Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with business and job

"Buy a condo," they said. "It's the best investment you can make," they said.

Anonymous — Tue, 01 Dec 2009 17:11:45 -0800

Caught between a potentially troublesome mortgage and a bad job. How should I proceed? I moved across the country, largely to take a certain job. To do that, I had to rent out my condo because it would have been hard to sell in that market. (And would still be hard to sell now.) That condo is under a 5-year ARM (adjustable rate mortgage) that starts adjusting in almost exactly one year.

I went shopping for refinancing, and the condo's status as an "investment property" and the loss of equity is killing me. Only my current lender is able to offer me a reasonable (although not great) deal for a fixed rate mortgage. However, the refinance process will take about three months, and during that time, I have to stay at this job.

The problem is that I hate the job and was planning to move on around now. It's easily the worst job I've ever had. It is bumming me the hell out, and I'm at the end of my rope. I was planning to start looking for contract work for a while, and then get started on my own consulting business. I'd really like to not have to stay or to hop into another full-time job for a while.

So, I guess my options are to stick it out for the refi or to move on and see what happens with the ARM next year. Some lenders have told me that I might be OK with it because interest rates are so low, but can it be reliably predicted that the Fed won't raise them in the next couple of years? A friend of mine in finance says that knowing what happens

I completely missed the non-resident-owner problem with refinancing when I made my decision to move, and I'm hoping I'm not missing anything this time before I make my decision. Please let me know if I am.

What metrics are sales professionals guided by?

Anonymous — Tue, 10 Nov 2009 08:27:00 -0800

What metrics are sales professionals guided by? Working with my sales manager to help redefine how inside and outside salespeople should be compensated and reviewed.

Everything from leadership to new accounts to call metrics to closed business... how does your business (or your competitors) judge the success of your sales force?

[Also, if you have any articles of interest or website recommendations, it would be just as valuable.]

Freaky Management Friday: Former Boss Edition

Anonymous — Mon, 02 Mar 2009 19:22:55 -0800

Being interviewed by outgoing manager for his/her job. Complex management question inside. Three years ago, I was a very junior person in Group A of Very Large Company. I was then hired away by Group B (totally unconnected) for a management position two slots higher than my previous role. Now, thanks to my management experience in Group B, I am a finalist in a search for the top job in Group A. I would be returning to the place I worked just a few years earlier, this time as the most senior manager. As part of the interview process, I have to be interviewed by the current senior manager in Group A- the person whose job I would be taking. S/he will be dropping down a level and will report to me. So AskMeFites, what advice can you give me on this interview? It's a touchy one, and I have some ideas on how to proceed, but I want to hear what you have to say before I decide on a strategy. My goal here is not just to have the interview go well, but to make him/her into an ally.

Extra background: My experience qualifies me to do this job and many of the people in management in Group A would be overjoyed to have me take the reins. I know this for certain (it's not just conjecture). The real sticking point is the current manager- and yes, this person was in charge when I was part of Group A. Also, there will be a replacement for this manager no matter what happens with my interview.

When to apply for a job?

firei — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 15:25:16 -0800

I'm graduating from college in May and will be entering the real world. I need a job, but how early should I start applying? Help!

I'm all set to graduate this coming May. I need a job once I graduate, and I've begun looking on Monster.com, in my local newspaper, Craigslist, and through my school.

I've found a couple of jobs I'm interested in, but they seem to be looking for applicants who can start within the next month or so - this is not me.

My question to the hive mind is this: when should I start sending my resumes out? Is it too soon to start applying? (And, if I do send out my resume, should I mention in my cover letter that I want to start in May?)

I'm conflicted, because I have friends who already have positions lined up, but others are telling me that it's silly to apply five months early.

(If it helps:

*I'm graduating from Fordham University, with a Bachelor's of Science in Business Administration, with a concentration of Entrepreneurism.
*I've got a fairly solid resume and a 3.7 GPA.
*I'm looking to work in the Westchester/Putnam County, NY area, or nearby.
*I'm primarily looking for marketing work, but I'm flexible/desperate.)

