Past installments of Career Opportunities for the 1st week of February.

2000 All in this together

If you want to help your own career you can start by helping others.

2001 How to make mistakes

Everyone in every job and every life makes mistakes. There is no way to avoid them. However, the success of your career can ride on how you handle your mistakes and how you recover from them. Below are a few guidelines on how to handle your mistakes to insure that one small problem doesn't turn into a job or career ending monster.

2002 Piracy or Expediency?

There is a major problem that every high-tech worker faces eventually ? software piracy. Too often you are called upon to install software which your company or client does not legally own. This can include installing software on more than one computer or installing software "borrowed" from a friend. While most companies characterize this as the expediency of doing business, software manufacturers look upon it as stealing, plain and simple. Worse yet, you, and your career, are often the ones caught between expediency and piracy.

2003 Going with the flow

As much as you and your clients might dislike the fact, computers do not last forever. Even the fastest system will seem slow after a few years of operating system upgrades and growing software requirements. It is in your best interest, and of your client’s, to insure that the computer systems under your care are keeping up with user’s needs, while still watching the bottom line. Learning to balance computer needs against financial concerns is an important part of any high-tech career.
PDF Version

2003 Long Memories

Regardless of where you pursue your high-tech career, there are a number of pitfalls that can make your work more difficult and your career less secure. One of the most common of these pitfalls happens to be unreliable technology systems and the effect they have on your clients. Computer users have long memories, especially when it comes to technology that fails regularly and with sometimes damaging results. Even worse, they will remember, and often refuse to use, systems in the future, based on these bad first impressions.

2004 Gearing Up

This year my business is undergoing a few changes. In the past, I have had alternate sources of income, which allowed me to limit the amount of consulting work I do. Now, though, I have a need to think about this work more as a primary source of income. In that light, I am gearing up a series of initiatives to present a more business-like manner to my clients and, hopefully, increase my billable hours by a significant amount. Whether you are just starting out, or looking for ways to revitalize an existing business, these tips should serve you well.

2004 The Little Things

As we begin another year I am starting a project with all of my current clients. I am making a big effort to address some of the smaller high-tech problems that have lingered over the years. Sometimes, in the heat of fighting the big battles, we just don’t have the energy to address the smaller problem, which can often be much more difficult to resolve. Now is the time, though, to finally solve all those nagging issues and make everything work like it should.

2005 Return

As I write, I am finishing the last few days of a holiday vacation to my home state of Ohio and learning that returning from a vacation can be just as stressful as preparing to leave for one.
Despite doing my best to complete any necessary tasks before I left, a host of new challenges await my return. The same will probably be true of your next vacation. If you want to ease your re-entry into the work-a-day world after the holiday break, here are a few guidelines to keep you on the right track.

2005 24/7

As any high-tech freelancer will tell you, one of the major problems of working for yourself is knowing when not to work. Unlike the traditional office hours of corporate work, freelance work can happen nearly anywhere at any time. I could just as easily write this column at 2 in the morning as 2 in the afternoon. Unfortunately, this freedom can lead to the feeling that you are never "at work" or "at home", but always at an odd combination of both. If you aren't careful, you could end up working 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, or, at least, you might come to feel that is that case.

2006 Thinning the herd

No, I am not speaking of layoffs, plant closures and terminations, but rather thinning your “herd” of out-dated projects, failed initiatives, worthless bureaucracy and old hardware and software. The New Year is a great time for taking a hard look at your work and getting rid of everything that no longer fits with your current vision, workload or budget.

2405 Get it done!

Sometimes, despite our best efforts, we can lose track of our goals in the midst of the chaos of daily life. We work and work on our projects without ever getting them done. No matter how much work you do, if you don’t complete your projects, what have you really accomplished? Your career depends on providing solutions. Don’t build a career that saddles you with never-ending project after never-ending project. Get on with it. Get over it. Get it done!

Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace

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by Douglas E. Welch, career@welchwrite.com
206-338-5832 Reader/Listener Line

Recorded LIVE Friday, January 26, 2007

A short show discussing what managers and staffers wished their counterparts knew and more.



This Friday: February 2, 2007: "Just kidding" often means exactly the opposite

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Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech

Labels: career, careers, job, jobs, live, podcast, talkshoe, work, workplace

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by Douglas E. Welch, career@welchwrite.com
206-338-5832 Reader/Listener Line

Despite the fact that I often talk about attaining raises and promotions in your career, I don't often discuss their ramifications to both your work and your personal life. The fact is, when you move into an expanded role, especially a managerial role, the expectations of those around you are going to rise. Each new position brings about a new level of control and commitment. If you ignore this, your transition into the new role can be more difficult than it should be.



