Giraffes, Machine Guns & Passports

The future of journalism has often been discussed in the past few years, especially in light of declining readership of traditional mediums (magazine subscriptions, physical newspapers, etc.) - and while I still read my fair share of physical media, it is becoming clear that traditional media outlets are having difficulty paying their bills. The larger implication of this, of course, is that they're beginning to have difficulty retaining quality journalists who are now pursuing their own endeavors, looking to establish the next serious milestone.

I received this article by email from, of all organizations, USAA. It does an excellent job of prompting people to really think about how they hunt for jobs. Check it out below:

12 Myths to Trash if You Want to Get Hired

No matter what career you're seeking, finding employment continues to be a challenge. To improve your chances, career experts advise avoiding these common misconceptions.

Myth 1: Most jobs are advertised in newspapers and online sites.

Only 15% to 20% of job openings are publicly posted, reports Randall Hansen, publisher of Quintessential Careers website. The number of people actually hired through these ads is less than half that, he says.

To add insult to unemployment, many employers have increasingly found e-job applications more of a hassle than a help, says Christine Bolzan, founder of Graduate Career Coaching. "So many people automatically respond to the online offerings that employers are often reluctant to post a job," she says.

If you search online for a job, Hansen recommends going directly to prospective employers' websites or searching Google by profession, industry or geographic area. "Many industry and professional associations also run job boards," he says. "For example, the American Marketing Association has one for marketing professionals."

Myth 2: The Web is the modern way to search for work.

Use the Internet to gather information and promote yourself, but don't depend on it as a one-stop, e-shop for good job opportunities. Instead, focus on getting real face time. "Person-to-person networking has never been more important," says Bolzan, who offers these suggestions to advertise yourself:

• Sound out friends and family about openings.
• Schedule informational interviews with people in your field of interest.
• Catch up with former colleagues and classmates.
• Get involved in professional organizations.

Myth 3: Resume + cover letter = interview ± job.

Today, you have to market yourself and your skills, says J.T. O'Donnell, a career strategist and founder of Careerealism.com. Consider a career-focused website or blog as a way to tell your story, she says.

Use professional networking sites like LinkedIn to promote your experience, research what's current in your career field and develop professional contacts.

Myth 4: The more applications in play, the more offers on the way.

Put away the application shotgun and become a job sharpshooter, advises O'Donnell. Study the positions you want and identify the companies that have them. Then, aim carefully by crafting customized resumes and cover letters designed to hit the mark. "It's a matter of quality over quantity," she says.

Myth 5: Any job in this economy is a good job.

If the rent is due and your desired line of work still eludes you, taking a career detour may be unavoidable. At the same time, keep faith with your long-range professional goals and keep your skills current by staying active in related organizations, taking a class to add new skills or volunteering for an organization that relates to the job you're interested in.

Myth 6: Experience and qualifications matter more than character.

Most interviewers gauge how well candidates might fit in with their team. At your interview, smile, make eye contact, ask informed questions and demonstrate genuine enthusiasm for the position. Never undervalue authenticity and likability in your effort to win the job, advises O'Donnell.

Myth 7: It's not what you know, it's who you know.

It's more a matter of how well you know them, when you knew them and who they know, says Bolzan. "You need to stay in contact with decision-makers even when they aren't hiring," she adds. "You need to let them know you're still out there by gently touching base every 30 to 45 days."

Myth 8: The interview is all about you.

A job interview is more than a one-way audition of your skills and personality. You also need to show genuine interest in the company and position.

Learn everything you can about the company and the person who will be interviewing you, if you can find out that person's name. Scope out online information about the company through Google searches. Learn about your interviewer through LinkedIn company profiles and corporate Tweeters. Shared alma maters, favorite teams or professional memberships can go a long way to breaking the interview ice.

Myth 9: Dumbing down your resume is an effective strategy.

If you've been told you're overqualified, you might be tempted to remove dates and even advanced degrees from your resume. This would be a mistake, says O'Donnell. Such a move smacks of desperation and can be a deal killer if a background check reveals the truth.

A better approach is to explain in detail why you're enthusiastic about the position and the company and what specific needs you are uniquely qualified to meet. Also, demonstrate you have the flexibility and qualities to mesh with the team. Ask questions and show your readiness to learn what others have to teach.

Myth 10: Grad school is always a good fallback.

"Only go to grad school if you can 100% prove that you need those skills to advance your long-term goals," says O'Donnell. Using higher education as a place to wait out a down job market could leave you further behind financially and professionally.

Myth 11: Landing a job you love is the most important thing.

Instead of fixating on your vision of the ideal job, concentrate on how you like to live, learn and relate. Ask yourself:

• Do you prefer to work solo, or as part of a team?
• Do you thrive in high-pressure situations, or easygoing environments?
• Is your computer like an extension of your fingers and brain, or a necessary electronic evil?

Leverage this self-knowledge to target jobs and careers that play to these preferences and strengths. The resulting job might not be perfect, but if you are tackling tasks you enjoy on a daily basis, you might end up with the next best thing.

