A Job Hunt Story

Lecturer Ian Parsons files this report after approximately 7 months out of work About a year and a half ago, I felt burned out on my long commute and the corporate climate at [integration systems company] Oracle so I was hoping to find a start-up or other company closer to home where I could have a bigger impact on the company's success.  I had been doing a passive job search while I was still at Oracle which began about a year before I was laid off. Earlier last year I had thought I had another job lined up (2 months before I was laid off) where the company wanted to hire someone new by around late September. Unfortunately, the VP of Sales...

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Working from home: A personal cost/benefit analysis

Our recent discussions of working from home, at-home parenting, and commuting have sparked a lot of commentary.  Guest blogger Dichotomom contributes this reflection from her website. Note that this is Summer 2008, when the cost of commuting had become restrictive, particularly in traffic-burdened New England. The other day I rushed to pick up my sweet, innocent little boy from camp. When I scooped him up in a hug, he scowled and pulled away, “Uh, Mommy, you wore that yesterday. And the day before,” he said, disgusted. “And your hair smells yucky.” Busted. Such is the life of a work from home mother. I love working from home. I think it’s...

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Survivor's Guilt: Watching the layoffs unfold

Miss Minchin, Dean of Students There was no hint that anything was brewing, at least nothing aside from what has become the norm for anyone holding down a corporate job in this economy. It started as a regular Friday, with a full day of meetings and deliverables to complete before losing another two days to the weekend. And then about 9:30 in between conference calls, did I hear that right? Is someone saying good bye? Did he quit? No way, he's got important projects in the works. Wait - he sounds emotional, he wasn't expecting this. I turn around and he invites me over to tell me that he's been told it's his last day. Holy @$&*. I am not...

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Ask A Manager:

Dick Whitman, Manager in Residence Dear Manager,  What should we do when the boss' favorite is the one who slacks off, always makes messes that others have to clean up, or is just plain incompetent? When this person is a pro at charming the boss, and rolling up his/ her sleeves to "save the day" when it was his mess in the first place, how do you address the issue without looking like you're not being a team player?  First let me help you to understand why this might be happening. How can your otherwise competent manager just not see that this guy is a total drain? Well, there’s a little something called a blind spot that...

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A Working Mother's Rant

Our Guest Blogger writes The Dyer Family, which she describes as a series of "semi-daily diatribes."  In this one, she ponders whether raising children should have turned her into the kind of person she has never really been anyway.  I am no good at a stay-at-home mother, and I don't know why....or do I? Let's back up.  I am a working mother.  I teach school full time, and I have two very small children who spend their days at day care.  No, it's not the most preferable option, but it's what we've got. There are times that I hate working - hate every second of it.  I hate being busy all the time and living...

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Faculty Chat: Kindle Reading (product review)

A discussion arose recently between Guest Blogger/Contributors Webb (From The Garden Bench) and  Cathie (The Desert of My Real Life) , with AK, of Atlanta.  Caroline Bender moderated.  CB: What attracted you to the Kindle, and what finally made you buy? AK: I am a "gadget" person and an avid reader, so I had been intrigued with the idea of an electronic way of reading books for a long time.   I read a lot of paperback fiction and then I donate the books, so this was a way to read them at a cheaper price and not have to deal with the issues of either finding room for them or getting them somewhere for donation. ...

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Roth Conversion: Decision Scenarios

Instructor, Caroline Bender You have read or heard through your preferred news outlets that investors may now convert their traditional IRA savings into a Roth IRA and reap the benefits of tax-free retirement withdrawals in their older age. What you have always wanted -- a paycheck in the full amount of what you earn (however you set your payroll in your golden years). If internet research has brought you to this post, then you are likely reading everywhere what you are about to read here: there is no universal answer to "Should I or Shouldn't I?" We applaud you for trying to learn more; we are flattered that you chose us out of the many...

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Commuting: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

Instructor Maggie, career secretary and commuter   Not everyone has the luxury of walking to work or even having a short drive anymore, thus “commute” is a big part of our lives. Sometimes it can be both bad and ugly. Bad when others drive too fast and try to push us; ugly when the weather works against us.  But find the Good - and put it first. The company for which I work recently moved into its new headquarters building about 20 miles closer to my house and for the first couple of weeks the conversations in the elevator were “How’s your commute?” It’s interesting to see how folks adjust to changes that affect that particular aspect...

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The Three Step Formula for Redefining Life Balance

Guest Blogger, Charlene, The Balance Beam. A lot of people make an immediate mental leap from "life balance" to "work/life balance." Newsflash: "Work/life" balance is a misnomer. Yes, work is a part of life. But so are family, education, community and taking care of yourself so you can handle it all. The impossible quest for "work/life" balance somehow says that work and life are on the same playing field, vying for position. It implies teeter-totter energy. It assumes that when one side goes up, the other goes down and vice versa.There is a perpetual give and take... with parallel neutrality being the ideal scenario. Personally I think...

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Groundhog’s Day—The Working Mom’s Holiday

Guest Blogger Jeanne Brown is a Boston-based freelance writer and communications consultant. She is also a married mother of two who is trying to juggle it all—family, work, health, writing, volunteering and the rest of life. When she finds time, she blogs at http://dichotomom.blogspot.com/ or tweets at @JeanneBrown. To many, February means Valentine’s Day, complete with romance, hearts and fluff. I say, down with that. We don’t need candy and we won’t wear lingerie.  Instead, we need a day that focuses on keeping us sane, not one that makes us insane.  Working mothers should unite. Let’s lobby Hallmark for a new February holiday,...

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