly as possibly. With this experience I could work in many different types of positions, and it will serve me well when a management title is thrown my way. Experienced an acquisition, IPO, internal restructuring, and integration - The company I worked for was acquired several months before my first interview while I was still in school. I remember reading in a Jack Welch book (among many other places) that 99% of mergers and acquisitions fail, so I remember asking the HR associate if she thought that the new parent company would mesh well and allow us to operate as we were. Would the great company culture change? The culture is what sold me initially on the company as it was rare to find that west coast type of company in the middle of the corn fields in Indiana. The HR associate said no way, and I trusted this response especially after visiting the offices twice for second and third round interviews and seeing it for myself. Four months after starting there the parent company went public on the London exchange, and now we were a public and global company of thousands of employees. From there on out the culture did begin to change as sacrifices were made to appease analysts and shareholders. After about a year, an internal restructuring started and neared completion by the time I left. During this time we were also integrated with another company that the parent company owned, and many meetings were held to slowing connect the two companies. Now, I had almost accepted a different position 8 months before I actually resigned, but am glad that I stuck around to experience all of the changes and to piece together what I thought was going right and what was going wrong. Through all the changes in two short years I gained valuable insight into all of the changes, impacts, and employees' opinions during the M&A, IPO, and integration. You cannot teach that. So, that's what went right. Why did I leave? I think you can infer from some of the above statements that certain aspects of the company changed dramatically from when I had started. These changes combined with my personal recognition that I was working in an industry that I did not particularly care for in a position that was not the right fit caused me to resign. It was a good paying job, I had just been given a significant raise and bonus, it was somewhat secure, but I was not passionate about it. I could have stayed there, bought a house or condo, and settled down, but there were more and more days where I was not looking forward to showing up due to the mis-alignment and lack of interest in what I was doing and who I was serving. I do not want to get stuck in a rut of living for the weekend as so many people my age complain about but do nothing about. I think it is also important to note that I did not just up and leave as some people do when they leave a position. I had and still have great respect for my team, my managers, and the entire services department, really. I worked with all of them to try and transition my project portfolio as smoothly as possible to minimize any impact internally or experienced by the client. I stayed past 5 PM on my last day after a 10:30 AM exit interview so that I could finish up transition process docs for some of the larger projects that were being passed to co-workers of mine. I even planned and gave my two week notice at a time when many of my projects were either close to wrapping up or barely started where the impact of a transition would be minimal. I look forward to staying in touch with many of my former co-workers, and definitely did not torch any bridges. I'm sure there were some hard feelings from certain people towards me when I left, but that's out of my control and part of business. I did everything I could to leave on the best terms possible, and have done this in every previous position. A strong finish is extremely important to me, and I would hope you do the same when in this situation in the future. So, what now? Well, I'm taking some time off to travel and visit friends that I haven't seen in awhile while searching for jobs and new cities that I may want to re-locate to (kind of hard to take a month off while working). Some people joke about the early retirement and being voluntarily unemployed in this horrible economy, but this is really the first month I have had off since I was 4 years old. I always played several sports each season growing up, then I got to the age where I could work on top of going to school and playing sports, and I only took off a few weeks before starting work right after college ended. It feels good to get back to neutral, rest up, and enjoy life. I went to Nicaragua at the end of July, and I just finished a 20 day road trip from San Francisco to New York City by plane, train, and automobile. I have only been away from work for less than a month, and already am researching opportunities and sending out resumes. I know which cities I enjoyed being in and visiting people, and I know what I want to do. Now, it is just a matter of will I be hired with my current portfolio and experience, or will graduate school be required? I always thought that I would shut this blog down at the end of position #1 after college, but in the rare case that this information is actually valuable to someone I will keep it going. I will let you know how it turns out. In the meantime, enjoy yourselves.]]