Next Friday: February 2, 2007: "Just kidding" often means exactly the opposite

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Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech

Labels: career, careers, expectations, job, jobs, management, manager, promotion, work, workplace

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by Douglas E. Welch, career@welchwrite.com
206-338-5832 Reader/Listener Line

This year is sure to bring some interesting moral dilemmas to high-tech workers. The call for increased security, both of the nation and computer systems, is sure to put you in the unenviable position of monitoring the actions of those around you in ways never imagined in America before. As the point person on computer security, many of you will find yourselves having to decide between your career and your own ethics.



This Friday: January 26, 2007: Expectations can, and should, rise with promotions and raises

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Past installments of Career Opportunities for the 4th week of January.

2000 It pays to know Macintosh

Don't ignore the Macintosh if you want to widen your career

2001 Digging in

Whether you are designing a new payroll system, web site or a point-of-sale system for a new cash register, as a high-tech careerist you will have to face one issue again and again. Too often high-tech projects are instituted and managed by those people who will use it the least. If you want to develop truly useful products and systems, you have to dig down into a company's structure and find out what the workers really need, not what management thinks they need.

2002 Driving or Driven?

When you go to work each day, whether for a large corporation, a small company or as an independent consultant, you have to decide how you are going to approach the technology decisions you will face. Do you feel like you are constantly trying to keep up with all the new technology available or are you in control of this information and making well-informed decisions that help support your company and your high-tech career?Stated more simply, are your driving technology choices or being driven by them?

2003 Security

Of all the issues facing the high-tech careerist in the coming year, security, in all its forms, should be the top priority on everyone’s list. I am not just talking about Internet firewalls, VPNs (Virtual Private Networks) and encryption, though. While all these are important, security involves the entire company, not just a few pieces of computer equipment. As a high-tech careerist, it will be your responsibility to convey the importance of technology security to everyone. This is simple self-preservation. Regardless of who might be at fault, if security is breached at your company, you will quickly find that everyone will hold you responsible.

2004 Up and Out

As your high-tech career matures, you will have less and less desire to climb under desks, pull cable through ceilings and experience the mind-numbing stupor of watching software install. As the years pass, you will want to find new ways of using your knowledge and experience, while still maintaining a quality of life and career. While it might not be easy, here are few thoughts that can guide your journey from technology installer to technology manager.going astray.

2005 Return

As I write, I am finishing the last few days
of a holiday vacation to my home state of Ohio and learning that returning
from a vacation can be just as stressful as preparing to leave for one.
Despite doing my best to complete any necessary tasks before I left, a
host of new challenges await my return. The same will probably be true
of your next vacation. If you want to ease your re-entry into the work-a-day
world after the holiday break, here are a few guidelines to keep you on
the right track.

2006 Thinning the herd

No, I am not speaking of layoffs, plant closures and terminations, but rather thinning your “herd” of out-dated projects, failed initiatives, worthless bureaucracy and old hardware and software. The New Year is a great time for taking a hard look at your work and getting rid of everything that no longer fits with your current vision, workload or budget.

Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace

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I have a concept for a series of columns and podcasts based on:

Managers: What they wish every staffer knew?

Staffers: What they wish every manager knew?

I would love to hear your comments on this topic. Please note if you would like to be quoted or remain, somewhat anonymous (i.e. DW from Van Nuys)

You can post your comments on the Friends in Tech forums (http://forums.friendsintech.com), as comments here on the web site or send them directly to career@welchwrite.com.

Thanks in advance for your input! -- Douglas

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Dean Jensen, of the SoHo Technology Podcast had me on for a series of talks on computer consulting and the first segment appeared today.

More segments will be forthcoming over the next few weeks.

Link: SoHo Technology Podcast with Dean Jensen

Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, podcast, podcasting, technology, interview, consult, consulting

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by Douglas E. Welch, career@welchwrite.com
206-338-5832 Reader/Listener Line

A couple of weeks ago I wrote about making your resume into a blog (See Your resume a blog, January 5, 2007) and today I want to go a little deeper into what information you might want to place there. Whether you are creating your new resume blog, or using the more traditional resume and cover letter, you should be specific about your career story. It is these details that will provoke interest in you and your work.



