Life Analyzed

Felting Woes

2011-03-21T15:58:00.000-04:00

For the past year, I’ve been sporadically working on a large, crocheted throw. The throw is made up of 25 individual felted squares which tie together to form a blanket. The crochet work wasn’t hard, but it took a long time, so I was very excited when I finally finished and was ready to begin my first felting attempt. I did some research to find the best way to felt my work in the washing machine. Everyone agreed: some ivory soap, heavy duty cycle, hottest wash, lowest amount of water, check frequently to make sure your piece hasn’t shrunk too much. I followed the instructions to the letter, but my results were nowhere near the level of feltedness I was looking for (read practically unfelted). What was I doing wrong? No one even mentioned the possibility that a full wash cycle wouldn’t felt my piece. I thought about running it through again, but at the very slow rate it was felting per wash, I was afraid it would take way too many cycles to actually reach felt quality. I tried hand felting it, but it took even longer to felt just one square. I couldn’t imagine felting 25 by hand. So, I did some more research. I didn’t find anything new, except one throwaway line on someone’s website about not bothering to add boiling water to the wash. None of the instructions I read mentioned the boiling water trick, so I thought maybe I’d give it a try. After some experimentation, I came up with a method that finally achieved results, although it wasn’t as simple as throw it in the wash. In the interest of helping others who may also have overly gentle washing machines achieve felting perfection, I’m sharing the technique that worked for me.

Put your piece in the washing machine with about 1 tablespoon of liquid ivory soap. If the load is small, add something cotton and non-pilling (no towels) to the load. I used a white canvas laundry bag I happened to have around.
Set the washer to its hottest temperature, lowest amount of water, and the heavy duty load.
Start the washer.
Put a pot of water on to boil.
Watch the washer, as soon as the wash cycle is completed and before the rinse cycle starts, stop the machine and check your piece. If it is felted to your liking skip to step 7, otherwise move on to the next step.
Add the pot of boiling water to the machine, and restart the wash cycle. Put another pot on to boil. Repeat this step until the piece is felted to your liking.
Once your piece is felted perfectly, change the water temperature to the coldest setting, and let the washing machine continue through the rinse and spin cycles.
Remove your piece from your machine, shape it, and let it air dry.

I ended up running my pieces through the wash cycle about 7 times before it actually looked like felt. I’m glad I finally figured it out, and my blanket is now even closer to being done. I can’t wait to have a finished product after working on this project for so long.

Four Unemployment Frustrations - Part 4

2011-03-18T12:38:00.002-04:00

Before I became unemployed, I would have expected that losing my job would also remove a large number of the frustrations of my daily life. The reality is that while I definitely have less stress in my current state, my previous frustrations have simply been replaced by new ones. This series of posts examines my top four unemployment frustrations. Click here to read Part 1, Part 2 or Part 3.

My fourth and final job search frustration is dealing with Recruiters.

I think this is an underreported issue when it comes to looking for a job. Recruiters hold a lot of power when it comes to the job search. They know about jobs that aren’t being advertised elsewhere. And no job searcher wants to alienate a group of people who can help them. I’m probably shooting myself in the foot by posting this, but I think it needs to be said, and I’m hoping that the good recruiters will know they are not the target of this rant, and well, the bad recruiters are less likely to come through with a job anyway. And yes, there are excellent recruiters out there: the kinds who call you back, who understand the company they’re recruiting for and the positions they’re filling, who answer questions and give you helpful tips for the interviews they arrange. Unfortunately, for every good recruiter, there must be 3 frustratingly bad recruiters.

Everyone I know has a story about one or multiple recruiters who just didn’t get it – the jobs they were filling, the candidate they were working with, basic geography, etc. I get emails and phone calls multiple times a week from legitimate recruiters with legitimate jobs that I consider turning down because I don't want that particular recruiter representing me. Here's an example from just this week:

A recruiter calls me. His English is so poor, I have a hard time understanding anything he's telling me [Note: I have a lot of experience dealing with non-native speakers of English and generally am very good at understanding people, so if I could not understand this person, I cannot imagine how he communicates with people not as accustomed to listening to accents.], however I do finally get some information out of our conversation and he tells me he's going to send me an email about the position. A few minutes later, he calls me back to see if I got the email. [Note: this is a pet peeve of mine. Email isn't instantaneous; it can take up to three days to reach its destination, even if it rarely does.] I hadn't yet, so he tells me to refresh my email (seriously?). While I'm waiting for the email he decides to confirm a few details: best number to reach me, availability, last 4 digits of my SSN. Um, what? I ask him why he needs that. He tells me it's for a background check. I tell him he can't run a background check on me with only 4 digits and I don't feel comfortable giving those to him. He says he'll put his manager on the phone. Meanwhile the email has arrived. It tells me the location and rate for the job and includes a non-compete agreement, but no job description. So the manager gets on and starts telling me about the position, basically repeating what the first recruiter had told me. The manager's English is better, but he's still not a native speaker. I finally get am able to get a word in to tell him I’ve already discussed the position with the previous gentleman and that the reason he was put on the phone was because I did not wish to give them my SSN. He tells me it's just for the client's database; they just need to give them 4 numbers. I tell him if that's the case, he could make up any 4 numbers to enter. He tells me it's only 4 digits of my SSN, so it doesn't matter. I tell him that's almost half the number. He tells me I will have to provide my SSN if I get the job. I tell him that if I get a job I will be happy to give him the number at that time, no sooner. Finally he decides he's not winning and relents. I tell him that I had not received the job description. He says he'll send me that and call back (you know, to confirm I received it). He calls back on my cell phone, despite the fact that I confirmed the best number to reach me on was my home number. The job is actually interesting, and I’m qualified for it, so I send in the NCA and get an email later saying to expect a call from another person at 12:30 (it's unclear if this is the client or another recruiter, I sort of suspect the latter), and to be cooperative. (I’m sure this is snarkiness, but email isn’t always the best medium for communicating, so I give him the benefit of the doubt.) The third person calls me at 1. His English is even better than the manager's, but he's still not a native speaker. [I'm a big proponent of immigration, but I'm starting to question my stance after this experience.] He turns out to also be a recruiter, and tells me after our conversation that the next step would be an in-person interview. So far, I haven't heard back.

Although this is a job I'm rather interested in, I have a lot of doubts. My first doubt is whether this team of non-native speakers can really represent me to a potential client. My second is whether I want to work for a company that would hire these guys. So, the pros of the job are balanced by the cons of the recruiting team I've dealt with so far. And unfortunately, I know in the back of my head that if this group of recruiters is anything like similar ones I've dealt with, I'll never hear back from them again. So I lost almost an entire morning lost to dealing with them for nothing.

I often wonder how recruiters like this make money. But actually, I know the answer: bulk. As an HR person, I’ve dealt with recruiters from the other side, and frankly, my opinions of them were the same – a few good ones, way too many bad ones. The bad ones would send tons of barely qualified resumes for the positions we were looking to fill, and never question when we turned them all down. The good ones would ask a ton of questions about what we were looking for, actually limit their submissions to candidates who met our requirements, and whenever we turned one of their candidates down, call to ask why. It is a shame to me that what should be a noble profession helping match people to jobs has been taken over by people who just want to make a placement (and the accompanying 20% commission), no matter how they go about it, and that the few good recruiters out there are losing their reputations to the much larger number of bad ones.

