thecareerbeat.com Blog

‘Rule 6′: Words to hire by

The “Corner Office” feature in today’s NYT is an interview with Kevin W. Sharer, the CEO of Amgen. Among other topics, he discussed what he looks for when hiring: intelligence, sense of humor, ability to grow, and other common traits.

And he looks for people who don’t violate what he calls “Rule 6.” He explains:

“Rule 6 is, you don’t take yourself too seriously. Rule 5 is, refer to 6. And there is no Rule 1 through 4. I really, really have a hard time getting along with Rule 6 felons. We’re all human and so we’re going to be misdemeanor violators once in a while. But I look for people who are not Rule 6 felons, because they just don’t work out.”

Job seekers, take note!

New fields for the Twitterati

Did you know your passion for Twitter or Facebook could open up a new career? These habits are among several trendy pursuits that can make for surprisingly marketable job skills.

An article in the New York Times looks at one such job: Ghost Twitterer. Surrogates are writing “tweets” on the microblogging site Twitter for people like Britney Spears, 50 Cent, and even President Obama.

But Twitter-related jobs aren’t just for the star-crazed. Companies like Whole Foods and Comcast have employees who are finding innovative ways to use Twitter to reach out to customers and market the brands.

As this article on surprisingly marketable job skills suggests, people who constantly use Twitter and Facebook could also parlay the habit into a job as a social media publicist.

Similarly, you could become a professional blogger — a job that didn’t really exist a few years ago. This is a good gig for many journalists who may be hit by the widespread downsizing of newspapers.

To be fair, not all celebs use ghost twitterers. Basketball star Shaquille O’Neal told the Times: “It’s 140 characters. … If you need a ghostwriter for that, I feel sorry for you.”

You can also turn other passions into professions. A love of travel is a must-have skill (among others) for a global mobility consultant. Like beer? (Who doesn’t?!) The job of brewmaster might be worth considering.

For more on these and other fascinating jobs, check out “The Best Jobs You’ve Never Heard Of.”

Tweets that ruin careers

Add Twitter to email and IM in the “think before you press send” category. What you say in these media can’t be taken back, and they can jeopardize your job.

We’ve all known coworkers who sent an IM or email to the wrong recipient, making a careless or harmful comment that has embarrassing results.

Imagine sending this tweet into the atmosphere: “Cisco offered me a job! Now I have to weigh the utility of a fatty paycheck against the daily commute to San Jose and hating the work.”

According to the post in Cheezhead, a Cisco manager saw it, and mayhem ensued.

A painful experience that we can all learn from. Think before you tweet!

Even though I’m so not a fan of the verb “tweet,” you can follow me on Twitter: HotJobs_editor

Job tip of the day

Even if your work plate already is full, you really shouldn’t say no when the boss approaches with additional duties.

That tidbit comes from the article “Do More with Less: The ‘New Normal’ at Work.”

Poll: Almost half haven’t saved month’s worth of expenses

The latest weekly poll from Yahoo! HotJobs is a surprising look at the kind of financial buffer many workers have saved for themselves in the event of a job loss.

Q	If you lost your job, how many months could you live on your savings (excluding retirement funds)?
0	42%
1	16%
2	11%
3	9%
More than 3	21%
11167 Votes to date

Experts say you should have six months’ worth of living expenses in case of a job loss. It’s a worthy goal, and it could ease your mind during this time of anxiety. For some tips on building your emergency fund, check out “6 Ways to Save for an Unexpected Job Loss.”

Career transitions: Dwayne Johnson

From pro wrestler to movie star to … song-and-dance man!

Johnson gives an entertaining look at his career trajectory in this monologue from “Saturday Night Live.”

(I tried to embed the video, but something didn’t work.) Enjoy!

5 ways to be indispensable

Everyone fortunate enough to still have a job right now would also like to feel more layoff-proof. Who wouldn’t?

Job insecurity is everywhere these days. To decrease that insecurity, check out the advice in “Keep Your Job: 5 Ways to Be Indispensable.”

One way is to make yourself more valuable by finding ways to increase profit. Says executive coach Peggy Klaus, “Be certain that the results you are focusing on and producing are the ones your boss and company value most. Translation: efficiency, cost-cutting and revenue.”

For more good tips, check out the Yahoo! HotJobs article.

Another job-keeping approach some people are trying: lying, cheating, and flirting. That’s according to an interesting new survey reported in TIME magazine. In fact, 28% of people said they would act immorally to keep their jobs.

Hmmm. What better recipe for stress in the workplace?

Job tip of the day

If you’re stumped by a job-interviewer’s question, stall by asking her to clarify a portion of the question. This is a very effective strategy, because often the interview questions that stop job seekers in their tracks are too vague to be approached logically. Asking for clarification can make a molehill out of a mountain.

From “Worst Case Scenarios Survival Tactics for Job Seekers.”

Job tip of the day

“You can see being laid off as the worst thing that’s ever happened, or an opportunity to find something new that’s a great or better fit for you.”

For more, check out this article.

Now you can follow me on Twitter, where I am better about posting daily job tips. My handle is “HotJobs_editor”

Sunday reading: stimulus job idea and more

Noteworthy in today’s New York Times and San Francisco Chronicle…

How to create 6 million jobs
I don’t usually read former SF Mayor Willie Brown’s column in the Chronicle, but today he reported on a novel idea from local investing giant Charles Schwab. There are 6 million companies in the U.S., and Schwab suggests that each company should be challenged to hire one more employee.

“That would mean 6 million people with jobs, instantly,” Schwab said. “It won’t cure the recession, but it would be a start.” I hope somebody on Obama’s team read about it.

This moment: the “Great Disruption”
It seems we’re in a moment that has journalists in a land grab about how to interpret it. Thomas Friedman’s column today suggests we are at a juncture where both Mother Nature and Father Greed have hit the wall. While the piece isn’t specifically about jobs, Friedman’s optimism and creative ideas and solutions are always worth considering.

700 apply for janitor job
It’s getting extremely competitive to be a junior-high-school janitor in Massilon, Ohio.

The up-and-coming job: hydrologist
As water scarcity and other issues intensify, hydrologist jobs are expected to grow 24% by 2016, according to the BLS. That’s faster than the average for all other occupations; learn more in this NYT article.

Popov sales are up!
Yes, people are drinking more in this recession, and they’re reaching for the stuff on the bottom shelf. Popov sales are up 8% in the past year, according to an NYT article. Now I don’t feel so embarrassed by the bottles of Gordon’s vodka and gin in my freezer.