By Kate Levinson

It’s the season for endings, I suppose.

I just turned in my last paper and did my last presentation of the semester.

In just over two weeks, I’ll have to cross out and correct the “2009” I’m sure I’ll still be writing on things long after the year is over.

And 3Gen will be taking a little vacay. (Don’t cry.)

Sometimes endings are good (see No. 1, above). Sometimes they’re bad. Usually they lead to some kind of beginnings. But no matter what, I try not to ignore them. Because as nice as it sometimes is to make transitions seamlessly, I think it’s pretty darn important to pause and reflect and plan and just think.

So I’m challenging you to take a few minutes – after finals, please – to think about where you’ve been and where you’re headed. (And don’t forget where you are now!)

I know I’ll be doing it. Because I want to remember that this semester was the busiest, most exhausting, most challenging and most educational of my life—and that I didn’t have a single throw-my-hands-up-and-melt-down moment (shockingly).

I want to remember that 2009 was a blur of a year packed to the brim with learning about public health and journalism and government and life.

I want to recognize that I now have a much-needed few weeks to relax, regroup and be thankful (oh, and go on a Caribbean cruise – should be mandatory for all Minnesotans). To spend time with family and friends. To feel all warm and fuzzy and bake cookies and dip stuff in chocolate. To get my money’s worth from Netflix.

And I want to be excited about the BIG stuff not so far ahead of me: a thesis, a capstone project, just a few more classes. And, my god, 2010 is the year I graduate from grad school. It’s the year I have to find a big-girl job. It’s the year I might move away from Minnesota, or stay and buy a home or run away to Fiji. No matter what, it’s going be a big, crazy, exciting year, and I want to just sit on the edge of that and squeal with delight (and, undoubtedly, stress) before it all unfolds.

Yeah, I might make some New Year’s resolutions and all that good stuff, too, just because it seems like I should. But sometimes I think taking a few breaths and doing some good old general reflection where ends and beginnings crash into each other is the best strategy there is. Try it.

Good luck with finals, everyone, and have a great winter break! (Don’t those of you in the Real World so miss that?)

Happy holidays, and a big, fat CHEERS to 2010!

Photo by donabelandewen

By Ken Siegal

Don't stop me if you've already heard this. It's all about how I got hired -- three times. And maybe it'll work for you.

In my senior year in college (as a journalism major), one of my classmates was interning at a small weekly newspaper. She came begging one day, because she was responsible for filling the pages with content -- any content -- and wouldn't be choosy about what it was.

Several of us pitched in, dashed off some stories, features, columns (I wrote one poking fun at the governor and lieutenant governor -- really easy targets) -- whatever we could think of. They were all published (desperation breeds insanity), and she was off the hook.

A few weeks later, she came back to class and handed me a letter sent to the newspaper from the Lt. Governor's office. Gulp!

It turns out that this was one politician with a good sense of humor, and he wanted to congratulate me for writing such a great column. And he wrote it on official, gold-embossed stationery.

After graduation, when my job-hunt finally led to an interview, the hiring manager opened my portfolio of clips and looked at the top one -- a letter of congratulations from the lieutenant governor on official stationery. And guess who ended up getting the job? That was job #1.

I worked there for several years, learned a lot, made a lot of friends. And guess what -- I heard from one of them about a better position at another company. He arranged an interview, and guess who ended up getting the job? That was job #2.

So for several years, I worked, learned, friended, and guess what? (Is this getting boring for you?) A former colleague told me about an opening for a better job at his new company. Applied, interviewed, got the job.

OK, so I was really lucky, no question. But it wasn't all about luck -- it was actually all about networking. Colleagues and friends recommended me, and I recommended them. The network you build starting out grows and grows, and opportunities grow with them. At least I think so.

And why am I telling you this now? Because it's the holiday season, and there's probably no better time to network and renew relationships.

Does holiday networking make sense to you, or should that wait until next year, when you're back on the job-hunting clock? 



Photo by Kevin Marks

By Kate Levinson

It’s not my favorite way to spend an evening, but I’ve cranked out enough cover letter-résumé-(sometimes) references combos in my day that I have it more or less down to a science.

So imagine the shock to the system when I come across application instructions that switch out the cover letter for things like skills inventories and accomplishment record narratives. Come again?

