Not so long ago, when I was an IT outsourcing analyst, one trend that was clear was that outsourcing was becoming a more widespread practice in countries that are trying to lift their economies. What began in India is also being performed today in places like Russia, Brazil, Romania, and Pakistan.
As the world hunkers down under the darkening cloud of a global recession, and businesses struggle to remain profitable (or boost their profits), the demand for outsourcing won't go away anytime soon, and service providers in all those countries will be pushing ever harder for business. That should create downward pressure on prices, but, on the other hand, may send more higher-paid IT professionals to the unemployment lines. Sorry for the downer, but that's economics for you.
But I like to see the glass as half empty, in this case that crises give way to opportunities. (I've lived it before and, really, it's true!) IT professionals who wind up on the wrong end of an outsourcing deal may not have jobs, but can pick up consulting and contract work. There's the opportunity: to enhance their business skills, especially sales and customer service management. Although there are some exceptions, techies have long been criticized for their lack of adequate business savvy. Improving their business skills before they find their way back onto someone's payroll can make them more marketable and valuable.
What about you? Whether you're facing a layoff or not, do you believe that a crisis can lead to an opportunity?
Monday, November 10, 2008
Sunday, November 9, 2008
Obama's Victory and the
Lessons for Job Seekers
Hi! It's been a while since I posted to this blog, but I invite you to check out my most recent post on The Pongo Blog that addresses five job search lessons from Barack Obama's victory.
By the way, I'll be adding a timely post this week as I dust off this blog.
Cheers!
Rick
By the way, I'll be adding a timely post this week as I dust off this blog.
Cheers!
Rick
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
The New Yorker Missed
Something in the Planning
The New Yorker had to engage in some major damage control after the cover of its latest issue, a caricature of Barack Obama wearing a turban, fist-bumping his wife, Michelle, in military garb with a semi-automatic weapon slung over her shoulder, as they stood in the Oval Office. To the right of the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee: an American flag ablaze in a fireplace, under a portrait of Osama bin Laden.
Satirical? In the minds of the magazine's editors who planned the issue, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say, yes, it was meant to be satirical, a representation of the worst of the virulent slime that oozes out of the minds and mouths of some of the most partisan among us every four years.
Obama cried foul. To his credit, John McCain did as well.
The editors of The New Yorker certainly exercised creativity. But they're guilty of bad judgment. When editors plan an upcoming issue - be it a magazine or a newspaper - they need to keep the readers' interests and sensitivities in mind. And in the middle of what is potentially one of the most pivotal presidential elections in U.S. history, The New Yorker debacle holds a lesson for all media from now until November: Be fair, be balanced, think, rethink, and think yet again before you publish something that could be seen as even the least bit controversial or biased.
Satirical? In the minds of the magazine's editors who planned the issue, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say, yes, it was meant to be satirical, a representation of the worst of the virulent slime that oozes out of the minds and mouths of some of the most partisan among us every four years.
Obama cried foul. To his credit, John McCain did as well.
The editors of The New Yorker certainly exercised creativity. But they're guilty of bad judgment. When editors plan an upcoming issue - be it a magazine or a newspaper - they need to keep the readers' interests and sensitivities in mind. And in the middle of what is potentially one of the most pivotal presidential elections in U.S. history, The New Yorker debacle holds a lesson for all media from now until November: Be fair, be balanced, think, rethink, and think yet again before you publish something that could be seen as even the least bit controversial or biased.
Sunday, July 6, 2008
Does Anyone Teach Writing Anymore?
Back when I was in elementary school (yes, it was a long time ago), there was a lot of emphasis - maybe a bit too much - on using proper grammar. That was fairly endemic of American education, from pits and pieces of stuff I've picked up over the years. Later, U.S. schools changed to de-emphasize mechanics in favor of allowing schoolchildren to freely express themselves in their writing.
While all this was going on, I admittedly wasn't paying much attention because I was in the early stages of my journalism career. But I saw it quite clearly as I woke up into parenthood one day. What happened is that we sent millions of people into the workforce who weren't schooled all that well in the basics of English grammar. And as business relies increasingly on e-mail and other Internet-based communication, that lack of emphasis is manifesting itself in writing gaffes and goofs.
The College Board added a writing section to the SAT in 2005. Although many colleges don't pay much attention to the writing score when it comes to admissions, business may feel compelled to pressure colleges as well as pre-secondary school systems to turn out better writers. If they want to improve productivity and profitability, it may well be in their best interest.
All the more reason schools need to get back to teaching the basics of writing.
