Adventures of the Last Graduate School Course

The end is finally sight and it is really taking up most of my time.

In January of 2007, I apprehensively jumped into graduate studies after finishing my undergraduate degree six months earlier.  Last February, with only five classes to go, I was thinking of putting the school on hold to try and figure out what I really wanted to do.  Instead, the higher ups (aka my current fiancee) put me back on the right track and convinced me to stay with it.  I sure am glad they woke me up.

Twelve classes down and one to go.  All that is left is this final capstone class that involves a ton of writing, reading cases studies, and fairly easy ten minute presentation.  About 3/4th of the people in my class are in the same situation as I am, last class for graduation, so the feeling is shared amongst us that this is the final frontier.  
The only problem is we have a professor who is teaching this class for the first time and he is not very good at it at all.  We have case studies due weekly, as well as written summaries required to be submitted the day before class discussions on the same case.  

Can you say busy work?  I mean one would expect in a graduate level course that professional students would come to class prepared for intellectual discussions on the topic assigned.  Is it really necessary that we summarize what we read?  Do you really want to read 24 summaries?  Actually, ARE YOU going to read all 24 of these damn case summaries?  Professor, if you are reading this, you are wasting my time.

Stay tuned for more on this topic, I feel a hostile diatribe coming to me.  In the mean time, forgive me for the lack of posting because this fool is taking up my reading/writing time with his busy work B.S.  Me getting through this class and landing a grade that my company will pay for will be my way of sticking it to the man. 

Year End Work Reviews: Expect the Unexpected

Sometimes you just have to accept whatever happens because the more you dwell on it, the harder it is to get over.  Whether it pertains to financial decisions, love, life, or in my case, work, the only way to grow in the future is to learn from the present.  Class is in session.

I had certain expectations going into my review that I was to get promoted.  My boss and I had discussions over the latter part of this year and I really felt strong about getting the bump.  Then reality set in and I actually had my year end review and the following words were spoken in my direction:

"We didn't feel that you did enough visible and complex work".

I was totally shell-shocked.  I did not even know what to say, so I just sat there and made it seem like I was listening, all the while, my mind was racing over everything I worked on the last year.  I will never agree nor fully understand the corporate world's evaluation of visible work.  Something could be visible to everyone in the company, but the easiest task in the world.   Other times we could work on something so complex, yet only the company mime knows of your efforts. That's the corporate world right?

I work in a support role for our company's enterprise data, meaning when applications break or incorrect data appears on our website, I have to fix it.  Whatever tasks come in through the pipeline I handle and shoot the solutions right back, regardless of complexity.  However, if the issues linger too long, then they become visible because stuff is broken.  I could defend my case for hours and hours and eventually you would just unsubscribe from feed.

The point of this piece is not for me to sit here and rant and bitch about how all the work I did warranted a promotion.  I know deep down inside I deserved it.  The main point for you to take away from this is take control of your career.  Make people understand the work that you are doing and how it impacts the big picture.  A few of my coworkers call it "faking the funk" but it could not be a more poignant description.  You could be working on something so simple that a caveman could do it, but if important people really believe that your actions impact their bottom line, then that is visibility.  These are the skills that I lack.

The bottom line is that you own your career.  Only you can control the gatekeepers of the next level that you are worthy of acceptance into heaven.  Do not let the corporate mumbo jumbo cloud your evaluation of yourself.  When it all comes down to it, look yourself in the mirror and ask if you really did do everything possible to convince these hypocrites managers that you deserve the world's riches.  If even one doubt comes into your mind, then you did not cover all avenues.

You could go a year straight of meetings with your boss and have rave reviews the entire year, but then they will pull that card out, that one doubt you had that your superior never mentioned all year.  They will use that card like a blackjack dealer showing an Ace.  You know you are set up for disappointment.  The dealer turns over a king, dealer has black jack, dealer wins.

Don't let your company gamble with your career, take control of it yourself.  

Taking Days Off During the Holidays

Is there a certain type of philosophy when it comes taking days off from work?  Do you like taking whole weeks off at a time?  Or would you rather give yourself a four day weekend?  Or maybe you love work so much that you just can not take a day off?

The reason these questions are relevant is that it is that time of the year when you start to receive more out of office replies from people since they are taking time off for the holidays.  Some families decided to travel to warmer climates this time of the year to get away from the frigid winter temperatures (I live in chilly Philly mind you).  Many departments ask their employees ahead of time to submit their holiday schedules so they can ensure that the proper coverage in the office is provided to their customers. 

