F i n d T h e W o r k . c o m

Monday, December 24, 2007

Rocking The Virtual World

Matthew Schifrin

Three-dimensional virtual worlds are the next frontier for social networks. Among them Kaneva stands out for its simplicity.
On the Web Facebook is the flavor of the moment, with 55 million users and a valuation (if you want to extrapolate from what Microsoft (nasdaq: MSFT - news - people ) paid for a sliver) of $15 billion. So what’s the next big thing? Three-dimensional communities. In a recent study Gartner predicted that by 2011 up to 80% of active Internet users, or 250 million people, will participate online in virtual worlds.

Soon you won’t merely be reading about your friend’s day at work or blogging about a recent film you’ve seen, but rather your avatar, or 3-D digital character, will be watching movies and listening to music with your friends’ avatars. You will walk through virtual malls together and dance the night away at virtual nightclubs. Millions of residents on dozens of virtual worlds are already doing so.

Some online worlds are pure fantasy: multiplayer games like Sony (nyse: SNE - news - people )’s Everquest and Vivendi Universal’s World of Warcraft. Many are also cutesy sites geared toward children and toys, like Disney’s Club Penguin, Ganz’ Webkinz and Mattel (nyse: MAT - news - people )’s BarbieGirls.com. In the first three months of operation Barbie drew 4 million members to her site.

Among the producers of virtual worlds Atlanta’s Kaneva may be on its way to becoming the most “disruptive,” according to Strategy & Innovation, a Cambridge, Mass. newsletter founded by Harvard Business School’s Clayton Christensen. Christensen has made a career of studying market disruptions--how novel products or novel ways of doing things have upended whole industries. In this world disruptive is a compliment.

Since Kaneva launched in March 2007, its membership has swelled to 800,000. It is geared toward people ages 18 to 34 and is, in essence, a virtual world version of MySpace. Its much larger rival, Second Life, from San Francisco’s Linden Lab, has 11 million registrants.

In Pictures: Most Popular Virtual Worlds

Kaneva is the creation of Christopher Klaus, 34, who had the money to get it going without venture capital. Klaus started Internet Security Systems when he was a Georgia Tech student and last year sold that outfit to IBM for $1.3 billion.

“Virtual worlds are still in the very early stages,” says Klaus. “We are where MP3s were seven years ago. Our goal is to combine the virtual world with social networking and videogaming.”

The key to Kaneva’s rapid growth is in its accessibility. It’s aimed not at videogaming geeks but at ordinary folk. “Second Life currently has huge mind share, but they are after a different market,” says Klaus. “We want people who have never played videogames before.” Kaneva encourages residents to create avatars that are online versions of their real identities, linking photos of themselves and lists of hobbies to their animated avatars. Second Life, in contrast, fosters taking on an alternative identity, including imaginary beasts.

On Kaneva, registrants can decorate their virtual houses with their own photos, upload their favorite music and stream YouTube videos and television shows. Like Second Life, Kaneva has a “micro” currency that can be bought for real money; take ten real-world dollars into a Target (nyse: TGT - news - people ) and you can buy 1,500 units, then use these to buy furniture or outfit your avatar with cool clothes to wear at the Dance Party 3-D contest.

Both Second Life and Kaneva are free to join. They get revenue by selling play money, leasing virtual land and, in the case of Kaneva, by promoting real-world commerce (especially TV shows).

If Kaneva becomes a hit it will prove that disruption does not come from technology alone. It comes from playing the game differently. Says Christensen, “Simplicity, convenience, accessibility, affordability--all of these are hallmarks of disruptive innovation.”

Adapted from a recent edition of Strategy & Innovation . For more information visit http://www.forbes.com/strategy&innovation.

http://www.forbes.com/forbes/2007/1224/103.html?partner=ecommerce_newsletter

Wednesday, December 19, 2007

Careers for a Changing Job Landscape

Careers for a Changing Job Landscape
We’ve selected careers with strong outlooks and high job satisfaction. Plus, see other careers that are deemed overrated and which are ahead of the curve.
http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/best-careers/2007/12/19/best-careers-for-a-changing-job-landscape.html

Sortable Table: Career Components
http://www.usnews.com/articles/business/best-careers/2007/12/19/the-components-of-31-top-careers.html

Wednesday, December 05, 2007

Career Change Gaffes

Career Change Gaffes By Selena Dehne, JIST Publishing

Getting from Point A to Point B in your career path isn’t easy. Along the way, you’ll experience roadblocks and uphill climbs, and there’s a good chance you’ll feel pretty lost from time to time. Like most professionals, you can also expect to face a major fork in the road—the decision to stay in your current career or make the leap to another.

