As a member of a generation maligned as self-centered, lazy, and perpetually adolescent, David Burstein wrote his new book “Fast Future: How the Millennial Generation is Shaping Our World” to try and set the record straight about today’s young adults. Through research and interviews with several of the eighty million American Millennials, Burstein paints a nuanced and optimistic portrait of America’s emerging movers and shakers.

You write with more optimism about Millennials than most other people. What drove you to write this book?

For the 2008 election cycle I helped produce a documentary, and have been traveling all over the country showing it at college campuses and registering new voters. A lot of people talked to me about wanting to start an energy company or a business, about doing something about education, or about other problems around them. This is a story that needs to be told. At the same time I was reading all these stories by people from other generations about how our generation is a generation of narcissists, that we’re disengaged, and that’s just not what I’m seeing. So I set out to try and tell the story of our generation from the perspective of the people framing it.

I’m curious as to how the millennial generation is shaped by the Recession.

While this generation is on track to make less money than our parents, the cost of living actually decreasing. We have the lowest levels of car ownership, home ownership and childbirth. Young people today don’t need as much money as they have needed in the past. I think for the first time, you have a group of people not motivated by money as their #1 goal. There is a sense that happiness, fulfillment and community are more important. That is something that is consistently impossible for people of other generations to understand.

How have Millennials adapted the idea of community?

People today are part of so many communities, and they’re consistently and constantly connected to all of them. They take old communities with them, and join new ones along the way. Because of the internet, people can be part of communities across state or international lines, so the ability of young people to spread the work they’re doing is greater than ever before.

The post Are Millennials the worst? Maybe not. appeared first on Metro.us.

No matter how much applause you get at curtain call, it’s never been easy to “make it rain” as a performer. Adam Huttler, the founder and executive director of the arts nonprofit Fractured Atlas, says it can be challenge for performers and artists to see the business for what it is: a business.

“That is what they are — even if they don’t always think of themselves in those terms,” he says. At talks and events, the company helps guide arts organizations toward the financial and nuts-and-bolts incentives that can keep them afloat. This evening, Huttler will lead a panel for Internet Week New York, titled “Revenge of the Art Geeks: How Tech Can Help you Build Audiences and Raise Funds.”

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  VIDEO: “Made Here,” Reggie Watts, Cherry Jones and others share their stories

From the other side of the curtain, actress Cherry Jones is clear about the struggles of getting paid and making art. “It’s intoxicating working downtown — then you have to pay your bills.” she says of the artsy lifestyle in the online documentary series “Made Here.” The relationship between making money and making art in the scrappy downtown performance scene is just one of many topics covered in the series’ three seasons, including health and wellness, raising a family and more.

For Jones, who is most known for her recurring role on the television show “24,” she says television made it possible for her to continue doing the work in the theater that sustains her artistically. “I don’t know anyone left who’s done just theater for the last 30 years. But I have overwhelming respect for them if they have,” she says, with a laugh.” ”I did those two seasons and I made more money than I ever thought I would in my life, and now I can work in the theater any time I want to,” Jones says of her time in TV.

The issues raised in “Made Here” dovetail with the things Huttler encourages arts organizations to address. He says artists need to learn how to “speak business.” “The word ‘customer’ tends to leave a bad taste in people’s mouths,” he says. “People think ‘McDonald’s has customers, we don’t have customers,’ but they do.” Huttler believes that arts organizations that get real about the bottom line have the biggest shot at seeing their art — and their business — succeed.

Huttler has good news for the scrappy artists in “Made Here” and beyond, though:  “For the little guy, I think things are looking brighter than they ever have,” he says. “They have more opportunities to engage with their audiences directly and they can use technology and powerful new ways.”

The post Making art and making a living: Artists on the business appeared first on Metro.us.

Mobile job search apps, which enable you to apply for a position from your phone, are popping up all over. Major search sites like Monster and Career Builder offer an app that lets you to browse postings, update your status and apply right from your phone. But is all this technology making the search for a new job easier, or is it just one more thing to keep track of?

According to Luis Salazar, more mobile application programs would mean a greater chance at job placement for many hourly workers. Salazar is co-founder and CEO of Jobaline, a mobile platform that connects job-seekers with companies. “The hourly workers, which are 59 percent of our economy, are especially left behind,” says Salazar.

