Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with business and jobs

Mefites: Please hope me!!!

bebrave! — Tue, 24 Nov 2009 20:38:11 -0800

I need to take two exams in order to continue to compete for a job I have applied for. I very much want and need this job, or something like it (I am truly desperate!) The tests take place in about a week. The email that arrived from the HR person states that the exams I need passing scores on are: 1. Software Function and Use WOQAA198
2. Financial Services Basic Exam WOQAA130

This job is an intern (training) position for a state agency, after the year's training period the successful trainee will no longer be an intern and will probably get a small raise and a title of sorts, and have the security of a government job, which would be a HUGE relief to me.

A little Hx (I will try to keep this short): I have worked for 25 years in a relatively specialized field that is not really business related (I am a dog /cat wrangler, or, veterinary technician). Except for a little relief work and/or owners of the clinic dying or retiring, I have had the same employer most of this time. This (animal medicine) is a "dream job" for many, as it is all about "saving the animals", and because of my longevity/experience, I have a great reputation and have gone as far as a person can go without a DVM, but the problem is, a person can't really pay their bills or raise a family on the financial compensation. And I like the work just fine, but the money and the "hard labor" aspect can be tough for a woman approaching 50.
This was ok for the longest time, because my job in the family sense was to make a little grocery money and get out of the house a few days a week. Now, the situation has changed. My partner has gone from a hard-charging reliable family guy to one who has decided he will forevermore work only for himself, so he pushes an aerator around and swings a hammer here and there but has for all intents and purposes quit providing for our family (we have two kids and I helped him raise the others he had to adulthood). He gets out of bed everyday between 10 and 11 AM and doesn't see a problem with that. (That whole issue is a whole total 'nother Mefi question, but not today's!) I was a more-or-less suburban housewife encouraged by my spouse to keep that job for it's few bucks and respectability.
A few years ago now, things started to get really tight so, since I realized he wasn't really going to work anymore and he wouldn't support my going back to school (for something or anything) I have been trying to find something or anything else I can do that will pay the bills and keep my kids safe and healthy until they are grown.
I have a Bachelor's (in Biology) in addition to my animal medicine education/experience, but did not use it to do anything else (see above, and yes, my fault).
So a couple years ago I found a great job with decent money and benefits (which I formerly depended on my spouse for) which worked me hard but I loved and was related to animal medicine, but they canned me after a year and would not say why. It has been painful but also qualified me for unemployment insurance which has actually "paid" better than my vet tech job. I have used this time to try like heck to find a "real" job. I have applied to every job I can find that I am qualified for and think I would like to do. I keep getting axed at the final weed-out (when I am 1 of 6 or 1 of 3, out of an initial 100-ish). This, I don't think, is so weird, things are tough out there right now. But the unemployment money is about to run out for real, and I need to know how to ace these tests. If they don't pick me for another reason, then, fine. But I don't want it to be because I can't pass, and I have no experience in "business".
I can do anything, do any job, have proved myself a bazillion times at my hard work and adaptability.
I think they want to know I know computer and business basics. The reference librarian sent me home with a small armful of books, but can anyone out there help me get ready in a couple of days?

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.

How can a network engineer move into venture capital deals?

arimathea — Mon, 02 Feb 2009 09:46:34 -0800

How can a technology professional move into venture capital? I'm a technology professional (engineering type) with no formal education but a lot of experience and a long history in the industry i'm in (networks). I have a strong interest in learning more about investing - VC, private equity, that kind of thing. With the background I have, how can I best insert myself into this field given that i'm not in the Valley and don't have a strong network of people with investment background? I think the role that appeals most to me is learning about the deals and being mentored, but i'd love to eventually some day evolve this into an advisory role for a VC based on my experience.

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?

How do i get a job in Africa with a Multinational company

Dino Nino — Fri, 17 Oct 2008 22:00:08 -0800

Current MBA student , looking to work with a multinational company in Africa. Looking for an entry position in business development, marketing and sales and consultation. Fluent in French and English. I will appreciate any links, contacts or advice Thanks Dino

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?

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.

The Single Mum's Guide to Social Enterprise

divabat — Thu, 18 Oct 2007 02:01:36 -0800

Socially conscious business ideas for a funky media-savvy single mother? One of my best friends had a baby a few months ago, which led her to put her career on hold. However, being a single mum (long story about custody) she needs to get some income.

She used to work in television as a presenter for many many years and is actually quite well known in her field. She also has experience in producing, scriptwriting, directing, radio presenting, public speaking, writing, and acting. She used to be a model and sometimes still does modelling work, but she doesn't want to keep doing that (she is a looker though!) She had a love of glass-blowing when she was younger, but I don't know if she'd necessarily call herself "crafty". She enjoys travel but due to the baby will have to cut this down. She is feisty, extroverted, and opinionated, but also caring and friendly and helpful. She's PASSIONATE about women's rights and is incensed when she senses injustice. Many people find her inspirational. She has a LOT of energy and is quite a workaholic, so the sudden stop of her career is driving her nuts!!

She was initially looking for an actual job, but I suggested she start her own business because she has pretty good skills for that. She said she's thinking of it, but she needs to start a business that is (in her words) "ethically sound, beneficial business that safe, eco friendsly and co op based. And lucrative!"

