Career Opportunities

Helping to build the career you deserve!

A weekly ComputorEdge Column and twice-weekly podcast by Douglas E. Welch
Other WelchWrite Blogs: A Gardener's Notebook -- My Word with Douglas E. Welch -- TechnologyIQ -- Careers in Podcasting


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Sunday, September 23, 2007

Elsewhere Online: Work: Keep a File of Your Accomplishments

This article from Lifehacker.com, provides some great advice, much like I wrote about in my column, A Little Recognition, (June 1998) and Make Your Resume A Blog ( Jan 5, 2007). The notes described in the article are just the type of thing you should be adding to your career portfolio, just as an artist adds there work and show reviews to theirs.

Work: Keep a File of Your Accomplishments

If you're doing a good job at work, keep a record. Office productivity site Slacker Manager suggests keeping a "yay-me!" file:
The basic idea is simple: you just keep a file of good stuff you do. When you figure out some trick new process that saves hours per week, you make a note about (don't forget to datestamp it) and drop it in the yay-me file.
There are two benefits of this practice: first, you can always give yourself a pat on the back when you're feeling down. Second, you're storing up good karma for your annual (or otherwise) evaluation. Do you have a "yay-me" file? Share how you've used it in the comments. Yay-me! file [Slacker Manager]

(Via Lifehacker.)


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Friday, July 13, 2007

Doing..or having done to you!

Career Opportunities podcast logoIt is rare for life to present you with a simple either/or situation. Normally, life is lived in shades of grey -- an almost infinite set of possibilities. That said, while talking over career problems with some friends last night, we stumbled across a dichotomy that every careerist faces today. In your career, and in your life, you can either "do something" or have something done to you. You can either control your career or let someone else dictate what you do and when you do it.



Next Friday: July 20, 2007: Immerse yourself in other environments in order to improve your own




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Friday, May 18, 2007

Attention Career-Op Listeners in Missouri

The second week of July, the entire family is heading off to Columbia, MO for the Stephens College Summer Film Workshop. My wife is the writer-in-residence and I will be speaking on podcasting and online video.

If you are a Career Opportunities listener in the area, let's try to arrange a meetup.

Columbia is about 2 hours from Kansas City and St. Louis and is also the home of the a Univeristy of Missouri-Columbia. Not an easy trip, but I'm up for a meetup if you are.

Google Map of Columbia, MO


Add your comment to this post using the Comments link below or send an email to career@welchwrite.com.

I look forward to meeting you!

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Careers in Podcasting - Our New Blog and Podcast

Careers in Podcasting ScreenshotThis week I launched a new blog and podcast here at WelchWrite.com, Careers in Podcasting.

In some ways, I consider it a spin-off of Career Opportunities, as the growing opportunities for podcasting-related careers are growing dramatically.

I will be highlighting news and events and also detailing my own forays into podcast producing and consulting.

Link: Careers in Podcasting

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Thursday, May 17, 2007

Your job is more than just filling time

Career Opportunities podcast logoI am sure you have all experienced it as often as I have -- the worker who has decided that their job is not meant to offer customer service -- or any service at all. Their job is only to fill a particular space for a particular amount of time and receive their paycheck at the end of the week. This attitude doesn't just effect retail and other customer service operations, though. Nearly any company can fall victim to employees who have just stopped trying.



Next Friday: May 25, 2007: Bad reputations follow you everywhere



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Wednesday, May 16, 2007

Little things mean a lot

Career Opportunities podcast logoYou might not think you would learn something about high-tech at the local Chuck E. Cheese franchise, but this is exactly what occurred the other day. Due to some technical difficulties at this particular branch, I was reminded of a basic truism of technology -- little things mean a lot.

As the father of a 5-year-old, I spend more time than I care to admit attending birthday parties at CEC. It seems every child in my son's pre-school class is intent on keeping the company in business for at least the next several years. I have had an opportunity to visit several different locations, so I know the basic layout of their shows and how the technology is supposed to work. Unfortunately, at one location, the technology was not working very well. Even though the failures were small, it created quite a negative feeling in both the children and the adults.




Next Friday: May 18, 2007: Your job is more than just filling time



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Sunday, May 13, 2007

Great career discussions on the Friends in Tech forums this week

Friends in Tech LogoThis week we have 2 great discussions happening on the Career Opportunities area in the Friends in Tech forums.

* The first discussion is taking place in our monthly Career Complaints topic and deals with how companies deal with training and another on micromanagment.

* The second is entitled, Is there hope to love my job again? where a listener is trying to find the balance between a job they do well and a job they love.

I'd love to hear your comments on these topics and others. Head over to forums.friendsintech.com. It's free and it can be a great step towards "Helping to Build the Career You Deserve!"

