The Daily Roundup: [e]Mailin' It In

By Zack on January 30, 2009

Welcome to the Daily Roundup. Each day at the ThinkTalk Blog we will post some links that we find informative, interesting, or just plain funny. The goal is to let you know what else is going on out there, and ultimately help you with the development of your career.

Happy Friday to everyone. I am on the road today facing a fussy computer and limited internet connection. But in an appropriate twist, I am in fact blogging in my parent’s home (albeit not in their basement, nor in my pajamas).

With all apologies an abbreviated (but important nonetheless) edition of The Links . . .

George’s Employment Blawg Summarizes: All the salient points of the Fair Pay Act that was signed by President Obama yesterday. I touched on this a little the other day, but this a good comprehension of what this Act will mean.

The Career Doctor Describes: How to determine the corporate culture of a potential employer during an interview. Behold, the power of observation. The Doc says to observe “all the employees while at the interview — what they wear, how they relate to each other, what their office space looks like.” Just beware of signs like this.

At The Brazen Careerist Ashley Mittman Advises: How to relieve stress at work. “I’ve always been a calm, quiet person, and when I’m stressed, I don’t typically run around flailing my arms, yelling obscenities and sweating from head to toe.” Well that’s a disappointment. What’s the point in getting stressed if you can’t run around screaming obscenities? #@%*&!

Career Alley Explains: How to handle a job offer. “You need to know both, what you are worth in the current job market (please see my post Are you paid what you’re worth?) as well as your “bottom line” (defined as the lowest salary, benefits and other perks at which you would accept an offer and not feel as if you are under selling yourself).” Then and only then, should you accept the offer. And you know what that means.

The Daily Roundup: I've LOST my mind

By Zack on January 29, 2009

Welcome to the Daily Roundup. Each day at the ThinkTalk Blog we will post some links that we find informative, interesting, or just plain funny. The goal is to let you know what else is going on out there, and ultimately help you with the development of your career.

I have a confession to make. I am a Lost fanatic. I love this show. I came to it about 4 eps in and was instantly hooked. It completely shattered my preconceived notions of the hour-long TV drama. I think the only network drama I watched until that point was Law and Order (man oh man, Angie Harmon . . . you're gonna need to gimme a sec).

I'm at the point now where they could do anything, literally anything, and I would keep watching the show. If the cast woke up next week and everything was a dream and they all went back to their mundane lives and the camera just followed Hurley driving around LA eating Mr. Cluck's with the guy from Road Trip who slayed the cheetah and playing 4 8 15 16 23 42 on the lottery I would still watch it. Simply because, at this point the show has been so amazing and has earned my trust and viewership.

This really struck me last night. I'm sitting in class (currently in Grad School) listening to a lecture about the rise of 19th Century communications technology. The professor makes an off-the-cuff reference while discussing Edison and the early stages of lighting systems to an English physicist named Michael Faraday. Well, if you've watched the last 2 seasons of LOST this name is clearly going to ring a bell. So, this obviously caught my attention. Then the professor mentions that Faraday was a leading developer in electromagnetism. Blew. My. Mind.

Next thing I knew I'm writing down "Faraday - magnetism - time travel." These are not the notes one should be taking in a graduate level course. Then I realized that those damn sneaky LOST creators, always one step ahead of us, had penetrated my mind. And that is when I realized that I am truly, deeply, utterly addicted to LOST.*

I'm the guy with the keyboard. Sometimes you just gotta let me rant. Quit your whining and check out The Links . . .

The Thin Pink Line Offers: Financial tips for your 20s. "[Y]ou can take more risk right now. At 20-something since you won’t be touching the money you’re saving in the near future - that means you can exhale and ride out these recent market ups and downs. If you’re in your 20s and don’t own any stock - now’s the time to get some." I knew I should have invested my money instead of throwing away 2 years salary on Growing Gifts.