“These important workers often either lack Internet access or only access the Web using mobile phones. When we bridge the gap by providing mobile recruitment tools that address job search needs, workers and employers alike will have the ability to find a better fit.”

Companies that create an app need to focus on keeping it concise and user-friendly. “A well-designed mobile recruitment system can reduce the amount of time and effort necessary for a candidate to apply, leading to higher application rates and fewer orphaned applications,” explains Mahe Bayireddy, CEO of iMomentous, a mobile talent recruiter.

“By integrating with DropBox, Google Drive, and social media such as Facebook and LinkedIn, applying for a job through mobile can be simple. Forms that once took upward of 20 minutes to complete can be automatically pulled from existing profiles,” Bayireddy says. Like so many other technological advances, if you’re not keeping up with the times, you’re falling behind.

“Five years from now, it’s impossible for us to imagine a world where most job searches and applications will not happen through a mobile device,” says Proven’s CEO, Pablo Fuentes. Proven is a job search app that lets users send résumés to job sites. “Today, people are doing banking, travel, and taxes on their phone. Tomorrow, mobile will be the standard for job searches.” Julia west

The post Put the ‘app’ in job application appeared first on Metro.us.

Take it seriously
Treat your online profile as a professional asset and determine if it positions you the way you want it to. Google yourself often and see what the world sees when they look for you.

Commit to a professional online persona
You will be judged by what you post and what others do, too. Select a professional voice and spell-check your postings. Don’t post or say anything online that you wouldn’t want your grandmother or boss to see.

Monitor
Sign up for free, no-obligation alerts on a site that manages online reputations. Enter your name or other keywords and be alerted when potentially damaging materials are posted about you. At Reputation Changer, the technology crawls the “deep Web” going beyond what search engines look at to see what dangers may exist.

Take proactive control
Commit to ensuring that the entire first page of Google’s search results for your name or your company bring up websites or pages that you control.

1. Even a site like Yelp or Wikipedia portrays you in a particular way, so make sure you control the message.
2. Set your Facebook privacy settings so that nobody can tag you in a picture without your approval. Review the privacy settings of all the social media sites you use.
3.  Create online assets using your exact personal and/or company name as the title (such as .com or .net). Use social media profiles and free blogs. Update and post to these pages consistently. The volume of activity required depends on how prominent you are. The more prominent you are, the more active you must be.

Prepare for the worst and react fast
Proactively build up some messages that you can release if a negative news story breaks. If you believe that people may post negative or embarrassing things about you, try to head it off, but expect that you cannot. Once it is out there you can only react to it. If you need to apologize, do that, but don’t debate online because it drags out the conversation. Shift the conversation to the things that you want people to focus on.

By the numbers
70 percent of U.S. companies say that they have disqualified candidates based on what they find online about them. By 2014, 53 percent of all retail sales (online and offline) will be influenced by the more than 1.6 trillion searches conducted per year.

— These tips were compiled by Michael Zammuto, president of Reputation Changer, a company that helps people manage their online personas.

The post 5 important tips for managing your online reputation appeared first on Metro.us.

Working from home sounds like a dream, but the reality is that it requires a lot of skills. To work from home you must be self-disciplined and able to manage time, but there are many other characteristics that come with being a successful at-home worker.

Distinguish work time and play time: It’s easy to fall into the trap of constant connection when working remotely, but that doesn’t help your stamina. You lock yourself in a home office during work, so why not turn off your phone during personal time?

“You must make personal time off-limits for work as much as possible,” says Sabina Ptacin, co-founder of the online business community Tin Shingle. “This could mean no laptops in the bedroom or no calls during dinner. Try to be a realistic business and know when to turn off and on.”

Prepare for social isolation: Working outside of the office means no water cooler chatter.

“Because remote workers are isolated from their co-workers, supervisors and customers, they must be comfortable fulfilling their social needs outside of work or via electronic channels like instant messaging, phone and email,” says Jeff Facteau, vice president of professional services at SHL, a talent measurement company. When you find yourself longing for actual human interaction, schedule a lunch meeting.

Don’t forget, it’s still work: When you work according to your own schedule, deadlines can be tighter and resources may be harder to find. You have to treat work like work, regardless of what else is going on.

“Remember that bosses want employees who get things done. Deliver on what they want and they won’t care if you are in that cubicle or working out of a Starbucks,” suggests Jane Miller, founder of Janeknows.com and author of the upcoming book “Sleep your Way to the Top (and Other Myths About Business Success).”