While all this was going on, I admittedly wasn't paying much attention because I was in the early stages of my journalism career. But I saw it quite clearly as I woke up into parenthood one day. What happened is that we sent millions of people into the workforce who weren't schooled all that well in the basics of English grammar. And as business relies increasingly on e-mail and other Internet-based communication, that lack of emphasis is manifesting itself in writing gaffes and goofs.
The College Board added a writing section to the SAT in 2005. Although many colleges don't pay much attention to the writing score when it comes to admissions, business may feel compelled to pressure colleges as well as pre-secondary school systems to turn out better writers. If they want to improve productivity and profitability, it may well be in their best interest.
All the more reason schools need to get back to teaching the basics of writing.
Sunday, June 22, 2008
Lesson from the Celtics:
Branding Can Breed Success
The Boston Celtics won their 17th NBA championship this past week. While that is a story unto itself, and a satisfying victory for we fans who have waited more than two decades since the 16th championship, the bigger story is how their ownership put the team in position to win through savvy marketing.
The lesson here, after you read this article from CNNfn.com, is this: You can succeed as a team or as an individual if you can effectively market yourself. To do that, you need to know what skills and talents you have and who you want to reach out to so that they know you're there. Fan interest in the Celtics began to wane after Larry Bird retired in 1992. It jumped a bit a few years later after the previous ownership hired Rick Pitino to take over the team. But he failed to take them to the playoffs. And as the success of the Red Sox and New England Patriots pushed the Celtics into the background, new owners came in with a new strategy: Invest in marketing and boost name recognition.
The upshot, the CNN article pointed out, was that attendance rose in the two seasons before the just-completed campaign. So, before the team traded for veteran stars Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett last summer to complement long-suffering All-Star Paul Pierce, a key piece was in place for the success that the 2007-2008 season brought: better brand recognition.
Anyone can draw lessons from the Celtics' success in this challenging economy, in which you could be a star at work one moment, and out the door the next. You need to take charge of your own career, and it begins with personal brand management. So, to begin that process, ask yourself these questions (and answer honestly):
(1) Am I prepared to begin a job search in case I lose my current job? (In other words, can I easily put together a resume should I see a great job opportunity?)
(2) Do I have an online presence such as my own web site, or a profile on LinkedIn, Facebook, or some other networking site?
(3) Do I know what kind of value and experience I can offer an employer? (Or, can I be successful working for myself, with all its potential risks?)
(4) Can I verbalize that experience in a well articulated statement lasting no more than 30 seconds?
If you answered "no" to any of these questions, start thinking about possible answers and get to work on your personal brand. If you approach it like the Celtics did, it just might pay off down the road in the form of greater career success.
What do you think of the role of "personal branding" in advancing your career? I welcome your thoughts.
The lesson here, after you read this article from CNNfn.com, is this: You can succeed as a team or as an individual if you can effectively market yourself. To do that, you need to know what skills and talents you have and who you want to reach out to so that they know you're there. Fan interest in the Celtics began to wane after Larry Bird retired in 1992. It jumped a bit a few years later after the previous ownership hired Rick Pitino to take over the team. But he failed to take them to the playoffs. And as the success of the Red Sox and New England Patriots pushed the Celtics into the background, new owners came in with a new strategy: Invest in marketing and boost name recognition.
The upshot, the CNN article pointed out, was that attendance rose in the two seasons before the just-completed campaign. So, before the team traded for veteran stars Ray Allen and Kevin Garnett last summer to complement long-suffering All-Star Paul Pierce, a key piece was in place for the success that the 2007-2008 season brought: better brand recognition.
Anyone can draw lessons from the Celtics' success in this challenging economy, in which you could be a star at work one moment, and out the door the next. You need to take charge of your own career, and it begins with personal brand management. So, to begin that process, ask yourself these questions (and answer honestly):
(1) Am I prepared to begin a job search in case I lose my current job? (In other words, can I easily put together a resume should I see a great job opportunity?)
(2) Do I have an online presence such as my own web site, or a profile on LinkedIn, Facebook, or some other networking site?
(3) Do I know what kind of value and experience I can offer an employer? (Or, can I be successful working for myself, with all its potential risks?)
(4) Can I verbalize that experience in a well articulated statement lasting no more than 30 seconds?
If you answered "no" to any of these questions, start thinking about possible answers and get to work on your personal brand. If you approach it like the Celtics did, it just might pay off down the road in the form of greater career success.
What do you think of the role of "personal branding" in advancing your career? I welcome your thoughts.
