A New WPA? What the Hell is That, and What’s in it for You?

It is difficult to read anything about our “economic crisis” without the nasty comparisons to THE GREAT DEPRESSION. Considering most of us know only what we’ve learned in history classes or from aged relatives, the concept is as far-removed from today’s consciousness as it is inconceivable. (Shoes? You had shoes when you went to school? We were so poor we didn’t even have feet!)

But if you look at the numbers of unemployed, economic growth, the BIG DUMP that the stock markets have taken – at least with respect to percentages – it’s hard to argue that something ugly isn’t going on. I’m guessing if we haven’t been hit with unemployment ourselves, we all know someone who has.

So what’s a country to do? Well, WWII notwithstanding, probably the single-most proactive step taken during the original Depression was for the government to create jobs. All kinds of good stuff seems to happen then, including people get to eat and keep their homes, and America starts to rebuild itself. Yea, there’s more federal debt – a trillion here, a trillion there, soon it’s going to start to add up to real money – but that’s pretty universally less of a concern now.

In the 1930s, this jobs initiative was the WPA or Works Progress Administration. From 1935 to 1943, the WPA created about eight million jobs. Yowza! And so it is again…President-Elect Barack Obama is proposing a similar program. According to U.S. News & World Report “90 percent of jobs will be created in the private sector; nearly a half-million jobs in alternative energy production (solar panels, wind turbines, fuel-efficient cars); lots of healthcare; lots of education; nearly 400,000 jobs from building roads,  bridges, schools and broadband lines.”

So what can you do to get ready? Start with staying informed. Regardless of your political persuasion, we’re all in the same boat and are going to have to count on government leadership to move ahead. Check out reliable news sources or go to the horse’s mouth at www.Change.gov. Updates on the jobs programs are there.

AND go to EmploymentCrossing.com, the only reliable employment website for access to these jobs as they become available. EmploymentCrossing.com post jobs located and screened by its hundreds of researchers – not job listings paid for by employers. Get real. This is how it’s done.

Look for updates here.

Tags: Employment, employment crossing, employmentcrossing, Jobs, obama, President-Elect, researchers, works progress administration, WPA

What’s in a Nickname?

As a perk for staving off madmen and loony toons from causing harm to the leader of the free world, the Secret Service gets the honor of nicknaming, so to speak, the President, Vice President, and their immediate families.

Obama and Biden were no different, and today the cute little nicknames were leaked. While I do believe the Secret Service will get on this as quick as you can say cheese grits and whip up some new little pet names, for now we have these funny nom-de-plumes to ponder.

The Obama clan was bestowed an “R” theme with Mr. President-Elect himself dubbed Renegade — Michelle, Malia, and Sasha were coined Renaissance, Radiance, and Rosebud, respectively. Whatever image or thought Renegade conjures up for you — could be Lorenzo Lamas or Thin Lizzy– nicknames are often suggestive or emblematic. There are those rare occasions, though, when your friend’s nickname Asparagus really doesn’t mean anything.

Sometimes we have the pleasure (pleasure is open to personal interpretation) of dealing with labels and nicknames for the sort of work we do or job we have, too. If you’re unhappy with your nickname and the work you’re doing, maybe it’s time to seize opportunity when it knocks. Opportunity=EmploymentCrossing and we’re knocking, btw.

So when you’ve had enough lawyering in the biz, are tired of being a suit, talking head, jock, roughneck, pill pusher (that’s pharmaceutical sales, guys), number cruncher, scalpel jockey, or wordsmith, you’ve come to the right place.

We’ve got it all and it’s right here waiting for you with our free trial membership.

Tags: Employment, new career, nicknames, President-Elect, secret service nicknames

Work-Swap: Getting in Shape to Take Their Place

Today, President-Elect Barack Obama met with President Bush in the Oval Office to discuss the transition between administrations. Mr. Bush told the media that he was seeking to make the transition as “smooth as possible” for the President-elect. The transfer of power between executives is a  well-documented performance evaluation: the outgoing presidents’ strengths and areas for growth are on display.

When we start a new job, many of us do not get the chance to have a private conversation or a one-on-one training session with our predecessor–especially one that takes place in a historic, unusually-shaped room (I think I saw a triangular bathroom display at IKEA once, but that’s a different story). If we’re lucky, we–the new kids– may get a training document or a chance to call them a couple of times for some quick questions. Otherwise, we have to use the resources available to us to make sense of our new role.

When you are vetting potential employers before accepting the offer, don’t be afraid to ask why the position is open in the first place. If you want to contact the person in the current position–filter their observations about the position, supervisors, or company through the lens of their particular experience. While their negative comments or experience may be a red flag, it does not necessarily mean this position is bad for you.  If the position is new, make sure you fully understand the rationale for its creation.

If you decide to keep your options open, EmploymentCrossing.com contains job listings for a variety of industries. Click here for the free trial.

Tags: IKEA, job, Oval Office, position, predecessor, President-Elect, transition