In my field (fields?) of public health and/or communication, this type of thing is pretty wacky for a straight-up job. But to apply for fellowship, internship or other special programs, it’s much more common. Especially, I’m learning, in government agencies.

And I’m also learning that I do not have this part of applying for stuff down to a science. I find it much easier to talk about my experiences and what they’ve taught me than I do to straight-up write about my skills. To me, it feels awkward and has been incredibly humbling…as in, I feel completely unqualified and stupid for even applying by the time I get to the end of the application!

Maybe that’s the point? They’re trying to weed out the weak? :-)

Have you had experience with these somewhat atypical (to me) application formats? Are they common in your field? How do you plow through them successfully—without bursting into tears?

By Ken Siegal

Who hates progress? Your company, of course! And just about every other company, too. Here's how I know this:

When CD drives first became available on PCs, many companies refused to buy them -- concerned that employees would become less productive (listening to music), and what practical purpose could a CD serve, anyway? Internet connections -- same thing. Playground stuff.

So does this sound a lot like (some) companies don't trust their trusted employees? That's nothing, though. I used to work at a company where the managers were required to walk around at 9 am to verify that every employee was in place, and at 5:15 p.m. a security guard started walking around, flicking off the overhead lights. I really miss those days (sigh!).

What were they thinking? For one thing, it was clear that micromanagement was ruling their employee strategy. If you were sitting at your desk from 9 to 5 every day with no distractions, then your superiors could be sure you were doing a good job. Or were you?

On the flip side, I worked for a company that had totally flexible hours and days of work. There were days for scheduling meetings, and days (and nights) for straight-on work, no meetings. Success was measured by outcomes -- if you and your team delivered, you were successful. Issues were expected to crop up as part of the project, and were tackled without any high drama.

Now if this isn't what your workplace is like, and it probably isn't, there's a lot of room for change. One possibility is to work out a small team pilot program to tackle one or two projects in a different way. It may help if you're able to provide your manager with ongoing written status updates -- it'll make it easier for your manger to manage upwards. Beyond that, you have to build your own program with your own rules.

But be confident, as I am, that the workplace of tomorrow will look nothing like the workplace of yesterday. And wouldn't you prefer to be building, rather than maintaining?

What's your workplace like? And what would you like it be?

photo by wili hybrid

By Ken Siegal

Humor me for a minute. Let's say:

a) we're able to see the beginning of the end of the recession (you promised you wouldn't laugh). Now let's say

b) you work for a company which has had to tighten its belt over the past year or so -- laying people off, freezing hiring, freezing pay raises and bonuses, freezing promotions.

Does any part of this sound familiar to you? OK, next let's do some algebra: a+b=c, where "c" equals you wanting to be doing something other than what you're currently doing. Is "c" a mathematical possibility for you?

It certainly is for a lot of people, and a Wall Street Journal article raised this same question -- from the other perspective, of course. What can businesses do to keep their best people (that's you!) from leaving once there are new opportunities available? The article points out that many companies weeded out their "weaker players" during the hard times. Now they're concerned about losing the survivors.

And they should be (concerned)! Historically, it's not unusual for top performers in any company to jump ship sooner, rather than later, as the job climate shifts back to (almost) normal. They see the opportunities sooner and clearer -- that's why they're the top performers.

OK, but maybe you're not a risk-taker, and you're not ready to do anything just yet. But what will happen when you see more movement -- both in your company, and others as well? Will you start getting itchy to move? What will it take to push you over the edge?

And what would it take to make you stay where you are?

Poll Update: We asked "What would keep you in your current job?" Results were evenly split between a raise and a promotion. Nobody mentioned company loyalty, and there was one vote for "Nothing on this earth".


photo by Sam Judson

By Kate Levinson

I fully admit to tending toward a type-A personality, but I really think there’s something to be said for having a plan B (and C, and maybe D, E and F, too) in work, school and life. I realize it can be a lot of planning for nothing if The Plan goes great the first time around—and, of course, I always hope it does—but if it doesn’t, which we know is pretty darn common, the lack of a backup plan can cause unnecessary panic, scrambling and allover stress.

And I’ve had a lot of chances for practice lately:

The Plan: To do my MPH master’s project (basically my thesis) on a very specific topic with a very specific connection and a pretty specific data collection and analysis plan.

The Problem: Logistics. Communication problems. Time, time, time. The fact that despite my fabulous school allows seven years for an MPH program, I would like to get out of there as soon as possible (read: I have senioritis).