Job Opportunity Gut Check

thinkpiece — Mon, 01 Dec 2008 16:37:38 -0800

What questions should I ask myself in order to decide if I should take a new job in this economic environment? It's basically giant corporation vs. boutique consultancy. I have a stable middle-management job in a large corporation which, although while not exactly exciting, is secure and gives me a certain degree of responsibility and creative control in an area I'm not particularly interested in. The salary, benefits and growth opportunities are all average to good. The soulless bureaucracy, fizzled initiatives, office politics and general no-fun atmosphere leave my entrepreneurial, adventurous side cold. I've been there 18 months, like my boss, feel appreciated. I have recently been approached by a well-established, boutique UK consulting firm committed to building out the NY office. Their core competencies are much more closely aligned with mine, they seem to be on the move, they are well connected and have a dynamic client list with several projects on deck that would immediately fall into my area. Not to mention, more money, more freedom, better title, great events and projects, travel.

My question is: now that we have gone to the next level in discussions, what kinds of economy-related questions should I be asking about their business model? It's obviously a tough climate for strategy consultants -- I want to ask cogent, meaningful questions in order to surface their thinking about the economy and to find out what they're doing to stay strong during this recession.

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

How much should I tell when resigning?

alpha_betty — Tue, 14 Oct 2008 15:55:06 -0800

How much should I tell the boss upon resignation from a very messy situation? For two years, I have worked in a very small office consisting of 4 people until recently, and now it's down to two: the boss and me. The entire time I've been there, our office has held a contract from an outside agency to provide a specific service. This contract provided jobs for 2 people until it expired at the end of last month. When it expired, it gave my office and anyone else in the community the opportunity to bid on the contract.

We did not win it, but one of the contracted employees in this office won it for herself and is now in business on her own under the contract. This has impacted the money flow to my office significantly, and I would be surprised if my position stayed intact with full-time hours. I have many issues with my boss and the way he runs the office; now with just the two of us here I have more unpleasant face-time with him.

Here's where it gets interesting: The ex-coworker now in business for herself has offered me a position with her new business (which is under contract, remember, and offers a specific number of hours per week for two years). I would be working about 20% fewer hours per week and getting paid comparably to what I am currently. It offers the same benefits.

I am getting ready to hand in my resignation to the boss, but I know that when I do, he'll ask me where I'm headed. How much should I divulge? Should I be flighty in order to make things easier on myself before I'm done (boss and the board at my current job are understandably bitter toward this ex-employee), or should I buck up and tell the whole truth?

[Just for the sake of clarification, I am not asking IF I should quit - if I wasn't going with this opportunity, I'd be looking for another one. There are plenty of reasons to get out of my current job even without the new offer.]

Someone wants to pay me to do stuff! Only I'm not really sure how to go about it. Now what?

Anonymous — Sat, 11 Oct 2008 18:46:22 -0800

Someone wants to pay me to do stuff! Only I'm not really sure how to go about it. Now what? So I have a portfolio-ish website for creative services I (sort of) offer. It mainly was a hobby, nothing I really ever expected to profit from. I have done a few jobs as favors for family/friends, and I didn't charge them anything (they took me out to dinner, paid the material costs, etc.)

I just started a new job, and in the interview process, one of the key things that sold them on me was my portfolio (the work is somewhat related to some aspects of my new job.) New job doesn't have any problems with me doing creative jobs on the side as long as they aren't during company time/with company equipment.

In the standard "welcome to the company" email that my boss sent out to the whole company, he linked to my portfolio site (with my permission), and much to my surprise, shortly thereafter I got an inquiry from someone within the company possibly wanting to use my services. He asked for a price list, and I am writing one up now (never had the need for one before, oops!)

As I am thinking this is more of a once or twice a year kind of thing, I really don't want to go through the whole hassle of becoming incorporated, etc., etc. I kind of view this as a fluke.

However, I definitely don't want to be seen (by a co-worker) as someone who deals under the table, so I want to be as professional as possible about the whole situation.