Saturday, June 7, 2008
Hire Job Hoppers? Sure, if You Believe
You Can Stop the Hopping
My post this week on The Pongo Blog tackled a question that perplexes many a hiring manager today: Would you hire a job hopper? The topic, when it was addressed last month on the BNET blog, garnered more than 100 responses, which is danged good for a business blog (Frankly, I'm more than a bit jealous, but hardly anyone in the blogosphere knows me through this blog).
My most recent Internet reading finds that the younger workers, aka Generation Y, is more prone to job hopping (roughly defined as working an average of one job a year), largely because they're not being challenged enough or they don't want to work for a company that expects complete and undying fealty to the corporate mission - even it means working 60-70 hours a week, and leisure and family time be damned. (Uh, no, I don't think so!)
The problem, as I see it, is not with the workers, but with the employers. Some are only now beginning to see the potential payback in investing in worker development and training as a means to prolong tenure and hang onto their most promising talent. I'm sure it's tough for many of these companies to do since they've been doing it the "Work comes first" and "Just do it no matter how long it takes" philosophies for so long. But if companies believe you can train and develop workers who would otherwise job hop, and value their off-work hours as much as they do, then you shouldn't have a problem. Right?
It's a changing world, and while the Baby Boomers have made their mark with long hours and hard work in the workplace, Generation Y is taking the workplace in another direction. And as its numbers grow, the attitudes in the workplace, as well as business practices, are bound to change.
What about you? Are things changing where you are? How does your company feel about job hoppers? I welcome your thoughts and observations.
My most recent Internet reading finds that the younger workers, aka Generation Y, is more prone to job hopping (roughly defined as working an average of one job a year), largely because they're not being challenged enough or they don't want to work for a company that expects complete and undying fealty to the corporate mission - even it means working 60-70 hours a week, and leisure and family time be damned. (Uh, no, I don't think so!)
The problem, as I see it, is not with the workers, but with the employers. Some are only now beginning to see the potential payback in investing in worker development and training as a means to prolong tenure and hang onto their most promising talent. I'm sure it's tough for many of these companies to do since they've been doing it the "Work comes first" and "Just do it no matter how long it takes" philosophies for so long. But if companies believe you can train and develop workers who would otherwise job hop, and value their off-work hours as much as they do, then you shouldn't have a problem. Right?
It's a changing world, and while the Baby Boomers have made their mark with long hours and hard work in the workplace, Generation Y is taking the workplace in another direction. And as its numbers grow, the attitudes in the workplace, as well as business practices, are bound to change.
What about you? Are things changing where you are? How does your company feel about job hoppers? I welcome your thoughts and observations.
Monday, May 26, 2008
No Drama, Just Seeking Your Attention
Earlier this month, Seth Godin had a decent post on his blog on how the news media enjoy a flair for the dramatic (Read it here). I quote:
"There's media bias in favor of drama. Most of us are inclined to believe that government officials, doctors and the media are making an effort to tell us the truth. Actually, just like all marketers, they tell us a story."
I agree with Seth - to a point. He argues that we get most of our news today via online media, but the reader may infer (at least I do) that the more traditional media lean toward the dramatic. I believe there is indeed some degree of that in TV news, which is struggling to maintain the attention of their audience. Resorting to a dramatic approach is indeed cheesy ("There was a big 5-car pileup out on the interstate today. We'll tell you how many people were killed right after the commercial break."), but when you're in an uphill struggle against the growing behemoth that is the online media, you can't help but resort to creativity and opt for the easy (How many times within the last year has your local newscast led with the weather?).
"There's media bias in favor of drama. Most of us are inclined to believe that government officials, doctors and the media are making an effort to tell us the truth. Actually, just like all marketers, they tell us a story."
I agree with Seth - to a point. He argues that we get most of our news today via online media, but the reader may infer (at least I do) that the more traditional media lean toward the dramatic. I believe there is indeed some degree of that in TV news, which is struggling to maintain the attention of their audience. Resorting to a dramatic approach is indeed cheesy ("There was a big 5-car pileup out on the interstate today. We'll tell you how many people were killed right after the commercial break."), but when you're in an uphill struggle against the growing behemoth that is the online media, you can't help but resort to creativity and opt for the easy (How many times within the last year has your local newscast led with the weather?).
I've spoken my bit about the future of newspapers. I can't help but think that we're at a crossroads in the lives of media, both old and new. I grew up with the old and worked in it for many years. In some respects, it's sad to see it fade away. But everything changes and we all adjust. I ran into someone a couple of days ago who is an editor on her high school paper and intends to major in journalism in college. I didn't dissuade her; in fact, I was excited for her. But I made sure that my unsolicited message of advice for her was clear: "Online! That's where the action is and where it's gonna be."
How do you see the future of newspapers and broadcast journalism? I welcome your thoughts.
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