Next Friday: January 26, 2007: Expectations can, and should, rise with promotions and raises

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Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech

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Dumb Little Man comes through again with a great article on cover letters. I recently had a chance to help a friend write and rewrite an important cover letter and it really got me to thinking about the great room there is for improvement.

You are sure to find some online gold here if you are currently involved in a job search or even contemplating one.

100+ Ways to Write a Great Resume Cover Letter

I was literally in the middle of writing a long article for Dumb Little Man that pertained to my method of choosing applicants for an open position I have. As I got half way done typing, one of our company recruiters sends me an email with a PDF containing a dozen or so resumes. I am happy that we are making progress on my job opening but after opening the attachment I was less than impressed.

11 of the 12 resumes had cover letters which is actually pretty good because if you skip that step, you simply look unprofessional. The problem is that they all of the cover letters looked exactly the same and had the same message.

" Blah, blah, blah very qualified and a good fit into your company...blah, blah..."

(Via Dumb Little Man - Tips for Life.)

Technorati Tags: make, howto, how-to, career, job, jobs, work, workplace, resume

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Once again, the absurdity of life boggles the imagination.

Ten sacked over US Wii water contest - from Metro UK

Person Dies Trying to Win Nintendo Wii? from Gizmodo

A woman died after participating in a radio station contest to win a Nintendo Wii game console. Today, we read that 10 employees at the station have been sacked (to use a UK term) for their participation in the contest. These employees will be lucky if they don't face some sort of criminal prosecution in relation to this event, although a Gizmodo online reader poll shows 53% of respondents say that they shouldn't face criminal penalties.

I don't understand why physical contests like this haven't disappeared long ago, but employees should have more sense than to use them as a promotional device. In any physical contest like this, it is only a matter of time before someone is injured. There is no set of concert tickets, no game console, no vacation trip worth risking you life.

...and for the rest of us, participating in physical contests like this is simply stupid and demeaning. Much like camping out overnight (or for days) for the privilege of buying a new game console, surely you must have better things to be doing with your life. Respect your time, dignity and family enough to avoid them at all costs.

What do you think? Leave your comments using the link below!

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Previously in Stupid Career Moves:

Stupid Career Moves #0001 - Engineers allegedly hacked traffic lights

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Also available from WelchWrite.com, our new blog, podcast, and LIVE talk show, TechnologyIQ LIVE. Check out our latest episode!

Ep.005 - MacWorld and CES: A World of Technology Joy! - January 16, 2007

Douglas E. Welch and Sam Anderson review some of the neat stuff to come out of Apple's annual MacWorld conference and CES 2007, the Consumer Electronics Show.

Receive each new episode of TechnologyIQ automatically!

Subscribe or

For links mentioned in this show, visit TechIQ tag at Del.icio.us

Technorati Tags: podcast, losangeles, technology, macintosh, software, computers, high-tech, friendsintech

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Past installments of Career Opportunities for the 3rd week of January.

2000 Start now on your retirement planning

It is never to soon to start thinking about retirement, especially for computer careerists

2001 Make a difference

Many people make New Year's resolutions and most of them are already broken by this time. I would like to challenge you with a different type of resolution this year. While others may worry about making more money, making that big promotion or even starting their own company, I would challenge you to make a difference, instead.

2002 More than computers

In your high-tech career it may seem that your job is merely making computers work or helping others make their computers work. In fact, your job can be much more. Your clients, especially the smaller companies, could use a good source of business information, as well as computer savvy. You could expand your career by becoming the source for this information, especially at the point where business knowledge and computer knowledge intersect.

2003 High-tech Hybrids

Reader letters over the last year have had me thinking about the exact definition of a high-tech career. Just a few years ago it would have been easier to describe. If you worked in high-tech you were either a programmer, in network management or tech support. Today, though, as technology has crept further and further into our everyday lives, high-tech workers might show up anywhere in a business, with titles not necessarily reflecting their high-tech work. These "hybrids" have combined their technical skills with other talents and created an entirely new group of high-tech workers. Even more, these new hybrid jobs might become the future of all high-tech work.

2004 Simplicity

It is easier to buy a computer today than ever before. For your average user, any computer system they buy will have more power and more software than they will ever need. In fact, the biggest problem most users will face is learning how to use all the power they are given without getting hopelessly confused. This is where you and your high-tech experience come into play. With thousands of people buying new computers, or upgrading their existing systems, every day, they need your expertise to help them from going astray.