> http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/08/i_quit_my_first_job_after_coll.html http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/08/i_quit_my_first_job_after_coll.html From Experience Life After College acquisition college company first job live for the weekend merger quit resign work Thu, 28 Aug 2008 09:47:04 -0500 Severe thunderstorms are rolling through Indy and the suburbs, so I'm hanging tight before socializing this evening. Why not rattle off a little blog post instead of taking cover in a sturdy structure (my apartment does not count as a sturdy structure - paper thin walls, zero insulation, and cheap construction)? The professional work-force is boring and overly cautious in what they say and do at work. There, I dropped a bomb of a generalization. I have cracked jokes and received the follow up emails or conversations that are to the effect of "Easy there big fella." I think very few people enjoy being a robot of pure etiquette between the hours of 8 and 5 each Monday through Friday, but do so because it is accepted as the proper behavior within the walls of a business. When did becoming a stuck-up douche with no sense of humor become perceived as professional? I would rather walk the line of "maybe we should have a sit down with HR" not because I'm a rebel without a cause, but because maybe that line is drawn too close to "church/funeral behavior" and not close enough to "summer bbq" behavior. I don't see a correlation between me sitting with my hands crossed, half-falling asleep, and wishing people would say what they really want to say instead of speaking business gibberish and me being more productive. I check my email, calendar, run data analysis tests, and work on another project all at the same time. What's wrong with cracking a joke or injecting humor into business conversations? Nothing. I do it all the time - in moderation of course. I agree that there is a recommended mixture of comedy and seriousness that still allows the collaboration to move forward in a productive manner while having a good time. It does take a certain level of maturity, personality, and conversational experience (put that on your resume) to recognize when you are deterring the current movement or progress. Cross that line of "intelligent and fun co-worker" to "class clown" a few times and you will recognize the response and learn to not do it again. So, lighten up, make the best of a situation that isn't always fun, and change the perception of what it means to be professional. Working towards your goals with the company you work for, starting a business, or running a business is rewarding but hard work that lasts many years. The stress will build up and you will release it one way or the other if you don't manage it. The biggest stress reliever for me is comedy. Even at the office. http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/06/walking_on_eggshells_professio.html http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/06/walking_on_eggshells_professio.html From Experience appropriate behavior comedy joke laugh office professionalism work Fri, 06 Jun 2008 20:57:05 -0500 I didn't drink coffee until I started working full-time and had to get up everyday before 7AM. It was a rough transition from college. What eased the transition was my desire to drink mug after mug of coffee each day. There are different ways to drink coffee in terms of amount and frequency which can be more beneficial than other ways. I never thought of this, but it's true. Most people fill their mug or styrofoam cup to the brim because a) the coffee pot and break room are a long walk from their desk, b) they enjoy drinking more coffee in one sitting, or c) only pansies fill a cup half way. If it was meant to be filled half-way they would have made a smaller cup to be filled to the brim. I used to do 1 full cup in the morning and 1 full cup in the early afternoon, but the caffeine would wear off after 60-90 minutes and I would drag until lunch or the end of the day. I now do a half a cup every 90-120 minutes, and I never feel the effects wear off. I read about it somewhere, and it actually works. I also get a cup of water with each half cup of coffee to rinse my teeth and to flush my system. I have no idea what would happen if I drank coffee alone - probably clog a pipe somewhere. You can do the same thing with caffeinated tea or energy drinks if that is your bag. Why would you pay all of that money for Red Bull, though, when the company coffee is free? I guess you could always find out where the Red Bull promotional Mini Coopers full of college student employees will be located in your city if you live in a bigger city, and then the Red Bull would be free too (minus the cost of $4/gallon gas tracking them down). Anyways, drink less coffee more and lose the caffeine crash. http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/05/coffee_mind_tricks.html http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/05/coffee_mind_tricks.html From Experience amount caffeine coffee college student crash focus frequency office Red Bull tea Thu, 29 May 2008 20:08:53 -0500 * Disclaimer * This isn't a very beneficial post in terms of you learning anything valuable, so read ahead only if you have several minutes to possibly be entertained. I'm not all business all the time, so I'm just giving you the warning ahead of time in case you are and may consider this a waste of your time. I do care about you. My younger brother and I attended Carb Day at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway on Friday (basically a big party and a concert featuring STP this year), and since it was raining we went over to my friend's house nearby the track. Everyone there was around my age or older, so my younger brother was the only college student attending. He's going to be a senior and he's 21 so not too much younger, though. I was driving and he was not, so the amount of beer consumed by him was much greater compared to most of the other people there who were also driving. He was out of control and pretty entertaining, and realized everyone else was pretty sober and justified it by saying "Well, you're career people." When I dropped him off at his apartment he was telling his friends about the party and free keg and how all the career people weren't drinking much. I tried to justify it by saying that it's only 5 PM and the night is young. They didn't buy it, and I might as