My boss sent out a note a few weeks back with a spreadsheet attached asking us to put down the days we planned on being in the office.  She didn't want to know when we were off, just when we were going to be available.  Interesting.  I am sitting here with a total of 13 Paid Time Off (PTO) days left for 2009.  I purchased an extra week and will be reimbursed for those 5 days, so that leaves me with 8 total days left to take off.  Last year I took off every Friday in December in 2008 but this year both Christmas and New Year's Day fall on Friday. I am really unsure of how to distribute these days because I do not have much planned.

One thing I really do enjoy during the holidays is coming to work on the days where there is no one there.  I get a ton of work done in an empty office and can also work on things without the worry of people watching (i.e. blogging!).  The best days for these situations are usually the day before company holidays which will be the last two Thursdays of 2009.

Many people shy away from taking off extended periods of time because they feel too out of the loop when they return.  I fall into this category as well.  It takes more energy to get caught up to speed on project plans and statuses, especially when the sources of the information needed may be on vacation!

How do you plan on using your remaining days off for 2009?

Only 10 weeks left.  Either plan on making em count or just take the day off.

The Boss Does Not Know How to Dress

Recently, I touched on the topic of how my company was going back to the business professional look with the post-Labor Day weekend passing us. Some people really do resent the whole idea of looking good in the world place. I am all for looking professional, my problem is the process of putting together the final product every day when I am used to the summer dress of throwing on some khakis and polo shirt and calling that fashion (I refuse to use the word Swag if you were expecting it).

But what do you do when you see people just turning this whole business professional dress code upside down like Ghengis Khan in 1200 A.D. (And yes, Mongolian BBQ does exist)? I have the luxury of sitting on a floor that is shared with other departments there is a specific manager that is pushing this dress code to new limits. I may start attracting some fashion bloggers and readers with some of this content but I'll do anything for new readers!

I actually used to work for this woman as a software tester in her group and we had an interesting relationship, mainly because I felt like I was used like cheap labor to get things done and I did not receive due credit, but hey, that's the American way! This one breaks all of the rules for females in the work place.

Imagine a group of college girls going out on a Friday night and you have the tip of the iceberg with this lady. Wearing tank tops and sleeveless shirts are definitely against company dress code and so are the gaudy boots that I am sure I will be seeing in Las Vegas next month! Now while there are no rules against wearing extremely loud colors to work, you should know better when you come to work wearing a teal blue power suit minus the power.

Now you have a general picture of what I am working with here. While I do not directly work with her, I do see everything on a daily basis and I do kick myself for not having camera phone to snag some evidence. I thought I saw Nicole Richie the other day when I saw this lady roll in with over sized sun glasses (on a cloudy day mind you) and a shiny handbag big enough to fit Beethoven, let alone the Taco Bell dog.

While it does sound like I am just totally ripping this person with no regards for human respect, I do have a point I am attempting to drive home. For a person who is in charge of providing leadership to a team, it is imperative to convey to everyone the right message. Dressing up like you are going to be partying at Club Tryst after work is not the image you want to convey. How can provide your clients with confidence when they have to squint because your outfit is so bright?

I rest my case. Dress for the job that you want, if it doesn't look right in the mirror in the morning, then do not step out of the house. It is a good thing I am living at home, my mom and dad give me the stamp of approval every morning!

Why Didn't I Think Of That!

In one of those typical moments where I look at myself in the mirror and call myself a fool, my friend forwarded this clip to me yesterday with a depressing message "Why did we never think to sell any of this stuff we smoked over the last 8 years? That could have been us!" Now don't go jumping to conclusions, the stuff we smoked was totallly legal and it is flavored!

Hookah has been a social phenomenon over the last 5-7 years all over the U.S.A. Originating from the Middle East and other countries in Eastern Hemisphere, smoking hookah has become a very popular part of culture in this country. Hookah bars are popping up all over big cities and more people are firing them up in their own quarters as well.

Being of Indian decent, a bunch of my friends have had these things for years. So why didn't anyone ever thing to provide this as a service to the public? It comes down to people fearing the risk to make big moves. I am guessing the people in this video below had significant money before they started their company, Social Smoke, and now they are doing even better. Good for them, I will not hate on them, but I will start doing my research to see if there is a way to do it better.

This 9 to 5 job has been killing me lately, not really the hours of the job, more of the routine and simplicity of what goes on every day. I have been inconsistent with my posts primarily because the spontaneous ideas, thoughts, and feelings that normally drive me to share stories with you just have not been there. I need to get that drive back, that fire that gets me up in the morning with motivation.

