s m krohn's blog

Looking for a Job is Hard!

2009-12-29T15:36:00.000-08:00

Looking for a job is hard!

Looking for a job is hard, I know, I’ve looked for hundreds of them. Looking for a job right now is terrifying, I know I read economic and employment reports. That is what I know. I believe that finding good professional opportunities is no more difficult now than most other times. The difference is that most people do not really look for job opportunities; they wait for opportunities to find them. Unfortunately, there are fewer aggressive jobs out there looking for candidates. Most people participate in passive job searches, I know, I watch them.

I learned a long time ago that anyone’s best advocate is themselves. I believe that is how it should be, as adults we need to learn to take care of ourselves before we learn to take care of others. By taking good care of ourselves than rarely do others need to assist. To advocate well one must have knowledge. Rarely, do I see someone actively studying a market, looking at trends, researching entities that could provide them a fertile environment to thrive and blossom.

Everyday people sit in front of me and say “just get me in front of someone, I can sell myself!” If they do not impress me why should I believe that they will sell themselves?

These are tough times, every good person I know that has ever stretched or taken a risk is some how suffering today. I can think of no exceptions. If fear conquers hope there will be no future. It takes courage to have a full life. A full life usually consists of some pain.

As a New Year prepares to commence I renew my vow to be the best that I can be, to serve others well. I strive to grow in compassion, grace, wisdom and kindness. I work to improve my humor and generosity.

Stuart and Kazuki caught up in child labor scandal!

2009-12-22T16:23:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Stu does Santa at the L.A. Childrens' Hospital

2009-12-16T11:01:00.000-08:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Season's Greetings

2009-12-07T11:05:00.000-08:00

To all my loved ones, all my love and very best wishes for this season and all the year through!

Make a Smilebox slideshow

The Menace of the Public Option

2009-09-23T16:12:00.000-07:00

Once again, I have stumbled across something much too compelling not to share. Bad behavior has surpassed critical mass to which we no longer have the luxury to ignore. Nor have we the luxury of inaction. My first installment comes from M.C. Blakeman writing in The San Francisco Chronicle 9/19/09:

The Menace of the Public Option

M.C. Blakeman
The San Francisco Chronicle, Saturday, September 19, 2009

Of all the current assaults on our noble republic, perhaps none is more dangerous than the public option – specifically, the public library option.

For far too long, this menace has undermined the very foundations of our economy. While companies like Amazon and Barnes & Noble struggle valiantly each day to sell books, these communistic cabals known as libraries undercut the hard work of good corporate citizens by letting people read their books for free. How is the private sector supposed to compete with free? And just what does this public option give us? People can spend hours and hours in these dens of socialism without having to buy so much as a cappuccino. Furthermore, not only can anyone read books for free in the library, they can take them home, too. They get a simple card that can be used at any library in town. No checking on the previous condition of books they’ve read. No literacy test. Nothing. Yet, do these libertines of literature let you choose any book you want, anytime you want it? No. Have you ever tried to get the latest best-seller at a public library? They put you on a waiting list for that, my friend. And if you do ask these government apparatchiks a question about a book, they start talking your ear off, and pretty soon they’re telling you what to read.

Of course, if you break one of their petty rules and return a book late, you have to pay fines that mount grotesquely each day. Even if you die, your overdue fees keep piling up. Is that not a death tax? How long must the elderly live in fear of burdening their children with these unfair sanctions on their estates?

Don’t be fooled for a minute. Somebody has to pay for these “free” libraries, and I’ll tell you who it is, pal. Those good ol’ suckers, the American taxpayers, that’s who.

Have you ever wondered who’s really behind this public library option? And don’t you think it’s fishy that they mask their nefarious activities with benign-sounding names, like Friends of the Library? What’s their real agenda – and why do they have so many “volunteer” meetings, anyway?

No, my fellow Americans. We cannot wait until we’re all goose-stepped into a massive book checkout line. This assault on capitalism and our very way of life has got to end. Be subversive … burn your library card! Go out and buy a book!

M.C. Blakeman is the co-author of “Safe Homes, Safe Neighborhoods” (Nolo Press).

Happy New Years!