@jonathanfields Links To: Music licensing tips for Indy film producers. This is for all you aspiring filmmakers and Director's Cut fans. Securing music for you project can be one of the most complicated and frustrating aspects of any production (just ask Tony, our editor). This post from the licensing plate can get you started and help you be prepared for the process.

Career Hub Warns: Fixing your resume is not a "quick fix" process. Here are a number of resume writing resources that you can use to put the time and effort into creating the resume you need.

Anita Bruzzese's On the Job Teaches: How to handle difficult questions at work. "'Why are you late with that project?' 'You're being paid more than me and we do the same job. Do you think that's fair?' 'I know we don't get along, but will you be a reference for me?' These are a few of the queries we might be asked that put us on the spot, making us long for our keyboard where we would have time to tap out a response." I usually just yell "you're shoes are untied" and run away, never to return. Would this be an inappropriate response?

gradspot Blows Up: How to score free "refreshments." Check out MyOpenBar.com. ThinkTalk in no way condones blah blah blah . . . But seriously, drink responsibly.

JobWire Reports: Russell Simmons has joined Hip-hop community website Global Grind. What's this have to do with careers? Nothing. It just gives me an opportunity to self promote and link to Russell Simmons. One more: Russell Simmons.

Speaking of self promotion: It's ThinkTalk Pub. Nice write ups from Vanessa Dennis at Cheezhead and Kevin Wheeler at ere.net. Thanks to both for the shout.

* Also, I was kind of pissed that I didn't get the Faraday reference earlier on. Cause I totally nailed that John Locke - Jeremy Benthem philosopher clue last season.

The Daily Roundup: We Can Work it Out

By Zack on January 28, 2009

Welcome to the Daily Roundup. Each day at the ThinkTalk Blog we will post some links that we find informative, interesting, or just plain funny. The goal is to let you know what else is going on out there, and ultimately help you with the development of your career.

I came across an article today at the Inside Higher Ed Blog that discusses a major shift in the anti-sweat shop movement. I'm sure most students are familiar with how a sweat shop works, and I would think most are familiar with the concept of a living wage. A burgeoning deal looks like it may do its part to reconcile some of the problems with sweat shops and a living wage:

A major supplier of college apparel has brokered a unique deal, promising to pay more for garments produced by a factory in the Dominican Republic if workers there are paid a living wage. While not publicly announced by the company, the plan proposed by Knights Apparel is already drawing support in higher education. Officials at Duke and Pennsylvania State Universities have confirmed that their bookstores will be buying from the Knights Apparel factory, and a committee at the University of Connecticut is considering participation as well.

The article mentions that this is by no means concrete. Neither Knight Apparel nor the participating universities have confirmed the deal. If this were to go down, however, it would signal a new direction. Inside Higher Ed does report that it obtained an email from Scott Nova, the president of Workers Rights Consortium, who would oversee and monitor the factory involved.

“We are not suggesting that this represents an answer to systemic problems that continue to impede labor rights progress in university logo apparel supply chains (and the industry in general),” Nova wrote. “However, we do believe this project represents genuine, indeed unprecedented labor rights progress – not just in the realm of university logo apparel, but for the garment industry as a whole. In terms of the labor standards (living wage and an open attitude toward collective worker representation) and in terms of the supply chain reforms involved (a fair price and commitment to buy all of a factory’s products) this project represents a step toward central goals of the ant-sweatshop movement that many have previously viewed as unreachable.

Nova is clearly right that this is a step in the right direction. I'm sure many students do not even give a thought to where their apparel comes from. At the very least, this move could elevate the discourse on this topic at colleges across the country. What are your thoughts? Do you know who makes your apparel, or where it comes from?

While we ponder labor relations, take a look at The Links . . .