well have been wearing a suit and carrying a briefcase. So, we who are out of college and employed are no longer young professionals. We are career people as viewed through the eyes of drunk college students (just one so far). And for the record, the career people matched his level of partying, possibly surpassing it, later that night when everyone hung up the keys for the day. http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/05/you_career_people.html http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/05/you_career_people.html Life After College career career people college drunk party people student young professional Mon, 26 May 2008 12:49:04 -0500 The thoughts of this post were inspired by an article in Esquire titled 'You'd Make a Good President. Or Maybe A Good Fashion Photographer. Or a Good Shortstop. The Point Is, You Have No Idea'. It's on page 68 of the June 2008 issue, and currently not on their website. There is an excerpt on Brijit if you are into summaries.]]> http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/05/you_have_no_idea_what_you_shou.html http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/05/you_have_no_idea_what_you_shou.html From Experience Life After College career college degree major occupation pick school select Sat, 24 May 2008 12:46:03 -0500 video: SRV playing a cover of Hendrix's "Little Wing"). Sure, his voice won't ever be considered edgy or hard, but he's really going transition into a more appreciated blues / quasi-rock guitar player as the years go on. There were stories of him while he was in music school where professors would stop by and just listen to him jam and mess around in the school's practice rooms. The guy is talented however lame you may think he is or some of his original pop rock songs are. So, now that I have justified being a fan of John Mayer, what can he teach us about business? Well, the music industry is struggling to find a profitable model while artists are finding it and have found it without the suits' help. You've all heard of the "cutting-edge" business practices of selling less of more (Long Tail) and actually giving away services and products in order to sell other products that could be more profitable or allow for a long cycle of additional business. Several musicians, I'm talking about major recording artists - not the garage bands on MySpace, have toyed around with different variations of giving away music or enhancing their music offerings through the use of the internet and old-school, non-technological means as well. Beck's "Guero" was the first album that I remember taking advantage of the internet by leaking the album, remixes, and videos before the release of the album allowing fans to piece it together however they wanted. The first mash-up album. Then, the actual CD was released in which the album art was mostly blank, and came with stickers that could be used to decorate the cover however the fan or listener wanted to. The CD also contained videos to accompany each song that could be viewed on your computer. This was a slap in the face to the RIAA who had already basically shut down Kazaa Lite at that point which was what most people used after old school Napster shut down. Here the lawyers were trying to stop fans from distributing music, and Beck came along and basically told fans not only to give it away, listen to it how they want, and all before the release. Then he released the album and still made more fans with the unique features, and raked in on tour where all musicians make most of their money. More recently, Radiohead gave away their latest release "In Rainbows", and allowed fans to pay what they thought the music was worth. Radiohead is already an internationally famous band - more hipster and indie rock here in the States, but I'm sure they gained a few new fans or at least exposed new people to their music through the give-away. I know their summer show nearby is already sold out months before the date of the performance. They've already said that they won't be doing the give-away again, but we thank them for blazing a trail and trying. After Radiohead, you know that there would be followers. I've seen many smaller bands - especially MySpace bands, giving away their albums now that it is perceived as "cool" - maybe a result of the Radiohead publicity stunt, or maybe because it is a valid long-term business model. Oh yea, Nine Inch Nails also recently gave away their newest album for free, so it's not just the no-name garage bands buying into it. We'll see if it is just a trend or if it holds on to actually work. I think the more viable business model is to give insight into the creative process like only the artist can - that's exclusive content rather than giving away the entire product. As big as life-casting, radical transparency not only in personal blogs but also corporate blogs, vlogs, podcasts, and iJournalism are it makes sense for musicians to add this personal and truthful insight into their albums somehow. Which brings us back to John Mayer. For his new album he is posting videos from the studio, bits of songs where the lyrics and melodies are not even complete, photos of equipment used, and random posts and thoughts that are going through his mind as he records the next album. His blog has transformed from "a musician trying to crossover into stand-up comedy" (which he was trying to do on the side at times) into a blog about a modern-day musician. By letting fans in more and more into the creative process they will have a greater connection with the artist, and a stronger interest in buying the completed product. They've invested time into the creation of the new album by following the progress, and that just doesn't go away too easily. No one else can provide the content he is providing since it is him writing, talking, playing, or in front of the camera doing whatever. It's all free and leading up to