Over-50

Radical Frugality: Hang Out at the Toledo County Public Library

Founding father Ben Franklin had been the primary mover in establishing a way ordinary people had access to books.

That was the public library.

Since that time - the 1730s - the public library has become a lot more than books. Essentially, it's a Third Place, where human beings like to hang out, in addition to their homes, work, and school.

Currently, there are more internet stations, CDs, and DVDs than books. Outreach includes training in everything from how to search for a job to operate Microsoft Office. Groups book the community room for activities such as presenting the secular-humanists point of view.

Obviously, all this requires money. If the funding is less than needed, then the local library system can deteriorate. The brand becomes a joke. People use it less. The media can pile on.

That's why smart public relations is a must-do to keep the flow of funding going. Funding sources usually include:

Federal, state, and local grants

County/city allocations

Levies and referendums

Property taxes

Donations.

One of the best examples of a public library which knows how to tell its story is the Toledo, Ohio Lucas County Public Library. 

Glance at the check-out receipt. At the bottom is, in bold type, the statement:

"You just saved approximately ____ by using your Toledo Lucas County Public Library today."

For me, on 12/28/19, the amount was $140. I had checked out:

Against Empathy

Utopia Is Creepy

What I Wish I Knew When I was 20

Sober curious

Fat, Forty, and Fired

You Are Awesome

Given that I relocated to Toledo at the end of August 2019 and had checked out an average of six books weekly that means that, as the Toledo County Public Library documents, I have saved about $2,240.

Those savings can be channeled into buying more from local merchants. You bet, the public library helps drive Toledo's economy. 

Not long ago I treated myself to one of those specialized bikes from Wersell's Bike Shop, located on W. Central Avenue. The perk from shopping local versus online from a major ecommerce retailer is personal service.

When the bike was making funny noises, Wersell owner Jill had her team repair it w/o charge. An institution in Toledo since 1945, Wersell creates the infrastructure for a biking culture. That enhances the city's green ethos. In turn, that adds to its national profile. 

Another brilliant promotional tactic is the library's seasonal "Program Guide." In print (how cool), the 69-page brochure lists, by branches, all the activities for that time frame. The January - April 2020 one, on pages 17 through 19, has for the Kent branch these categories:

Young Children (0 -5)

Kids (5 -10)

Teens (13 - 18)

Youth

Adults (18+)

All Ages

For adults, free digital courses range from an introduction to Canva to Google Sheets.

A third way Lucas County Library puts itself out there is through its ability to nurture old-fashioned word-of-mouth.

When I mentioned that I would go to Barnes & Noble to try to find a map of Toledo, a neighbor told me that the LaGrange branch stocks those (free) in the lobby. You got it, again I saved money.

In a lecture on architecture, several attendees noted the contours of the West Toledo branch. Go look at it, they told me. 

And, when I needed a book for an upcoming assignment, the local client told me to forget Kindle. The Lucas County library system acts fast on getting to us books not at that particular branch, even new ones. More money saved.

When The Recession finally hits, public libraries throughout America will find their funding in play.

Before that, they can be proactive.

They can analyze how Toledo positions and packages itself as the go-to community resource. They can import aspects of that model.

Public opinion probably has become more powerful than government, leaders, and even wealth.

Smart global ghostwriting, with niche social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

Ok, Boomer - "Gillmor Gang" Still Providing Information, Insight into Tech and More

It's listed on TechCrunch. 

Or, just key in on a search engine "Gillmor Gang."

And you will find global thought leaders over-50 presenting developments in the world of tech as understandable and meaningful. There are no Millennial or iGen buzzwords which tend to alienate Ok, Boomer.

The latest broadcast focused on streaming, old and new tech, and the U.S. primaries.

The pace is slow.

The tone is bemused cynicism.

Since the commentators, including host Steve Gillmor, have already made their mark, there is no battle of the egos.

Also, forget make-the-audience-feel-good spin. In analyzing the current impeachment process and 2020 Election there was the recognition of the worse case scenarios. Yes, Donald Trump could politically sail through whatever and be around for four more years.