2009-09-18T15:51:00.000-07:00

Make a Smilebox greeting

Don’t Keep Yourself to Yourself

2009-08-18T10:16:00.000-07:00

Sometimes life is hard. So often we seem to choose to make it even more difficult instead of making it more simple, less stressful. A job search is certainly one of the more stressful times of life. Finding ways to make it more simple, less stressful is important to its success. It is important to find ways of self empowerment. I have always found that when helping others I actually seem to feel energized, stronger. If you are not familiar with D J Meade check him out. This week on his blog: http://djm19.wordpress.com/, DJ makes some great observations and shares them most delightfully!

Don’t Keep Yourself to Yourself
17 08 2009

Think of all the wonderful things you’ve learned from a friend, a parent, a mentor, or another leader. Do you think those people know infinitely more than you do? Do you think what you learned was something only they knew? NO! You learned something from them because they were willing to share of themselves with you. Sometimes the most powerful things we learn from others are mentioned in passing. They are things that are part of that person, which is why they come out so easily and casually.
Sometimes in the pursuit of our own potential we forget to share what we learn or what good habits we possess with others. It’s often the things we do naturally everyday that will make the difference in the life of another. Because we don’t consciously think about those things, it’s sometimes harder to consciously share them. Sit back and think of the things you do well. Think of your friends and why they are your friends. What value do you bring to them that they can’t get from anyone else? If you can identify what that is, you’ll more easily be able to share the benefits you bring.
Share yourself and make your home, office, neighborhood, country, and your world a better place.
http://djm19.wordpress.com/

August, a Gift of Time for Transition

2009-08-07T10:08:00.000-07:00

August, a Gift of Time for Transition

A lesson I learned in another life, a baker to be exact, but that’s another story, you should not waste your time creating things that you can buy, usually cheaper and better, already prepared. Sital Ruparelia writes remarkably well about career management and specifically about transition. If you are not familiar with Sital, he can be found at www.6FigureCareerManagement.com. July and August are universally infamously dead months in business. Apparently, most people vacation. For people in transition it is actually a gift of time to organize and prepare for the active month of September and the beginning of October. From Sital we have:

6 Career Tips for the Summer

Most people think December and August are the 'worst times of the year' to job search or advance your career. After all, people are away, there is less going on and so from a career perspective, they're seen as 'lost months.'

I disagree.

When I was a recruiter, I'd always try and spend the December and August period to my advantage by investing the additional time I had - and the time my clients had - to ensure that I was ready to start the September and January strongly. Interestingly, the better I used that 'down time', the more successful I was in the months ahead.

And that's what you too should be doing over the next few weeks. It's a horrible, over used cliché - but using the summer weeks to your advantage really does help you "hit the ground running" come September:

Here are 6 suggestions:

1. Strengthen your existing relationships

Your career success has a direct correlation to the strength and depth of your relationships with the people you work with and your wider network. August is a great time to strengthen those relationships. Everyone is less busy, under less pressure and have more diary time than usual.

So invite contacts and friends to a drinks evening, a lazy lunch or an informal BBQ. Or if big gatherings are not your style, pick 3 people that are critical to your success and invite them to a 1:1 dinner or long lunch during August. It can be your boss, ex-boss, a key stakeholder, ex-colleague, a key client or maybe a good friend.

Invite your recruiters out for a coffee or drink. You'll separate yourself from the crowd, learn more about what's happening in the market and allow them to get to know you better (which of course helps).

2. Cultivate new relationships

Going on vacation, weekend breaks or day trips during the summer creates multiple opportunities to meet new people. You never know who the person next to you is on a plane - so put your book away and start a conversation. The same applies to people you meet at hotels, restaurants and the like.

I know lots of people who have met new clients, new employers and new employees just by being friendly and chatty with a stranger. You don't have be some kind of annoying salesperson - just make a point of being friendly, engaging, and upbeat - you never know you may bump into.

3. Reflect and refocus

Historically, I've always found the summer break a great time to reflect on what's happening in my career and often found myself with a pen and paper on the flight back planning what I was going to do differently after the break.
But you don't have to get on a plane to reflect and refocus. Just give yourself 60 minutes some time over the next few weeks to reflect on your professional life and ask yourself a few questions:

What's gone well so far this year? What hasn't gone so well? What lessons have you learned? How do you want your work life to look by December 31st this year? What do you need to do differently from September onwards to ensure you get there?