Note: If you would like to subscribe to the forums using your RSS reader, you can use this feed RSS Feed icon to easily follow the conversation.

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Career-Op Extra - What's happening and questions for you...

Career Opportunities podcast logoWith this show I take a few minutes to bring you up to date on some happenings here at Career Opportunities, what might be in store down the road and ask a few questions of you.



Links from this show:

Talkshoe.com
How to join our LIVE shows on Talkshoe
Friends in Tech Forums

This Friday: May 18, 2007: Your job is more than just filling time



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Friday, May 11, 2007

Automatic pilot can be a good thing

Career Opportunities podcast logoWatching my son's Little League team, I was reminded once again about the deep difference between knowing what to do and doing it when the time comes. I watch them go through drills at practice, perfectly implementing such concepts as the double play and acting as backup to other players. Then, in their games we see them faced with the reality of high fly balls and hot grounders and all their best practices fall apart. The outfielders overthrow the base, catches are missed and runners circle the bases until the ball finally gets returned to the pitcher. I am sure that this can resemble your business on a bad day, too. No matter how much we practice, crises can cause us to forget all that practice and to panic instead.



Next Friday: May 11, 2007: Automatic pilot can be a good thing



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Tuesday, May 08, 2007

A Career in Music - An interview with author, John Braheny

Join John Braheny, author of The Craft and Business of Songwriting*, for a discussion of A Career in Music. We'll discuss many of the lesser know musical careers and dispel some of the sex, drugs and rock and roll myths of the music business.

* I wrote the podcasting sidebar for this edition of Johns book

Listen to this interview

Listen (Backup)


From John's web site...
JOHN BRAHENY (Bra HAY nee) is one of the most recognized and respected names in the music industry, and, more specifically, in the songwriting community. He is referred to as "the songwriter's best friend" for his tireless efforts to create education and discovery opportunities for songwriters, to help bring public attention to songwriting as an art form and to champion songwriters' rights.

Author and Journalist
Braheny wrote the best-selling and highly acclaimed Writer's Digest book, The Craft and Business of Songwriting (Writer's Digest Books 1988, 1995, 2002. 2007), now in its 3rd Edition. The National Academy of Songwriters called the book "A veritable songwriters bible. This is the definitive work on the subject of songwriting."

He had previously written the Songwriters Handbook for the American Song Festival, a bi-weekly "Songmine" column for Music Connection Magazine, and has contributed to Songwriters Market, Songwriter Magazine, Keyboard Magazine, Musician Magazine, The Musician's Business and Legal Guide, American Songwriter, and Music Biz Magazine among others.

Interviewer
Along with more than 600 interviews with music industry professionals and hit songwriters at the weekly Songwriters Showcase sessions and Songwriters Expo panels, Braheny conducted and edited more than 150 interviews for the Songwriters Musepaper, the monthly magazine of the Los Angeles Songwriters Showcase.

For several years he co-hosted Samm Brown's For The Record, a weekly music industry interview and call-in show on KPFK (90.7 FM) in Los Angeles.

John's expertise in interviewing songwriters is so well known and respected that in 1997 he was commissioned by Disc Marketing's In-flight division to conduct an ongoing series of 55 interviews with both legendary and contemporary hit songwriters for United Airlines' in-flight audio Salute to Songwriters Channel. The channel was a favorite on Air Force One. In November 2000, John was presented with an award by United Airlines in recognition of his contribution to their winning the international WAEA Avion Award in 2000 for "Best Overall Inflight Entertainment." (more)
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Career Opportunities Top 10 for 1st Quarter 2007

After doing a little research in my web statistics, I teased out these blog posts and columns as the Top 10 for the 1st Quarter of 2007.

The Right Way To Resign

Elsewhere Online: 100+ Ways to Write a Great Resume Cover Letter

Next Career Opportunities LIVE - Feb 28, 2007 with creativity consultant JoAnn Braheny

Time for you - July 14, 2006
A crazy workday is familiar to all of us. We are busy from the moment we arrive to the moment we leave...and even after we leave, in some cases. Our lives are driven by one urgent project after another. While we may be busy in this environment, too often we are not very productive. Without some time for ourselves, to re-group, analyze and plan, all of our busyness can come to mean very little. To break free from the constant interruptions of your event driven work, you need to take time for yourself, morning, noon and night.

Zoom in - April 28, 2006
Over the years I have written several columns encouraging you to step back and try to get a bigger picture of your work and your career. While this is still good advice, reversing this concept can also be useful. There are times when you need to zoom in on your work and inspect the minutia that are often ignored. Not only will this intense focus yield its own reward, it will also help you to gain a deeper understanding of the big picture.