Takeaway: More of us should set up show with this kind of tone and analysis. One focus could be on the crisis of age bias - and not only in the U.S.

Smart global ghostwriting, with niche social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Work Search 2020 - Don't Set Yourself Up for Told You're "Impressive"

It could be the hunt for a job, gig assignment, or clients for your business.

The response you don't want to receive has the word "impressive" in it. 

That is the kiss of death.

Yes, those doing the hiring joyfully tell you: Your background and talent are so impressive. However ...

Make it your business in your search for work in 2020 to interpret too much of that impressive messaging as a red flag that you have to review all aspects of the hunt. That extends from what kind of work you're looking for to how you present yourself in those Artificial Intelligence interview videos.

Meanwhile, employers who want to protect their brands from derision should ditch the term "impressive." That opens them to a skit on "Saturday Night Live" about the Recruiting Bots.

This is the era of authenticity. Those doing the hiring need to come up with language that resonates with the mind and heart. Not being brought aboard for an opportunity is a devastating experience. There are myriad ways to say "no." Leveraging buzzword "impressive" is such a raw put-down.

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

Those Over-50 & AI - Are We Being Knocked Out of Box (or, worse, not even allowed near it)?

By now, it's fairly well known that AI, that is, artificial intelligence, is inherently biased.

After all, humans create the algorithms for AI and those humans use data which contain some or maybe a lot of bias. That's just the way it is.

One example of that had been the racial bias found in healthcare algorithms. U.S. senators such as Cory Booker are looking into those. 

So, the world should be appropriately skeptical of the use of AI in recruiting. After all, so much is at stake in the hiring process, both for the individual and for the organization.

Recode published a major article on the advantages of AI in recruiting as well as the concerns of those in government, ranging from Congress and state legislatures to the EEOC, about what is called "automated decision making decisions." That article is by Rebecca Heilweil. 

Those systems have become essentially end-to-end.

At the front end, they can determine where a help-wanted ad is placed. Already that has become controversial. It had been discovered that those placed on Facebook reflected bias against women and the aging. 

Next the algorithms can be used to choose the resumes which should be reviewed first - and those simply tossed.

Often now, the next step is an AI video interview in which factors ranging from language to facial expressions are assessed. Only at the very last phase of the recruiting process might there be an in-person interview. 

Along the way there might be AI personality assessment tilted toward predicting if this kind of professional will succeed at the organization, how long with that employee stay, and is he or she capable of being promoted. 

The criteria for those decisions usually have been derived from the databases at the organization. That is, historic information is being used to make current decisions. Of course, that immediately raises a red flag since everything keeps changing. 

According to LinkedIn, 67% of those in the recruiting loop find AI helpful. For any job opening thousands of resumes might come in. AI speeds up sorting through the first cut. In itself, that saves money. 

So, yes, this is an efficiency payoff front the get-go. But, some object that the sorting mechanisms could be unfairly knocking out of the box atypical applicants. 

Most of the major concerns about AI fall into three categories:

• Bias. It was found that an AI recruiting tool developed by Amazon (but not used) favored males over females. That was primarily because it had been developed from past employment data at Amazon. That had been compiled when the majority of employees were male.  
• Lack of transparency. Frequently the applicant being interviewed has not been informed that the process is using a video system, what is being assessed, and how will it be used. No consent might have been given. 
• No guarantee of accuracy. After all, hiring is a social process. AI, as it is now constituted, might not pick up nuance. 

Already, in Congress there has been introduced the Algorithm Accountability Act. There is a call for the FTC to review what's going on in the kinds of evaluations of applicants that are being made via video platforms such as HireVue's. 

The EEOC has received two complaints about facial analysis. 

In Illinois, soon to go into effect is the Artificial Intelligence Interview Act. Before the video is clicked on, there must be explicit notification of the process, consent given, and explanation about what is being focused on, evaluated, and interpreted. 

All of this is linked to the guidance established in 1978 by the Uniform Guidelines on Employee Section Procedures.  That has been the federal government's way to help organizations not have selection factors which negatively impact minority groups.

Among those protected groups is the older worker. Clearly, one has to ask: Can't the very existence of a video interview early in the process knock the over-50 job hunter out of the box? 

