Suffering from Commuter Shock?

We all know that nowadays going to fill up at the gas pump is the equivalent of grudgingly asking mixed-martial artist Randy Couture to punch you in the gut and then place you into a submission-inducing headlock. But if you have to commute to work, and carpooling and public transportation aren’t possible, you really have no other choice but to close your eyes and take the hit.

In a recent survey by the staffing firm Robert Half International (RHI), almost half of U.S. professionals (44%) said higher gas prices are affecting their commutes, up from 34% two years ago. However, employers, for the most part, aren’t turning a blind eye to the staggering fuel prices. The RHI report also states that companies are rolling out incentives that include a flexible work schedule (26%), telecommuting (18%), and public transit discounts (14%).

Are you thinking, “how do I get a job that does that?” Well, how about contacting MetaTech and letting us work to find a career that is perfect for you – both professionally and personally. However, if you are happy with your job for now, there are a few things you can do to convince your employer about adopt fuel-friendly policies:

• Check with Human Resources. "Ask your HR rep if there are existing [commuter assistance] policies, because there may well be, even if they aren't widely recognized," says Alexandra Levit, author of "How'd You Score That Gig? A Guide to the Coolest Careers and How to Get Them." Your request may also prompt HR to take action, as the business case for such incentives is strong, Levit says.
• Highlight the upside for the company. "You should put a positive spin on your request to the boss or to HR," says Liz Bywater, president of the Bywater Consulting Group, which helps improve organizational performance. "Companies that offer such incentives may be seen as environmentally conscious and employee-friendly. And remember that your employer would rather have you ask for this than ask for a raise or quit because you can't afford to commute," adds Levit.
• Check with your city. Local agencies may offer transportation incentive programs that employers can tap, according to Terry Pile, president of Career Advisors and author of "Working in Your Slippers: Is Telecommuting Right for You? Some cities require large employers to reduce the number of cars on their campuses by a certain percentage and provide them with assistance in putting together an alternative commuting program," she says.
• Make a proposal. "You could put together a cost analysis in support of telecommuting one or two days a week," Pile says, adding that studies have shown that telecommuting saves employers on parking and office space, productivity, and absentee costs. "If the employer can see a positive impact on the bottom line, you'll get better reception for a telecommuting program." Pile's advice may work for other programs, such as carpooling or flexible schedules.
• Control what you can. Even if your employer is not receptive to changing, find ways to increase your savings and efficiency. "Look at how you might save on gas outside of work by planning your errands efficiently, and walking or taking public transit when you can," says Pile. "You must find a way to live with the situation without anxiety," Levit concludes. "If you're strapped for cash, balance things out by taking away one expense you can tolerate -- such as dining out one meal per week. The increase in fuel costs is a hardship, no doubt, but it's not the same dire scenario as being unemployed or facing bankruptcy."

… And if none of these tips work you can always try your hand (or I guess it would be your feet) at commuting via roller shoes.

The Most Dreaded Interview Question

If job interviews themselves aren’t nerve-wracking enough, you are forced to wait on pins and needles for the most ambiguous (and possibly most important) stock question of the interview – “Why should I hire you?”

Though there are many ways to approach this vague question, Yahoo! HotJobs has been kind enough to walk all of you potential job hunters out there through the gambit.

They suggest instead of thinking up a clever retort or a comedic one-liner, tell a brief, situational “story” that will separate you from the pack. This story should cover the 5 main things that the employer is interested in:

• Your skills
• Your knowledge about the company
• Your manageability
• Your affordability
• Whether you can go above and beyond your job description

Want more job advice, or even help landing your new career? Contact MetaTech today.

Know Thyself

“Know Thyself” is a saying that has been around since the Greeks wore tunics, but a saying that still resonates true today, and maybe could even be your best weapon in nabbing your dream job.

According to writer David DeJean, knowing your own work style and having a vocabulary for thinking and talking it is important. One way of getting a feel for your personality, DeJean suggests, is the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI). The MBTI isn’t a test as much as it’s an indicator of how your personality affects the things that you do.