Don't over think it or over plan it. Just give yourself 60 minutes and get scribbling.

4. Get organized

You've got more time on your hands so do some of that decluttering and personal organizing you've been meaning to do. Clear out the backlog of emails in your inbox and set up some filters if you need to. Clear out draws, files and whatever else needs tidying up.

You'll feel lighter, less stressed and more focused come September.

5. Catch up on stuff'

I often get emails from people saying "Sital, I've got all your newsletter articles saved in separate email folder. I'm just waiting for some time to read them all!" Well now's your time.

Apart from reading articles you meant to read, what else have you meant to catch up on? Books you started reading but didn't get time to finish, calls you meant to return but forgot, reports you meant to read but didn't etc.

Do it now (or decide you don't need to do it all) so that you can finally get that monkey off your shoulder when the new season starts.

6. Rest and recharge

When everyone else is resting, it's always a good time to also rest. So don't look at the above 5 points as another list of "to do's."

Just pick 2 of the most important areas to focus on and then make sure you use the next few weeks to rest and recharge the batteries. Even if you're out of work right now, it's worthwhile resting to reduce your stress levels. Reducing stress will make you much more creative and much more effective in your search. So give yourself permission to switch off at times.

It's easy to see August as a time when nothing happens. But as you can see from the points above, that doesn't mean you don't do anything. In fact, if you use the time wisely you'll find yourself living out that awful cliché by "hitting the ground running" come September! Enjoy the rest of your summer.

P.S. For readers in the southern hemisphere, I know it's the middle of winter for you - but you can very easily apply many of these tips in winter months too. (Oh and yes, we're having a nice warm summer, thank you for asking:))

"Sital Ruparelia publishes "Straight Talk", the weekly newsletter for 6-Figure Professionals who want to be more effective and achieve their career goals. If you're ready to jump-start your career, have greater success, satisfaction and rewards then get your F.R.E.E tips now at www.6FigureCareerManagement.com

The art of Story Telling with a Little help from Sam Clemens

2009-08-05T11:15:00.000-07:00

The art of Story Telling with a Little help from Sam Clemens

Humans love stories, we are innately drawn to them. We have used them in teaching, passing down history, sharing news for as long as we have been able to communicate. It is cross cultural, non generational and non gender specific, it is just simply a human trait. The only thing we love more than listening to a good story is, if we are prolific, telling one.

In the job search, I can guarantee that the person who is best able to tell there story will be the selected candidate. And, unfortunately, our stories, badly told are more often the reason of not being selected than our actual skills.

It seems that there are natural story tellers and usually they are not the ones who actually achieved the accomplishment, but they receive the credit. Don’t we hate them! The truth is that we can learn to weave a good yarn, if you don’t believe me just ask Bill Clinton! Just kidding, ..but, not really.

I share with you a wonderful piece by, probably the best American story telly yet, Sam Clemens (Mark Twain).

How to Tell a Story

by Mark Twain
a.k.a. Samuel Clemens
(1835-1910)
The Humorous Story an American Development.–Its Difference from Comic and Witty Stories.

I do not claim that I can tell a story as it ought to be told. I only claim to know how a story ought to be told, for I have been almost daily in the company of the most expert story-tellers for many years.

There are several kinds of stories, but only one difficult kind–the humorous. I will talk mainly about that one. The humorous story is American, the comic story is English, the witty story is French. The humorous story depends for its effect upon the manner of the telling; the comic story and the witty story upon the matter.

The humorous story may be spun out to great length, and may wander around as much as it pleases, and arrive nowhere in particular; but the comic and witty stories must be brief and end with a point. The humorous story bubbles gently along, the others burst.

The humorous story is strictly a work of art–high and delicate art– and only an artist can tell it; but no art is necessary in telling the comic and the witty story; anybody can do it. The art of telling a humorous story–understand, I mean by word of mouth, not print–was created in America, and has remained at home.

