Grammatical Transgressions

I get a lot of emails from many different types of people. Teachers, engineers, CEOs, Marketing VPs. You name it, I get it. The writing ranges anywhere from Are You Smarter Than a 5th Grader? to Ernest Hemingway. For God's sake, every email application and every word processor has a spell check. Use it! And most also have a grammar check. Use that too!!

I find that many people have a tendency to spell by ear. That is, they listen to whether it "sounds" right. So the word may sound right but it has a meaning other than the one intended. Below are what I think are the most commonly misspelled words. They are not necessarily in order except for the first one, which happens to be my biggest pet peeve.

• there, their and they're
  there = at that place (as in "over there"); their = possessive of they (as in "in their best interests); they're = contraction of they are (as in they're going to the store)




• affect and effect
  affect = to influence (as in "lack of sleep affected his test scores"); effect = to bring to pass (as in "her speech had a huge effect on the outcome of the vote")



• weather and whether
  weather = the state of the atmosphere; whether = if



• stationary and stationery
  stationary = not moving; stationery = paper and envelopes



• capital and capitol
  capital = a financial resource (as in "she had enough capital to open her own business"); capitol = a building in which a state legislative body meets



• principal and principle
  principal = chief or primary; principle = a fundamental truth or governing law of conduct



• council and counsel
  council = a legislative body; counsel = advice
  
• it's and its
  it's = contraction of it is(as in "it's a nice day"); its = possessive form of it (as in "the horse has its saddle on")
  
• to and too
  to = motion or direction; too = also. If you can put also in to replace the word, then it should be too
  
• lead and led
  The past tense of the verb lead drops the a (as in "I will lead the horse to water today, but yesterday I led the horses to water")
  
• who's and whose
  who's = contraction for who is (as in "Who's knocking at the door?"); whose = possessive form of who (as in "Whose shoe is this?")

Putting That Civics Class to Good Use

With the Congressman Mark Foley scandal   still in the recesses of our not-so-distant memories, I am going to go out on a limb in suggesting an internship as a Congressional or Senate Page. Thinking about this in your Freshman year in high school is none too soon. Your grades need to be good and it would be a good idea to be doing some volunteer work in some sort of political arena. You may not have a burning desire to go into politics at this time but the summer or school year you spend as a page will give you great insight into how the government operates and will give you some great contacts for later use in your career....whatever that may be.

For more than 100 years, messengers known as Pages have served the United States Congress. Pages are appointed and sponsored by a member of Congress and must be high school juniors and at least sixteen years old. Pages serve principally as messengers. They carry documents between the House and Senate, Members’ offices, committees, and the Library of Congress. They also prepare the House and Senate chambers for each day’s business by distributing the Congressional Record and other documents related to the day’s agenda, assist in the cloakrooms and chambers, and when Congress is in session, sit near the dais where they may be summoned by Members for assistance. In the House, pages also raise and lower the flag on the roof of the Capitol.

For more information on the duties, salaries and requirements to be a page go to the US Senate Reference page .


Contact your Senator’s office   for more information on becoming a Senate Page.

And if you really want the inside scoop on what it's like to be a Congressional Page, the Congressional Page Association   website has some basic information on what it's like to be a Page. I most enjoyed reading the Page Memories   portion of the site. It made me wish I had known about this when I was in high school. I most definitely would have applied for it.

Pet Peeves

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Nursing School -- Getting in is half the battle

When I was going to school to get my teaching credential, I was a single mom with minimal financial resources. In order to conserve funds, I shared a house with another single mom who was going to nursing school. I have never seen anyone work as hard or be stressed out as much as she was. The nursing program was very competitive and everyone was trying to be at the top of their class. Yes, I worked hard as well; studying different methodologies and putting together lesson plans as a student teacher. But this woman was going through something far more intense than I could imagine. So if you are considering nursing as a profession, I would strongly recommend doing some informational interviews with new nurses (someone who is just a couple of years out of school), so that they can share their experiences, not only about their actual work as a nurse, but, also, their experience in nursing school.

