Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with business and career

Building business relationships with high level people

fishtacos — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 20:38:21 -0800

Help me figure out proper business networking with high level people. I'm trying to be more mature about my career, because I know if I ever want to get to where I want to be, I need some serious people skills. Problem is, I've only ever been good at interacting with colleagues around my age that I could relate to on a friend level. But I feel some anxiety and intimidation about how to network with more senior people, since I don't quite know what to do or how to act. I know they're not monsters or anything, but I feel like there's more proper etiquette about asking for their time as well as the types of things you might talk about over lunch.

I'm not really all that "sophisticated" when it comes to going out for a drink or what have you, so I could use any tips. I know this is sort of a vague question, but any suggestions (or even stories) on building relationships with people at the top?

Should we stay or should we go?

hamandcheese — Wed, 15 Jul 2009 18:33:45 -0800

Life choices-filter: What should my wife and I do next? Hi all,

My wife and I are both well-employed and relatively successful mid to late twenty-somethings. We're currently in a mid-size Canadian city, but have aspirations to a lot more travel and work internationally. We'd like that to be soon, but could also pursue some pretty good opportunities here...

My wife works as the education manager at a decent size museum, and loves her work, but is not liking her job. The museum is owned by the government but largely operated by a non-profit society that does all of the fundraising, marketing, volunteer coordination, events, and education programs. Her society is in the midst of a major power struggle with the museum itself and her entire organization may quit or be kicked out before its all over, so she has no job security at all, and the work environement itself has turned into a rumor mongering, us vs. them, hellhole. Things are in arbitration right now, without the possibility for resolution until September (although they keep pushing the dates back, so there is no guarantee).

I work for an engineering company doing editing and graphic design, but find the soulless money-making focus and ridiculous stipulations put on my work by my corporate masters takes all joy and sense of purpose out my job. I want out pretty bad, but have managed to pay 3/4 of my student debt off in the past year, and know that I could get the last $6,500 paid within another 3 months. That would mean we'd be debt free, which of course would be awesome. On the side, I also have my own freelance editing, graphic design and photography business that has been growing fairly well without a whole lot of effort on my part. That said, it's still a pretty small-scale affair, but I feel confident I could do well with it if I had time to throw myself at it. I really enjoy this work because it is for myself and my clients, and because the projects are all very diverse. Photography has become my major passion, and my emotional side is telling me to quit my job tomorrow and throw myself into my own business to see if I can really grow it. I'm pretty sure I could make a go of wedding photography as well, and with all of these diverse things, could make enough of a living to get do reasonably well within a few months, and quite well within 1-2 years.

Now here's the complicated part: we've been talking about going overseas to work since we finished university 1-2 years ago. We don't really care where. If our debt was paid, we could take jo-jobs anywhere we could get work visas (such as British Commonwealth countries), and have a great time. With no debt, we could also look into volunteer opportunities in places like Africa. If we still carry some of this debt, we would probably be better off teaching english as a second language somewhere in Asia, but this would be cool too. I think we'd be happy to do pretty much any of these things.

Soooooo, with all of that as background, here's the dilemma: If my wife's society survives the museum meltdown, her job will be something worth sticking with a while longer. She's quite young to have a position like this and it is a really great opportunity for her if she sticks with museum or interpretation work, or if she gets her teaching degree (long-term goal). If this is the case, and we're going to stay here longer, then my choice would be to quit my job tomorrow (I dislike it that much), debt or no debt, and try to do the work I like doing. But we have no certainty that her job will last, and if I do quit my job to focus on the freelance work, and then she loses hers, we'll be a lot worse off financially than if I stick it out until they resolve it. (but I hate it!)

Should we stick it out, or should we start selling our belongings and looking into work visas?

Should I quit my job? Or would that be stupid? Should I throw myself into my own business, or would that be extra stupid since we plan to leave the country and travel within a year? (I really want to do both!)

Should we go teach english? Or do something else?

I'm not looking for definitive answers; I know we need to answer these questions ourselves. I'd just love some opinions. So lay it on me Mefites. Don't be shy.

Should we stay or should we go?

I think I want more strategery.

ignignokt — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 07:12:40 -0800

GuidanceCounselorFilter: What jobs involve strategic decisions on a fairly frequent basis? I've been a software developer for the last nine years, and I'm thinking of moving on after my current job runs its course. I still enjoy programming from time to time, but I get less and less out of it as time passes.