While I would personally not suggest becoming a gentleman farmer just because the MBTI indicates that this career would suit you, the MBTI would help you narrow your choices to find something that you would mesh well with. Bob McAlpine, president of Type Resources says, “any person can be successful at any job, yet some people are more comfortable – have a more positive experience – at one job than another. If we look at the mental processes used in the job and the processes preferred by the person, there's a high correlation. We're not talking skill, but if interests match requirements, people are more successful.”

Why Business People Speak Like Idiots

Written By
Tom Parrish
MetaTech Sales Guy

What we’re reading:

http://www.fightthebull.com/index.asp

http://www.plainenglish.co.uk/alternative.pdf


At MetaTech, we are ever vigilant about the use of corporate-speak, and seek to root it out wherever and whenever we hear it. Of course, this is easier said than done, as it is strewn across our language landscape like our children’s dirty laundry, and has been bred into us from our first day in the corporate world.

So, when one of us says something like, “Kim, how are you coming on the development of our Talent Acquisition Program…”, or, “ Jan, how do you think our Human Capital Management Strategy compares with that of our competitors…”, we immediately grab Nerf baseball bats and mercilessly beat the wayward speaker with abandon before signing them up for MetaTech re-education sessions later at the local watering hole.

Although the way is long and the path is dark, we are committed and focused on our goal of creating a company where real people speak simply and directly to one another in a language we can all understand. Mission impossible? Maybe. Are we up for the fight?

You bet!

The Ultra Honest Resume

As MetaTech’s Tom Parrish wrote last Friday, a successful resume creates the “illusion of reality” – where the applicant can list their qualifications in a real, living and breathing, story-like manner.

Along that same line, there is another kind of honesty that is just important. While it is common knowledge (or at least it should be) that you should never lie on your resume, some companies fact checking on your resume can trip up even the most upstanding applicants.

Many companies hire outside background checkers to verify resumes and job applications. These companies note every inconsistency and piece of information they can't confirm -- even the difference between starting a job on April 1 and April 5 -- although some problems are treated more seriously than others by employers.

So, in short, even a harmless mistake could cost you. Here are a few suggestions that can help you “work on your honesty”:

1. If you're not sure, don't guess.
2. Provide extra information if the company's situation has changed.
3. Be careful with titles and temp work.
4. Don't obsess over it.

What We're Reading

Written By
Tom Parrish
MetaTech Sales Guy

Resumes. Thousands of resumes. We love reading people’s resumes. When my wife asks me what I’m reading this weekend, I say, well…I’m reading this really great resume. It’s based out of Boston, and it’s this incredible story about this guy who works as a software engineer for a capital management firm. But what’s really interesting about him is that he’s written this thing in a way that he’s actually accessible to me as a person rather than as a two-dimensional abstraction of him.

And of course, this is the trick in resume writing – creating the “illusion of reality”, so to speak, not unlike a great short story, wherein the reader has access to the thing-in-itself, the real, living person, under the covers of symbolic abstraction.

I used to work for a staffing company where the recruiters would come up to me and say…”Look at this guy! Doesn’t he look great for the blah, blah, blah job?!” And I’d think, well, first off, this isn’t a “guy”, it’s just a two-dimensional symbolic abstraction of a guy. Now, as we all know from our History of Western Philosophy class, getting at the thing-in-itself is notoriously difficult if not impossible, due to the problem that human beings really only know the world through symbols, (i.e. - language, mathematics, art) and don’t have immediate access to being like, say my cat Angel, who’s blessedly not burdened with the fact that thought and language are inextricably bound.

So if you’re sending us a resume, it would be helpful for us if you wrote this thing in a way that we can somehow see you, the real person, so we can move on quickly to what we’re all here for, having a meaningful conversation with you about how we can help you advance your career.

Economic Recession? Tell that to the IT Industry

It’s hard to go a day without hearing about how bad the economy is. Unemployment rates are up and the housing market is in the dumps. With all this negative news, it’s easy to consider moving into a cave and disconnecting from society.

But hold on a second all you hermit hopefuls. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that between 2002 and 2016 jobs in the IT sector are projected to increase by over 35%. That’s right – increase! Not only that, but these occupations enjoy higher salaries compared to the national average.

Sounds pretty good, right? Why not let MetaTech help you get your IT career started.