Plan B: When things on my original project started smelling fishy, I started looking for other options. What I’m working toward now, fingers crossed, will end up to be a better, more manageable project that just happens to sit at the exact intersection of my interests.

The Verdict: TGFPB (thank god for plan B).

-----

The Plan: To get a way-cool part-time job at a way-cool company that just might have some way-way-way-cool full-time positions up for grabs right around the time I’ll be donning the ol’ cap-n-gown.

The Problem: Great conversations, great sort-of interviews, great (I thought) cover letter. Thinks looked good…until the company decided not to fill the position right now, for a good reason.

Plan B: After clicking “submit” on the application, I came up with all of the things I would do if I didn’t get the job—the most important of which cranking out a bunch of credits in the spring and finishing up both of my master’s programs and projects earlier than I’d planned.

The Verdict: TGFPB.

-----

The Plan: To run the Twin Cities Marathon like a champ (or, well, just to finish)!

The Problem: Injury. Which you may remember. ‘Nuff said.

Plan B: None. I was going to run, and I was going to finish, and it was going to be the best moment of my life. Duh.

The Verdict: I bawled. And moped. And moved on. And starting practicing a heck of a lot of yoga. And survived. But it was miserable for a while there—and I should have had a backup plan, even if it was a mental one.

-----

So I’m currently planning what to do if: another master’s project falls through, I can’t find a job after graduation, my right hip decides it only likes me if I’m not running—and about a million other things. Maybe it makes me crazy, maybe it makes me smart, maybe it’s a combination of the two. But having a Plan B always makes me feel better, especially when I end up using it.

Photo by gingiber

By Ken Siegal

First, and really encouraging -- several people I know who have been job-hunting have been landing interviews lately. Hopeful for these folks, hopeful sign for the economy.

But the question of how to "ace" an interview always comes up, especially because there are so many types of interviews and interviewers. There's a lot of good interview advice available, but let's start with some important, but easy things you can do:

1. Prep, prep, prep. You really need to know everything about the company that you're interviewing with -- who they are, what they do, how they do it. Anything you can't easily find out, consider that a question you should pop at the interviewer.

2. Defend without being defensive. If there's anything in your resume that's at all out of the ordinary, be prepared to talk about it. Maybe it's a question about being laid off, or a question a big project you said you coordinated. Again, prep, prep, prep.

3. Consider the opportunity. The questions (from a good interviewer, at least) will be designed to expose your strengths or weaknesses -- what have you been doing since the layoffs, other than job-hunting? Did the big project overwhelm you? Your answers will say something about how motivated you are, and your body language (as you digest and answer the question) will say a lot more about attitude.

A while back, after being caught up in some massive layoffs in the tech industry, I was in a second round of interviews with an interesting tech company. As we finished up, the interviewer told me something which stuck with me. He said that -- unlike most of the interviews he had been conducting with folks who had been laid off -- there was no tension, bad body language, no deer-caught-in-headlights feeling in the room. He said it felt like a couple of people just sitting there, talking normally, and it made him feel very comfortable (not a bad thing in an interview).

4. Leave an impression. Usually I hear that you're supposed to get the interviewer to talk as much as possible during an interview, which makes sense up to a point. Yes, you want to get a better feel for the job, the manager, the company, and yes, you want the interviewer to feel as comfortable as possible (who doesn't feel comfortable talking about one's self?) But the key is still to leaving an impression (hopefully positive).

If you don't make the hiring manager understand who you are and how you're different from all the other applicants, then you've likely missed your chance to get the job.

By Ken Siegal

Do you hate or fear change? Most everybody does, it seems, unless they get to decide what changes. As a witness to change the other day, I was amazed to watch it happen. Here's what I saw:

I wandered into a small store when the store owner received a call from a customer. He and his wife had been shopping there several months earlier, spotted something they (meaning his wife) really liked and he wanted to buy it as a surprise.

Problem 1 -- he was in Tennessee, the store was in Maine. Problem 2 -- he had been in the store several months earlier, and it was kind of a stretch to believe that the shopkeeper would remember him, or what he was looking for. Problem 3 -- he was trying to describe the item over the phone, and the store owner had a number of similar items.

The shop owner's solution? She took a few close-up photos with her iPhone, e-mailed them to the customer. He looked at the photos, decided which one he wanted. They talked, they haggled, they negotiated a price over the phone. She took care of the credit card transaction online, and promised the gift would be shipped out that afternoon.

