First, go here: http://www.reclaimprivacy.org/ – follow the steps to see what information you’re leaking on Facebook. Nothing says, “Please burn my application” like photos of kegger headstands.

Second, pick up a copy of Re-Work – inside you’ll find everything that’s wrong with business today and how to fix it.

Finally – start up a LaidOffCamp in your area. If you don’t have any job prospects lined up, this is the kind of project to help you find some.

There was an inherent flaw in the conclusion drawn by my parents. They did not understand the law of supply and demand in relationship to education. Their high school diplomas brought great gain for them over the station of their parents. A college degree was light years above the station that my parents enjoyed. The flaw in the conclusion was lack of attention paid to the percentage of the population with any kind of a degree. I do not know the exact numbers at this moment, but my assumption is one of minimum saturation. The industrial age had created a strong demand for an educated work force. My parents were living at the beginning of this curve in our society. I am sure you have heard the business principle of “first in the market”. For my parents, the void driving demand was huge. They both obtained some college training along the way and enjoyed more than adequate opportunity for climbing the ladder.

I was raised on the obsession that a degree was the only way to avoid abject failure or be doomed to being a ditch digger for the duration of my days. We dug ditches with a shovel in those days. I was terrified of my future without a degree. I graduated in exactly the prescribed four years at barely twenty one years of age. I played college sports, sang in the men’s glee club and held a minor office on the student council while working for my favorite political campaigns. Oh, and yes I dated the sweet co-eds of my class. College was quite a merry ride and I felt very accomplished at the end of it all.

I was taught to believe that our society’s highest calling was that of being a teacher and there was a terrible shortage of the same. My generation had overcrowded class rooms with consolidated team teaching situations to meet the demands of a growing American population. To my chagrin, a large percentage of my classmates had been sold the same pitch. We applied for positions only to realize that there were multiple applicants for every opening. The competition was fierce. I landed a low paying position in a private school only to find out, after four years, that I hated staff meetings and did not care much more for the classroom and grading papers. In the subsequent forty plus years, I have had to rely on the discovery of my natural talents, entrepreneurial initiative and the energy required by hard work. The college degree was not the magic pill for a better life.

Be assured that I love education and went on to grad school. Education has been a grand enhancer of my existence on the planet. The point of this massaging of the ol’ brain is that college degrees usually have little to do with career success. In many arenas, degrees have simply become a mechanism for weeding out the excess population in the shrinking job market. I hope that you are beginning to resonate with my experience. I believe the job market started reaching a saturation point regarding college graduates sometime in the 1060’s. We were taught to believe that the college degree was the key to accomplishing the American Dream of a two story house, 2.5 children, a BMW in the garage and a white picket fence. I think the only adjustment to this picture for the current generation is the societal life style you find desirable. The definition of American Dream has changed but the principle is the same.

This generation has one additional dilemma. Gen Y has been told that the big bad corporations and Wall Street have stolen all of the opportunity and the American Dream is dead. My generation was told that God was dead. I have found that neither statement is true even though many of my generation think that God is taking an extended vacation on a beach in Argentina. I am here to tell you that every individual’s version of the American Dream is alive and well and can be achieved. The dirty little secret is that none of these things has ever come from anyone or anything outside of us. I see no difference between expecting a corporation to supply cradle to grave security and expecting the federal government to supply security. Any institution promising such a notion is a con artist. I define a con as someone who promises to supply something they cannot or will not fulfill. From the beginning of our great nation, the individual dream and drive of each person has been the key to success. This whole corporate giant phenomenon has been birthed out of the industrial revolution and has always been a form of financial slavery. The developing socialistic government is no different. Power brokers have always sought to enslave the people for profit since the beginning of recorded history. This development is not new. It was new in western civilization in the mid 1800’s. I recommend reading E. M. Forster novels from the early 1900’s for a perspective on this question.