the big finish which actually has a price tag - the new release. Then there is the tour. Musicians do not get a huge cut on actual album sales, and get the much larger mark-up from tours. John even has a modern-day twist on tours incorporating a centralized place for fans to upload photos, videos, recordings, and comments so that you do not have to "search for the experience". Not to mention he should attract more and more fans by playing some of his favorite cover songs and incorporating the blues set. There should be something for everyone, and it will be interesting to see if some of the younger fans can appreciate the cover of "Bold As Love" (another Hendrix song) as much as "Your Body Is a Wonderland". I think his business strategy is a mix of transparency and long tail, but more transparency in the end. By adding the in the user-generated content coming this summer with the new tour I think John Mayer has officially become a musician 2.0 which other businesses and owners can model themselves after. It's a great example of utilizing social media to market yourself and your product. Write that down about the "musician 2.0" - that's a freebie for you and a keeper. Additional Reading/Viewing: John Mayer is still trying to be a funny guy on the side, and posted a video poking fun at the inside look into making music. This was made with the help of Judd Apatow, director of Superbad - video Chris Anderson, author of the Long Tail recently wrote an article in Wired about the future of business being free. Check it out here - Free! Why $0.00 Is The Future Of Business]]> http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/05/what_we_can_learn_from_john_ma.html http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/05/what_we_can_learn_from_john_ma.html Future Of Business Beck Chris Anderson Free John Mayer Long Tail Marketing New Media NIN Radical Radiohead Social Media Transparency Mon, 12 May 2008 22:12:20 -0500 WebUrbanist.com about the five most recent guerilla marketing examples that went wrong. Rather than just coming up with a concept for print or electronic media it would be a blast to come up with crazy ideas to take to the streets or net in unconventional ways. There was an article several months back in Wired about some of the more notable alternate reality games that were hugely popular among the popular internet crowd that every company, studio, or artist wants on their side. They have the potential to set off exponential growth or popularity - the most likely tipping points if you're a Malcolm Gladwell fan and believer of the theory. I doubt many business schools or MBA or executive programs are training marketing professionals to utilize social media properly, and the skills required to excel in social media and marketing positions. These skills are less business and more technology research and application in my opinion. I also doubt that many established businesses are putting non-business grads or non-MBA's in their marketing management positions, or embracing social media at all. The new forms and practices in marketing have already caught fire, and slowly but surely more and more opportunities will arise as companies start to accept the new media practices as equals with their traditional PR and traditional media advertising methods. Companies To Check Out: 42 Entertainment]]> http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/05/marketing_sounds_like_fun.html http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/05/marketing_sounds_like_fun.html Business News advertising alternate reality game ARG college guerilla jobs marketing student viral Wed, 07 May 2008 19:00:41 -0500 I work in the suburbs. In fact, I live in one suburb and work in another - an 11 mile one-way drive that can take anywhere between 20 - 45 minutes depending on if I decide to leave during rush-hour or not. On the weekends, I have to drive at least 20 minutes to the closest young professional magnet of a bar strip, and 30 minutes to downtown. If I need to get food or something from a store I have to drive a wasteful 5 minutes at least. Bottom line, I cannot walk anywhere really. With gas prices approaching $4/gallon with no end in site, I would argue that it costs about the same if not less to live and work in a major metropolitan area. If I lived and worked in Chicago or any east coast city I would consider getting rid of the car completely, or at least downgrading. I'm spending over $200 a month on gas alone, which could easily offset or equalize the higher cost of apartments or condos in cities. We as a country really need to change our city planning and urban development planning. Here in the midwest everyone wants their own yard and property even if it means they can only afford to build a cheap box in one of the many unattractive vinyl villages that our future generations will hate us for building. I'm a big fan of the "live where you work" way of life, and love the idea of living in a condo or townhome close to restaurants, clubs, stores, etc. You also have a much greater sense of community, not to mention using less land and resources. The "green" movement is really centered on efficiency in automobiles right now, and changing the way we build and expand our cities is rarely discussed when the impact could be greater. So, should you live in a big city or look to work for companies in big cities? That's up to you and depends a bit on your lifestyle, but just be aware that your entry-level salary will leave you with a tight budget as it is - especially if you live alone. You cut out some major costs by living within walking distance of where you work and socialize, or you could at least make an effort to minimize your driving distance to work and where you play on the weekends (and weekdays...especially when Cinco de Mayo falls on a Monday, what's up with that?). I'm in a tough dilemma with the office being located on the