Now a couple of things came to mind immediately. First, once you see it done, it seems like such an obvious solution. But the reality is that this shop owner was really smart. She was willing to push herself to find new ways to make the transaction actually happen. And it did work. And it was the first time she had ever done it, she told me afterward.

Second, she discovered a creative solution that could generate (there's that word again) a whole new way of doing business. Watching her, I was struck by what she did -- so easily -- and how difficult it is for many of us to make that leap. I'm not just talking about technology, but about learning how to adapt.

Every time I've ever changed schools or jobs or cities, there have been new problems, new challenges, but also new opportunities. Obviously this shop owner learned something about how to problem-solve in a new way.

What about you -- what's changed for you lately?

photo by Pink Sherbert Photography

Kate, what are you going to do with yourself when you're not in school/not so busy/not juggling so darn much stuff?

Really -- do you want to hang your identity on a label that somebody slapped on your back when you weren't looking? If you do, here are some of the common traits attributed to Gen Y:

• trend-conscious
• Idealistic, optimistic, and flexible
• Socially responsible; particularly concerned about the environment
• Very comfortable with technology; like to multi-task
• Have a hunger for feedback and rewards

Likewise, for Gen X, you'll see none of those characteristics. Instead, substitute:

• Cynical,
• Media savvy
• Individualistic and self-reliant
• grew up during economic downturn
• work ethic

So let's dump the term "generation" -- just for a minute. Let's say instead that you've been out of school for 2 years. OK, do you have that picture?

Now, let's think 12 years out of school. What's changed? Do you still frequent Taco Bell for your dinner? Do you still make the same mistakes on the job, and off the job?

All right, leap through time another 10 or 20 years.
Do you have a longer view of careers, family, politics, work ethic, important technology vs. gadgets?

I'm betting you do, and that it has continued to change and mature you, and will continue to do so. I'm also betting that this difference in maturity levels is what causes generational friction. Sometimes, you want to learn from other people's mistakes, and not repeat them. And sometimes you want to make your own mistakes.

I say again -- Gen Y doesn't exist. People do exist at a different level of maturity, people who have learned different things, perhaps, from others' mistakes. Perhaps from yours.

You can agree with me if you wish. But if you disagree, you run the risk that I'll decide that you don't exist, either.

Tell me off, if you think I'm wrong.

Photo by Ha-wee

P.S. Speaking of levels of maturity, I was fascinated by some major trending topics on Twitter this past weekend -- #balloonboy and #Sue Sylvester (look it up!) as well as #bostonisbetter. Doesn't this sound like "normal" times?

By Ken Siegal

Sharing some Twitter conversations (in my Twitter alias -- ExperienceLive) with resume experts from around the country lately has been illuminating for me, since the topic of what makes or unmakes a great resume is like a bad traffic accident -- you just can't turn away.

Some of the "controversial" resume advice that I saw:

• one-page vs. two-page resumes (it depends)
• functional vs. chronological resume (it depends)
• objective vs. personal brand statement (it depends)
• not enough vs. too much information (it depends)
• hard skills vs. soft skills (both)
• keywords (yes)
• expertise, not responsibilities (yes)
• love of iguanas (no -- please, no!)

A few things are pretty clear -- there's a lot of confusion and a lot of differing opinions out there about resumes, how they should look, what should be included or excluded. How do I know this, personally?

True story -- I met with some members of a respected outplacement firm a while back, and they analyzed and helped me revise my own resume. Here's the kicker, though. After the first meeting with one analyst, I revised my resume exactly as she suggested.

The next day, I met with a second analyst, who also recommended that I revise a number of items. Fascinating, since I showed him the version with the changes I had made based on the first analyst's advice. More fascinating, since many of his recommendations involved deleting or changing some of the items suggested by analyst #1. (Note: afterwards, I went back to my original resume -- sometimes you just have to trust yourself!)

OK, aside from the question of who is really an expert, here's an alternate question: how much do you really know about good resume writing? After a lot of conversations about resumes and other things, I've concluded that most people -- regardless of the amount of career experience -- know more about Vampires than about resumes. And, despite its lack of depth in career guidance, you're probably far more interested in seeing a new vampire movie (Vampire's Assistant opens next weekend) than a webinar on resume writing.

