2

Demographically, is the U.S. now in a reverse migration? Are African-Americans moving back to the South?

I just spent about five days in Memphis, TN. That’s a (generally speaking) very black, very historical, very proud, very connected back to the US historical landscape (rock n’ roll) place. I’m not from the South, I’ve never lived for… Continue Reading

4

For years, the fear always was “maybe the job-seeker is lying.” Is the new fear “maybe the hiring manager is lying?”

Don’t have a ton of science on this topic — but do have a ton of gut and experience. My job search is seemingly never-ending and has encountered more brick walls than a bad cartoon, but I persist. I saw this article on Quartz today and… Continue Reading

9

If we want to solve the skills gap issue in the U.S., maybe we should turn to reciprocity (like parts of Europe)

“You don’t really know what you get,” she says. “If someone tells you they’re an electrician, they could have just exchanged light bulbs at an amusement park or they could have worked, maybe, at complex problems.” That quote is from… Continue Reading

Did you know 89 billion business e-mails are sent in a given day? (Smashes face into desk.)

Look at that info-graphic and just weep. 89 billion business e-mails are sent per day. That’s a whole lot of “Got it, thx” or “Need that ASAP, plz.” Think about this: in 1995 or so, business e-mail wasn’t even a norm. Now… Continue Reading

1

Ultimate life hacks: flow and making tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge

I had an interview with 3M last year — if you’re not familiar, they invented the Post-It Note — and the interviewer says to me right off the bat, “Well, why do you want to work at 3M?” I wasn’t… Continue Reading

Fun with labor, maps, and statistics: if you want to find a job, move to North Dakota, Nebraska, or Dallas

I love data on jobs and job searching, probably because my own life is a wreck with that stuff right now. I started out looking at unemployment rate by state — to a coastal-bias person, it would seem crazy that the… Continue Reading

2

Lao Tzu, the quest for organic communication at work, and FOR THE LOVE OF GOD, please stop proposing newsletters

Some backstory: I’m in this class right now about employee engagement. It’s a pretty interesting class for the most part, although it can get sidetracked with a lot of millennial vs. Boomer and OMG what does it all mean discussions, but I… Continue Reading

Everyone wants to be up in arms about Kelly Blazek and her e-mails, but stuff like that happens a lot

If you haven’t heard the story, here’s the basics: Kelly Blazek runs a job bank in Cleveland (OH). Diana Mekota, a millennial, was looking to connect with Blazek — who has a strong LinkedIn presence and ties to some hiring managers… Continue Reading