2005 Totaled

Just as a car can be “totaled” after an accident, I am running into more and more computers that should be “totaled”, as well. A piece of Spyware can have infected someone’s machine so badly a complete rebuild is in order and the cost of my time to do that is simply more than the computer is worth. While I can understand this with older systems, running Windows 98 or 2000, I am starting to see this effect even on computers that are only a few years old. Even in our current “disposable society”, I still have major issues with telling my clients to “throw it away and get a new one.” That said, I understand that the clients would
be better off spending their money on a new computer, rather than paying for my time to fix their old one.

2006 A Tech in Every Meeting

I am sure you have all experienced it. Some department comes up with a great project and now, only when they are ready to implement it, they come to you to figure out how to make it work. They want to know what computers to use, what software and, by the way, this has to have some custom software written that has never before been created. Once again, you as an IT worker find yourself in the unenviable position of giving these people 100 different reasons why the project is infeasible, exorbitantly expensive and perhaps even counter productive to the goals of the company. In many cases, they will accuse of you of being an obstructionist, a technology dictator and sometimes, even worse. You must be lacking in vision to not see the elegance of their plan. In reality, though, much of this conflict and strife could have been avoided, if the department had included a high-tech worker at the very beginning.

Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace

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Celebrate Dr. King by sharing this DVD with your children, Our Friend Martin, written by our friend, Dawn Comer Jefferson and Chris Simmons, writer for Static Shock, the animated series.

We have also found this show on tape at our local video rental store.

From Amazon. com:

This animated time-travel adventure features a stellar cast and is a delight for kids and adults alike. When Matt, a black teenager, has to go on a class field trip to the museum of Martin Luther King Jr., he thinks that he'd rather play baseball. But the trip turns into an exciting adventure when he and his best friend, Randy, who's white, are sent back in time to meet Dr. King.

The story is also remarkably moving, as Matt and Randy learn what Dr. King did for humanity, and come to see him as a real person, not a historical figure. Matt and Randy experience segregation firsthand when they aren't allowed to eat on a train together. Together, they witness the bus boycott, the Birmingham riots, and the "I Have a Dream" speech. They discuss the theme of "non-violent resistance" with their new friend Martin and the work of Ghandi in India. As King tells Matt, "We must meet hate with love. It will take time, but somebody's got to start." Authentic historical footage blended with animation make this an excellent choice for teaching kids about the legacy of Dr. King. --Elisabeth Keating

Stars the voices of Whoopi Goldberg, John Travolta, Ed Asner, Angela Bassett and more.

Technorati Tags: kids, children, learning, education, protest, parents, parenting, holiday, race, racism, mlk, history

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by Douglas E. Welch, career@welchwrite.com
206-338-5832 Reader/Listener Line

Recorded LIVE Friday, January 12, 2007

An interview with Steve Reisman of TechsConnected.com and Dan Johnson, a fellow Career-Op listener who is in the midst of the job search and offers his insight into the process.



This Friday: January 19, 2007: Be specific when telling your career story

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Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech

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Note: Carmen is a fellow presenter from BarCampLA and she does great organization workshops. If you are looking to "get things done" in the New Year, this could be a perfect opportunity. -- Douglas

Optimal Mindset Workshop Series!



Getting organized can transform your life!


The Optimal Mindset for Work/Life Balance Workshop takes the best of leading corporate productivity techniques and teaches you to integrate them into your daily life - to help you achieve optimal use of your time and energy, so you can give the most of yourself to your job, your family and yourself.


Get rid of the endless to-do lists, learn how to manage your time and energy effectively, and give your every idea and goal a jumpstart to success.


In this one day, 4 hour workshop, we will take all your "stuff" - including incomplete tasks, goals, projects, old to-do lists, files, etc. and learn to effectively, efficiently and elegantly organize and process these items into achievable next actions, integrating everything into a simple and intuitive workflow.


If you'd like to get organized for a productive start to your new year, this is the perfect workshop for you!

Date: Sunday, January 21st, 2pm - 6pm
(with monthly workshops upcoming in February, March and April)

Location: Hollywood, CA ( directions sent out upon receipt of payment )

Cost: $130.00 (Payable via Paypal to cdj@optimalmindset.com)

There is limited seating, and I want to keep the groups fairly small (8 or less) to ensure that each participant receives some 1 on 1 coaching throughout the session. If you know someone else who could use a good dose of organizational coaching, feel free to let them know about this workshop. Additionally, if you have a group of people you'd like to get organized, then I am also available to do these workshops in your home or office. Private coaching is always available.


For more information, please email cdj@optimalmindset.com.