It recently occurred to me that I might get more fulfillment out of a job that involves a bit more strategy (or tactics if you'd like). I'd like the following cycle to happen during a job:

1. I'm presented with a decision to make.
2. I research the choices.
3. I apply cost-benefit analysis.
4. I make a decision.
5. I get to move on to another decision, but I do eventually get to see the results of this decision.

It can be argued that this cycle comes up in every occupation, including software engineering. In software engineering, however, in day-to-day work on an established architecture, there is usually one obvious choice and most of the work is finding that. Seeing how the "decision" plays out is not very interesting, either. Designing the architecture for a new application or system does involve strategic decisions that may not have completely predictable results, but it can take years before you can see the consequences of your decisions and cast your lot once again.

I'm looking for "broader" decisions, if that makes any sense.

I know I enjoy going through this kind of analysis/decision/results-watching cycle when I'm making my decisions about my own life, big and small, deciding on purchases, or playing board games, certain video games, or poker.

I think I could get this kind of decision-making opportunity by starting my own business, but I was wondering if it was available in a purer form. Investment banking, maybe? This is probably a terrible time to get involved with that, however.

And of course, it's quite possible that this is not actually the right way to go, but I'd like to explore it, so make your suggestions, please.

Creative Innovative Socially-Good Companies

divabat — Sat, 29 Nov 2008 16:46:03 -0800

Which companies and organisations are big on innovation, creativity, doing good, and support flexible work styles and ethics? I'm jobhunting at the moment and I've found that the company culture and industries they work in are just as important - if not more so - than the specific job role. I'd be happy to work in any role in those sort of companies (so long as I have enough skills); however, I'm finding it hard to find job searches that let you define the industry/style of the hiring company.

I'm after companies and organisations that put value on creativity, innovation, doing social good, flexibility, ideas, and ethical practice (they don't have to be super-strong in all those aspects, one or two main ones would do). At the moment I'm not worried about location - I may have to move internationally anyway, and travel is a huge bonus.

I have skills in arts and events management, cross-cultural communication & integration, general administration, strategy & policy, dealing with young people, research, idea generation, performance and presentation, writing & editorial, and working with the web - but I'm willing to learn new skills or work in something basic and entry-level if it's with the right company.

Some ideas of companies that look interesting:

Google (I'd LOVE to work for them but they seem to only be hiring tech engineers - and I know naught about software engineering)
BrainStore
WhatIf Innovation
GOOD Magazine
Up with People (I've volunteered with them and they have one of the best office cultures I've ever seen)
United Nations (though I've heard that they can be frustratingly bureaucratic)

Which other companies/organisations can I add to the list? How do I find more companies/organisations that fit my needs?

First time traveling for an job interview

humanawho — Sat, 18 Oct 2008 15:47:58 -0800

I am soon traveling for an job interview for the first time, and in general this is the first time i have traveled for "business", any tips? primarily looking for tips about traveling for an interview but if you have a good lesser known tip about interviews, let me have it. i am going to a town i have never been to before for a job interview. any tips on what to pack, how to travel, what to explore in the new town to see if i would want to live there, ect.

any advice would help, thanks

Suggestions for my new job or career?

springo — Sun, 21 Sep 2008 14:01:35 -0800

I've done some soul-searching, and I've come up with some ideas for new jobs or careers for myself, but I know there are other possibilities out there that I just haven't thought of yet. Based on my skills and interests, can you think of a great job or career for me? My three favorite skills are:

Creating unusual and hilarious new ideas quickly and spontaneously.

Deeply evaluating new ideas created by others and making recommendations on the best ones to use.

Enthusiastically adapting, experimenting with, applying, improving, and promoting other people's good ideas, particularly if the ideas aren't well-known.

My three favorite interests are:

Personal counseling and guidance: finding, integrating, and using new ideas

Entertainment: humor, oddity, and other forms of surprise

Writing

I have technical experience (computer programming and other work for fifteen years, project management) and creative experience as well (acting, music, and writing). I also love taking care of people--service and support jobs have suited me well in the past.

What career fields do my skills and interests suggest to you?

How do I position myself to make the most money and be in a position to take jobs overseas?

Anonymous — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 09:38:35 -0800

How do I position myself (through college) to make the most money and be in a position to take jobs overseas? Considering majoring in Business, Economics, International Studies, Public Policy, or a combination of the two. I lucked out and managed to get a great job without having a college degree. I work for a labor union and have for a little over 10 years. I enjoy my work, but am really ready to do something different and find new challenges.

