So what do cats have to do with employment? Well, if you’re like my friend, a happy owner of two cats, you know that the moment they get seriously sick, you might as well get yourself a part-time job. Why? Because vet fees are going to eat up your regular savings and budget big time. My friend makes good money and doesn’t have a family to support. He does, however, have two cats and one of them has a heart condition. At the beginning of this month, the cat got sick and had to undergo all kinds of tests to determine what was wrong. The total? $2,300 for a battery of tests that found nothing wrong with her, other than a couple of fleas.

My friend decided to take on an additional part-time gig to cover this expense -– otherwise he would have had to dip into his mortgage payments. “But,” as he said: “What can you do?”

I told my friend that what he could do is move to Alberta, him and his cats and their bills. Why did I say that? Well,some companies out west are offering incredible work perks, including pet insurance. The article Workers Offered Yoga, PlayStations as Companies Face Labour Crunch in the West talks about the labour shortage in Western Canada and the distance that employers are willing to go to to keep their workers happy.

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Jowita

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There’s an ancient rumour about author Margaret Atwood who, at a party, was accosted by a neurosurgeon who said to her, “I think I’d like to write a book one day,” and to which she replied, “I think I’d like to perform a brain surgery one day.” This, I think, illustrates a certain frustration that I can relate to as a professionally trained writer. (I usually experience this frustration when I take myself too seriously -- which I try not to do, especially since English is not my first language. On top of that, I am crazy about photography and have no degree in that, yet I do it, shamelessly and confidently.)

The thing is that everyone can potentially do creative things -- most people can learn on their own how to take pictures or put together sentences to make stories (even if they don’t do it well). No one can learn on his or her own how to do brain surgery.

When I worked at an ad agency, I was hired as a copy writer, yet it was the product managers and other non-creative types who decided what was good and what wasn’t. Sometimes I fumed to myself: “Gee, I don’t tell them how to do their job!” Still, I was working for that particular company and that’s how things were executed. We had clients, we were a team.

Even as freelancers, creative workers work for clients. Most of the time, it’s the clients’ approval that counts at the end of the day. I think the biggest problem here is that some creative workers just can’t see the difference between being an artist and being well, an employee. For more discussion on that, go to the blog entry, Respect Your Creative Co-Workers .

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Jowita

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I used to dream of one day running away from it all and holing up in a log cabin with a couple of dogs. I dreamt that I would have a simple life -- finding wood, chopping wood, finding food, cooking food, writing, reading, sleeping -- that’s all. Anyway, when I grew up, that dream was no longer my dream after I realized that it’s virtually impossible to make it on your own. We all need other people.

There aren’t a lot of jobs out there either that would be as solitary as the life in my imaginary log cabin, either, and just because a job doesn’t list “team player” in its requirements, in reality most jobs involve working with others. For instance, even jobs in finances consider interpersonal skills to be most important for advancement. This was discovered in a recent North American survey that tested 1,400 chief financial officers. One of the people surveyed, Max Messmer, chairman and chief executive officer of Robert Half International, said, "Strong interpersonal skills are a key factor for success in any profession."

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Jowita

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In journalism school I took a course called Online Journalism. Till this day I’m not sure what that course was about. The first few classes we talked about “The Internet,” as in what it was, why?? it developed, what it did .… “What?” I screamed in my head. “I paid thousands of dollars to sit here and talk about what the Internet is! It’s like taking an English lit class and talking about what a book is.” Thankfully, as an afterthought, the professor threw the Dreamweaver web design program into the mix and I learned something. (The Dreamweaver tutorial sessions were held independently of the lectures and were not mandatory). Not much, but something.

The Gawker has a funny write-up about the new media programs in journalism schools. The article implies that signing up for a new media program is a waste of money

Be careful about signing up for questionable courses ,or degrees, for that matter. If you can, talk to past graduates to see what they thought of the course or degree. And, just to let you know, no one on the Possibilities team has a degree in New Media yet we still put out a fantastic online magazine!

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Jowita

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A co-worker sent me this great link, How to Recover From a Layoff, that talks about the emotional realities of getting the pink slip.

It’s true that few people find getting laid off something to be happy about. It’s like having that proverbial carpet pulled from underneath your feet. Suddenly, you are on your own with no money and anger and depression kicks in before you can reason with yourself. This is not always the case, of course, but it happens often.

