Career Opportunities

The Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) recently launched their latest space probe, New Horizons, which will be the first such probe to visit and study the planet Pluto. While you probably don’t need to worry about ensuring your latest network server is still operating 10 years from now and a couple billion miles away, taking a long-term approach to your projects, like JPL, can help to insure their success. I call this future-proofing

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Too often high-tech workers live and work at the end of their nose. This server has crashed. That PC has to be re-built. This program has to be written now. There simply isn’t the time, or in most cases, desire to look beyond the next release, the next milestone, the next upgrade. Unfortunately, this can hamper a company’s ability to do business and lead it down dead-ends that might have been easily avoided.

Keeping your options open

While it is impossible to predict the future, there are ways to make your project more adaptable to it. Often, I see projects that are locked into one particular piece of software or hardware. Everything depends on this one item, which is usually only available from a single source. If this is the case with any of your current projects, you should be making some important decisions. If you are truly locked into one program or device, you need to develop a plan so your project doesn’t stop in its tracks.

The data

The single most important way to help insure the long-term success of your project is to think first about the essential purpose of the project…the data. Hardware and software may come and go, but the main reason your project exists is the data that it stores and manipulates. Don’t lock up this data in proprietary formats or database structures. Build in, from the very beginning, the ability to export your data in any number of ways. Start thinking today about what you, or more likely, you successors, might be doing with this data 5, 10 or 25 years down the road.

If you can provide a migration path for your data, you are well on the way to future-proofing your project. Instead of facing a dead-end, you are creating a hallway of open doors. Data portability will allow you to face an impending company failure, discontinued hardware and buggy software upgrades with aplomb. Such events become more of a “so what?” proposition instead of a major crisis. Sure, there will still be problems associated with the changes, but you will have already prepared for the worst eventualities.

Thinking of others and yourself

Long-term planning can effect your career in another dramatic way. We have all faced projects where we were responsible for upgrading an existing system. I am sure you have also experienced the frustration of discovering that previous workers provided no information, or even clues, to how the system operates. Like an archeologist studying hieroglyphics and trying to tease out their meaning, we are forced to dig through obtuse code to try to reconstruct the operation of the system.

Be kind, to yourself and others, by clearly and completely documenting any system on which you work. First, do this for yourself. Who knows how many times you might be asked to change or add functionality to this system once it is in production. Are you confident that you will remember the reason for every tweak and compromise that went into its creation? Send notes to your future self by documenting everything fully. This will mean the difference between a quick fix and long, frustrating hours trying to understand your own work.

Documentation also helps to insure the future of your projects by insuring that others can pick up where you left off and keep the project moving forward, weeks, months or even years later. Your successors will quietly praise your name instead of cursing it, as we curse those who came before us. Providing a roadmap to others should be considered common courtesy. If enough of us do it, perhaps those that come after us won’t have to suffer as much as we have.

While projects come and go, you can help to insure their continued success by allowing data to move freely and by documenting the systems themselves. These two, relatively simple, concepts can insure that you, your successors and your company will enjoy the benefits of your work for years to come. Even more importantly, protecting your projects and helping them to stay productive does wonders for your reputation and your high-tech career.

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A collection of career items I found interesting this week.

• Professionals, amateurs and the great unwashed – August 30, 2010

The last few weeks provided yet another instance of an on-the-job meltdown as a JetBlue flight attendant finally reached the breaking point of their customer service career. The only amazing thing about this, though, is that is doesn’t happen with more frequency. Job stress, economic pressures and career stagnation all contribute to worker meltdowns and yet very little is ever done to remedy the underlying problems. While on-the-job meltdowns aren’t the most productive way of dealing with the issues, it is inevitable when management offers so few productive ways of addressing problems.

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Cathartic, but doesn’t lead to change

An on-the-job meltdown can certainly be cathartic for both those who undergo it and also those who read about it. It is a rare person who hasn’t wanted to tell a boss to “take this job and shove it” at some point in their career. That said, its ability to effect true change in the work world is limited, if non-existent. We may have a good laugh for a few days, but the fact is, the underlying causes of the meltdown remain and, in some cases, get even worse. On top of that, these meltdowns usually are career-ending for the person involved. No matter how much stress they have been put under, no matter how difficult the job, no matter how annoying or threatening the customer, they are expected to soldier on through it all, stoically bearing every trial. One slip and you are gone.