The humorous story is told gravely; the teller does his best to conceal the fact that he even dimly suspects that there is anything funny about it; but the teller of the comic story tells you beforehand that it is one of the funniest things he has ever heard, then tells it with eager delight, and is the first person to laugh when he gets through. And sometimes, if he has had good success, he is so glad and happy that he will repeat the “nub” of it and glance around from face to face, collecting applause, and then repeat it again. It is a pathetic thing to see.

Very often, of course, the rambling and disjointed humorous story finishes with a nub, point, snapper, or whatever you like to call it. Then the listener must be alert, for in many cases the teller will divert attention from that nub by dropping it in a carefully casual and indifferent way, with the pretence that he does not know it is a nub.

Artemus Ward used that trick a good deal; then when the belated audience presently caught the joke he would look up with innocent surprise, as if wondering what they had found to laugh at. Dan Setchell used it before him, Nye and Riley and others use it to-day.

But the teller of the comic story does not slur the nub; he shouts it at you–every time. And when he prints it, in England, France, Germany, and Italy, he italicizes it, puts some whooping exclamation-points after it, and sometimes explains it in a parenthesis. All of which is very depressing, and makes one want to renounce joking and lead a better life.

Let me set down an instance of the comic method, using an anecdote which has been popular all over the world for twelve or fifteen hundred years. The teller tells it in this way:

THE WOUNDED SOLDIER.

In the course of a certain battle a soldier whose leg had been shot off appealed to another soldier who was hurrying by to carry him to the rear, informing him at the same time of the loss which he had sustained; whereupon the generous son of Mars, shouldering the unfortunate, proceeded to carry out his desire. The bullets and cannon-balls were flying in all directions, and presently one of the latter took the wounded man’s head off–without, however, his deliverer being aware of it. In no-long time he was hailed by an officer, who said:

“Where are you going with that carcass?”

“To the rear, sir–he’s lost his leg!”

“His leg, forsooth?” responded the astonished officer; “you mean his head, you booby.”

Whereupon the soldier dispossessed himself of his burden, and stood looking down upon it in great perplexity. At length he said:

“It is true, sir, just as you have said.” Then after a pause he added, “But he TOLD me IT WAS HIS LEG! ! ! ! !”

Here the narrator bursts into explosion after explosion of thunderous horse-laughter, repeating that nub from time to time through his gaspings and shriekings and suffocatings.

It takes only a minute and a half to tell that in its comic-story form; and isn’t worth the telling, after all. Put into the humorous-story form it takes ten minutes, and is about the funniest thing I have ever listened to–as James Whitcomb Riley tells it.

He tells it in the character of a dull-witted old farmer who has just heard it for the first time, thinks it is unspeakably funny, and is trying to repeat it to a neighbor. But he can’t remember it; so he gets all mixed up and wanders helplessly round and round, putting in tedious details that don’t belong in the tale and only retard it; taking them out conscientiously and putting in others that are just as useless; making minor mistakes now and then and stopping to correct them and explain how he came to make them; remembering things which he forgot to put in in their proper place and going back to put them in there; stopping his narrative a good while in order to try to recall the name of the soldier that was hurt, and finally remembering that the soldier’s name was not mentioned, and remarking placidly that the name is of no real importance, anyway–better, of course, if one knew it, but not essential, after all– and so on, and so on, and so on.

The teller is innocent and happy and pleased with himself, and has to stop every little while to hold himself in and keep from laughing outright; and does hold in, but his body quakes in a jelly-like way with interior chuckles; and at the end of the ten minutes the audience have laughed until they are exhausted, and the tears are running down their faces.

The simplicity and innocence and sincerity and unconsciousness of the old farmer are perfectly simulated, and the result is a performance which is thoroughly charming and delicious. This is art and fine and beautiful, and only a master can compass it; but a machine could tell the other story.

To string incongruities and absurdities together in a wandering and sometimes purposeless way, and seem innocently unaware that they are absurdities, is the basis of the American art, if my position is correct. Another feature is the slurring of the point. A third is the dropping of a studied remark apparently without knowing it, as if one were thinking aloud. The fourth and last is the pause.