I'm currently going to school, and when I finish my undergrad am planning on quitting and either going to grad school or getting a job. My priorities are being in a job with international travel, making good money (goal of six figures) and/or working overseas. I'm hoping that my significant experience with my current job will give me an edge. I enjoy school and am planning on doing a double major. I am definitely going to major in Business and am considering either a double major in Economics, International Studies, or Public Policy. I have really enjoyed my Economics classes I've been taking, so I am interested in taking some more of those classes.

I'm looking for firsthand experiences in what you majored in, what types of jobs you've been able to find, and what I should do to position myself best.

How does one make the transition between "college student" and business professional" without being wasteful?

DonSlice — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 21:22:31 -0800

How does one make the transition between "college student" and business professional" without being wasteful? My cousin recently took a nice job out west- something that is career-worthy. She's still living like a college student (ie: computing while sitting on the floor, instinctively buying cheaper things because they're cheap, etc).

How can she move from that "college student" mindset without being wasteful with her money?

How does one get a start in the tourism / travel consultant business?

chrisinseoul — Mon, 25 Aug 2008 12:09:12 -0800

How does one get a start in the tourism / travel consultant business? Education or work experience? What kinds? More questions than answers, inside... Me: 26 years old, Business / Marketing Bachelor's degree, variety of business experience, love of traveling / writing about traveling (active blog about South Korea with thousands of hits), currently overseas in Seoul (see username), and trying to figure out how to get into a career of travel or tourism consulting. Currently working as an English teacher and trying to break free of teaching 6-year-olds in favor of something much more interesting. I find traveling fascinating, and often wonder why more people don't try it or do it on a more regular basis. Some other ideas include writing / reviewing about places I've visited (which doesn't seem like a feasible career, though it makes a hell of a blog)

Instead of helping people to get from point A to point B (as a travel agent might), I could see myself working with a local population for a given time (6 months, 1 year, 2 years) with the goal of creating tourism opportunities, easier time getting around / finding things, and so on. This may be done as part of a consulting firm, on my own, or simply on a contractual basis. Another term for this dream position might be a creative marketing consultant in the travel / tourism field.

While there are plenty of Master's degree programs available in Travel / Tourism Management (both online and physical schools), I'd rather not spend the money / time doing something considered irrelevant by having the work experience instead.

How does one get their foot in the door? Anecdotal stories are welcome, as are specific companies that work in this way. If anyone can help narrow down this seemingly broad field to a better title / career goal, your advice is appreciated as well.

Getting out of academia

googly — Thu, 14 Aug 2008 10:31:31 -0800

I want to quit academia and embark on a lucrative new career in the private sector. How do I do it, and is it worth it to get an MBA? Here are the particulars.

Who I am:
- Late 30s guy.
- Ivy-league humanities PhD.
- Currently employed in a humanities/social science academic position at a university that is usually ranked in the top 30 internationally.
- Reasonably successful in my profession, though not a star. I have a good pedigree and have held a couple of relatively prestigious fellowships, but overall my CV is somewhere around average.
- My strengths: I'm very smart, and have a synthetic mind, good at seeing emerging patterns, and grasping and communicating complex concepts. I love public speaking and interacting with people.
- My weaknesses: I can be very detail-oriented if need be, but am not meticulous by nature. I have no specific marketable skills outside of academia, and no experience working 'real jobs' since retail in my mid-twenties.

What I want:
- A faster-paced, more challenging, riskier, and more creative work environment. Everything is so damn slooooooooow in academia; I feel like I am dying a long, boring, and painful death.
- I want to interact with people more. I can do just fine on my own (I wouldn't have gotten as far as I have if I couldn't do self-directed research), but the solitude and social isolation of academia is getting to me.
- I want to make more money. A lot more. I'm tired of seeing people who have my brains and education level, or less, make 10x what I do. I want a bigger slice of the pie.

What I am (and am not) willing to do:
- I have the extraordinary luxury of working a job that affords me a lot of free time. I can spend the next 3 years doing whatever it takes to make a significant career change. I could, for example, get an MBA on the side, or put in self-directed study to bring myself up to speed in some area.
- I understand that I will likely be somewhat entry-level whatever I do, and realize that I might well be working with a lot of people 15-20 years younger than me. But I don't think I can put in 100-hour work weeks and compete with 22 year-olds in terms of energy and time.
- That said, I am absolutely willing to work hard and put in long hours for a number of years.
- I am relatively flexible geographically, and would be willing to move to work in the US, Canada, or the EU (and I have EU citizenship). I would strongly prefer to live and work in a major metropolitan area.