Interview with Jo Ann Braheny - Creativity and Your Career

A LIVE interview with Jo Ann Braheny, creativity expert and writer of Goosing Your Muse, a creativity blog.



Playing "the enforcer" could put your career at risk

In the typical corporation, you will find many people whose main role is that of "The Enforcer." Project managers who enforce project timelines, human resource staffers who enforce work policies, union representatives who enforce labor agreements and even IT workers who enforce company standards, approved hardware, software and password policies. While, in most cases, all of these items need policing and enforcing, playing the role of the enforcer could be damaging to your career as a whole.


Make your resume a blog

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.


Have you talked with your manager (or employees) today?

Career Opportunities podcast logoOne of the most important parts of any job, whether you are an employee, manager or executive is communication. Without regular communication among all the parts of your company, projects will fail, tasks will go incomplete and business will suffer. Furthermore, as an employee, if you are not communicating with your manager enough to know that you are doing the most critical work of the moment, you risk your job, as well. Have you talked with your manager today? Managers? Have you talked with your employees today? Does everyone know the critical path through this day, this week , the month? If not, why not?


Traveling Technology - from the archives

Despite the fact that traveling, especially by airplane, is getting more and more troublesome, there are still a lot of people traveling around the US and the world. Whether they are traveling for business or pleasure, those people are probably bringing some type of personal technology with them. Digital cameras, GPS receivers, laptop computers, PDAs and more are finding their way into suitcases these days. This provides an interesting opportunity for high-tech careerists. If people are traveling with this technology, they are going to need help with it. High-tech workers might find that they can still practice their trade while living and working in a tourist town or resort.


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Monday, May 07, 2007

Elsewhere Online: Manager Tools: Interviews - The Introduction

You will never hear me claim to the expert on interviewing strategy, so I offer up this podcast from the folks at Manager tools to get you off on the right foot.

Like everything at Manager Tools, this podcast offers a clear, step-by-step approach that can give you an edge in any interview situation.

Be aware, this podcast is part of the Manager Tools Members Only section and will require a FREE registration to gain access. Trust me, though, it is well worth the time if you plan on interviewing anywhere soon.

Manager Tools - Tools for Leaders and Managers : Blog Archive : Interviews - The Introduction

In this cast, you’ll learn how to handle the crucial first five to ten minutes of any interview - Introductions. It is absolutely true that this is a critical part of the interview - first impressions are being formed, and I’d bet 75% of interviewers have a strong indication of how it’s going to go by the time this portion is done. That translates into our gut feeling that this is where 75% of technical interviewees fail. It’s THAT important.

(Via Manager Tools - Tools for Leaders and Managers.)


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Friday, May 04, 2007

Don't be afraid - You won't learn unless you ask

Career Opportunities podcast logoNo matter who you are, where you live or what you do, if you really want to learn something about your work, your ideas or a particular product, you only have to ask. Of course, asking for feedback can feel embarrassing and even frightening. Still, listening to other's consul and opinion is one of the most important ways that we learn to improve our own ideas.



Next Friday: May 11, 2007: Automatic pilot can be a good thing



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Tuesday, May 01, 2007

Career Complaints - Our Regularly Scheduled Career Rant and Rave

Whenever I talk with people about their careers, a number of complaints always come up. Sometimes we can get so frustrated with our work situations that complaining seems to be the only thing we can do.

So, in that regard, on the Friends in Tech Forums, I have set up a message topic for Career Complaints. Feel free to rant and rave and get it all off your chest. If you are relating a particular story, you may want to change the names to protect the innocent.

There is one rule, though.

For every complaint, you need to think of one way to improve your situation, one task to make things better, one change to move on with your career. I will chime in on each message and I encourage everyone else to offer their best advice. I'll post this message every so often to remind people that the forum exists. Eventually, if this forum is popular, I might set up a LIVE show over at Talkshoe.com to address some of the issues we discuss.

In this way, maybe we can make turn our career complaints into the career change we all need.

Who's first?!

Visit the Career Complaints section on the Friends in Tech Forums! (FREE)


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Monday, April 30, 2007

Join us for Career Opportunities LIVE - April 30 @ 6PM PDT/9PM EDT

I will be sitting down with my friend, Keri Dearborn, to discuss the special needs of volunteers within organizations and how you can organize your volunteer programs to ensure the best environment for everyone involved

Hosted by: Douglas Welch
Title: The Special Needs of Volunteers - A Talk with Keri Dearborn
Time: 04/30/07 09:00 PM EDT
Duration: 01:00
Description: Keri Dearborn, experienced volunteer naturalist and docent at the Los Angeles Zoo and other institutions gives us the special needs of volunteers ans how to work with them.