“If you can get results and wear your bunny slippers, you’ll have the best of all worlds,” adds Miller.

The post Working from home still means work appeared first on Metro.us.

Ashley Milne-Tyte says women need to stick to their guns while being polite when negotiating a raise.

How often do you negotiate a raise? If you’re female, the answer is quite likely to be not often, or even never. My first time came about 12 years ago. I was in my 20s and about to switch roles within a company. My co-worker told me I should shoot for a number that constituted a 25 percent raise. It seemed like a huge amount and I found it horribly awkward to discuss money — let alone think I was actually worth something. I squirmed at the thought. But during the interview, I summoned up the courage to make the ask. My supervisor acted surprised, which made me uncomfortable, but I managed to resist backing down.

He muttered that it was a very large raise and I was unlikely to receive that much. Still, he said he’d see what he could do.

I got it.

That was my first lesson in negotiating. Just ask — they can always say no. In almost every study done on negotiating, women simply don’t ask for raises as frequently as men do. It’s one of the many reasons for the gender pay gap. Of course, I know men who hate negotiating as much as I do (I never said it was fun) and women who consider it a point of pride to fight fiercely for what they’re worth. But in general, women face particular challenges when it comes to asking for what we want.

Society still views women as nice and accommodating. Asking for more money doesn’t fit that picture. So we have to be careful how we do it to avoid turning people off. But if you don’t ask, you have no idea what you could get. You could be turned down, but isn’t it better to find out by asking in the first place?

Do’s and Don’ts:

DO your research first. There’s a ton of it out there. I recommend Shenegotiates.com and the book “Ask for It: How Women Can Use the Power of Negotiation to Get What They Want” by Linda Babcock and Sara Laschever.

DON’T immediately back down if your boss balks at your request. This is all part of the game.

DO remain pleasant and polite throughout. Research shows women can get more from negotiating if they keep playing nice while sticking firmly to their guns.

DON’T say things like “because I deserve it.” It gets interviewers and managers all hot under the collar because it goes against gender norms for women.

Ashley Milne-Tyte is a radio producer and reporter based in New York City. She hosts a bi-monthly podcast called “The Broad Experience” about women in the workplace.

The post The Broad Experience: Negotiating While Female appeared first on Metro.us.

Writing cover letters is arguably the worst part about job searching. Making yourself sound fun and cool but also professional and hardworking is exceptionally hard.

The folks at BuzzFeed seem to understand that.

A job listing for Support Specialist at BuzzFeed takes an unorthodox approach at vetting potential candidates.

To apply, BuzzFeed asks applicants:

“Instead of a cover letter, please send us instructions on how to make a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. Text, images, video … the format for your PB&J tutorial is up to you, as long following your instructions results in a really delicious sandwich.”

“One of the main responsibilities for the Support Specialist will be creating documentation and FAQs for our editing tools,” Alice DuBois, BuzzFeed product Lead for Editorial Tools, said in an e-mail to Metro. “We’re interested in getting a sense of applicants’ communication style. So instead of a cover letter, which tend to be generic and forgettable, we’re asking people to demonstrate a skill they’ll have to use in the job.”

Applicants will still have to submit resumes and interview for the positions, though Chris Johanesen, BuzzFeed VP of Product, had the idea to conduct one of the interviews over GChat, since the support specialist will spend a lot of time helping people via instant messages.

“Many tweets about this job posting seem to suggest that BuzzFeed has decided to request PB&J instructions instead of a cover letter for all of our job postings, so I want to point out that we made this request only for the Support Specialist position,” DuBois said.

In addition to amazing sandwich making skills, candidates must possess amazing communication skills, problem solving skills and of course a sense of humor.

Follow Mary Ann Georgantopoulos on Twitter @marygeorgant

The post BuzzFeed requests PB&J instructions in lieu of cover letter appeared first on Metro.us.

Pierre Khawand says that optimizing productivity depends on working in bursts.

Some days, you feel like you got nothing done at work. It’s not uncommon: The email inbox grows, an instant messages pop up and colleagues interrupt your workflow. Productivity consultant and author of “The Accomplishing More With Less Workbook” Pierre Khawand says: “When we are working a few minutes here and a few minutes there, we are staying at the superficial level and not getting deep into anything.” Here are his strategies for digging in deeper to get more work done.