Four Unemployment Frustations - Part 3

2011-03-17T16:49:00.002-04:00

A few days ago I received a call from a recruiter. The number showed up on my caller ID as a man's name, not a company. This number called me every day for three days between 9 and 10 am without leaving a message. So, on the fourth call, I decided that I would have to answer the number to get them to stop calling. The recruiter introduces herself, mumbles her company name, and tells me she found my resume on a career site and may want to set up an interview. She then asks me some very basic questions about my work history and contact details. I resist the urge to tell her that if she has my resume she shouldn't need to ask these questions and politely respond. She does not ask for any details about my experience, except to ask if I've every supervised anyone (again this is on my resume). She then says she wants to set up an interview with her boss, and when am I available. I ask what the position is. She tells me they have a number of positions available ranging from associate to senior manager. I tell her that's not very clear; those are job levels, not job titles. She repeats that the positions are all kinds from sales associates to senior managers. I say, so these are sales positions? She says well some of the positions are management. I point out to her that my experience is in HR. She says, so you're only interested in HR positions. I tell her pretty much. She says good luck on your search.

The experience was probably particularly frustrating because it took place over the phone, rather than by email where I could look up the company name if I had doubts, and deal with and respond to the request at my leisure. Over the phone put me on her terms, and I felt like I had to fight with her to get the information I needed. Imagine if I was a less persistent person and actually let her set up the interview. How much time would I have wasted getting to and participating in the interview?

When I was a teenager, I applied for a similar position with a knife company. They advertised on telephone poles and in the paper that you could earn up to $16/hour without telling you anything else about them. Since that was good money for a summer job, I called the number. The “interview” included a sales demonstration with a group of other applicants, a brief 5 minute discussion with the recruiter, and a job offer. Even at 16 I knew that this was a bum deal. I was going to pester my friends and family to listen to my pitch. They would buy something small because they felt bad for me. Then they would give me one or two names of friends who might be interested, but when I called those people, they wouldn’t be interested and that would be the end of my knife selling career. I turned the offer down.

I suspect financial sales is a similar networking sales technique. The need for constant fresh blood pushes the recruiters to do anything in their power to find candidates. Still, their tactics leave a bad taste in my mouth, and even if I thought I might be good at it, I'm disinclined to even consider financial sales as a career alternative.

There's more to come. Click here to read Part 4.

Four Unemployment Frustrations - Part 2

2011-03-16T14:55:00.001-04:00

Interview offers from companies I have not applied to. I get legitimate versions of these from time to time - a recruiter finds my resume on a job board and emails or calls to see if I would be a good match for a position they're working to fill. The difference is that a legitimate recruiter always sends a job description and asks if the position is something I'm interested in before attempting to arrange an interview, usually by phone first. The spam version gives little to no information about the actual position and wants to set up an in-person interview right away. The best I can tell is these are the type of scam where I would have to pay them for something in order to do the job and the "interview" they want to set up is really a sales session where they try to convince me that I need to buy their client list for $299 or whatever.
Job offers from companies I have not applied to. These usually have multiple warning signs that they're not legitimate - they're offering you the position without any interview or screening process whatsoever; they don't tell you the name of their organization; they don't tell you what the job is; the salary is too good to be true.
Emails telling me about this great other job site that I should sign up for. These are obviously data mining schemes, hoping I'll type in all my personal data so they can sell it. Although, I have run into some similar sites whose business model seems to be selling "premium" membership. This second type is more likely to advertise on legitimate job boards, rather than send emails, however.
Emails offering to find me a job for a fee. I don't get a lot of these, but I have gotten a couple. I've been in the HR business long enough to know that legitimate recruiters get paid by the company whose position they've filled, not by the candidate.

It bothers me that so many people and organizations are trying to take advantage of people looking for a job. Sure, I’m savvy enough to recognize that these are scams and hit the delete key, but even I second guess myself sometimes, wondering if maybe I’m being overly suspicious and hurting my chances by deleting what could turn out to be good leads. Of course, when I second guess myself, I google the company or person who sent me the email and find instant confirmation of my suspicions. But not everyone is that suspicious and aware of potential scams. How many unemployed people, desperate for a job, fall victim to these unsolicited email scams?

There's more to come. Click here to read Part 3 or Part 4.

Four Unemployment Frustrations - Part 1

2011-03-15T13:19:00.001-04:00

I’ll call the first frustration poor attention to detail.

My resume is publically available on the major job site, Monster, CareerBuilder, Dice, etc. I also peruse these sites, job search aggregator sites, and a number of other sources to find companies that are hiring in my field and apply. As a result, I frequently get emails or phone calls from recruiters about jobs they are working on that they feel I’m a match for. This is exactly how one would expect the job search process to work. Except sometimes, the logic behind the call or email makes no sense. Two recent examples:

A recruiter called and left a message for me about a position in NYC. I return the call, only to learn that the position is payroll heavy. I have almost no payroll experience. (In her defense, I don't think the company was clear about the payroll requirement at first, but it was an HR analytics role, which generally does involve a lot of payroll data.)
A recruiter emailed me about a 2-3 month contract position in Texas. The job sounded interesting, but I live in NJ, so I emailed him back to find out if it was a remote position. I never heard back.

Because I can tell that they are legitimate recruiters (I’ll talk about the less than legitimate in future posts), I always take the time to respond, because one never knows when a connection may lead to something. For example, the first recruiter and I had a nice discussion, and while the job she’s working on isn’t for me, I hope she will call me if a better match comes up (although maybe not if she reads this . . .). However, this kind of mismatched contact frustrates me because it uses up a portion of my time and gets my hopes up unnecessarily.

Poor attention to detail comes up frequently in job postings as well. I’ve talked before about typos and poor formatting in postings. Usually, I take small errors in stride. But I do find contradictory information in the same posting to be frustrating. Where is this job, exactly, NJ as it says in the job details, or Florida, as it says in the job description? Is this a management position as the job title says, or an assistant position as the job description implies? If I apply, am I just wasting your and my time? Paying better attention to the details would probably improve the number of quality candidates a company receives, so this is important.

I know I’m not perfect in this regard either. We can all use the reminder to think before we act, to slow down and check for accuracy before we do things. These things reflect on how others perceive us.

There's more to come. Click here to read Part 2, Part 3 or Part 4.

What happened?

2010-10-28T16:00:00.001-04:00

In my last post I blogged about my struggle with openness vs. privacy and made some personal goals to be more open and share more. Then two months passed without a post. You're probably wondering what happened. Well, this happened:

That's right, I adopted a kitten. His name is Harlequin, and he takes up a lot of my time. I didn't think a cat would be as time intensive as he's been. I mean, a dog, sure, but everyone knows cats are independent and require very little from their humans. Not true. At least at the kitten phase, they need a lot of attention, a lot of monitoring and a lot of discipline. Oy.

But it's been worth it. Harlequin makes my days more interesting, more fun, more exciting. Watching him explore and learn about the world has been eye-opening to me about things adults take for granted. Watching him adjust to schedules and routines and come, not only to understand them, but to expect them, has been fascinating. Just watching him, period, brings me joy in a way that's hard to explain.

In some ways my experiences with this kitten are a lot like what I would expect to experience as a new parent. In fact a lot of people have commented on my behavior with him as indicators of what I might be like as a parent. But at the same time, I know nothing can compare to parenthood, and I certainly wouldn't want to downplay the amount of work and stress and joy that a new child can bring. Still, the thought persists that there's a lot of similarities between raising a kitten and raising a human, and I'm treating this as a realistic preview of what the latter might be like.