Artemus Ward dealt in numbers three and four a good deal. He would begin to tell with great animation something which he seemed to think was wonderful; then lose confidence, and after an apparently absent-minded pause add an incongruous remark in a soliloquizing way; and that was the remark intended to explode the mine–and it did.

For instance, he would say eagerly, excitedly, “I once knew a man in New Zealand who hadn’t a tooth in his head”–here his animation would die out; a silent, reflective pause would follow, then he would say dreamily, and as if to himself, “and yet that man could beat a drum better than any man I ever saw.”

The pause is an exceedingly important feature in any kind of story, and a frequently recurring feature, too. It is a dainty thing, and delicate, and also uncertain and treacherous; for it must be exactly the right length–no more and no less–or it fails of its purpose and makes trouble. If the pause is too short the impressive point is passed, and [and if too long] the audience have had time to divine that a surprise is intended–and then you can’t surprise them, of course.

On the platform I used to tell a negro ghost story that had a pause in front of the snapper on the end, and that pause was the most important thing in the whole story. If I got it the right length precisely, I could spring the finishing ejaculation with effect enough to make some impressible girl deliver a startled little yelp and jump out of her seat –and that was what I was after. This story was called “The Golden Arm,” and was told in this fashion. You can practise with it yourself–and mind you look out for the pause and get it right.

THE GOLDEN ARM.

Once ‘pon a time dey wuz a monsus mean man, en he live ‘way out in de prairie all ‘lone by hisself, ‘cep’n he had a wife. En bimeby she died, en he tuck en toted her way out dah in de prairie en buried her. Well, she had a golden arm–all solid gold, fum de shoulder down. He wuz pow’ful mean–pow’ful; en dat night he couldn’t sleep, Gaze he want dat golden arm so bad.

When it come midnight he couldn’t stan’ it no mo’; so he git up, he did, en tuck his lantern en shoved out thoo de storm en dug her up en got de golden arm; en he bent his head down ‘gin de win’, en plowed en plowed en plowed thoo de snow. Den all on a sudden he stop (make a considerable pause here, and look startled, and take a listening attitude) en say: “My LAN’, what’s dat!”

En he listen–en listen–en de win’ say (set your teeth together and imitate the wailing and wheezing singsong of the wind), “Bzzz-z-zzz”— en den, way back yonder whah de grave is, he hear a voice! he hear a voice all mix’ up in de win’ can’t hardly tell ‘em ‘part–” Bzzz-zzz– W-h-o–g-o-t–m-y–g-o-l-d-e-n arm? –zzz–zzz– W-h-o g-o-t m-y g-o-l- d-e-n arm!” (You must begin to shiver violently now.)

En he begin to shiver en shake, en say, “Oh, my! OH, my lan’! “en de win’ blow de lantern out, en de snow en sleet blow in his face en mos’ choke him, en he start a-plowin’ knee-deep towards home mos’ dead, he so sk’yerd–en pooty soon he hear de voice agin, en (pause) it ‘us comin’ after him! “Bzzz–zzz–zzz–W-h-o–g-o-t m-y–g-o-l-d-e-n–arm?”

When he git to de pasture he hear it agin closter now, en a-comin’!– a-comin’ back dah in de dark en de storm–(repeat the wind and the voice). When he git to de house he rush up-stairs en jump in de bed en kiver up, head and years, en lay dah shiverin’ en shakin’–en den way out dah he hear it agin!–en a-comin’! En bimeby he hear (pause–awed, listening attitude)–pat–pat–pat–hit’s acomin’ up-stairs! Den he hear de latch, en he know it’s in de room!

Den pooty soon he know it’s a-stannin’ by de bed! (Pause.) Den–he know it’s a-bendin’ down over him–en he cain’t skasely git his breath! Den– den–he seem to feel someth’ n c-o-l-d, right down ‘most agin his head! (Pause.)

Den de voice say, right at his year–”W-h-o g-o-t–m-y–g-o-l-d-e-n arm?” (You must wail it out very plaintively and accusingly; then you stare steadily and impressively into the face of the farthest-gone auditor–a girl, preferably–and let that awe-inspiring pause begin to build itself in the deep hush. When it has reached exactly the right length, jump suddenly at that girl and yell, “You’ve got it!”)