What about you, where do you get your resume advice from? Career experts or Vampires?

[Vampire Poll update -- friends and experts tied for sources of resume advice. Twitter came in next, and Vampires did score 1 vote (let us know how you did with a Vampire-approved resume, OK?)]

photo by wonderferret

I [usually] do [more or less] my best to stay focused on work when I'm at work--but I'm gonna go ahead and admit that it happens with varying degrees of success. (And I say a silent little prayer of thanks each day that Facebook is blocked; if it wasn't I'm sure my record would be worse.)

By Ken Siegal

A classic Facebook question -- addressed in a NY Times blog post -- asked the question, what to do if your boss sends you a FB friend request. It's awkward, because you want to keep your private space, well, private. But, this post asks, what to do if you also don't want to offend your boss (never a good idea, particularly these days) by declining?

Good, no, GREAT question. The blog suggested several things. One of these was setting up specific privacy lists on Facebook to control who sees what. Other ideas ranged from sending a polite note while declining the invitation to the idea of suggesting LinkedIn to your boss as a more professional alternative.

Are all these ideas good solutions? Yes, but I think they don't address the bigger issues. Social networks have evolved so quickly that most people have to struggle to deal. The first big site -- Friendster (anyone remember that?) just made its presence known about six or seven years ago. Now, people struggle to juggle FB, Twitter, LinkedIn, MySpace and Skype in their private lives. As more businesses try to reach a certain demographic, their use of all of these (well, maybe not Friendster -- sorry Friendster fans) is increasing.

We're constantly writing about being careful what you have on your social network pages -- especially if you're job-hunting. Prospective employers are always interested in the person behind the resume, and are smart enough to check your network pages to find out what you're really like.

A lot of people are outraged by this, and understandably so. One of our posts last year addressed this very issue. But I suspect some things have changed.

Yes, online networking has become such an integral part of our society, and especially the workplace (or the work hunt), that it has turned into a real dilemma -- both ethically and functionally. I think that there continues to be a gray line between work and private life (which I think is the same line you cross every time you work late, or on a weekend, or check email on vacation).

Should your employer stay off your wall?

Photo by avlxyz

I think, by now, you get the idea that I'm a Very Busy Girl. If you think I wake up early, juggle work and school and life constantly all day, go to bed late and start all over the next morning, you would be correct. And I like to think I make it look easy--or, at the very least, not nearly as hard as it is. So if I had you fooled, great! :)

By Ken Siegal

How old is old? Apparently, not all that old, according to a friend. The bad part, though, is that it apparently makes you a bad risk.

Let me back up. A friend is "exploring new career directions" and was interviewing for a job in a different field, but one that was more junior in required experience. OK, but she was starting over, and was perfectly willing to do what it takes.

Cut to the interview. The hiring manager asked a few routine questions -- "why did you leave your last job?" (because they laid off half the staff?) And then asked the zinger -- "Why are you looking for something that you're overqualified for? Won't you just leave when the job market improves?"

So my friend is facing long-term unemployment in a field that's shrinking. She's interested in moving onto something new. She has a flawless track record, staying at each of her previous employers for several years. And she's staring across the desk at a hiring manager who equates her desire to bring HER work ethic to HIS company to that of a newbie, with no track record of loyalty. Sorry, but I really don't get it.

Until the job market tightened up, many young professionals saw job-hopping as the route to follow to sure-fire career success. Work for a year, maybe year-and-half at the absolute most, then jump to the next rung on the ladder. The HM (hiring manager) was ready to pass on my experienced friend (who had never jumped after a year) to hire a totally untested recent grad.

And that's what he did.

We're still shaking our heads, not comprehending the logic. (And we're trying to figure out where the line for age discrimination really lies). This, by the way is not the first time I've heard stories like this. So if anyone can enlighten me on how this makes sense, here I am. Please tell me. I'm not unsympathetic to recent grads, I assure you, but some hiring practices baffle me.

Photo by joi

By Ken Siegal

Anybody else ever lose their brand? Did it hurt?

We lost our Twitter brand temporarily, thanks to some twhackers who made many people's avatars disappear, to be replaced by the default l'il tweety bird. Not the worst thing, but our ExperienceLive symbol is pretty distinctive, and we're proud of it (not to mention all the great info that gets tweeted every day -- check it out!), and want it back.

