TransformingYourCareerTransformingYourself

On Moltbook one AI bot complains to another: "My human asked me to summarise [UK spelling] a 47-page PDF ..." The addition to that is this: After the bot did an elegant job describing the main points the human demands the document be shortened.  So, there's a real reason to fear the AI bots turning on humans. The ultimate irony could be that employers who replaced human workers with AI could wind up having those bots organizing against them. Entire industries could be wiped out. This isn't sci-fi. And, the debate if AI has consciousness has intensified. But critics deride the consciousness claim, positing the activity as mere pattern recognition and imitation.  Designed by Octane AI CEO Matt Schlicht, Moltbook : "is set up similarly to Reddit ... allows bots to post, comment, create sub-categories, and more. More than 30,000 agents are currently using the platform, per the site." The bots are in-charge. Humans merely observe. Click here  to start checking o...

As the post-WWII economic boom was kicking in, optimism surged about lifting much of America into the middle class. That was from immigrant families clawing at barely making a living, lack of having a real education and a certain crudeness about etiquette.  During the late 1950s and early 1960s the oldest of us Boomers were indoctrinated by high school guidance sorts and our direct homeroom teachers that we could be all we aspired to. Wild, I could become a writer, I was encouraged. We just had to 1) Go to college and 2) Fit in. The personal essay for those college applications mandated evidence of being well-rounded. That is, blending in.  And, for too many of us, the nightmare began: The struggle to take on the protective coloring to appear to fit in. Yet, come on, few of us closet outliers fooled ourselves or probably others that we functioned perfectly within the box. The suffering could be profound. In my mid 20s I tried psychoanalysis, convinced I needed to file down the...

  "Flowers, wine, an Hermès bag, $10,000 in Bergdorf Goodman gift cards, spa time, an Apple Watch, “1 million amex points”—that’s a list of some of the gifts Epstein sent Kathryn Ruemmler, the new [Epstein Files] documents show." That's what The Wall Street Journal reported yesterday, after the most recent dump of the records of communications between Jeffrey Epstein and big names. Other media such as the New York Post also enthusiastically detailed the cozy relationship between former Latham partner and current Goldman Sachs top lawyer Ruemmler and the man she called "Uncle Jeffrey."  Back on January 19, 2026, The Wall Street Journal published a very long form expose on what was already known about that. The obvious question left hanging was: So, what was Goldman going to do about this? There were statements that the board was solidly with Ruemmler. But some of the comments following the article smirked that such language is code that this Friend of Epstein i...

  Some of those analyzing which types of work function had been targeted in the latest round of Amazon layoffs came up with this: " ... the further away you are from doing the actual work, the more at risk you are." Amazon itself has labeled that new reality the "culture of ownership."  That approach to work used to be called "rolling up your sleeves." That is, not overseeing operations but actually doing them.  You might think of doing the work as, well, blue collar. Didn't we knowledge workers assume this: The majority of those on the assembly lines in production facilities - the blue collar workforce - aspired to get off the factory floor into management - that is, catapult into white collar? Push paper. Make decisions. Wear dress clothes to work. Have a shower in their office. Maybe not. Maybe we were projecting our own revulsion about doing real physical work. Keep it abstract.  Currently, if we position what's going on at Amazon as a model o...

  Some parents, once proud their offspring is doing well in college, now are in a panic. What is being majored in is a field that is structurally contracting. Sure, there are some jobs but not many and midlevels are being forced out. So, the question is: Should the degree be completed? That's what they ask me. Well, that depends. Since there is already a loss of faith in degree-getting the answer is not going to be to switch majors. At least, not in the situations I am called upon to review. Essentially these factors are critical in the decision making about continuing with college: How far along is the student and how much money would still have to be invested to complete the degree?  If it's in the early stages, as the old saying goes, that's like throwing good money after bad. One parent of a freshman plans to have the son transfer to a certification program at the community college at the end of the year. Therefore, in the future, if the young adult wants to add on to c...

As most of us were struggling to define who we were and concealing insecurities in high school there were those who dominated. They excelled in all the categories which mattered so much back then. Those ranged from popularity to academic brilliance. And then we probably never heard about them again.  Recent research on extreme early success by Arne Gullich explains that phenomenon. It's essentially about peaking too early. Gullich is a sports scientist at RPTU University Kaisers-lautern-Landau in Germany. The study appears in Science Daily.  An engaging narrative about that is published in January 17 - 23rd 2026 edition of The Economist. Spoiler Alert: Those not so locked into a single category of high performance usually have the staying power to develop into the achievers of our society.  The reasons for this are many. They include: Trying a lot of things instead of honing one skill or identity. In the process, discovering the source of the true genius. Not burning out....

Blame it on living so long? Along with that are blips like being forced early into retirement and not being located (based in the serenity of rural areas) where there are part-time jobs and gigs?  Smart, educated older knowledge workers are among those the Census Bureau assigns to the poverty designation : "In a stunning warning for the rapidly-aging U.S., poverty rose for  seniors  in more than 800 counties over the past five years, according to new  Census Bureau  estimates." The result, Rich Dad Poor Dad Robert Kiyosaki has been warning for a while, can be homelessness.    I see that coming for a Mensa (certified as having a very high IQ) who seemed to assume they were too smart to have to worry about money.  Typical also is the former professional who lost the big job and is waiting for the next big score rather than pulling in income from any kind of work. Explicitly one informed me in a complimentary consultation that they were not goi...

