So, as a parting shot of this blog. It probably comes as no surprise that I am relatively concerned about the job market, and how I will find my place in it. After I returned to the US late last July, I have put out numerous applications. I am curious how my education and experience over the last year will enhance my competitiveness in the job market.
I am curious as to how I should go about "selling" myself on the job market without exaggerating. It seems that exaggerating would be more common these days, as the market is so crowded with applicants. At any rate, I figure I will stick to my guns and see where it gets me. What is the method for standing out while staying true to my strengths?
This is one of those next problems that I will be addressing. I am currently forming my next blog project:
Unemployment: The Blog
I am already drafting posts so check it out in the future!
Friday, July 3, 2009
A Difference of Expectations
I find the balance between work and life an interesting one. Many employers, or perhaps just the smart ones, clearly ask for more than they pay their employees to do. However, how does the mechanism work in the opposite direction? In the public as well as the private sectors, employees are asked to work extra hours (directly and indirectly) or they are asked to complete more projects and in many cases the compensation does not change. In past experiences, where I have been working on an hourly schedule, the idea of higher compensation for more work was fairly well communicated. That is to say, that working 41 hours in a week earned more compensation than working 40. Likewise in work experiences where my job has been linked to increasing revenue there is a stronger link between how the organization benefits and how the employee benefits.
I find it odd how arbitrary compensation scheme is working in the "public sphere". Although methods such as "pay for performance" are said to exist, the grounds for measuring performance are not ones that are based on monetary gain. If this were the case, teachers who brought more students into the district would get paid more. (That is in states where district/school funding is partly determined by the number of students). I also find the compensation scheme not nearly as direct in times where there isn't as much money being freely spent (times such as now).
The link between this subject an "internship" is an odd one as well. As many providers of these types of experiences search for a best (most qualified) candidate, however many aren't willing to pay more for more qualified personnel. In many cases, many aren't willing to pay at all. In these cases, what is the distinction between the work that is rendered and simply referring to it as "volunteer work". While I was working in Germany I worked with many of companies that took on interns. In truth, a lot of companies in Germany seemingly run, themselves, on interns because in the system it seems that they are a replacement for entry-level jobs. However, are both terms interchangeable?
These are just some ponderings as I move forward in my life, and I sincerely intended to write them in this train of thought style as crafting a more complete piece would be much to long (both to read and to write) in blog format.
I find it odd how arbitrary compensation scheme is working in the "public sphere". Although methods such as "pay for performance" are said to exist, the grounds for measuring performance are not ones that are based on monetary gain. If this were the case, teachers who brought more students into the district would get paid more. (That is in states where district/school funding is partly determined by the number of students). I also find the compensation scheme not nearly as direct in times where there isn't as much money being freely spent (times such as now).
The link between this subject an "internship" is an odd one as well. As many providers of these types of experiences search for a best (most qualified) candidate, however many aren't willing to pay more for more qualified personnel. In many cases, many aren't willing to pay at all. In these cases, what is the distinction between the work that is rendered and simply referring to it as "volunteer work". While I was working in Germany I worked with many of companies that took on interns. In truth, a lot of companies in Germany seemingly run, themselves, on interns because in the system it seems that they are a replacement for entry-level jobs. However, are both terms interchangeable?
These are just some ponderings as I move forward in my life, and I sincerely intended to write them in this train of thought style as crafting a more complete piece would be much to long (both to read and to write) in blog format.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Here We Go
So, as a part of an organization that receives a portion of its revenue through contracts with the state government, the state budget is a very important subject. It seemed all but clear that the Courts were going to be the battleground of this budget, however the budget was transmitted to the Governor's office yesterday (the end of the fiscal year). Today the news is as such: Be prepared for a longer battle.
Jan Brewer, Arizona governor, has evidently made several vetoes the the budget and this will send the legislature into a special session. This combined with the news coming out of the California budget battle, calls for the question:
How safe is it working with state and local government when economic times are so difficult?
I mean this in several senses. First, as people who work in the public sector, the chances are much greater that we would find ourselves working in or with a state or local government than with the federal government. Secondly, I mean this as people who invest in local government bonds (and this is not limited to US citizens). In both cases we have come to expect governments to be a stable facet of the US. We depend of governments to repay their debts and provide services without trouble. The hope is that this would be just as true in times in economic hardship. People around the world depend on the stability of American governments, for their security (I speak in an economic sense). Traditionally we have depended on governments as employers or objects of investment, because of stability. Has it turned out that this faith was as misplaced as our faith in General Motors? I sincerely mean this, as General Motors has been a very important part of mine and my families lives for generations. Likewise I feel government plays an equally important role in the lives of others.
Discuss if you'd like.
Jan Brewer, Arizona governor, has evidently made several vetoes the the budget and this will send the legislature into a special session. This combined with the news coming out of the California budget battle, calls for the question:
How safe is it working with state and local government when economic times are so difficult?
I mean this in several senses. First, as people who work in the public sector, the chances are much greater that we would find ourselves working in or with a state or local government than with the federal government. Secondly, I mean this as people who invest in local government bonds (and this is not limited to US citizens). In both cases we have come to expect governments to be a stable facet of the US. We depend of governments to repay their debts and provide services without trouble. The hope is that this would be just as true in times in economic hardship. People around the world depend on the stability of American governments, for their security (I speak in an economic sense). Traditionally we have depended on governments as employers or objects of investment, because of stability. Has it turned out that this faith was as misplaced as our faith in General Motors? I sincerely mean this, as General Motors has been a very important part of mine and my families lives for generations. Likewise I feel government plays an equally important role in the lives of others.
Discuss if you'd like.
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