Technorati Tags: california, howto, how-to, career, job, jobs, work, workplace, tutorial, events, losangeles, presentations, presenting, gtd, gettingthingsdone

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by Douglas E. Welch, career@welchwrite.com
206-338-5832 Reader/Listener Line

Visit any business and you will find a host of the employees plodding through their work day. Clearly, they lost all energy and excitement about their work years ago, but instead of seeking a better job elsewhere, they put in their time day after day and wonder when someone will come and save them from the monotony. Truth be told, this is never going to happen. No one is going to come and take them away from their dull and pointless careers.



Next Friday: January 19, 2007: Be specific when telling your career story

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by Douglas E. Welch, career@welchwrite.com
206-338-5832 Reader/Listener Line

Unlike some high-tech workers I have met, computers and technology are not the sole focus of my life. I have many varied interests, some computer-related, others not. In fact, at any one time I may have many different projects vying for my attention. This often leads those me around to comment, "You seem to do so much!" While it may be true that I am "doing" a lot, I often find myself wondering if I am doing "enough" of the right things to improve my high-tech career and my life.



This Friday: January 12, 2007: Don't wait for others to energize your career. Do it yourself

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Past installments of Career Opportunities for the 2nd week of January.

2001 Training (text)

There is a myth in the high-tech industry about training. Everyone promises it but very few actually deliver. This points up the fact that while training is seen as an important aspect of any job, most companies simply do not have the time, energy or wherewithal to actually follow through. This is especially true of the small, startup companies where many high-tech workers begin their career. The bottom line for anyone looking for a job in today's market is, don't let yourself be swayed by big promises of extensive training and mentoring. In most cases, it simply doesn't materialize.

2002 A Moral Dilemma (text)

This year is sure to bring some interesting moral dilemmas to high-tech workers. The call for increased security, both of the nation and computer systems, is sure to put you in the unenviable position of monitoring the actions of those around you in ways never imagined in America before. As the point person on computer security, many of you will find yourselves having to decide between your career and your own ethics.

2003 Get with the program (text/audio)

Programming has never been an easy high-tech career path. Whether you are working in a corporate cube farm or on your own, the technical issues of programming languages, data architecture and accessibility issues are trouble enough, but the people issues can be even more challenging. If you are planning on striking off into the programming field, you would do well to consider the following issues.

2004 One by one (text/audio)

Over the years I am sure you have experienced the “never-ending project”—a project, program, or issue that never seems to get finished or resolved. These problems linger from year to year and no one ever seems to find a solution. Worse still, the longer they linger the worse they get. People get angrier, recriminations become nastier and the problem becomes even more intractable. If you want to keep your high-tech career on track, you need to face these never-ending issues head on. It won’t be easy, but it can prevent these issues from haunting you and your career from year to year.

2005 Totaled (text/audio)

Just as a car can be “totaled” after an accident, I am running into more and more computers that should be “totaled”, as well. A piece of Spyware can have infected someone’s machine so badly a complete rebuild is in order and the cost of my time to do that is simply more than the computer is worth. While I can understand this with older systems, running Windows 98 or 2000, I am starting to see this effect even on computers that are only a few years old. Even in our current “disposable society”, I still have major issues with telling my clients to “throw it away and get a new one.” That said, I understand that the clients would be better off spending their money on a new computer, rather than paying for my time to fix their old one.

2006 No simple answers (text/audio)

If you haven’t figured it out already, or are still wishing it were true, let me be the first to tell you, there are no simple answers, especially when it comes to your high-tech career. Life would be a great deal easier if there were simple answers to all the issues we face, but good times come and go and we can only acknowledge the cycle and make the best decisions possible at the time. Recriminations over lost opportunities will do you no good. You must make your decisions and live with the consequences.

Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace

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Over at Dumb Little Man, they got a great response to an earlier article about asking for more when you are offered a job. This reader seems to have had a very good experience using the DLM ideas in his last interview.

This story ties in nicely to what I have been saying for a while here in Career-op. LIke the column a few weeks ago, your employer really does need you as much as you need them (12/23/2006), and you can use this to expand your pay, benefits and perks when you have the skills a company really needs.

Read the complete story at Dumb Little Man...

If You Don't ask, You Won't Receive

...I have to share something that you may want to share with people. I was able to get some sweet benefits by simply asking for them. After the 3rd interview I knew I had a shot at the job and I actually thought I was the top candidate so when we starting talking about real compensation I just went a little nuts I guess.

