BIG News: We're Starting a Company

It hit me. It was time to do something big with Employee Evolution. We needed to take it full time.

At dinner, on my quarterly business trip to Indianapolis I contemplated my next move. When I returned to the hotel, I began to research similar sites. What made them BIG? What was their revenue model? How could we get funding? Then, as fate would have it, my phone rang.

It was Penelope Trunk. I assumed she was calling about my weekly post on her blog. I couldn't be more wrong.

She asked me if I ever thought about teaming up our sites.

"Kind of," I said.

The truth was, I thought about collaborating on a bunch of projects with Penelope. Maybe a book, possibly consulting work, but I never thought she would want to acquire us.

Still, I understood why she wanted to – she was scared. In a recent BusinessWeek article I became the primary source, while she was quoted in the shadows. The guy she had been promoting, mentoring and teaching was stealing the spotlight.

All jokes aside, she recognized potential. Something bigger was on the horizon and the best way to make it happen was to assemble our resources and start a network working with Penelope full time.

With that said, I'd like to proudly announce the new company, Brazen Careerist, Inc. We haven't yet acquired our URL, but things have been in the works since July, and I have to admit, it's a huge relief to finally tell the world.

Our goal is to create a network of career-related blogs geared toward Gen-Y. We'll be launching with a small, base network that, with time, will become the go-to site for all things career.

Our future goals know no bounds. We will be launching a jobs section with a distinctive spin, bringing companies that aim to evolve the workplace for the better straight to the employees seeking them out. Shortly after the initial launch, we'll be unveiling an array of other features that we know you will find extremely useful.

Heeding our own advice, Ryan Paugh and I are ditching our big-city lives and heading west to Madison, WI, where we will set up shop and be able to work face-to-face with Penelope on a daily basis.

We're a little nervous, extremely excited and undecided on the harsh winters. But our bags are packed and we're ready to go. By the time our leases run out on September 30, we'll already be in the mid-west. So here's to the journey!

Thanks to all of our supporters over the past six months – we hope you'll continue to join us for the ride.

The Safe Route is Overrated

Safe for me is a cushy, decent job that pays well. Safe is making a steady paycheck that will cover my student loans, rent and living expenses with a small amount left over to put in the bank. Safe is having the spending money to eat out on Tuesday, go to happy hour on Thursday and buy a couple of rounds at the bar on Saturday.

Safe sounds really fun. So why do I find it so boring?

I have an intense desire to know what its like to scrounge for a month's rent. I want to know what it's like to say I can't afford to eat out tonight, and really mean it. I truly do believe that living like this builds character, and everyone should probably experience it at some point.

But more importantly, I want to know that every action I take can result in my success or my failure. A safe job does not provide this dynamic. If you make a great presentation to a group of stakeholders for your company, you may receive a pat on the back and your boss might consider you for promotion. If you bomb the presentation, chances are you will still receive your paycheck every other Friday.

It sounds a hell of a lot more exciting to make a great sales pitch to a group of investors and convince them to fund your business for the next six months. Or you could bomb the pitch and be forced to get a part time bartending job just to pay rent. If that's not motivation, I don't know what is.

Many people my age feel the same way. They think safe is boring and they want to take a risk. The problem is, safe is comfortable and risk is scary. Not many people can handle dropping everything and starting a business with no immediate source of income. Many people don't even want to run a business, but they still want some excitement from their jobs.

So I think there can be a compromise. Most young, single, ambitious people would probably do a little gambling with their salaries if the opportunity arose. It would be a lot of fun and incredibly motivating to wager $10,000 of my salary on whether or not I can bring the company an extra $50,000 in revenue through my actions. Systems would have to be set up to measure this sort of thing, but the increase in output could definitely cover the costs. Not to mention the massive savings from increased employee retention rates.

Maybe this option is a little too out there for most employers, but the bottom line is a safe, steady, paycheck leads to boredom for entry-level workers. Boredom leads to job hopping or uninspired work, both of which affect a company's bottom line. If companies can figure out how to make a paycheck a little more interesting, and the job a little less "safe," they will undoubtedly gain some more inspired, productive employees.

Cross-posted at The Brazen Careerist.

Here's My Resume, Wanna Make Out?

Looking at job postings is like perusing an online dating site. I wonder if my skill set (hobbies and interests) is compatible with the company's needs ("ideal mate" description). Will the company (he) ask me back (out) for a second interview (date)? What if I talk too much? Maybe the company (he) interviewed (dated) someone else you who raised the stakes (put out super fast). Or perhaps the other candidates (other girls) had better credentials (larger breasts).