The questions:

(1) What should I do? I am interested in finance and economics, do investing on my own, and read on these topics in my spare time. Something in banking, investing, or finance fits my criteria - such as a place like D.E. Shaw. Is it at all possible for someone like me to get in the door at a place like this without connections or a strong quantitative background? If I am effectively shut out of these kinds of jobs, are there other lines of work that fit my criteria? At this point, I alternate between feeling optimistic that I could do anything in the world, and being despondent that I am too old and unskilled to qualify for anything at all.

(2) Is it worth it to get an MBA? Like I said above, I have the opportunity to get one, for cheap. I think that it would help me in the relevant skills department, and would also signal my seriousness about a career change. But is it really worth anything, especially for someone in their late 30s/early 40s?

(3) Besides reading "What Color is Your Parachute," are there any resources that could help me making this decision? Any advice is greatly appreciated.

What Could I Do With My 2009?

divabat — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 05:03:03 -0800

This year's my final year of my degree. My psychologist asked me if I had any plans for next year. My original plan fell apart, so now I don't really have anything. Hmm. What could I look into? So I didn't get shortlisted for the Danish KaosPilots. Ouch. I'm still sad about it, but I've had two weeks to brood about it and it's time to move on.

Since I had been so single-mindedly focused on that one goal for the past six months, I didn't really consider Plans B, C, and so on. (I did consider that it would be a possibility, but I didn't spend too much time on it.) I had been pretty worn out from all that preparation and planning, so I'm taking at least this month off from anything along the lines of "my future" and just do random things for a while. If something strikes me as interesting, I'd apply for it, but I won't devote much time or energy on it.

I do still have to think about next year though. This is my final year; I'm finishing off all my required subjects this sem and have 4 electives free next semester. Deciding what to do after university isn't really a clear-cut process, as there are a few complex factors that need to be considered.

While I don't think I'm quite ready to devote my entire life to one pursuit (like I did before), and I don't want to commit to something just yet, I'd like to explore my options and just take a look at what seems interesting.

I'm interested in young people, non-traditional education, culture, community work, and making a difference. What could I do? What could I explore?

Some ideas:

1. Apply for the KaosPilots in Rotterdam (The Netherlands) - it starts roughly around the same time as the Denmark school, but they seem a lot more excited about potentially having me (though I don't want to get my heart broken again!!)

2. Do a Masters or a Grad Dip in something - some courses that look interesting and are more the kind of stuff I'm interested in are the Non-Profit/Philantrophy stream in QUT's Business programs (though I'm ineligible because they're part-time); International Comparative Education and Policy, Organization, and Leadership Studies in Stanford; Arts in Youth and Community Development in Columbia College Chicago; SIT Graduate Programs; Humane Education. Possibly also education in general, social work, or counselling. I'd rather it be more experiential and real-world as I'm sick of academic writing and learn best by doing, but I'm not sure how to search out this information.

3. Get a job in Australia. The main problem here is visas - to be eligible for the 18-month bridging visa, my job has to pay me at least $40,000/year - next to impossible for entry level, especially in the creative industries/community services which are underfunded. The other option is to be sponsored by a company, but they need to have a lot of resources to prove that I'm better than any Australian candidate, and most of the companies that would otherwise be an excellent fit just can't afford to do so.

4. Get a job in Malaysia. No visa issues, but prospects are pretty low as there aren't as many opportunities.

5. Take some of my ideas and make them real (so this would also involve research on funding, project management, how I'll survive while I plan out my project...)

6. Apply for my dream job at UWP, if it's available

7. Take up the partial scholarship from The Scholar Ship and travel for a sem - might need to reapply though. Alternatively, travel on similar programs (though funding would be an issue)

8. Take up BrainStore's traineeship offer - 3 months in Switzerland. It's actually meant for this August but I could defer it.

9. Apply for a fellowship to something - I've applied to a couple that don't require much travel (and pay expenses if I have to). Sauve Scholars would be COOL. I'm not sure where to search for these though - most of the ones I find require you to already have a project in mind, but I want to find a project I can get involved with.

10. Stay at home, mooch off the parents. While desirable by my parents (who sometimes have Empty Nest Syndrome) I would be bored very quickly.

11. Travel, though this would eat up money mainly in visa fees (damn Bangladesh passport).

12. Do a second degree in something, or a random course that's more for fun than anything else

13. Try to be famous for...something.

As I've said before, I'm most interested in exploring possibilities than anything else, so feel free to toss me any suggestions - schools, programs, people, countries (particularly those not picky with visas), companies, visa advice, etc. Most of the best/most interesting ones tend to be US-specific, so anything that allows internationals would be best (e.g. an international City Year or Peace Corps).