Knowing that most positions have a salary ceiling, I took their $84,750 offer and immediately asked for $95K. I knew this was never going to be accepted and in fact I was literally told "no way". However, that set the bar. I then said OK, well how about 3 weeks of vacation instead of 2? The answer was, "We can do 2.5 weeks of vacation and you'll still have your sick day allotment"....

(Continues)

(Via Dumb Little Man - Tips for Life.)

Technorati Tags: howto, how-to, career, job, jobs, work, workplace

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Getting involved in one of our LIVE shows at Talkshoe.com can seem a little intimidating, but it isn't as difficult as it might first appear. Here is a quick guide to getting setup, so you can join us week after week.

While there a few steps below, all of them are easy. If you have any questions, you can use the Comments link below or email me directly at techiq@welchwrite.com. So, ready? Hear we go. Remember, you only need to perform these setup steps once.

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1. Get a FREE TalkShoe account and PIN #

Visit http://talkshoe.com
Click Sign Up button in upper right-hand corner
Complete the form to create your login user id and password for Talkshoe
Create PIN #
This is what you use to connect over the telephone to join the conversation LIVE
Click Download the Talkshoe software
This is the software that allows you to listen to the LIVE stream (if not calling in by phone) and chat with other listeners in the chat room)
Install the Talkshoe software on your computer.

2. Calling in via telephone of cell phone

Now that you have your Talkshoe PIN number, you can use any telephone to call into a show and talk LIVE. Many people have free long distance on their cell phones, so they simply call (724) 444-7444, then enter the TalkShoe ID for the particular show (found on the TalkShow web pages) and their individual PIN #. This lets the host know who you are in the online chat so they know you are listening and can call on you.

If you don't have free long distance, you can use a free VOIP (voice over IP client) to access the conference by phone.

3. Calling in via your computer

If you are using your computer to call in to a TalkShoe show, headphones are suggested. You can use the microphone built-into your computer or laptop, but headphones help to keep an annoying echo out of the phone call.

My favorite free software to use with TalkShow is Gizmo (http://gizmoproject.com). Gizmo allows you to connect directly into the TalkShoe phone system for FREE.,

Click Download Now! to get the Gizmo software and install it on your computer. When you run Gizmo the first time, it gives you the option to "Register a New Account Name" Do this and you are ready to go.

When you are ready to call into a TalkShoe conference, click in the phone number field of the Gizmo client (with the small black phone icon) and enter "sip:1234@66.212.134.192" without the quotes. Click the green telephone handset, just to the right of that.

After a few seconds, you will hear the TalkShoe system asking for the Talkcast ID for the show you are calling and then your PIN number. In the lower rleft-hand corner of the Gizmo Software, you will see a small telephone keypad icon. When you click this, a keypad will popup to allow you enter this information.

Once you are successful in entering the Talkcast ID and your PIN number, you will join the Talkcast LIVE. You voice may be muted initially, as the host does that to keep noise down in the call.

Once you have set up TalkShoe and Gizmo, you can participate in any show, using the TalkShoe for the online and Gizmo for your telephone call.

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I hope this hasn't been too intimidating. If you need any assistance, contact me at techiq@welchwrite.com and I will be glad to help!

I would love to have you join me for any of my shows -- TechnologyIQ LIVE, where you learn to control technology instead of it controlling you -- Career Opportunities LIVE, about building a career in the 21st Century --- and WelchWrite Specials, where you can join in readings of famous stories, like A Christmas Carol or famous love letters from history, coming this Valentine's Day.

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Time for another round up of the books on my desk, most from the LA Public Library. It is a pretty eclectic grouping this time around.

A Country Year by Sue Hubbell
Two Gardener's: A Friendship in Letters
The 21 Most Powerful Minutes in a Leader's Day by John Maxwell
Vital Friends by Tom Rath
Guerrilla P.R. WIRED by Michael Levine
The Box: How the shipping container made the world smaller and the world economy bigger by Marc Levinson
The French and Indian War: Deciding the Fate of North America by Walter R. Borneman
Furnishing the Old-Fashioned Garden by May Brawley Hill
Little Black Book of Connections by Jeffery Gitomer
The 33 Strategies of War by Robert Greene

You can find these books, and more, featured in the WelchWrite Bookstore in association with Amazon.com

Technorati Tags: garden, gardening, career, job, jobs, work, workplace, outdoors, learning, education, toread, read, reading, library

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The childhood moments of solitude that Steve Olsen describes in this post are very similar to my own childhood growing up in rural Northern Ohio. With only 2,000 in the town, it was actually very easy to find time and places where you could be alone for hours. After 20 years here in Los Angles, I miss that more than ever.