I would caution anyone who is on the very edge of an on-the-job meltdown to do themselves a favor and get out of the situation now! We may experience financial and other life pressures to continue in our jobs despite harsh realities, but an on-the-job meltdown is a drastic choice to make. There are always alternatives and these alternatives are far less damaging than the consequences of an on-the-job meltdown. For your own self-preservation, seek out these alternatives before it is too late and you hurt yourself or someone else.

No other options

The reason that on-the-job meltdowns occur, though, is directly related to the fact that there are no socially acceptable ways to fight back against horrible workplace environments. Employment today, and always, has been a place of “love it or leave it.” Employees have no voice to change their environment. The only power they have is to abandon one job for another, one company for another, with no guarantee that the new company or the new position will be any better. Even worse, it also means that the bad environment never changes. Companies never improve because someone left the company. They simply mark that employee off as a bad egg, a crybaby, a loser and continue on as they always have. Then they treat their new hire in exactly the same way, placing exactly the same stress upon them. In this way, we develop companies where employees are merely surviving the environment. All the best employees have already left for greener pastures.

Until we have some method of giving employees the work environment they deserve and need to succeed, the risk of very public on-the-job meltdowns will always be with us. Companies must stand up and support their employees when they are faced with hostile customers, dangerous work environments and sexual harassment. Companies cannot ignore the reality of what is happening in the office, in the store and on the shop floor. To do so almost guarantees that they will face an embarrassing and financially damaging on-the-job meltdown.

It isn’t as if companies can’t easily see the problems. In fact, they often have to go long ways to ignore the obvious abuses. It is more a factor of caring what is happening. The first thoughts that run through most companies collective minds is how to keep profits rolling in, not whether their workforce is happy. Unfortunately, there is a direct correlation between the two. Solicit feedback from your employees, support them when there is an issue and do everything you can to help prevent them coming to an on-the-job-meltdown moment. Don’t try to hide your issues or pretend they don’t exist. Face them head-on yourself or some other person, some other event will force you to face them. Everyone wins in this scenario. Employees are happier, the company prospers and meltdowns are kept to a minimum.

I call on all companies to develop some sort of support system for their employees that let them have some effect, some control over their work environment before it is too late. If not, the best thing that will happen is some of your best potential employees with leave and you will be faced with a destructive and constant turnover. The worst that can happen, of course, is to have one of your employees suffer an on-the-job meltdown that consumes them and shows your company in a very bad, very public way. There are no winners when this happens. Everyone loses. Game over.

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Tracy Pattin, Michael Lawshe, Liam Johnson and Jenny Bellington present a panel discussion on “Traditional Media Career Paths and How They Are Changing” at CareerCampLA 2010.

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Douglas E. Welch presents “Career Compass: Finding Your Career North” at CareerCampSCV on July 10th, 2010.

A collection of career items I found interesting this week.

• It’s Official: People In Power Act As If They Have Brain Damage – August 16, 2010

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Jennifer Oliver O’Connell of Tuesdays with Transitioners, and co-chair of CareerCampLA 2010, presents 10 Things to do while you’re looking at CareerCampLA 2010

As we all know, it’s a crazy world out there. On most days, we run from home to school to work to home to bed in what seems like an endless cycle. We might read lots about needing to balance our work and ‘real’ life, but never seem to get anywhere near it. In some cases, we burn ourselves up searching for the next big score, the next big promotion, the next big stack of money. While I am not saying that work, money and fulfillment aren’t important, it is just as important to remember to decompress — to slow down and engage in our present lives. There are times, in the madness of our lives, when we get clear signs it is time to stop and settle, but too often we choose to ignore them.

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For example, as I type, our new kitten is draped across my lap, sleeping quietly despite the movement of my fingers. While I might be “working” I am also being given a clear indication that “this is where you need to be right now.” There are a hundred other things I could be doing, but the world, in the form of this small kitten, has given me clear notice that there are other things to consider, other “things to be done” and taking it slower is one of them. As is often the case, we only notice things in contrast and comparison. We haven’t had a kitten in a while and since our son is now 12 we had forgotten how little things can take over your lives sometimes. Kittens have 2 speeds, on and off, much like human babies, and it is good reminder to all of us that there are times to be on and off even as adults. Do you have any reminders in your life? Are you good about reminding yourself that “to everything there is a season.” Sometimes the most productive thing you can be doing is sitting in your garden with a cup of tea and a good book.

