Off the Clock

I just read an interesting article about how Sprint, ING Direct, and Best Buy (and others), have fired customers for being “difficult” or consuming too many company resources because of the number of complaints they’ve made, needing too much support, or habitually returning merchandise.

Can you imagine being one of those customers? Well, I’m guessing that those companies don’t actually say “you’re fired” to these customers - they probably have some artfully written communications piece that conveys a message that the company can no longer support them, or that they aren’t a good fit for the organization, or the like. I bet none of their customers feel the same harsh sting as those who have been fired from a job! But it’s really the exact same situation.

A writer contacted me a few months ago about an article she was writing about getting fired. It really made me stop and reflect on what I’ve noticed with clients who’ve found themselves fired - suddenly or not-so-suddenly.

If you’re interested - here’s the article:

http://www.annabellemagazine.com/annabelle%20issue%2013/W02.html

Here’s an article about how to use LinkedIn. LinkedIn, like any social networking tool, is a great tool… but it’s just one tool that you need in your career search toolkit. You still need to network in person, expand your contacts in person, etc. Suggestions #8 and #16 are especially worthy!!

http://webworkerdaily.com/2007/06/15/20-ways-to-use-linkedin-productively/

Definitely a resource when you’re “off the clock”…

www.stumbleupon.com

Use with extreme caution due to its highly addictive nature. Poke around a bit. You might even find a career idea you hadn’t thought about before.

Great article from Money magazine & salary.com about the top 20 careers for women returning to the workforce, the over-50 crowd, and the “Young & Restless” - young workers who want to earn more and have more control over their careers:

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/moneymag/bestjobs/2007/?cnn=yes

Now, the all important disclaimer: Never, every make a career decision based on a trend or anticipated job prospects. Never. Ever.