PhDs on Food Stamps
When I am asked if getting a PhD was “worth it”, I presume this to be a question about return on investment. The short answer is no. The long answer, factoring in the lost opportunity cost of those long years as a poor graduate student and the narrower job market, is the same. There […]
Social Media Interviewing
It was a head-hunter who first introduced me to my current employer. My wife and I flew into town the night before the interviews and met her with her husband for dinner. As we walked into the restaurant, the two of them immediately recognized us. During the course of the evening, he revealed his […]
Sales Are Us
One of my first “real” jobs was working in a gas station, back in the days when we pumped gas, washed windows and checked the oil. During my second summer, the boss sent me for a 1-week training session run by Chevron. I was excited to learn more about maintaining and repairing cars; […]
Peyton Manning’s Layoff Story
Near the peak of the Great Recession, Peyton Manning got laid off. Like millions of Americans before him, he was an aging, highly paid specialist with medical issues. As is often the case, there was a younger, less expensive employee waiting in the wings, ready to bring new energy and skills to the position. […]
