Category Archives: Dealing with hard times

Job hunting for the older professional

Posted on November 28, 2011 by David St Lawrence

If you are trying to find a professional position in an organization and you are 50 years old or older, you need to adopt a different strategy because you will have extreme difficulty finding work through conventional means. Conventional job … Continue reading →

Posted in Dealing with hard times, Finding Work | Leave a comment

How much government can we afford?

Posted on May 12, 2011 by David St Lawrence

With all of the discussion of public sector pay vs private sector pay and the retirement benefits of government workers vs private citizens, it is easy to lose sight of the fact that government employees are a cost which is … Continue reading →

Posted in Dealing with hard times, The Tea Party Movement, Things that concern me | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

How to get by with a little help from your friends

Posted on March 2, 2011 by David St Lawrence

When I think about the vital necessity of networking, I do not view it from an academic viewpoint. Finding new friends and linking up with them for our mutual benefit is how I have supported myself since I left the mothership (Sun Microsystems) in 2001.

When I occasionally do career counseling and use the dreaded word "networking", it is not unusual to see the beginning of an eye roll or a curl of the lip as "networking" has been downgraded for many people to an exchanging of business cards at job fairs or business mixers.

The truth of the matter is that an independent business person selling directly to customers is always networking whether he delivers music lessons, custom framing, or handling bankruptcies. It is an attitude one creates that makes customers want to refer others to you for services.

It is an attitude that you carry with you of wanting to help others. If you truly want to help others, it shows in your conduct and it prepares you to discuss what you do at the drop of a hat.

When you meet someone, one of the first questions that gets asked on both sides is, "What do you do?"

Continue reading →

Posted in Basic Business Concepts, Dealing with hard times, Expanding Your Opportunities, Micro-Business | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Hard times don’t last – if we remember to vote wisely

Posted on August 14, 2010 by David St Lawrence

One doesn't have to be the brightest student in class to see that our country has fallen upon hard times. Confidence in our elected representatives has never been lower. Frustration with the corruption in Washington and elsewhere has never been … Continue reading →

Posted in Dealing with hard times, Possibly Helpful Advice, Trends to watch | Leave a comment