Baby Boomers: Catch up with Technology

Baby Boomers catch a lot of flak for not being as technically adept as their younger peers. Yes, the "Echo Boomers" (aka, the Millennials or Generation Y) have the distinct advantage of having been weaned on technology for the past 10 to 15 years, and I learn a new techie thing each week from my two teenagers.

So, taken as a whole, the Echo Boomers have a distinct technological advantage over their parents' generation in the workplace. That advantage, though, could become larger as the recession eats away at thousands of jobs. That may allow some companies to dump higher-salaried, not-so-technically-savvy Boomers in favor of cheaper, younger talent who - arguably - have an easier time finding ways to use technology to boost revenue and cut costs.

What's a Boomer to do? Learn the technology you don't know and become more marketable. Start with the following:

LinkedIn. If you have a profile on LinkedIn, that's a good start. Many professionals already use this site, and more employers are checking it out for potential talent. Build your network and join some interest groups where you can start or jump in on a discussion. You never know when a comment catches the eye of someone who wants to know more on the subject and will reach out to you - possibly with the intent of discussing a job opening.

Facebook, Twitter, etc. This might be more impressive to the younger set than having a LinkedIn profile. Yes, Facebook, MySpace and the like are more the purview of teens and 20-somethings, but, utilized correctly, they can widen your network of people with similar interests. Just don't post or say anything that could potentially come back to bite you professionally. I've never warmed up to Facebook, but two fellow Boomer friends have suggested I start a profile. I just might.

Texting. I've been doing a bit of this, usually with my daughter when the messages can be handled in less time than a typical call on the cell phone. It can be fun, but make sure you get the best possible deal from your cellular service provider if you plan to do a lot of it.

Outsourcing = Opportunity for IT Professionals

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?

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?).

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.

The IT Department: Still the Same?

During much of my tenure as an IT journalist and research analyst, the general perception of the corporate IT organization by the rest of the business was one of disdain. In short, IT got no respect and, in some cases, it deserved little or no respect. It was seen as insular, a place where the geeks hung out - usually in a corner - to test new whiz-bang technology that may not necessarily be a help to the business as a whole. It lacked people skills and was more concerned with technology than the overall health of the business.

Fast forward a few years and there are signs of respect emerging. For one, the rise of the Internet as a commercial tool has helped boost IT into a major player. Better applications that have been a help to customer relationship management have been instrumental in keeping customers and increasing revenue. Add to that the fact that more "end user" workers have technical chops today than a decade ago, and you have the foundation for a better understanding of IT and the business units that can benefit both sides.

Now, there may be evidence that IT is indeed finding religion and providing a lot more value for the business. Recent research from The Hackett Group concludes that companies that are top performers in IT "business value management" also outperform their peers across a wide range of financial and profitability metrics. What's even more encouraging is the potential melding of IT and the business units through what another research firm calls "enterprise guerrilla application development," involving applications developed outside the IT organization by technically competent information workers in the end-user business units. "End users who used to be wholly dependent on IT will start relying on enterprise mashup platforms in a bid to be more self-sufficient in their application development needs," said Vishwanath Venugopalan, analyst at The 451 Group. "IT departments will seek to cede just enough control to empower end users while maintaining a consistent operating environment that adheres to regulatory requirements."

So, rather than being judged solely on its efficiency (read: keeping its own costs as low as possible), there are some forward-thinking organizations who are seeing the effectiveness of IT in boosting revenue and profitability, and how it can work with the entire enterprise to help spur business growth. I'm sure there are companies that still judge IT by its ability to spend less. If they're serious about growing, they'll have to rethink their metrics.

Closing the `Generation Gap' at Work

I have to admit being somewhat amused with the cross-generation sneering match I sometimes see between Generation Y (aka, the Millennials) and the Baby Boomers when it comes to work. While the former are largely trying to find their way in the workplace, they tend to butt heads with the latter, the ones who are running much of corporate America today.

For instance, close to 20% of North American companies polled in a recent survey say it's hard to reach Millennials, more than twice as hard to reach other demographic groups, such as women, the physically challenged, and major ethnic groups. From my vantage point as a commentator on workplace issues, plus the fact that I work with quite a few Gen Ys, the solution comes down to understanding and empathy, mainly on the part of the Boomers.

Gen Y may like to march to its own beat, but it's we Boomers who have encouraged that! You might respond with "Really?!?" Yes, really! As we reared our children, many of us instilled in them the notion that they could accomplish anything they put their mind to accomplishing, as well as to stand up for themselves and realize that they had something positive to contribute to society. But in the workplace, Gen Y sees our Boomer brethren acting differently, especially in companies that value (read: demand) long hours and dedication to the job.

But Gen Y isn't stupid. In fact, I believe they're smarter and savvier than we would like to give them credit for. If they know they can improve their work lot elsewhere, they will. That's why they're more apt to change jobs more frequently, unlike our generation and our parents'. That's why they're more likely than we are to value their leisure time.