Myth 12: If you've been fired, your job prospects are toast.

Getting fired or laid off doesn't carry the stigma it once did. What counts is how you handle interview questions about the situation. Whatever you do, don't rip into your old boss or workplace. Take the rational, philosophical route. Think of jobs like shoes — some fit better than others. You can use that analogy when discussing lost jobs, says O'Donnell. "Tell the interviewer, 'It just wasn't a good fit.'" Then, finish that thought by explaining why this job seems tailor-made.

You'll notice something new, yet subtle, on Facebook today. Look at
the top of your home page - there are now two ways to view your
friends' activities: News Feed, and Live Feed.

This is the first implementation, so I would guess, of the FriendFeed
acquisition, and a nice first step for Facebook towards implementing
their technology.

It looks as if Facebook chose to rename News Feed as Live Feed, and
move all 'significant' events to the News Feed (those items that have
been commented on or 'liked' the most - supposedly relevant to you). A
welcome change, as those with a ton of friends can't often watch their
news feed all day long for things to happen. This is a great way to
separate lame updates (er, those without a lot of feedback) from those
that are more relevant to your circle of friends. 

Sweet.

Of course there will always be hate for change on Facebook. But keep in mind, Facebook lovers, that if your favorite social media platform doesn't evolve, it will die. Luckily for you, this is a minor change, and it's easy enough to just click on 'live feed' to get back to what you're used to viewing.

I just received my new video camera - a Sanyo Xacti HD1010 - had an
absolutely killer feature set for the price, and to get anything
better I was going to have to spend some serious $$$$. It does full
1080p video (unlike the Flip HD cameras), has an external mic input,
and a much larger sensor than most cameras in this category. I'm
pleased with it so far.
 
Video is new to me. I've never messed with it until today. So the
movie below was edited with terribly crude skills (in iMovie, at that)
in about 5 minutes. Things will get better - think of this as a 'proof
of concept.' I was simply anxious to get something uploaded.

Alright - Can't wait to do some beer reviews with this baby on http://beergeni.us. Should be fun.
 
Jameson

Yo.

So I just did run number two with my Nike+ program - results were much better on this run, although I feel twice as beat. I suppose that's a good thing. Sure, my last run was last tuesday, but I've been playing disc golf and such in between. Weight is going steadily down - I'm down around eight pounds since I started consciously eating and making an effort to simply GET OUTSIDE! Sometimes that's all it takes.

This run's graph:

Not terribly shabby - a decent day.

Other news - Maggie's car is kaput. There is a hole in the engine block. Bad thing is that it could not have been predicted - these things sometimes happen.

I'm also running sound for Crazy for You at Lawrence Community Theatre - it's really a good show. Lots of fun. You can buy tickets at Lawrence Community Theatre. Have a fantastic weekend! Call your mom.

So I've put on a bit of weight since I got back from Iraq, which was to be expected. Catching up with friends, eating out all the time, etc., will certainly take its toll on you. I've been doing some light workouts, as the scale called attention to my increasing weight. No bueno. Anyway, got a new toy in the mail today - a new pair of running shoes, as mine are from Iraq and nearly a year old. What came with it was a little sensor that wirelessly connects to my iPod, and monitors my distance and speed and such. A graph from today's run:

Time for me to suck it up. I've got a place to live, and a place to work, and all the support in the world behind me now. Excuses are no longer valid! BeerGenius is on the way.

I got Maggimal a pair of running shoes the other day. We're going to go kick some butt together. I think that'll help boost my energy for work as well.

So, I moved into this pretty sweet place overlooking downtown lawrence - it has floor-to-ceiling windows, and I definitely don't have to turn on the lights during daytime. Tons of ambient light. Motivating during the day, and terribly distracting at night. Exactly what I was looking for!

I swung by my parents' house the other day, and ended up bringing home Mr. Beer. Sure, I'll doctor up my first batch on the thing, but I'm pretty excited to start brewing! I'll be filming the whole thing, so I suppose a decent camcorder is in order.

Hope your day is as beautiful as mine.

Been home just under a month now - finally found a place to live in downtown Lawrence, and started working on BeerGenius. I'm not quite as far along as I had hoped I would be, but it always works out that way, doesn't it?

So it snowed today - I missed snow! I got to drive my BMW and it did phenomenally well - so much fun to know I actually have traction. The last car (Lexus SC300) was about the worst car in the snow you can possibly imagine. All Wheel Drive is way fun.

I drank a Double Wide IPA from Boulevard Brewing Co today that was really quite good. My dad isn't really an IPA guy and he said it grew on him as we neared the bottom of the bottle. It definitely isn't as intense as most double IPAs, but really well balanced. Sufficient malt to round out the sharp hops of the beer style. I liked it quite a bit. And what a beautiful color...

Full review is coming soon on the new BeerGenius (www.beergeni.us)!

"The Finger." The phrase still makes me crack up like a fourth grader - I mean, who decided that holding one's middle digit up is to be considered offensive? Granted, I know what it represents, but I still think it's hilarious.