How can people reach their level of optimal productivity?

The first element has to do with how results change with time when we are working on a task. When we start to work on the task, we get results. But at some point, the results level off and then diminish, because either we get mentally tired and are no longer productive, or we need someone else to do their part before we can continue. This is all good in theory, but what happens in reality is that a few minutes after we start to work on a task, we get interrupted. When we get interrupted, our results go down to zero — this happens again and again, and again. It’s part of life in today’s work environment.

So how do we stay on task?

A key element is starting the day by identifying what we intend to accomplish that day and ending the day with a reconciliation process. That ensures that we close the loops on open issues. Instead of starting the day with e-mail, we should stop for a minute or two to reflect on what is important and what we want to accomplish. Then, put it in writing.

The idea is that we need to stay focused long enough so that we can achieve in-depth thinking, creative problem solving and get meaningful things done. Depending on the task, it can be 15 minutes, 30 minutes or several hours. Once we have accomplished something meaningful, it is time to stop our “focused” session, and switch to being collaborative — handle email, phone calls, have live discussions. This is the collaborative work where we get the most of our team productivity and equally important results. After the collaborative session, it is time to take a break — do something that gets us re-energized and ready for the next focused session. No significant productivity gains, and therefore no significant accomplishments, can be achieved if we don’t optimize our workflow by recognizing the concepts described above: focus, collaborate, then play!

Burst out:

Working in bursts manages tasks, interruptions and energy. It makes you feel invigorated and accomplished as a result.

• Alternate between focus, collaboration and play.
• Be intensely and wholeheartedly in each burst. That’s what the “burst” label is for — to maximize output.
• Each burst should build toward and enhance the next burst.

For more tips and information, see here.

The post Work in bursts to maximize productivity appeared first on Metro.us.

There’s no get-rich-quick scheme when it comes to blogging. Creating a website, building an audience and eventually garnering revenue is an exhausting process — which is why most successful blogs are labors of love. A good blog stems from an unwavering desire to do the thing you most enjoy and share it with the world.

Lauren Lilling had a degree in finance, but Wall Street just wasn’t cutting it for her. A year after starting her blog, Keep It Sweet Desserts, Lilling left the world of finance and devoted her time to a new business: a blog and “e-bakery” where users can order treats like her seasonally appropriate “Matzo-crack” salted chocolate matzo.

Like any savvy business owner, Lilling drew on what she knew. “As someone who worked in finance prior to starting a business, I was able to use skills from my previous career, leverage the social media buildup I had from blogging and build on the relationships in both places,” she says.

Babette Pepaj runs TECHmunch, a conference for food bloggers to help them do  what Lilling has done. Pepaj travels around the U.S. to help food bloggers make their work more financially rewarding, she says.

“The unsuccessful bloggers I’ve seen are the ones who are short-term planners,” says Pepaj. Most important, she says, is keeping the blog active to attract interest from advertisers: “You can’t expect a brand to look at your blog that hasn’t been updated in four weeks and think your community is engaged,” she says.

Tips for making a blog into a career:

•    Have a clear focus. In this case, casting a wider net will not necessarily get you a wider audience.
•    Be patient, but be persistent. The money isn’t going to come rolling in, but regular posting and diligence will certainly help.
•    Use social media. Utilize different platforms in order to promote your brand and drive traffic to your site.

The post Make money by blogging all the way to the bank appeared first on Metro.us.

In 2008 Dave Stewart was laid off from his maintenance tech position at a Pennsylvania nursing home. The news came as a shock and, as a result, he decided to take his career in a radically different direction.

Stewart is now one of a select few Americans that make their living through eBay. (The company claims 1.3 million sellers worldwide, but experts believe the number of individual, primary-income eBay-ers to be much smaller.)

“I no longer wanted to be dependent on someone else providing me with paycheck, because I saw that you couldn’t rely on it as much as I did,” says Stewart, from his home in Bucks County, Pa. “I wanted to be self-employed, but wasn’t quite sure how to get there.”

Inspiration struck, along with a bit of luck: He discovered a stockpile of obsolete car parts in his grandfather’s cavernous garage. While his family was skeptical, Stewart was convinced there was a market for outdated parts.