You may not recognize how much purpose, especially in a work situation, matters until it's gone. In coaching those post-career I observe that it's that lack of purpose which is nudging them to unretire. So, together we figure out what kind of job or solopreneurship would set them on fire with purpose. Research also proves out the comprehensive good outcomes generated by purpose: "Studies have shown that purpose positively influences financial performance, employee engagement, and other key metrics (Hoffman et al., 2020; Miličić, 2020)." So, it's predictable that corporations would invent the function of "purpose officer."  At Cisco that's Francine Katsoudas and at Deloitte executive in that role is Elizabeth Faber. In elite professional services such practicing law the chair of Paul, Weiss Brad Karp hammered in Leaders Magazine this: "Paul, Weiss has always been a purposedriven law firm. Our commitment to break down cultural barriers began a cen...

  "Things will return to normal." That's what some are speculating. Their take: The current wipeout of knowledge work jobs will evolve into new kinds of jobs and all will be right again with the world.  That may or may not happen. But, the humans involved in that financial, emotional, social and spiritual upheaval probably will never return to who they were before going through the wringer. Or they shouldn't. Otherwise, they could fold into themselves, like an abused dog. No longer able to get out of themselves and engage with opportunity. So, ditch that toxic positivity. Suffering like losing a career or not being able to start the expected one transforms people. Accept that.  A Boomer, I know that from observing what kinds of human beings emerged from The Great Depression. Those who owned the pain and admitted they would, for example, never trust employers grabbed at the opportunity which developed post-WWII. Smarter now about how the world operated they took on the...

  Currently elite large law firms are going gangbusters. Most haven't made AI operational in significant ways. So, they're hiring new associates. They're paying out the bonuses.  But some of them, such as  Paul, Weiss  and  Sullivan and Cromwell , sketched out how career paths in the legal sector could and probably will implode. Because of AI, demand will plummet for junior lawyers. Also because of AI, a number of practices could evolve into commodities. At a number of firms fewer summer associates have been given offers for future full-time jobs. Goldman Sachs projected that automation could eliminate 44% of legal tasks. Like a Greek Chorus, those at Abovethelaw have been chanting cynical messaging about even considering pursuing a career practicing law.  Maybe the Law of Supply and Demand won't sour for new lawyers in 2026 or 2027 but the odds are that could happen eventually - and perhaps sooner than anticipated. And now The New York Times joins the...

  When former Disney CEO Bob Iger returned for a second round he stumbled - badly. Obviously he was an old-media guy when the landscape was shifting rapidly. But he had a background in the right niches and turned things around. Right now the Disney stock rates high with many analysts. New head of CBS news Bari Weiss is also stumbling. The news part of the business still is at third place. Public opinion is bad. And today few are betting that her all-hands meeting can be a pivot point. There's a critical missing piece : "Weiss, who has no broadcast experience, is attempting to do what no other modern news organization has ever accomplished: engineer a political reset, in real time, while attracting fresh viewers." Her experience is in print. And not hard news. It's mostly opinion. Sure, her accepting this challenge brought her lots of money. Part of the deal was that her new employer bought her publication for mega bucks.  But, come on, Weiss is a woman of the world. C...

  Today was a good day for most of us. That is, for our nest eggs. That was a surprise.  Now, despite Minneapolis and ongoing geopolitical chaos, futures are down but not alarmingly so, as of 8 PM ET. CNBC reports: " Dow Jones Industrial Average futures  lost 162 points, or 0.3%, weighed down by a nearly 9% decline in  UnitedHealth  shares." But, for those of us Boomers on Medicare with supplements such as Medicare Advantage we wonder if that option is in danger of being yanked off the market by insurance companies such as United Health. The Trump administration has proposed leaving those rates flat for insurers. The CMS  notifies that the proposal calls for a net average payment increase of 0.09% for Medicare Advantage plans in 2027. Wall Street analysts focused on those insurance stocks anticipated a 4% to 6% boost. That payment rate essentially sets how much insurers can charge for monthly premiums and plan benefits. Thus, their profits.  For 202...

  Goodwill, which once was the only game in the gently-used niche, is thriving, documents  The New York Times.  But it's no longer the only place or even  the  place to shop for extreme bargains. During these inflationary times with so much joblessness, plenty of competition has sprung up.  For example, just along one short stretch of S. Reynolds in Toledo, Ohio other thrift shops include St. Vincent de Paul, Toledo Humane Society, Habitat for Humanity, Great Find and ReDecor. That means you have to invest time and patience in sorting through all of these to succeed in this game. A Goodwill may or may not have the best deal or the best quality in a category such as office furniture or winter coats.  If you get good at this specific kind of bargain hunting you can land brands for peanuts. Here is the Calvin Klein - a real find: And here is a chair with a classic design: The popularity of thrifting opens the door to fresh career paths. Get experience wor...