Anyway, I flew out of Iraq for good last night. I looked around, kissed the air goodbye, and instantly decided that I wouldn't miss the place too much. As we speak, I am sitting in Kuwait at the Ali Al Salem Air Base, waiting for my visa and passport to come back for entrance into Kuwait (well, ability to go off base).

There's something you should know about Ali Al Salem - the place is an absolute shithole. The tents we sleep in here hold approximately 20 guys, are usually packed to the gills (in this case, I'm man no. 19), and are the dirtiest, most vile things you've ever set foot in - and 18 overweight, overpaid contractors all snoring in unison certainly doesn't help the matter.

To make matters worse, of course, there's absolutely nothing to do. No work to be done. It is, by definition, a transient camp, so everyone naturally is waiting to move on to better things - whether that be Iraq, or the States (or other country of origin). So people are anxious. And irritable. And they're just as frustrated with me as I am with them, as we fumble around all hours of the night unpacking and repacking our bags.

As you may have deduced, I'm not staying any longer than I absolutely have to. But I can't go back to the states until March 1st, for many reasons. So what is the alternative?

I most likely won't be coming back to this immediate vicinity for quite some time, so I've decided I want to see Kuwait City. I'll have three days to poke around the city, and it comes at a great time. Their liberation/independence days are afoot, and there will no doubt be things to see/people to meet. I'm excited for the souks (open-air markets), high-end super luxe malls, architecture, and the food. The food is supposed to be phenomenal - and it better be, as Kuwait is a totally dry country.

Apparently there is quite an underground scene, but I don't feel like going to jail (a middle-eastern one, at that!) right before I go home, as neat of a story as it would make. I think I can refrain for another few days.

By the way, the picture is of the Kuwait Towers - one is a water tower, the second is an observation deck/restaurant/museum, and the third is simply there to look good. They're supposedly pretty neat up close.

I'll have pictures up when I can. Anxious to reconnect with everyone when I come home!

Much Love,
Jameson

It's nearly impossible to keep a regular schedule over here in Iraq. Various
reasons, really - flights, missions, you name it. But it comes with the
territory. So I've had the opportunity, as a result, to 'practice' dealing
with completely turning my schedule right-side up again.

 The effect is akin to that of flying halfway around the world and trying to
function as a normal human being the next day. As with most things, easy in
theory, difficult in execution. It seems that there are three key ways to
adjust one's sleep schedule:

  
  1. Go with the flow - sleep when you're tired, stay awake when you have
  to. Eventually adjust. Naps during the day are a perfect example.
  2. Shift your schedule back. Usually involves sleeping a little, and
  going through the normal day sleep-deprived. The normal way of doing things.
  3. Shift your schedule FORWARD - stretch your day out until it
  accommodates your new desired schedule. Wake up happy, refreshed, and
  relaxed!

 So I'm trying number three.
----------------
Three days later

 Okay, so I gave that a shot. Things went really quite well. The only
problem I noticed was that, in stretching my days out, my body has
been fighting to shorten them once again. At the end of the day, I
became exceedingly tired, which I suppose is a good thing. I hadn't
been sleeping well as of late, so this was a welcome change to be able
to hit the pillow and crash out until morning.

 I still believe that adjusting one's schedule through micro naps (20
min or less) to accommodate a new schedule is the best way to go - I
simply don't have the discipline to wake up when I'm supposed to!
Maybe you do. Maybe that's my next project.
--------------
I've been sitting on this draft for two weeks now, and I figured I
should finish it and just post it up. My blog is about unfiltered
expression with minimal revision, but I feel I haven't explained
myself with regards to the idea of 'stretching the day.'

 Since this was originally written, My sleep schedule was screwed up
once again due to an unforeseen event. Yet another example of why I'm
ready to be done with this place! Only two more weeks (and some
change), but I digress...

 So, stretching your days out - think of your day in terms of thirty
hours, not 24. In theory, if you sleep longer, you can stay awake
longer, right? The idea is that you sleep for 11-12 hours, and stay
awake for 18-19 hours. Do this repeatedly (two or three times), and
you will have eventually flipped your day upside down once again.

 In retrospect, I've learned some things. I've found it to be suitable
for an experiment, but not incredibly practical. The issues are that
you burn a day, and it may be impossible for you to sleep for twelve
hours straight. I can, but I'm lazy. But there's nothing more
boring/waste of time than lying in bed with one's eyes open. I HATE
that.

 This last time my schedule was flipped, I simply decided to go to bed
whenever I was tired, and wake up at a specific time - and let my body
automatically adjust. I was functioning the next day, and completely
adjusted the day after that, all without burning a day. On day three,
I didn't even have to use my alarm clock. To me, this is a much
simpler solution, and comes without excuses to
family/friends/colleagues.

 Simply an issue of discipline, I suppose - when it's time to get up,
it's time to get up. That's something in which I am putting some
serious effort :-).

 Much Love,
Jameson