Job interviewing and dating are concoctions of a similar beast. The former can provoke anxiety during the waiting game that ensues between an interview and a much-hoped-for offer, while the latter, an ever-scarier monster, can also make a level-headed woman crazy as she eyes her cell phone in the days following a good date.

If job interviewing seems like an unfortunate pattern of bad dates, it's because the same feelings of disillusionment and hypertension find you when you're in search of a good career.

Think back to your first interview as a recent college grad when your perspective on the world was that it wanted you. Now ponder your adolescence, when in spite of braces and blemishes, you also believed that someone wanted you.

First interview (kiss) jitters over whether the interviewer (he) would notice if you really meant (knew) what you were saying (doing) had you practicing responses in advance (making out with your hand). Even if that first interview wasn't the job (guy) of your dreams, saturated in administrative tasks (he had a severe lisp), it was practice and you had to start somewhere. In time, you paid your dues (he was shorter than you) and developed the confidence to pursue something (someone) better (taller).

Responding to a resume is a lot like flirtation. Even the automated response from an online app sends your opportunistic heart aflutter. The prospective employer seems to be interested, but you can never be entirely sure.

Maybe it's a testing of the waters to see how worthy (beautiful) a candidate they can acquire (attract). However, genuine or dishonorable the employer's intentions are for having you waste precious vacation time and lead co-workers to believe you are sickly (another doctor's appointment??), you prepare for an interview much like you would a date, thinking of key successes to mention (no STDs here!) and selecting an outfit to match the company's culture (heels low enough so as not to be taller than him).

The interview provokes that giddy feeling of meeting someone new. You deceive yourself into thinking that this position will be void of the pitfalls of your current job (he'll be different from the other ones). Don't get your hopes up too fast, ladies.

There's another candidate (female archetype) who could just as easily get the position (him), despite your far superior portfolio (unique charm). And if the position presented in person sounds (looks) nothing like the job description (his picture) you read (saw) in the paper (online), then you'll regret dry-cleaning that suit (shaving your legs).

During an interview, the etiquette for both vested parties (love seekers) is an uncertain terrain where manners are subjective and the right answer is usually forced (faking "it"). Think of the "Can I get you anything?" question posed on the long hallway (wedding aisle) to the interview room. Sure. You'd love some coffee, because ingesting something and being articulate simultaneously is a reasonable behavioral expectation. Only if a stained, collared button down shirt advances one's candidacy should you accept a beverage (kiss on the first date). Mind your manners, fellow job seekers (hopeless romantics).

When the interviewer is a woman, you find yourself eyeing her left hand ring finger, looking for sparkles that add a shiny layer of self-torture to the hire-me equation. You have an enviable job and found a man fearless in the face of commitment? Who are you, Wonder Woman? And it looks like these rare breeds do Pilates. Regularly.

Irrespective of gender, the interview afterbirth carries the expectation that you will make the next move with a hand written note of thanks. Yes, thank you for making me recount my strengths and weaknesses. It was great fun.

Then, you wait. You wait for a resolution, and the more time that passes, you consider temping (prostitution). Hang in there. It's a dirty world and you don't want to work for (sleep with) just anybody. A week passes, maybe two, and then you become frantic. If there had been a second interview, you shed a layer of feminism in your why-aren't-they-calling sob-infused rant. A second interview (date) means the feelings must be mutual, right?

In an effort to be proactive (move on, "Sister"), you sign on with a recruitment agency and the theme lyric for your headhunter becomes, "Matchmaker, matchmaker make me a match." If you can't land a job on your own, maybe a headhunter has a good listing on file (knows someone who hasn't been divorced twice). Don't let this be a rebound phase where you interview for positions you don't even want (guys you'd never bring home to Mom and Dad).

Such heartache we endure for $.81 to a man's dollar.

Here writes a variation of many young women in their early twenties with an impressive resume (love to give) and no job offers (no one to share it with). Devastation crept upon me when a pronounced lull followed two stellar interviews (dates with "Prince Charming").

The prospective employer (future father of my children) responded to a late night are-you-going-to-hire-me-or-what email within minutes, citing his wife's imminent inducement of labor as reason for the delay. But he chose another candidate. Wait, so I'm not getting the position and you're having a baby with someone else?

He told me I had great skills. ("It's not you, it's me.")

Maybe I Just Need a Girlfriend…

This post is a follow-up to "You Can't Save the World with a Ball and Chain," a post where I boldly declared my opinion on twentysomething relationships.

To say the least, putting the other side of the argument into words was no walk in the park. But a few Death Cab for Cutie albums later I got inspired. Special thanks to the passionate commenters who helped me write this post. Enjoy…

Samantha Michele, 23, has got it made. A solid teaching career, a new home, that four-legged friend she always wanted and of course, her loving husband Matt to share her success with.