If you’ve got the pause right, she’ll fetch a dear little yelp and spring right out of her shoes. But you must get the pause right; and you will find it the most troublesome and aggravating and uncertain thing you ever undertook.

Posted in employment | Tags: ceo cfo coaches coo manufacturing economy employment job boards JOBS job searches resumes

So, This is my last word on Michael Jackson, Maybe

2009-07-27T12:55:00.000-07:00

So, This is my last word on Michael Jackson, Maybe

It’s already been a few weeks since the passing of Michael Jackson, and just a few days since I have heard a story about his death, will, family, children or a comment on the merits of his death as actually being news. After listening to Bob Scheiffer have his say on Face the Nation, I’m a fan, and it occurs to me how many people miss much of Mr. Jackson’s significance.

As a college student I found the need, more than a couple of times, for help lifting me out of feelings of over-whelming despair. I found solace in music, in particular there were 2 songs that I could listen to and suddenly I could dance and smile and solve the challenge that moments before had made me quake. The first song was Sly and the Family Stone’s “Everybody is a Star”, the second, the Jackson 5’s “ABC”. For these gifts I am eternally grateful and an unapologetic fan!

My purpose is not to convert anyone into a Michael Jackson fan but to point out that, in my belief, those who understand that ours is a society of consumption and whoever drives consumption will be the ones who ultimately prosper. Forget or argue whether Michael Jackson had a gift to entertain, dance, sing compose choreograph, the man knew how and was one of the drivers of how we consume music for almost 3 decades.

I do not believe that any of us have the luxury to afford to miss shifts in our culture or our society if we choose to be a participant, and certainly not if we count ourselves as a leader! As for me, I would like to simply offer my thanks to Michael and move on.

“ABC, it’s easy as 1,2,3”

Important Lessons

2009-07-23T12:37:00.000-07:00

Few things excite me in life as learning something new. I love information, I love thinking, God knows it has kept me away from more productive pursuits for a life time. To this day I am convinced that All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten - by Robert Fulghum, is one of the most profound things I have read. Along the same lines, I share this short piece by David Paulson titled:

“4 Times Crayola® Fired Their Crayons”

“Flesh” Crayons Change Their Name

While everyone acknowledges that the civil rights movement brought about great strides in American society, most individuals overlook the huge advances it brought to the crayon community. In 1962, Crayola voluntarily changed Flesh to Peach in an attempt to avoid any legal issues and encourage people to embrace seeing the world in black and peach.

2. Prussian Blue receives Icy Treatment

The Kingdom of Prussia (part of modern-day Germany and Poland) remained an independent state from 1701 to 1871, but the crayon dubbed Prussian Blue had a far shorter reign in the kingdom of colors. Introduced in 1949 alongside a cadre of 39 new cohorts, Prussian Blue was unceremoniously stripped of its name in 1958, after teachers continued to voice concerns that the crayon wasn’t Cold War-sensitive. Crayola hoped the color’s new name, Midnight Blue, would help make it less political and certainly less useful in coloring Iron Curtains.

3. Indian Red was a nod to India?!

Introduced in 1958 with 15 additional colors (finally giving children 64 shades to work with!), this color was actually named for a pigment that originated in India. Over the years, teachers began to worry that children would see the crayon as a reference to American Indians’ skin color. In 1999, the Crayola company changed the name to Chestnut-but that too came with a disclaimer. The crayon manufacturer warned children that, despite the famous song, these chestnuts should never be roasted over an open fire. Mainly because they soften and melt at around 105 degrees Fahrenheit.

4. Kindergarteners Get Drunk with Power

In celebration of Crayola’s 100th birthday in 2003, consumers were encouraged to suggest new crayon names as well as vote out four crayon colors. The casualties of the Crayola tribal council were newer colors Blizzard Blue, Magic Mint, and Teal Blue, and the older Mulberry. These proud veterans stepped aside for such wildly creative crayons as Inch Worm, Jazzberry Jam, Mango Tango and Wild Blue Yonder-proving that allowing kindergarteners to have veto power over your marketing department isn’t always the best idea.