Mashable Looks At: CBS' new personal finance site: Moneywatch. OK, so this hasn't launched yet. And you can read Stan Schroeder's rant on how frustrating that is over at Mashable. But I just want to point out (from personal experience) how important it is to come out of school with a sense of personal finance. So keep tabs on this, watch the vid at Mashable and get your money in line.

gradspot Reminds: Visit your college career center! "This is a free resource, provided by an institution that, at least theoretically, has your best interest in mind. Not only will the office hook you up with other alums on similar career paths, but it will also furnish you with openings from companies who are specifically targeting your school." Just go. Now. Don't even finish reading this.

Jibber Jobber Explains: How to make and get the most out of networking contacts. Jason Alba was prompted to write this easy to follow template for how to make a virtual introduction and ask for help by the large number of (I'll say it) stupid people who send short, vague missives asking for help. So read this, and next time you are soliciting advice from someone you do not know, think first, and ask yourself "how can I clearly present myself so that this person will want to help me?" "Yo whaddup up, I need a job, gimme help, yaDIGG. - Zack" does not answer that question.

Career Alley Suggests: Having several versions of your resume, "each of which is targeted to specific job functions (but all of which should be accurate representations of your experience). While it is unusual to have resumes with completely different skill sets (it’s doubtful that you will have a Doctor’s resume and a Chef’s resume), it is not unusual to have resumes that highlight different skill sets." There are also some links to resume resources in the post as well.

The Wall Street Journal Reveals: A disturbing trend in which parents are paying companies to give their children internships. I asked for a car, I got an internship at Lehman Brothers. How's that for being born under a bad sign?

The Chronicle of Higher Ed Contemplates: How the expected overturning of Ledbetter v. Goodyear will impact gender biased pay scales at the University level. "The bill, named for the case’s plaintiff, Lilly Ledbetter, gives employees 180 days from the time that they discover that they have been paid differently from their peers," to file a lawsuit. Essentially, this will make it easier for wronged employees to win a lawsuit against their employers for gender discrimination.

Upcoming Guest: We're Lining up for Avenue Q

By Zack on January 28, 2009

The hit stage musical Avenue Q is coming to ThinkTalk. Remember how much fun Sesame Street was when you were a kid? If so, you’ll love the off-Broadway musical Avenue Q. It’s the louder, funnier and more PG-13 version of your favorite childhood show (but is not actually affiliated with Sesame Street, fyi).

Avenue Q opened at the Vineyard Theatre in 2003. It’s the story of Princeton, a college-grad who is trying to make it big in New York and the only affordable housing within his price range is Avenue Q. The show won Tony awards for Best Musical and Best Score in 2004. It has also received excellent critical reviews — Entertainment Weekly named it Best of 2003, and The New Yorker called it:

An ingenious combination of ‘The Real World’ and ‘Sesame Street,’ the show presents the friends on Avenue Q as something both more and less than ‘Friends.’

If you are anything like me, your first reaction might be, “Puppets, Really? Puppets?” But with song titles including ''Everyone's a Little Bit Racist,'' ''Schadenfreude,'' ''The Internet Is for Porn'' and ''You Can Be as Loud as the Hell You Want (When You're Makin' Love),'' this a hilarious show with enough sarcasm and edgy humor to satisfy even the pickiest of play-goers.

And now, the moment we’ve all been waiting for: it’s finally time to ask the Avenue Q cast your ThinkTalk question.

That’s right, we want you to ask the actors and puppeteers from Avenue Q your career questions. Anything you want to know about what they do, how they got there or any career advice they might have. Check out the instructions on how to ask your question. It’s quick and painless, we promise. The deadline to ask your Avenue Q question is February 9th, so don’t take too long!

Upcoming Guest: Chazz Palminteri and his Bronx Tale

By Zack on January 27, 2009

Update:Unfortunately, as of February 23rd, our scheduled interview with Chazz is off. If we reschedule we will be sure to post an update.

The ThinkTalk crew is excited to welcome Chazz Palminteri - the highly acclaimed actor and writer of A Bronx Tale - to our studios in February. A Bronx Tale is a hard-hitting off-Broadway show that is currently touring the country. Palminteri, as the star of the show, is an incredible actor who brings 18 different and vivid characters to life in his story about his 1960s era Bronx neighborhood and the unforgettable people who lived there. He’ll be answering your questions during our interview, so make sure you get your questions in by February 20th.