Openness vs. Privacy - A Struggle

2010-08-20T18:16:00.000-04:00

I’m a big believer in the millennial values of openness, transparency and honesty. I like to think that my interactions with other embody those values. Lately, however, I’ve been realizing that I’m also a very private person. Sure, I’m on facebook, twitter, linkedin, and I keep a blog, but if you follow me on any of those media, you’ll notice that I don’t update very frequently, and when I do, it’s not particularly revealing. So, I’ve been analyzing my private behavior in the face of my belief in openness, and I’ve come to realize a few of the driving factors behind my lack of updates.

Humility. Being humble doesn’t mean not being confident. It means having a healthy sense of self and one’s place in the world. I often don’t think to post or update about things because I feel others would not be interested in it. The world doesn’t need or want to know what I had for breakfast or that I did laundry today.
Fear. I’ll admit, I’m terrified of being judged. I have all kinds of wacky non-mainstream interests, hobbies, and thoughts, and I’m afraid that if I talk about them or share them, people will think less of me. I’m also afraid of being boring, so if something seems mundane or trivial, I’ll choose not to talk about it because I want others to think I’m interesting.
Privacy. As I mentioned, I do think certain things are best kept private. The world does not need to know about my sex life or my bowel movements (which is kind of a shame, because both can be quite interesting. . .) I also try to keep any discussion of health issues to a minimum unless they are specifically related to the topic at hand.

I feel my reasons for keeping my life private, for not updating the world constantly about my activities, are generally reasonable. I sometimes wish others would keep those things in mind when they update their social media pages. At the same time, though I recognize that the people I like most, the people I feel the most close to, despite perhaps not knowing them in real life or seeing them frequently in person, are the people who update frequently. Who share the small things in their lives as well as the big. And I can see that most of them break out of my self-imposed limitations in order to keep the updates coming. So, I’m pushing my own envelope. If you follow me on one or more social media, you’ll (hopefully) be seeing more updates. These updates may be boring, and may open me up to be judged by you, so be kind in your comments and replies.

How to be Smart and Stupid All at Once

2010-08-02T17:14:00.001-04:00

Today I took the Graduate Record Examination or GRE test. I can hear your collective groan of sympathy. Four hours of standardized testing! But really it wasn't that bad. Partly because I secretly kind of like standardized tests. I don't think anyone can truly say they're good at such tests, but my scores show that I'm definitely better than average. And I like the challenge of being asked purportedly intellectual questions and trying to beat the system. So really, there are worse ways I could have spent those four hours.

By my estimation, I did well on the exam. I received my verbal and quantitative results immediately. I received a perfect score on the verbal section (I can't believe it!) and a respectable score on the math section. I'll have to wait to see what the graders think of my two essays, but I'm optimistic. Despite doing well on the exam, however, the fact that I took it all indicates how stupid I can be. See, one of the alternate routes I'm considering if I don't find employment soon is to get an MBA. Under the impression that an MBA was a Master's degree, I assumed, without verifying that the GRE was the exam I needed to take in order to apply for programs. I didn't find out until after I'd already signed up for the test, purchased a study aid and created a study plan that the test I need to take is the GMAT, not the GRE. At that point I figured the time and money was already invested, so I may as well continue with taking the exam. But, I'll be back at the testing center taking yet another standardized test in the near future.

There's a lot that can be (and has been) said about smart people doing stupid things. I always tell myself and others that everyone makes mistakes, that as long as there's no lasting harm, it's ok to make them from time to time. But I hate when I make mistakes, when I'm wrong, or do something stupid. So, I'm proud of my scores, but mad at myself for not doing the research I should have earlier.

I'm not really a perfectionist. I hold myself to high standards and am constantly disappointed by them. I have observed a correlation, though, between smart people, their level of achievement and their confidence. Namely, smart people are usually either overachievers or underachievers. [Ok, that sounds dumb, since there isn't much else one could be. But by over or under I mean significantly, noticeably off the mark from their expected performance.] And they are usually insecure about their abilities. I've often thought that our education system is the cause of this. When I was in elementary school, I didn't think of myself as all that smart or exceptional. Until my classmates pegged me as the person to beat when it came to academics. Unlike other students, my test scores were the subject of constant curiosity, and if anyone happened to do better than me on an exam, they would announce it to the world. Great for their self-esteem, but not so good for mine. I think the kind of pressure this behavior puts on top performers causes them to either push themselves to constantly be top (to avoid the embarrassment of not being so, even if they never initially sought that position), or to stop performing altogether (to avoid being in the situation at all). This behavior then follows the student throughout their life.

When I was a campus recruiter, I frequently noticed that the most brilliant students, the ones with the best grades, scores, etc., were also the most insecure. They needed a lot of feedback during the recruiting process. They frequently went above and beyond the necessary requirements to get the job, when really their grades and background had already given them a leg up on their competition. And after they were hired, they showed similar insecurities. They wanted more feedback, they were never sure how they were doing, they would work long hours just to be sure that everything was perfect, and they were hard on themselves when it wasn't, even when it was not their fault.

In the end, good scores are something to be proud of, achievements should be noted with pride, perfection is a noble goal, but sometimes, you have to forgive yourself for making a mistake. Sometimes, you have to say, it’s behind me, I learned something, let's move on. So, yeah, I made a mistake. I took the wrong test. But my scores were good, and it was good practice for when I take the GMATS. Now to get studying again.

On Reforming our Immigration System

2010-07-13T19:07:00.000-04:00

I’ve been meaning to write about immigration reform for a few weeks now. But, it’s a difficult topic and I’ve been avoiding it. Then yesterday, I was linked to this podcast by Mike Rowe about American farm workers having a PR problem (or read the text version here). Shortly after, I followed a link to this video clip of United Farm Workers of American union leader, Arturo Rodriguez, on The Colbert Report. The juxtaposition of the two items and their relevance to my own opinions on our current immigration laws convinced me I needed to speak up and soon.

I have almost ten years of experience working on employer-sponsored, work related visas and immigration issues. I know the ins and outs and quirks of almost all of the visas that allow an individual to work in the U.S. And what I’ve noted most frequently about our immigration laws is that they do not fit the needs of either U.S. companies or people who want to make a new life in our “land of opportunity”. When it comes to employment visas, the emphasis is on individuals who are highly trained, educated, or can perform a specialized skill. These visas are important for two reasons. First, they give companies access to skilled, knowledgeable individuals, regardless of their country of origin. Second, they allow U.S. companies to recruit the best global talent, essentially stealing the top talent from other countries so that their achievements and successes are American ones. In both regards, these visas help our economy, even if it could be argued that they take jobs away from American citizens. There are abuses; especially, it seems, within the computer industry, where companies hire only foreigners to staff their office, paying them a lower wage than an American of similar background and skill would accept. However, for the most part, even companies that frequently use the specialty knowledge visas hire more Americans than foreigners.

However, while there are a number of different visas for educated skilled individuals, there are virtually no visas available to unskilled laborers. This makes sense in many ways. If anyone can do the job, why would you need a foreigner to do it? This is a job that could go to an unemployed American. Unfortunately, America has become increasingly separated from manual labor of any kind, skilled or unskilled. They certainly don’t want the unskilled jobs. They want white-collar office jobs, with career advancement and high paychecks. Companies looking for unskilled laborers find it difficult to fill their open positions with American citizens. This is what both Mike Rowe and Arturo Rodriguez are talking about: Mike Rowe, focusing on how Americans don’t value or want blue collar jobs, to the point that the Future Farmers of American have to rebrand themselves; Arturo Rodriguez, so convinced that no American citizen will do the jobs the immigrant population is doing that he’s willing to find anyone who says they are a job.