"Matt is my foundation," says Michele. "When I have a horrible day at work, he is there for me. It may not ALWAYS be magical, but I just love having him by my side."

For Samantha, and countless other Gen-Ys, having that someone special is key to success.

And why not? When the day serves you lemons, no worries – you've got someone who knows how to make lemonade.

Career development specialist J.T. O'Donnell agrees:

"The greatest professional and personal successes in my life have all occurred since getting married," says O'Donnell. "My husband and kids bring out the best in me."

But J.T. wasn't always as accomplished as she is today. She was her very first client. Being a wife and a mother gave her the inspiration she needed to commit to an "extreme career makeover."

Motivation through Commitment

J.T.'s dedication is a perfect example of how loved ones can trigger what you need to excel – commitment is a powerful thing.

I once knew woman in accounting who worked her ass off so her kids could go to college. She absolutely despised accounting, but she her dedication made her the best in her field. Even she admits that without her family she'd give into mediocrity.

"Without them, I could care less about how great I am."

Commitment isn't "the Glass Ceiling"

Rebecca Thorman, Modite, cited a lunch she had with a happily married, successful twenysomething. She asked if he'd ever leave the city to advance his career in marketing.

"I'd like to leave," he replied, "but my wife wants to stay here, and her family lives here as well, so I think we will stay." He didn't view his travel limitations as a boundary.

Some would argue that constraint offers the opportunity to expand your boundaries. The epic battle with one's limitations can ignite the creative spark that propels you to be great.

Insert Famous Beatles Quote Here

It's true – in the end the only meaningful marks we make are the ones we leave on our family and friends. Work, money, accumulated "stuff" – they're nothing compared to the value of love.

All sappiness aside, "all you need is love." Reaching the top is sweet, but not if you're making the journey alone.

The feeling can't be put into words, but as numerous couples have pointed out to me in the past, "when you have it, you know."

Liking the Tasks You Hate, and Learning while Getting Paid

I used to fear calling random people on the phone. It was so bad that I didn't like calling for delivery pizza. It did not affect too much of my daily life until my first summer job where I had to call vendors about shipping problems. I cringed at the task. For a whole week, I hated going to work.

It was a change in attitude that improved my situation. I realized that as much as I hated my job, I was learning a valuable skill. More importantly, someone was actually paying me to do it. I began to view the task as an opportunity to improve communication skills. Not only did I do my current job better, but I carried that skill into my next job.

Since then, I've always sought to learn while being paid, even if that meant doing something I was really scared of. Since most of us change jobs every few years, learning general skills along the way help recruiters look past the job hopping.

Here are five methods I've used to gather general skills while earning a paycheck:

1. Take a reimbursable class, or find free seminars

This is the most obvious way to learn on the job: take classes your company will pay for. In some jobs, it's a stated benefit. Make sure you take advantage of it.

If tuition is not a stated benefit, ask if people have taken seminars or had classes paid for by the company. Companies may help out if you can demonstrate how it applies to your current role.

If your company won't pay for classes, consider looking to vendors for free seminars. Some data providers (like Bloomberg) give free seminars regularly as part of their marketing campaign. You can even get a free lunch out of some of these talks.

2. Write about a specific task in a self-review

It's a natural tendency for companies to staff people in their most suitable roles. For instance, since I have a technical background, I tend to get staffed in quantitative analysis. While I enjoy this role, it doesn't expand my overall skill.

To keep learning more, I specifically mentioned in my self-review that I wanted to work on qualitative skills. I outlined a specific task about working with presentation slides. My advisors took note and mentioned an opportunity when it arose.

3. Keep an eye out for unusual activities

There were times when I was both too busy to take a class and could not be staffed to learn what I wanted. One time, I wanted to improve my presentation skills. Nothing was coming, but I kept a vigil eye out for opportunities.

Soon enough, I found an opening with on-campus recruiting. "Well," I thought, "it's not a presentation to a prestigious client, but it does involve similar skills."

And it was a lot of fun. Not only did I get to work on presenting skills, but it was a chance to introduce myself to people in the recruiting department of my company.

4. Take initiative and create a task

Sometimes there really are no opportunities. In this case, be creative and take initiative.

When I have free time, I'm very tempted to read blogs and check sports. But with all my company's resources at my disposal, I'm determined to get creative.

I spent a couple of days developing a slide presentation about the kind of cases I was involved in, then got approval to present it to other employees. I was able to improve my skills and get other people trained in my line of work.

5. Learn to like the task you hate

This is my least favorite way to learn, but yes, you can view those boring tasks as learning opportunities. No matter how much you hate something, there is probably a way you can learn from it. And just keep in mind, you are getting paid all the same.