PA State Schools Get 13% Cut in Education Budget

It is only July but college students in the state of Pennsylvania are already talking about the fall semester and for all the wrong reasons. Over the last month, Governor Ed Rendell and his administration have proposed the next year's spending plan for higher education. On the bright side, 14 of the 18 universities in Pennsylvania's State System of Higher Education would remain steady thanks to federal stimulus dollars. However, the following 4 state universities would all see cuts of almost 18% each: Penn State University, Temple University, Lincoln University, and the University of Pittsburgh.

The crazy thing about it all is that, if you are familiar with the financial aid process, the majority of students already have had their financial aid packages figured out for the upcoming year. However, now the state is deciding to throw all of these students a curve to see how quickly they can think on their feet to find funding for school. Of the 4 universities that will see cuts, Penn State, Temple, and Pitt are the top 3 schools in the state with the highest enrollment. That is a real big middle finger to a ton of students in this state.

This hit home with me big time because my brother is entering his second year at Temple University. While he is lucky that most of his tuition is covered, he is still a little worried of how he is going to come up with the remaining amount of tuition for the rest of the year. Many students are in similar situations where their parents can only contribute so much, if anything. Hopefully more on campus part-time jobs will be offered to students to help give them an opportunity to make some more cash because every little thing counts.

I am sure the state of Pennsylvania is not the only state experiencing this but being the state of my residence I had to shed some light on it. I myself attended school here, but I was the genius that chose Drexel University, where I paid over $20,000+ per year to a private institution to hand me my degree after the planned 5 year program. I really do think the entire higher education system in this country is a sham. Other countries have different tax structures that make college more affordable, so that idea seems unfeasible. I really wish their were more alternatives or ways to change the system to make it more affordable. Otherwise, more students may end up graduating college with $80,000+ in student loans. Do yourself a favor and marry someone from a different country when you finish high school.

5 Topics To Talk With Your New Manager

I have a new boss lady starting this week and no, I am not talking about my wife. A few weeks ago I told you how my old boss was taking a new position within the company and it left me in a precarious situation here at my job. I been pushing hard for a promotion and it seems like I really have to turn it up another notch the next six months in order to get considered.

Now I have the task of totally knocking the socks off my new boss. She has been with the company for twenty years and seems like a great manager to work for. The entire five person team I am on had a meeting with her yesterday where she went over her background and her vision for the group. Not much is going to change with the reorganization, it was mainly just a change in management for us. We will continue to work on our current projects and moving forward the work will be of the same nature, supporting the enterprise data for our company.

She mentioned that she is going to start setting up some weekly one on one meetings with us at the end of the month. With that being said, I have come up with a little list of things I want to communicate to her and use this agenda to get off on the right foot with the new leader of our team.

• Understand her expectations of me - I want to get a good feel for what she expects of me as a team member, as well as my individual role in the group. I am the most junior crew member in this support team and want my role to be well defined.


• Communicate my expectations of myself - I am sure she spoke with our prior manager about our previous work under him, so I want to explain to her what I did before, and more importantly, what I want to do to help the team moving forward. I need to solidify with her that I am willing to take on any challenge.


• What I bring to the table - What are my strengths? What are my areas of opportunities? If she has a specific problem that is in my area of expertise, I want her to come to me for the solution because I will get the job done. This principle is very black and white and my bottom line.


• Get to know her - One cool thing that she emphasized was that she really likes to have fun at work. She said that for the amount of time we spend here, you have to enjoy it, otherwise, its not a healthy work environment. I can understand that and agree with it 100%.


• My future intentions - I want her to know that I have been at this company for three years now and I am looking to make moves and progress my career. Some people shy away from being up front about career progression, but I feel it is imperative on my part to ensure she understands of where I am now and where I want to go.

These five bullet points can be applied when dealing with any new boss. Each person is different and can fill in the details in their own way, but it is definitely a good blueprint for getting those ice breaking conversations going with your new manager. I would not recommend starting off with your boss to the tune of "So when do I get a raise?". That might not be the best way to get the new boss-employee relationship started!

A Former Member Of The Unemployed

Three months ago, I wrote a post about my friend that I tagged Vinny Chase becoming the newest casualty to join the unemployed. Ironically, last season on Entourage, Vinny goes through a lull where he can not find work. Then, in the final moments of the season finale, Martin Scorsese calls Vince, offers him a lead role in one of his films, and the episode ends.

It is only fitting that my friend Vinny Chase lands a gig just like the fictional heartthrob on HBO. He told me he was interviewing over the last few weeks with a few companies and that things were going well. Then last week I was talking with him on GChat and he told me that he got a job! After three and half months of interviewing and cashing unemployment checks, he finally got back on the wagon.