Another problem with employer sponsored immigration is with the process for sponsoring an employee for a green card. Obtaining an employer sponsored green card involves a complicated, lengthy process. Typically, an employer waits to sponsor an employee for a green card until just before their other visas have reached the limit of any possible extensions (the maximum stay in the U.S. on an employer sponsored visa is usually 6 years). At that point, the employer must document that it was unable to find an American citizen who was minimally qualified to perform the tasks of the individual for whom they wish to sponsor the green card (and by minimally qualified, they mean equal to doing the job when the employee was first hired, 6 years ago). This recruitment proof is not required for any employer sponsored visas, only for the green card. Personally, I think that this requirement should be something the employer needs to show when they first sponsored their visa. Also, if the purpose of these visas is to steal top talent from other countries, the process of making the permanent citizens should be relatively easy; so that they don’t take their six years of U.S. experience back to their home country and become a high-level competitor.

I certainly don’t have the answer to immigration reform. But, I do know our system needs a large overhaul. Reviewing the current system, researching alternatives and proposing reforms will definitely be a full time job for those who undertake it. If I was involved with designing the reform, I would explore how and why employer sponsored visas are abused and methods to prevent such abuse. I would examine the need for an unskilled laborer category, and explore ways to balance company needs for unskilled laborers with the need to employ American citizens and prevent a large influx of unskilled, legal immigrants. I certainly would reexamine the employer green card process and whether it is more complicated than it needs to be. For this I would explore the point systems that Britain and Canada are using (I’m not sold on the point system, but I’d look at them for ideas). I hope that real reform will take place soon and that those who undertake to draft a reform proposal are able to examine and come up with solutions for these issues.

Not a Recluse

2010-07-12T13:47:00.002-04:00

No one ever believes me when I tell them this, but I am an introvert. I think they don’t believe me because the word introvert has come to be associated with shy, retiring people, who are reticent to share their thoughts and opinions with others. I am not like that. But by the Myers-Briggs definition, being introverted simply means that a person recharges by being alone, as opposed to an extrovert, who recharges by being with other people. This is the positive way of expressing the difference, but if you turn it around, you’ll realize that introverts are drained by being in groups, while extroverts are drained by being alone. While I like people and enjoy getting together with them, I do find that after a long period with others I need time by myself to recover.

Since I’ve been unemployed I’ve been feeling that my introversion levels have gone up. People talk about getting lonely or stir crazy by being in the house alone all day, but I haven’t felt that at all. In fact, I enjoy my days alone. I feel my house and life are in much better order than when I worked, and I have been able to accomplish a number of personal projects that seemed to be perpetually on hold because I never had the time for them. While I recognize that networking and meeting people is an essential part of both obtaining a new position and staying in touch with the developments in my field, I find myself increasingly loath to leave the house, and the networking events I’ve attended have really taken their toll on my energy levels. Over the past few months I’ve been increasingly concerned that I was turning into a recluse or agoraphobic or some other antisocial person.

Fortunately, this weekend helped to reassure me that I’m not really become a hermit. On Saturday, I had the fortune to attend an old friend’s wedding, at which I reconnected with a number of other old friends and had a great time. On Sunday, I attended a barbecue at another friend’s house, and saw more (and different) friends, and even made a few new ones. Despite spending two full days in the company of lots of other people, I barely felt drained at all. My analysis: The company is makes all the difference. Friends aren’t draining, but strangers are. With friends I don’t need to be anything other than myself, because I know they love me already. With new people I am not comfortable just being myself. What if they don’t like me? I know, I know, I should be myself with strangers too. I totally agree, because I believe in being genuine in everything I do. But when I’m with strangers I tend to be me-lite. I hold back a little. I don’t announce all my thoughts and opinions right away. I want people to see the best parts of me before I show them the crazy side.

So, some takeaways from my weekend: No, I’m not a recluse yet, but I do need to work harder at keeping in touch. Honestly, some of the people I saw this weekend, I haven’t seen in years. People I really like. What is wrong with me? Some plans (you knew there were going to be plans, right): Perhaps a big party. I used to throw parties more than once a year, but when I was promoted to manager, there never seemed to be the time. Now that I’m not working, I have the time, but still haven’t made the effort. That’s going to change. I’m also tossing around the idea of small dinner parties; quiet groups of six, maybe with some board or card games afterwards. And finally, simply reaching out more to get together with friends whenever I can.

An Organized Approach

2010-07-01T12:04:00.001-04:00

I’m a fairly organized person. I enjoy planning and arranging things. I rather strongly believe that a good plan makes life easier and allows me to do more than I would have otherwise. For example, I was able to graduate from college in three years by formulating a plan in my first semester to achieve all the graduation requirements in as short a time as possible. I never thought my fondness for having a plan was a problem, or even all that noticeable, until recently. I’m perfectly able to function without a plan or to handle the inevitable wrench in my plan, I just prefer to make one if I have the time. But a friend called me “the list girl”. My mother said, “you and your schedule”. I started to analyze my habits and found that maybe I am a bit obsessive with the scheduling and planning. For example:

I start each week by preparing a schedule of what I want to accomplish. Each day I review the premade schedule and tweak it, adding anything that didn’t get accomplished in previous days or that has come up recently.

I break pretty much every project I work on into smaller pieces and plan how and when I’m going to do each piece so that the completed project is done in time. For example, if my goal for the week is to clean my house, I’ll assign a room to each weekday. Then I’ll breakout how I’ll clean that room (declutter, then dust, then vacuum, etc.).

I use my Outlook calendar to schedule not just big events, but regular household chores as well. Even my exercise routine is detailed in my calendar.

I also always have bigger plans in mind, backup plans, and sometimes, backup backup plans. . . For example, my current large-scale plans center on my immediate goal of finding employment and making myself as marketable as possible. I’m planning to take the GPHR exam in December, after taking a prep course. I’m thinking about doing a Spanish language immersion course in Costa Rica. I’m studying to take the GRE and GMAT exams so that I can apply to grad or business school if I’m still unemployed at the end of the year. I’m working out a model for starting my own business.

While I can see that I maybe take the planning a step further than others might, I cannot fathom how people who don’t plan or schedule get things done. Even something as simple as a straight to-do list is a form of planning, allowing one to remember what they should do, prioritize the tasks, and get things done more efficiently. [As a side note, I’m a big fan of handwritten to-do lists. Nothing is more satisfying as taking a pen through the items on your list and seeing it shrink to only a few items.] Life is just easier and more manageable when you have a way to approach it.

Confessions of a Data Junkie

2010-06-21T19:00:00.002-04:00

I have a confession to make: I’m a data junkie. I love data, charts and graphs; I love analyzing them for trends and patterns; and I love coming up with explanations for those trends and patterns and testing my hypotheses. I know, at this point, you probably think I’m crazy. Since that’s probably true by several definitions of the word, perhaps it’s best if we get it out in the open already.

My first exposure to the concept of a database was at my first job, really an internship, out of college. I was tasked with creating and populating a database of sales quotes for an import/export company using Microsoft Access. I had never heard of Access, or databases before that job. Ten years later, I’m an expert user of the program, and a big proponent for the use of databases for collecting and tracking information. I took my knowledge of database design and use and brought my next employer kicking and screaming into the 21st century.

Lots of people use data, databases and analysis in their day jobs. It is one of the best tools in a business’s arsenal. Any new project or plan should start with an analysis of the current situation before any steps are taken. The quality of collected data and the subsequent analysis can make or break a business strategy. But most people leave the data collection and analyzing at the office, for their business. They don’t see the application in their personal lives. This is where my “habit” becomes apparent.

