Distinguish yourself at work : write!

Posted by Tad Johnson - Mar 14th, 2008 at 8:03

In college, I was shocked and dismayed by the range of writing abilities in my classes. Some students could crank out a well structured essay in their sleep; others struggled with basic grammar. Due in large part to the years of top-notch instruction offered at my Minnesota public high school, my skills marked towards the higher end of the spectrum. Assuming the university process would run its course, I didn’t dwell too much on this writing ability disparity–until now.technical_writing-1.jpg

My current employer (a very large, global corporation) is in the process of updating its quality policies and procedures. We’re operating in an FDA-regulated industry, so there’s a strong emphasis on written documentation. Therein lies the irony: by and large, the quality documentation we’re creating is low quality. As an organization, we love tracking schedules and cost, but there’s very little emphasis placed on good quality writing.

Just this week, I read through about 200 pages of documentation and found hundreds of errors. Some are benign–spelling errors, stray punctuation, etc. while others reveal a deeper problem: tenses that change mid paragraph (or mid sentence), adjectives that don’t agree with their nouns, over-use of the passive voice, fragmented and run-on sentences. The very documents that are required (by law) to spell out our quality systems and procedures are written such that they’re extremely hard to understand. This is a problem!

Fortunately, there is a very healthy industry built up around technical writers (mostly English majors who decide to seek a pay check). Unfortunately, my company does not seem to recognize or value the skill of clear writing so we aren’t hiring them.

My takeaway from this experience is a redoubled appreciation for strong writing skills. If you’re still in college (or high school), please take more English classes. If you’re early in your career like me, please take writing seriously. Read books (lots of them!) to study the work of other good writers (no, blogs do not count). Write your emails, documentation, and other correspondence with your favorite English professor in mind. Better yet, write a blog–and practice, practice, practice.

We live in an age of information abundance. Sharing that information through writing is a skill that will only increase in value. Do yourself, your colleagues, and our culture the favor of demanding quality writing from yourself and those around you.

What to Look for Tomorrow: The Jobs Report

Posted by T.W. Hanson - Mar 6th, 2008 at 21:03

worker

Every four to five weeks, we get to see whether more or fewer people are finding jobs.  The number comes out on the first Monday of each month.  This is one of the most important economic releases of the cycle.  It shows us what happened is happening in the U.S. labor markets and allows us to better forecast what is coming next.  Look for it not only to set the tone for the markets for the rest of the day but permeate into political discourse as well.

Economists are currently forecasting an increase of 25,000 jobs and an unemployment rate of 5.0%.  A large deviation from either of these numbers will move the financial markets.  If the numbers are as predicted, you will only need to suffer a few newspaper headlines and political rhetoric as the statistics are spun.

Watch the futures at 8:30AM Eastern for the reaction.

Vicenarian Career Beginnings

Posted by T.W. Hanson - Feb 15th, 2008 at 20:02

Attire

Investing in your career means more than arriving when told and leaving as soon as the clock strikes 5:00PM. Barring a substantial career change, the trajectory of your entire working life is set by your first decade in the workforce. For some reason our superiors like to see respect, hard work, a good attitude and effort. A pattern of demonstrating these traits gives you job security and puts you in line for promotions and bigger pay checks. The effort that people perceive you are putting into learning your craft in your 20s is the backbone of your career. Demonstrating effort and keeping up appearances are two very important characteristics of a vicenarian.

Demonstrating comes in the form of asking questions, staying late, smiling, and learning both on and off the job. If you can do all of those things at 22, you will have done better than me. Superiors really notice those traits, and the more you can show of them the better.

A second, surprizingly overlooked, investment is in appearance. Aside from the obvious, maintaining personal hygiene and observing social mores, your attire is very much important. Dress for your job. If you are working where everyone wears khakis and a polo, wear either khakis and a polo or some slight variation. Differentiate yourself with the best quality you can find. If you aren’t pretentious about it, you will immediately command a new level of respect (at least from the interns below you). There was a belief in my old profession that if numbers on a page look professional, everyone will think they are right. The same is true with your appearance. Don’t rely on your brain and charming personality alone to get you through corporate America.

Your career is more important than any stock or bond you will ever buy.

If you act and like you have been there before, you are decades ahead of your peers.

3 critical investments for the vicenarian

Posted by Tad Johnson - Feb 13th, 2008 at 19:02

If you’re reading thevicenarian.com, chances are you’re interested in investing. Stocks, bonds, mutual funds, commodities, ETFs, REITs : there’s no shortage of investment choices for your money. Here are three critical investments that should be at the forefront of any vicenarian’s mind:

education.jpg1) Education. In today’s global economy, this is one of the best investments you can make. A college degree opens a world of opportunities for growing your mind, growing your experiences, and growing your pocketbook. The four (or more) years spent at an institution of higher prepare you for a lifetime of interesting challenges. A degree is expensive, but it may be the best debt you ever incur. There is simply no alternative.

health.jpg2) Health. The habits and routine you develop as a vicenarian direct the way you will live your life in the future. During this decade of your life, as your youthful metabolism starts to slow and you spend your 9-5 hours behind a desk, you must invest in your health. Fortunately, this doesn’t necessarily mean a lot of money. A private gym membership may cost $30/month, but there alternatives. A pair of running shoes generally cost $60-90 and can easily last a year or more. Many employers will subsidize their employee’s gym membership or offer a facility on-site. Put the time (and work) in now and you’ll establish a strong base of good health that will sustain you later in life.

career.jpg3) Career. Many of you are in the first job you’d call a career. This is the time in your career when employers are looking to distinguish the leaders from the workers. A leader takes on new challenges, delivers beyond expectations, and is continually looking for opportunities for personal and professional growth. A worker clocks in the hours every day, complains about problems at work (but doesn’t try to fix them) and is satisfied with an adequate performance review. Which are you?

401(k)

Posted by Tad Johnson - Feb 6th, 2008 at 15:02

401k1.jpgSo named from the section of tax law from which it came, this investment vehicle is a way for both you and your employer to save on taxes while you save for retirement. It has become a very popular option among employers, with many making it an automatic decision for new employees.It’s an easy way to save, but it’s not fool-proof. You are responsible for setting up your 401(k) and deciding what investments you want to make. Here’s what you need to know to take full advantage of your 401(k):

1. Take full advantage of employer match. Ask your HR department for information regarding the company match for the 401(k). Many companies will match 50-100% of your contributions, up to a set limit. For example, my company offers a 50% match up to a total of 4% of my income. So for me to take full advantage, I need to direct 8% of my income to my 401(k). This should be a no-brainer. If you don’t take advantage of your company match, you’re leaving money on the table.

2. Don’t put too many eggs in the company basket. Most 401(k) plans offer company stock as one of the investment options. Think twice before investing a significant portion of your 401(k) in company stock. Simply by being employed, you are investing in your company’s future. Keep your retirement investments separate so you won’t be devastated if your company falls on hard times. Use the rule of thumb that no more than 10% of your retirement savings should be in your company’s stock.

3. Consider your age when choosing investment options. Most 401(k) plans offer a wide variety of investment options with very different risk and return profiles. (The two go hand in hand; higher risk = higher return) As a vicenarian, risk can be your best friend. You have 30+ years before retirement, giving you plenty of time to weather any storms the stock market throws at you. Consider investing the bulk of your 401(k) in stock-based mutual funds, including plenty of international stocks. Although stocks will have up years and down, their overall trend for the past 80 years has been up, with an impressive average return of 8%.

With some basic planning and steady savings, you’ll have a comfortable retirement.

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