ajcjobs > BlogBreak > Archives > 2008 > June
June 2008
The dog ate my BlackBerry?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This Sunday’s ajcjobs lead story, Handle with care, was about the responsibility workers take on when they go home with company-owned equipment, including laptops, PDAs and cellphones. Sources quoted in the story strongly recommended that companies spell out the guidelines for equipment use in advance and make sure that employees understand and accept the rules.
Most employees (we hope!) won’t download pornography onto the company laptop or share sensitive company data with their buddies, but other things can happen - the types of things that happen to our own belongings when accidents occur. Coffee or Coke spills, dents, perilous falls when they’re left on top of the car… Equipment could get damaged, lost or stolen. What happens then?
Do you have company equipment that goes home with you and did you have to sign off on an agreement about how to use and safeguard the equipment? Have you ever lost or damaged your company-issued technology? What’s the strangest thing that has happened to company equipment that you had? How did your boss react when you broke the news to him or her, and did you have to pay to repair or replace the equipment? Is it fair to make employees pay when company-owned equipment meets a bad end while in their possession?
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Tattoos: Ancient art meets modern workplace
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Tattoos have left a historical footprint worldwide in many cultures (see Oetzi the ice man) and should be looked upon, beyond the workplace, as self-expression. Many old-timers feel that tattoos are inappropriate and should be covered in the workplace, but some Fortune 500 companies (Coca-Cola and Starbucks) have become more open to the idea of body art (through tattoos and piercings), realizing that truly inventive professionals are not only creative from 9 to 5.
From the employer’s perspective, you only get one chance to make a first impression with clients at tradeshows and with investors. How can the employer send Bob Smith (with tattoos from shoulder to wrist) to meet the company’s prospective clients and think it will be a wise move for the company’s bottom line?
But from the employee’s point-of-view, they wonder why do employers care what I have on my body? It does not affect my creativity or professionalism, which is why the company is paying me. What I do in my personal time is my choice.
We live in a free society, but some managers want to put boundaries on what is tasteful in terms of self-expression. The law is not necessarily on the tattooed employee’s side. The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC) says that dress codes and appearance policies can be enforced in the workplace, as long as the employer doesn’t discriminate based on a person’s race, color, religion, age, national origin or gender.
Have a tattoo, piercing or green-colored hair? There is a Web site called The Modified Mind Employee Line to help those creative souls who are looking for work and finding it tough out there with conservative employers.
Before embarking upon any tattoo work, review your employer’s dress and appearance codes. After uncovering this information, determine the best balance between your career and your body art. Even if employers are OK with tattoos, some customers may be more conservative. Companies typically have to look at things in regard to the influence on customers. If sales decrease because customers are not comfortable with your body art - right or wrong - the company has to put bottom line first.
Have you ever been fired from a job or not been hired because of your tattoos or other examples of bodily self-expression?
SEND US PHOTOS OF YOUR TATTOOS or voice your opinion on other people’s tattoos.
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Driving to car pool?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
China is adding an additional 100 cars to their streets each month. Countries once considered third world are also moving up the quality of life scale. The increased demand is having an impact on us.
There are lots of theories on how to solve this challenge, none of which will help us now, even if the President, Congress and industry worked together.
We are energy dependent and it will take years not to be.
So what do us working stiffs do to get by right now?
Alternatives:
The City of Birmingham, Alabama announced they will implement a four-day work week (four ten-hour days).
Then there is the virtual solution of working from home.
If MARTA is accessible, to work and from work, that can be an option.
Commuter trains would work, but we don’t have any of those around here yet. (Governor Perdue is finally showing interest in commuter rail to Lovejoy.)
That pretty much leaves car pooling as a final option to reduce fuel expenses.
The price of gas is driving many of us to car pool.
Have you started car pooling to and from work, the grocery, the cleaners, church, dinner at a restaurant, bars, etc. yet?
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Are you part of the snooze crew?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The National Sleep Foundation recently conducted their annual Sleep in America poll. 1/3 of those surveyed said they got sleepy or actually fell asleep on the job in the past month.
So, fess up- have you ever fallen asleep on the job? Did you get caught? If you have any techniques to catch some shut-eye without being detected, feel free to share.
