Want a New Career? Find New Friends

If you want to take another step forward in your career but don't know where to start, perhaps getting new friends is the ticket.

No, seriously.

A new book out by Carlin Flora explores how friends affect people's job prospects. Stacey Vanek Smith interviewed Flora for Marketplace Morning Podcast this week:

"If you are from a lower socio-economic status and you befriend people in a higher socio-economic status, it sort of opens up vistas for you. You see other people's parents and their careers and it helps you envision yourself in those careers," said Flora. (listen to Flora's interview below)



Flora also said "career peer pressure" helped people determine their career paths as they got older. It stands to reason: if you hang out with a bunch of 35-year-old guys living in their parent's basement, chances are you are going to do a lot of the same things. Likewise, if you hang out with doctors, dentists, lawyers and other entrepreneurs, you stand a good chance of thinking and doing as they do.

Seriously. Take a moment to think about the people with whom you send the most time. Are they taking you where you want to go? Are they doing the things you want to do? Are they what you want to become?

If not, it might be time to get new friends.

Just sayin'.

Categories: Career, friends

Follow the Rules on Social Media... Please?

It is shockingly obvious in America that we, as a society, have lost a sense of decency. Too many of us throw manners out the window in pursuit of whatever it is we think will make us happy. Well, it's time to behave - beginning with how we use social media.

Dave Presher, self-proclaimed social media expert, put out a simple, yet polite, list of things everyone should follow. I liked the list, so I thought I'd pass it on.

I found it interesting his quick list included a topic I wrote about yesterday: that is, cool it with the curse words. But overall, Presher's list focused on one overreaching line of thought: don't take what doesn't belong to you and give people credit for the stuff they do and say.

Really, folks, we all learned about it kindergarten.

Check out the Preshers's list of five things to remember on social media and let me know what you would add to it. Experiences are always welcome.

Categories: Facebook, language, social media, Twitter

Is Key to Happiness the Language You Use at Work?

Going as far back as junior high school I have always said that women who swear really do nothing or me. I mean, she can be the most gorgeous woman on the planet, but if she swears I completely lose interest. A project from the Vermont Complex Systems Center recently shed some light on why that is, and I think it has a good application in the work setting. In essence, it proves what you say really does communicate more about you than you think it does.

This map built by the Vermont Complex Systems Center shows which states are happy (red) and which states are not (blue). The happiest state was Hawaii, while the saddest state was Louisiana.

Researchers trying to find the happiest people in the United States developed what they call the "hedonometer". They analyzed geotagged posts on Twitter and overlaid the results on a map. What they found was fascinating to me (because, remember, I like maps): the Bible Belt was saddest place in the USA. Hawaii, surprise, was the happiest. On a larger scale, states like Utah, Idaho, Nevada and Colorado - all in the West - were happy; states in the deep South were unhappy: Louisiana, Mississippi and Georgia. New England also had its share of grumpy people. In a color code measurement, with red being happy and blue being unhappy, the further East you went, the more unhappy you were (which confirms my opinion about New Yorkers, but that's another story for another day).

The methodology was a bit suspect, I admit. They looked at tweets on Twitter, associating swear words with unhappy people and assuming people who used words like "love", "wonderful" and "beautiful" were happy. I know, that's a giant leap. Take a look at the graphical results here on a report published by The Atlantic.

But all this got me thinking, does what you say at work and how you say it affect your chances of getting a job or a promotion?

I remember sitting in an interview with a potential employee who used a few choice words in response to a simple question. In casual conversation it wouldn't have been a terribly offensive word. But this wasn't a casual conversation; this was a professional setting in which we were trying to find out more about this person. Would this cavalier style and lack of formality we were witnessing carry over to this person's work if we were to hire them? Would they be able to get along with some of the more trying personalities we have in the office? Would this person be able to relate to a potential client or vendor in an appropriate and productive manner?

Secondly, the study made me think: what really makes me happy - especially in the work setting? And do the words I use reflect my level of happiness in my job? In my career?

Those are certainly things to think about when conducting your job search, or when you go to your boss and ask for a raise or promotion. What you say and how you it says more about you than you think it does. And also remember that HOW you say something is important too. The "advice" from my father is true: "it's now what you say, it's what you're communicating" that makes the difference.

Thanks, Dad. {said calmly with a smile}

Categories: job search, language, social media

Dress For Success: Wear a Sweater Vest!

Someone once told me when I was younger that if I wanted a better job I have to dress for success. More specifically, I have to dress one notch higher than the position I am seeking. I have never questioned that notion, which is probably why I take such a ribbing for what I wear. Yes, I wear sweater vests, and I like them.

I learned recently, by surprise, that sweater vests are not cool. They are for retired grandpas who need something to keep them warm while sitting in front of a window waiting for the mailman to show up at the curb with the latest newsletter from AARP. Not only are they not cool, but a lot of people have very strong opinions about them. Of all the posts on my personal Facebook wall last year, the one about sweater vests garnered the most attention. By far.

Most interesting to me was the split down gender lines. A lot of women on my friends list thought sweater vests were fine. In fact, if I remember correctly, a couple women called them downright sexy (okay, maybe that's my hopeful imagination running a little bit wild there). But serioiusly, what is the matter with a nice, clean, smooth sweater vest? I think they are classy, professional and respectable.

And so are pleated pants, if worn correctly. But that's a topic for another day.


What is the best advice you ever received as it relates to dress in the workplace?

Categories: dress, job search, sweater vests, ties

Rich vs. Poor In Living Color

I have felt for a while that I don't really fit in with a lot of my neighbors. One of my co-workers showed me a website today that does a lot to explain why that is. It has everything to do with money: how much I make versus how much they make. The site she showed me laid it out in living color. Red versus green. Poor versus rich.

Now, mind you, I am not poor. I make a decent living in my chosen profession. I own my own home. I have two cars, more than 2.2 kids (they make up for not having a dog), and I have at least some money set aside for retirement. I am not, however, rolling in the dough.

The website my co-worker showed my is Rich Blocks Poor Blocks, a site set up by the American Community Survey that shows income distribution down to the neighborhood level in cities and states across America. They have taken census data and laid it over a map to show who has the money and who doesn't. And yes, the people in my neighborhood make a lot more money than I do on average. What that tells me is the stories my kids tell me about the kids coming to school with new iPhones are probably truthful. It explains why some of my friends take themselves and their kids on airplanes for exotic vacations. And it proves that my neighbors really can afford three vehicles for two drivers, two of which are $50,000 Lexuses.

Rich Blocks, Poor Blocks shows income distribution down to the neighborhood level.

Looking at the map, rich areas are shown in green. The poorer areas are shown in red. Unfortunately, much of my city - a mid-sized city in the Pacific Northwest - is red and orange. I just happen to live in a green area. A dropdown menu at the top of the page allows you to look at rent prices instead of household income. White means rents under $500; red means rents $1349 or more. As expected, much of my city is pale yellow if not white. I just happen to live in a pretty dark orange area.

I guess it all means I figured out a way to get a decent house in a decent neighborhood at a decent price. I think I've always been pretty good at finding comfortable places to live on a tight budget - at least since the time I ditched a $375-per month duplex for a $325-per month basement apartment when I was newly married so I could save money on utility costs (big mistake).

More importantly, though, I think it highlights the evident chasm between those who have and those who have not. Or at least it shows how so few people make so much more than everyone else. I am not going to take a political stance here, but it makes me wonder. And it should do the same for you too.

How do you fit in with YOUR neighbors?

Categories: Income, Poor, Rich, Salaries