…at a column written by Stefan Stern, a columnist for the Financial Times.  While readers of this blog expect career and job search wisdom, I feel compelled to "out" this columnist.  I hope to feed his "hot air" to my readers who are proponents of sustainable enterprise* and corporate social responsibility*.

Stern's flippant muse was caught by a LinkedIn Net Impact Group member, Joseph Hollak.  Joseph quoted Stern's opening comment, "Thank goodness, now the recession’s here we can forget all that
nonsense about corporate social responsibility (CSR) and get back to
trying to make some money."  When last I checked, the question had not taken on much of a life, so I raise it here to raise a ruckus…

My two-cents is simple: CSR is not a conspiracy to pick the pocket of shareholders in the name of "good deeds."  CSR is an approach to profitability that promotes free enterprise while at the same time, promoting respect for the planet and dignity for consumers.  Profitability and higher principles can certainly work hand in glove.  Surely Mr. Stern has witnessed what happens to those who blindly seek profits at the expense of their community.  When he emerges from his rock, I hope he'll settle in a pleasant green pasture.

*A note to students of sustainability and CSR – the Wikipedia definitions need your input.

The Wall Street Journal (Career Journal) recently posted an interview suggesting that women are more likely to experience difficulties with job retention, promotion, and transition during a recession than are their male counterparts.

The interview suggested that the high cost of childcare and commuting has a disproportionate affect on women, cutting their real wages below the differential that already exists. (On average, women with children earn $0.76 for every $1.00 earned by men; women without children are likely to earn close to $0.90 compared to their male counterparts). 

Certainly economic downturns exacerbate the factors affecting the most vulnerable in the workforce, e.g. working mothers,  fathers who are primary caregivers, as well as Boomers who are caring for disabled family members.  The prevalence of cases related to family responsibilities discrimination prompted the EEOC to issue guidelines for employers in May 2007:

“These EEOC
family responsibility guidelines condemn stereotypical perceptions of
employees, sex-based stereotypes of working women and pregnant women,
and discrimination against working fathers. The EEOC
also makes it clear that an employer’s “benevolent” stereotyping, such
as assuming a mother would not want a promotion if it meant moving to
another city, still has adverse effects and may be illegal under Title
VII.”

Clearly, the recession affects all of us; to paraphrase George Orwell, it may affect some of us more than others.  What is your experience or opinion?

Education is a job search strategy – one that may offer you a competitive edge during gloomy economic times. Some groups who may want to consider continuing their education as a job search strategy:

• Disaffected college graduates, e.g., Liberal Arts  majors and those unhappy with vocational majors…
• Experienced employees whose jobs have become obsolete or have been off-shored…
• “Second- or Third-Act:”  those who are seeking a transition to another career, likely to be one that will offer more personal and/or societal meaning than their previous career…

If you identify with one of these groups, you should know that there is a bevy of educational administrators who want YOU to enroll in their classes. Programs are offered by vocational schools, community colleges, and 4-year institutions.  Why are these choices different from and perhaps better than traditional approaches to education?

• Admission is likely be based on “open enrollment,” meaning that few programs will require transcripts or aptitude tests.  Desire to learn and participate is the only requirement.
• Courses are more likely to be taught by those who actually work in the field; students are also likely to be working in related fields.  These people can become part of your professional network.
• Student work is evaluated based on participation and results – without grades, papers, or tests.  The idea is to learn and apply your knowledge to the workplace.
• Continuing studies programs are usually offered at a fraction of the cost of credit classes – fees are determined by actual costs and profit margins, not per “credit.”

Continuing education provides “cover” for periods of unemployment, and is always indicative of your willingness to learn new concepts and adapt to new technology.  These programs grease the wheels of career transition, permitting candidates to move into “demand occupations,” e.g. project management.

This month, one of the candidates I have worked with for nearly nine months landed the job he prepared for over a 4-year period. Before working with me, he had leveraged his experience as a technologically-competent Distribution Manager to land an intermediate job as an IT Manager with a small organization, a job he held for 3+ years. While employed in this intermediate position, this bilingual candidate completed a Project Management Certificate Program through a Continuing Studies program offered by a local 4-year institution; this program supplemented his degree earned from a South American university.  He recently started the job he had prepared for through a series of strategic career moves and validated by continuing education preparation.  Kudos to him!

Continuing Education is a proven strategy for job seekers and career changers; take advantage of the edge…

A well-meaning friend sent me today’s Wall Street Journal.com article, Second Acts: Career Paths For Worn-Out Executives.  Not only does this article present an elitist view of the type of career transition available to older workers, the vignettes offered are not even newsworthy.

The article profiles senior executives who can afford to follow their avocation, like Mr. Orner (Bank Vice President to Executive Chef at a Yacht Club).  It is true that many Traditionalists and Boomers want to have another chance to give back to their communities; many are willing to sacrifice compensation to do so: this is yesterday’s news.  But the profile of the Traditionalist who sacrifices by making her own copies and travel plans is demeaning.  An older worker who transitions from corporate to nonprofit must surely understand and respect the non-hierarchical and self-sufficient culture of nonprofit organizations. Indeed, the personal assistance "sacrificed" by Ms. Shillings has gone the way of the electric typewriter, even in the corporate world. It is these profiles, not the executives, who are "worn-out."

I’m disappointed that the esteemed WSJ does not look into the more urgent generational issues of the day. I’d like to read about middle-managers, professionals, technicians, and working people who have successfully transitioned from their long-standing careers. Regardless of their status on the rungs of the ladder, Boomers and Traditionalists share membership in the "Sandwich Generation." They are likely to shoulder tremendous financial and emotional responsibilities for their parents and children. Financially, they cannot afford to leave or lose their "First Act," much less take on a lower-paying "Second Act." 

