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Why Aren't You Getting It - No More "Learning on the Job"

  "I am a fast learner." When we were teenagers looking for summer jobs, that's what we Boomers told employers. In those days the post-WWII economy was kicking off. Manpower was needed. Eager-to-learn was the right hustle. See, businesses did train. Actually they preferred to train you in how they do things. You wouldn't have to unlearn bad work procedures. Now, expressing eagerness to learn or if it's obvious you need training beyond a brief onboarding - that immediately knocks you out of the box. The current labor market mandates that you perform the required tasks from day-one. And better than the other hundreds applying for that postion or gig. That's exactly why entry-levels can't get in. Those new academic graduates include PhDs. Here's a snippet from Reddit: "I don’t see why companies would want to let anyone with a PhD, who expects better pay, to learn on the job. You gotta think value. What can you bring them? Highlight that and engage i...

September 2026 Jobs Report & Legal Sector: Good TImes Keep Rolling (for now)

  The jobs report for September 2026 was a Debbie Downer, for some: Only 29,000 jobs created.   But for others, such as us Boomers ultra concerned about what the stock market is doing, it brought relief. Given those disappointing job numbers, the feds probably won't raise interest rates again, at least not in the near future. The Dow closed up 250.40. Tonight, after days of not checking my financial statement, I might take a peek. Meanwhile, though, in one sector the good times keep rolling. That's legal services. Last month 2,000 jobs were created. Reuters provides more details: "The Bureau of Labor Statistics ​ counted 1,249,000 legal sector jobs in September, including lawyers, paralegals, judges and ​ legal assistants, up 2,000 jobs ​ from August and 7.6% higher than ‌five ⁠ years earlier" And, as Law Fue l documents, if you make it big in a law firm, that could really be big in compensation. Given Star Wars - that is, poaching rainm...

Public Relations: Great Storytelling Won't Get You Far

First attention. Then the numbers on conversion to opens, likes, followers, sales, market share, shift in public opinion, boost in name recognition and more. Those are what clients want. Not storytelling per se. As in many law practices (see Paul, Weiss partner Brad Karp's observations in Lawyer Monthly ) and throughout management consulting (see David Duncan in the Harvard Business Review ), AI has made what used to sell and at a premium price a commodity. And, the glut of commercial messaging out there has made it more and more difficult to capture, hold and grow attention. Platforms that rely on storytelling, such as BusinessInsider , frequently are floundering. That venue lost almost 30% of subscribers during the past three years. Somehow they haven't effectively connected the dots between the narrative and how does it move the needle on helping the audience accomplish their objectives.  Telling her story in the memoir "View from the East Wing" hurt,  not helped,...

Job of Religious Minister: Like Being Captain on the Titantic

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So important was the role of clergy in this new land that the Puritans established Harvard in 1636 to ensure there would be enough ministers and that they would be well trained.  Currently that role has evolved to be analogous to attempting to steer the doomed Titantic. The church, as an institution, is collapsing. Although more than 60% in America identify themselves as Christians , no longer are many of them going to church. CNN documents: "Experts project an estimated 100,000 churches in the US will close or be repurposed over the next decade" Walk into churches still operating and the congregation probably consists of the over-60. About 40 million have left during the past 25 years.  The reasons range from no-time to a deep distrust of institutions. As a tarot reader, I would add that my clients who have walked away from the religion of their childhood complain about the lofty preaching. What they need is not to aspire to be a better human being or change the world. I...

BoomerVille: The Pall

 From euphoria and how-smart-we-were-to-invest to, yes, a pall. Darkness makes it through all parts of our lives. Another bad day. Dow Jones Industrial Average INDEXDJX: .DJI 51,125.23 0.44% −224.69 today Sep 30, 3:09 PM EDT •  Disclaimer

Goldman Sachs' John Waldron Could Still Have a Novel in Him - It's You, Not Your Major

  According to The Wall Street Journal Goldman Sachs' president John Waldron could be movin' on up. It could be to the CEO spot in 2027.  The coverage highlights that Waldron majored in English and assumed he would be a writer. That snippet could generate tons of page views, likes, comments and reposts. That's because this is an era of intense controversy over which majors will be the platform for earning a good living. Well, being a top player in professional services doesn't rule out that Waldrom could still knock out some creative writing. Prominent lawyers John Grisham and Scott Turow have conjured up bestselling novels.  That reality of succeeding in the hard-nosed professional services sector and having embedded literary talents screams this: It's not your major. It's you. In college, where he wrote for the school newspaper, Waldron attended a summer whatever on business at the University of Chicago. He was open. The Ah-Ha moment came: Yes, business could...

BoomerVille: Maybe Not Another Debbie Downer Last Day of September

  Dow Jones E-mini Futures Future 51,778.00 +76.00 +0.15%