thecareerbeat.com Blog

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

Social networking sites as a career benefit

I know plenty of people my age who poo-poo social networking sites like LinkedIn or Facebook, and they may be doing so at their peril.

They would do well to read “The Social Network as a Career Safety Net” in today’s New York Times. The piece makes an especially good case for LinkedIn, whose average user is a 41-year-old college-educated professional. The site is not just for the youngsters!

The hard part about that site is getting recommendations. They help complete your profile and make it more useful for possible hiring agents, but it can feel like an imposition to ask that of your associates. Maybe that’s why I’ve never asked for a recommendation!

Using these sites while at work can be a tricky issue. I’ve often heard people talk about playing games or leaving comments on Facebook during work. That could be a no-no in the eyes of your employer!

More than half of companies don’t have a policy about using social network sites at work, but that may change soon. For more, read “Mixing Online Networking with Work.”

What your inbox says about you

Are you a perfectionist or a procrastinator? Your email inbox could have the answer.

At work I just try to keep my inbox as empty as possible.  And that means, according to this article, that I am a perfectionist.  Hmmm.  I’ve always heard keeping your inbox empty was a good sign of efficiency, and I’m pleased with how well I stay on top of it.

But the article suggests I may have a “Pavlovian-like attachment” to my inbox, meaning that I perk up every time I hear a ding that alerts me to a new message.  These frequent interruptions could adversely affect my productivity and concentration — and they do, honestly.  I cope by keeping lists so that I can rebound from the constant distractions.  But I hate to think of the opposite scenario with the overstuffed inbox.

Which P-word applies to you?  Find out more here.

Portrait of an active job seeker

We hear lots these days about job losses and the rising unemployment rate in impersonal reports.  I thought this mini interview with a job seeker, Sean Bartel, might add more depth to the picture.

Sean Bartel is a broadcast journalist who lives near Cincinnati, and he’s set up his own site, seanbartel.com, to help with his job search. Below is a Q&A I conducted with him via email recently, and I think his experiences can benefit many others.

Q: How long have you been actively looking for a job?

A: For seven months. Four days after Thanksgiving I was told I’d be laid off, but my final day wasn’t until January 4th (because of negotiations of severance and things of that source).

What has been the biggest challenge for you in your job search?

Sifting through all the new options on the Internet for a job search. I haven’t been out of work since I graduated college (1999) and haven’t changed jobs in four years, and the difference in the amount of websites and ways you can get your work to an employer is staggering. Figuring out which ones are good, which ones aren’t worthwhile, and how to proceed has been more difficult than I imagined.

How has having your own Web site helped in your job search?  Would you recommend that as a tool for others, perhaps as a supplement for a resume?

Absolutely, for anyone inside or outside of television. It saves you in a number of ways: Obviously the cash to send your material to a possible employer, but also time and gives you extra creativity. What you can do on a Web site far exceeds the limited imagination of a resume.

What is the most significant thing you’ve learned during your job-search process?

Read up on good ways to job search, ways you haven’t thought of. “Knock ‘Em Dead” is a book filled with simple ideas I never did before but am starting to employee. Also, when you’re sending out cover letters or creating a Web site, let your personality flow. Stop thinking about listing accomplishments for a second, and find a way to write like you’re talking to your best friend (in a professional way, obviously)

What advice would you give to others who might be facing a lengthy job search?

Whenever you talk to someone about a job, advice, anything, ask at the end, “Do you know anyone else I could talk to?” Quickly build a new network for your job search to add to your old one. Send more thank-you notes than you ever have before. But don’t drive yourself nuts. Work on your job for a number of hours each day from 9-5, but when your accustomed quitting time arrives, try and relax. Have a nice meal, and start fresh again the next day.

Where the jobs are: technology

“Here’s a hint for high school graduates or college students still majoring in indecision: Put down that guitar or book of poetry and pick up a laptop. Study computer science or engineering, and plan to move to a big city.”

So begins a compelling BusinessWeek article (posted on Yahoo! HotJobs), that I would love all my siblings to read, for the benefit of my nieces and nephews. If the youngsters are really into computers, rejoice and nurture that interest! (Easy for me to say, not being a parent.)

The article is based on a survey that finds tech jobs are still growing (no surprise), even as the economy sputters. And the expansion spreads to plenty of places other than Silicon Valley or Seattle.

It’s important to remember there are so many facets to the high-tech industry. If you don’t want to be an engineer, what about a project manager?  How about a marketing manager, or a data analyst?  The company I work for is considered part of the tech/Internet industry, yet my daily functions require very little programming know-how or background.

Research also shows that fewer students are majoring in computer-related fields, so there is decreasing competition (among U.S.-born workers) for these lucrative and rewarding fields.  Carpe diem!

New site lets workers vent (or gossip)

I learned about a new site for workers this morning while reading an SF Chronicle article. It’s Glassdoor.com, and it lets workers post anonymous critiques of companies and share salary information, among other details.

I spent a little time on the site today, reading some of the posts about my employer, Yahoo!. I expected to see much of the knee-jerk ranting that you often see in Web comment sections, but I was pleased with the level of discourse I observed. (The site is relatively new, so maybe it will become more polluted over time. Call me cynical.)

A fine quote from one site visitor, who claims to be a “very satisfied” Yahoo! employee: “One of the most compelling reasons to work at Yahoo! is the culture of the organization — down to the exclamation point in the name.”

This site could be a great resource for researching a potential employer. But remember that users who post are on an honor system regarding the truth of their information.

A note of caution: Think twice before you join (membership is free) and give your title, salary info, or critique of your current or past employer. While the posts are “anonymous,” they might still be traceable by associates who know enough about you to guess at your identity. Your comments could come back to cut you.

I wonder if this site will become the new F***edCompany. Remember that site?

Web browsing on work time

This week’s poll on Yahoo! HotJobs was very interesting…

Poll Results

Q How many hours per week at work do you spend on Web browsing not related to your job? Less than 1 30% 1-4 hours 31% 4-8 hours 18% More than 8 22% 13036 Votes to date

(Sorry the purple background is a little tough to read. Trying to figure that out.)

Everybody does it, right? Maybe, but it still could get you fired. Check out this article for more on how your computer use at work could get you canned. Browse at your own risk!

The rude side of wireless working

Have you ever been a conference call in which one of your coworkers — on a cell phone — flushes the toilet? I have. Apart from being rude, the experience is uncomfortable and definitely unprofessional.

We can thank wireless technology for that advance in bad behavior. In fact, the proliferation of wireless gadgets in the professional realm has created a whole new set of unacceptable behaviors.

A recent survey by Yahoo! HotJobs found that while workers appreciate the flexibility and productivity the comes with wireless gadgets, they also get frustrated by five rude behaviors fostered by wireless devices.

The No. 1 offense: Accepting a personal call while in a meeting or presentation.

Read the full article for more bad behaviors!

Blogging as a career

Interesting article in today’s SF Chronicle about how blogging has emerged as a possible career for some savvy entrepreneurs.

More and more journalists are getting into blogging, particularly as newspapers downsize. But it’s also interesting to me that more and more journalists in “traditional media” are starting blogs that supplement their print/broadcast work.

As a journalist, I think it’s important for me to familiarize myself with the process of blogging. I’m a bit of a johnny-come-lately to the blogging party, but it seems latecomers are still welcome. This blog is in fact part of my career development, so let the roller-coaster ride begin.