Mon 28 Apr 2008 – 8.50
Most of you know that I’m a huge fan of the 21st century — I love the fact the old standards which governed our parents and grandparents are out the window. Gone are the days of suit-and-ties and corporate songs, our workforce is ever-shifting and change is the only constant.
Much like working in jeans, the new trend is talking openly about salary … with friends. A new article from the New York Times highlights how young workers the salary of their friends just as they know birthdays and the names of spouses.
While salaries may be disclosed casually among friends, that doesn’t mean most young professionals brag about their incomes at a cocktail party. There is still an etiquette to sharing the information — a proper way to divulge.
Yea, of course. I’m only so comfortable talking about salary, even with my close friends. My rule is that I would never ask or tell a friend unless I’ve seen him in his underwear — that’s a good barometer of our friendship. [Bonetti being a notable exception, although we did work as lifeguards for all those years]. And I wouldn’t mind discussing salaries with someone older like a mentor or my parents.
You know what’s funny, if someone asked me what I made right now, I would tell them. But if I somehow got a better job or a raise, I’d be reluctant to tell them. For some reason, I’d like to leave the illusion that I live frugal — that way I can bust out the “I have $40,000 in the bank” card if I ever need it.
posted by Scott in careers, personal finance.
New Blog for Ramen Noodles, Rent, and Resumes
Wed 23 Apr 2008 – 13.51
Hey, remember when I talked with Kristen Fischer about her book, Ramen Noodles, Rent, and Resumes: An after-college guide to life? Well, now the book has a blog, where you can keep track of the latest news and reactions, and get in touch with Kristen and the others working behind the scenes. Check it out!
•• RRR blog »
posted by Scott in careers, education, health & fitness, life, personal finance, podcasts, real estate.
– 13.41
I’ve talked about this before, but it never hurts to hammer home the message: start saving for retirement, my friends! In fact, a recent article from Yahoo! Finance concludes that you can become a millionaire simply by stashing money in your 401(k) and Roth IRA, if you start at age 26.
In 41 years of compounding at 10% annually, $20,500 ($15,500 in a 401(k) and $5,000 in an IRA) will turn into $1 million. And you’ll never have to contribute another dime.
The math is a bit more complex, I imagine, but the point is sound — saving now makes for a big payday later. The trouble is having the excess cash to put away. Most twentysomethings are struggling to pay the rent and have a bit left over for a pint or two, so it doesn’t seem entirely possible to set aside $20k. I suppose the best way is to ease into it. Try setting aside $200 from each paycheck, then try to set aside $300. Eventually, you’re only using half of what you make. Or something.
posted by Scott in careers, personal finance.
Sun 13 Apr 2008 – 1.56
Everyone’s talking about Politics, with an capital P, so let’s take a minute to examine politics with a lowercase p. I’m talking about workplace politics, and how to co-exist with the many strange types of folks you’ll be sure to encounter.
An article from BNet runs down 7 maneuvers that you can employ in your day-to-day, and how they’ll affect the staff. Here’s one I like:
The Silent Strategy
When you present a new idea, it’s human nature that some colleagues will play devil’s advocate. Let them. They’re not necessarily against you, they’re just stress-testing your idea. Say enough to show you’re receptive (“I see your point,” or “right, uh-huh, yes …”) but don’t argue. “The more you talk, the more they come out with counterpoints,” Coughlin says. “If you just stay quiet, a lot of times the group or the individual will come up with reasons they should help you.”
posted by Scott in careers.
Fri 28 Mar 2008 – 14.02
I found the following job post on Craig’s List and thought I should share. First I have to say that I did actually apply, but only because I felt that I honestly fulfill the criteria. Does that mean I have a high regard for myself? Does that mean that most people don’t?
posted by Scott in careers.
Modernizing Your Resume for Today’s Job Market
Thu 06 Mar 2008 – 11.23
Sorry for not properly posting the last episode into the feed, but now that you’ve listened to the awesomeness of Kristen Fischer, I thought you might like to check out an article she’s written for TalentZoo about how to spice up a resume in the turbulent times of today.
My advice: Avoid the word “synergy” at all costs!
posted by Scott in careers.
Office Flings Help Productivity
Fri 08 Feb 2008 – 13.08
Oh, that old golden bear-trap of the office romance.
Bro, she’s way out of your league.