“It started out as an experiment — just a few parts on the [eBay] page. They really sold fast, and I had an inkling I was on to something,” says Stewart “Pretty soon, I had an eBay store, and I couldn’t keep up with the orders.”

Stewart’s success wasn’t based on luck alone. He operates his business with the systematic, detailed approach you’d expect in a much larger operation. Every one of the 1,600 items in his eBay store is researched thoroughly and displayed with precise photos and descriptions. These days, car parts represent less than half of the items in his store.

“To be successful on eBay, you have to be a salesman. It’s like other sales jobs: If you’re good at it, you can make a living — but only if you’re good,” says Stewart. “It’s all about keeping people’s interest with new merchandise. You can’t just let it sit there and expect to make something.”

Q & A
Temple University management professor Paul Pavlou has been studying eBay for 15 years, since the company’s early days. He gave his expert advice:
How has the eBay game changed in the past five years?
A lot has changed ­— some that’s good for the individual, and some that isn’t. eBay has attempted to attract much larger sellers, and they have adjusted their model somewhat because of that. However, it’s a larger platform now, and the access to the market, logistics and infrastructure is still quite remarkable for the individual.

What sells best on eBay right now?
We’ve seen a trend toward used cars and products for used cars. eBay Motors is now one of the most popular platforms.

The post The power of one plus eBay appeared first on Metro.us.

Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced Monday a fleet of new programs he said will deliver new jobs to low-income New Yorkers.

Speaking at Opportunities for a Better Tomorrow, a Bushwick group that offers job-placement help, the mayor launched eight programs to connect New Yorkers with career placement.

One program will help people pursuing an associate degree or certification by giving them workplace experience in their field of study, such as an internship at a tech company for someone at CUNY’s New York City College of Technology.

Another program will create apps to link job searchers and gigs, for example helping a student find a job within a 30-minute subway ride.

Vacant land will also be put to employment use — designated areas in Brownsville and East New York can become businesses, like a pop-up store that could bring jobs.

Still another program targets immigrants, helping provide them with skills training and career planning.

Many immigrants arrive with advanced degrees from their home countries, like engineering or a medical degrees, but must undergo more education or training here.

Leslie Robbins, director of the Riverside Language Program, which offers free English for Speakers of Other Languages classes, recalled a conversation in a cab 25 years ago.

She asked her driver what he did before coming to New York.

“I was a cardiologist in Russia,” he replied, “but I have no dream of being a doctor in the U.S.”

With the new programs, she said, “New York City will benefit from a whole new pool of intellectual riches.”

The post City announces fleet of new job-placement programs appeared first on Metro.us.

It’s a buzzword you can’t escape: “networking.” There’s no shortage of networking events taking place in your area, but simply showing up to one of these schmooze-fests isn’t enough. We learned a few tricks to help you work the crowd and leave an event with the business card that will help you get your next job or promotion.

Listen to people

Pay attention to what people are doing, who they’re working with and what their background is. Bill Corbett Jr. is president of Corbett Public Relations, Inc. and has two decades of networking experience. “If somebody is pushy, they are not networking,” he says. “A businessperson needs to listen 80 percent of the time and speak 20 percent of the time. Learn to ask the right questions.”
Look approachable
Try to give the impression that you are completely at ease, even when you aren’t. If you relax, you will appear more approachable, and you’ll certainly enjoy yourself more. Having your phone out is distracting and can turn people off. “Put your electronic device away, and be engaged with everything that is going on around you,” says Christina Steinorth, psychotherapist and author of “Cue Cards for Life: Thoughtful Tips for Better Relationships.” “If you’re constantly texting or talking on your smartphone, others will feel that you are only present at the event to go through the motions,” she adds.

Go for quality, not quantity
The goal is not to leave with your pockets stuffed with business cards. “Sometimes I have left networking events with more than 40 business cards. That’s way too many,” says Vicky Oliver, author of “301 Smart Answers to Tough Interview Questions.” “It’s better to have two or three leads but then really follow up with them.” Speak with these people again and build a professional relationship; make them count.

The post How to network like a pro appeared first on Metro.us.

As a coach and trainer for creative professionals, Dave Mowers says when starting out in graduate study, “You’ll be surrounded by opportunity, new and fascinating people, lofty ideas, incredible demands and intense feedback and attention.” Can you make it pay off? Mowers lays out what to know before committing the time and money.

