“College” Scams
Permalink | Tweet This! | | December 22, 2008 by John in Career, Education, Tom Leykis
The biggest scam of all, and I hate to rain on people’s parades, after the broadcasting business, when they have these broadcasting departments at universities, and people who couldn’t make it as DJs or news people, there they go and they go to a college and teach other people how to do that for a living, and there’s people paying $25,000 or more a year to major in broadcasting at major universities, only to find out that if the person teaching them had any talent they wouldn’t waste their time at a university teaching, they’d be out there doing it for a living. So that’s the biggest scam.
And then, after that, the biggest scam is [...] culinary arts. People who study to be chefs. And the reason is, because studying to be a chef is like studying to be an NBA center, okay, there’s 30 NBA centers. And that’s it. And so what happens to the vast majority of culinary arts students is that they end up getting $9/hour to be the sous chef at El Torito. Alright? [...] You’ve got Bobby Flay, and you know you’ve got Wolfgang Puck, and then a bunch of sous chefs. And that’s a big scam.
[...]
I can’t speak for any particular institution of higher learning [, but] any college that has campuses in more than one state, or has an 800 number probably isn’t really a college. [...] Also, any college where you have to draw “Winky” to get in probably also isn’t a real college.
-Tom Leykis, The Tom Leykis Show, 12/19/2008, Hour 3
No Purpose?
Permalink | Tweet This! | | December 2, 2008 by John in Career
Hey, I have a purpose! It’s to remain employed, pay off my bills and remodel my house. Put a dent in the universe (37signals):
If you’re void that sense of purpose, the pleasure in your work will eventually wane and ultimately feel hollow. I’ve lived that sensation more than once. Working with tools and techniques and even people that I enjoyed, but where the end did not justify the journey.
You can only hide in shadows of the circumstantial for so long before your passion begins to fade. You can only excuse your lack of impact on the world with “but it’s great money” or “at least we’re doing agile” or even “this way I get to use Rails” until the playlist of stories repeat and it just all sounds the same.
I’d just like to add…
- “but it’s great money”
- but the benefits are decent
- but I’d have to move if I did something else
- but I have friends here
- but it doesn’t need to be as fun as it was in the BDM/TRW days
- but I can do web design on the side
- but State employment is probably my only other option in this town
- but I can’t sell my house in its current condition
- but I couldn’t do the design work for the hospital gala
And the list goes on…
Yep, that pretty much sums it up
Permalink | Tweet This! | | April 5, 2008 by John in Career
5 Reasons Why You Didn’t Quit Your Job:
- You Are Afraid of Financial Consequences
- You Are Afraid of Social Consequences
- It Secures a Comfortable Lifestyle
- You Are Used to Having a Passive Attitude
- You See No Better Alternative
Am I a Lifer? Should I be?
Permalink | Tweet This! | | March 18, 2008 by John in Career, Freelancing, Of a Personal Nature
My dad worked for the phone company (in its various incarnations) for over 30 years. With his pension/retirement and social security he has a fairly comfortable lifestyle (while certainly not opulent or luxurious) in his retirement, even living in California. The world is a very different place than it was when he started with Ma Bell. It was normal for people to work for the same company for the majority of their adult life and retire with the proverbial (or not-so-proverbial) gold watch.
Due to the change in the country over the past 20-30 years, and especially working in the IT industry, I never thought it possible that I could fall into that category. But having passed my 10 year anniversary at Northrop Grumman, I’m beginning to wonder. I’ve seen a lot of ups and downs in that time, and yet I manage to stay alive here.
I started my own web design side business a couple years ago because I was bored at my day job and wanted a creative outlet. I considered different ways my career vs. my business could go. One plan was to grow my business large enough to back my Northrop Grumman hours eventually back to half-time so I could keep my benefits, I figured eventually I might be able to leave the day job and do my business full time. While that’s entirely possible, it doesn’t feel likely. Add to that I recently met two Northrop Grumman retirees who non-stop sing the praises of their retirement and pension. If I stay here for the duration I’ll have 34 years at age 65.
I guess what I’m trying to articulate that my side business is what gives me job satisfaction and let’s me exercise my creativity, while the day job …is just a job. Good benefits. Flexible hours. A modicum of job security. Decent pay. But still, just a job. Long gone are the days when my day job defined me (I’m not sure what does define me, but that’s another post).
