Transportation Issues Preventing the Earning of Green

Everywhere I turn, I hear talk of 'greening' our society but really wonder if our government is serious about it. One place to start would be building a greater network of mass transit to get workers to job sites or providing subsidies to small and mid-sized companies so they could afford to operate shuttles to and from bus stops or train stations. Way too much of of the U.S. is not accessible to those without vehicles. The end results include clogged roadways, excessive fuel consumption, pollution, and gifted candidates turning down jobs that are not reachable to them.

We have all talked about this for a very long time but little movement has taken place. Somehow, the ball needs to get rolling big time to improve our environment, our employment picture, and to reduce our dependency on oil producing nations which do not necessarily represent the philosophies that our nation stands for. Usually, I do not like to get political in this blog but the 'greening' process will not get very far without some exceptionally dramatic changes and the government (federal, state, and local) needs to pave the way (perhaps using biodegradable materials!) to get us all on track!

Random Thoughts

As I sit here past midnight, unable to sleep, my thoughts turn to some of the random matter keeping my brain fired up way beyond bedtime. My first gem is who in the world would list as their resume objective : Emperor of the universe, master of cheese? Second, the Governor of NJ thinks it is a good idea to house fledgling charter schools (rent free I might add) inside already struggling public schools in the city of Newark. Third, how can the U.S. government not find a way to curb fuel costs before it contributes to a resurgence of the recession and causes more unemployment? Fourth, who among us hard working citizens will be willing to shell out huge dollars to support the greedy players and owners of the NFL in the future? As an aside, I feel terrible about all the staffers of the various teams who are being laid off. Fifth and finally (I think), I wonder how the AT+T purchase of T-Mobile could possibly be allowed considerring the ultimate impact on consumer costs and job losses that it will create.


Oops! One more thought to share: Imagine all the jobs that would open up in sales and marketing if cable television companies were allowed to compete within a territory rather than only fighting with satellite services!

Biggest Disappointments of 2010

As 2010 limps into the sunset, I was thinking about those areas that underwhelmed me this year. The biggest shortcoming is from the Obama administration's efforts to stimulate job growth. Quite frankly, I see no signs that they accomplished anything whatsoever to get people back to work in jobs even somewhat related to their previous fields. The federal government has become too much of a battlefield rather than a playing field and both major political parties need to step up to the plate and repair this situation now.

Next in line is the lack of sensitivity companies appear to be showing toward their employees. Layoffs are taking place without any warning to soften the blow. Even worse, those same firms are hiring for slightly different positions practically at the same time the layoffs occur. How about retraining your loyal workforce rather than dumping them in favor of total strangers who are unknown quantities?

Finally, my last concern is that we still seem to be an entitlement driven society even in light of everything that has taken place the past few years. Way to often, candidates call me with their lists of must-have items before they will consider interviewing for a new position. Once I start hearing these unrealistic needs, I simply move on to the next available candidate.

Hopefully, 2011 will get going quickly as the year of recovery!

PS: I am attempting to make a list of positive items from 2010. Any suggestions?

Mixed Reviews

2010 is proving a bit hard to read on the job front thus far. This past week, I reached out to clients in a variety of industries and found things have a very long way to go yet. Medical device manufacturing seems strong as usual; finance and accounting are very weak; publishing is a bit healthier; machine and equipment manufacturing are a bit better than a year ago; while I.T. looks like it has a long and slow trip to recovery. Too many people I chatted with sounded exceptionally concerned about thier futures and were not positive about what they are hearing from the White House or, in the local sector, from Governors Christie or Patterson.

News reports came out yesterday that unemployment rates are climbing because many folks who had stopped looking for work are now trying again. Does this mean that because you take a break from searching for a few months our federal government does not count you as unemployed. Something is terribly wrong with that concept. I was a supporter of change in Washington in 2008 but not very impressed with the results so far. We need to see the real numbers, not manipulated information.

Personally, I was fortunate to start three consultants on new assignments this week so I do see a tiny ray of light shining through! I cannot wait for the day that we are all talking about the great strides beingmade toward recovery! Let's hope that is very soon.