Inspiration and Perspective

2009-07-21T17:11:00.000-07:00

I humbly share a blog by Michael Strieb as an example how perspective adjusts our views of life and what is felt as important. Thank you Michael, I appreciate the mind shift!

Reflections on TAM 7

Written by Michael Strieb

Tuesday, 21 July 2009 00:00

For several months now, this webpage has been headed by a banner advertising TAM 7. As a member of the JREF forum, I had been following the excitement surrounding the event for some time. I followed much more closely when I learned I was the fortunate recipient of a scholarship and would be attending myself.

I arrived on Thursday not quite sure what to expect. I knew I’d be overwhelmed. But I thought what would overwhelm me was going to be the experience of being in the presence of celebrities. That’s what we’re led to believe, that famous people are awe-inspiring. I met so many of them. I had my picture taken with Banacheck, Mac King, Penn, Phil Plait, Jamy Ian Swiss, Teller, the Great Thomsini, Captain Disillusion, and of course Randi, whom I had the pleasure of sitting next to during the entire magic show. As amazingly cool as all of that was, though, it’s not what really astounded me. What has really touched my heart, what overwhelmed me, is the kindness of simple, ordinary people.

To put the significance of this into context, I need to give you some of my background. I have ALS, better known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. It has left me (more or less) wheelchair bound, with excessive weakness in my hands and arms. As if that weren’t enough, it has also left me with a severe speaking disability. This makes daily living difficult, to say the least. The prospect of a 2,500 mile trip by myself was daunting, and seemed to court disaster. Well, disaster was not only averted, it never had a chance.

Here were people I had never met, people I had only known as anonymous nicknames on the JREF forum, and yet they took me under their wing. They arranged for me to get there, got me a place to stay, met me when I arrived, invited me to join them for dinner, pushed my wheelchair around, opened doors for me, picked up all the crap I kept dropping, took the time to sit and talk with me, waited exceedingly patiently while I struggled to scribble a sentence or two, said “It is such a pleasure to meet you”, and meant it. These people, every single one who made eye contact with me and smiled, they are the reason this was an Amazing Meeting. I overslept and missed Adam Savage’s talk because I was up so late the night before shooting the breeze with fellow JREFers (and it was totally worth it—sorry, Adam!). If not one single speaker showed up, it still would have been well worth it.

It occurs to me that there are those of a religious bent who have said that skeptics, particularly atheistic ones, do not have a moral code to live by. And yet I spent four days in the company of skeptics who have proven that they live by the most basic moral code of all, the one most others are based on and without which would be useless: do good things on a daily basis, be kind to other people, and enjoy the time you have to spend with them. Sure, you could add another 635 rules and regulations on top, but what it really boils down to is what I witnessed. Do good. Be kind. Enjoy life.

I went to TAM this year to hear some famous people speak. I’ll be returning next year to spend time with friends.

Networking tricks, Gosh, darn it, its Tough being an Adult

2009-06-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

Networking tricks, Gosh, darn it, its Tough being an Adult

Last night I attended an event that seems to have become the latest networking craze in the unemployed world: drink alcohol, commiserate with other unemployed souls, and then think that somehow this is going to translate into a job offer. Someone wins a lottery everyday I suppose, but I don’t count on that to pay my mortgage.

Where is it written that if you bring unemployed people together they are some how going to provide each other job offers? Yet in city after city, communities all over the country that is exactly what happens. Invariably these groups use the word or derivation of “executive” in the title.

Networking is critical in the successful job search; unfortunately few people do it effectively. It has never made sense to me that people would network with people that they are not targeting for employment. That being said,

Rule #1: Target your networking. That means the people, places and events. In targeting people they should be people who are actually doing the work that you are pursuing. They should be employed or somehow connected to the company or organization that interests you. The people should be the hiring agents or have significant relationships with those who do.

Volunteering for events connected to an organization’s mission is a terrific way of making a positive impression. Participating on boards, government, and not-for-profit or in the private sector associates you with, while building credibility in the field of pursuit.

Networking events that promote or allow consumption of alcohol or activities that could either embarrass a participant or observer leave too much of an opportunity to hold back your goals.