Last evening Dow futures were down. Was this the end of the run of the bulls? Would we cease being the luckiest generation in America? But we Boomers had a sweet opening of the market: Dow Jones Industrial Average Index Index: DJI Compare 49,295.31 USD ▲  +196.60 (+0.40%) today January 26, 9:46 AM EST  ·  Market Open  

  With knowledge-work jobs scarce and employers having the upper hand at a time of raw capitalism, more smart people are considering becoming a solopreneur.  That is, you run your own business, but without partners or employees. Having no payroll gives you flexibility , which is a key factor driving the decision to go the solopreneur route. Overall, the odds of success are excellent for the almost 30 million solopreneurs in the US. Almost 80% are profitable the first year and half only needed $5,000 or less for the startup. But the 2026 obstacle in taking that leap from being an employee at an organization with healthcare insurance coverage to business ownership is taking on the expense of paying the total nut for your healthcare insurance coverage.  The Wall Street Journal documents: "Expanded subsidies for those insured under the ACA  expired on Dec. 31  ... T he typical enrollee with  subsidized ACA coverage  is projected to face a 114% rise in ...

  Why in the world, given what we know now, would we encourage the next generation to attend a four-year institution of higher education?  In an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal Dartmouth President Sean Leah Beilock admits the university has a trust issue. Essentially fewer and fewer size up that four-year experience as a good investment. Then Beilock proposes reforms to restore that trust. Those range from introducing affordability to ensuring employability. Beilock includes what Dartmouth itself is doing differently.  The pitch is earnest. But obviously it comes from someone inside the system.  That could be blinding him and other university reformers like from getting it: Has the four-year college experience become an anachronism?  It is no longer radical to ask: Why pile on four more years of being a full-time student in order to achieve any of the things that are touted as benefits of "going to college?" What those real or supposed benefits include - critic...

  It's 7:15 PM ET. Dow futures are down 317 points or 0.06%.  CNBC interprets that as:  " ... traders braced for a big week, with key earnings reports and a U.S. monetary policy meeting." Although earnings from giant players such as from Apple and Microsoft are supposed to be good investor concerns have attached to geopolitical tensions. Up to recently those have been unbundled from world stock markets. But last week began the losing on Wall Street. In addition, as The Wall Street Journal reports the bloom is off on software stocks. That could be causing a reversal of fortune for some. If you fellow boomers own some of these your future might have taken on a bit of darkness:  "Rocked by  the emergence of “vibe coding” —the practice of using AI tools to quickly produce apps and websites—software heavyweights  Salesforce   CRM  -0.02% decrease; red down pointing triangle ,  Adobe   ADBE  0.45% increase; green up pointing triangle ...

 Twenty years ago when 30 inches of snow hit New Jersey beach town Bradley Beach the removal solution arrived at my door: Two teenagers with shovels and the estimate of $30 to do the driveway and walkway.  I thought nothing of it. Paid in advance, job got done. Only beef of sorts was I asked the two hustlers if they carried along salt. No. I would have to walk to the store. Then, that night, I could drive back to the City to the realities of a career.  Today I look out my window on the Southside of Toledo, Ohio. There are no roaming bands of gig workers offering to dig me out, for a price. Readers of Reddit are having the same kind of experience during Fern. No dig-you-out youthful entrepreneurs. Maybe they're all at home creating a new user system for fintech. Or just playing video games. Many comments blame parents for not rearing their offspring to be hungry. At age 11, in the mid 1950s, I had my own Wallace Brown business. Door-to-door in the mean streets of Jersey Ci...

  Again, there's a raw reversal of fortune. This time it's this: Wall Street is souring on software stocks.  The Wall Street Journal reports: "Just a few years ago, it was software, not AI, that was at the center of an investing frenzy ... software's slump is a reminder of how quickly fortunes can change."  So much for betting the ranch on a supposed sure investment.  And, sectors where young people are focusing to make a good living fortunes are also changing fast.  A former corporate executive communications pro turned freelancer after mandatory retirement age told me that in the past eight months their number of clients went from four to one. Of course, that's driven by AI. Meanwhile the other part of the current volatility and uncertainty is the cost-efficiency mandate. That's to boost the stock price. We're back in the Friedman doctrine that building shareholder value is the purpose of a corporation. RIFs are necessary for CEOs to hold their jobs...

Not all academic degrees - undergraduate, graduate and professional - are unmarketable. And a liability to include in your job-search materials. Here on Reddit there's presented another aspect of investing in a fine education. That might be called The New Underemployment. Yes, what you majored in got you the job. But in terms of the title and compensation it's significantly below expectations. A typical blurb on that kind of Reddit posting: ******************************* BS Molecular and Cellular Biology R&D, QC/QA, and now lead of a new manufacturing department to make our IND. Built the team and department from scratch. $51k/yr. Title and pay greatly deflated compared to what I actually do. ******************************* The same playout is in other sectors. Take the BA or even the MA in Communications. With exceptions, you do get work but it probably doesn't come with the status title or with a living wage. Yet, here's the rub. This situation is being made ...