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Be careful what you view online at work!

In case you need an example of why you shouldn’t look at racy items on your computer at work, check out this video clip.  A man in the background doesn’t realize (until late) that his screen is visible to a TV audience…

It’s hard to tell if the photos are racy, but his surprised look back once he realizes the camera is rolling says it all. (via Towleroad)

UPDATE: The man with wandering eyes — a bank employee — will get to keep his job.

A job-board ad you won’t see on TV

There’s an interesting post today on ERE.net about the ad rivalry between Monster and CareerBuilder that’s been taking place every year during that big football game that many people watch for commercials.

The post includes this ad that CareerBuilder wisely passed on…

Thoughts?

Using gossip to your advantage

Last week I was on “View from the Bay” to talk about how gossip can sometimes be beneficial for your career.  It’s definitely a gray area, but knowing how to filter out the harmful stuff can lead to useful information.

Work humor: the wacky secretary

I have been sick for a little over a week, so my blog output has slowed.  At times like this a good work-related “SNL” skit can do the trick:

Overused office buzzwords: the list grows

I recently wrote an article about the most annoying and overused terms in the workplace, and readers have been commenting with new words to add to the list.

The basis for the article was a survey by Accountemps, in which 150 senior executives identified the problem words and phrases (e.g. “leverage,” “circle back”). But here’s 10 more they missed, according to Yahoo! HotJobs readers:

• Stakeholder
• Heads up
• Mission critical
• Bandwidth
• Touch base
• In the loop
• Low-hanging fruit
• Moving forward
• At the end of the day
• On the same page

The disdain for so many of the buzzwords runs deep, and I’m surprised by the large number of offending terms. My favorite comment: “How is it that “touch base” didn’t make the cut? That’s an insipid office phrase that’s been going around for years.” (Great word — “insipid”!)

The sad thing is that I use so many of these phrases, particularly in work settings. (Except “low-hanging fruit,” which has always distracted me. Maybe  because it’s so descriptive?) And now I get self-conscious every time I use one of these, so I’m updating my vocabulary when possible.

But it’s important to remember the perspective that Liz Bywater provided while I was researching the article:

“There’s nothing inherently wrong with having a set of terms, a common lexicon, by which people in a given field or industry can easily communicate. This is essentially what business buzzwords are — a set of terms that are readily understood in the corporate environment. When used properly and in context, these buzzwords serve as a sort of linguistic shorthand. When overused or misused, however, buzzwords can overshadow or even distort the overall communication. Using too many buzzwords can lessen an individual’s credibility as an independent, intelligent, creative thinker. At worst, it can make him look like a wishy-washy wannabe.”

I can’t resist: At the end of the day, it is what it is. But keeping everyone on the same page is always a value-add.

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Let’s hear it for jobs that stink

The “Dirty Jobs” clip in my last post reminded me of an overlooked article on Yahoo! HotJobs earlier this year, called “Jobs That Really Stink.”

Many serious jobs can be pretty stinky. Doggy daycare workers and garbage collectors are fairly common examples, but how about poultry processors? And as you can see from the article, some of these jobs can pay pretty well (crime-scene cleaners can make up to $60K per year).

Where’s the Appreciation Day for Employees in Stinky Jobs? I’m definitely grateful for the jobs they do. Someone should add it to the Hilda Solis to-do list.

In related news, here’s a fun little video on crappy jobs:

Kevin Shea: Crappy Jobs @ Yahoo! Video

On salaries big, small, and sweet

A recent article tracking the best- and worst-paid professions found many food-service workers at the bottom of the pay scale — when strictly looking at annual wages.

Not surprisingly, medical jobs were among the highest-paid. Surgeons topped the list ($206,770), followed by anesthesiologists ($197,570) and orthodontists ($194,930).

Bottom three: Combined food-prep and service workers ($17,400), fast-food cooks ($17,620), and dishwashers ($17,750). The rewards for being a barista or “sandwich artist” are definitely more than monetary.

But now a new contest offers one VERY lucrative food-service job: Scooping ice cream. You could make $100,000 in one day — courtesy of Edy’s Grand Ice Cream.

Who wouldn’t want to make $100K in a single day of work? Whether you’re a foodie or not, employed or not, this sounds as irresistible as a triple-scoop waffle cone on a hot summer day. The promotion coincides with the 80th birthday of Edy’s Rocky Road, a flavor that gave people something to smile about during the Great Depression.

The contest involves writing about how you would use the $100K salary to fulfill your American dream. For more details, check out www.icecream.com and follow the “Taste of Recovery” links.

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

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.

Santa’s back, making serious coin!

Earlier this week the country was shocked to learn that a mall Santa had been laid off (see earlier post, “Sign of the times”). Outcry over the news has reportedly forced Tysons Corner Center, one of the biggest malls in the Washington, D.C. area, to reconsider.

Michael Graham, who had played Santa there for 18 years, reached an agreement with the mall to get his job back, according to the Associated Press. The surprise in the article, however, is that Graham makes $175 per hour as Santa!

That hourly wage is 10 times the going rate, AP reports. Where is the Professional Santa Claus Impersonators Association to comment on this?

Of course, being Santa can be hard work: The outfit is hot, the kids can be bratty and demanding, and their parents even more so. But if you’re good — and all accounts suggest that Michael Graham excels in the job — it could be the best seasonal job around that doesn’t require much training.

Even year-round full-time contractors (with degrees) don’t make close to that kind of hourly wage. Contract recruiters in California make between $80 and $100 per hour, depending on years of experience, according to Bob Hancock, senior recruiter at Electronic Arts.

“I don’t know anyone in my profession who makes $175 an hour, but then again,” adds Hancock, “we do not require candidates to sit on anyone’s lap during an interview!”

If you’re on a quest for a high-paying seasonal job, get busy! For some helpful hints, read this outlook on holiday hiring.

The talented Mr. Graham may still be a bargain for the mall, as they have averted a PR nightmare and a possible boycott that would have scrooged holiday earnings.