Getting laid off is bad but it’s not the worst thing in the world. As long as you don’t panic right away, you can bounce back in no time. How to Recover from a Layoff lists the following as stages of coping with job loss:

• Denial: The initial stage - "This is not real -- I am having a bad dream."
• Anger: "How dare you lay me off, I have given so much!!"
• Bargaining: "Is it possible to finish this major project?"
• Depression: "I don't have anything to offer. What will be the financial implications?"
• Acceptance: "That was a good experience, now I can move forward."

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Jowita

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First, kill with kindness and work harder. Yes, you read it right. There’s no point in getting back at a boss by doing something that could get you reprimanded, fired or,worse, arrested.

In the past, a friend of mine thought she was being treated unfairly by her boss. My friend’s manager routinely ridiculed her work even though she used it anyway; my friend was snubbed for a promotion at least twice. I know that she is a great co-worker because we used to work in the same office. Her boss just didn’t like her -- it was clear.

We used to joke that maybe she reminded her boss of someone who bullied her in kindergarten. My friend remained calm and collected at work and only vented to her friends We were able to give her emotional support and all of us pulled in our resources to find her a job. She just gave her notice last week after being hired by a major company.
Yes, she often fantasized about what she could do to “get back” at her boss, and yes, it always seemed like a good idea in theory. But in reality? It’s not worth it.

If you want to find out better ways to get even there’s a good article called Tales and Tips on Workplace Revenge.

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Jowita

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At first, when your job turns out to be a little boring and you happen to have a computer handy and access to the Internet, it’s not so bad. There are plenty of online articles to read and silly games to play or even job boards to browse. But even that sort of fun will run out one day and you might turn into an unmotivated, sad little mushroom.

In the column How to Deal with Boredom at Work it says that 55 per cent of American workers report being “unengaged” in their job. The article offers some good advice such as remembering that your job is not your life (usually). Other ideas include becoming a mentor to people who are less experienced at your workplace or looking for a mentor yourself to learn from him or her how to fight boredom (and perhaps move up in the company).

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Jowita

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I had never heard of the word freegan until last week when I ended up on a job site that featured the article 50 Freegan Lifestyle Habits for the Jobless.

I think that I might have embraced this anti-consumerist, minimalist lifestyle when I was in my 20s, not always working and often broke. Saving money was top of mind for me in this period of my life. I lived for freebies and everything I ate was made from scratch. I would make croutons to put on my salads but first, of course, I had to bake the bread. I regularly made yogurt and even tried cheese once, but the resulting gloppy mess could hardly be called a success.

I found the Freegan article intriguing, although these days saving time has become more important to me than saving money. I’ve been buying all my yogurt for years now (okay, decades) and I’m even considering throwing out socks with holes instead of trying to repair them.

I do practise some of the lifestyle habits mentioned in the article, such as using the library, reusing items and going to free concerts. (Have we mentioned our Low-Cost Summer Guide enough times yet?)

Some of the habits I don’t do but I’d like to are bartering or joining a community garden. And wild foraging has always appealed to me too although, truth be told, the only dandelions I’ve tossed into a salad have been gathered at Kensington Market.

A few of the habits sound bizarre (to me, at least) like making bowls out of magazines or converting cooking oil so that it can be used in a diesel car.

And I find some of the advice a little questionable, such as taking “a few extras” home from restaurants. As well, the idea of living rent free is appealing but I wonder how many of us would feel comfortable squatting in an abandoned building.

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By the time this blog entry comes out, there may already be some indication as to how The Barenaked Ladies’ children’s album, Snacktime , is doing after the July drug scandal of lead singer Steven Page. In the article No Longer Child’s Play, the author, Bruce Ward, talks about other performers who lost sales and had to cancel appearances to put out bad publicity fires. He talks about Barenaked Ladies cancelling their appearances at the Disney Music Block Party in Long Island, N.Y because of Page’s possession charges. (Hey, what was Disney doing booking a band that calls itself “Barenaked Ladies” anyway?)

There are some extreme examples (think Michael Jackson or Amy Winehouse) where bad behaviour seems to be running alongside actual musical careers, pushing their talents so far into the shadow that it’s hard to recall anything but the scandals.

And what about us ordinary folks? How does this apply to us? Well, we’ve talked enough about being careful with Facebook pages and blogs. Think about it –- those fab and famous people have an army of publicists and other minders trying to control them and it’s still not working!

