Internship Candidates...Listen Up!

Don’t Forget to Put Your Name on the Resume

I recently visited a friend in Chicago who is at the point in growing her one-woman business that she needs help. Her biz is in a creative field and she’s fortunate to be in a city with multiple art/creative schools. Hiring an intern from one of these places seemed like an ideal solution; she gets a creative, enthusiastic “employee” and the student gets to learn the biz. Win, win, right? Well…until she placed the ad.

The ad stated very clear parameters - the experience preferred, general duties, hours/days, send a resume, etc. In a very short time, she had sixty responses. While she was able to cull some very favorable prospects from the group, there were some surprising clunkers. One person even forgot to put their name on the resume. Duh-oh.

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Working Podcast #93: Too Many Cooks In the Kitchen

Join the Jobacle campaign to help restore linear communication at work!  Who is hiring for the holiday season in 2009?  Find out how much umpires make a year and hear a solution to Major League Baseball's major problem.  Job Song.

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How to Disconnect During Downtime

Just Step Away from the Netbook, Ma’am

Last weekend I took a three-day vacation from connectivity. Not even a peek at my email. It helped that I was in the middle of 180 acres of wilderness with nary a Wi-Fi in the breeze. Admittedly, I was a little twitchy at first. After all, I had made it to Level 130 in “Babylonia” - the procrastinating writer’s friend.

There’s been much written lately on the emotional/mental and even physical effects of being in constant contact with everyone electronically. As a psychotherapist, I constantly stress the need for downtime. I wrote an article about it in 2007 (which sounds almost quaint now and predates Twitter); Disconnect Doesn’t Have to Be a Bad Thing. But as someone who also makes a living writing and glued to a computer, I realize that disconnecting is not easy. So maybe baby steps are indicated. Here are a few to try...

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Conference Call Do’s and Don’ts

Choosing to be self-employed for the past 13 years, I don’t get to partake in much corporate-world fun anymore. But I’m fascinated by it - in an anthropologic sort of way.

Recently, I became interested in conference call protocol when my husband began working from home one day a week. (a whole other post topic…) He often participates in calls with up to 50 people. Firsthand I learned that building a fort for the cat and yelling from my office to tell him about it while he’s on a call is verboten. Additional do’s and don’ts he shared with me are below.

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Working Podcast #91: 10 Back to School Tips for WORK

As we close in on half a million downloads, Jobacle.com proudly presents episode #91 of the Working Podcast for your listening pleasure.  On this show you'll learn how to make tomorrow at work capture the excitement of the first day of school.  We also have more details on the Work Haiku Contest, a song clip about drowning at work, and three new career resources to add to your arsenal - Upmo Intelligent Job Hunt, GoSavant and FiredUpNetwork.

Enjoy!

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Hire People Who Do NOT Use Sprinklers

I'm just not that into sprinklers.

It's not the fixed pattern or series of spray heads that rubs me the wrong way. Rather, it's the zen of watering my own lawn, by hand, that really fills my heart with joy.

Those who set these irrigation devices and walk away are not the type of employee I want working for me. It's not all about how green the lawn is, but sometimes it's the road you took to get it there.

Listen below to find out why.

Share Your Unofficial Work Perks

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What's your favorite "silent" work perk? I'm talking about that quiet little extra that you most likely are taking for granted. For example, at my office, we always have milk.

Every kind. Ice cold. Always fresh.

For years I have enjoyed this privilege without ever thanking the cow...my employer...or the maintenance worker who neatly restocks the fridge on a daily basis.

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Why You Should Write Your Boss' Eulogy

Don't hate me for saying this but being the boss isn't easy. As if playing corporate politics and making difficult decisions without a safety net weren't enough, the boss also has to take the brunt of your work frustrations. While most of this activity occurs behind his or her back, it can't be easy knowing that there are people who live to criticize you.

All bosses, even the evil ones, have redeeming qualities. Some are fathers. Others are law-abiding, church-going citizens. A few of them might even be damn cool, albeit away from the fluorescent lights of work. Part of the problem is that we only get a fraction of the picture, and that slice is the one that tells us what to do and when to do it. We're trained to despise authority, so the boss rarely gets the benefit of the doubt.

But what if your boss died? Suddenly. At his or her desk.

I know it's a morbid thought, but this exercise has the potential to open your eyes to new possibilities, and maybe, just maybe, get you on the road to a healthier relationship with your boss - and more importantly - yourself.

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My Career: More Questions Than Answers

I tend to know what I want out of life. And if I make a mistake, I correct it as quickly as possible. More often than not, thanks in part to a perfect mix of in-tune instincts and obsessive research, I make the right choices.

Marrying the perfect woman. Check.
Buying a great house. Check.
Landing my dream gig...

No check.

Why is it that in a world where I am confident about the decisions I make, I am still unsure about my career choices and where I am heading next?

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