Palminteri, a star of the stage and screen, is a New York native who made his feature film directorial debut in 2004 with Noel starring Penelope Cruz and Susan Sarandon. You’ve probably seen him in The Usual Suspects, Analyze This, Mulholland Falls or the theatrical version of A Bronx Tale directed by Robert De Niro. He was nominated for an Academy Award for his supporting role in Bullets Over Broadway.

Palminteri wrote the script and screenplay for A Bronx Tale as a “fictionalized story based on a true incident." According to him, the idea for the script was born when the young writer witnessed a man being shot right in front of his home. The incident inspired him to a story about the “real tough guys,” the working men who try to make a better life for their families. Palminteri says:

[A Bronx Tale is] about reaching one’s potential in life and how the love we get from our parents can shape our lives. I wanted to explore these universal themes told through the eyes of a young boy. As Lorenzo the bus driver used to tell his son as he was growing up, ‘The saddest thing is life is wasted talent. Don’t waste yours.’

Here is a short clip of Palminteri performing in A Bronx Tale:

As an accomplished actor and writer, Palminteri is coming to ThinkTalk to share his career advice with you. If you would like to ask Chazz Palminteri a question about his career, visit Chazz Palminteri's bio page. This is a great time to ask anything you want to know about what Palminteri does, how he broke into the entertainment industry or if he has any career advice for students. Just make sure you do it by the deadline on February 9th.

Stay tuned to see what Chris Palminteri has to say on ThinkTalk!

The Daily Roundup: Mentor de-force

By Zack on January 27, 2009

Welcome to the Daily Roundup. Each day at the ThinkTalk Blog we will post some links that we find informative, interesting, or just plain funny. The goal is to let you know what else is going on out there, and ultimately help you with the development of your career.

Mentors are important. This is non-negotiable. If you are a college student and you want a leg up on your competition for job placement, there are few resources as valuable as having a mentor.

What we advocate at ThinkTalk, perhaps more than any other idea, is that advice from proven professionals who have succeeded at a high level is indispensable. The type of advice and feedback you can receive from a mentor can be the deciding factor in how you build your resume, format your cover letter and operate in an interview.

Today's Wall Street Journal reports that finding a mentor in this economy might not be so easy, but it is still possible - with some hard work.

[F]inding and developing a relationship with a career sage takes more legwork than it did during boom times. During economic upswings, managers feel positive and less hassled about taking on a mentee. You need to be more thoughtful and strategic when times are tough. First, take a personal inventory of your mentoring goals. What would you like to gain? Do you want to learn more about project management? Are you interested in learning about the people side of the business? Do you want help navigating corporate politics? Make a prioritized list of your goals.

The article's author, Toddi Gutner, also points to some resources for helping out your mentor search. These include looking within your current employer (if you currently have a job or internship), as 70% of Fortune 500 companies offer mentor programs. Also recognize that mentoring "is a two-way street." This means that you need to recognize the limitations and pressures that your mentor is under in this climate and attempt to offer something back. Play to your strengths, and consider "teaching a mentor how to use Twitter, setting up a page on Facebook or helping a manager figure out how to get the most out of a LinkedIn page."

For your mentor search, I would also add talking to your professors or college career center. Often, schools will have an alumni mentor program that you can utilize to connect with former students who had similar majors or are currently working in similar fields. However you go about finding a mentor, I cannot stress enough how important it is to actually do it. In this job market, a mentor could make all the difference.

Enough jibba jabba, on to The Links . . .

Yahoo HotJobs Says: Not to ask these 10 questions during an interview (via Chronicle of Higher Ed). My personal fav is a tie between "When will I be eligible for a raise?" and "Do you do a drug test?". That shows some serious cajones, my friends.