It's not all in the bag though, he explained that he got a one month contract and the high possibility of extending it to a full time position. I thought it was a great opportunity and am extremely happy for him. He emphasized that he took the position even though it was not a guarantee because its an opportunity to totally blow his superiors socks off during the one month.

Vinny Chase is one determined character and always has been a high performer in whatever he does. More proof of that can be seen at the blog he recently started titled 30 Days Deep. Its a blog dedicated to various 30 day challenges he tries. During his downtime, he picked up running a few miles everyday for 30 days and gave up drinking alcohol for 42 days (Something I need to definitely give a try). It is that type of motivation and drive that keep people in a good mindset even when they are out of a job.

So would you take a one month contract with a possibility for future hire? Have you experience any other different circumstances when finding a job?

In this fierce economy, people are looking for any opportunity that comes their way, even if it not those most favorable situation. But maybe that is the whole point? Maybe companies are looking for those people who, when put in an uncomfortable situation, demonstrate the abilities to right the ship and succeed? The reality is that these times are going to be tough and everyone must perform in order to achieve their goals. Life is not supposed to be easy, not even for a big movie star like Vinny Chase. Stay thirsty my friends.

Take Control Of Your Career

Too many times people rely on others to get ahead in life or believe that certain strong relationships will help their career develop. While this often remains true, the time where it does not work out is when that strong relationship you are banking on to help you make moves suddenly announces they are moving on to a new position.

My manager dropped a bomb on our group this week when he informed us he was moving to a new team at the end of the month. We are all extremely happy for him, as he has been extremely good to us. However, it is just sad since they will not be replacing him and dissolving our group across three other teams in our department. I will be assigned to a new manager and that is what I am worried about.

My boss and I have been having conversations since last year's annual review in respect to my career development. This upcoming July will mark my 3rd year of service for the company and I have yet to have been rewarded with a promotion. We went over the things he expected of me for this year and continued to drill home that he expects big things from me. The major initiate my team was working on was completed and delivered on time and that was one of the major area he stressed to me concentrate on this year.

The problem that presents itself is I will be going to a new manager, hoping the knowledge will transfer from old boss to new boss about my career development and intentions. But to me, that is no certainty that my expectations will be met. My demeanor will not change and I will have to work harder from the get go, but the comfort level of where I felt I was going has totally dissapeared now and that is disheartening.

My mistake was allowing myself to believe that my boss controlled my fate, when in reality, it should not matter. I can not assume that everything will be the same when I begin working for my new manager, I have to make it understood that she knows what I am trying to do and how I plan on accomplishing it. If you are relying on someone else in order to get ahead in this world, then you are not working hard enough.

How do I bring up something like this with my new boss? Should it be discussed during our first conversation? These are some questions I am definitely considering and I may have the opportunity to address them with my current boss over the next month. So in the meantime, I will continue to press on and complete my work and look for new ways to help the team. All with the hope that my work of the past few years has done enough to garner some help from my team. Then again, if I am using the word "hope", I am definitely not in control. Do not make the same assumptions as I have.

Unemployed? Lower Your Expectations

Sorry for stating the obvious, but the unemployment rate keeps rising and rising (Is anyone checking their math?). Each one of us knows a handful of people who are currently jobless and that number will continue to rise during the upcoming months. If you jump onto Monster.com, they have thousands of jobs listed as still being open, as does many of the other career sites out there. Many of these positions will remain open because those interviewing for the positions just were not qualified and/or the hiring companies were looking for a different type of hire.

Or maybe it is just that there are thousands of people out there who view themselves as being overqualified for many of the open positions out there? The human ego comes to the forefront of the problem as to why many people out there are still unemployed. Too many people out there are still holding out for their dream job when they should be lowering their expectations for landing an opportunity to start earning a paycheck again (Try delivering pizza's like this guy!).

How many ex investment bankers are there looking for jobs that are willing to help out with W2 forms during tax season? (Mr. TML is on his 10th week of being a VOLUNTEER Tax preparer!)

How many professionals out there would be willing to sling Venti Skim Chai's at Starbucks when six months ago they were trading on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange?

Sure these are some extreme cases, but unemployment situation plaguing our economy is an extreme predicament too. In order for individuals to get back into the game they need to be willing to take risks, even if that means altering their expectations and chucking their pride out the window.