So, where does a college degree fit for you? In the final analysis, you will need to decide. But, I will say that a degree has a lot to offer as a vehicle for personal growth and life experience. College should expand your world view and understanding of life. Do not count on it for a career guarantee. Actually, the only career paths that need a degree are those which require some form of a state license such as medicine, law, teaching, counseling, pharmaceuticals, etc. All other endeavors are reliant on an understanding of your inherent talents, personal initiative and willingness to work. I believe that talent is the most critical ingredient for all of us. Once you discover what you do most naturally without thinking about it, look at the forms of that talent for which the society is willing to pay. Your biggest challenges lie in developing trained skills using your talent and promoting yourself to end users. Consulting with a fellow like Nick Armstrong can help you with this part. Self promotion is often the tallest hurdle for many individuals. I have total faith that you have it in you. Go to work and find the fire in your belly. Sitting in front of the video games escaping reality will only guarantee fulfillment of your greatest fears. Fight the good fight along side your good friends. Gen Y has a wonderful and promising future. It merely will look differently than the dream of my generation.

Best regards,

Fred

I once worked for a company that had an official policy against a coffee maker of any sort. It went so far as to outlaw water coolers (a policy that was rightly “ignored” by the on-site manager, but the ban on the coffee machine was strictly enforced).

The logic behind this was that employees would be less productive if they had any opportunity to mingle and waste time.

About 75% of the employees there smoked; about that same percentage worked 50+ hours per week.

After about 3 months observing this trend, I pitched a twice-a-day 15-minute exercise program to boost morale, increase productivity, and decrease stress. The idea was laughed at. I was laughed at.

That was the last time I suggested something without actually making it happen it first.

My first act of rebellion was first to bring a large carafe of coffee to work. Then my own coffee pot. Personal coffee makers were not against the rule, and since my desk was in a central location, lots of people stopped by for a quick cup of coffee. I’d say Hi and send ‘em on their way. If there was any decrease in productivity, we never saw it.

My second act of rebellion was to reject my chair in favor of an exercise ball (which was promptly “borrowed” by my coworkers). The trend began to spread.

My third act of rebellion was two-fold. First, I joined my co-workers on their smoke breaks to see just how much time it took them to get their fix and return to their desks. Each smoke break, they were taking roughly 5-10 minutes to every hour to smoke, recover, and get back to work.

I started taking short walks around the building whenever my boss or co-workers took a cigarette break. Whenever someone would go for a smoke break, I’d pull another coworker into a walking meeting around the building to figure out a project or whatever tasks needed to be done that day.

Rebellion has a place in corporate life. But, it also has a heavy price if you’re found out as the rebel. I was never discovered (or at least not chastised) and after I’d had my fun, I left that company of my own accord.

Rebels who get caught become martyrs. Even so, sometimes rebels become heroes.

Know yourself, know your business

That is what we need to remind ourselves of pretty regularly, especially when the business of business has gotten us down.  It was also a great reminder for me personally, when I ran across a cool, comprehensive marketing idea book online today.

The short free PDF includes all of the core points for a solid marketing plan, and is similar to what I review with clients when I work with them one-on-one. It is a fantastic guide for new entrepreneurs,  and a perfect review opportunity for current businesses and entrepreneurs.  The simple, clear framework makes it easy to identify, review and clarify what our business means to us, where its going and how to get what we want from it.

As I  mentioned in my last post, we all have creativity we express in different ways. To run a successful business based on your creative genius, its important to have some ideas and goals clear in your mind and on paper (or computer). By using a solid framework to map out those ideas, its much easier to stay on track to grow your vision and outreach, rather than flinging random marketing ideas like cow pies  to an audience that may not even be paying attention. Or they pay just  enough attention to deflect your half-assed marketing efforts, which they ultimately view as manure — but I digress.

I highly recommend you take a look at this marketing idea book and see how you can further explore your freakin’ genius. Do it! I dare ya…

I will not work for or support any company that mistreats employees, customers, or the community it serves.

I will fight against unfair changes to my work hours, exploitation of unpaid internships, and unanswered decreases in benefits.