At Brazen Careerist Rebecca Thorman Explains: How to snag a job with limited experience or degree. This is a good piece for figuring out how to transition from one industry to another, or if you are (or will be) a recent grad who wants to pursue a career outside your degree field and internship experience. It really is all about customizing the experience you do have and things you have learned towards the area you are now pursuing.

SAI Careers Describes: The best way to research a potential employer (via College Recruiter). This is pretty standard stuff. Do your homework, follow the company in newspaper, magazines, blogs, etc. Utilize search engines and the employer's press site. One thing that stands out, however, was the list of pay-for sites than can offer you more info, if you are serious about the employer and need that extra but of info to make a choice.

Secrets of the Job Hunt Shows: How to begin to narrow down your job search before graduating. This is a capable list of sites you can use. The one that stands out to me is Groovejob.com, which provides part time, student, and summer jobs. All you do is enter your zip for a list of jobs.

CareerAlley Thinks: You should explore the use of a career coach, despite what your initial thoughts may be. "I thought it was a waste of time to use their services, but after a resume review, quickly discovered I was woefully wrong. Not only did my resume need a “make-over”, I was out of touch with the job search process and needed to be brought up to speed."

BullsEyeResumes Provides: "Job Skills Employers Want from Students." Author Marcia Robinson argues that employers are looking for more than just grades from recent grads. There are a number of other qualities that you should possess to help your job prospects: good attendance, strong communication skills and a positive attitude are just a few of these.

At Brazen Careerist Broke Grad Student Describes: How to negotiate a lower rent. Well, I'm stumped. How? Unleash a swarm of Bees in the rafters?

Cheezhead Reports: Even in a recession, fast food still sells. "McDonald’s corporation reported 7.7% comparable-store sales growth in November. Burger King and Yum Brands’ business units Taco Bell and Pizza Hut have also posted strong growth." Richard Linklater is not going to be happy.

The Daily Roundup: It was the best of times, it was the worst of times

By Mindy on January 26, 2009

Welcome to the Daily Roundup. Each day at the ThinkTalk Blog we will post some links that we find informative, interesting, or just plain funny. The goal is to let you know what else is going on out there, and ultimately help you with the development of your career.

How is it possible that it's Monday already? Last week was a whirlwind. I think Obama's inauguration should be re-titled "The Day DC Stood Still." After the chaos, it was nice to have a weekend to recover and catch up on what was going on in the world outside of DC. I spent yesterday with my roommate happily holed up at the diggs watching the Bucket List (decent movie), Prison Break (amazing show) and our favorite SNL skits.

I enjoyed the break, but Monday's headlines have somewhat dampened my good weekend zen. Today's front pages are filled with stories about some massive layoffs and cutbacks. After reporting the financial results of 2008, companies are doing what they can to stay afloat. The Washington Post says that major companies are going to cut more than 43,000 jobs. That's a lotta people:

The job cuts announced so far today include 20,000 at heavy equipment maker Caterpillar, 8,000 at the Springt Nextel telecommunications company, 7,000 at Home Depot, and 8,000 anticipated from the pending merger of the Pfizer and Wyeth pharmaceutical companies.

As students, it's not a bad idea to keep on eye on who's firing who right now, but don't forget that there's still plenty of demand for young hires with good work ethic and networking skills. CNN Money and Fortune magazine just released the annual "100 Best Companies to Work For" list, but they also reported on 20 of these companies who "have at least 350 opening each right now." There are a variety of employers on the list, with everyone from tech companies to supermarket chains in need of workers with a variety of skills. For more details, Career Alley has a more in-depth look at the companies who are hiring with tidbits on how to apply online. Simply Hired is even cooperating with Fortune to provide a current listing of job openings at each of the 100 best companies. It's a good reminder that even now many companies are hiring, not firing.

And the links press on:

Brazen Careerist's Jessica Goodman Has: "5 Things I wish I knew In College That Would Help Me Network Today." It's still one of the best ways to get a job--know the right people.