U.S. nursing schools turned away 42,866 qualified applicants from baccalaureate and graduate nursing programs in 2006 due to an insufficient number of faculty, clinical sites, classroom space, clinical preceptors, and budget constraints.

There's no getting around it -- it's tough to get into a good nursing program. Perhaps you should first figure out if Nursing is the career you want to pursue. Chatterbean  has a short, online quiz you can take to see if, indeed, this is the career for you.

The most important thing is to make sure you actually want to be a nurse. Use the Internet to research as much as you can about this profession. Registered Nurses  are projected to create the second largest number of new jobs among all occupations! The US Dept of Labor has some excellent data on training, earnings, and occupational outlook that you should check out.


Johnson & Johnson  has a website that gives you an overview of nursing.

Another helpful site is collegeboard.com . In fact, they have information on LOTS of information on LOTS of occupations.

No matter what profession you are interested in, LEARN HOW TO USE THE INTERNET AND LEARN HOW TO RESEARCH! I can't stress this enough. Learn how to do Boolean searches. Try different key word searches. You might do a search on "nursing programs" and then, while reading, you find another term that may be more effective in your research so you do a search on "preparing for nursing school" or "nursing careers". Just doing a search on "nurse association" will give you a plethora of websites; from the American Nurses Association  to the Emergency Nurses Association . And when you find this information, make sure you follow up by sending emails to associations or hospitals or colleges and asking them for even more information.

Good luck!

Careers in Science

I did a presentation to a group of high school girls a few weeks back, who are focusing on "non-traditional" subjects such as science and math. I find it sad that these two areas are considered "non traditional" for girls.

But let's not dwell on that. Though my presentation to the girls was about general skills needed in the work environment, I took some time to research what kinds of careers there are for science and math majors. Needless to say, there are way too many to list here. But here are some that caught my eye.

Chemistry Careers: Beyond Bunsen Burners   is a Job Web site that gives some great advice on what kinds of jobs are available for chemistry majors. I like their advice on getting a comprehensive education in order to make the most of their chemistry major. The career potential is huge!

Computational Physics Grads Make Games Work   is another Job Web site. Interesting spin on combining sciences and making video games.

There are only 13 Graduate Athletic Training Programs   in the U.S. There are many undergraduate athletic training programs but you can also major in sports medicine, kinesiology and other like subjects and still be accepted into the graduate program. Athletic trainers work with college and professional sports teams as well as with private medical programs.

The American Institute of Biological Sciences   has a great website on what careers are available to Biology majors. Things like Research, Environmental Studies, and Healthcare, are just a few of the areas you can pursue. This website also gives you ideas on combining areas of study in order to pursue some very unique and interesting careers.

Computer Forensics   is a quickly growing field of study. There are a lot of crimes being committed that have computers involved. Providing the government or civil authorities with technological evidence is extremely important. This is certainly a high growth career field.

Audiologists   will find plenty of work helping aging boomers retain their hearing. Not only can you work in a clinic but once you have established yourself in the field, there are companies that will want to hire you to help them build better hearing devices.

To find out more about some of the best careers in 2007 go to U.S. News & World Report  : and see what the future holds! And then try doing some searchs, using key words such as "chemistry careers" or "biology careers" or "math careers". You get the idea.

10 Things Employers Want You To Learn In College

I came across a great book that talks about SKILLS that you should have by the time you enter the workforce. I'm not talking about academic information like knowing all the state capitals or Algebraic equations. I'm talking about things like good communication skills, influencing people, being able to use Excel and more.

As a recruiter who works in the Bay Area near San Francisco  California, I interview people for jobs all the time. I've also been a manager at some very prestigious companies such as, Apple, WebTV, and Microsoft. I have seen firsthand how ill prepared young people are who come into the workplace. PhD's from Berkeley, MIT and Stanford and MBAs from Harvard are some of the smartest people around, yet some of them can't communicate their ideas or know how to manage their time!

