The gist of this story is that labels are so interested in signing and promoting bands and artists that have begun to gain some popularity on SoundCloud or other streaming services they don’t take into account that those artists have almost no experience actually performing on stage. The labels want to tap into that buzz … Continue reading Hot But Inexperienced
Let Employees Direct Their Own Continued Education
There’s some decent thinking here in a post about the kinds of ways companies can focus their thinking around employee training. It’s a good conversation to have given that such training is one of the many ways companies have failed to adequately invest in the productivity of their workers. The fatal flaw in the guidance … Continue reading Let Employees Direct Their Own Continued Education
College Degrees Are Not An Indicator of Ability or Value
I was taken aback by this opinion piece. Objectively, I understand that the message the author was trying to convey was that grade inflation has become so pervasive retail coffee chains see no issue with requiring potential hires have college degrees. She draws a line from an education system afraid to risk the displeasure of … Continue reading College Degrees Are Not An Indicator of Ability or Value
How Big Is Gig? Not Even the Federal Government Knows
(Ed. Note: The following was written back in early July for a work project but in light of a new report on the gig economy from JPMorgan that has its own questionable methodology I felt it was a good time to publish this. Many of the same points of pushback against the BLS report also … Continue reading How Big Is Gig? Not Even the Federal Government Knows
I Have These Skills..So Where Are the Jobs?
There’s a lot of interesting information in LinkedIn’s most recent hiring report for the Chicago area, including how the city primarily draws talent from only the surrounding states but that people are leaving for the coasts. Part of the report covers the kinds of skills that are too common in the area, meaning there are … Continue reading I Have These Skills..So Where Are the Jobs?
What Should Freelancers Do With Their Rage?
(10/19/18 Update: I wound up contributing this post to The Freelancers Union Blog. You can now read it in full here.) It can be tempting to to let loose and share your unrestrained thoughts about the current administration on any number of topics, from the continued detention of immigrant children to the recent controversy around … Continue reading What Should Freelancers Do With Their Rage?
It’s Not Just Writers Who Should Backup and Capture Their Work
Big news recently as Telltale Games, the developer of popular “story” games like The Wolf Among us and The Walking Dead, suddenly closed up shop. The decision has roiled the industry as well as the larger entertainment and business press, especially since the company cut everyone loose without offering anything in the way of severance … Continue reading It’s Not Just Writers Who Should Backup and Capture Their Work
This is How you Inspire Team Loyalty
Here’s a simple tip for managers who are looking to inspire their teams to perform their best, to bring their most creative ideas and offer the best solutions: Don’t take credit when presenting those ideas or solutions to clients or others. It’s that simple. Early on in my time as a manager the realization struck … Continue reading This is How you Inspire Team Loyalty
More on the Dignity of Work
Last week I broke one of my cardinal rules: Never try to have a nuanced argument with someone on Twitter. The inciting incident was a story about Jane Fonda and the comments she made about male abusers who are attempting comebacks after lying low for a while following minor punishments after being accused of sexual … Continue reading More on the Dignity of Work
Work, Dignity and Doing What You Can
Like the rest of you, I’ve been following the story of actor Geoffrey Owens over the last few weeks. After someone noticed him working at a Trader Joe's - a job very different from his recurring role on “The Cosby show” in the 80s and 90s - his became an interesting tale. What started out … Continue reading Work, Dignity and Doing What You Can
Chris Thilk 