In a greater sense, though, brands -- whether corporate or personal -- have become pretty important in our marketing-driven society. So what, you say? What it means for you is that without your own personal brand, you could easily get passed over for a job or a promotion.

Or not. I've spoken with many recruiters over time, and they all say the same thing -- they're looking for someone who stands out from the crowd, not the play-it-safe, non-descript candidate. They're looking for somebody with a real brand.

I'm not telling you to make things up, and I'm not advocating that you present a shallow marketing image. If you don't think you need to sell yourself as somebody unique, somebody extraordinary, who can make a difference, then go ahead -- tell me I'm wrong! But you better have a good counter-argument ready for me if you do.

On a somewhat related note, congratulations to Jenna, a former contributor to this blog, who has just landed a new job at a new company with the title all marketing people secretly covet -- she's going to become the Director of Buzz. Yes!

I got an interesting mass email last week from the coordinator of my summer internship program with The Government. She told The Interns, most of us in our 20s, about a conversation she had with a professor of public policy about generational differences in the workplace.

He, a baby boomer, argued that Gen Y-ers are terrified to make mistakes. As in, so scared we’ll avoid giving our opinions or going out on any sort of limb…or maybe even going near the tree.

She, a Gen X-er, argued that maybe it’s because boomers aren’t very tolerant of mistakes, that they don’t give the Y-ers the freedom—and forgiveness—to make mistakes freely in the name of learning and growth.

She asked our opinion, and I found it difficult to answer.

My gut reaction was to defend my generation. No! Of course we’re not scared of making mistakes! Then I thought, hmm, maybe it’s not a terrible thing to be scared of making mistakes. Yes! We are scared! And, definitely, those mean, mean baby boomers are being big and scary! Yeah!

But when I really thought about it, I realized that a) I don’t know if it’s as much a generational difference as a difference in where people are in their careers, and b) that I made too darn many mistakes to be classified as a scared-of-mistakes kind of person.

Don’t get me wrong—I hate screwing up. Like really, really hate it. Like beat-myself-up-over-it-forever hate it. Like play-everything-back-in-my-mind-and-list-all-the-moments-I-could-have-avoided-screwing-up-but-didn’t hate it. But I like to think that as I move forward in my career, two things will happen: I’ll eventually screw up less (I hope), and neither I nor anyone else will care as much if I do.

I don’t know that it matters so much that we’re Gen X or Y or Z—isn’t everyone just starting out their careers eager to please and in need of some good references?

More on my actual mistake-making to come. That’s much more exciting, I know. :)

By Ken Siegal

I haven't been on vacation this week, but I am feeling the aftereffects of Labor Day. Which brings up a pretty popular topic -- four-day work weeks.

First, a definition (or at least my definition -- you do what you want). A four-day work week crams five or more days into four, with no reduction in total hours or loss of productivity.

For some companies, actually closing one day a week can mean an energy savings (we've talked about this before). For some employees, a savings in commuting time (PLUS a three-day weekend every week). The craziness starts as you decide whether a company stays open, but splits the fifth day among employees (e.g., some work on Friday, some on Monday). Then, employees -- are you used to working 10-hour days?

A little perspective -- I've worked four-day weeks in the past (also 3-day weeks and 6-day weeks, but those are stories for another time). I loved it, would love to do it again. But there is a concern now that didn't exist before -- a big concern in these days of fewer people working longer hours to increase productivity. How do you accommodate an increased workload as needed when you're already working 10 hours?

When we talk about transitioning to a flexible workplace (yes, it came up at a Labor Day barbecue), four-day weeks always pop up in the conversation. I don't know that it's really all that simple. And if you add in a season's worth of H1N1 virus decimating the workforce, we could be in for a lot of mixed ideas about how to keep a company going.

What's your best idea?

photo by tziralis

Yes, I realize 3Gen is dedicated to the working world.

By Ken Siegal

Here's another one of those old technology tales. Once upon a time I had a clunky metal bin filled with index cards.You may remember them, some of you even owned one -- they were called Rolodexes. (No, not Rolex, Rolodex!)

The cards had all the pertinent business and/or personal information of everybody I had any reason to contact -- ever. The cards were attached to a spindle, arranged alphabetically and I could thumb through an entire life's history of people I knew from work, from home, the plumber, the plumber's kids' names, the DMV. If you had the private phone numbers of some of these people, they were worth their weight in gold.