Join Us Live!



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Saturday, April 28, 2007

Change -- one small step at a time

Career Opportunities podcast logoEveryone it seems, from business pundits, book authors and your spouse, knows that change is important in our lives. We all need to change, sometimes on a daily basis, in order to address the pressing issues of life and work. No matter how important we might see change, though, change is tough. Our own innate sense that "change=danger" triggers feelings of fear from deep within our usually rational mind. This fear can cause us to avoid the very changes that would most improve our lives. Change can feel overwhelming and can paralyze us in place, unable to make any move in any direction. One way of breaking through this paralysis, though, is to break our changes into smaller, manageable parts, much as you should do with any project.



Next Friday: May 4, 2007: Don't be afraid -- you won't learn unless you ask

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Wednesday, April 25, 2007

Elsewhere Online: Effective Hiring: Set the Bar High!

On a bit of a Manager Tools kick lately, but as I mentioned in the interview with Steve Holden, there is so much useful content in the podcast it deserves to be highlighted.

I was listening to this show while making dinner tonight and I had to stop everything to go and get my journal in order to take some notes.

While the podcast is directed at helping managers make good hiring decisions, it is always useful to see how managers could (or should) be arriving at their decision. Hopefully, you can make it even easier for them and ge the job you both want and deserve.



Effective Hiring: Set the Bar High!

This cast shares our most important principle in The Manager Tools Effective Hiring Process: Set the Bar HIGH.

We believe that the biggest invisible organizational personnel failing is hiring poorly. It’s that simple: the vast majority of companies do a terrible job - compared to what they COULD DO EASILY - in hiring the right people. (Continues)

(Via Manager Tools.)


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Re-Cap of Manager Tools Effective Manager Conference with Steve Holden

Tech News Radio Logo In this interview, fellow Friends in Tech member, Steve Holden, host of Tech News Radio, gives us a re-cap of the Manager Tools Effective Manager Conference. Steve attended this conference in Washington, DC last week and has some interesting thoughts to share.



Next Friday: April 27, 2007: Change -- one small step at a time

Enter Dancing with Elephants "Let Them Hear You!" Contest

Win an iPod Shuffle!



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Manager Tools is an excellent podcast on how to become an effective manager and I have highlighted it here in Career Opportunities in the past.

Hosts, Michael Auzenne and Mark Horstman offer this description of the show on their web site...
"Manager Tools is a weekly podcast focused on helping you become a more effective manager and leader. Each week we’ll be talking about new tools and easy techniques you can use to help achieve your management and career objectives. If you’re tired of a lot of management theory and would rather learn specific actions you can take TODAY to improve your management performance, we think you’ll enjoy the manager tools podcast."


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Tuesday, April 24, 2007

Elsewhere Online: We don't like you, go away

It looks like Seth Godin has had another run-in with those who like to "Punish the Innocent".

See Don't treat everyone like a criminal, or an idiot, March 16, 2007.

This is one of my biggest pet peeves and yet Los Angeles seems to take this to an art form. A few people abuse something, but EVERYONE has to pay for thier stupidity.

Oh well, welcome to the big city.

We don't like you, go away

Hey, I know that your last customer was a jerk. I know that you get asked the same stupid questions over and over. I know that people don't appreciate you, they're boors, they're selfish, they're in a hurry.

But, here's the thing: I'm not those people. I've never been here before. I didn't do anything wrong! Don't blame me for them.

If you're going to be in the service business, you need to accept that or you're going to hate it and be lousy at it, both at the same time.

(Via Seth's Blog.)


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Friday, April 20, 2007

The difference between your job, your work and your career

Career Opportunities podcast logoAs we talk about our job, our work and our career, we often use the terms interchangeably. In reality, though, these 3 items are unique descriptions of 3 parts of our life, each with their own concerns, demands and direction. As a way of clarifying my own thinking, and providing some insight for you, let's explore the differences between job, work and career and how understanding those differences can greatly effect all of them.



Next Friday: April 27, 2007: Change one small step at a time

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Thursday, April 19, 2007

Elsewhere Online: The Blog is the New Resume

It is always nice when someone else validates your thoughts.

See my column entitled, Make Your Resume a Blog -- January 5, 2007, for my take on this topic.

The Blog is the New Resume - Bokardoan Adam Darowski suggests ... (Joshua Porter/Bokardo)

The Blog is the New Resume — Bokardoan Adam Darowski suggests that the blog is the new resume. I think he's absolutely right...whenever anyone wants to know anything about me I send them here. — This immediately brings several things to bear: — Your blog represents you. — Represent!