Full Disclosure: Over-50, I avoid all hiring processes for contract assignments and new client accounts which involve video. 

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

Network TV's Golden Age Will Die Off With Us Baby Boomers

It's the end of an era: Free network TV.

Network TV no longer matters to those doing the judging of the Golden Globes: the Hollywood Foreign Press Association.

None of the major categories nominated for awards were from network TV. Instead they were for productions via streaming or cable. Here are more details from the New York Post.

Of course, network TV was never really free. The price paid was enduring the commercials. Some of those, as the SuperBowl pounded, were truly entertaining or served the public interest. Most, especially about skin diseases and belly fat, seemed in downright bad taste. 

Network TV has had a good run.

In fact, it even had a Golden Age. Programming ranging from "Ed Sullivan" (remember Elvis and the Beatles) to Hallmark Television Playhouse provided quality entertainment and the unique window on the world. However, their legacy dies with baby boomers. 

Now, even the heavy hitters such as producer Dick Wolf (creator of the "Law & Order" franchise) seem to be running low on creativity. His "Law & Order SVU" is strained. And what saves his Wednesday Chicago series is the complex personality and personal warmth on "Chicago Med" of psychiatrist Dr. Daniel Charles. 

The new greats, and they will have a long half life, come from cable such as HBO's "The Sopranos" and AMC's "Breaking Bad."

Prediction: As network TV continues to lose relevance, there will be more and more scandals at ABC, CBS, and NBC. And, not only the sexual misconduct kind. Expect lawsuits about the deliberate infliction of emotional abuse and age bias. Lawyers should be hovering over, like vultures. 

Smart global ghostwriting, with social networking know-know. Emergencies welcome. Complimentary consultation (pressure-free) janegenova374@gmail.com.

Would Mary Richards Have Friends Today?

The lack of common ground isn't just in politics in America.

In more and more aspects of life there also is less and less common space.

That's what Matthew Walther observes in his article on loneliness in The Week. That puts the odds against finding other human beings we can become friends with. The crisis of loneliness deepens.

According to YouGov, 30% of U.S. millennials say they are lonely and 20% contend they have no friends. What it's come to, notes Walther, is that we "pretend pets are people."

So, let's look at what used to be common space and is no more. Here are 5 examples I find useful to focus on and why they have disappeared:

•  Home. Walther hammers that raising a family is no longer affordable. Those connections have gone the way of the low-IQ phone. More of us live alone. But, sure, it had been possible to make friends even when single. Remember how Mary Richards and Rhoda, both in their own apartments, developed a deep relationship. Now, after all the stress from the whatever, we singles are not reaching out. Meanwhile, we are trapped in an i-world of messaging, movies, and games. 
• College. Forget it. As Yale professor Deresiewicz captures in "Excellent Sheep," higher education, especially at the top of the food chain, has become a competitive arena for high grades. Chasing after them makes the time-consuming process of developing friendships unlikely. Also, the postings of all the other students on Instagram are a source of feeling less-than. Best to steer clear of the whole people thing. 
•  Work. Who isn't after our job? And there are simply many more rats eager to gain favor with superiors by carrying tales about us. Maybe this saga is true, maybe it isn't. In northeast Ohio a millennial claims the reason she was fired was because she confided in a co-worker her battle with clinical depression and anxiety.
•  The store. No one goes there any more, not even for groceries, which are delivered.
•  Church. Gallup documents that membership in a religious organization is down to 50%. From 1937 through the late 1970s it was at 70+%.  

However, if we are determined not to be so so lonely, we can explore where common space can be. Here is what I have discovered is promising during the 63 months I have struggled to find companionship since I uprooted from the New York Metro area:

•  Gyms. Both those stand-alone ones and the in-house fitness centers in residential complexes are wide open to socializing. If we are cautious and don't push too hard too soon to move the gymbuddyness to the next level we could wind up with a few people to talk with. 
•  Recovery meetings. The friendship, or as it is called the "fellowship," is the key driver in attending regularly.  It's like the good old days, with folks inviting us to go out for coffee or have fun at pig roasts by the lake.
•  Wellness groups, ranging from yoga to meditation. People feel they are doing the right thing and are more receptive to welcome those also pursuing healthy goals.
•  Pet parks. I have witnessed romances blossom as the canines tend to bring people together. Here a tail wags, there a tail wags. Soon we are not alone. 
•  Goodwill and consignment stores. Traditional retail is out. But hunting in-person for steep bargains has become a national hobby. In that space it's easy to get conversations going which often move on to human beings sharing their stories.