The issues are vital to our economic well-being: the discussion needs to go beyond "worn-out" profiles of well-heeled people. Among other things, we need to discuss effective cross-training, an acceptance of digital natives and digital immigrants, and a campaign to promote family-friendly corporate policies.  It would be fascinating to examine the synergy that exists between the values of Milliennials, Gen X’ers and Boomers, and harness that synergy to achieve a change in social policy.

The dynamic between generations in the workplace will be discussed at the upcoming Kennedy Conference: The Annual Gathering of Career Management Professionals, in Minneapolis, MN on May 2.  Two Boomers and One Millennial will present, "Mind the Gap: Connecting the Generations."  We hope to generate some buzz about this topic among our colleagues in the careers profession.  To weigh-in before the presentation, please comment here…  Look for blog posts from the Conference…

The Collaborative of the Suburban Chamber of Commerce has scheduled an additional session to concentrate on the power of LinkedIn.com. The initial session was well-attended and well-received. Thanks to feedback of participants and the effort of Management Consultant, Sandi Philips, the nonprofit "group’s hug" will result in a follow-up session to be held on Wednesday, April 2 from 8-10am.

The agenda for the initial session included Online Identity and Social Networking for Nonprofits.  The most effective social networking tool for businesses and nonprofits, LinkedIn.com, was too large a topic to start last week; LinkedIn will dominate the discussion when we meet again at the Upper Moreland Library, Willow Grove, PA.

The first session allowed participants to share their existing knowledge and request more information re:

• Risks of Social Networking – personal and professional
• Choosing the proper tool
• Sharing information
• Preserving authenticity

These issues, and additional resources targeted to meet the strategic planning needs of nonprofits, will be covered in the next session.  Those who participated in and/or registered for the first meeting will receive new handouts via e-mail. Those who cannot attend are encourage to refer to the LinkedIn Blog  or blog with author Jason Alba (see my sidebar). Visitors may click on this link to purchase useful books on Relationship Marketing, including Jason’s Facebook and LinkedIn books, directly from the publisher.

Participants who wish to share comments or ask specific questions are encouraged to do so on this blog. Those interested in attending Wednesday’s program should pre-register by phoning: 215.947.4427 or via e-mail to: Karen@CareerAcceleration.net or KevinWinters@comcast.net (mention The Collaborative.) There are six seats left; please reserve early for this FREE program.

Join us for a FREE interactive program to learn about the benefits of social networking for nonprofit organizations and staff.  This program is sponsored by The Collaborative, an affiliate of the Suburban Chamber of Commerce, located in Eastern Montgomery County, PA.    

The mission of The Collaborative is to develop and nurture partnerships between businesses and non-profit organizations. The program will be held at the Upper Moreland Free Library so that participants may
bring their laptop computers and participate in the session via wireless
Internet access. Everyone who attends and wants to join a social network will receive an invitation from the speakers. 

Our presenters are:
Karen Katz, M.Ed., CCM, of Career Acceleration
Network, (CAN) LLC; and
Kevin Winters, MBA, Founder/Principal Consultant, All Seasons Web
Solutions

The agenda will
include: · What is "Social Networking?"
· Who engages in this type of networking?
· What are the principal forums for "Social Networking?"
· Who benefits from this type of networking?
· Why has this form of networking become popular?
· For whom is this networking effective?

After the presentation,
a demonstration will follow to take participants through the LinkedIn.com
site, and
· Show sample profiles
· Explain settings, preferences
· Discuss online and offline behavior, etiquette, and consequences

This event will be held
Wednesday, March 26, 2008 from 8 to 10 AM at the The Upper Moreland Free
Library,109 Park Avenue, Willow Grove, PA

Collaborative
Roundtables are free and open to interested parties. To RSVP (requested, not
required) call the Suburban Chamber at 215-657-2227. 

Fast Company has marked the 10th anniversary of Tom Peters’ The Brand Called You
with a puffy, but motivating piece on the re-branding of Al Gore.
Ellen McGirt’s cover story in the July/August 2007 issue of FC (Al Gore’s $100 Million Makeover) is required reading for anyone involved in career transition. 

Gore has integrated  his geeky penchant for research, his access to
well-heeled connections, and his willingness to speak passionately
about issues: the result is a transformation from failed politician to
successful entrepreneur.  No longer the butt of late-night TV jokes, he
is now an aspiring media mogul as the co-owner of Current TV.  He has become an adviser to two of the World’s Most Innovative Companies, Google and Apple;
co-founder of an investment firm that promotes a new definition of
sustainability; and, he is also involved in other enterprises that have
raised his net worth from $1-2 million to more than $100 million in
less than seven years.  Politics aside, this transition from "almost
got the job" is a story that can inspire the success of others, even
those with more moderate goals than Gore’s.

A few learning points: 

• Be purposeful in defining your brand:  find your passion.
• Dare to be different:  innovation is not as intimidating as invention – You CAN do it…
• Connect with friends, family, colleagues:  "to network" can be
  conjugated as a noun, verb, adjective, adverb – it works at all levels
• Use technology:  aside from promoting your ideas, technology allows you to listen and learn from your customers/audience

There is a lot of buzz in the careers community about this topic of branding (the book by Kirsten Dixon and William Arruda is
a must-read).  While Gore may not have participated in an official
branding program, the transformation of his image and financial outlook
speak volumes for the value of thoughtful and guided transition.

Posted by Karen P. Katz