Source: Bokardo - Social Design by Joshua Porter

Author: Joshua Porter

Link: http://bokardo.com/archives/the-blog-is-the-new…

(Via Techmeme.)


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Wednesday, April 18, 2007

Elsewhere Online: Four tips to make a bad job good

Four good tips courtesy of Yahoo Finance and LifeHacker.

These might seem a little simplistic, but I can guarantee you, the tip on shortening your commute could be a life saver.

Four tips to make a bad job good

Yahoo's Brazen Careerist suggests 4 tips for making bad job good - or at least bearable. For example:

1. Make a friend atwork.

People with one friend at work are much more likely to find their work interesting. And people with three friends at work are virtually guaranteed to be very satisfied with their life, according to extensive research from Gallup...


Some of the tips may seem a bit obvious, but that doesn't make them any less true. Naturally, if it's within your control, finding a better job is a sure bet, but that's not always possible to do immediately. Share your tips for making a bad 9 to 5 better in the comments.

(Via Lifehacker.)


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Out of Focus

Career Opportunities podcast logoAmong everything else I do, I am also an amateur artist. As is often the case, something you learn in one area can often be useful in other aspects of your life. One useful technique I have learned from my art is squinting. When you are first looking at a scene you want to draw or paint, you purposely unfocus your vision in order to get an overall impression of the light and dark areas. Sometimes in order to see things more clearly, you have to get the big picture first.



Next Friday: April 20, 2007: Job, Work and Career

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Monday, April 16, 2007

Elsewhere Online: How to work with difficult clients

This is a nicely detailed article on identifying and dealing with difficult clients. No matter where you work, freelancing or on-staff, it can be helpful to know which type you are dealing with and how to approach them.

That said, one of the most important lessons you MUST learn as a freelancer is when to "fire" a client.

These clients don't just effect your work with them, they also can effect your work for your other clients (who hopefully aren't nearly as much trouble) by monopolizing your time and attention.

Simply, life is too short to work for difficult clients.

How to work with difficult clients

Weblog Freelance Switch describes 12 breeds of difficult clients, then suggests how to successfully work with them.

(...)



(Via Lifehacker.)


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Friday, April 13, 2007

Seth Godin is collecting stories on "Not settling"

On his blog, The Dip, author Seth Godin is collecting some interesting career stories from folks who decided to leave behind what they thought was a great job for something more important. This is the first he has posted and well worth reading and thinking about.

Not settling

TZ wrote to me today. Here's his story about quitting and then becoming the best in the world:

I rose up the ranks in [name of bank] Bank Financial Group to become a Program Manager in Operations...specifically Change Management.

According to how my parents used to define success: I was a superstar. A 29 year old with a senior level position at a huge company with a safe salary, crazy benefits and a religious adherence to a 9-5 order.

(Continues)

(Via The Dip by Seth Godin.)


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Productive Waiting

Career Opportunities podcast logoDespite all the advancements in technology and the generally "sped up" nature of life, waiting is still a part of every day. Unless you are in a position of extreme power, and maybe even then, there will be times in every day when you will be forced to wait. You might have to wait for the train to begin your commute, wait in line at the bank, or wait for your turn at the doctor's office. You might have to wait on hold to talk to a representative. Regardless of the cause of your waiting, one way to increase your overall productivity is to always be ready to exploit these periods of waiting.



Next Friday: April 20, 2007: Job, Work and Career


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Wednesday, April 11, 2007

Push and Pull - from the archives

Career Opportunities podcast logoI wrote a few weeks ago about taking the initiative and not waiting for other people to assist you with your career. This week I will expand on that a little farther. There are times when pushing for promotions, new clients or big projects might not be the best action to take. Sometimes you need to pull opportunities and clients towards you. In fact, this is often the way to find your best career opportunities.



Next Friday: April 12, 2007: Productive Waiting


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Friday, April 06, 2007

Creativity in All Careers

Career Opportunities podcast logoA few weeks ago, I interviewed creativity consultant Jo Ann Braheny for the Career Opportunities podcast. This interview started me thinking about how important it is to integrate creativity into your career, regardless of the type of work you do. You can no longer divide jobs into "creative" and "functional". Much like my belief that every career has become a high-tech career (See http://welchwrite.com/dewelch/ce/2006/co060217.asp), every career can and should also be a creative career. If you embrace this fact, you can take your career to an entirely new level.



Next Friday: April 12, 2007: Productive Waiting


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Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Interview with Michael Lawshe - a career in audio production - Tomorrow Night

Career Opportunities podcast logoA LIVE interview with Michael Lawshe, Emmy and Golden Reel Award-winning Sound Supervisor and Supervising Sound Editor on several primetime television series.