You Job Is Not Worth March Madness

Do not fill out a bracket at work! I repeat. Do not fill out a bracket at work! This is the message we received at our company a few weeks ago. It was highly emphasized to all employees that participating in these sort of activities, regardless of money being involved or not, would result in extreme actions. Basically, if you are caught participating in any sort of March Madness gambling activites, you will be terminated.

Is it like this at your company?

Have you basically been threatened to not participate in what I consider the most amazing sports event of the year? I am sure there are plenty of companies out there that totally promote this sort of activity within their company. It can serve as an effective team building activity even if money is not involved. The fact that I work at a very conservative financial institution is the reason that they have taken the stance that has been communicated. There is precedence in this matter at my company. A rumor was confirmed that more than 40 employees were terminated due to their participating in a Super Bowl pool this past season. For my sake, I hope they were all Pittsburgh Steelers fans! (Who puts gravy on their fries anyhow?)

In this economy where most people are just happy to have a job, do not go carelessly playing yourself out of a source of primary income just because you thought VCU was going to make it to the Sweet Sixteen!

Young Professionals Do Not Need Work Life Balance

You graduate college and land that first job. You begin start getting paychecks every two weeks. Suddenly, life is exciting and every day there is something to do. You are making new friends, hanging out with coworkers, and living that new fast life that every college student dreams of experiencing once they finish their undergraduate studies.

I am here to tell you that this described lifestyle is not the way to go. It is a total trap that causes its victims to ignore the important principles in life once they finish college. For the young professionals infiltrating the work force, the whole idea of having a good work/life balance should be a low priority. I am 25 years old and have been working for almost 3 years now in a large corporate environment. If I could do it all over again I would change it all.

When you get your first job out of college, or any position at a young age, your goal should be to dedicate yourself to that job. You may think I am a fool for stating something like this, but there are many young professionals out there whose lives revolve around their social life and not their job. I was one of them.

I was always quick to put in my 7.5 hours of work required of me every day and then dart out of the door at 4:15 PM everyday. That mentality is mimicked by many other young professionals out there who do not have their priorities straight. Again, I was one of them. It really hit me when I started seeing company correspondence every six months and the names of coworkers on the list of those receiving promotions. I started with many of these people and they were just flying by me up the ladder.

What was it that they were doing that I was not? Simply put, they were around the office much longer than I was and people were noticing. They were the ones taking advantage of the extra time to get tasks and projects done quicker, while I was just trying to get them done on time. Well let me tell you that getting something done on time does not get you ahead in this world. Those who get things done in half the time as other workers are the people that make moves in life and get ahead of the pack. I urge you to take advantage of such opportunities when they present themselves.

What else do you have in your life that is more important than work? The only things I can think of are God, family, and your health. Kill yourself during the work week. Put in the extra hours to get things done or even get ahead. Take work home with you to try and gain a different perspective on an assignment in a environment. The more time you spend on your work the more mastery you will be able to demonstrate on a daily basis and that is extremely important.

We are given many opportunities in life and right now there millions of unemployed people out there who would do anything to be in our positions. It is imperative that we take advantage of every opportunity possible. I have always been one to state that I want my career to be on a certain level as I get older, however, its extremely sad that it took others getting promoted to make me realize what I needed to do.

I hope you learn from my mistakes before its too late. The next time someone states that they wish they had better work/life balance, share your thoughts and experiences from you life with the goal of having the same impact on them. Who knows, you might be the one promoting them one day!

A New Member To The Unemployed

Last month I shared with you a story about my friend I called Vinny Chase. He is out on the left coast working, but his company suddenly reduced his position to part-time. We do have an update on his status and it is not anything to brag about as his company told him to have his cubical cleaned out by the end of the week. I asked him to shoot me and email to share with all of us his mindset and what hi steps are for the near future. It's pretty interesting and inspirational, so I thought I would share it with everyone. Please leave your thoughts, advice, and comments as Aquaman was more than willing to provide Finance Your Life with some insight.

I went from Part-time work to becoming full unemployed in about 3 weeks. Reality hasn't really set in just yet but the more I look into the job market I'm realizing a few things:

- Small companies are suffering just as much as big companies. When you're a small company and a few of your major clients don't pay it hurts and your world can get turned upside down in just one quarter.

- Now more than ever you need to expand beyond your comfort zone and look into other industries and positions to find work. It will make you push your boundaries and bring other skills to the surface. I was an account manager and a project manager in the past. Those jobs are no few and far between. I need to focus on what else I can do to make my ends meet.

- Never take your paychecks for granted. Aside from being cut back topart time i'm not even getting my paychecks on time. Living paycheck to paycheck has a whole new meaning to me and that's not cool.