However, even with these tactics, expect a slow journey to being back in a friendship loop. Interacting is, well, counter-trend. The trend is i-immersion. 

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The Most Efficient & Effective Tool for Revenge - Make Fun of the SuperJerk

Back in early days of blogging (if anyone can even remember those) a Harvard Law 3L - Jeremy Blackman - created AnonymousLawyer.

A parody of daily life in BigLaw, it had a large readership and might have influenced the snark tone of Abovethelaw.com. It became okay to make partners in law firms look like superjerks.

In addition, the fake created a new career path for Blackman in publishing and entertainment.

The extreme power of parody is now being played out in fake Election 2020 campaign site JoeBiden. info. BigMedia already has picked up on it. And, as with most parody, it can have devastating effects on what it is making fun of.

Created by political consultant Patrick Mauldon of Vici Media Group, it targets both Biden's high profile flaws (e.g. being "hands on") to lousy policy decisions (e.g. supporting a not-smart war).

Well-done, JoeBiden.info can be the reason that Biden decides to exit the race. In last week's debate his campaign suffered what might be irreversible blows. To borrow a term from the "John Wick" films, Biden appears to have been made "excommunicado."

Meanwhile, such a boldly outrageous approach can be a model for others to take on opponents. Of course, raw imitation would reduce the impact. There would have to be a different kind of version of that template.

The dynamic underlying the ability of satire to inflect severe reputational damage is something few folks think about: Humor is cruel. 

Baby Boomers with resentments can get the hang of fake and finally even the score with those they perceive have done them wrong. This template has been proven out. 

 

Exactly the right tone and content for all your communications. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com.

 

That Career Is Over - So?

" … [Madonna'] 'Medellin' failed to catch on. It rose to number 9 on iTunes briefly, and now sits at number 32 … Beyoncé's 'Homecoming' album, released the same day, has sold or streamed a total of 43,000 copies in 48 hours." - ShowBiz411, April 19, 2019. Here is the article. 

Here is the audio - chachacha - from "Medellin," which is the lead-in to Madonna's new album "Madame X." Out in mid June, "Madame X" is supposed to be the 60-year-old's comeback platform. 

Nothing about "Medellin" is fresh.

That's why Madonna is being positioned and packaged as "washed up."

It isn't her age per se.

Betty White, a relic from the Mary Tyler Moore era, is in her 90s. She did fresh. That was through creating the persona as the designated role model for aging. That process, she hammered in her book, wasn't for sissies. The world loved it. Still love it. She remains marketable.

The issue Madonna raises is the scary question for all aging who are still working: Is it time to leave?

But what they are leaving might well be a very narrow career path. No, it isn't necessary to hang it all up, disappear into a retirement community in Oro Valley, Arizona, and compulsively do yoga. 

ShowBiz411 points out that the last several albums Madonna has put out have been "flops." 

Instead of continuing to do what isn't panning out, she could be testing out other ways to distinguish herself through work.

Maybe she can launch a training institution for the performing arts in Lordstown, Ohio. GM recently shuttered the plant there, putting about 1,600 out of a good job and hope. She can open the door to the light for all the Youngstown, OH metro area. The region still is caught in the shadow of Steel Yesterday.

How do the aging and those no longer perceived as "young" come up with the courage to change?

I don't know about others.

What I do know is that for me the pain of becoming invisible was greater than the anxiety involved in trying out new lines of work. That experimentation in my professional life began when I was 58. Then, that same courage took over the decisions I made in my personal life. Here is one of those stories of brutal moments of clarity and then transition.

A useful read for those caught between career paths is "Necessary Endings" by executive coach Henry Cloud. Here you can order it from Amazon.