far north side of the city in an uppity suburb, and everything else is going on in the city. It's either going to be a long drive to work or a long drive to hang out with friends. http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/05/cost_of_living_cheaper_in_big.html http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/05/cost_of_living_cheaper_in_big.html Job/Internship Searching Life After College automobile budget car city cost of living entry-level environment gas green salary suburb Tue, 06 May 2008 18:49:07 -0500 Sales were slowing down a bit, and the content of the book is now almost two years old. I decided it would probably be more useful being available on this site so that you could search it, skip around, and freely access it. An updated second edition will not be released at this time, but I am considering another idea for a book that may be interesting to you young professionals. So, as soon as I figure out how to get the content quickly transferred to a usable web format it will be available. For those of you who have sent emails recently requesting printed copies, I will also work on making it available through an on-demand publishing store for you and anyone else to purchase if you would like. Thanks for the continued support, everyone! http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/05/beer_pong_isnt_a_job_will_be_o.html http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/05/beer_pong_isnt_a_job_will_be_o.html MyLifeMyCareer Site News beer pong book college free job young professional Sun, 04 May 2008 18:25:18 -0500 In a discussion with a mentor of mine who is well into their 50's (small business owner) we came to the conclusion that the baby boomer business "gold rush" of the last 20-30 years has resulted in maybe too many publicly owned companies, large corporations, and ivory-tower offices where the next generation is coming in to be another cog in the wheel to keep the monster of a machine moving. And 99% of the corporate or big business work-force complains about the situation, but settles and still buys a vinyl-village home, adds a dog to the family, pops out some hell-raising kids, divorces a few years later (bad day at work results in bad day at home, multiply the effect over several years, and you have a reason for 50-60% national divorce rates), re-marries, retires, and looks back on a life of climbing the corporate ladder and not really leaving much of a mark. Dating all the way back to the industrial revolution, as more and more businesses selling products to consumers grew the number of businesses selling products or services to other businesses grew. I personally think this shift from B2C to B2B oriented businesses is a major cause of the mundane aspect of most people's careers. Think about it: would you rather sell the car to an actual person or would you rather analyze the efficiency of the logistics used to transport a tire for the car that is being sold? For every B2C service or product sold there are truck loads of B2B services backing it up. And guess what? The number of B2B jobs outnumbers B2C jobs, and these jobs are getting more and more mundane, process-oriented, and outsourceable. Just look at any job search that you submit on Monster, Jobster, or Careerbuilder. The results may go on for hundreds of pages if you are searching in a major metropolitan area, but they will be the most uninteresting positions unless you or new to the game or naive (college grads or corporate workhorse) or truly enjoy having an "8-5 5 days a week auto-drive position with the chance of moving up the ranks of middle management over a 40 year period" job. Logistics specialist, Sr. Analyst, Data Integrity Jr. Manager, etc. These all will result in hours of spreadsheet viewing, report writing, pointless meetings, and hours of boredom even if you are working. If you are a manger you are not running a business, you are improving processes. If you are an employee, you are acting out the role in that process. Exciting, right? Add in all of the other wonderful aspects of the business world including pleasing the shareholders, acquiring businesses, being acquired, merged, outsourced, or eliminated and you are in for what may seem like a wild ride - but it really is only wild for the owners moving around the pieces on the chessboard to maximize their profits while you enjoy a 2-4% raise each year and continue serving your purpose. So, what is the solution? Well, we can't stop the pace of growth and operation in the "big business" world, but small business owners and entrepreneurs can take advantage of the situation. If you want to grow your personal or small business to be a lifestyle business for the rest of your career I salute you. That's an admirable move, and a dream of mine, as well. However, with the rate of business growth in the corporate and publicly-owned market, you have a good chance of being bought much sooner than in the past. Some business plans in the tech industry have exit strategies of less than 1-2 years. Bam, sell to some CEO of Boring Company, Inc who thinks that your company is a good fit for them whether you agree or not, take the cash, and do it again. Or retire. Small businesses do not have much of chance competing with bigger businesses operating on volume and cost-cutting, so the best bet is to start the business with the goal of selling sooner rather than sticking around to fight for space in a market where the competitor has just outsourced what you do to someone who is paid just enough to feed themselves. Cost vs. Quality is unfortunately a mostly invalid argument these days if you want to stay in business. Very few succeed taking the side of quality as a long-term plan. Small business is where the fire is still burning brightly in the owner's and employees' minds, and offers you the chance to have a more exciting and higher impact job. Not to mention, it's generally