10 Things Employers Want You To Learn In College  is a wonderful book with a list of skills  that you need to be successful in your career.

I'm realistic. I doubt if you will actually buy this book or take the time to check it out at the library. So I'm going to give it to you in bits and pieces and hope you think about these things as you're working on your career plan. But I do hope you get this book and use it as a guide and reference. If you do learn these skills, you will have a much better chance of getting the jobs you want and moving more quickly on your career path than someone who has the same academic background as you. In fact, I'll put myself out on a limb here by saying that , if you embrace and utilize these skills, you will probably impress your co-workers and bosses enough that you may surpass your colleagues who match your academic achievements. Think about it!

Here are the 10 Skills Groups:

Establishing a Work Ethic
Developing Physical Skills
Communicating Verbally
Communicating in Writing
Working Directly with People
Influencing People
Gathering Information
Using Quantitative Tools
Asking and Answering the Right Questions
Solving Problems

More to follow on each of these groups.

A Sports Scholarship Story

I know a great many high school students who play on sports teams. Half of them have dreams of going to the Pros, whether it be the NHL or NFL, NBA or into MLB. They have all heard stories of high school students getting "full rides" to Division I colleges or being drafted into the Pros right out of high school. Yes, that does happen sometimes, but the chances of making it to the majors are 1 in 50,000. Walter Leavy wrote an insightful article  for Ebony magazine back in 1998 about his own personal experience with trying to make it to the Pros. It's a short article, well worth reading.

I was at my local Starbucks the other morning, waiting for my appointment to show up, when I picked up the local newspaper, The Palo Alto Daily News and read a very interesting story  by one of their columnists, Jason Katz. The article answers the question about full ride scholarships.

Always a good idea to have a Plan B ;-)

Trouble with a Co-Worker

My sister called me the other day asking for advice on how to deal with a "problem" co-worker. Here's the deal.

Here are the names of the players in his little saga:

My sister = Patty
Co-worker = Mel
Other co-worker = Martin


Patty is a web designer for a large software application company. She designs the pages that you see on their website. This company probably has about 80 web designers/developers, so she is responsible only for a small portion of the website. Mel is the Project Manager and is responsible for checking in all of Patty's work and making sure it is ready to be rolled out on the company's website. Mel is also responsible for making sure that everyone else's part fits together nicely in one big package and that no part breaks another part.

Mel doesn't really do his job and so, leaves it to others to make sure the product is complete and works well. This affects Patty as she then has to do HER job as well as MEL'S job to make sure the product is ready to go out onto the website.

Mel goes on vacation for 2 weeks and leaves Martin in charge of his work. Patty likes working with Martin because Martin takes pride in his work and makes sure it gets done. It also means that Patty doesn't have to do 2 jobs; just her own job.

Patty remarks to Martin that she enjoys working with him and he is very good at his job. Martin reads between the lines and knows that Patty doesn't like working with Mel. Martin tells Patty that she is not the only one who does not enjoy working with Mel because he has sloppy work habits and makes more work for others.

Patty calls me to complain and asks what she can do about this situation because she's tired of doing Mel's job as well as her own. It takes time away from her family and she sure as hell isn't getting paid to do Mel's job!

Oh, and here's one more little caveat. Patty's boss is a friend of Mel's. OK....that makes this a little bit stickier. But here's what I tell her to do.

After Mel has allegedly signed off on your work, check it over. If he hasn't really checked it over and there are issues, send it back to him with an email, pointing out the areas he needs to make adjustments to. Don't make the email accusatory but, rather, just point out the errors and ask him if he can recheck this.

If it happens again, then have a private conversation with him and clarify each of your roles. Maybe make note that you both have a lot on your plate and it's important for you to work as a team and be able to count on each other to complete the project.