Even at 12-years-old my son can still provide me with these off and on moments, too. Late last night he re-immersed himself in building and programming his Lego NXT robot. He hadn’t spent much time with it lately, but something spurred him to dive in again. Of course, as is often the case, I was immersed in my own world. I was reading and replying to email, thinking about where and how to organize our next CareerCamp, and conversing with friends online. When he came to me with this robot, I could have put him off with my typical, “I’m sorry, but I am working now” excuse. As someone who works extensively at home, this is something that happens quite regularly. Instead, though, I saw this as a time to turn work “off” for a while. For the next hour or so he re-engineered the physical aspects of the robot while I helped him program the logic that allowed it to autonomously move around, reacting when it bumped into things.

Again, what a wonderful way for the universe to remind us of those times when we just need to stop and do something entirely different. It is in these moments that we often learn new things and re-visit important concepts we may have forgotten. It is in these moments that we break out of the haze of constant action and into the clear blue sky of new thoughts and new ideas.

Are you ignoring the clear signs from the universe when it is telling you try something different? Do you see the opportunities in a sleepy kitten or an inquisitive boy? Is your nose so far into the grindstone that you risk losing any view of the world around you? Be watchful for those moments when someone or something offers you an opportunity to stop — an opportunity to just sit and think or laugh or smile or nap or run or jump. I think you will find that these breaks could be some of the most significant “work” you do all day.

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John Braheny, author of “The Craft and Business of Songwriting” presents Music Business Careers at CareerCampLA 2010.

Santa Monica, California-based Ascent Media Group, LLC is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Ascent Media Corporation (Nasdaq: ASCMA). With more than 40 facilities worldwide, Ascent Media Group is a leading provider of fully integrated, end-to-end services for the global digital media supply chain. Guided by our entrepreneurial culture, we blend breakthrough creative with emerging technologies to deliver some of the most advanced and innovative media solutions to help film and television studios, independent producers, broadcast networks, cable channels, advertising agencies and other companies make, manage, move and monetize their digital media.

We are seeking a Payroll Tax Accountant to join our team in Burbank, CA.

Job Summary:

Responsible for preparing, processing, and analyzing payroll tax data to ensure accurate and timely payroll tax deposits per Federal, State, and Local requirements. Position requires analytical thinking and problem-solving skills, an aptitude for numbers, multi-tasking abilities, and good attendance. The ideal candidate is a self-starter with initiative and a pro-active approach to tasks and responsibilities.

Job Duties:

* Responsible for all Company payroll tax activities, including compliance with knowledge of local, state, and federal regulations.

* Drive change in the Payroll tax function to improve the accuracy and efficiency of the Payroll tax function

* Maintain payroll-related accounts and the reconciliation and accuracy of one or more accounts within a complex accounting system.

* Prepare various accounting schedules, exhibits, and summaries, assists in determining the need for new payroll codes/accounts and/or revisions, research and advise payroll staff concerning the accounting treatment of complex transactions.

* Respond to questions and special requests from employees and regulatory agencies, in researching laws and regulations regarding taxes and payroll withholding procedures.

* Research and review legislative and policy changes that effect payrolls and computer programs, translating changes into clear, concise directives for management, systems personnel, and subsidiaries.

* Participate in payroll software design reviews and modifications to ensure statutory compliance and accuracy.

* Maintains current knowledge of all Payroll Tax laws and/or requirements affecting the company payroll taxes.

* Identify potential Payroll tax exposure and related financial risks, communicate these risks to Management, and direct the final disposition of related Payroll tax items

* Assist in tax audits. Serve as a liaison and company consultant to tax authorities to clarify statutory changes and to request additional information when that is needed.

* Independently work with the Payroll vendor’s tax filing service to ensure timeliness and accuracy of filings, as well as assist in issue resolution.

* Responsible for addressing tax issues associated with mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, company name changes, FEIN changes, new state withholding, and unemployment applications

* Review various Payroll reports for accuracy, adjustments/corrections

Job Requirements:

* 4-6 years of related payroll tax experience on the federal, multi-state, and local level, interpreting statutory legislation and documentation.

* Solid understanding of the calculation and reporting of tax liabilities,

* Must be able to independently perform work related tasks and exercise professional discretion

* Bachelor’s degree preferred.

We offer competitive pay and benefits program, including: medical, dental & vision coverage, vacation & sick leave, 401(k), company health screenings and more. Local candidates only. No relocation assistance provided.

Ascent Media is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

To apply, please forward your resume to pschumaker@ascentmedia.com with Payroll Tax Accountant in the subject line.