So...what do I do? Specifically I am thinking about how I would handle sales tax or invoicing, etc. Or should I just say, it'll cost you $XX and have them write me a check and be done with it? I just want to be careful that word doesn't get out around my company that I'm not following "the rules" of small business or whatever.

Thanks for any advice you can offer!

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.

Go back for more school or take a meh first job?

sleazy_e — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:07:09 -0800

Recent Graduate: Work towards 2nd Bachelors, Masters, or take a lower paying position I hope will lead to the job I want? I'm from Texas and and a May grad with a BS in Econ (minors in math and writing) from a known State U. Currently I've been searching for job opportunities in fields Junior Financial Analysis or Market Research Analysis, Data Analytics (or really any kind of analysis that requires lots of math, data mining, and forecasting), but these jobs are very hard to find for my (entry? - I've worked every year since high school, but maybe not in relevant jobs) level in Texas (right now, everyone wants senior/experienced applicants) and I am frustrated by the impossibility to get an interview with my ~2.75 GPA (or for reasons companies refuse to inform me of). I am aware that grades are vital to get into the door of these positions.

I believe I am 2 semesters (30 hours) shy of a BS in Applied Mathematics (Finance track) and I can try to raise my grades above a 3.0, but I have already spent 5 years in school and racked up some debt. Now, I was once an Applied Math major before becoming Econ, but I switched due to pressure from paying for school on my own, dealing with an abusive relationship (that ended after the degree change), and constant insane familial problems/drama (think Arrested Development). I want to say that now those distractions could dissipate (except for paying for school on my own), but any future incidents are probable. Let's just say, I'm eager to pursue/finish the degree, but I'm afraid that I fall back into the depression/fear of not successfully getting the high marks needed to make this elusive degree worth while.

Another option is to start an online MS Finance or MS Math/Stat degree from an accredited (not UPhoenix), but not well known University that would take about 2 years to finish while working/searching for employment. I've been told that Bachelors are more available today, so getting a Masters is becoming more necessary to differentiate yourself from the competition.

I've read on MeFi that people recommend taking the CFA Level 1 to differentiate themselves, but I doubt it would help for the jobs outside of Financial Analysis (Data Analytics and Market Research).

Another factor in my decision: I've been offered a position as a cost analyst at a small firm. It sounds okay, but my responsibilities aren't more than data entry (at least at first) and product updating, the salary isn't as reasonable to live on, and it requires 100 miles of round trip commuting from living with my family (moving out makes the job even less economical). The job is well, a job, I suppose and it offers me the ability to pocket a little bit of money after paying all my debts.

My question is given the current state of our US economy, call it a recession or a fearful voting year with tons of graduates and less amount of entry jobs, would it be best to A) try and finish my math degree, B) enter an MS Finance degree, or C) take a left-field-ish job and try to work my way into my desired job?

Looking for business books!

wordsmith — Sat, 28 Jun 2008 14:44:35 -0800

I've just accepted a full time (telecommuting, FWIW) position with a Fortune 50 company. What are some must-read business books? I'm looking for a whole swath of books ranging in topics from leadership and management to to dealing with office politics to humorous takes on working in a large corporation -- anything that I can learn from. What are the must-reads in this genre?

Trying to brainstorm for a one-person business idea.

pinkbungalow — Wed, 07 May 2008 15:41:30 -0800

Help me think of a new business or career that can be started by one person with a small start-up budget? The more portable the better, and I hope to be able to support myself (not extravagently) with income from the business within 2 years. I have done this before starting a massage therapy business in FL that is now quite successful. I don't need to change the world, I just need something interesting and challenging to support myself until I retire in about 15-20 years. I am more of an idea and big-picture creative type than a detail or numbers person, but I am not averse to hard work. I do enjoy flexibility, travel, and living in a temperate climate. Start-up budget of $50k +/- Thank you!