- Moving to the west coast was the best decision I ever made and I put in alot of work to get where I am. I'm now realizing that I need to expand my search beyond the city of San Francisco and beyond the Bay Area. Denver, Chicago, NY, Boston, LA. Anywhere I can find something I'm looking because I've been told this more than once before that even though this is an unfortunate event its also an opportunity to do it all. So I'm taking advantage of that and leaving no stone unturned. On that same note I want to make sure I'm not taking a shit job. I want to find something that fits me.

- Since I've lived on the west coast I've wanted to work in nothing but small companies. I love the environment, the intensity, the mindset, and the ability to really make a difference. I'm ready to move. I want the benefits, I want the stability, I want the ca$h flow but I still want to make a difference. I can make that happen but I just need to sell my ass off and not give up. That's the mentality I've got and its all I have to run with right now.

Speak On It Thursdays: How Do You Handle Time Management?

Welcome to a new segment on Finance Your Life where we ask everyone out there for their tips and advice on various topics. This topic came up after a hectic last couple days where work had me staying late and graduate school had me running around as well. Not to mention the snowy weather in the Northeast that forces you to wake up thirty minutes earlier just so you are not driving to work in a mobile igloo.

The bottom line is that work, school, and even my second job (Shoebox Money!) have prevented me from providing the blogging world with my daily anecdotes and views. So am I managing my time carelessly? What is odd is that I do not even sleep that well. I barely get any sleep because I am usually up late watching my boys Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, which leads me to catching the fifteen minute episode of Robot Chicken at midnight. I really need a TIVO!

How do all you out there manage your time every day?

What are some ways that we can become more efficient in our day everyday?

I'm hoping I can do a little re-work with the way I do things on a daily basis so I can start getting more of what I want to get done. We really want to hear the types of things that really throw off your entire day. Many times, it can be the littlest thing in the world that turns the entire day upside down. So don't be shy and let us all know what you think!!

Best Job In World Offer

The blogging world is making a name for itself and this time it is heading down under to Australia! A job opportunity has been created by an Australian State to provide one lucky blogger the chance to have the 'Best Job In World' in paradise!

The job title is as follows:

• Stroll the sandy beaches which have been described as white.


• Snorkel the crystal clear surrounding waters with the locals aka the fish!


• Take care of a few more minor tasks


• BLOG ABOUT IT ALL!!!

This is a blogger's dream! To be on a tropical island and just keep a online diary of everything that you do and see. They are looking for someone to blog to a global audience through writings, photo galleries, and video updates. This is really to good to be true. It pays 150,000 Australian dollars (105,000 US dollars) and includes free airfares from the winner's home country to Hamilton Island on the Great Barrier Reef.

You are basically getting paid to roam the island, get a banging tan, and blog! It is a 6 month deal and whoever does it will not want to come back after 6 months, that I guarantee!

Applications are open until February 22, where soon after, 11 candidates will be selected and flown in for a real interview process with the ultimate winner beginning the contract on July 1. You can formally apply to this job at their site Island Reef Job.

The catch? Try clicking on that link, I have been for the last day or so and to very little success. My guess? Everyone and their mother is applying to this thing and the traffic is totally flooding the server that this site is on!

I guess it is really a pipe dream for everyone but the winner, but you are damn sure I am going to try and apply. My guess is an established blogger with great swimming skills will win take down this job interview.

I probably will not win b/c I got a C in Aquatics class in 10th grade. Good luck and let us all know if you get through!!!

The Unemployment Rate Meets Entourage

As we start the new year, not much has changed on the job market. Last week, The Bureau of Labor Statistics released the unemployment numbers for the month ending in December and the unemployment raise to a 16 year high of 7.2%. It is a pretty crazy statistic to think of that more people today are jobless than they were since the early 2000's.

Lots of people take this idea for granted, I admit that I was one of them. (Note: the keyword WAS). A few of my friends got laid off near the end of last year and when they told me about it, it was definitely a humbling experience. People that I went to school with, studied for exams with, and copied other people's chemistry lab with were now jobless.

Of these friends we have an Ivy League graduate, a graduate with a near 4.0 GPA from a prestigious private school, and another product of a highly regarded private school who also graduated with honors. All three have extensive work experience during college (At least 2 years from CO-OPs) on top of the full time work they have completed since graduating the same year as me in 2006.

