todd.tokubo.com

Via Slashdot.

An editorial about how gaming is changing the psychology of the workplace.

They found that 80 percent of managers in the US under the age of 35 had significant video game experience and that gamers had a more positive outlook on life than non-gamers. Gamers tended to prefer multitasking to individual assignments, to stave off boredom.

As a reformed hard-core gamer, it’s nice to see a mostly positive view on what is a irreversible change in our entertainment industry.

A nice way to start your thinking about your job and education on a whole for the week.

From EETimes.com:

• State of the Engineer - Nice high-level review of EE employment
• Salary Survey responses - Responses to the above article
  • My personal favorite response in whole is here:

The government doesn’t operate under the same “business model” as industry, and this is where the achievement gap develops between U.S. and European/Asian engineering counterparts. K-12 schools tend to teach children the skills they need to be functioning adults, i.e., capable of financially supporting themselves, and be law-abiding citizens. If this end is achieved, big-government feels they have done their part. Industry needs more than just “functioning” adults in the workforce. It needs highly skilled and motivated engineers. That’s really beyond the K-12 system’s job description, as the government has ostensibly determined.

From SF Chronicle:

• American kids, dumber than dirt - blunt title, with even more inflammatory content. Here’s part of the conclusion:

As for the rest, well, the dystopian evidence seems overwhelming indeed, to the point where it might be no stretch at all to say the biggest threat facing America is perhaps not global warming, not perpetual warmongering, not garbage food or low-level radiation or way too much Lindsay Lohan, but a populace far too ignorant to know how to properly manage any of it, much less change it all for the better.

Here are a few that are career related from 2spare.com, one of the most random stops on-line…

• Early Jobs of Famous People - What they write about you after you’re famous?
• Top 87 Bad Predictions of the Future - What “stupid” ideas have you passed over?
  
  • Bill Gates’ infamous “more RAM than you’ll ever need” line didn’t make the cut
• Top 10 Science Stuff you got Wrong in School - What other lies are being propagated?
• How to Insult Foreign People - (warning: explicit) When I’m learning a new language, it seems like all the bad words are the ones I learn first…
• 25 Most Bizarre Jobs -Is tech really for you?
• Celebrity Quotes and Bushism - Read when you think you might not be qualified for a job.

Via Digg.

While this is done from a freelancing web-designer point of view, many of these can be applied to any job search or interview.  Some of the more applicable, to just about any situation involving you and someone else who may be a potential employer, are below.

11- Poor communication skills

You want to effectively get your message across and be as clear as possible. If your potential client has to process/decode everything you say, that means you may need to work a little on your communication skills. You want your client to understand exactly what you’re trying to say. It is normal to be nervous or anxious, try not to make it obvious, stay calm, professional. See it as a conversation, not as an interview. You got the meeting, you’re half-way there.

14- Not enough experience

If you’re starting out, go ahead and send applications, network with people in your field, don’t be afraid, you have to start somewhere. But don’t be disappointed if you don’t get a gig because of lack of experience, some people will want to hire someone who’s been doing it for years. You’ll get there, don’t worry, it’s not personal.

23- Asking if you got the job

Keep in mind you may not be the only one on the list. At the end of the meeting or interview, asking if you got the job may not be a good idea, unless you know for sure you got it. Be subtle. A nicer way would be something like “I know you are probably meeting with other designers, and want to pick the best candidate, but can I ask you when I should expect to hear from you?” (or something similar, something you’re comfortable with)

While waiting for Chance to go to sleep, I did a standard web meander… Here’s how it went down.

Reading NBA rumor site –> Local newspaper column… I mean blog about the Golden State Warriors –> commentary on the 49ers –> Comment about Dennis Erickson –> List of winningest active coaches –> Chris Ault (Coach at UNR, closest college to where I grew up) –> Wilkipedia (Chris Ault) –> Wikipedia (Nevada) –> Wikipedia (Cal Poly San Luis Obispo) –> Famous Cal Poly Alumni –> Weird Al Yankovic –> Weird Al videos on You Tube.

Weird Al is funny.

Okay, I’m not a huge Jay Leno fan. Nor am I a huge George W. Bush fan.

However, there are some times when a random email comes in (thanks, Mom) that you just need to have some pause and think. The mail is after the break or follow the link in the next paragraph.

Todd’s commentary: One thing that traveling the world does enlighten you to are the differences between the US and other “civilized” countries. As a country and culture, we often focus on all of the bad things that happen. We also tend to be a country of the minority. (ie. it takes a 2/3 vote for certain things to happen, giving power to the minority.)