We all have worked with people that were night owls or party hounds and always seemed to barely be functioning on the job. Do you rat them out to the boss or do you just begrudgingly pick up their slack? What do you think about companies that provide power nap facilities for their staff?
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Do mega salaries make you green with envy?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The AJC has published a special feature about Georgia executive pay, which includes a gallery of the 20 highest-paid executives in Georgia for 2007. Not surprisingly, executives for Atlanta’s largest companies like Coca-Cola, Home Depot and Delta are well-represented on the list. The median top executive compensation for 2007 was a whopping $1,798,688. In case you were wondering, we’ll do the math for you- that’s 45 times more than what the average Georgia worker makes. If you want to check out how your own salary ranks, go directly to the Georgia Executive Pay interactive feature.
Of course, when you consider that Atlanta rappers Ludacris and T.I. each made $16 million in 2006 per Forbes Hip-Hop Cash Kings survey, and Atlanta Braves veteran slugger Chipper Jones is earning $15 million this season, the CEOs pay doesn’t seem as extreme.
When you learn how much CEOs, entertainers and sports figures are making, does it make you jealous? Do you think they deserve it or are these hefty salaries out-of-control, especially considering the current state of the economy?
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An email address by any other name
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
At this point, it really should be a common assumption that when you’re embarking on a job search, you should use a professional email address on all your job search correspondence.
Yet, here we are more than fifteen years after the Internet started coming into common use and people are still using email addresses that are either ineffective or inappropriate in their job search.
So, the warning bears repeating: Get a professional email address before you start sending out resumes!
Using a cute or creative email address to express your personality when you’re emailing friends and family is still absolutely fine. By all means, have fun with it! However, if you want to be taken seriously in the job market, you can’t risk having a hiring official snickering at your silly email address.
Clearly risque addresses are a no-no, but you should also avoid addresses along the lines of progolfer@… or missprincess@… or slientlyambiguous@… or mom2suzie@…
Beyond the scope of silly email addresses, are the email addresses that seem fine on the surface, but run the risk of getting caught in a company’s spam filter. This happens more frequently than you might think. If the employer never receives your email, they won’t be able to see your resume.
Job seekers with unusual names are more at risk; as are job seekers whose name or initials, when strung all together in an email address, create words that raise a red flag for the spam filter.
A good example of this might be smyles@… The candidate’s name may be Steve Myles, but this particular email address could easily get caught in a spam filter. A better choice might be Steve.Myles@…
Likewise, email addresses with numbers should be used with caution. A string of numbers like your phone number or zip code is risky. It is difficult for people to remember, and is still a little unconventional to use for job search purposes.
People will also use their graduation year or birthday year in their email addresses such as Lisa1987@… or John1953@… This is usually a dead give-away of how old you are. Your age should be irrelevant in your job search, and you should not call attention to it.
Try different combinations to find an email ID that will sound professional. Ideally, it should be something that combines your first name and last name, or first initial and last name, etc. There are several free email providers out there, so if you don’t find one that works for you with one provider, check another. If you’re in doubt about what to choose, don’t be afraid to ask a friend or colleague for a second opinion.
Remember, the point of having an email address on your resume is to provide an alternate means of communication, so that the hiring official can reach you easily. Having a less than professional email address listed, or sending a resume from an address that does not sound professional is the electronic equivalent of showing up to meet the hiring manager in jeans and sneakers.
First impressions are critical. If you’re serious about your job search, don’t sabotage yourself from the beginning. Change your email address!
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Do you get by with the minimum?
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
This Sunday’s lead story in ajcjobs talked about the minimum wage, which is due to increase in July to $6.55 an hour as part of a three-year federal plan to bring the wage more in line with inflation and the cost of living. The final step takes place in July 2009, when the wage goes up to $7.25.
The story points out that the increase in the minimum wage will affect a relatively small percentage of the work force in Georgia: 1.5 percent of all workers (which includes hourly and salaried employees). Many of those earning the minimum wage are students or people who are supplementing income from other jobs. For many, the jobs are stepping stones to other, better-paying jobs. (The story also talks about educational opportunities and employment resources for job-seekers in Georgia.)