A few of the ways I’ve collected data in my personal life, and what I’ve learned from them.

1) The Job Search. Every person looking for a job should have some system of keeping track of what jobs they’ve applied to. I would recommend a simple Excel chart showing the company, job title and date of application. I’ve taken my Job Search chart to the next level, though. I’ve included Pivot Tables (a tool in Excel for analyzing the data in your chart) that break down the information and allow me to see some trends. What have I learned?

I apply to more jobs on Wednesday than any other jobs. [Note this trend could have two causes – 1) more new jobs are posted on Wednesdays; and 2) my schedule on Wednesday allows me to look for and apply to more jobs. The true cause is probably a combination of these two possible causes.]

Although I source jobs to apply to from a variety of areas, including networking, the biggest sources for jobs to which I apply are still Monster and CareerBuilder. A lot of pundits have criticized these large job posting boards as outdated, but they still seem to have a large number of companies using them for their job search needs. Hmm, this gives me an idea for a new piece of information to track – response rate from different sources.

2) My media collections. I have a database for keeping track of my books, CDs, DVDs, etc. It helps me to know what I have, to avoid duplicates, but also to find things, but tracking when I’ve lent things out or moved a CD to my car. What have I learned? My husband and I have an inordinate number of books with the word ‘Unicorn’ in the title. Maybe not as useful as my job search data, but certainly an interesting trend.

3) My exercise routine. I actually have two charts for keeping track of my workouts. One tracks my running, showing time, heart rate and notable info about a run. The other tracks my Pilates workout showing the current routine and the plan for adding new exercises (I add new ones each month). What have I learned? I’m faster and stronger at the beginning of the week than at the end.

Are there more? Of course; I create a new chart whenever there’s a new piece of information I want to know more about. I’ll admit, my frequent use of Excel and Access for personal reasons isn’t normal, but it helps me to understand and catalog my world. So, while you think I’m crazy, I have a pretty good handle on how things in my life are affecting me, allowing me to be more organized and generally happier.

NJ: Where the only thing fresher than the produce is the wait staff

2010-06-15T15:31:00.000-04:00

I have the dubious privilege of living in New Jersey. NJ has a bad reputation as a place to live not just in the other 49 states of the country, but with its own denizens as well. One of the things biggest things contributing to NJ’s bad reputation is the local government. Even before The Sopranos became a hit series, everyone knew NJ was the mob's playground. In the eight years I've lived here, I've seen two governors resign and no fewer than three federal sting operations that have brought down multiple officials at a time.

Since the election of our newest governor, Chris Christie, there’s been a lot of talk about the state budget and the gap between income and spending. I’m not an expert in government budgeting, and I recognize that the economy has not been booming for the last few years, but it puzzles me that the state’s finances are as bad as portrayed. NJ has the highest property taxes in the nation and our state income taxes are on par with our neighbor states (not to mention that some of the nation’s top earners live here). Yet despite the increased income one would expect NJ to have over other states, we do not get additional, or even better, services from the government. So I wonder where does the income go, if it’s not going to services?

Along with cutting many government budgets, Christie’s answer has been to attack teacher salaries and benefits, as the reason for the government’s budget problems. While I do take issue with the idea of teachers receiving their health insurance without contribution and having a pension plan in an age where most workers are funding their own health insurance and 401k plans, at least in part, I’m not convinced that the cost of paying our teachers is the reason for the budget gap. My parents live in another state, in one of the highest paying school districts in the country, and yet their taxes are a fraction of those in my town. Personally, I believe the real reason for the budget gap is that NJ has too much overhead; too many niche government positions, held by unqualified, or underqualified, individuals and obtained through nepotism, who are kept employed through inertia. I would love to see the political leaders of NJ take a tough look at the people on the government’s payroll and make the effort to better align its workforce with the work.

Despite its problems, I will grant that NJ has some things to offer its residents. My home is (relatively) close to the mountains and the beach, giving me options for activities. I'm within easy travel distance of both New York City and Philadelphia, giving me access to the culture, jobs market and resource availability of a large city, while still having a green backyard. I might move out of the state eventually, but for now, I just shake my head at the political ridiculousness and make the most of the opportunities the state offers.

What's in a Name

2010-04-13T18:56:00.001-04:00

I believe that names have power. Not necessarily that a person can be controlled through the use of their name, although some people believe that, but more that a person can be known through their name. The interplay between a person and their name is interesting. Our names can shape and define us, but at the same time we give meaning to the words that make up our name. One of the things that proves to me the importance of names is our adult reaction to learning that someone has given their child an obscure or different name. "Think of the teasing she'll get on the playground!" we decry. Now if there is one thing I know, it is that children will make fun of and tease their classmates over anything they think will cause a reaction. Are Jennifers really teased less than Apples? Probably not. But making fun of someone's name is somehow more traumatic. It cuts deeper; it questions our very identity. [It occurs to me that some of this name identity may be tied to our language. In every language I have studied other than English, one gives their name by saying they are called their name; In English we are our names. An interesting thought, but since I don't subscribe to the Sapir-Whorf hypothesis, I doubt it will prove to be unique to English.]

What I'm really trying to say is that names are important, and as such should be used with care. Unfortunately, not everyone uses other people's names with the care they should. It seems as if someone, somewhere has proposed the idea that if you use someone's name they will like you better, trust you more, or feel a connection to you in some way. This is most likely true, since it seems pretty intuitive that we would feel closer to those who know our names, than those who don't, or can't be bothered to remember them. I can see this being one of those psychological studies that seem to say something interesting, but when you look closer, you find it wasn't telling you what you thought after all (this is a common topic of discussion in my household - yes, my husband and I are dorks). But, while we may feel an affinity to those who know and use our name, there are rules for name usage that need to be followed. Deviation from the rules makes the person whose name has been used improperly uncomfortable, and instead of fostering good will, fosters suspicion. Here are some helpful guidelines for using someone's name based on my own observations.

Get it right. This is the golden rule for name usage. If you're going to use my name, make sure you've gotten it right. Don't call me by my sister's name or my coworker's name, or some random name you made up. If you're not sure, you're better off not using my name at all. I think I'm fair when it comes to pronunciation of my name: I allow for some variation. Depending on your dialect you may say the vowels in my name slightly different. My last name is long, but spelled phonetically. I accept two possible phonetic parsings of my name, but have no patience for people who say the first syllable and give up just because it's a long name. Sound it out like you learned to do in school (or maybe didn't - if you were taught the whole word method of reading, you're probably going to mispronounce my name and I'm not going to like you. Sorry.) If you do mispronounce my name, or call me by the wrong name, I will correct you. My name is important. If you've been under the impression that I'm my sister or someone else, you need to be corrected. I try to be polite about it, but I am firm, too.

Use it properly. It probably won't surprise you to learn that pretty much everything about language is rule governed. Appropriate name usage is no exception. There are limited number conditions where using someone's name is expected and/or accepted. Some general guidelines:

1) Names may be used at the beginning or end of conversations. For example, "Hi, John." or "Talk to you later, Melissa."

2) Names may be used to attract someone's attention. For example, "Jessica! Over here!"

3) Names may be used when in a group to single someone out to get their particular views on something. "What do you think about our plan, Brian?"

4) Obviously names may be used when you are talking about someone, even if they are part of your conversation group.

5) A name can be used when expressing a strong emotion directed at the individual, but this usage should be kept to a minimum. "Mary, what were you thinking?!"