Nowadays, we spend more and more time at work, so it seems only natural that we begin to develop romantic relationships with co-workers. Of course, this is usually discouraged, if not banned outright. Why? Potential drama, I suppose.
However, research shows that it might actually be useful. An article from the Sun tells how “the thrill of a fling ‘raised energy levels and led to better professional capacity’.”
Makes sense. I know if I could see my sweetie during the day I’d generally be in a better mood. The trouble is in arranging the romance in the first place — if you try-but-fail to court a co-worker, it could set off a serious chain of events disrupting the delicate social ecosystem of your workplace (i.e., if you ‘choose’ one of the girls, you’ve automatically blown it with the remainders. It’s called the Law of Exclusion).
You could always just wait for the christmas party, get drunk, and then if things don’t go well, blame the alcohol. No chance that could ever backfire.
posted by Scott in careers, relationships.
Becoming a Millionaire (by saving)
Tue 29 Jan 2008 – 21.32
We all want to be rich. While a million dollars isn’t what it used to be (especially not in New York), it’s quite an aspiration and one that is more achievable than ever. One component for a successful financial future is saving, and more importantly, to begin from a young age!
An article from Yahoo! Personal Finance challenges us to “tuck away a little bit on a regular basis [so] you can party when you’re 19 and 99.”
It also goes on to crunch a few numbers about how powerful saving and ‘passive’ investing can be:
Let’s say that, beginning at age 25, you put the equivalent of seven $4 grande lattes a week toward retirement, setting aside $121 a month. If you invest it in a stock mutual fund with annualized returns of 9 percent, you would see $23,415 after 10 years, $80,814 after 20 years, $221,520 after 30 years and a whopping half-mil, or $566,440, when you retire at age 65.
Read the article here »
posted by Scott in careers, personal finance.
How to Stay Awake at Work or School
Fri 25 Jan 2008 – 10.51
It goes by many names, the “lull”, the “itis”, the “valley of fatigue” to name a few, but by any name we all know the feeling of getting totally exhausted during the day. Whether a student or a worker, the need to sleep can conflict directly with your day’s to-do list. I have often remarked that falling asleep in class is the oldest college tradition; fuck road trips! Of course it can be a problem because most workplaces place sleep as the #1 cardinal sin, right behind porno. Drinking? I have at various points been offered beer, wine and hard liquor during the work day, but I have never been offered a nap. And while sunglasses may hide you in a crowded lecture hall, they rarely work when the boss comes around to your desk.
OK, so how do we stay awake during the day? Aside from the obvious points about getting enough rest the night before, eating breakfast, etc. a few good tips turned up on a post from Dumb Little Man, yet another rediculously named blog about general life. Here’s one that sounds reasonable:
8. Get Help from Colleagues. If you have some buddies at work, confide in them that you need their help with staying awake. See if there are any things you can work on together. Talking with co-workers will help keep your mind engaged and alert.
I’ve been there. I’ve been there. Jessica and I used to throw crumpled up post-its at one another when we’d see the head starting to bob.
The tactic I like to employ at work, school, and on the road (although don’t fuck with falling asleep behind the wheel!) is simply to drink loads of water. Get yourself a gallon, or at least a litre bottle, and start drinking! When was the last time you fell asleep having to pee like mad? Yes, you’ll have to take a trip to the toilet every ten minutes, but the walking will also help to wake you up. And if that fails, get yourself an apple. The effort required to eat an apple is sure to keep you going, to say nothing of the natural sugars, etc. And the odd thing about apples is that you have to eat them in a certain amount of time or else they turn brown, so no dozing off between bites!
Coffee also does the trick. That is, if you don’t use it every half hour.
Check out the article and add your comments about what keeps you awake during that afterlunch dip.
posted by Scott in careers, coffee, health & fitness.
Fri 04 Jan 2008 – 11.51
Interested in taking your work life up a notch for the new year? Best to get into one of these fields. US News and World Report has the rundown of some ahead-of-the-curve careers perfect for the taking. Here’s an obvious but insightful example:
>Globalization, especially Asia’s ascendancy. This should create great demand for business development specialists, helping U.S. companies create joint ventures with Chinese firms. Once those deals are made, offshoring managers are needed to oversee those collaborations as well as the growing number of offshored jobs.
posted by Scott in careers.