more lucrative at the cost of being riskier. From the beginning, I have recommended that college grads seek to work for smaller businesses or lesser known companies still with good reputations. Unfortunately, there is not a good resource that lists jobs in the more entrepreneurial sector. These are usually word-of-mouth or opportunities that result from networking. Well, most college students do not have many professional contacts, so professional networking and word-of-mouth opportunities are hard to come by. This is another flaw in the system as college grads are being funneled into the corporate world simply because opportunities with smaller businesses are not widely available. This is pretty much where we both paused for awhile, continued eating, and shook our heads. I wanted to say, "What a mess", but was beaten to the punch by the old guy on the other side of the table who broke the silence by saying something to the effect of, "There is still hope in the business world, but it is far and few between in corporate America. There are still diamonds in the rough - large, publicly owned companies that still act like rebels similar to when they started, but they're hard to find and it could change in an instant. Many companies claim to be different, but many of them are really the same." http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/05/the_american_dream_mindnumbing.html http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/05/the_american_dream_mindnumbing.html Life After College Starting a Business b2b b2c big business corporate America corporation Sun, 04 May 2008 10:28:34 -0500 FastCompany Inc. Wired - not a "business" magazine, but I'm a tech guy and I would argue that it does contain valuable business info Esquire - a lifestyle magazine, I know, but successful people are interviewed and popular trends are identified among some other stuff that I would qualify as crap GQ - same as above - you need to stay in touch with pop culture at some level. It's all about balance. PopSci - technology mentioned in this bad boy is usually featured 6-12 months later in mainstream media Technology Review - The intelligent and more research oriented version of PopSci Scientific American - I read very little of this magazine, but pick up just enough information to be dangerous in conversations that I have no business being included in. You never know when an investor may start discussing the possible types of life in underground oceans recently discovered on a different planet. Or you may be on Jeopardy and win money. Surprised by the variety? I feel it's important to keep a broad perspective, so that you do not get on one path. Think about it: you are thinking about ideas from different perspectives, picking up general information that may help you or simply rot away in your brain, and you are well-equipped to hang in conversations with many types of different people. If you're ever a manager or business owner, this will be a killer skill in my opinion allowing you to hopefully connect with all of your employees at some level outside of work-related conversations. Reading is a bore when you could be watching a movie or playing Wii, I realize this. I look at it this way, though: I just spent 20 years going to school, spent close to six figures on college, and I am not going to quit the personal investment just because I have a degree. You are your greatest asset. There, another BS corporate zinger for you. I'm sure many people who think they are important have said those five "inspirational" words with a straight face. I have always laughed at them when they say them, and chuckled as I typed the phrase. We know this already, and choose to deny or accept it. Thanks for the coffee mug worthy slogan, though. All right, I'm done. Two posts in two days? It's been awhile. ]]> http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/03/knowledge_is_power_and_still_a.html http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/03/knowledge_is_power_and_still_a.html From Experience article blog book idea innovate innovation inspiration invest knowledge magazine read variety Fri, 28 Mar 2008 18:17:49 -0500 Jared, I like to type. I really enjoy the pleasure that overcomes me after producing a beautiful email and hitting the send button in Outlook. Anyways, this paragraph is going to go on for about 76 more lines re-capping project details that you already know about, but I love typing. That's right, it's another paragraph...about the same thing. Isn't it great spending 5 entire minutes reading my important message. I even flagged it as "high priority" even though I have no idea what is all on your plate right now, and like to think that I control your list of priorities. Blah, blah, blah. This paragraph is going to go on for awhile, and then this beautifully crafted message will end with a 14 line signature, a jpeg logo for my business, and an italicized slogan. Enjoy! Sincerely, Thomas The Train 555-555-5555 office 555-555-5556 fax (I know, who still has these, right?) 555-555-5557 home 555-555-5558 cell 555-555-5559 mobile tommytrain wm tommytrain2 aim 123 Central Station London, Bulgaria 129312A-233AB [ridiculous logo] "Some slogan our marketing department came up with which sounds self-centered and ridiculous" That's one extreme that you will experience. You will open a novel like this, and quickly delete it. The other type of email you may receive are the one-liners with no specific information like this: He said you could call him sometime at the old number. He still works in that department with the other guys at that one location. Emails are meant to be short, informal, and to the point. That does not mean you can roll out of bed, fire up the blackberry, and send something like the above message while taking a piss and rubbing the sleepy dust out of your eyes. I will delete this on account of you assuming that I am the keeper of all that is knowledge - which I am not nor do I claim to be. You have to use a few descriptive or key words to make that second message a winner. Here is a nice re-do: Johhny T. said that he would be available after 2 PM EST for a short call. Tom and Gary from the products group will be on the call. Just set up a conference call, and send him the number/appointment. Thanks. I now know who I am going to call, who else will be on the call, what time to call (always include the time zone to avoid confusion), and which one of us will be calling the other and at what number. All in three sentences. If it is an internal email you don't need to sign your name at the end because most email clients say who the email is from. As my 7th grade algebra teacher would say, "We're not lazy, we're efficient.". There's so much more I could say about email and probably will on another day.]]