There may be a couple more scenarios where a name could be used, but I think this list is pretty exhaustive. Usage outside of these conditions immediately puts a person on guard. When you say to me, "Let me tell you, Amanda, what a great time we had in Florida." I immediately worry that you're about to sell me a time share. Using my name there is inappropriate. It's wrong. And I think that if you've used it there, it's because you read somewhere that using my name more often would make me like you. Which is wrong. I now don't like you because you used my name in the wrong way.

As the saying goes, "That's my name; don't wear it out."

A Tale of Two Yarn Stores

2010-04-08T15:47:00.000-04:00

If you've read my first post, you know that I crochet and knit as a hobby. Obviously, both hobbies require yarn. I get most of my yarn, like pretty much everything else, on line. Unfortunately, yarn is one of those products that it is nice to see and touch before purchasing, so I do like to visit yarn stores from time to time. Most yarn stores fall into one of two categories, which can be illustrated by my recent visits to two different stores.

At the first store, there is a living room set up with a couch and chairs and coffee table to the left of the entrance, in front of a picture window. The cash register is straight ahead on the right hand side. The yarn is arranged on shelves located in two rooms beyond, and in a small area behind the couch. A group of people were sitting in the living room area knitting and talking. An employee was at the cash register, and another employee was in a back room apparently working on inventory or some other business function. The employee at the cash register was chatting with the knitting group, but when we walked in, greeted us and asked us if we needed any help. We said we just wanted to look and proceeded to do just that. I ended up purchasing some yarn, and she wound the skeins into balls for ease of use for me.

At the second store, there is a card table set up to the left of the entrance, running long ways away from the front of the store. The cash register is to the right on a counter. The yarn is arranged in shelves along all of the walls, some of it behind the counter that the cash register is on, and some behind the table, which is surrounded by folding chairs and a group of people knitting and talking. No one is at the cash register; everyone in the store is knitting at the table. One of the people at the table stands up as we walk in and asks if she can help us. We say we're just looking, and proceed to do so. But it's awkward to get to some of the yarn because it's blocked by people knitting, or is behind the register, where customers aren't supposed to go. We leave.

I don't know if I succeeded in explaining the subtle differences between the two stores, but the first felt welcoming and inviting. The second felt as if we were intruding. A quick analysis of the differences:

1) The knitting area - both stores included an area for knitters to relax and work on their craft and talk with others. In theory this should be a welcoming feature in both stores, but it's not. In the first store, the knitting area is set up like a cozy living room with a sofa and chairs. In the second store, it's a multipurpose card table with folding chairs.

2) Layout - In the first store, the yarn is laid out on shelves that meander through the store. The store feels a little cramped, but is not disorganized, in fact, the yarn is sorted in ways knitters will appreciate - sock yarn is in one area, bulky yarns are in another, fine silk yarn in yet another. The second store has a more airy feel. It is one long room with built in shelving stuffed with yarn. A low counter runs most of way up both sides, which are stacked with books and more yarn. Unfortunately, this counter makes it difficult and awkward to get to the yarns to look at them. In addition, the knitting table is also in the way of getting to the yarn. The organization is less obvious as well. They yarn's seem to be grouped by weight, possibly material, but since they're hard to get to, it's hard to tell.

3) Staff - This one is the key. In the first store, the staff is not part of the knitting group. They are working. One staff member is near the group and talking with them, but she has held herself apart from the group. Another staff member is doing other work in the back. In the second store, there is no obvious staff, because any staff members are sitting with the knitting group. It makes it feel as though the customer is interrupting. Additionally, there's the offer to help. Coming from behind the counter, it feels genuine and unhurried. Coming from the social group, it feels as if the offer is just a means to get you out of the store as quickly as possible. I know this is not how the second store's employee meant it, but that's how it feels to the customer.

Unfortunately most yarn stores that I've visited fall into the second category, not the first. While it's nice to see and touch the yarns before purchasing them, visiting a yarn store is not always a pleasant experience, so I'll stick to ordering most of my yarns on line.

How You Like Me Now?

2010-03-16T13:19:00.000-04:00

The car manufacturer Kia has been running an ad recently that I absolutely love. Because I can't put my finger on exactly what about the ad I love, I've been picking away at the ad and my response to it for the past few days. In brief, the ad shows a bunch of children's toys, enlarged to adult human size, taking on Vegas. As an ad, I'm uncertain of the intended effect, or if it achieves what it set out to do. The ad doesn't make me want to buy a car, let alone specifically a Kia. But I can see where the positive feelings I have for the ad could spill over into my emotions towards Kia, a company I've previously associated with plastic cars, good for someone's first car maybe, but not one I'd probably ever buy.

So why do I like the ad? A lot of reasons. I like the whimsy of the premise: what if your toys were people and did things that people do. I like the cleverness of the details: the sock monkey gets a tattoo that is sewn in with a needle and thread. I like the cinematography of the ad: it's like watching a thirty second art film. The arrangement of the elements in each frame, the bold colors, the use of different speeds for the action. One section grabs me every time: the five toys are walking into a building together, fanned out, with the red one eyed alien (apparently Muno from Yo Gabba Gabba) in center front. The shot is slowed down just slightly and you can feel the swagger in the toys' walk. But I think the real reason I like this ad so much has to do with the message I take away from it. The ad shows a bunch of children's toys going wild, being bad. With the backdrop of the music lyrics saying, "How you like me now," it reminds us that you never know what others are thinking or capable of. Even the most seemingly harmless individual could one day cast off the restraints society puts on them and act out. And it reminds all of us seemingly harmless individuals that we could one day act on the thoughts in their head, saying, "How you like me now?"

Author's Note: I'll be honest, I've been debating whether or not to write about this topic for a few days. Mostly because I do not want to become one of those navel gazing self obsessed bloggers that everyone makes fun of. But two things swayed my decision. First, this blog has already strayed from my original vision of what it would be. So, since it’s already not the professional level blog I thought I'd be writing, what difference does it make if some of my posts are more self reflective? Second, I titled this blog Life Analyzed because it was a good description of my thought processes and the way I approach the world. How applicable would the title be if I didn't every now and then give my readers a glimpse of the ridiculous depth of analysis I give even the most banal of subjects? And third, although it wasn't really a swaying factor, the subject matter really did push me to go outside the restraints I'd put on myself. So, how you like me now?

Setting Priorities

2010-03-11T15:41:00.000-05:00

It will probably come as no surprise that my husband and I discuss our jobs and work together. It allows us to consolidate our thoughts and opinions on issues at work, and provides an outsider's opinion and solutions that we would not otherwise have been able to obtain. One of the topics we have discussed on more than one occasion is managing millenials. Personally, I'm not really of the opinion that generations make for huge differences in work ethic and personality. I think a lot of the complaints older generations have about millenials can be chalked up to inexperience, rather than some generational psychology. I also think the ideas the younger generations embrace have more to do with culture change than generational differences. At the same time, there are things in the work environment that younger generations seem to have a harder time grasping or working with.

One thing I've noticed about millenials is that they have difficulty setting priorities. A lot of this is inexperience. Whenever you start a new job, you have to determine which work is more important. And it's not always easy. In a perfect world, priority levels would be based on the urgency or need for the finished product, but in reality, office politics, company policies and client demands can alter the order in which things get done. However, millenials have an obsession with priorities. When given a list of tasks with equal priority, they want their manager to tell them in exactly what order they should perform the tasks. It can cause a mutual frustration between manager and employee - the manager because they just want the work to get done, they don't care about the order; the employee because they feel a need to achieve and think that they cannot unless the tasks are done in the right order. On the other hand managers can get in trouble for setting priorities. Give your employee too many top priority tasks and they may think they're authorized for overtime. Give an employee a low priority task and it ends up never getting done. As my husband says, if it's low priority that means you can check facebook before doing it. It's actually the low priority tasks that get millenials in the most trouble, because they don't get done - there's always something more important to do. One of the things I've tried to explain to millenials I've coached is that the longer something sits on your desk the higher its priority becomes. If you have a project that's been on your desk for over a week, and you don't have anything due five minutes ago, that project is now your top priority.