For some, the prospect of a new career is exciting and offers the chance to break free of a job stuck in the doldrums. For others, career change sparks feelings of terror, as though it were synonymous with plunging into an unknown abyss. Either way, it’s a situation almost all professionals are bound to encounter at some point.

In fact, 74 percent of U.S. workers reported they have changed careers at least once, according to a new survey of more than 5,700 workers conducted by Harris Interactive. More than one-third of those surveyed said they are currently interested in a career change.

Of those who were unwilling to pursue a career change, 35 percent did not want to start over in an entry-level position, 39 percent were comfortable with their current career and viewed change as scary, 22 percent expressed financial concerns, and 16 percent said they’d need to receive additional education to successfully change careers. 

Career coach Katy Piotrowski, M.Ed., author of “The Career Coward’s Guide to Changing Career”s (JIST © 2008), believes it’s not uncommon for these fears to hinder people who refuse to change careers or those currently in transition. 

“When faced with a career change, chances are you’re wrestling with a tiny voice inside of you that keeps whispering ‘What if it doesn’t work? Wouldn’t it be better to just keep doing what you’re already doing and not risk failing?’” she says. 

It’s true. Sometimes a career change can be a huge mistake. Imagine leaving a ho-hum career to begin one that’s even more dreadful. Or discovering your bank account’s empty because you were unprepared to deal with a change in your finances. In spite of these roadblocks, a brand-new career could be the very thing you need to revamp your life.

To prevent a career change from derailing your goals, finances and happiness, Piotrowski says to steer clear of the following gaffes:

Gaffe 1: Jumping the Gun

It can be tempting to make a hasty decision when a killer opportunity comes along or the thought of spending another day on the job seems excruciating. Piotrowski, however, recommends taking baby steps to execute a new career strategy.

“Plan a timeline of one to two years to implement your career change. Gather information for four to six months, and then get moving on activities that will bridge into your new specialty over the next few months. Remember, you can make the switch over time. You don’t need to do it all at once.”

Gaffe 2: Skipping Your First Steps

It’s not unusual for people to know they need out of their current career, while having no idea which one will suit them best. In situations like these, Piotrowski encourages people to turn to the Yellow Pages, Internet or books to learn more about specific careers. “Make gathering information your first priority, rather than putting a lot of pressure on yourself to change careers quickly,” she says.

“Spend time looking through industry categories and a variety of jobs to get ideas about new-career areas that may appeal to you. This can open your eyes to a multitude of options you hadn’t considered before.”

Informational interviews—the best-kept career change secret, according to Piotrowski—will also help aspiring career changers come to a solution. The key is to seek people already immersed in a particular career and pick their brains with questions such as, “What training do I need to do well in this job? “What kind of money will I make?” and “What’s a day on the job really like?”

Finally, people should try a few career experiments to test their abilities and build experience to move into a new career more easily.

“A career experiment can be one of thousands of activities that allow you to learn more about a new type of work before you commit to choosing it,” Piotrowski says. Career experiments include shadowing a specialist, volunteering, taking field trips and designing projects to enhance knowledge and skills.

Gaffe 3: Forgetting to Present the New You

It’s true career change rookies are at a disadvantage when it comes to convincing a hiring manager that they deserve to make the cut—they’ve never had a job like the one they’re looking to fill. That doesn’t mean they can’t find a few savvy ways to get around this roadblock.

When writing their résumés, career changers should include relevant information about their background that would appeal to the employer. Piotrowski recommends focusing on functions rather than previous job titles.

Finally, once an interview has been landed, career changers should take a few steps to ensure they have plenty of strengths to talk about, despite their lack of experience. “Brainstorm examples of how your background ties to the new position you want. Next, make sure you’ve got a few powerful stories to share that include What, How, and Proof components to demonstrate your achievements and skills. Finally, create a portfolio to bring along on interviews,” Piotrowski says.
This can include letters of appreciation from customers, pictures or samples of work, training certificates, performance reviews and anything else that portrays you as a powerhouse professional ready to take on a new and exciting challenge.

Selena Dehne is a career writer for JIST Publishing who shares the latest occupational, career and job search information available with job seekers and career changers.