While these people are not as publicized as the story of the MIT Grad For Hire, these people have great skills. The good thing for two of them is that they live locally at home within tri-state area (just like the lazy bumb mooching blogger aka yours truly), however, the last of the three, we will refer to him as Vinny Chase, is on the left side (shout out to my man snoop) and his company asked him to stay on part time last week. Staying on part-time is super duper secret code for "Find a new job ASAP son".

This one really hit home on me because it made me think "What if that was me?" The other cases deserve attention too, but like them, I have the comfort of living at home and not having to worry about certain expenses. He's got rent (which is not cheap in the SF area) and a highly competitive job market that is Silicon Valley. I am pretty sure that the hot bed for startups is not immune to the economical crisis our world is experiencing.

My friend started mentioning to me his plan of how he got his resume together and had some ideas to start pursuing jobs. I must say he was quite optimistic and energized about looking for something, even though the job market is as bad as it is. I would definitely be a train wreck full of resentment against the world if I were in his shoes.

So what would you do if you had to find a new job? Would you be as optimistic as my friend Vinny Chase? Are you even prepared to take that on if you got that phone call the next day at work? I am not trying to scare you, however, I want everyone to understand the reality. Each one of you know your own job security, but my advice is to keep that first aid kit close by, jussstttt in case you fall of your bike and scrape your knee.

The world is getting realer by the month and reality will smack you in the face the second someone you know adds to rising unemployment rate. Make sure you are prepared to lend a helping hand so they can tackle their next opportunity with the positivity and optimism of a Vinny Chase. They might just make you their Turtle

2009 New Year's Resolution: Plan Before You Proclaim

People make New Year's Resolutions every single year, usually around this time. It is almost like it is the "cool" thing to do because "Everybody's Doing IT!!!!!!" It totally defeats the purpose of what the resolution is, a goal or goals proclaimed to be completed within the coming year. It is not something that should just be done for any reason, you have to throw some purpose behind it for nobody other than yourself.

Too many times people make the goals for 2009 and they last a month at the most! For example, on Monday, January 5, 2009, go to your local gym after work around 5 or 6 PM. Let me know if you can get on a treadmill, exercise bike, or any workout machine when you are there. Guarantee you can not because everyone including their grandmother is at the gym on this day. For all those who make the New Year's Resolution of getting in shape, this is the first day that they will be walking the walk. However, go check out the gym a month later or even two months later (For the super determined ones!) and you will see a significant decrease in volume at your gym.

Take a few days to think about what you really want to accomplish this upcoming year in your life. Don't share that idea just yet, go and write it down on a piece of paper, matter of fact, write down a few ideas and let them simmer in your system for a few days. The year of 2009 is still a few days away, no need to rush this plan. Let's turn this goal setting resolution for 2009 into a well-defined process and give it the thought that it deserves to help ensure that it gets done. We want to be able to share our progress on December 29th, 2009, and be able to say "Yes I did the damn thing" and completed my New Year's Resolution for 2009.

Go write down a few ideas, whether it has to do with your career, personal life, physical fitness, or personal finance, jot the idea down and check back in with us tomorrow to share the idea with us. I have my stuff written down and will offer up my goals for 2009 tomorrow as well (The suspense is killing me!). 2008 is not done just yet, so let's do a little prep work to make sure 2009 gets off to the right start.

Be easy people.

Take Advantage of an Empty Office During Holidays

It is 7:00 AM on the Monday of Christmas week at my work. Normally, the office is dead quiet at this time. The crazy thing is that it will most likely stay this week the entire week and into next week as well. My advice to you is not to get pulled into the lazy trap at work when the office is empty.

I know I know I know... Nobody is around, you still have some online shopping to do, the Internet Explorer Icon is just screaming at you right? Well those TPS reports are not going to complete themselves, even if Lumburgh is not going to even look at them. Fine, nobody is in the office and you really do not have any high priority work to get done. Do not get caught doing things that you should not be doing (i.e. BLOGGING!!).

Instead, here are a few things you could be doing instead that would be far more productive and might even get you a little pat on the back (Or rear end if you prefer!) when the masses return on Monday January 5th, 2009:

• Get ahead on some on projects that are on the docket for Q1 of 2009. There has to be some tasks for pre-planning of 2009 or even things that you can get started for future projects, this is the corporate world: There is always something to do! Little initiative never hurt right?
• Assist another group that needs help with tasks. Lend your expertise to a fellow team in your office. Many groups are stretched these days and just need eyes, arms, and ears to assist with some grunt work. Word travels fast when you are flexible. After all, its the holiday season!
• Check up on some of your past work. Santa makes his list and checks it twice right? Well, if that's the case, go retrace some of the work you did recently and completed and make sure everything is looking good and accurate. Maybe there are better methods or options than the way you completed and you have a little time to re engineer the idea? People make mistakes right?
• Training! We always hate doing these type of things because they always take up time we need to get our important things done at work. Well, now you have the time and resources to get that annoying training done, so ask your superior before they jet for holiday vacation in Bermuda if you can register for some external classes. When they say no because of the budget, look for some in-house online web based trainings to complete. I hear the Sexual Harassment Web Course at work is mandatory (Just an FYI).