Speaking of facebook, the internet and its use in the workplace is another area where millenials get a lot of criticism from older generations, and also have trouble adjusting. A lot of managers and older workers feel that surfing the web while at work is wrong. Personally, I'd be a hypocrite if I supported that opinion, because I've done plenty of web surfing on the job. I have always felt that as long as the work was being done in a timely manner, and took priority over personal web use, there was no harm in looking at facebook, or looking up airfare. As a manager, when I felt my employees were on the internet too much, I evaluated whether they were getting their work done correctly and on time. If so, and they still had a lot of time to surf, I simply gave them more work. If they weren't, I had a heart to heart with them about getting their work done and prioritizing that above internet usage. Not everyone gets that message, but most millenials understand that they are in the office to work, and alter their behavior. I think a lot of the conflict over web use during office hours has to do with a difference in how older generations and younger ones view pay. Most younger employees are non-exempt, even if their wages are stated in an annual format, they are still technically hourly employees, which leads employers to think that every minute for which they are being paid, they should be working. But millennials don't see their pay as hourly. Sure they come in from 9 to 5 and get paid extra if they work more than that, but really you pay them to do a set number of tasks in that time, and if they can accomplish those tasks and get some web surfing in, that's fine. This mindset also leads them to not understand why they can't leave at 4:30 some days if all their work is done. All this has led analysts to say that millenials are more project oriented and would prefer contract work to regular salaried employment. I'm not sure that's true, but I see the basis for that belief.

There are other mistakes that inexperienced employees, or maybe millenials make, but these two stand out as the most contentious and relevant. If both sides could see where the other is coming from, maybe a lot of office tension could be resolved.

A Few Thoughts About High Fructose Corn Syrup

2010-03-04T17:07:00.000-05:00

Lately, The Corn Refiners Association has been running ads refuting claims that High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) is unhealthy. I find these ads to be of particular interest for two reasons. The first is that while I have been a critic of HFCS for a long time, I have not heard or noted a groundswell of avoidance of the sweetener. The ad campaign almost seems to be bringing the subject up for a majority of people, rather than addressing concerns they may have. (Or maybe it's targeted at me alone. . .) The second is that the ads note that HFCS is like any sweetener: fine in moderation. While I'm a big believer in moderation, including with things that are 'bad' for you, this comment is laughable, because HFCS is in practically every food product the average American buys. Don't believe me? Check the ingredients for your loaf of bread or your pasta sauce. Manufacturers put HFCS even in items that are not supposed to be sweet.

I have long believed that both sugar and corn are unhealthy for a majority of Americans and culprits in the 'obesity epidemic' everyone is so concerned about these days. While every individual's dietary needs and problems are different, for me, cutting these ingredients out of my diet completely and then adding them back only in low quantities has allowed me to arrest rapid weight gain, have more energy, fewer episodes of 'sugar crash', and better digestion. The Corn Refiners Association is probably correct that HFCS is no worse for many people than regular sugar, but for some it is probably the worst combination out there.

While I'm on the subject of food and obesity, I'd like to take a moment to get on my soap box about dieting. I don't subscribe to the calories in/calories out diet. I have not seen where it is a valid weight loss technique. Sure, you can lose weight if you limit your caloric intake to 1200 calories a day, but all you're doing is starving yourself. Unless you want to be hungry for the rest of your life, you're going to gain the weight back (and probably more) when you go off that diet. It's called yo-yo dieting and it's been proven to be one of the most unhealthy lifestyles there is. In addition, I've noticed that reducing foods to caloric value alone leads people to make bad food decisions, such as skipping a healthy vegetable in order to 'save' the calories for desert. I'd much rather see a lifestyle of exercise and good food decisions, with less concern about body weight, shape or size. An active, well fed person who carries a little extra weight is more healthy than a yo-yo dieter who eats dessert instead of vegetables.

An Invasion of Privacy

2010-03-01T18:24:00.000-05:00

Not long ago the Pennsylvania school district of Lower Merion came under scrutiny for questionable use of the remote activation of the webcam in school issued laptops. In short, there is a class action suit filed against the school claiming that the school used the webcams to spy on students, without disclosing the remote activation abilities to students or parents. The school has responded that their policy was to only activate the cameras in cases of lost or stolen laptops, but the fact that a student was disciplined for behavior at home with a photo taken by his laptop's webcam belies that claim.

Frankly, I'm appalled by the idea that a school could use the educational materials it issues to students to spy on the students while they are not at school. In my opinion the school's responsibility for student behavior ends when the student leaves campus. Additionally, as others have pointed out, laptops are frequently open and on while people dress or perform other personal activities. Thinking of my own personal laptop, which I take with me when I travel, and how I use it in the morning at a hotel, I'd worry if someone could remotely activate my webcam and watch what I was doing. Adding that the students are under 18 also raises the possibility of child porn laws being broken. All told, while the ability to track thefts of the laptops is useful, the opportunity for abuse and misuse far outweigh the good.

A few critics have raised the idea that problems generated by a "free" laptop from your high school are not really problems, and that these students should suck it up and stop whining. But honestly, a person's privacy is worth more than a $400 laptop. The idea that a person should be willing to trade their privacy and submit to being spied on by their school just to get a laptop they can use, and a decent education is so blatantly false that I can't imagine someone proposing it.

I will be interested to see how this case turns out. I'm glad that at a minimum the school has voluntarily disabled the remote activation system and the new version of the tracking software they have installed will no longer have this feature. Now to make sure my personal laptop's webcam can't be hacked. . .

Spring

2010-02-22T18:09:00.001-05:00

I calculate my seasons based on amount of sunlight rather than temperature. I blame my ancestry, who mostly come from areas further north than where I currently reside, and the fact that my mood and outlook are affected by the amount of daylight. For me, the equinoxes and solstices mark the midpoint, rather than the start, of the seasons, as indicated on most modern calendars. Thus, Spring begins in February, Summer in May, Autumn in August and Winter in November.

By this reckoning, we are well into Spring, and I've been responding with the usual Spring activities. I've started my garden: already tiny green miracles are growing in my basement, some almost ready to come out of the green house. I've started spring cleaning, and have a general plan for this year's cleaning and organizing projects. I haven't changed my household decorations yet, but am planning to do so soon, probably this weekend. Although the snowflakes in my windows are still appropriate given the amount of snow still on the ground.

But most importantly, in the spririt of Spring, which for me represents new beginnings and rebirth, I've been thinking and planning my own reawakening. Namely in career and personal growth. I'm considering going back to school. I'm considering moving out of human resources, or at least broadening my experience so that I can come back to HR with new perspectives. In short, I'm snuggled under the blanket of snow planning my remergence and dreaming of possibilities.

Such is the power of Spring.

For Hire

2010-02-18T18:31:00.000-05:00

I am a human resources professional with ten years of experience, currently looking for a manager or director of HR position in New Jersey or New York City. Looking for work at any time is stressful and hard on the ego, but in our current economy, with so many people looking, it is even harder and takes a toll on even the most confident of individuals.