Any ideas for what she could do while raising her child? It doesn't have to fit ALL her criteria (first thing I'll tell is "you can't expect to save the world") but something socially conscious, or examples of women (particularly single mothers) that have successfully done the same would be appreciated.

How can I leverage my potential business partner 's interest and solidify a business idea?

AdInfinitum — Thu, 25 May 2006 07:42:23 -0800

Hello. Here’s the lowdown: I’m the senior sound designer / managing director for a leading international sound library company who’s been successfully running a company that doesn’t belong to me for 6 years. I’ve exhausted this opportunity, as the company is limited in its ability to grow due to the owners methods. In short, although I still have my job (and could have it forever, so to speak), I need to get out. I’m striving to create an opportunity for myself (and potentially for some of the other amazing employees I’ve hired who are looking for better opportunities) by starting a new company, and I must act now as I am not getting any younger.. I’ve been thinking this through for almost 6 months now, and something seeming great has just happened. Can you help me make the most out of it? I rent a house from a very successful business owner / investor who has grown to respect my methods and abilities in many ways. After a long conversation with him a few weeks ago, he became very interested in my situation. After hearing that I was looking to pursue new options, he suggested we consider getting together on a partnership to develop a new enterprise in the ‘digital audio media’ domain. Even though he’s a very well-versed business wiz, he is somewhat limited in his knowledge regarding ‘up to date’ technology, Web 2.0, etc. I’ve been educating him via news clippings and links for a while now to supplement his knowledge.

We met for our first ‘formal’ meeting last week, and the results were confusing. At first, we were speaking about developing a local ‘post production’ audio facility that would utilize our current resource-pool (we have myself an about 5 others who are audio experts all willing to jump in) to get us off the ground. During our meeting, we were going over larger-scale ‘broader’ concepts regarding the future of digital media distribution, user-content models, emerging technologies, etc, and the interest swayed from our initial ‘tried and true’ concept completely. We both decided that we wanted to ‘go bigger’, as he is looking to sell off his current software company and get into ‘the next thing’ anyway, and from our discussion many larger-scale topics were covered. This was great, but actually left me a bit disjointed. He was speaking about getting actual Venture Capital and pursuing financing, even before we had decided on any business strategy or direction. He then suggested that we abandon our initial local post-production audio venture in order to somehow secure our ability to ‘get financing’, as it would somehow ‘look bad’ to potential investors if we were to show a related business pursuit before our larger model was introduced. Firstly, does anyone know anything about this method / strategy so that I can confirm its basis?

Aside from that, I’m…well - confused! I finally have a partner with the resources and know-how to really lift our ‘startup-to-be’ off the ground, but I am totally lost in terms of finding a business idea that suits my skills and satisfies our desire to ‘play in the big game’. All I had initially wanted was to find a way to make enough money without working for my current employer on my own, and now I’m in much deeper then I had expected. I want to make sure I can feed my prospective partner with a concept that he will find worthy of pursuit, but now that we have established a desire to ‘aim higher’ I am getting lost in these larger concept models. How can I come up with a business idea that satisfies my interests and skills while at the same time fulfilling his (and now my own, i think) desire to ‘hit it big’?

Aside from that, can anyone think of a way to maximize my potential within this situation? I want, at minimum, to leverage his resources in terms of business know-how and financing for developing something that will grant my independence from this annoying job. I fear, however, that if I cannot now come up with something lucrative enough to inspire his pursuit I will end up just where I began! I’m looking for advice, ideas, and help. I need to navigate my way out of this (decent) job and into freedom…badly. I feel like I’m right on the edge of having a serious advantage through my ‘almost-mentor’, and I do not want to blow it.

Thanks!

Becoming a Notary Public

calwatch — Wed, 09 Feb 2005 23:48:28 -0800

Has anyone ever become a notary? I'm interested in making some extra money and am wondering which notary schools you recommend, what tips there are to drumming up business, etc. (This is in California). If it matters, I'm an engineer so my work has virtually zip to do with notarizing documents. I would be working this as a part time job, no more than 15 or 20 hours a week, and not expect to be paid like I'm doing a full time job. Some notary schools have been advertising lately on the radio claiming of a huge shortage so I'm wondering how true that really is.

Small-business accounting

Anonymous — Fri, 04 Feb 2005 23:11:15 -0800

I run a small design firm out of the house, with 2 employees and yearly sales of about $250K. How much should I pay for basic accounting services? He only does my taxes, I have a payroll service for payroll, and I do my own bookkeeping.

Is outsourcing a problem in your country?

airguitar — Thu, 30 Dec 2004 22:11:12 -0800

Is outsourcing a problem in your country? ...if you live somewhere other than the United States. Is it on the news? Do candidates for elected office pledge to fight it? Do your friends wonder where all the good factory jobs went? Do you come home with ten things from the shopping mart and find nine of them were made in China? Do you have a rust belt? Is your formerly industrial economy becoming a service economy? Is a race to the bottom and out of the country a natural progression for manufacturers as they work to keep the costs of production always lower, or is business done differently elsewhere?