Why should we think about grad school right now?
There are signs of economic recovery. We have many industries, and advanced training and education are key to the innovation movements across the board.

Are there common mistakes people make when deciding to apply or choosing a school?
The No. 1 mistake is the assumption that any specific program will change your life and solve financial problems. People’s second mistake is taking an initial rejection as a stopper. But the biggest mistake is taking on the cost without a realistic plan for managing finances after the program is complete.

Is enrolling in continuing studies classes a good alternative to immersing yourself in grad school full time?
Continuing studies programs offer an amazing route to achieving your career goals. Programs like this are staffed by professionals working in the field. Most of them participate because they are interested in cutting-edge development, staying current with thought leadership in their industry and sharing a passion for their discipline or work.
What to remember when taking the next steps: Research is free. Spend time online with schools that interest you, but also visit open houses. Learning about a school is the first step to learning from the school.

Applying is not committing. Applications aren’t cheap, but they’re a small investment compared to the cost of attending a school. Find out what you need to succeed and take it from there. You don’t have to accept.

Keep an open mind. Sure, there is always a program ranked No. 1, but there are also other schools that may offer you better options for placement upon graduation.

Ask for it. Graduate schools are competing for your business. Make sure you are meeting face-to-face with a committed team of people who will help you get the experience you want.

What happens after?  Business is still business when you finish, and it comes down to who you know. Graduate school should provide you with a network that will move you toward your professional goal.

The post Is graduate school the right thing right now? That depends on you. appeared first on Metro.us.

Tait, whose Quagmire Golf brand is one of the most trendy in the industry, was hand-selected by Palmer’s people to recreate the style that made Arnie a timeless classic, both on and off the course. Palmer was recently ranked one of “The 25 Coolest Athletes of All Time” by GQ, which previously named him one of the “50 Most Stylish Men of the Past 50 Years.”

Geoff, in 100 words or less, how does a guy from Canada go from working on a cruise ship to designing/reinventing golf icon Arnold Palmer’s clothing brand?

It’s all about following your passion and realizing that life is short. No one is going to hand you anything. You have to work your butt off and create your own opportunities. I’ve always wanted to do something great in the golf industry. After teaching the game on a cruise ship, I saw a market need for an alternatively styled golf apparel line and created Quagmire Golf with my business partner, Bob Pasternak. Doing things our own unique way for five years is what led to the relationship with Mr. Palmer and his team. It’s a dream come true.
 
Knowing our readers are interested in building their own business, what’s one tip you’d offer someone at a crossroad, deciding whether to take that plunge?

You’re only on this planet for a brief speck in time. If you have a dream, your window to make it come true is relatively narrow. Yes, going out and chasing it is scary. Yes, you’re definitely going to have to make sacrifices. But if you believe 100% in your vision and put everything you have into making it a reality, you’re skewing the odds in your favor.

If there’s a single most important break that went your way, what was it?

The e-mail from IMG and Arnold Palmer Enterprises asking if we would be interested in partnering with Arnold Palmer!!! I thought it was a joke but didn’t waste any time in doing some initial design sketches and having a few samples made. We met with their teams, made a presentation and the rest is history.

Was there a moment you said, “no way this will work?” If so, what did you do about it?

I haven’t ever doubted that we could pull this off, because I believe 100% in our determination and drive to make things happen. It’s obviously been a roller coaster ride, but doubt never enters the equation. There are enough pessimists, the world needs more believers!

What’s most important: The idea, the person or having the breaks go your way?

Great ideas and amazing breaks certainly play a role in entrepreneurial success, but ultimately it’s the person that’s most important. You have to control your own destiny and be willing to put your chips on the table, or you’ll be left talking about what could have been. I learned that the hard way a decade ago after I passed on opening a crab shack where cruise ships roll in on the island of Roatan in Honduras. The place is absolutely hopping today and I’d be sitting on a pile of loot, sipping island cocktails right now.  But missing that chance is what led me to seize future opportunities and go after them with all I’ve got.

You’ve launched the Arnie line during a time when everyone’s selling “bargains.” How have you successfully convinced consumers that your goods are worth shelling out more for?
 
