Blogging Job Seekers

I can't believe we need to remind people that it's probably poor form to "secretly" blog the place you're trying to get an internship or job. But we do. Read this NYTimes article. Employer/Lawyer: "From a legal perspective, it is generally accepted that companies have the right to impose controls on their employees' use of computers and other equipment used for communication... As for content — information generated within a company — the law also allows employers to set limits, even on airing the company laundry outside the office... Private employees do not receive the protection of the First Amendment because there is no government action involved." Jobseeker: "Everybody I've read about that got fired for having a blog is on to such great things." (This is from a girl who was fired for blogging about her co-workers.) Gawker.com: "Not even a newborn puppy on a pink cloud is as cute as a secret work blog." I bet you'll see a lot more employer action on this topic.

Boomers Discover Career Counseling for College Kids

Yet another major newspaper is running story about hiring career counselors. The spin: Boomers can afford to hire a counselor to get the kid off the couch and into the workplace. The article also mentions a good job search site (getthejob.com). Read the NYTimes Article...

Outsourcing Nursing Education?

Immigration is once again a very hot topic in the news. It's nice to finally see an article that expands the discussion beyond the low wage job debate. In fact, today's NYTimes discusses the proposed US Senate immigration bill. This bill eliminates the cap on immigrant nurses, opening our doors wide open to much needed trained nurses. Will unlimited foreign nurse recruitment solve the US nurse shortage or create an international crisis by depleting developing countries of their much needed medical talent? It may do both. Why can't we train enough nurses in the US? It's not for lack of qualified applicants. In fact, there are more qualified people seeking nursing education than there are places to educate them. "In 2005, American nursing schools rejected almost 150,000 applications from qualified people, according to the National League for Nursing, a nonprofit group that counts more than 1,100 nursing schools among its members." Read more here...

Aging Workforce News

In preparation for our June 23rd forum focused on the aging regional workforce, I've been knee deep in reports about the potential impact of retiring baby boomers. There's a lot of speculation about what this rather influential cohort is going to do to the economy. The Aging Workforce News blog has helped me keep track of the most recent reports and events on the topic. Check it out...

FL May Mandate Middle School Career Programs

Check out, "Career Plans by Age 12: Maybe in Florida." The title sounds scary, but the concept is right on track.

Super Wednesday

On Wednesday, May 10th, Enrico's Tazza D'Oro Cafe, the Union Project, the Urban League of Pittsburgh and the University of Pittsburgh Human Capital Policy Initiative will welcome Mark Roosevelt, Superintendent of Pittsburgh Public Schools to a community forum focused on the future of our schools. Please note that the date for this event recently changed. The forum will be held on Wednesday, May 10, 2006 at the Union Project (801 N. Negley Avenue, Pittsburgh, PA) from 6:30-8:00 pm. (The event was previously scheduled for 5/4). Mark Roosevelt will be joined by community and educational leaders for this important discussion. Other speakers will include: Esther Bush (Urban League of Pittsburgh), Michael Johnson (Carnegie Mellon University), Vic Papale (A+ Schools), and Muzz Meyers (Westinghouse High School). Community input is essential to the discussion. Please join us for this very important conversation.

Paying for Career Planning

Now I understand the critical career planning article I mentioned in an earlier post. Apparently, the April 25th Washington Post included a piece about the rise in career counseling services for kids. The article highlights efforts by the Boys and Girls Club, College Recruiter and others. The story mentions some positive and negative points of career planning. However, it is an overwhelmingly positive story. The main critiques: career planning places too much stress on kids and kids need life skills ed, not career planning. Isn't finding and keeping a job an important life skill? I'm taking great pleasure in this increased attention to career planning. I'm even excited about the critical commentary. Who knew people are think about this enough to form an opinion? I'm no Pollyanna. The career counseling field has a great deal of variety in quality. (For an in-depth look at this, you must read Barbara Ehrenreich's book, Bait & Switch.) I'm also a little nervous about services that promote 10-year plans for teens. (See Career Choices website. Upon closer inspection, it's not nearly as scary as it sounds. They aren't asking kids to make a one time decision that will limit choices. They're aligning education and career interests. I think they have a marketing problem, not a product problem.) One of the themes of the article is that career planning is an emerging industry. There's an increased consumer interest and lots of emerging efforts to meet this market demand. This is good and bad news for consumers. More choices means more tough decisions. How do you choose wisely?

Anti-Career Planning Article

Today, the Post-Gazette ran a Washington Post article that slams career planning for kids. The author's argument is that kids should have a chance to explore, not get stressed out about having the right internship or identifying the perfect job. "Young people should be allowed to explore their interests for the sake of exploring their interests, not to get a head start in the working world. Teens should be able to choose paid jobs and volunteer work fairly casually, not for the impact these activities will have on their resumes. Yes, the working world is competitive these days, but that doesn't mean people benefit much if they start worrying about resumes and internships at 12 instead of 18." Ms. Slayter isn't describing career planning. Well... at least not GOOD career planning. She's describing "tracking." Here's the part of the article that really irritated me: "The truth is, most of us these days change our majors several times in college, change careers several times in our 20s, and change careers a few more times before we retire. It's completely routine for people to hit age 40, 50 or 60 and still not have found their professional niche, or to be in pursuit of a new one. No amount of planning and premature decision-making when you're still picking candy out of your braces can circumvent this process of self-discovery." Slayter is right. We will change careers. But this process isn't easy breezy for all Americans. For some, it's a very difficult and expensive process. This is why we need to build skills that allow people to grow in their careers throughout their life.