Tax MetaFilter

sprocket87 — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 20:54:47 -0800

I'm planning to do some on-the-side freelance photography in the next year. I'd like some advice on how to play the tax game most effectively. I have an 8-5 weekday job that pays my bills, but I'll probably be doing a small-potatoes amount of photography as a side business over the next year. Nothing to warrant obtaining a business license, incorporating, or anything like that; probably about 6-12 or so events/jobs at a modest rate. My expected earnings will almost certainly be higher than the $600 minimum for reporting additional income, but not anything in the several-thousand range. After doing a bit of research, here's my game plan:

1. Keep detailed receipts and records of ALL income and potential business-related expenses
2. Use 1040 (long) as normal for personal filing of W2s
3. Also file as "sole proprietor" using form Schedule C-EZ for business income based on receipts

Seems simple enough, right? Well, I'm wondering about deductions: I know with the Schedule C-EZ I'm allowed to file up to $5,000 worth of business expenses. I'm NOT planning on filing a home office expense, etc. But what about photo gear, computer equipment, software, or web hosting/printer subscription costs? Should I deduct these?

The obvious answer to me would be "yes", but I'm wondering that since I won't be making a tremendous amount of profit, it might be wiser to ignore some of those deductions to keep "under the radar". I mean, I'd love to get a new MacBook for my photo editing and write it off as a business deduction [which it legitimately would be], but if that offsets the majority of my profit, would the IRS consider me as being a "hobby" and screw me in the long run?

I know that the IRS looks for net profitability in 3 out of 5 years after filing as a sole proprietor. I don't plan on making this a primary source of income - be it next year or in five. Just a little side earnings. So would it be smarter to take the hit on my tax return and skip deducting too many expenses or to deduct away and keep my fingers crossed?

Would it be safe if I just made sure my net profits above were above $600 after all deductions?

Oh, and you can skip the "you should see a CPA" comments, I know you all ANACPA or ANAL, but I'm just "querying the hive mind" :)

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.

What is required for "ethics consulting"?

ontic — Mon, 12 Feb 2007 12:49:05 -0800

I hear that sometimes businesses and other institutions hire "ethics consultants". Does anyone know anything about getting into ethics consulting or the actual day-to-day activities in ethics consulting? If not, has anyone seen an ethics consultant in action at a company? I'm a philosopher/ethicist who teaches courses and does research on issues in theortetical and applied (practical ethics). I'm not planning on quitting my day job as an academic (I like it way too much) but my school allows me to spend a certain percentage of my time consulting.

My experience learning about and teaching business ethics makes me comfortable enough with business, business plans, business practices, and "talking business" that I wouldn't be the typical idealistic academic flailing in the real world. But even given all this, I'm not sure what ethics consulting requires to get started and what most companies would want from such a consultant. Is not having a background in law a major liability, for instance? Do businesses ever want anything more than typical CYA-type policy suggestions?

How to handle a phone interview

LeeJay — Sat, 18 Nov 2006 11:12:53 -0800

I recently had a terrific first interview for a position at a very nice four-star hotel. I'm scheduled for a follow-up phone interview in a few days during which I will be asked a few "general business questions about my background". What sort of questions should I expect? The interviewer basically told me during our face-to-face that he was very interested in hiring me and assuming everything went well during the phone interview we would move forward and get me into training. I really want this job and would like to be as prepared as possible for the phone interview but I've never done one before and I'm not sure what "general business questions about my background" actually means to someone in the resort/hospitality business. Any guesses on what to expect?

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.

Help me stop coasting

the giant pill — Thu, 17 Nov 2005 18:41:38 -0800

If you have a happy career help me! So I'm trying to figure out what to do with my life. Why is it so hard? I've started and not finished (or done anything productive) with so many careers/majors/hobbies in my 20's. I turn 30 very soon. I have coasted thru my 20's. When do I grow up?

To the folks that have happy careers, did you just take a chance?

Did you do those self help "find yourself" books?
Did you always know what you were going to do?
Are you just lying about being happy at your job?

My options at this point are:
* Go back to school @ 30. oh that sounds like Soo much fun. I am drawn to cognitive science, but I am afraid that I am too old.
* Start a business that I am virtually assured success at, but is so so boring, would leave me married to the job, but would potentially leave me very well off in about 5 years.
* Keep on coasting.