There's a lot of advice out there for job seekers, some of it good, a lot of it bad. As someone who's worked in recruiting I have the advantage of knowing which tips would help and which would hurt. But to be honest, when I was recruiting and sorting through resumes, none of the tips and tricks everyone is mentioning really mattered. I looked to see if each individual met the requirements for the position. That was it. Sure, I have my preferred resume format, and a number of other preferences for how an application should be put together, but if someone submitted their resume in a format I didn't like, or addressed me as "Dear Sir" but met the requirements for the position, I didn't disqualify them! My job was to find suitable candidates, not disqualify as many of them as I could based on picayune details about their application.

What I find surprising is how little advice there is out there for organizations looking for new talent. Because, as a Human Resources professional, I'm appalled by a number of things about the job search process. And, as an experienced Human Resources professional applying to an organization for a position the HR department, I frequently wonder if the company I'm applying to is one I really want to work for. A few things that cause me to wonder:

1) The job description. So you've posted your job opening on your website or on a job board or on LinkedIn. It should not have any typos in it. None. If, as an applicant, you're expecting my cover letter and resume to be free of errors, you should have the courtesy of applying the same standards to yourself. No typos. Also, cut the buzz words. No one knows what you’re talking about. Say what you want in plain English and you'll probably get more qualified applicants. One of my favorites is "Change Leadership". Frankly, all leadership is about guiding others through change, even if that change is as small as taking on a new task or learning a new skill.

2) The application process. Ok, you've got a brand new Applicant Tracking System that has all kinds of bells and whistles, and I'm happy to enter my details into for you. The system should be self explanatory. I should be able to figure out what I need to do to complete the application process. Unlike the one I used the other day, where all I could figure out how to enter was my contact details. After saving it, I realized that way up at the top there was a way to go to the rest of the tabs, but then it was too late, I couldn't enter my application to edit it! And your required fields should be limited to the ones that are truly required, like name, contact details, etc. You should not require me to enter my last five employers, when I may not have had that many. Or require me to give you the phone numbers of my prior employers (two of mine are no longer in business, so if you need their numbers I guess I can't apply).

3) The interview. I've been lucky. Most of my interviews so far have been pretty standard. Except the one that spent a lot of time telling me how the former person in the position had done such a bad job. That wasn't a good interviewing technique. Stick to the normal questions. Ask me about my biggest weakness.

4) The follow up. If you interviewed me, you should follow up. If you're a recruiter and you met with me about a specific job, you should let me know if the company was interested. As a job hunter I'm used to rejection, I can handle it. If you interviewed me as a pipeline initiative, you should still keep in touch - it's not a pipeline if I don't feel a connection to you. If you're a company and you interviewed me, let me know when I can expect to hear back, and then make sure you get back to me. If you've put me on hold because you're not 100% sure I'm the best candidate and want to do another search just in case, let me know that too.

So now there's at least some advice out there for organizations looking for candidates. Hope it helps. And if you need more help, I'm available for hire.

A Short Trip: In Which Our Author Learns Something

2010-02-12T13:42:00.001-05:00

I recently had the opportunity to visit Palm Springs. My husband was attending a convention there, and I was able to tag along with him. Everyone told me that the only thing in Palm Springs was golf, a sport I've never played before. But I found the city and its environs to be beautiful and full of things to do.

One of the things I love about travel is the chance to learn new about new things. Palm Springs was full of learning opportunities. The only other desert I've ever been to was the Klein Karoo, and while I got to pet a cheetah and ride and ostrich, there was not a lot of explanation about the desert ecosystem. So, in Palm Springs I learned about oases, plant and animal survival, and human habitation of desert and oasis locations.

I hiked in two of the oasis canyons surrounding Palm Springs, and also in several of the locals in Joshua Tree. I was particularly struck by how what qualified as an oasis did not always meet my preconceived notions. In Palm Canyon, the lush palm trees and flowing stream were exactly what I expected an oasis to look like. In the valley it was cool, moist and lush. However, in Tahquitz Canyon, while there was somewhat more vegetation than the surrounding desert, the plants were desert plants, with a minimal amount of green and no tall trees to shade the hike. This second type of oasis seems to be more common at least in the Colorado desert, as up at Joshua Tree, Hidden Valley, which was supposed to be such a lush location that cattle farmers kept their herds here, was equally dry looking to my eyes.

The palm trees in Palm Springs are called Fan Palms. They grow a small fruit that tastes a lot like a date. I got to sample the fruit, and also learned that Palms are not trees at all, but members of the grass family! The Joshua Trees are also related to grasses and palms. Other plants native to the desert were interesting too. For example, the Creosote bush is in most deserts in the Americas, but is different in each desert, including the number of chromosomes it has. I also learned which plants were used for food and medicine by the local Native Americans, discovering that the Cahuilla people ate a lot of ground meals. I got to try mesquite flour and found it to be very tasty. I may purchase some for use in baking, since it is high in protein and fiber.

I was surprised at the number of humming birds in Palm Springs. They were in every garden area I visited. I even got to see a male showing off to a female - he flew high and then dive bombed the bush she was in over and over again. The noise of his decent was a high pitched buzzing.

Overall, my trip to Palm Springs was active and educational. I enjoyed my time there and hope I get the chance to go back to hike in more of the canyons and discover more about life in the desert.

First Post + A New Skill

2010-02-09T14:25:00.000-05:00

I've been saying I'm going to start a blog for over a year now, so it really is time I got off my butt and did so. I originally thought my blog would be about professional and business issues, and there still may be some posts about that in the future, but the ideas in my head right now that want to come out are closer to home, so I'm starting with a brief post about a new skill I've acquired.

2009 was the year I learned to knit. I already knew how to crochet, but wanted to expand my abilities with yarn, so I had my mother show me the basics. Unfortunately, when i told my friends and family I had learned this new skill, they all responded with, "I thought you already knew how to knit." So, apparently, 2009 was the year I lived up to everyone's expectations.

Knitting has turned out to be much easier than I expected. I'm already on my second project and feel my work looks as good as any seasoned knitter. A few things I've learned about knitting:

the basic stitches: knit and purl; as well as decreasing techniques (knitting and purling together); I can't wait to add increasing techniques, I'm assuming it involves knitting and purling more than once in a stitch.

the basic needle types: straight, circular and double pointed; all with many different sizes.

making a mistake is disastrous: in crochet, if you mess up, you take your needle out and rip the stitches out til you reach the mistake, then stick your needle back in and resume crocheting; in knitting, you have to unknit to the point you made the mistake.

knitting in the round is tricksy. This is true of crochet as well, but my first attempt at a hat had me creating a moebius strip. Cool to look at, not easy to wear.

I don't like bamboo needles. I knit and crochet very tightly, so the bamboo doesn't work for me as my stitches don't slide forward. When I mentioned my dislike of bamboo to my sister, I expected her to agree with me, but instead she told me that her stitches fall off the metal needles, so she likes the bamboo better. I never would have guessed needle material would be a talking point.

Those who know me would be proud to learn that for my first project, a scarf for my husband with a subtle striped look, I followed the instructions exactly as written. This resulted in a rather narrower scarf than I would have liked. For the follow up matching hat, I had to modify the pattern so it would fit him. It's still a little small.

For my current project I found a two color snowflake motif pattern on line and modified it to create a headband pattern. Technically it's not a real snowflake, since it is eight pointed, but I liked it best of all the patterns I found. This headband is for me and matches my new ski jacket. The jury's still out on whether I'll line it with fleece once I'm done knitting.