MediaBistro Offers: Twitter media lists. If you are an aspiring writer on Twitter, there are some good writers to follow.

Lindsey Pollack Teaches: The finer points of succeeding in an internship.

One Day One Job Finds: Jobs for you left-brained math people. I personally won't touch math with a ten-foot pole. Circuits start misfiring and things get ugly. Really, somebody might get hurt.

Wired Campus Reports: That Second Life has reached a whole new level on college campuses.

College Candy Is There: With information for the rest of us. Don't know as much as you'd like to about the upcoming Super Bowl? A few quick facts to get you caught up!

Enjoy your Monday... and avoid large flocks of Canadian geese.

Q&A with a Pro: Christiane Terrone - Production Manager

By Nellie on January 23, 2009

Welcome to Q & A With a Pro, a blog-only exclusive brought to you by ThinkTalk.com. This series will provide questions and answer sessions with experienced professionals in a variety of different fields. Sometimes we will have questions from students, sometimes we will not. Think of it as something like the ThinkTalk Program, but more free-wheeling and with less restraints. As always, feel free to let us know your thoughts on which jobs and professions you would like profiled.

Name: Christiane Terrone Job title: Production Manager Profession: Film advertising Salary: Average of $38,420 with 1-4 years of experience Company: The Creative Partnership Employees: 65 total in the U.K. and L.A. Education: BA with Honors in Communication

Nellie Yangmi: Tell us about your sweet gig? What was your entry-level position in the company and why did you decide to take this career path?

Christiane Terrone: I graduated from Uni in May 04. I began straight away to look for a job in advertising…I always knew it was what I wanted to do. I began at Creative in July 04 as a Production Assistant, and worked my way up to becoming a Production Manager. I decided to take this career path because I love art and being creative but felt that I couldn’t survive on art alone. Advertising is the perfect way of marrying up business and creativity…and giving me the ability to do both.

NY: How long have you been working as a Production Manager?

CT: I have now been working as a Production Manager for 2 years.

NY: What does a Production Manager do in your company?

CT: As a production manager I oversee the running of the project from start to finish. Along with the producer, we go to the clients and pick up the brief. We then brief the editor, graphic designer and writers. We keep a very close contact with our clients, keeping them updated on the status of the project. We book voice over artists, book voice over sessions and online sessions. We also do the budgets, the schedules (timeline) and at the end the billing.

NY: Where can I find your profession in a Student Handbook?

CT: I’m not sure where you would find my profession in a student handbook, I’m assuming under Advertising, Account Handler/Executive – that is what my title is known as in an Advertising agency as opposed to a Production agency.

NY: What classes best equipped you for this occupation?

CT: I took various classes in advertising and marketing…but to be honest, the best way of getting to grips with things really is experience. Years of study do not compare to years of experience in a role or position, or within an industry even.

NY: Did you ever have take on more than one job to sustain yourself? What were they?

CT: At university I worked at Starbucks for a few weeks, and then joined AYS (At Your Service – UK’s leading specialist in the provision of waiting and bar staff to event organisers, caterers and private clients)…but I mainly worked to earn extra cash, and not for subsistence.

NY: How many resumes did you send off before you landed an interview?

CT: I registered myself with recruitment consultant agents that specialized in the Media, so they did all the work for me. I worked at a few Ad agencies on a part-time basis as a receptionist before landing my permanent position at Creative.

NY: What does a typical day look like for you?

CT: No two days are ever the same in my industry, but I will try to outline what one might look like. I get into the office at around 9am (we start at 9.30am) get a coffee and water and start reading all of my work emails. Reply to clients. I call up the editor, graphic designer to check how things are going. If work is finished, I send off an example of our work and our progress to the client in order to get feedback. Depending on the stage of the project, we might have meetings to discuss ideas, or have catch ups. We might have a voice over session, a film screening, sometimes we might have to go pick up a brief, or go to shoots.