Last Updated: Wednesday, December 05, 2007 - 10:11 AM

http://www.educationcrossing.com/article/index.php?id=470031

http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Custom/MSN/CareerAdvice/ViewArticle.aspx?articleid=1209&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=16604d8796c8434f91311446a26fe411-250255193-JS-5

http://msn.careerbuilder.com/Custom/MSN/CareerAdvice/ViewArticle.aspx?articleid=1209

Tuesday, December 04, 2007

‘Parachute’ author still works grapevine

‘Parachute’ author still works grapevine
‘I know the best method’ to find a job, says Bolles

By Eve Tahmincioglu, MSNBC.com contributor

Many years ago I faced a major career decision. I could stay at my job as a reporter for a major fashion newspaper where I made a good salary and had job security, or move on to a publication where I could expand my journalism horizons.

About this time I came across a book called “What Color is Your Parachute?” by Richard Nelson Bolles. The book helped me visualize my dream job and that turned out to be a financial reporter for United Press International, a struggling news service that offered me a 20 percent pay cut and little job security.

My editor at the time thought I was nuts for even considering the move and so did most of my friends and family. But I turned in my resignation and took the plunge. Looking back, it was the best decision I ever made in my career and I have Mr. Bolles to thank for it.

In my column, I often suggest job hunters pick up a copy of Bolles book, first published in 1970, and recently I got to wondering how he would look at the job market today and what advice he’d offer.

Well, nearing his 80th birthday, Bolles was more than willing to let me pick his brain.

The following is part one of my conversation with the bestselling author. The second part, where Bolles talks about the importance of enthusiasm during the interview process will be published Feb. 19.

Job-hunting can be one of the most demoralizing things a person ever takes on. Is there any way to make it less daunting?

The problem is there’s a real parallel between sex and job-hunting, but no one realizes it. People think they are born with knowing how to do things when they really need to learn more. You don’t know enough naturally to do a job hunt well. There’s a discipline that has to be learned. You need to know your Plan B when luck runs out.

I can’t think of a human activity that is more researched than the job hunt. It’s amazing what we know. There are 15 methods of job hunting. If a person uses one method they tend to get discouraged and quit in two months. If they use two to three methods they tend to stay at it longer. The research is so thorough; knowing which method of job-hunting works and which don’t makes a big difference to people. You need to be putting energy in methods that work the best.

I know the best method. The best method has proven to be when a job hunter takes time to sit down and do some really hard work on figuring out who they are and what they have to offer.

The novice comes into job market assuming they need information but [thinking] they need information about the job market itself — the hot jobs, where employers are desperate to find people. That’s not as important as figuring out which employers can offer you a job that fits your gifts and experience.

How important is the résumé? How important is networking?

Everything depends on the employer when it comes to the résumé. There are employers that hate them and employers that love them.

A human relations director of one of the largest corporations in California recently told me: “I haven’t read a résumé in I can’t tell you how many years because it’s so easy to lie on them.”

There are a huge number of lies on resumés, much worse today than in the 1970s, particularly about education and experience.

I think a résumé is an important thing to leave behind after you’ve been to a company. You have to use your contacts, not the résumé, to get into a company. If you want to work at Bechtel Corp., I would ask everyone I know if they know anyone at Bechtel. Chances are someone will say yes and they can give you an introduction over there.

Then, when I got there I’d I leave my résumé because I know I probably didn’t initially meet with the decision maker. At big companies hiring is probably done by committee. So with the résumé they’ll have something to show everyone.

The résumé is poison for many employees if they send it on ahead. One résumé out of 1,470 leads to a job.

The preferred way to get your name into a company that interests you is through your contacts and (finding) someone you know that knows someone there. You can do a lot of research on a company but if you don’t have a contact it won’t work.

Contacts, contacts, contacts. They can be social networks, friends, and family. Anybody that’s pleasant to you and that you’ve been pleasant to.

In a small company this is a no-brainer. You go to the owner.

In a corporation, you have to use your networks. Well, I don’t like to call them networks. I like to call them grapevines, like [in the song by] Marvin Gaye.
You’ve heard people in checkout lines in supermarket strike up conversations. Why not ask, “Do you know any one at this or that corporation?” You have to have the chutzpah to ask the person if they happen to know someone.