So as long as it doesn’t suck, should I stay here indefinitely? Am I just being complacent? I’m no longer feeling the need to go set the world on fire. Have I sold out?
Well, I guess that’s out
Permalink | Tweet This! | | November 19, 2007 by John in Career, Health-Medical, In the News
New Zealand bars British man’s ‘fat’ wife
Richie Trezise, 35, a rugby-playing Welshman, lost weight to gain entry to New Zealand after being rejected for being overweight and a potential burden on the health care system.
Mr Trezise moved to New Zealand in September after shedding two inches from his waist on a crash diet. He said that if his wife was not allowed to come out by Christmas they would abandon the idea of emigrating.
There was a time when I considered moving to someplace like New Zealand. At one time they were looking to import IT professionals, including web designers. I can’t fathom how much weight I’d have to lose to qualify. Probably 150 at least. I wonder how long it will be before the ban applies to visitors as well as immigrants.
Future Career Planning Update, Part II (or, “Long Live SSDD”)
Permalink | Tweet This! | | October 30, 2007 by John in Career, Freelancing, Of a Personal Nature, Web Design
(Update and disclaimer: I’ve spoken to my boss about this situation, so it’s not a secret. I wouldn’t have posted anything about it if it was a secret.)
Now that I’ve calmed down from my previous diatribe on the topic, and I’ve read all the Nerds On Site documentation and contracts, I’m 90% sure I’m not going to do it. They exercise a lot more (read: nigh-total) control over how the so-called independent contractors operate. And you’re screwed if you leave them. You might be able to take some of your customers with you (or not, but I didn’t see any specific non-compete language), but you lose all the benefits of building their brand up in your community. You even lose the cell number you use while conducting business under their banner. In part they justify this by paying for part of your cell service. (more…)
I wonder if I could telecommute?
Permalink | Tweet This! | | October 24, 2007 by John in Career, Graphic Design
Graphic Designer - Int MM Emph — Central Intelligence Agency
Important Notice: Friends, family, individuals, or organizations may be interested to learn that you are an applicant for or an employee of the CIA. Their interest, however, may not be benign or in your best interest. You cannot control whom they would tell. We therefore ask you to exercise discretion and good judgment in disclosing your interest in a position with the Agency. You will receive further guidance on this topic as you proceed through your CIA employment processing.
Future Career Planning (was: “I am being torn apart”)
Permalink | Tweet This! | | by John in Career, Freelancing, Of a Personal Nature, Web Design
(Okay, that’s enough fiddling with this post. I’ve been futzing around with it for a few days now. You’d think I was writing a graduate thesis or something; for a blog it’s about that long… —JB)
I think finally, my mid-life crisis is upon me. To this point I’ve more or less “failed upwards,” or more accurately for the past few years, “failed without falling,” or “failed laterally.” I got here only having a vague idea of what kind of work I wanted to do, and with a much larger idea of the type of work I didn’t want to do (which is basically, simply, “Anything that could be called ‘real work’”).
But this year I’ve been asking myself, over and over again, “What should I do next?”
(more…)
On the Road Again, er, Always…
Permalink | Tweet This! | | July 31, 2007 by John in Career, Travel
Extreme Personal Finance: From Penthouse to RV
So what’s it like living in an RV? It’s fantastic.
It’s very cheap. Utilities used to cost at least $500 a month since I was on the top floor and had floor to ceiling windows. Now I pay nothing — my solar panel generates enough electricity for daily use. Once a week I drive less than a mile to an RV park and dump my tanks and get new water. That costs $5. I have broadband internet access from Sprint which costs another $50. Full insurance is $100 a month, which doubles as car insurance. I get my mail through Earth Class Mail for $30 a month or so. That’s it.
I’ve been intrigued by this idea since last year when I read about a Photoshop Guru buying a motor coach and hitting the road. Ditch the house, pare back the possessions and hit the road. Don’t think it would work with my current day job, but I could work swimmingly with my freelance business.
Still. Not. Worth. It.
Permalink | Tweet This! | | July 27, 2007 by John in Career
Following up on this post, apparently it pays over $200k. (via Cameron Moll)
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