If nothing else, just looking at all the ideas would get me a little more excited about life and lift me out from my dumps!

Thank you!

Life in the shoes of a business analyst

gttommy — Mon, 10 Mar 2008 06:29:11 -0800

What is life as a Business Analyst in the IT industry like? I would like to progress into more broader roles from programming and I understand BA is a natural stepping stone towards project management or something of similar scope. But I have only bits of vague knowledge from a variety of sources, such as job ads, study, and friends, and I am curious to know what I would actually be getting myself into.

What sort of work do BAs do, specifically? Is it generally an 'easy' role? In a large vs a small company? What are the pros and cons when compared to programming and project management or consulting? Etc...

Looking forward to your insight.

I want to be passionate about my work... while working in my pjs

brandnew — Sat, 01 Mar 2008 09:42:22 -0800

Can I make a living coding from home, and where can I find such a job? First, I'm a veteran coder. I've been working in the software industry for 10 years. I'm experienced in all aspects of the software life cycle. I'm an expert in C#, and very experienced in Java. Over the last few years I've been trading time between roles as solution architect and lead programmer. That means I do more requirements analysis and development and system design now, but I still do a lot of coding.

A couple of years ago my spouse started a business, and it has become far more successful than we had expected. However, the problem is that she had started her business in a small city, and that city doesn't have a large software development market. In fact there are only four or five companies that develop software within 50 miles. And, for various reasons, she is unable to relocate her business or us.

So, I currently work for a defense contractor, and I'm making great money for a small city (>$100K). However, I'm yearning to get back to the "real" software market - developing consumer, enterprise, or business-to-business software applications. And, I want to get back to working at a start-up-type environment, and being passionate about the products I'm developing.

So, how do I find such a job that will allow me to telecommute 75% of the time? Is there a job board that exists specifically for telecommuting jobs? Or, do I just scour the web sites of potentially interesting software company and email them my sales pitch? Plus, would I expect to take a big pay cut if I switch to telecommuting? I may not care, but just curious.

Need side job advice for lacking income

macsigler — Wed, 30 Jan 2008 11:04:27 -0800

What can my wife and I do to supplement our lacking income? We're newly married college students and I'm unemployed. She has a job as a tutor but it's still not the greatest pay. My wife and I are trying to think of something that I/she/we can do on the side to maybe earn a bit of extra income at least until I can get a decent full-time job, maybe even after, possibly one day turning it into a sort of small business. We're having trouble thinking of what we could do, though.

I love computers (I plan on studying computer science this upcoming fall semester), although I'm not too terribly skilled at the moment. I am studying up, though, and try to tinker around when I can, and study C++ and some basic web design as much as possible. I also love languages, and learned Tagalog (Filipino) fluently as a missionary living in the Philippines. I also like cooking. I like playing games but that doesn't really help me earn a living so I try to avoid it lately. ;)

She likes doing crochet and knitting as a hobby, but she's not really passionate about anything that I can think of, except maybe reading. She loves to read.

It's not anything that is ultra-crucial to happen right this instant, we're not starving by any means, I just would like some ideas to help us know where to focus our attention and get something going. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

How do I become a business tycoon?

doppleradar — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 07:28:06 -0800

How do I become a business tycoon? What's the route that maximizes career opportunity on a general level? JD, MBA, MS, or working your way up the ladder with no graduate degree?

I'm a soon-to-be psychology BA, with an average GPA (3.58/4.0) from a well-respected state school with a couple of years of part-time research experience.

Finding a graduate program that's not a traditional MBA

lsemel — Tue, 05 Jun 2007 08:16:00 -0800

I was thinking going back for an MBA, but realize I may be looking for something different. My background is in Internet, technology and media, and I have a degree in computer science. I'm also good at design. I've started technology businesses on my own, but I want to make a change and open up new directions. My interests lie more in the area of innovation, new product development/design, consulting and entrepreneurship. From the research I've done, most of the MBA programs are pretty similar, and geared to people who want to work on Wall Street or in large corporations. While I'm not particularly interested in these areas, I definitely want to learn about business as pertains to my areas of interest, and make new connections. Are there any graduate programs (MBA or otherwise) more tailored more toward my interests?