I also relate to his alternating desires to be with people and then be alone. I need interaction to charge the batteries and then some solitude to use the power to create something. It is finding the balance that is so difficult.

I often spend my lunches alone, reading and writing and thinking and I like it that way. Joining someone for lunch is different and sometimes I will find myself urging the end of the lunch so I can get back to something I can feel in my body and mind…something alone.

As for technology, whenever anyone complains about the burdens of Blackberry’s, pagers, email and such, I simply tell them to “Turn the damn thing off!” We are in charge of our technology, at least for a little while longer. As either Huxley or Orwell or both fortold, when there no longer is an OFF button, we are truly lost.

Why You Should Always Eat Lunch Alone (Well, Almost Always)

Do you crave solitude or do you fear being alone? Let me share something I discovered about myself in the last few days. I discovered one of my lifelong desires.

I read this today and I began to think about my life. I have always craved solitude. But I rarely find it. With two small children at home, a moment of solitude and silence is precious.

(Continues)

(Via steve-olson.com.)

Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, creativity, technology

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Welcome to my world, where technology savvy workers allegedly disable traffic lights in order to assist their collective bargaining. Everyone, no matter where they live, knows how bad (and dangerous) traffic is in Los Angeles. To purposely seek to make it worse is unforgivable. In general, I am a union supporter, but these guys deserve everything they get. They are quite lucky that no injuries or deaths occurred at these 4 intersections during the time the lights were disabled, or they could have found themselves facing a murder charge.

Yes, that's right, you fiddle with some codes, change some passwords and the next thing you know you are doing 20 to LIFE. It doesn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that that equation simply does add up.

Beyond that, here begins a new series on Career Opportunities -- Stupid Career Moves! Since there seems to be enough of these stories to keep me busy for a while, I will start to highlight them here so that we can all learn from their bad example.

Engineers hacked traffic lights What a story. Two high-ranking city traffic engineers, Gabriel Murillo and Kartik Patel, were charged Friday with breaking into the city's automated traffic system and disabling the lights at four busy intersections just before the city Engineers and Architects Association walked out last August. On the eve of the strike,...

(Via L.A. Observed.)

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by Douglas E. Welch, career@welchwrite.com
206-338-5832 Reader/Listener Line

You can find advice on how to build, design and send your resume almost anywhere. They will tell you how to format it, which font to choose and what information to include. Heck, even I've written my share of columns on resumes. Despite this, though, I want to offer one more bit of resume wisdom. In this age of ubiquitous Internet access, search engines and an increase in the serendipity of finding the right job for you, the next step may be to make your resume a blog, because, in many ways, your blog might already be turning into your resume.



Next Week: January 12, 2007: Don't wait for others to energize your career. Do it yourself

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Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech

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by Douglas E. Welch, career@welchwrite.com

Each new season brings a new initiative here to the Career-Op offices. Summer takes us away from the beautiful outdoors – at least for a little while – and into the wild and wooly world of statistics. Perhaps it was the act of helping my wife with the statistics for her Master’s thesis, but I got a sudden urge to know a little bit more about my clients. There is career gold to be mined in those hills of data, but only if they spur you to new projects and the betterment of your career.

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Support Career Opportunities:

iTunes Review | Career-Op Forums | Digg.com | Podcast Alley | Reader/Listener Line @ 206-338-5832


Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, podcast, podcasting, technology, high-tech

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There have been several great stories in The Los Angeles Times this week regarding the problems with obtaining individual health insurance out of a large corporate environment. It is great to see some coverage on this as I regard health care issues as one of the main factors in limiting your career.

Your health as a market commodity January 4, 2007

Re "Healthy? Insurers don't buy it," Dec. 31 Uninsurability is hardly a "hidden" problem, as The Times describes it. Insurers are getting ever more brazen in their efforts to exclude the people who might at some point actually need healthcare. There are...

Insurance is enough to make you sick January 4, 2007 - PATT MORRISON

IT'S A GOOD thing I have health insurance, because I thought my ticker was going to give out when I read this: Health insurance companies will not sell policies, at any price, to hale and healthy people who have, or had, some pretty trifling ailments....

Kaiser to push for standards on health plans January 3, 2007 By Lisa Girion / Times Staff Writer

Kaiser Foundation Health Plan Inc. said Tuesday that it was working with state regulators to develop standards to protect its members from unfair cancellations of health insurance, a move that the state's largest HMO hopes could lead to industrywide...