If things don't change then you need to address this with your boss. Let him know that you have spoken to Mel but it hasn't made any difference and it is adversely affecting your time management in getting your other projects completed.

Patty's manager may be friends with Mel but if he is a professional, he will handle it in a professional manner and speak to Mel. If that doesn't happen and there is no positive change in Mel's work ethic, then Patty needs to go to her boss's boss and ask that he/she intervene.

No one likes confrontation. In fact, most people think confrontation means to fight. It doesn't. It only means to deal with the situation. When Patty first confronts Mel, she should do so in a matter-of-fact way, stating her needs and how they aren't being met. Secondly, it's important to go through the chain of command. Even though Patty's boss is a friend of Mel's, Patty should give her boss the opportunity to handle the problem. She should only go to her boss's boss if he doesn't make things right.

Try not to make things personal at work. It's important to keep things professional, not point fingers, and just state your needs. Sometimes people don't realize they're screwing up and they appreciate you taking the time to bring things to their attention. They may be a little mad or embarrassed but if you handle work relationships in this manner, you will get a reputation as being a straight shooter -- and people respect that in others.

Skills Assessments and Interest Tests

Maybe this should have been the first or second blog entry but, regardless, it's here now.

Many high schools, junior colleges and universities offer Skills Assessments and Interests Tests for students. Check with your Career Resource Center to see what they offer. And for those of you who only follow direct instructions, there may not be a Career Resource Center at your school. It may be called something different. Talk to your school counselor or just go into the main office and ask them if they offer these kinds of tests. They'll direct you to the proper person.

Even if you're in junior college or at a 4 year university, it's never too late to take these tests to see if you're on the right track. Like I always say, "Career development is a process; a journey for the rest of your life. Always keep your options open.".

I've been scouting around trying to find high schools that A) have websites and B) have assessment tests and interests tests on their websites. Though my research is by no means thorough, I am still astounded by how few schools actually offer their students these tools. I'm also astounded by the fact that any high school would NOT have a website for their school!

First, check your school's website to see if these assessments/tools are available to you. If not, then check these out.

Wilcox High School  has a fairly good and comprehensive website. It contains the following areas for your career research:

Job Description
Working conditions
Earnings
Career Path
Related Jobs

They also have interviews with people who actually do these jobs. They answer questions about what they like and don't like about the job, how they got the job, what their typical day at work is like, etc. The site provides information on colleges and programs that might interest you so it would be a good idea just to cruise around and see what's out there. For right now the site is free -- probably because it's intended for Wilcox High School students. But it’s very helpful in getting you started on your career path research.

Rutgers University Career Services  is not as thorough as the Wilcox High site but will give you an idea where your interests lie. My big objection is that it asks things that, IMHO, a high school student wouldn't have the life experience to answer honestly. But it’s still a good resource.

If your school doesn't have a Skills and Interest Assessment tool, suggest that they contact the University of Wisconsin Madison WISCareers . They have a very comprehensive Career Resource Development package for high school and junior college students. Check out the demo — it takes you through all parts of the site.

Right now WISCareers only offers their Assessments and other resources to schools but by April 1, 2007 they will make this available to individuals. This means that you can buy a subscription, for about $19.95 for an entire year and have your own account! You'll be in charge of your career planning! You'll need a credit card for this purchase but I'm sure your parents will be happy to help out in that area ;-)

For information on the WISCareers CareerLocker contact:

Jessica Sackett
Ann Fillback Watt

Even if you’re a student, Jessica and Ann would love to hear from you and will be more than happy to answer all your questions.

Back to Work!

I apologize for being absent for so long. I've been swamped with recruiting needs of my clients which usually doesn't happen at the end of the year. Usually businesses don't want to hire people after Thanksgiving because they don't want to pay them for the Christmas holiday time off, but Silicon Valley is going through a growth spurt and everyone is trying to hire good people to fill their ranks.

But I'm back and ready with more insightful suggestions on how to proceed into the adult work world ;-)

More to follow....