NY: Apart from your formal education, what training have you acquired to improve your skills?

CT: I have not acquired any training per se, but acquired a vast amount of knowledge regarding the industry, gotten to know various key figures in companies.

NY: What is the most tedious and most rewarding aspect of your work?

CT: The most tedious part of my job would have to be the billing aspect, going over the project and calculating every single cost and invoicing the client, as well as chasing clients for payments – very tedious indeed. The most rewarding part would be seeing your ad on TV, or listening to it on the radio, having friends, colleagues, or people in the industry talk about your ads with admiration.

NY: Do you have a work-life balance as a Production Manager?

CT: It is extremely hard to get a work-life balance, but after years of working I feel like I sometimes have it! Work does seem to take over especially when we are extremely busy.

NY: What career advice would you impart on an intern wanting to take this career path?

CT: My advice to anyone would be to get as much experience as possible, either by starting as a runner or receptionist or assistant. Once your foot is in the door it is much easier to move up or around.

Here is one of Christiane's clients and the finished product for LOVEFiLM, the European equivalent of Netflix.

ThinkTalk.com thanks Christiane Terrone for taking time out of her busy schedule to impart some great advice on one of the many ways of breaking into the entertainment business. Check out their website for more info and job opportunities in LA or the UK here.

The Daily Roundup: Take Me Home, Butt Hole Road . . .

By Zack on January 23, 2009

Welcome to the Daily Roundup. Each day at the ThinkTalk Blog we will post some links that we find informative, interesting, or just plain funny. The goal is to let you know what else is going on out there, and ultimately help you with the development of your career.

Good Friday All! Hope you all have an excellent weekend.

It was a long week, so without delay, Let's Hit The Links . . .

.

Cheezhead Relays: ComScore's analysis that "job search is the fastest growing content site category in 2008. The number of visitors to job sites grew 51 percent to 18.8 million visitors." CareerBuilder leads the "job search" category with 9.1 million visitors, with Yahoo Hot Jobs in second with 5.6 million. I generally find both of these boards to be rather broad, but they still are a good (and apparently popular) place to begin a job search.

Maggie Mistal Shows: How to find a good work-life fit in 2009, with the help of expert Cali Williams Yost. Work-life fit is all about organizing your life to produce maximum production and sanity. While this post (and the theory) generally is geared towards working professionals, I think it is something that can also be useful for college students to help find a balance between school work and personal life.

College Finance 101 Offers: FREE STUFF. The site is giving away copies of The Princeton Review's "Paying for College Without Going Broke." And, no, Jello Wrestling Tournaments are not one of the suggestions.

College Mogul Found: A way for you to win a full semester worth of textbook rentals from Skoobit. "Registered teams of up to ten students will create and implement a public relations or advertising campaign for their campus to spread the word about Skoobit’s money-saving services. Submitted materials will be judged by AJR & Partners, a MARCOM Platinum award-winning PR firm based in Miami, FL. Winners will earn recognition on the Skoobit website and a full semester of free textbook rentals in fall 2009."

@BJMendelson Shares: The Top 20 iPhone Apps for Overwhelmed Students. Good article with some useful apps. Some well known (Facebook . . . duh), some not so well known (Evernote). On a side note, what Brandon Mendelson is doing is a very creative, cool, and inspiring thing for a good cause. "50 Colleges, 10,066 Miles, 97 Days. Join Brandon and Amanda Mendelson as they drive, hitchhike, and couch surf across America to stop Generation Y’s breast cancer epidemic."

@guykawasaki Finds: A new home on Butt Hole Road? I'll let the article explain, but I do find it amusing that Butt Hole Road is located in Crapstone England. Worst address in the world?

The Daily Roundup: Microsoft's Macrocuts

By Zack on January 22, 2009

Welcome to the Daily Roundup. Each day at the ThinkTalk Blog we will post some links that we find informative, interesting, or just plain funny. The goal is to let you know what else is going on out there, and ultimately help you with the development of your career.