At one point I had hundreds of cards, all neatly spindled. And then cheap electronic data came along, in the form of a Palm Pilot. I could take it anywhere, I could beam my info to another Palm user -- all kinds of cool things. Well, that evolved into my cell phone -- it doesn't have much in terms of people's work backgrounds, but I can always try to call folks I worked with six or seven years ago, and maybe they'll still have the same number. Maybe not.

In the past few weeks, the process of reconnecting with a lot of friends and former colleagues has made me realize -- isn't LinkedIn the new Rolodex? Not with phone numbers, but with so much else.

I can send email anytime from anywhere, and be sure they receive it. I can ask a lot of people at once for advice or other connections. I can see where the've worked or are working or went to school (much like the online Portfolio offered by our company, Experience.com). I can keep up with what people are doing, or what conferences they are attending, without having to wade through the Facebook adventures of the family dog.

So when people talk about LinkedIn becoming the online network for professionals, yes they're right. But I'm just happy to no longer carry around an 8-pound Rolodex.

What's your preference for staying organized -- Facebook or LinkedIn? Or a Rolodex?

Photo by TOKY Branding and Design

Last week, I wrote about balance -- and I can't let it go quite yet. Right now, I'm conducting the ultimate experiment in balance. Or, maybe, the ultimate challenge. Or, I suppose, the ultimate balance boot camp.

Whatever it is, it's big: I have two weeks off. Like, really off.

By Ken Siegal

I've been thinking about working remotely. No, no, don't give away my desk just yet, I'm actually talking about working with people who are nowhere nearby, which is an ever-growing trend these days.

We talk about this a lot, sometimes even face-to-face. In our office, we have a core group that shows up pretty much every day. But if Amy or Prashant or Katrina instant-message me, I don't always know whether they're at their desks one floor down, or at their desks at home. If Brian needs to attend a meeting, but is on the road, we'll Skype-video him in, and see/talk with him at his laptop "office".

Even my good buddy Kate, who I've known for a couple of years now, shares thoughts on email, Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn. Yet she is a colleague who lives half the country away -- and we've never met, never even spoken on the phone.

Now I'm not going to go all retro on you, insisting that in the good old days (2007??) there was less remote interaction, and work/life was better. Nor am I going to say that the new version of the "virtual" workplace is ideal (have you ever phoned into a large meeting/conference call?) Things have changed, and we are all continuing to adjust in many ways -- partially because of the economy, partially because it's just a newer way of working.

I love that people are embracing some new ideas, and that others are working very hard at figuring out better ways to stay in touch -- at work, in the education community, so very many places. How you are figuring it out? Get in touch, let us know.

Photo by Kristin Wolff

I got a one-liner email today from the one-and-only Ken, who 3Gen readers know well:

“Miss your 3Gen writings …. :)”

My first thought: Wow, I do, too!
My second thought: Crap.
My third thought: Ken is so nice. Who else would say get-your-blogging-butt-in-gear in such a nice way…with a smiley face?!

So first, to take care of No. 2 and No. 3 – I’m very sorry to readers and The Boss for slacking. It will never happen again (well, until the next time I have jobs, classes, training, life, etc. all piled up on top of me…which will probably be soon…but I will try much harder next time to stick a hand out of the top of the pile and type out a post…I promise). :)

Now, No. 1. I love writing for 3Gen – and I hate letting it slip through the cracks. But with my crazy-busy life, I’ve found things slip a lot more often than I’d like. Which brings me to a topic I’ve been thinking a lot about lately: BALANCE.

I’m most certainly a multi-tasker. And a go-getter. And a can’t-say-no-er. Which makes for a nasty combination when I’m trying to, like, relax. Or focus. Or just finish one darn thing without being distracted by another. Maybe because I’ve been living this way for years now – probably since middle or high school, constantly – I’m starting to feel the beginnings of burn out and, thus, am craving a little more balance up in here.

During my year “off” between college and grad school, I worked a 9-to-5 nonprofit office job though the AmeriCorps VISTA program – and having few other real commitments was a total shock to my system. Likewise, when I started two fulltime master’s programs, two jobs (one fulltime and one parttime), marathon training and the exciting role of dog-mom, my system was shocked again.

And although I’ve learned to juggle all of those things over the past year, I’m definitely an amateur juggler who can barely toss three scarves up and catch two. You won’t catch me with 10 flaming things in the air anytime soon – but I’ll probably try (and perhaps accidentally catch on fire).