Economic slavery is still slavery and I will not tolerate it. Toxic business will not be my job, my future, or my legacy.

The economy is in shreds, yet the cost of an Education hasn’t diminished – it’s substantially increased. Normally, this would have a reduction effect on the bell-curve of the level of education for a society; that is, bad economies breed more dumb hicks as fewer and fewer people can afford to have access to higher education. Instead, super-thrifty Gen-Y is now starting the Education Revolution – everybody and their friggin’ granny is going to Grad School these days.

The value of an education, that piece of paper you get at the end of two or more years of late night Monster-powered study marathons, used to be that you had better odds of getting a job. That you had more “tangible” experience to connect to an employer’s needs. Well, that sure ain’t true anymore, now is it?

If everyone has a masters degree, then we’re all still sitting at the middle of the bell curve, ain’t we? Pull out your banjos boys and girls, we’ve hit the point in our lives where no matter how much education you have, you’re still a dumb hick. The real value of an education has substantially diminished; yet we’re paying outrageous, skyrocketing prices for the privileged of a piece of paper that says we can toil away for extended periods.

There are only three ways to differentiate yourself from other dumb hicks:

1. Be In Style (Paris Hilton, anyone?) – this is the most fickle but also longest-lasting, unless you eat babies
   
2. Add Value (Lenny, Of Mice and Men) – this is the most subjective and shortest-lasting, unless you can negotiate
   
3. Be ridiculously driven towards your goals – this requires the most energy, but lasts as long as you have the energy and resources
   

You will surely fail if you look at your education as a buffer to the bad economy, as a way to say to employers that you are willing to work hard, or as a way to allay boredom.

Instead, you -must- take full advantage of all four years of undergrad, squeeze the life out of every organization, event, networking possibility – start blogging, make a name for yourself, host your own events, organize massive conferences on your own or with your friends, get known for something like starting up a community-centric marketplace or an energy-saving initiative.

Just do something, damnit!

My friend had a lot more than two choices; but first she has to realize just how awesome she is. Until then, she’ll feel stuck.

I am a dumb hick – the first to admit it; in fact, it makes for great party conversations. As true as that may be, I’ve managed to start my own business, become profitable in 3 months time, pay off all but one of two of my major debts in 6 months, and help organize two of the largest “unconferences” in a city that six months ago, had never heard of one. Not just that, but I’ve also become a public speaker, started up a group that teaches social media to the public for charity, and have started to write my own book.

Oh, and I’m going back for my MBA this summer.

If you could figure out, realistically, how to fix her job, what would those things be?

Make a list, post it here. Then show it to your boss.

Tape the list to the side of the cardboard box you’ll use to take your things home.

For something causing the big-wigs in Washington so much trouble, you would think the millennials would have a stronger voice about it.  But, despite multiple RTs by myself and other millennials, no one was willing to step up to the podium.

Turns out, some people who have more time than I do to rub brain cells together have been thinking the same thing.  Justin Quincy of Minus30Ology wrote me an e-mail the next day:

We are crafting potential legislative wishes for millennial healthcare reform and this seems like a great base to start from. We have created a petition entitled “Minus30? that takes aim at the “60plus” organization funded by conservative-leaning members, to show that millennials also have a big stake in this debate. We’d really appreciate your support!!!

The petition is located here: http://www.thepetitionsite.com/petition/977427388
For more information: http://minus30.ology.com

If you feel strongly enough about our petition, please share it and help it go viral. We’re hoping to really make some sort of splash with the media and Congress.

—

How could I say no to that?  These are millennials who know there’s very little millennial representation in government and want to make themselves heard.  Nevermind the pingpong style politics dominating congress right now, these are changes that will affect old people for the next 20 years and will affect US for the next 70!  Wake up, kids!

Here’s a link to the article where Justin describes the plan.  However you fall on the healthcare debate, you can weigh in.  DO IT.

I want to share with you what I do when I get distracted or depressed:

Minute One – Take a deep breath, a look outside, a quick stretch – and remove yourself from whatever distracting situation you’re in.  It might be Facebook stalking.  It might be a noisy roommate in your dorm room.  Hell, it might even be the work you’re trying to get done.  Just take a break for a minute and breathe.