In an sobering indication of where the job market and economy lie Microsoft announced today it will be cutting 5,000 jobs. The "bellwether for the tech industry[,] said that slowing sales of personal computers had led to an 11 percent decline in profit in the final three months of 2008 compared with the same period a year ago."

No doubt this is unfortunate news for the tech industry. And it may not be getting any better:

The economy and spending on information technology "slowed beyond our expectations in the quarter, and we acted quickly to reduce our cost structure and mitigate its impact," Chris Liddell, the company's chief financial officer, said in a news release. "We are planning for economic uncertainty to continue through the remainder of the fiscal year."

But this news comes on the tail of rival Apple announcing better than expected profits.

Apple’s SEC filing just hit the wires and it’s a doozy: $10 billion in sales and things as rosy as a the cheeks of an Irish lass on a brisk morning. Apple’s gross margin is up 34.7 percent from last year and we’re supposedly in some sort of recession. Nearly 23 million iPods were sold this quarter and over 2.5 million Macs were sold. The iPhone continues to sell well for Apple with over 4 million units sold.

So why the contradiction? Apple's success would belie the assessment that the economy is the source of Microsoft's job cuts. I don't know what the secondary source may be (Vista??), but this may clear up the job picture for you if you were looking at either of these companies for a job. When considering potential employers it is always important to look that the company's history as well as recent track record with stability, turnover, and layoffs. At this point in time, it would appear that prospective job hunters should turn their sights to Apple instead of Microsoft.

UPDATE: Apparently Apple, IBM, Google, and others are still hiring.

Apple may be winning the battle, but The Links will win the war . . .

In The New York Times, Reid Hastie Says: Meetings are a waste of time (via Kottke). "Part of the problem at such meetings is that the leader has not set clear objectives or an agenda, and didn’t assign pre-meeting preparation tasks. Instead, the leader seems to hope that magic will occur, producing a serendipitous solution to some of the problems addressed. Of course, that doesn’t happen. As a general rule, meetings make individuals perform below their capacity and skill levels." Good stuff. I'm going to bring this up at the next meet... oh, wait.

Inside Higher Ed Imagines: A college without grades. This idea was posed at the annual meeting of the Association of American Colleges and Universities. "Many said they assumed that it was politically impossible to eliminate grades. But they heard from educators at colleges that have done so and survived to tell the tale." And in this magical land, I am a rich and powerful prince and law enforcement official, who rides a unicorn to work and ravishes many beautiful women.

Secrets of the Job Hunt Flips: The script. Jason Monastra's post says the job seeker should interview the interviewer. "Now I say this with caution, as the approach and how one is to do this becomes ever more important. In speaking to some managers, they cannot stand when they feel the candidate is attempting to take over the conversation and really run the entire process. That is not at all what I saying here and really do not want that to be the point of the message. The real idea here is to leave with a conscious understanding of the role, with explicit information, without the manager feeling like he got grilled. And I think there is an easy way to do this."

Grad Spot Provides: Yet another reminder not to hit "Reply-All." I have heard a number of these, some worse than others. I don't really get it. If anything I usually just hit "reply" when meaning to reply all. I'm a bit of a klutz with this sort of stuff too, so I guess I'm lucky I haven't done that yet. I wouldn't want my lazy co-workers to find out what I really think of them. What do you mean they can see the blog? Oh. Crap.

Slate Examines: How to avoid the Law-School Debt Trap. I considered Law School. I took my LSATs. Eventually I decided the work would be too much and I was not dedicated to the cause. But I told everyone that the reason I declined was that I did not want to come out with a mountain of debt and be forced to enter a corporate firm, sacrificing my noble aims of public service. In case you were wondering, the answer is yes, I am morally bankrupt. Anyway, this Slate piece gives some good advice on paying off law school with a career in public service law.

Mashable Offers: "30+ Apps for Doing Business on Facebook." Facebook, not just for stalking anymore!