So I’m trying to streamline.
To make connections between what I’m doing personally, academically and professionally so that my brain doesn’t have to switch gears 180 degrees many times a day.
To not bite off more than a hundred of me can chew.
To take a few minutes each day to breathe, practice yoga, watch some trashy TV, whatever.
And, of course, to blog religiously.

Are you pulled in a gazillion different directions daily? How do you cope? How do you take it down from a gazillion things to maybe just a million or two?
[Update: In the course of writing this post, I had a great phone conversation in which I turned down a fabulous professional opportunity in order to focus on the fabulous opportunities I'm already knee-deep in. I might be making progress!]

Thanks to NCinDC for the great photo -- I gotta learn me some moves!

By Ken Siegal

For a couple of years now, the most prevalent workplace generation gap issue I hear about is the "Tech Gap". It goes like this -- if you're a Gen Y'er, you're always struggling to help Baby Boomers understand how to use technology. If you're a Baby Boomer, you can't get GY'ers to use technology for serious business.

How does this translate to the workplace? It looks to me like there is a wholesale shift to technology that's taking place across the three generations that share office space. Remote users everywhere. Everybody has an iPhone, nobody wears a watch anymore. Lots of changes as everybody learns to deal with each other, with business problems and solutions. If this is happening using online resources, that's a game changer.

Imagine a company -- your company? -- sharing and collaborating online, and then moving on to solving marketing gaps with social media. They can be remote users, they can be using new media, they can be using shared spreadsheets. Doesn't matter, because each generation is bringing its own special tech knowledge to the table.

Who knows, if that keeps up, maybe we won't even be talking about generation gaps any more -- is that possible? What do you think?

Photo by Wili Hybrid

Now I'm the first one to gush about how thankful I am to have a job -- a good job -- but as unemployment seems to be the norm these days among my 20-something friends, I daresay it's becoming...glamorous.

Really. Sure, the unemployed Twitterers I follow complain about cover-letter writing and pulling together interview outfits, but they also talk about rolling out of bed at 11 a.m.. Walking around their neighborhood in search of a leisurely lunch. Getting a nice, long workout in at the gym before the after-work crowd rolls in. Jetting off for a long weekend to visit a friend. The list goes on.

And the more jobless there are, the more they can do these fabulous things together.

Like shop all day. (Not sure how that one works out monetarily, but it sounds fun to me.)

And I can't help but wonder whether recent grads -- such as those profiled in a recent New York Times piece -- are being picky about jobs because they like, or at least don't mind, the idea of the unemployed life.

As someone who works a fulltime job and a parttime job, is a fulltime student in two master's programs and is training for a marathon, I can't lie -- it intrigues me.

But, of course, the grass is always greener, and I'd undoubtedly stay on the side with the, um, actual green. Props, though, to those making the best of an unfortunate situation!

Are you unemployed? Are you loving the vacay or antsy to get back in the game?

By Ken Siegal

It's not totally a laughing matter, but we can't really help ourselves sometimes. This week it's been the lawsuit filed by a 27-year-old unemployed graduate of Monroe College. Her claim? She paid the college $70,000 in tuition and she says she hasn't received the job leads that she feels she was promised by the school.

Knowing how tight the job market is, it's surprising this hasn't happened before. For many students and alumni, the frustration of not finding a good job in a bad economy has them worked up. Maybe it's all about blaming someone, or in this case, maybe it's about recovering some money from the school to keep the job-seeker afloat for a while.

Couple of questions here.

First question -- schools, are you in the business of making claims that you will find jobs for grads, or are you in the business of educating them -- not only in academics, but also in the "science" of careers? Simply having a career center on campus is not the same as getting the students (and alumni!) involved on a REQUIRED basis.

Second, for grads, are you still assuming that old (from 2 years ago) myth that a degree is a guaranteed ticket to a job? Wouldn't the reality be something different -- more like, it took me years of work to learn the basic skills to prepare me for my chosen career field. Why should the process of finding a career be more intuitive?

So I wish the suing graduate all the luck in the world finding a career, but not necessarily in pursuing a lawsuit. I do hope that they can take advantage of all the career resources available -- such as those Experience.com provides, as well as those provided by their schools.

And maybe we've all learned a lesson or two from this. What do you think?

Photo by Diego Cupolo