Exactly the right tone and content for all your communications. Complimentary consultation janegenova374@gmail.com.

Grandma, What Was a "Resume?"

Resumes and cover letters?

Some employers are still using those in the hiring process.

But, they could soon enough be history - ancient history.

Grandma, what was a "resume?" 

Large corporations such as Unilever are experimenting with blowing up job search.

Out are resumes and cover letters.

In are Artificial Intelligence, gamification, and video interviews for solving hypothetical problems.

Playing the Job Search Game - Literally

Here is the Fox coverage on that disruption, already underway. So, yes, parents, encourage not discourage your offspring about mastering video games. 

And, yes, activists, this revolution can create a level playing field. It prevents bias at the front end. At least if the AI isn't coded to discriminate on the basis of sex, race, gender, or age. 

Gamification can uncover unique skills.

And what you can do for employers will factor in more in a hiring decision than a paper credential. Apple, Oracle, Airbnb et al. are hiring for well-paying jobs without imposing the college degree requirement. Here is the coverage on that from MarketWatch.

Resume/Cover Letter Creation Oppprtunity at Your Edge for Success (YES)

Meanwhile Your Edge for Success, based in Alexandria, Virginia, has posted on Mediabistro.com a help-wanted. This morning I received an alert about that on my gmail. Some content-providers  may have felt euphoric about the development of such an opportunity. 

That Resume/Cover Letter creation enterprise - YES - needs three part-time remote writers or editors. The owner is Katherine Metres Akbar. Here is the post. Yes, this could be your future.

For developing a resume/cover letter the compensation ranges from $75 to $150.

For editing each set $55.

The ad requests at least 15 hours a week. 

My Interview with YES and The Hiring Process

Last week I interviewed with Akbar for this very part-time editing opportunity. Yet, the ad is being posted again so quickly.

Why did I apply? As long as the resume/cover letter earning category still exists, I figured: Why not take a peek?

Experience in the broader field of career transition is highly marketable. Learn more and earn more, I decided. 

The owner Akbar conducted the phone interview which lasted about half an hour.

From the get-go, she indicated that neither 15 hours a week or any hours a week were guaranteed. The full-time staff gets first shot at work since they are on salary. No, assignments aren't always available.

The reality: I may or may not get work. And I would be paid for a resume/cover letter editing assignment 55 bucks. Not a king's ransom.

But to move on to the next step in the hiring process I would have to:

•  Take what I perceived as a complex, time-consuming test. Unpaid.
•  Submit to a personality test. Why? I would not be selling or dealing directly with clients. 
•  Provide references. Haha. One reason the hiring process is going digital is that references, by their nature, are not objective. If they were, those doing the dishing could be sued for defamation. And, come on, why would I give a list of references which would entail any risk to my ability to be hired?

If allowed to move along in the process, I would be watching training videos. Unpaid.

Sure, the knowledge could be priceless. But, as Ben Franklin observed: Time is money. 

Reflections of a Current Side Hustler

After consulting with my network of professional advisors, I decided to withdraw from the screening process.

Too much seemed to be invested at the front end. At least that was our take. Your assessment of this opportunity may be quite different.

One wonders what the American brand of capitalism, at least in some circles, has come to.

When I was hired for my first good part-time job in high school by New Jersey Bell, the process was conducted on an intuitive basis. Training was paid. I stayed with that job, which funded my college education, until I left for a doctoral program at the University of Michigan. 

When I was hired for my first professional job in a corporation ghostwriting/speechwriting for executives at Chevron, no, I didn't have to do a sample article - unpaid.

When I was hired as a contract marcom provider at a global career transition firm last year, there were no hoops to jump through. From the get-go, all work was paid. All work is still paid - well-paid and steady.

Takeaway

How much should side hustlers be willing to invest in the front end of a search for gigs, at least for now?

Soon enough the process could all be a fun game that we don't experience as "work" per se.

FULL DISCLOSURE: I shared this experience on the Interview section of GlassDoor.

In error I also shared it in the section for actual employees, mistakenly clicking on the box that I had actually worked for YES. Mea culpa. 