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Jowita

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In the final year of our journalism program we had to make a prototype magazine that would have a chance of being launched were we all to have millions of dollars and the infinite amount of optimism needed to succeed in the Canadian magazine publishing industry. Each group of students was given a niche target market. Our group got “family” and we came up with a magazine for couples, which we called 2. (Interestingly, a completely independent publication launched the following fall with the same name and agenda.)

None of our magazines launched for real but that exercise showed us all that with enough creative ambition, youthful enthusiasm and a solid idea it is possible to start something great. A new magazine is going to be launching in September and it’s being run by recent graduates and students, who are aware more than anyone of all the ups and downs of being freshly grown-up.

The magazine is called Luminosus and it’s going to be a biannual publication focusing on fashion, music, business, social issues and careers. “Even with guidance counselors, students don’t really know what careers are available to them in relation to their major,” said magazine founder,Julene Chang, in Masthead. The magazine may be able to fulfill that gap.

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When I was younger I thought it was hilarious to make jokes on my resumé. I thought that including weird hobbies -- “riding my stationary bike while watching bad TV” -- showed that I was kind of clever when, in fact, I was clearly delusional.

These kinds of intentional blunders are occasionally welcomed -- especially if the job ad you’re applying for challenges you to do something truly original.

I found the following intentional blunders on the web page 150 Funniest Resumé Mistakes, Bloopers and Blunders Ever, so I don’t think they worked out for the applicants, but, still, they’re quite funny:

• ”Hobbies: “mushroom hunting”
• “Marital status: often Children: various.”
• “Able to say the ABCs backward in under five seconds.”
• “I have an excellent track record, although I am not a horse.”

Then, there are some truly unintentional oopsies:

• “My duties included cleaning the restrooms and seating the customers.”
• “I am great with the pubic.”
• “Seeking a party-time position with potential for advancement.”
• Languages: “Speak English and Spinach.”
• Job Duties: “Answer phones, file papers, respond to customer emails, take odors.”
• Candidate explained an arrest by stating, “We stole a pig, but it was a really small pig.”

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Jowita

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I once had a dream job. I could get up late, I could work whenever I wanted, I could have breaks every five minutes if I decided to do so. I could eat ice cream while working or even smoke a cigarette. I worked from home. After a few weeks the magic of not having to leave my house for work wore off. Suddenly, it felt as if the world was forgetting about me. Was I still there if no one could see me at my desk typing away? My partner also works from home and I would show up in his office wide-eyed and starved for human contact. He had never had a regular job in an office so he didn’t see what all the fuss was about. Besides, I was interrupting him at work. Because that’s what he was doing -- working.

Eventually, I went back to an office and so far I haven’t craved that ultra independent phase of my life.

However, the concept of people working remotely is becoming more and more popular -- the technology exists to allow people to work for a company even if they are miles apart and can only interact through computer screens. More than that -- now these remote employees can even be mobile in the workplace. In The Globe and Mail's article Remote Worker? Try Remote-Controlled,the author, Matthew Trevisan, talks about a new technology that allows people to communicate via Skype and also lets them roam around the company offices as a robot called IvanAnywhere. A computer screen is attached to IvanAnywhere, a coat racklike construction on wheels, complete with a camera and a microphone. The real life employee can communicate through the computer screen via Skype. Although not physically at work, this technology allows the employee to follow his co-workers, attend meetings or even catch up around the water cooler.

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Jowita

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One man is using a sandwich board to advertise the fact that he is looking for work. The Sandwich board is New Tool in Wall Street Job Search article talks about the struggle of 48-year-old Joshua Persky who is walking around Manhattan with a board that read "Experienced MIT Grad For Hire!" After he lost his job, his family had to relocate to another state. He is still living in New York. He had to move in with a friend while looking for work.

Whenever I read stories like these I feel grateful. It is hard to find a good job in this competitive world and I can’t even imagine how much courage it would require to do what Mr. Persky is doing. I don’t have kids to support but it was tough enough to help myself when I was out of work. The hardest thing was keeping my spirits up. I don’t think I would ever manage to leave the house with a sandwich board wrapped around my body to let the world know I was looking for a job. I hope that the sandwich board works out for this man and he finds work that will allow him to get his life back on track. I think he deserves it.

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Jowita

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