And it's why we need to recognize that and re-engineer our workplaces if we are to enjoy business success. Gen Y is not made up of inmates who want to run the asylum; they represent a new order that could well make revolutionary changes in the workforce as we move further into this century.

If you're a Baby Boomer or part of Gen Y, how do you see this generational clash playing out in the workplace. I invite you to share your perspectives.

We've got some serious issues people!

Let me see if I get this straight: We have an economy that's as resilient as Humpty Dumpty. We have a health-care system that might put Humpty together again if he were adequately insured (for thousands of dollars per year). And meanwhile, all the king's soldiers are on the other side of the world fighting in a war whose cost may be headed for the trillion-dollar stratosphere.

Yes, we've got issues, which are all front and center in this highly critical presidential election year.

And so the most recent debate has turned to Barack Obama's outspoken former pastor, coming on the heels of the endorsement of John McCain by another outspoken cleric with a history of spewing hate-filled rhetoric.

Yes folks, we're debating issues that really matter! How holy art thou candidate? Meanwhile, the economy, health care, and the war in Iraq - not to mention the environment and the solvency of Social Security - get pushed to the side.

Rant over! Now let's get out there and become fully informed about the real issues before we cast our votes!

Signs of the times: The fading newspaper

I still get a newspaper delivered each day in a bright green Boston Globe tube at the end of my driveway. The day just doesn't seem right without a look at the sports section, the front page, the editorial page, and even a couple of other sections.

But newspaper circulation is in decline everywhere in the U.S. with the rise of the Internet as a news medium and as a better way for advertisers to deliver returns on their investments. A recent blog post on BNET paints an even darker picture for the newspaper industry. I alluded to this last month after the Los Angeles Times fired its editor after he refused to follow management orders and cut $4 million from the newsroom budget.

The writer of the BNET post, David Weir, also mentions how industry veterans are anxious about what they should do with their skills. To me, it's quite simple: Go web, or take your writing and editing skills into another arena. Unless you embrace the web as the primary news medium of the future, take an inventory of your skills and start working on your resume.

And if you fear making that move over to the electronic side, take it from me: It's worth the switch!

I welcome any feedback or requests for career advice from any journalists, no matter where you are in your career.

Pongo enters the blogosphere!

Hey! My company now has a blog presence! Check out our insights and musings on the key components of the job search and career management: resumes, cover letters, interviewing, and work/life issues. See you on the Pongo Blog!

Is reading dead? Or dying?

In the early 1980s, when I was a daily newspaper reporter, USA Today made its debut and revolutionized the industry. Say what you might about it (e.g., lots of glitz, not enough depth), but while many of my contemporaries back then were scoffing, I looked at it and concluded: "What's the problem? Their pages are colorful and attractive to the eye. And their stories are shorter and easier to digest." Clearly, the paper's owner, Gannett, put reader habits ahead of trying to come off as an authority in the realm of newspaper journalism.

That said, USA Today was responding not only to the habits of readers, but American society as a whole. We are a nation of short attention spans that, for the most part, has eschewed deep thought for the quick message. Political campaigns and political commentary focus more on sound bites and slogans (Remember KISS -- Keep It Simple Stupid -- in the 1992 presidential campaign?) and loud, mostly meaningless chatter that may make for great theater, but doesn't inspire anyone to think about the real issues.

Taking this issue deeper, think about kids who would rather spend an hour watching YouTube than reading a book. Even when you're applying for a job, the hiring manager will probably spend 15 seconds looking at your resume before deciding whether to call you in for an interview. And that's if he or she gets the resume in the first place. Now, businesses have software that scan resumes for keywords. Don't have enough of them? Sorry! You don't have a chance!

But that's our society today, like it or not. Skeptical? Try reading this piece from Killian Advertising and tell me whether you agree.

Not your father's media

News item: The Los Angeles Times fired its top editor earlier this month after he rejected a management order to cut $4 million from the newsroom budget, 14 months after his predecessor was also ousted over a budget dispute, the newspaper said. (AP)

A dozen years ago, I left the daily mainstream media, disillusioned with the direction of the industry and, frankly, more than disgusted with how newspaper journalism had evolved from the days of my youth into a bottom line-oriented, do-everything-on-the-cheap profession in which the accountants had taken over the true seats of power and relegated the news producers to second-class status. I vividly recall the irony of one Friday afternoon when the newspaper at which I was employed at the time had won a major award for its journalistic prowess. Thirty minutes later, the publisher instructed the newsroom brass to cut back the size of the paper to save money.

One need only look at the recent angst at the L.A. Times to see the straits a once-noble business finds itself in today. Newspaper circulation keeps falling nationwide as more of the public gets its news from the Internet. Let's face it: The long-time advertising model that has provided much of newspapers' revenue streams is fading in favor of the more focused and varied options on the Web that can yield a higher return on an business's marketing investment.