Minute Two – Try to remember why you’re trying to accomplish this particular task.  Are you getting paid?  Will you get a better grade?  Will it make it easier for you to get something else done down the road?  If you’re not getting any benefit out of doing this thing – why are you doing it?

Minute Three – Create a 10/2 list. In the next 10 minutes, what 2 things do you want to have accomplished?  Do this every time you find yourself getting distracted – if I get myself to focus on just TWO tasks I know I’ll finish them (I suppose you could do a 5/1 list – but I’m too ADD for that).

Minute Four – Know the next step - where you need to go or do after you’ve finished whatever you’re doing now.

Minute Five – Eliminate distractions. Turn off the TV, the iPod, Facebook, LiveJournal, the movie, whatever is dragging your attentions away from the things you should be focusing on.

My system isn’t perfect for everyone – what’s yours?

A lot of millennials are in the same situation she is, I’d like to share my response publicly.

You might not have any work references, but you most certainly have academic references or people who can speak to your character.

You might have a favorite professor (college) or teacher (high school) whose class you excelled in, consistently performed well, and so on.  To this day, my best references come from my favorite marketing professor.  I graduated in 2007.  Think about teammates on sports teams you might have been a part of or classmates who worked with you on projects, anyone who can speak well of you and isn’t directly related to you.

If you are still coming up short – find a mentor, volunteer position, open source project, or something else you can work on for a length of time. Pick something interesting – like habitat for humanity or volunteering at a local Better Business Bureau. Over time you will gain someone who can speak as a reference, whether it’s a volunteer co-worker or the coordinator or even the recipient of the volunteer work.

No Work Experience wasn’t always this scary, but the economy that we’re facing at the moment is rife with peril for new entrants. My advice? Do as much networking as you can – get involved on MeetUp with a professional organization, do an Ignite speech – hell, start up an Ignite group if your town doesn’t have one.

Do anything and everything you can – claw for every inch.  Collaborate, connect, and dream – but most importantly, DO SOMETHING.

A BarCamp is based around the idea that the coffee breaks are much more valuable than the actual sessions… and so the “sessions” consist of self-organized coffee breaks to talk about specific subjects.  There are no highly-paid presenters, there are no hoity-toity sales pitches, and there isn’t a lot of free, but useless, swag.

I’m convinced that the idea of attending people-created BarCamps, TweetUps, going to MeetUp.com and finding local business events, and attending unemployed-centric events is the most effective way to network.  Not only do you get to showcase your skills or share ideas with a highly-energetic and tuned-in audience, but you get to rub elbows with people you never even knew existed!

How do you succeed at a BarCamp?  Well – you take business cards… or set up a free Contxts account so you can share them via SMS text message.  Then, you think about things you are knowledgeable about as they relate to the theme of the conference.  At a WineCamp and know something about vintage port?  Write your idea up on the whiteboard and if people like it, they’ll attend.  Having a creative or funny name for your “discussion” is a big help!

Attend other people’s discussions – listen and pitch in! Ask questions, participate!  Don’t go into a BarCamp with the expectation that it’s all about you – it’s about you SHARING your knowledge with other people. It’s true that what you put in will dictate what you get out of it – the more you share, the more people are going to want to talk to you (as long as you’re not a raving idiot).

Most of all, network! Introduce yourself to anyone and everyone who looks or sounds interesting – write down memorable questions and ask if you can e-mail people later.

You never know, you might just be hobnobbing your way to your next job!

Between starting up my own business and busting out work for clients, I’m swamped!  Most of my time for Psychotic Resumes has been focused on revamping the static content pages.  If you haven’t visited those lately, you might want to take a peek.  Also, I’m working on some creative and inventive content that I think you’ll really like – something beyond just endless blog updates.

In the static sections of the site, I’ve got information on how to write an effective Resume, masterful Cover Letter, do better on your Interviews, and how to put together a Job Search no matter what your situation.