Healthy? Insurers don't buy it December 31, 2006 By Lisa Girion / Times Staff Writer

Scott Svonkin joined the Los Angeles County Commission on Insurance 10 years ago because he was concerned about an emerging problem: people losing health coverage. Since then, the ranks of uninsured Americans have swelled to more than 46 million. Svonkin...

Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace, insurance, healthcare

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I can get behind all the recommendations here. Part of being effective in the office is figuring out how to work with those below, beside and above you. You and your boss especially need to come to some understanding and these ideas are a great place to start.

Hack Your Boss

Here are thoughts on what your boss wants, based on experiences I've had. These are always subjective lists, and no, I don't know YOUR boss personally. But I'll tell you from the perspective of how I've best managed my bosses in the past, and how I've wanted things done when I've been in charge. Your mileage may vary.

(Continues)

(Via lifehack.org.)

Technorati Tags: career, job, jobs, work, workplace

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I think we all know the truth behind this concept, but sometimes we need to be reminded of its importance. There are a number of cliches surrounding it, including "A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step", but as with many things, we ignore its importance.

Resolutions cannot be accomplished in one fell swoop. They are made up of countless, infinitesimal pieces, many of which we do unconsciously every day. Don't let "the whole" overwhelm you. Simply take each step, each day and you will be amazed at what you can accomplish.

Small Things Matter More Than You Think

It's the Simple, Insignificant Decisions that Prevent Change

Every day is made up of thousands of small choices. We feel they don’t count for much, and it’s true that each one is insignificant in itself. But small decisions are often the key to acting on the bigger choices you want to make about your life.

At this time of year, tens of thousands of smokers decide to quit. Other people decide to...

(Continues)

(Via Slow Leadership.)

Technorati Tags: howto, how-to, career, job, jobs, work, workplace

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I have developed quite an archive of Career Opportunities columns and podcasts, so this new weekly series of posts will re-introduce you to some that you might have missed -- Douglas

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January - Week 1

2001 At your peril

While it may seem a bit odd, among the many lessons learned from the recent election fiasco is an important wakeup call for all who work in high-tech careers. Any system, if ignored, will fail at the worst possible moment with potentially disastrous consequences. Every system, be a paper punch ballot or high-end database system, must be constantly monitored to insure that when a crisis occurs, the system will be up to the challenge. If you do not take the time to monitor systems then it could be only a matter of time before you have no career at all.

2002 Not to be trusted?

A quick read of nearly any high-tech publication today will give you a host of articles about protecting yourself, your equipment and your company from attack. The focus on security is a welcome one. Too many systems have little or no security installed, leaving them open to attack and exploitation. That said, there is a more insidious undercurrent to these calls for security – it seems no one, not even your employees, your friends, your relatives is to be trusted.

2003 A New Chance

Every time the calendar rolls around to a new year, it is your opportunity for a fresh start. While New Year’s resolutions are much ridiculed, the concept is still sound. Take the time to evaluate the past year and make plans for the next. You may not keep your resolutions, or plans may fall short of your expectations, but the power is in trying. Merely by reaching a little farther, reaching a little higher, you can bring new energy to your career and your life.

2004 2004

Despite what some people might think, the New Year is not some magic wand that can wave away all the problems of the last year. Was it only so! Instead, the New Year is simply a demarcation, a line in the sands of time, a pointer that reminds us where we are in our lives. The usual problems will still be there awaiting our attention on January 2nd, but we can use the New Year as a gentle reminder to rededicate ourselves to our families and our careers.

2005 Referrals

Referrals are the life-blood of anyone working
in high-tech, whether a freelance consultant and coach, like myself, or
an IT staffer working inside a large corporation. Word of mouth is one
of the strongest methods for developing new clients or finding the next
job up the corporate ladder. As with most career issues, referrals can
be a double-edged sword. Friendships, family and business can suffer when
referrals become a contentious issue instead of simply one person, or
business, helping another.

2006 Get a plan

The beginning of a New Year is always a time of retrospection, thinking back on all that has occurred -- the good, the bad, the indifferent. While reviewing the past can be helpful in some ways, it is by looking out into to the next year that you can develop some dramatic benefits for yourself, your career and your company. Take some time this week to really think about what is coming in the next 12 months. There will be some obvious events to place on this list, but you should dig deeper to discover the projects, and maybe even the crises, that you will be facing this year.

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