As a side note, I’m not a bleeding heart liberal. I’m not a believer in political correctness. PC is “polite racism” in my book. It goes out of it’s way to make a separation in terms of ethnic group or national origin (ie. Japanese-American, Chinese-American, etc.). Honestly, sometimes it’s better if someone does call you a derogatory name; at least you know the person is a bigot. I believe people have the freedom to be called what they wish. (Me, I prefer American… ask anyone at my office… I’m not “Japanese” in a cultural sense at all). At the same time, the raw patriotism often gets interpreted as right wing / neocon drivel, of which I feel is outdated.

Anyway, this is supposedly from Jay Leno. It’s not. However, it is thought provoking from a bit of a conservative perspective. We are fortunate to be in this country. We do enjoy a lot of freedoms and provisions that many do not have. My opinions don’t have to fit a single party or ideal. Are there things we should improve in this country? The true beauty of the USA is that it is dynamic. That we always are changing, we are NOT satisfied. The day people in this country are satisfied is the day the American Spirit dies.

I do agree that media is sensationalist and often focuses on the “train wreck” or bad karma stories. I think many people don’t like to see heart warming stories because they’re jealous it didn’t happen to them…

Read more »

One thing, especially in the Valley, that is important is understanding what people are looking for in their jobs.

GenY = tech savvy, but don’t necessarily want to work in tech.  It’s an interesting push / pull in terms of technology vs. the people that are required to improve that technology.

The sense of entitlement, the hedonistic view of the job (ie. what can this job do for me and my career) are all things that are very obvious in the majority of this age group.  As with any broad categorization, it’s a broad stroke; there are always “old school” people in their 20s.
If there was ever any doubt as to why foreign workers are great for Silicon Valley, this is one of them.  The GenY group is a great user of technology, but not necessarily passionate about technology (read: geeky).   The new workers keep the hunger and innovation alive in California.

At least I’m not this bad.

Reading the local newspapers always gives some interesting insights.  However, it should be noted that syndication has really made a big blur between what can really be useful locally and what is more generic “internetty” information.  Especially now that most Sunday job sections are partnered with Hotjobs or Monster, this line is getting hazier and hazier.

If I go to the San Francisco Chronicle’s Job Section, I see Hotjobs.com in HUGE letters on the front.  And all articles from the Sunday section (which is supposed to be the BIG day for jobs) are also posted on-line now.   For example, today’s two articles are posted so that you can view them without having to actually buy the paper.  So now my wife and I usually just buy them for the ads (which are also now on-line).

The real problem is how are you supposed to get any kind of inside track as to what is really happening in the area?  If you were moving from say Chicago to San Jose, do you real get a better local flavor by looking at the local paper?

I was reading a magazine that is published by my fraternity.  The Editor’s (Bruce A. Wilson) letter is entitles “The Secret of Success?  Dare to Fail”.  It caught my eye for a few reasons, the least of which being, it sounded very much like a good way to summarize a lot of little things about one’s worklife.

So let us begin by defining what success is, and what it is not.  The media bombards us with the notion that success is all about money and prestige…  (references athletes and musicians) .. New York Times columnist Anna Quinden points out that fatal flaw with that approach: “If success is not on your own terms, if it looks good to the world, but does not feel good in your heart, it is not success at all.” …

Albert Schweitzer, the Nobel Peace Prize winning philosopher and explorer, said, “Success is not the key to happiness.  Happiness is the key to success. If you love what you are doing, you will be successful.”  Pulitzer Prize willing historian, David McCullough, author of an excellent biography of my hero, John Adams, agrees.  He said, “Real success is finding your lifework in the work that you love.”  …

It’s the second part - pursuing your passion with all your heart - that brings us to failure.  How you deal with failure will determine whether you will succeed.  Will fear of failure prevent you from confronting life’s challenges or will it drive you to try harder?  Robert Kennedy once observed that”Only those who dare to fail greatly will ever achieve greatly”.  When you do fail - and you will fail- will you be discouraged and quit or will you try harder? …

Overall, it’s a great piece.  The key points:

• If you love what you do, you are successful.
• Failure is at least as important as success

When I was in the eighth grade, I got into a philosophical argument with my History teacher.  At the end of the year, she said “I was voted Most Likely to Succeed.”  To which I quipped, “and yet you’re a teacher.”  (Which is pretty crappy to say, since my mother is a junior high school teacher.)  Her instant reply was “Being successful is about more than money.  I love my job.  I love teaching punks like you the value of an education.”

Okay, so I’m fibbing a bit on the last sentence, but point taken.  I’ve been fortunate enough to be in a job that I both enjoy and get fairly well paid for.  My wife has actually quit a very good paying job to take one that made her happier.  There’s no real chicken-and-egg problem here.  Happiness breeds success.  If your true desire is for happiness, you’ll also put up with some failure along the way.