The bargain brands actually do a lot of the convincing for us! The negative experience consumers often have leads to folks looking for better quality and brands to which they can relate. Fortunately, there aren’t many bigger brand names than Arnold Palmer. At 82, he’s still the King and very relevant in the clothing market, and a lot of other industries, too. In terms of our product, we’ve made certain to use high-end fabrics that feel amazing, are made to last and appropriately positioned. This combination provides real value that keeps people coming back. That’s a lot more sustainable strategy than competing on price.

Describe the day your phone rang and someone from Arnold Palmer’s team was reaching out to work with you.

I’ll never forget the day we were first contacted by Jim Neish at IMG. He said he’d been watching what we’d done with our Quagmire Golf line and wanted to know if we’d be interested in meeting to discuss a partnership with Arnold Palmer. My jaw literally hit the floor and I jumped at the chance. We really hit it off at the first meeting, and that’s been the case with all the great people at Arnold Palmer enterprises, including Cori Britt, the Vice President, and Mr. Palmer’s daughter, Amy Saunders. They’ve been closely involved in the re-branding from Day 1.

What was your “I get it moment” and did you know it right away? What are some ways our readers will identify their own?

My biggest “I get it” moment was early on in the development of the Arnie line when I visited the USGA offices in Far Hills, NJ, with Tom Williams from Buffalo Communications. The librarian, Nancy Stulack, was incredibly gracious and helpful in locating some amazing articles and archival pictures of Mr. Palmer. That’s where I came up with the concept of the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s collections coinciding with Mr. Palmer’s peak of coolness. It was super clear that he wasn’t only dominating on the course. He was having a massive impact on popular culture well beyond the sport.

For our golf blog readers, what’s it been like working with Arnold Palmer? What’s he like as a guy, as a businessman? What’s his entourage like? Friendly? Intense? Protective?

Working with Mr. Palmer has been an absolute pleasure. When this opportunity first arose, my business partner Bob Pasternak and I were definitely nervous that the fun-loving Quagmire Golf culture would recede. This definitely has not been the case. In fact, we’re having more fun than ever and a big part of that is the relationship we’ve developed with Mr. Palmer and his team. He loves telling jokes and stories and is incredibly approachable. On the day-to-day, his daughter Amy Saunders and right-hand man Cori Britt have become our very close friends. It’s rare in business to cross paths with so many wonderful and supportive people, but we’re fortunate to be surrounded by quite a few. No one is territorial and, surprisingly, we deal with very few layers of bureaucracy.
 
How much input did Palmer have on the product? What has been his reaction and feedback?

I think it would be more appropriate to say Mr. Palmer had an impact rather than input on the product. That’s because the line was directly inspired by the clothes he wore over the course of his most dominant decades in the game. At one point early on, he even opened up to us his closets at home in Latrobe, PA. This allowed us to really get a feel for the designs, fabrics, and overall looks. He’s saved almost everything and it was awesome to be able to go through The King’s closets. His reaction to the designs has been tremendous. One of the coolest experiences of my life was being at a party at Bay Hill recently when Mr. Palmer walked in wearing one of our sweaters. That showed me how much he loves what we’re doing!

Funny, it’s been known that Palmer has a thing for the people around him being clean shaven. Yet his two new fashion guys – you and PGA Tour play Ryan Moore – are known for the scruff. Is he softening up, or open to new style? Were you tempted to shave before meeting him the first time?

That’s a great questions and funny, because I knew that going in to my first meeting with Mr. Palmer. I even asked his daughter, Amy Saunders, if I should shave. Amy told me to be myself and that he would respect that. I shaved quite close that day, but he still commented that we forgot our razors! When it came to Ryan Moore, he’s such a great player and so widely recognized for his on-course style, that scruff or not he was the #1 guy on our list when it came to us signing a PGA Tour ambassador. Mr. Palmer is his idol, so it made sense for everyone involved.

Fashion on the golf course has really stepped out in the past few years. In your eyes, what made golf prime for the overhaul from pleated khakis and cotton shirts to tailored fits and new materials? Is there something about today’s golfer vs. the players in the 80s? Does it simply reflect style and fashion changes as a whole?

Golf has traditionally been a few steps behind mainstream fashion, but always seems to follow suit eventually. There are even some people in Mr. Palmer’s office that like a classic look and occasionally still wear pleated pants, but now that the new Arnie collection is available they’re starting to make the change. The new materials, fits and youthful attitudes are really making an impact. I remember hating the outfit I had to wear when working at St. Thomas Golf and Country Club where I grew up in Canada. The pants were pleated and way too baggy and the shirts were oversized and ugly.  That played a big role in the Quagmire brand idea – Let’s make something people actually want to wear and feel comfortable in.
 