We'll talk about how he decided on his career path and how he has remained on that path for so many years.

Listen tomorrow, Wed, March 14, 2007 at 9PM EST/6PM PST
on Talkshoe.com

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Sunday, March 11, 2007

Worth a Listen: Tech Nation Talks about the book, The No Asshole Rule

This podcast is well worth a listen for an introduction to Sutton's book and the concepts within.

I have the book on-hold at my library already. Can't wait to read it!

Dr. Moira Gunn speaks with Robert Sutton, Author of The No Asshole Rule and the Stanford Professor and author, who has scientific research proving a negative work atmosphere is bad for you. They talk about Sutton's new book which looks at "Building a Civilized Workplace and Surviving One That Isn't."

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Friday, March 09, 2007

Does your company respect your work?

Career Opportunities podcast logoWhen talking with Career Opportunities readers and listeners, I regularly hear stories of how a particular company does, or does not, provide the basic necessities for success. Some workers are left without an office or even a cubicle to call their own. Companies refuse to buy needed hardware or software and yet workers are still required to hold the infrastructure of the company together or risk bad performance reviews or worse. Training is poor, erratic or non-existent. The fact is, each of these issues, and countless others, clearly indicates how much your company and your management respects and values your work. Lack of respect for your work isn't just business as usual, it is a fundamental flaw that effects everything you do.



Next Friday: March 16, 2007: Don't treat everyone as a criminal, or an idiot

Pop It At popcurrent.com


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Thursday, March 08, 2007

That's a FAQ! - from the archives

bCareer Opportunities podcast logoPeople who are good at their high-tech career, like all of you, know that sooner or later your clients come to think of you as the font of all (or most) high-tech knowledge. They bring you their most intractable problems and pepper you with countless questions. Thankfully, you usually have the answers to their questions -- or you know exactly where to look. In today’s world, though, it is just as important that you share the information you have gathered before they ask for it. In the spirit of this week’s theme, below are a few ways to “share the wealth” while helping both you and your clients.



Next Friday: March 9, 2007: Does your company respect your work?



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Friday, March 02, 2007

Playing "the enforcer" could put your career at risk

Career Opportunities podcast logoIn the typical corporation, you will find many people whose main role is that of "The Enforcer." Project managers who enforce project timelines, human resource staffers who enforce work policies, union representatives who enforce labor agreements and even IT workers who enforce company standards, approved hardware, software and password policies. While, in most cases, all of these items need policing and enforcing, playing the role of the enforcer could be damaging to your career as a whole.



Next Friday: March 9, 2007: Does your company respect for your work?

Pop It At popcurrent.com


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Wednesday, February 28, 2007

Interview with Jo Ann Braheny - Creativity and Your Career

Career Opportunities podcast logoA LIVE interview with Jo Ann Braheny, creativity expert and writer of Goosing Your Muse, a creativity blog.



This Friday: March 3, 2007: Playing "the enforcer" could put your career at risk

Pop It At popcurrent.com


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Saturday, February 24, 2007

When it's time for a new line of work...

Sometimes, it can be a little difficult to tell when you should be investigating a new line of work, but in the case of this developer, the case seems very clear.

Boing Boing and Slashdot point out this story of a Macintosh software developer who is so fed up with the pirating of his software that he programmed in a "nuclear" defense. Instead of simply disabling the software when a pirated serial number is used, the developer included code that will delete a user's home directory (i.e. all your documents, pictures, music, preferences and settings) when it detects certain, pirated, serial numbers.

I do not support software piracy, but it seems clear that this developer has not only destroyed their own business, but may have opened themselves to legal action, up to and including felony charges, if this software bomb is ever activated.

Each business has its issues and software piracy is certainly a concern of any software developer, yet this action is clearly self-destructive. No one how is aware of this issue will ever install another piece of software from this developer, out of fear of what might happen.

You shouldn't wait for self-destructive behavior such as this to indicate when it is time to find a new job or career. Yet, we often find signs of such career suicide in our own lives. Workers who not only do worse and worse at their job over time, but also start actively sabotaging their companies and fellow employees. The truth is, you damage yourself far more than anyone else. In the end the damage to your own life could be so severe that you may have trouble finding any work at all.

If you are unsatisfied with your career, direct your energies to finding something new, not in destroying everything you have created.

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Friday, February 23, 2007

Have you talked with your manager (or employees) today?