How do I fast track my way into consulting?

gttommy — Sun, 27 May 2007 04:49:21 -0800

How do I fast track my way into consulting? I'm 24 year old male doing a combined Software Engineering/Int'l studies in Chinese degree. I'm interested in getting into Business consulting within 1-2 years, and believe I have the transferable skills to do so, just not the experience & qualifications.

Things I have considered:
-apply for graduate positions within a large company to work towards software/IT consulting then find a way into business consulting (seems a little tedious)
-go for business analyst roles and wait for an opportunity
-find a managerial job, if possible, and put into resume then apply

Please suggest ways to get into business consulting asap!

-------------
My only work experience is pretty much only around 17 months experience as a paid intern programmer at 2 different software companies (no longer employed by either).

Yes I have tried the search but all I found were questions related to career dilemmas.

Sell my soul to get ahead?

blahtsk — Thu, 01 Jun 2006 07:37:55 -0800

Should I leave my luxurious job as a pampered senior developer at a startup to become a manager + learn about business + get more pay at a larger, more boring, publicly-traded company? Currently I work as a senior software engineer at a mid-sized startup company (about 30 people). I've been there roughly 2.5 years, and am considered an expert within our product line.

We have a really nice office, and as a company we have a lot of fun. Lots of parties, movies, video games, free food, etc. It's great, and the people are great.

Recently, a powerful friend of mine has told me he wants me to come work with him at his company and that he'll give me my own team and train me as a manager at a higher pay. He promises career growth opportunity, whereas at my current company I'm pretty much pegged as a developer with little opportunity to become a manager+ in the near future.

This new company is much larger and publicly traded (about 300 people). The office space I would be working in is a huge room packed with small cubicles with a low ceiling. There is no free food, there are no video games. It's a lot more subdued at this new place; almost soul crushing. It's very "Office Space"-esque, if you've seen the movie.

A few other things I'm worried about:

My commute would be much longer - right now it's about 25 minutes to work; the new office would be about 45 minutes.

Our development team at my startup is small (5 people), and I'm the main guy. My manager will need another senior engineer fast or our current schedule will definitely slip. Plus I consider my manager a friend, and I want to remain friends but I feel like I'm abandoning him.

My current manager has recently mentioned we could be taking on a new junior developer soon that I could mentor. I could try to get the best of both worlds by telling my manager I'm very interested in becoming a manager, and see if we can come up with a solution in the foreseeable future (though this seems like a stretch and I do think that my powerful friend at the new place would teach me worlds about business).

I guess my question is, what is it worth to get ahead? Am I spoiled by office ameneties, having worked at mostly small startups up to this point? Am I making a mistake by mixing friendship and business? Should I suck it up and work at the new place because the career + pay advancement will help me in the long run whereas the dismal office conditions are more short-term?

Thanks for reading... I'm really torn.

How valuable is a one-month business program at Stanford?

fourstar — Wed, 15 Mar 2006 09:46:10 -0800

Have you attended the Stanford Graduate School of Business Summer Institute for General Management? How was your experience? If you are an employer in the financial sector, how much more inclined would you be to consider a job applicant with a non-business degree who had attended the SI?

How best to research a potential employer?

blingblong — Mon, 30 Jan 2006 10:30:18 -0800

What's the best way to go about researching a potential new employer? I'm being given an opportunity to advance my career by an old boss at a new job... but she's so new there she only has glowing things to say about the place. I want to see if there's any other attitude about working there before I start, and I don't want to go to current employees and just ask because I think she might take it as my not trusting her (which isn't the case, I just want to Cover My A--)

So, how would one go about researching the work environment, corporate culture, etc, of a company without actually asking current employees? Are there internet forums that cover this kind of thing? Is there some way to find out about previous problems between this company and employees? Any help would be great.

How to sell an acupuncture practice

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Jan 2006 09:43:38 -0800

Should I sell my business or change direction? I own a busy acupuncture practice seeing about 80 - 100 people a week. I have a waiting list of about five months for new patients. I went into a caring profession in order to help and support people and ended up burned out and exhausted. The business is thriving but I am not. I look back fondly on the days when I got to spend lots of time with each patient but my overhead is such that, that is not a realistic possibility now.

As my practice has been built on my own reputation as a good practitioner how do I value it without me and more importantly would anyone want to buy it if I wasn't there? Alternatively I could employ a junior partner to take some of the load and take a back seat but I'm not sure how to structure that financially.

I've worked hard to create my business so I don't just want to close the doors (nor could I afford to) but I'm really pretty miserable the way things are. New Year's Angst! Help!