Rule #2: Formulate an agenda for each networking event. Make sure that you are clear in your specific goal and do not leave until it is accomplished.

Rule #3: Have questions prepared. These should be sincere questions that the answers provide you with valuable knowledge. Listen to what other people are saying; verify that you understand other’s messages.

Rule #4: Be polite. If you have questions about that please refer to Robert Fulghum’s “All I Ever Really Needed to Know I Learned in Kindergarten”.

Rule #5: Carry cards to hand out with your contact information.

Finally,

Rule #6: Follow up! Follow up! Follow up.

Posted in employment | Tags: ceo, cfo, coaches, coo manufacturing, economy, employment, job boards, job searches, JOBS, resumes

Want that Dream Job? Make a Plan.

2008-06-21T12:01:00.000-07:00

Want that Dream Job? Make a Plan.

This past week I had the opportunity to meet a couple of mortgage brokers an engineer, an educator, a pharmacist, a CFO and several others from various occupations. On the surface each one was so different from the next. They all had very diverse backgrounds, special stories, skills, successes and failures. They were of dissimilar cultures, nationalities and races. They were both genders and a variety of ages. On the outside they could not have been more poles apart. Deep down inside, where it counts, they were quite similar. They all were unhappy with their chosen professions. They felt that they had been pulled in to them more by circumstance than by choice, they verbalized being trapped, miserable, helpless, without value, and saddest of all, each one of them was hopeless.

Something they also shared was none of them had ever thought to make a career plan. None had taken the time to sit down and map out their life intentions. It is quite rare to arrive some place if you don’t have the first clue of where you are going. “Duh” right? Maybe, but then why do so few of us plan our careers. Most often I hear: “That would remove all spontaneity!” Nice rationalization, but life has a funny way of providing enough of the unexpected to supply an abundance of spontaneity.

With all of our education, almost never does anyone teach us how to plan a career. We are taught that having a good paying job is better than being happy. How many times have you been told that if you are doing what you love, the money will come? How many people actually believe that? Fortunately, I have been blessed with too many examples of this being the case not to believe. But then again, I believe in Santa. I also believe that when we open ourselves and our creativity, are willing to commit and to persevere we can achieve our dreams without having to sacrifice fair compensation.

To succeed we must be willing to fail. Growth does not come without challenge. I say “take a chance to achieve your dreams, decide what you want today and tomorrow to look like. Make a plan that will make this happen. If we are willing to ask ourselves the right questions, we will probably find the correct answers.

By the way, it’s ok to change your mind.

Steve Krohn

TTG Consultants

Your Job, Your life and lessons learned from Tim Russert

2008-06-16T21:13:00.000-07:00

Your Job, Your life and lessons learned from Tim Russert

I doubt there are many doorknobs left in America that have not learned about journalist Tim Russert’s death this past week. I count myself as one of the millions of fans that will miss one of the few credible providers of information. As a nation, if not the world, we were blessed by so many lessons provided by Mr. Russert.

The first lesson is one that I learned rather early in life, and that is NO ONE GUARENTEES US TIME! How many times do we need a reminder that life is fleeting at best, fragile but mostly, life is precious. Be cavalier if you like, the quality of one’s life is solely the responsibility of its owner. Sorry to remind anyone of this, but as adults it’s no longer the faults of bad parenting, bad aunts or uncles, bad teachers, bad luck or circumstance. We all are given a choice daily, every moment about attitude, commitment and action.

Driving down the street, I have found myself, on occasion, behind a vehicle with a bumper sticker proudly proclaiming, “My job sucks!” Smiling, my only thought is “you’ve earned that job.” Making choices may be tough. Taking action might be tougher, but it’s the adult thing to do, and quite frankly, it’s the most freeing. Change, if you hate your job. If you need help, get it. If not, keep your anger and your dis-ease to yourself.

Balance, it would outwardly seem is something Tim Russert excelled at. I wonder if his family would agree. I also subscribe to, against many experts advice, to the notion that life must also flow. Walls between life, person, family and friends make for a fractured life. Sounds sort of schyzophrenic to me. Appropriate balance.

Doing the job that we love might just be the best gift and education we could give our children. What better compensation could anyone ever desire?