Career Opportunities podcast logoOne of the most important parts of any job, whether you are an employee, manager or executive is communication. Without regular communication among all the parts of your company, projects will fail, tasks will go incomplete and business will suffer. Furthermore, as an employee, if you are not communicating with your manager enough to know that you are doing the most critical work of the moment, you risk your job, as well. Have you talked with your manager today? Managers? Have you talked with your employees today? Does everyone know the critical path through this day, this week , the month? If not, why not?



Next Friday: March 3, 2007: Playing "the enforcer" could put your career at risk

Pop It At popcurrent.com


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Monday, February 19, 2007

Book Giveaway - Treat Your Customers by Bob Miglani

Treat Your Customers: Thirty Lessons on Service and Sales That I Leaned at My Family's Dairy Queen® Store by Bob Miglani.

I received this signed copy courtesy of the InBubbleWrap book giveaway blog. I have (gently) read it and am now offering it up to Career Opportunities readers and listeners.

For a chance to get the book, email me at career@welchwrite.com with a Subject of Book Giveaway by 11:59pm PST, March 3, 2007. I will randomly draw a name from the entries and mail the book to you.

From Amazon.com...

Customer service is the cornerstone of every successful business, and in Treat Your Customers, corporate businessman Bob Miglani reveals winning strategies for sales and service using anecdotes and analogies from his experiences working at his familys Dairy Queen store. Miglani cuts to the essence of what makes great customer service by sharing clear, concise techniques and guidelines for coping with angry customers, minimizing stress, and making customer service providers feel great about doing their jobs. Both charming and educational, Treat Your Customers will appeal to any business owner, manager, or corporate employee who wants to enhance sales, motivate employees, and keep customers coming back.

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Friday, February 16, 2007

Is your company evil or stupid?

Career Opportunities podcast logoAlmost everyone is familiar with Google, Inc.'s famous motto, "Don't be evil". That said, how do you feel about the company where you work? Are they being evil or just stupid? Sometimes it can be very difficult to know exactly, but the answer can mean very different results for your career.



Next Friday: February 23, 2007: Have you talked with your manager (or employees) today?

Pop It At popcurrent.com


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Thursday, February 15, 2007

Traveling Technology - from the archives

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


Despite the fact that traveling, especially by airplane, is getting more and more troublesome, there are still a lot of people traveling around the US and the world. Whether they are traveling for business or pleasure, those people are probably bringing some type of personal technology with them. Digital cameras, GPS receivers, laptop computers, PDAs and more are finding their way into suitcases these days. This provides an interesting opportunity for high-tech careerists. If people are traveling with this technology, they are going to need help with it. High-tech workers might find that they can still practice their trade while living and working in a tourist town or resort.



Next Friday: February 16, 2007: Is your company evil or stupid?


Pop It At popcurrent.com



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Sunday, February 11, 2007

Elsewhere Online: Sheepwalking by Seth Godin

Oh, yes, yes, yes, yes!

Seth Godin nails this one on the head. "Sheepwalking"...What a great descriptive term for those trapped in job and career that is going nowhere. I've been preaching against this for a while, but it is great to have a word to use so we can all focus on the problem.

Read the entire article by clicking the link below

Sheepwalking

I define "sheepwalking" as the outcome of hiring people who have been raised to be obedient and giving them a braindead job and enough fear to keep them in line.

You've probably encountered someone who is sheepwalking.

(Continues on original site)

(Via Seth's Blog.)

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Friday, February 09, 2007

How is your career story changing over time?

by Douglas E. Welch, career@welchwrite.com

206-338-5832 Reader/Listener Line


Would you read a story or novel where, at the end, nothing has changed? Would you feel anything for a character who has learned nothing over the course of the book? Would you read the next book in the series? I think not. That fact is, change is what makes a great story. We want characters who learn new things and change over time. We want to know more about them. We want to understand their decisions based on past behavior. The same goes for your career. If you aren't changing, both personally and professionally, why should anyone care about your career?



Next Friday: February 16, 2007: Is your company evil or stupid?


Pop It At popcurrent.com



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Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Making a list - from the archives

by Douglas E. Welch, career@welchwrite.com

206-338-5832 Reader/Listener Line


No matter the focus of your high-tech career, there is always too much to be done. This computer is broken, the network is down, several pieces of software are already out of date. When there is so much pressing business, though, you can easily lose sight of exactly what needs to be done. You spend your time racing from crisis to crisis and never get a sense of the big wave that is about to crash over you.



This Friday: February 9, 2007: How is your career story changing over time?

Pop It At popcurrent.com



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Monday, February 05, 2007

InBubbleWrap - Free Daily Book Giveaway

I received another package from InBubbleWrap today and it reminded me that I wanted to tell you about this great web site.

