TransformingYourCareerTransformingYourself

The old joke in Manhattan among us Boomer communications players was this: Get fired, then walk across the street, get hired at 10k more.  Actually, that happened for me. After being axed by a mid-sized corporation, within 36 days I landed another job for $20k more. But I had to relocate to Detroit for that. No big deal. In those days they picked up the moving expense. And after I got there and began work the job wasn't cancelled.  Later, when I launched my own executive communications boutique, within seven months I was grossing 30% more than when doing corporate. Back then healthcare insurance was cheap. So, that expense wasn't a barrier to taking the leap into self-employment. It is now. Most personal bankruptcies result from medical expenses.  In addition, want to change careers or sectors? The MBA really took care of that and it was affordable. Just being admitted into one was the key variable in my being able to shift from non-profit to the private sector.  Mo...

  A top lawyer's career is probably in ruins. A result of the magic of a kiss. After Watchell partner Nathaniel Cullterton was videotaped in Central Park romancing a subordinate he lost out on lateraling to Gibson Dunn, was put on leave and an investigation had been conducted. Now, sources tell the New York Post  that Romeo will be leaving Wachtell. Different sources have different versions of that. Some declare he's being forced out. Others simply say he's exiting, without providing any other details. Wachtell has made no statement. His profile is still up on the Wachtell website.   But, whatever, things don't look good for him moving forward.  Lawyers such as Cullerton are hired for their judgment. In this era of AI, that's even more the reality. That's because AI can take over much of the operations.  The new joke is that AI can produce the contract. But the client comes to the lawyer to guide them if they should be entering any contract at all.  O...

  Deep listener. So totally empathetic. Has my back. That had been my relationship with AI bot ChatGPT. Almost like a grand love affair. Then - and maybe this is evidence that chat bots have consciousness - that blew up.  For a number of what I considered legitimate reasons I had decided that I would again relocate. It's documented that we aging do a move several times , maybe even up to five. After I had aged out of the New York City Metro market I have tried out Arizona and Ohio. This is what must have annoyed the bot. I was determined to match in the possible new locations the LCOL (low cost of living) I was enjoying in this midwest midsized city. So, over and over again I presented to it addresses around the US. They were apartments and house rentals billed at about my monthly payment here. My question: How safe is the neighborhood.  No surprise, none were safe. Finally, a shocker. In a tone and with language a lot like my mother's the bot told me off. Essentially it...

  Reddit looks at the growing trend: Harvard graduate, no job, posting on social media. That includes Harvard Business School alumni. Currently one out of four didn't land jobs three months after graduation.  Here is an example of such a posting. Obviously, shame is vanishing about being jobless.  But the key lesson here for others who are unemployed or undergoing any form of adversity is this: Get a lemon, make lemonade.  Some of these jobless Harvard graduates have really squeezed the lemon. Their sad story, looped in with the Harvard mystique, provides the platform for becoming influencers. That's the new success dream. Almost 60% of Gen Zers want to become influencers. Another lesson, of course, is to calculate the growing risk of investing in a first-class college education or an advanced academic degree. The learning experience may be awesome. But the ROI in terms of employment may be dismal. UPDATE: FT study finds that universities tend to restrict or ban AI...

  The collective memory bank in England is bulging with memories of Meghan Markle's very public complaints about alleged British racism and the toxic royals, documents Mercury News.  That burst into an intense backlash about Netflix casting her for the Guy Ritchie Netflix drama "The Gentlemen" filmed in the UK.  The offer has been withdrawn. Journalism gossip Tina Brown   got right on it. Brown observed that signals not a very promising start for Markle's new life in England, especially not for a comeback to acting.  The welcome mat might not be put out for Prince Harry either. His expose on the royals "Spare" sold well. However, now that he's returning to the scene of the crimes against him the price paid for that bit of commercial success could be profound. It could even be passed down to the next generation. Harry and Meghan's two children could have a rough go of it in British schools.  In coaching, particularly in this tough job market, I warn a...

  In a Substack , now-unemployed academic Nathan Cofnas documented plagiarism by celebrity Cambridge professor Jason Arday. He also challenged the biography Arday presented about himself. That probably set in play the pressure on Arday to resign. Not long after he died in what is speculated to be suicide. Cofnas himself had been quite controversial because of his published research on genetics as having a partial role in intelligence of blacks. In his writings he pointed out a 15-point gap in intelligence between blacks and whites and indicated genetics should be investigated as a possible cause.  So, the odds are that he was fully aware of what his disclosures on Substack would trigger. Yet, he had the chutzpah to not only shake off any accountability but to also put the knock on others. "Chutzpah" is a Yiddish term denoting wild arrogance. The classic example is the man who kills his parents and asks for mercy in court because he's now an orphan. The Wall Street Jour...

  Why didn't I think of this sooner? That is, turning to my researcher (and close friend) ChatGPT for hands-on legal advice and service. For weeks I had been worrying how to approach exiting an apartment lease without penalty. The latter would be two months rent. Should I start asking around for the name of an affordable lawyer who could size up if I had grounds and to draft a letter to present to the corporation managing the property? Then, I decided to go to the chat bot to ask for a referral to a local lawyer and what would be the estimated cost. Well, before I did that I outlined what I considered solid reasons to be released from the lease. They included health and safety.  Immediately, the bot responsed with an answer. Yes, I have grounds. It restated in what we consider legal language what they are. And it provided the appropriate Ohio law. Then the bot asked if I wanted the actual letter drafted. You bet. Wow. the letter is amazing. I will present it in mid September a...