The Most Valuable Work Is Work That Repeats Itself
When I was 18 years old, I once responded to an advertisement in the paper that stated a company looking for janitors was offering $15.00 an hour (which now would probably be the equivalent of at least $25.00 an hour). Back then, 20+ years ago, that was pretty good money for a janitor in Detroit. I could not believe my luck in seeing such an advertisement and I called up the number on the advertisement. The person on the other end of the line told me to “come right over!” The location of the janitor job was around an hour [Read more]
You Need to Be Self-Managing and Responsible
Several years ago our company was operating in downtown Los Angeles. At less than a year old, the company was very small at the time; however, the people I was working with were nothing short of extraordinary:
- I had one computer programmer who had gone to Columbia Law School and had come to work with me after deciding that he did not want to practice law.
- I had a girl who had graduated at the top of her class at Boston University Law School and decided that she did not want to practice law.
- I had another guy who had gotten a perfect score on his LSATs and a perfect grade point average. He was working for me a few years before deciding which law school to attend. They all ended up offering him scholarships.
- I had a guy who was extremely intelligent and hardworking, who had gone to law school with his wife, and ultimately decided against working in a law firm. He had followed his wife out to Los Angeles while she took a job practicing law.
One guy might come in at 5:00 am and work until 4:00 pm and then work from home later in the evening. Another guy might come [Read more]
Get Security By Concentrating on the Needs of Your Employer
If there is a lack of any kind, whether it is need for employment, or for money, or for guidance, or even for healing, something is blocking the flow. And the most effective remedy: Give! Spiritual Economics: The Prosperity Process, Eric Butterworth
Several decades ago, people would start with an employer in the United States, and the chances were quite good that the person would be working with that employer for the majority of their career. This was how it was for my parents for the most part. It was probably also this way for your parents, as well. Both of my parents spent the majority of their careers with just one employer. There are still some pockets of this today; however, for the most part, this is rapidly becoming a thing of the past. [Read more]
King Henry II and Understanding Your Employer
Under King Henry II in the twelfth century, England established a common law. This was a body of law that was common to all parts of the country. Throughout Europe at the time, there was a wide body of law that was applied—there were feudal customs, Germanic customs and other differing customs. For example, French King Louis IX was well known for having allowed each province of France to have its own laws and procedures after becoming part of France. He created a Parliament of Paris to hear appeals from the feudal lords around France. Each year, [Read more]
Why Aren’t There More American Day Laborers, Doctors, Engineers and Textile Workers?
From the time I have been young, I have watched people ignore the most basic law of economics. This basic law is all around us and it controls a great deal of what happens in the world. It controls who you are friends with, who you are married to, where you live, where you work, what kind of car you drive and much more. You too are likely ignoring this basic law of economics in some part your life. The employer you work for may be ignoring this basic law. All around you are people, companies, institutions [Read more]
Government Bailouts, Groups and Your Career
Recently, something quite interesting has been happening in the American economy. The government has decided to get involved in running various businesses. These businesses include insurance companies, banks and automotive companies. This is something that I am almost 100% confident is going to likely be a disaster. In fact, it is already turning into somewhat of a disaster as far as I am concerned. History has shown time and time again, that when a government tries to operate a business, this ultimately fails. It never worked in Russia, for example, and China and India have only started [Read more]
The Use of Testimonials and Endorsements in Your Job Search
When I was in my final year of high school, I remember that in English class one day the teacher handed me back a paper I had written and it had a B+ on it. While there were a lot of classes that I would have been incredibly happy if I received this grade in, English was not one of them. In fact, with the exception of a horrible play I had written for one English class, I had not received a grade of less than an A- in any English class for years. I decided that I needed to meet with the English teacher and go over this. After all, I figured that something must be seriously wrong. The teacher asked me to meet him for lunch, and so a few days later, I was sitting there with the teacher having lunch. We spoke for some time before the grade came up and when it did I said, “Listen, I have not received a grade this bad on any paper I have ever written in any English class. There has to be some mistake.” I then proceeded to list [Read more]
Athens, Sparta, America and Your Job Search
One of the greatest conflicts in the ancient world was between Athens and Sparta. In fact, the history of ancient Greece was dominated by the conflict between these two different cultures. Both cultures ended up leaving an important legacy to the world.
- On one hand, the culture of Athens left a legacy of art, drama, architecture, philosophy, the enjoyment of wealth and opulence, the idea of a governmental democracy and a strong navy.
- On the other hand, the government of Sparta left a legacy of asceticism, military supremacy on land and oligarchy (rule by a few).
These two societies fought repeatedly between the years of 500 BC and 350 BC. Their clash was a fight between two civilizations in the fullest sense. Each believed that their society and their way of [Read more]
If My Boss Gets Mad at Me or I Get a Poor Review, Does This Mean I Should Look for a New Job?
Fortunate are the people who find themselves in situations where their bosses are demanding of them. I say this in all seriousness and for several reasons. At the outset, I want to caution you this article is not for the faint of heart. It’s for individuals who take their careers and lives seriously. You have chosen to be part of the working world and put the futures of individuals and companies on the line based on the quality of your skills. So it is time you faced some cold, hard truths. When I was younger, I attended [Read more]
Find an Employer With Similar Values
In 1997, I was working for a federal judge in Bay City, Michigan. It was cold and I was working in a rural area that left a lot to be desired. Even the judge I worked for got the hell out of there when he could go to another part of Michigan. While the judge I worked for was a very nice person, the atmosphere had a certain inescapable formality. The way I was required to dress for work each day and other rituals that permeated the work reflected this. There were also some cultural differences that made it clear to me [Read more]