> http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/03/screw_pronouns_and_extraneous.html http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/03/screw_pronouns_and_extraneous.html From Experience details email etiquette guide informal long schedule short specific tips Thu, 27 Mar 2008 21:35:02 -0500 Rest on the weekends The weekend after everyone had been sick around me at the office I was out both Friday and Saturday night until 3-4 AM in the morning. I was worn down already on Monday, and by Tuesday I started feeling the first symptoms of the Bubonic plague. In retrospect, I wish I would've stayed in doing a few lines of multi-vitamins instead of using community cups of beer in Flippy Cup and Beer Pong, and started that week with a re-charged immune system. Really wash your hands A hand-washing that actually results in the killing of germs and bacteria on your hands should last at least 15 seconds. Use warm water, lather up with some hand soap, get the front and back of your hands and wrists, and be sure to run your fingertips across your opposite hand's palm to try and get underneath your fingernails. If you are unsure about the proper technique just watch your doctor the next time you go in for a check-up as he/she washes their hands in your check-up room. Don't void the hand-washing You've just had a great hand-washing experience, now you just have to get back to your desk without touching anything. Air dryers are preferred as long as you use your arm/elbow sleeve to push the button that starts the flow of air. If you have paper towels, hopefully they are automatic so that you can just pull off what you need without touching a handle. Only dry your hands with one side of the paper towel to keep any remaining bacteria on that side of the towel that rubs off from your hand. Throw it away and grab one more paper towel before exiting to open the door handle without touching it. Hang onto the paper towel if you have other doors to walk through to get to your desk, and throw the paper towel in a public trash can or recycle bin on the way back to your desk. You now have far fewer germs coming with you into your workspace. Call into meetings Instead of sitting in a conference room with other infected individuals, pretend like you just got off another call or are extremely busy and call into the meeting going on in your building. I rarely do this, but if someone in that room is coughing frequently I do not want to be in the same room. It's kind of a dick move, but people will get over it. You're doing it to stay healthy and use less sick time, so they should understand that you are just trying to protect the bottom line like any good corporate workhorse.]]> http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/03/staying_healthy_in_an_infected.html http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/03/staying_healthy_in_an_infected.html From Experience cube cubicle farm health sick time off tips wellness Sun, 16 Mar 2008 09:54:46 -0500 Deadlines I dream of the day where everyone realizes that deadlines lead to anxiety, rushed or poor deliveries, and the never-ending acceleration of the pace that we work and deliver. Yes, there are people out there who need deadlines in order to function, but I fully support the idea of respecting that others will work as quickly as they can while remaining sane and maintaining a high level of craftsmanship. If I doubt that they are intelligent enough to handle themselves in a deadline-less world, I'm not hiring them, working with them, or buying or selling to them. If someone told me that I could have my newly ordered cell phone in a week, but that it really takes them three weeks to produce it correctly in a low-pressure environment I would rather wait the three weeks to ensure top-notch production of my phone to ensure the long-term value. Unfortunately, deadlines do exist in my current position, and they are created by clients, project managers, other managers, co-workers, and myself. I've learned in less than two years that up to this point in life you really could please almost everyone. Working, going to school, and maintaining a social life seemed rough at the time. There were times in college where tests or project due dates fell closely together, and I was challenged. In the workplace though, especially in the technology sector, the pace of business blows anything I experienced in college away. It comes in waves just like college, but the intensity level gets a little nuts at times. My first reaction is to get frustrated at the lack of time left, the effort of others, the wrong expectations by involved parties, or any other factor outside of my control. I go home, I get pissed thinking about it, and then I sleep. I wake up the next day thinking more reasonably, and realize that I brought most of that stress onto myself by trying to do too many things at once, rather than doing what I can do now while waiting for other pieces to fall into place. I realize that learning to estimate how long it takes you to