Archive for April, 2008
Winning the Corporate Game
“I’d like to be hired as a full-time employee.” It was a simple question that I asked of my boss. I knew as a contractor I was missing out a numerous corporate benefits such as 401k matching, profit sharing, and an employee stock purchase program. “What do I need to do to get hired?” At [...]
Gut Check by Tarek Saab
I walked out to the mailbox on a Sunday afternoon at 4 p.m. and found my copy of Gut Check stuffed snugly between my mortgage payment and my car payment. It is now 7:27 p.m. as I write this and I have already finished reading this book. It is 191 pages of some of the [...]
Budget: Like a four letter word only not as much fun to use
I’m 32 years old and I’ve only been using a budget for the past 2 years. Budgeting is not something I enjoy doing, however, it does help illuminate why I run out of money before I run out of month. When you keep track of your money, some say keep a journal, others use Quicken [...]
Strengths Finder - Start A Revolution
For years corporations have been focusing on their employee’s weaknesses. Unfortunately, we are human and we have many weaknesses and only a handful of strengths. Marcus Buckingham and Dr. Donald O. Clifon Phd. have written a book called “Now, Discover Your Stregths” which will change the way you view yourself and how you approach everything [...]
Gay. Lesbian. Black. Hispanic. Asian. Physically Challenged. Diversity Rules.
I grew up in chaste house in a small town in a small church. The words “Gay, Queer, and Homosexual” were all used as insults. There were other words used for black people that I won’t repeat here. Words of hate and ignorance still exist, but at least now corporations seem to have made some [...]
Corporate Romance: When You Just Can’t Fight That Feeling Anymore
Sheila works just a couple of aisles over from you. Her cube smells of lavender and vanilla and every time you walk by she smiles at you and you melt. You see her in the cafeteria and occasionally in meetings. Should you ask her out?
Dave is a new temp with a pair of geek chic [...]
“WHAT THE FU#K WERE YOU THINKING?!”
I was heading to Waco for the weekend to visit my best friend. At 24 I had managed to secure a lucrative position as an IT Manager at a small corporation. “IT Manager” was really just a fancy title that came with more responsibility than I cared to handle at such a young age.
When embarking [...]
Financial Planning Even When You’re Broke
I spent most of my twenties paying back student loans and credit card debt. I was too broke to even think about investing or financial planning - or so I thought.
Step 1 - Get a copy of your credit report and pay delinquent or written off debt. AVOID sites that or compannies that promise to [...]
Keep Those Emotions In Check
When I first started working in the corporate world I only focused on my job. I had tons to learn and a great teacher. I was a Network Administrator at a small vending company and I was making 50,000 a year. At 24 I thought I had hit the big time, but eventually the hours [...]
Corporate Survival: It’s Harder Than You Think
Fresh out of college, no internship, no experience, just a piece of paper that says you have the skills you need to survive in Corporate America. You don’t. College is a nice safe haven where you get to come to class when you want. You create your schedule, you decide when you want to leave [...]