But while we witnessed that transition, a not-so-funny thing happened as we stumbled into the 21st century. News organizations believed in reporting on the cheap, with fewer editorial staff. What that leaves is less experienced people bringing you the news, and in the interest of filling newsprint space, they'll do whatever is easy rather than engage in true, thoughtful, impactful journalism that will raise eyebrows and inspire outrage. And this has infected TV journalism (especially local outlets) as well, which is also fighting the Internet for attention. Think about it: How many times when you're expecting a snowstorm do you see a nightly newscast address it in the first few minutes? It appears as if it's the same drill for every snowstorm: Trot out the meteorologist, interview a couple of people to find out how they "feel" about the coming snowstorm (Bleccch!), and add some light-hearted banter with a few laughs as you're about to be hit with a couple feet of snow, which you look forward to as much as you would a root canal.

Remember the presidential election of 1988, which will go down in history as one in which the media was roundly - and rightly - criticized for not focusing on the issues? The media has tried to rebound from that, but, 20 years later, it hasn't come around full circle. I watched a debate last week in which I heard one candidate speak very eloquently about the issues, more so than the other hopefuls. The debate recaps in the media were more interested in the verbal jousting between two of the candidates.

Hopefully, the media will come around to recapture some of its lost stature, and focus on stuff that matters rather than, say, a celebrity's addictions or who a star quarterback is dating. Of course, the rest of us need to care enough about stuff that matters, lest the media think we don't. Otherwise, we could all be headed for trouble.

What about you? How do you see the media's role today and what could it do better?

The more things change for CIOs ...

During the several years I spent as a journalist and research analyst in the IT space, the call for chief information officers to become more business savvy and less "techie" was so loud it bordered on being a tiresome cliche (To some, it probably was). Well, several years later, guess what? That call hasn't gone silent, or least muted. The perceived "gap" between the CIO and the rest of he executive suite apparently remains, if you believe a recent piece by former CIO Alan Guibord in InformationWeek (Small disclosure: Alan was my CEO for about a year at Computerworld).

Amid the rise of the personal computer and the Internet over the last two decades, mid-level and large corporations have placed their information organizations in the hands of top-level officers who could help them understand the business advantages of technology. The problem is: Most of them have cut their career teeth on the wonders of technology and not on the factors that help a business grow and stay alive. Theoretically, the "chasm" Guibord addresses should have narrowed over the last decade while CIOs became more versed in the ways of business and told their CEOs, for example, if and how a new technology could improve the security of confidential customer data.

Has there been improvement? If so, is this "techies don't know business" perception merely a stigma that won't be erased, at least for the foreseeable future? Unlike other C-level execs, CIOs have to live in two worlds: knowing the direction of technology and knowing the way of business. That's not easy. Can you think of an athlete who became an all-star in two professional sports? If you can, I doubt you can name more than one (I'm even hard pressed).

What businesses need to recognize is that it's hard to find CIOs who can thrive in both spaces. If a company hires a CIO who is expert on the business side, for example, that CIO should be allowed to bring in someone who can speak technology as a top-level assistant. That way, they can work together to bring IT closer to the business while striving to excel on both ends.

And if you're a CIO or CIO wannabe, make sure you take note of accomplishments that impress the senior executives and make you more business savvy. That, after all, is what they want to see more of today. So, take some time to think of what you accomplished and put them into a working resume. As Guibord notes, you should keep your resume updated, not just in case you lose your job and need a new one, but as a way of documenting the good stuff in a career "journal."

Can You Survive a Recession?

The gauge watchers of the economy have been saying it for months and last week's news that the unemployment rate rose to 5% has turned up the volume on the prospect of a U.S. recession in 2008. I have yet to be convinced, though. I may change my mind come the spring to see how the housing industry performs.

Still, the possibility is haunting, especially if you work in an industry that is most vulnerable to an economic downturn, or if your job could be outsourced either domestically or overseas should your employer want to save a few bucks trimming payroll. This is especially true in IT, and I wouldn't be surprised if that has contributed to an increased air of pessimism among IT workers - generally a skeptical lot - in the oft-watched Hudson Employment Index. Granted, the majority of those surveyed are neither worried about job security, nor expecting job cuts at their companies this year. But there is a little more concern.

But why be caught by surprise? The recession talk should lead IT workers to look at the following:

* Their skills. How sustainable is your current skill set? What technologies do you see your company or industry adopting over the next few years?

* Their business savvy. Do you have a knack for figuring out what technologies can help make business processes more efficient? Or what technologies can help boost revenue generation?

* Their resumes. Losing your job is hard enough. Losing a job and not having an idea what to put on your resume is harder. That's why it's always helpful to have an updated resume that focuses on what you have accomplished in the workplace rather than just on your raw skills. Showing your experience might get you an interview, but showing how your experience helped your current and former employers may be the key to landing a new job if you really need one.