The experts quoted in the story acknowledge that it is very difficult to get by in today is economy if a minimum-wage job is the only source of income. If someone is supporting a family of three on the income from a minimum-wage job, the family falls below the federal poverty level.
Do you earn the minimum wage, or did you ever have a job that paid minimum wage? If so, how did you (or do you) make ends meet? What type of job is it, and is there any way you can advance and earn more in the future?
If you earn more than the minimum wage, what is your impression of the increase in the minimum wage? Do you think workers in these jobs deserve to make more for what they do, or do you worry that the increase will bring about higher prices as companies try to offset the extra payroll expenses?
Is the federally mandated minimum-wage increase about right, not enough or too much?
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Career Change in Turbulent Times
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The unemployment rate is affecting 7.6 million Americans, up from last year with 6.8 million unemployed, according to the U.S. Department of Labor. Americans within industries affected by the decline include construction, manufacturing, real estate, banking, mortgages and retail trade. Jobs in 2008 have a much better outlook in health care and in professional and technical services. So if you are looking to make a job change, get out there first, land a new job, and only then resign. This gloomy economic outlook is a time when you should stay with your current employer until you are certain you have another job lined up. With increased energy prices, stock market uncertainty and higher food costs, it makes sense to stay with your current job without burning bridges.
What type of work would you consider? Think about the type of job you’d consider and then begin your due diligence to ensure the industry you are targeting is viable and has a positive outlook. If you are considering obtaining a real estate license, flipping real estate or getting job as a loan officer, consider the market carefully. Current problems that cannot be fixed overnight are just beginning.
In what type of companies are you interested? Order an annual report and look at the financials of the company. How liquid is the company you are considering? Have there been any major losses that would affect the longevity of the company? Don’t get taken in by the beautiful photos and information in the glossy pages talking about the company. Go straight to the income statement, balance sheet and cash flow statement. Here you will be able to get a good idea of the company’s future. To understand more about what you are looking for, go to Beginners’ Guide to Financial Statements published by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission.
Interview discreetly - shhhhh! Now that you know the direction you are going, make interviews as inconspicuous as possible. Maybe schedule all your interviews for one day and take a personal day. That will allow you to get dressed up and do your best in each interview situation with no pressure from work. It is not a good idea to tell co-workers your plans. You never know who will tell your boss and potentially create a negative work situation.
To find a job in turbulent times, only make a change in your career once you are certain of your next move. If you carefully consider moves in your career, you will typically end up above the curve in pay and benefits and avoid a desperate job search that rarely allows an improvement in your employment situation.
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When your arch-rival becomes your boss
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
We’ve all watched one of the toughest fights in recent history for the Democratic presidential nomination. As the battle continued to heat up, one of the questions that kept coming up was whether Barack Obama or Hillary Clinton would agree to be vice president if the other one clinched the presidential nomination. Now that Obama has secured the Democratic nomination, we shall see if a “dream team” will be created or if the bitter battle for the nomination destroyed any hopes of an Obama-Clinton ticket.
This collision of bruised egos and bad blood is not limited to those running for president. Have you ever competed with a co-worker for a position you desperately wanted only to lose and find your rival now has become your boss? Or what about the opposite- did you secure a enviable position within your company after a contentious battle with a fellow employee and now find yourself their superior? No doubt you were expected to put aside any differences and work as a strong team together. What were the results?
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Generation Y in the job market
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just when many employers start to understand what motivates the “Generation X” worker, “Generation Y” arrives.
The population of Gen Y’ers is larger than the population of Gen X’ers. Gen Y (born 1979 to 1997) has slightly different motivations than its predecessor Gen X.
These are some of the social traits that appear to be reliable for this group:
- Considered the Internet generation
- 99% own a computer
- 94% own a cell phone
- 76% use instant messaging as a form of communication
- 34% use the World Wide Web as their primary source of news
- Ambitious- would like to work in a corporate setting that can provide job security
- The quality of the workplace environment is important, partly because many have divorced parents
- Are very much concerned about the environment and corporate social responsibility
- Are conscious of brand name products
Employers who can create a friendly work environment, that provides job security, quality of life, has a quality corporate sustainability program, and fully integrates the use of technology will find it easier to attract and retain Gen Y talent.