InBubbleWrap Logo

Each day, they hold a free contest to win a book (usually business-related) that they have found to be excellent. Once you set up a free account, you can return each day to read about the book being offered and enter the contest. They also have an RSS feed that allows you to monitor each day's offers. What could be simpler. The book that arrived today is "Treat Your Customers" by Bob Miglani

I have now won about 5 books from InBubbleWrap and even when I don't win I get introduced to a host of new books each month. Many of these find their way into my "Books to Read" list in my journal, to be found at the local library or bookstore.

Free is one of my favorite words (SMILE), with books being a close second, so this site is a daily stop on my Internet travels.

From the InBubbleWrap web site...

1. What is inBubbleWrap?

Well to make a long story short, we love business. We love talking about it and we love doing business. iBW is our way to share this love (wrapped in Bubble Wrap) with you.

iBW is a site dedicated to giving you the opportunity to win FREE business related prizes. Each day (Monday – Friday) brings a new contest with new prizes for you to win. All prizes are business related whether it’s the latest set of business books, nifty office supplies or advice from a business book author.

New offers are launched daily at 9 a.m. (Central Time) and run for 24 hours.

Did we mention that everything is sent in Bubble Wrap? What could be better than free prizes and an afternoon of bubble popping entertainment? Just a note, when in an office cube, try to save all bubble popping until after office hours. Or wait until your coworker falls asleep on his desk as it would make for a good wake-up call (please, for the sake of your career, do not try this with your boss in hearing range).
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Friday, February 02, 2007

"Just Kidding" often means exactly the opposite

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


"Just kidding!" We hear this on the playground as children and in the office as an adult. Usually it is followed by "Geez, don't you have a sense of humor?" Over the years, though, I have learned that "just kidding" is one of those phrases that means exactly the opposite of what it says. The speaker wasn't kidding at all, but only using the phrase to deflect how incredibly insensitive and rude they are actually behaving.



Next Friday: February 9, 2007: How is your career story changing over time?

Pop It At popcurrent.com



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Elsewhere Online: Can You Be Sued for Quitting?

I came across this discussion thread on SlashDot this morning and it brought up some thoughts I have been having for a while.

First, you will need to dig through the comments to find the legal advice the original poster was asking about. The early comments relate more to the issues of "giving notice", etc.

In my past work experience, and I would guess probably yours as well, I have run into a manager who takes every employee move as a personal affront and defection. The fact is, we move from job to job in an effort to build the best career possible. It often has little to do with management or the particular company. Still, manager such as this can make life very difficult.

In this particular case, I can't see any ground for a lawsuit, but I am not a lawyer. It seems that someone was offended by his decision to leave and did what many people do -- grasped at very tenuous legal straws to try and scare and/or retaliate against the employee.

Now, this doesn't mean the threat shouldn't be taken seriously. I would recommend this person seek legal consul immediately, if for no other reason than to allay their fears.

Leaving a job shouldn't be a study in frustration and fear, but some employers will make it so. Protect yourself and don't let anyone bully you.

Can You Be Sued for Quitting?

An anonymous reader asks: "I work at a large hosting company in Texas, and recently decided to go work for a smaller competitor. I had a great relationship with my employer and wanted to leave on good terms, and I hadn't signed any non-compete or employment agreements . I felt my old company had just gotten too large and I didn't like working there anymore, so I gave them two weeks notice in writing. They were really upset when I insisted on leaving and one week into my last two weeks the V.P. of Sales told me the company was suing me for leaving, and they were also suing my new employer for hiring me. I was shocked, and they then escorted me out of the building. Has anybody ever heard of this happening? Do they have any legal basis for suing me?" It shouldn't have to be said that seeking professional legal representation, in such a situation, is the first thing one should do.

(Via Slashdot.)
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Thursday, February 01, 2007

Recommended: Manager Tools Podcast

Manager Tools Podcast Logo

On the recommendation of a fellow Friends in Tech member -- Chuck Tomasi -- I began to listen to the Manager Tools podcast with Michael Auzenne and Mark Horstman. I have been very impressed with what I have heard and wanted to take a moment to recommend the podcast to all of you.

Now, don't let title put you off. Even if you are not a manager there is a lot of useful information to be had here. Listening to the podcast can help you to better understand your managers and develop ways to manage yourself not matter what your position in a company.

In each podcast, Michael and Mark, provide step-by-step instructions to approach and manage a host of management situations.

You can subscribe to Manager Tools by visiting the web site or subscribe directly using iTunes.

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Sunday, January 28, 2007

Career Opportunities LIVE for January 26, 2007

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

Pop It At popcurrent.com


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Friday, January 26, 2007

Expectations can, and should, rise with promotions and raises

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

Pop It At popcurrent.com



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