UPDATE: - Your Edge for Success through The Glassdoor

Glassdoor removed my posting on its site regarding my interview with Edge for Success.

It had been contended that I was classified as a competitor. I informed Glassdoor that I was not a competitor. I requested that it return the feedback to the site. 

I had not done a paid assignment for resumes for years and years. Moreover I have gone on record that the resume is an anachronism in job search. Here is one of those kinds of posts. 

In short, I am not in the resume business and hadn't been so for a long time. 

Need affordable help strategically planning and putting together content? That ranges from blog posts and e-books to planning/scripting podcasts and creating traditional speeches. Complimentary consultation on how to generate influence and sell without paying high rates, janegenova374@gmail.com. 

 

What Your Kid Should Be Getting the Hang of in College

Resumes, cover letters, campus interviews, and even grade transcripts. 

Algorithms already are making them obsolete in how employers search for and hire talent.

Those employers piloting such approaches, which will soon become standard, range from Goldman Sachs to Unilever. Here is the coverage by Fox.

Soon enough chief human resources officers in myriad other industries could also be deciding: Hey, algorithms level the playing field for talent, uncover unique skills, and digitally assess in real time applicants' ability to solve problems, while shaking off pressure. 

College career placement has to prepare its students for that.

Meanwhile, the whole resume industry, in which there are firms such as Your Edge for Success, could go the way of ATT's landline niche.

Recently I interviewed for a 15-hour contract gig with Your Edge for Success to edit resumes. For myriad reasons (including having to take a complex unpaid test and a personality assessment) I withdrew from the process. Yeah, all that for 15 hours a week not compensated at above-market rates.

More importantly, it has become increasingly obvious to me: Resumes are becoming 20th century.

Therefore, the hell with beefing up my skills set in that niche. Instead hustle for a gig analyzing commercial trends in applications of  Artificial Intelligence. 

After all, employers have to recruit in radically new ways to break through this expensive disruptive reality: Leadership IQ reports that within 18 months, 46 percent of new hires fail.

 

Bits and pieces of all this are already embedded in how applicants go about being vetted.

Here is an example:

•  Through smartphones X and Y find help wanted on Facebook for jobs and internships in social media.
•  They are directed to a career database. Sometimes this is via a Google Form for applying for work. 
•  Instead of a cover letter, resume, or transcript of grades, they list their LinkedIn Profile. Artificial intelligence scans that. So, you bet, incorporating the "right" keyword in the LinkedIn profile is a must. Also, keep bringing up to date the keywords.
•  If the software screeners allow them to pass onto the next phase, there will be gamification. They will participate in a number of games which test the mindsets and skills, including speed, required to do the job. 
•  The high scorers will then take a video interview, tackling hypothetical challenges in their discipline. There will be an Artificial intelligence assessment of their problem-solving responses per se, along with facial expressions, and management of language.
•  The process then could move on to a human interviewer.
•  The fortunate applicant and the fortune employer will be united temporarily to focus on a project. All work will evolve into a time-bound project, not a job. 

What in-house legal counsel at employers will immediately get is this: Employment lawsuits will be prevented by Artificial Intelligence.

Of course, we know from Facebook that the algorithms can be coded to be biased in some way or another against certain groups.

However, soon enough there will be test for that.

The 65-year social media whiz or the ecommerce strategist who is a mother of two will have the same opportunity to demonstrate their superior fit for the job or contract assignment as the communications majors who used to be interviewed on elite campuses. 

Given the importance of gamification of all aspects of human resources, career placement at collegeswill encourage students to make mastering video games their "business."

Increasingly employers are hiring not knowledge. They search for the attitudes and skills that achieve organizational objectives better, faster, and more affordably than have been standard.

Full Disclosure: At age 68, I had been digitally recruited and hired for a side hustle evaluating student essays. There was no human contact in the process. The compensation had been above-market. 

Need affordable help strategically planning and putting together content? That ranges from blog posts and e-books to planning/scripting podcasts and creating traditional speeches. Complimentary consultation on how to generate influence and sell without paying high rates, janegenova374@gmail.com.