do something is tough. I always want to deliver lightning fast, and make the mistake of giving myself a deadline that is overly ambitious, to say the least. I'm starting to really know what I am capable of, and actually and realistically delivering. Many times I tend to give an unrealistic date of delivery out of fear that the other person will be disappointed with what I predicted. More often than not, they would not have cared at all. I'm getting the hang of this and slowly regaining control. Deadlines were always set for me my entire life: test dates, homework assignments, sales goals, athletic development planning, and so on. We need to do a better job of educating students on setting their own deadlines and project planning - a skill that I was definitely in need of more practice on before entering the workplace. Email, IM, Phone If you want to get anything done, ignore at least 2 out of the 3 at all times. Plan meetings and times when you can call a client or they can call you. I like to provide top-notch service and convenience for my clients, so too often when they ask when I am free on a certain day I will respond anytime if I only have a few short meetings. They then hang up, I start to work, they call out of the blue, we have an unplanned 45 minute conversation, I hang up, go to the bathroom, have a quick chat, and finally sit down taking another 20 minutes to figure out what I was doing before the call came in. It's much easier to know when the call is coming in, so that you can plan to take it and work on a task that should wrap up around the time they are calling. You can at least form a more defined stopping point in a more continuous or larger task. You cannot eliminate all surprise calls thanks to our "on-demand" nature and way of life, but limiting these types of calls leads to you keeping your head on straight. Voicemail is a good thing, though. For email, I recently turned off the Outlook pop-up feature that lets you know if a new message has arrived, who it's from, and the first part of the message. I have my inbox and calendar minimized most of the day. I try to check it at stopping points or breaks in my current project or task, or at the four logical breaks of the day: arrival to the office, before lunch, after lunch, and before leaving for the day. Now, since many people have become accustomed to instant responses from almost everything else in life thanks to everything from McDonald's to Google, some people get ticked if you don't respond right away. I always say if something is on fire, they will probably call me. I can't always count on this, as some people for whatever reason would not pick up a phone and make a call even if they were on fire. I'd love to check my email only 4 times a day while at work, but you just can't due to the way email has evolved. My best plan of action (and most reasonable) is to only plan to answer emails 4 times a day at the intervals discussed above, check it during breaks in project work or right after a meeting, and only respond to frantic or immediate attention emails outside of the planned answer periods. That's about as managed as you can become with Outlook without being a dick to everyone who is emailing you. Pray that your IM goes out or is destroyed somehow. Ours was just out for two weeks, and now no one uses it now because two weeks is a long time and everyone has forgotten. 9 times out of 10 I use it to receive a comedic remark from another employee or to make a similar point. Older employees take it more seriously which is nice, I guess, but at the same time just come over and talk to me rather than trying to have a formal conversation through IM. If you put up your "busy" or "away" icon, people still send you messages that pop up, so just turn it off if it is not a "mandatory" communication tool in the company you work for. If your company has not blocked AIM, GChat, Yahoo, or Windows messenger, don't even open it. One, most of the people my age are starting to grow away from it, and those who aren't it seems like are never available at the same time to actually have a conversation. Personal messaging at work is probably not a big deal as long as it is minimal, IMHO, but as a young gun in a corporate office it definitely would not send a good message if you are seen chatting every time someone walks down your cubicle aisle unless you are in data entry and they recognize your mad typing skills. I have never used a personal IM service while at work, but see people doing it all the time - especially through Gmail since it is not detected. Breaks Basically, if I'm thirsty I go get a drink. If I have to go to the bathroom, I make a trip to the bathroom. I don't plan these breaks, but the urge to get up usually occurs when I am just finishing up something or running into a wall of frustration - both of which are good times to get up. My eye doctor stresses the importance of a 5 minute break to stretch your eyes every hour is so important in a monitor-staring intensive job. I do not do a good job of this as I don't plan my breaks, but maybe I should. The biggest productivity killer for me is going out for lunch. You have the 10 minute period prior to lunch trying to figure out where to go, you eat way too much, you come back and keep a conversation going for another 10 minutes, finally get to work, and then fall into a food coma. Bring smaller portions of food in a brown bag lunch with snacks for throughout the day, and you will be more aware and capable of staying on track. Not to mention, you could leave early or accomplish more in the same amount of time. Plus, you save a crapload of money. Brown bag your way to a million.]]> http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/03/regaining_sanity.html http://www.mylifemycareer.com/2008/03/regaining_sanity.html From Experience effecient office productive productivity sane sanity work Thu, 06 Mar 2008 20:38:27 -0500