A cold call to a large corporation? I don’t recommend it. They don’t want to be bothered. They typically want the HR person to be the person looking for an applicant. Sometimes you’ll be able to get through, but most times you’re talking to someone who is very busy and all they have on their mind is how to get rid of you the fastest.

How do you go about choosing an employer?

I know a woman in San Francisco that picked a street she liked the best, slowly progressed down the street, went into shops, law offices, for a quick interview to find out what each company does. By the time she was finished she had three job offers.

It’s like trying on a suit of clothing before you buy. You say, “The truth is, I really like the looks of this place. What do you do?” They will either say, I’m too busy, come back later, or they’ll ask you to sit down and tell you on the spot what it is they do and ask you what you do.

If they ask you what you’re doing, you say, “I’m doing a survey to find out where my particular skills and talents can best be used.” If they say, Are you looking for a job? Say no.

Also, go through the Yellow Pages. First go to the index and underline any topic or field or industry that you like, then go back and circle your top 10, five or three. Then go see what organizations are listed under those topics. In a large city this works very well. You can get names of companies or organization then you try to use contacts to get your foot in the door.

Eve Tahmincioglu writes the weekly “Your Career” column for MSNBC.com, aiming to tell daily grinders how to make work life work for them by sleuthing out career-ladder secrets rung by rung.

Last Updated: Monday, September 24, 2007 - 3:50 PM

Piece this URL back together--I split it into two…
http://msn.careerbuilder.com/custom/msn/careeradvice/viewarticle.aspx?articleid=1135&SiteId=cbmsnbc41135&sc_
extcmp=JS_1135_msnbc&GT1=10661&cbRecursionCnt=1&cbsid=6cb18a0a57f64efd8d4bce167ba28f38-250072703-XJ-2

Monday, December 03, 2007

Slash Careers: WHY SETTLE FOR JUST ONE LINE OF WORK?

Marci Alboher gave up practicing law to write, teach, and speak about people who have made career transitions. To use a term she coined, she became a “slash” (as in writer/teacher/public speaker). The author of One Person/Multiple Careers: A New Model for Work/Life Success, Alboher spoke with Associate Editor Susan Berfield about how to juggle professions.
What’s the difference between a slash and a career-changer?
Slashes are seeking a balance so they don’t burn out or lose interest in their first job. I’ve met an art dealer/Pilates instructor and a theater director/computer programmer. A career-changer wants a divorce from the first career: The love is gone.
What’s the main reason people don’t pursue the slash interests full-time?
Financial security. It’s hard to trash that when you are trying to learn something new and you’re not sure if it will be more than a glorified hobby. Some people like what they do but want to do less of it. If they can find some way to add another dimension to their lives, it can rekindle interest in their main work.
How do you build a slash career?
In the corporate world, some people coast by at 80% and see if there’s room to do something else with their time. Then there are people who test the flextime policy. The concept of going part-time to make room for something else is still new, but it is growing in acceptance. The third way is to take what you do in a corporate job and change it: Become a consultant or sign up at one of the white-collar temp agencies.
Can people sustain life as a slash?
People who have these kinds of careers are never static. Six months later, they’ve shaken up the mix, evolved, gone deeper, dropped something. There is something inherently restless, endlessly curious about these people. Being a slash is a way to evolve without giving up the security of a job or losing the confidence in your expertise.
Do you see trends in what people are trying?
A lot of the people I talk to whose first vocation came after considerable education add a slash like massage therapy, or Pilates, or a certificate program of some kind. Adult and online education have exploded. It’s easier than it has ever been to change careers. Leaving and reentering the corporate world is so much more accepted. Before it was like burning a bridge. Now you could have an entrepreneurial stint, then a corporate stint, and back again without any stigma.
What if you don’t like being a Pilates instructor after all?
It’s important to give yourself permission to not like something you are trying. It’s like dating. You have to get out there, be unapologetic about sampling, and enjoy it.
How does this play out in different age groups?
Younger people don’t find the slash concept at all unusual. They expect three-dimensional lives and careers, and a lot of blurring. Older people need permission to live like this.
What do slashes give up?
You may not get to the highest rung on the corporate ladder if you want to follow other pursuits. To have more, you might have to have less. And a lot of idle time is lost. The most successful slashing occurs when activities serve more than one purpose. It’s not multitasking--it’s double time. It’s the jogging stroller approach to life.

http://www.mywire.com/pubs/BusinessWeek/2007/12/03/5006530?&pbl=251