I’ll be getting back to my regular update schedule of M-W-F this week, so… thanks for being patient!

To be honest, I forgot what I had intended the second skill to be. It doesn’t really matter. With only 20% of 2009 college grads who’ve looked for jobs actually getting a job, I say screw it.

Screw that system. It doesn’t work. Why play that game?

Become an entrepreneur – team up with a group of people who know how to build a business plan. Start up an LLC. It only costs $50. Maybe get certified. Make a kick-ass website. Learn a marketable skill (or improve the one you’re good at already) from someone who’s amazing.

One thing’s for certain – you can’t beat the hours. Besides, mom and dad can’t complain that you’re not doing anything with your life. You’re living the American Dream – with a more than decent shot at paying them back for that room in the basement they’re renting to you. If they get really fussy, go mow the lawn or do the dishes and get back to starting your own business.

Good luck!

I bet you had to Google avaricious.

Salary this and salary that.  Looking for jobs demonstrates the ridiculousness of some employers’ low-ball expectations of salary.  Worse than that, when they won’t even consider you unless you tell them your exact number.

Whatever, right? It’s a down economy, businesses can afford to treat people like they’re chattel, which makes it all that much more important to find an ethical business to team with.

When will the not-so-ethical/uninformed employers learn that Millennials don’t care as much about what they earn as long as it’s fair?  We want 1) you know what we can do for you and need to 2) know what you can do for us.  This is the question that I hate the most while looking through job listings.  Asking for salary requirements up front is like looking for your soulmate by asking how much they have in the bank.

While the question of salary is damn important, it sure as hell shouldn’t be discussed until the courtship has begun.  Not only does it encourage dishonesty, it also creates a needless negotiation war with low-ball and high-ball offers being slung back and forth. Worse, if the employee hired after this back-and-forth is even half as concerned about the salary as the business is, that employee will be bailing ship for the first greener pasture they see.

Even so, employers continue to ask.

Here’s how I answer the salary question:

1. Be Honest
   
   • If you lie about your previous salaries to your would-be employer, they’ll find out.  Be honest about what you earned and be honest about what you want to earn.  Give good supporting reasons why you are asking for the number you are and be truthful with the company if their expectations are too low.
2. Do Your Homework
   
   • If you know that an entry-level marketer makes between $40-55K depending on their specialties, don’t demand $70,000 without a damn good reason.  You can also use that average to know when you’re being squeezed too tightly – $35K is not a fair salary for that job.
3. Give a Range
   
   • Give a range of salaries.  You’ll have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to salary negotiation.  Once inside this range, though, don’t attempt to go outside of it unless something HUGE changes during the negotiation.

Salary Negotiation 101

• Do the research to find out the salary range of your website.  Do a Google Search!  PayScale.com has great salary info, but find a variety of sources.
• Ideally, the range you give should span about $10K and not have your goal salary in the middle.
• The minimum should be the lowest amount you could acceptably take and live on.  This number should be greater than or equal to the low-end of the average salary for the position.
• The maximum should be within $10-15K of the minimum, but still less than or equal to the high-end of the average salary for the position.
• Your goal salary is the number that you really want to make. It should be close to your minimum plus $3-4K.  This puts your Goal at the lower end (30-40%) of the range you provided, making it more likely you’ll get your goal salary or more.

Let’s say the job you’re applying for has a salary range of $40-55K.

In this example, citing $42-52K means that you hope to get at least $45K.  Anything above that would be a bonus to you, but still leaves a good 7K to move.

If the company comes back with a counter-offer of less than $42K (known as low-balling), you should laugh or at least ask them if they’re trying to low-ball you.  If the company came back with a counter-offer of $42K, however, and you then asked for $52K (known as high-balling), you’d be out of line.

Remember that it’s okay to negotiate for anything.  More time off, starting with a bank of time off, etc.  Just know that if you take a bonus, more vacation, or anything in lieu of salary, your earning potential ends up smaller.