career

Geek Job Guru: Build That BS Detector

by

Running Of The Bulls

If you want a successful career, build a nice big mental BS detector, my fellow Geek.

BS detection is necessary for your success in any career. There’s a lot out of it in the world, and seemingly more every day as advanced technology let’s us manufacture crackpot ideas and complete lies even faster than usual. If you can’t recognize it, you’re sunk as you’ll make bad decisions, sign on to a guaranteed-to-fail startup, or stick with a failing company.

You’ve probably seen it happen to your friends and family or had it happen to you.  “What the hell was I thinking?” seems to be a really common career question.

Don’t worry, beeen there.

Read more

Geek Job Guru: Use Your Hobby As A Backup Career

by

You may be quite happy in your career.  It pays the bills and plays to your interests.  You have your hobbies and passions, yes, but they’re fine where they are or are going in the direction you want.  Nothing to worry about.

However radical changes can come quickly as we all know.  You get laid off.  A company moves and you’re not ready to change locations.  Your profession starts to contract or alter radically – more radically than you’re ready to face or adjust to.  Trust me, I’ve been there – I’ve had many a sudden career change over the years.

So you may be left one day not only without a job, but without many prospects of doing what you’ve been doing.  You can’t even rely on relocation because the market has changed so radically that you’re not sure you can count on your old career to work the same way.

You may want to consider hobby-as-career not just as a laudable goal to tap your interests or a “someday” plan, but as a backup career in its entirety.  Perhaps for a time – perhaps as a transition that’s more permanent.

Read more

Make It So: More Specific Career Panels

by

Awhile ago I spoke at Con-Volution, a new convention in the Bay Area (we are blessed with cons out here) that was very practically focused. It had a lot of panels examining things in depth, talking specific skills, and getting pretty deep into doing things. I of course took my usual career roadshow there becaus I’m me. You know me.

It also got me thinking. In depth panels? Skill-building workshops? People with career interests. Career Panels?  Hmmm . . .

Right now there’s a lot of separate skillsets you need to do your job search and career building properly. There’s also specific things you have to do to get your career going that are also separate skillsets – making a good resume, for instance. Conventions, which often have “effectively doing stuff” events could have workshops and panels that address these various elements and skillsets. Not just a resume panel here or a website workshop there – instead have as many as possible that cover all aspects of careers.

Read more