If you are reading this at work, hopefully it hits home that you should stay off the Internet and get some things done. Hopefully, this post steers you in the right direction so you stay out of trouble during the holidays at work! Consider this a little post from experience, be active and lend a helping hand around the office, it will become contagious and you will look great!

This Week's Carnival

The Carnival of Personal Finance #184 is taking place this week over at Saving To Invest, check it out because another one of my articles from last week was selected for it. Also, a few of our buddies were selected in it as well if you browse through it: Budgets Are Sexy, Master Your Card, Cash Money Life, The Digerati Life (w/ her new design btw), and Mr. Tough Money Love all made some excellent contributions! Good work. Be easy. Enjoy Monday. Happy Holidays!

Job Security: I Am Safe... Right?

I am writing this with the hope that I do not jinx myself. I work in financial services. This industry is very bad right now. I have tons of friends who work at similar companies where they are experiencing large amounts of layoffs. This type of uncertainty must be extremely difficult to deal with, especially for those of the younger generation. When you are young, everyone tells you to go to college so you can get a good job and make money. However, they never did mention the notion that our economy is going to plummet when you start working and your early working years will be right in the middle of the first recession in a long long time.

But that is life right? You live and you learn. Challenges of this nature help build strong-minded individuals and character. In such turbulent times, you have to look for positives because if you entire day consists of concentrating on the negative aspects, the terms "miserable" and "depressed" may soon enter you mindset.

I have a few friends that experienced lay offs from very good companies. I have a few other friends who currently hold jobs at some of the big name companies making news for layoffs. I can not even imagine the feeling of waking up in the morning and either a) not having a job to go to or b) uncertain whether it will be your last day or not.

My company brags that it has never had a single lay off in its long history. That statement provides me with a sense of security that keeps me grounded each and every day. Until a few days ago, when I heard that Blackrock is cutting 10% of its workforce. My friend who works there informed me that they never had lay offs prior to this week. They were in the same boat as my company. As you can imagine, this news definitely put me on tilt because it makes you realize that even the calmest of oceans can one day experience storms.

If you are going to take anything from this, realize that you can only control what you bring to the table and what you do on a daily basis at your job. You went to college and earned your degree and accepted the position that you are working at today. The same place where you might be reading this blog post as we speak. Do your job everyday as best as you can, work harder than the person next to you, because you never want to give them the chance to get rid of you because you did not work hard or succeed in you position.

Everything happens for a reason right? Just don't give them a reason to pick do it to you!

Wild Morning On Wall Street

In case you have not read a newspaper, listened to the radio, or turned on a television this morning, Wall Street is pretty crazy this morning. Lehman Brothers filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection this morning and Bank of America bought Merrill Lynch for like $50 billion dollars (Cue Doctor Evil please).

The crazy thing is that I have a few friends that work at Merrill Lynch and BlackRock, which is actually owned by ML, however, now they will be under Bank of America. I texted them this morning to see how they were feeling bout things and what was going on but the one who responded told me he called out sick this morning since he was too hungover from the weekend. Hahah I don't make this stuff up! Seriously speaking, this stuff is really crazy. Before this morning, our financial markets were already considered to be very unstable and the events from this morning only exponentially make things worse. The stock market is already getting drilled this morning but should hopefully rebound during the week and it seems as if the bond markets are benefiting from the extreme moves this morning.

What gets to me the most is the people losing their jobs, especially since I know people at these companies. A friend of a friend actually works at Lehman Brothers and i just can not imagine anything that an employee of that firm is going to deal with. On one hand, the employees at Lehman had to see this coming and hopefully started looking around for new jobs or some sort of contingency plan. However, the job market for experienced financial professionals is horrible right now. One day you wake up in the morning and when you get to your office building, the police and IRS are already there and not letting you in, its just out of this world!

It is at times like this where I am grateful for the job security I have especially since I work for a large financial services company. If you know anyone who works or at this point, used to work at one of these companies, send them a text message or a phone call tonight and make sure they are in good spirits. Horrible way to start the week but lets hope that things can't get much worse than this! Be easy.