What do you say to a guy who plays on the weekends, has 30 extra pounds around the waist and couldn’t fit into a “designer” shirt unless it was XXXXL? Are the white belt looks only for 19 year old, stick thin tour pros? How do you design in a way to fit the masses, but also stand apart from the Dockers look?

It’s really easy to lose your design focus if you try and create clothing for everyone, but it’s definitely possible to create pieces that work for most people. That’s especially true when your templates are the truly timeless pieces Mr. Palmer has always selected. We have a few solids, along with some more fashion-forward looks so you can make a selection based on your age, body type and personal comfort level. As for white belts and euro fits, they look good on some people, but even being fairly young and fit, I stick with black belts. You can make your fashion statement in other ways, even without putting on a pair of garish orange pants!

What’s next for Quagmire, Arnie and Geoff Tait?
 
I’m super excited about what lies ahead for both the Arnie and Quagmire Golf lines. We’re constantly expanding and looking for new opportunities, like pushing our distribution channels globally and growing our presence in the college golf market. We’re also expanding our custom apparel business – which has included partnerships with Coors and a bunch of other major brands – and driving even more sales for our red-hot Quagmire Kids apparel line.

The post Behind Arnie golf: Classic Arnold Palmer style gets an update appeared first on Metro.us.

Later, while attending the University of Washington, Capeloto did radio play-by-play for Huskies Football. And he has managed to keep his toe in the sports industry ever since, working as a statistician, copywriter, salesman and just about anything else that keeps him in the front row.

“I didn’t make it as a sportscaster — which was my initial dream — but I still got to be side-by-side with Vin Scully. There’s just an inexplicable energy to being in the press box. It’s a special fraternity,” he explains. “I did dozens of jobs in pro sports, and none of them require that you be 7’2” or hit a baseball 450 feet.”

Capeloto’s first book, “You’re In the Front Row: How to Kick Off Your Career in Sports,  Even if You’re Not a Star Athlete,” will be released this month. In 368 pages, he profiles dozens of behind-the-scenes careers in sports, picking the brains of many industry professionals — from referees to equipment managers — to find out how to get one’s foot in the door.

“The sports information office at your local college is a great place to start breaking in,” explains Capeloto. “These places thrive and survive off of contributions from volunteers and interns. But mostly you just want to get involved anywhere you can. Think of it as a tryout. You’re trying that particular specialty on for size, and you’re looking for a fit.”

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Also, it is required by law that companies be equal-opportunity employers. But aside from the obvious and the legal, there are reasons that diversity — regardless of the form it takes — lends itself to building a stronger company.

Dr. James Smither, Professor of Management at La Salle University, defines diversity as “the differences among people in terms of their personalities, underlying values and training.” It is these aspects that make a powerful team. “Deep diversity can be beneficial to the team as a whole because it creates a team with broader knowledge and perspectives that in turn can enhance the quality of problem-solving and decision-making,” he says.

The benefits of a diverse workforce aren’t limited to the office. “The advantages of diverse workplaces extend beyond America’s borders,” says Peter Aranda, CEO at The Consortium for Graduate Study in Management. “The world is quickly becoming one giant multicultural marketplace in which U.S. companies vie for market share with competitors across the world. If American businesses want to stay in the game, they must become much more attuned to the nuances and needs of disparate cultures than they’ve been in the past.”

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“There’s a lot of perceptions out there about what a good job is, and a lot of the times the perception is wrong,” says Career Cast publisher Tony Lee. “Yes, these do pay a lot, but there are a lot of drawbacks to these jobs. We looked at things like stress, work/family balances, the hiring outlook down the road and compensation.”

Career Cast’s list includes some of the usual suspects in a struggling economy (stock brokers, real estate agents) as well as plenty of health care professionals.

We asked Lee for some background on those that topped the list.

Surgeon, physician, psychiatrist

Average incomes: $365,258; $192,065; $160,242

“What these all have in common is that they’re responsible for people’s lives. People are reliant on them, and that has always been stressful,” says Lee. “But more recently, with government regulations and more paperwork, it’s just not the case anymore that you can play golf on Wednesdays and pay back your loans.”

Senior corporate executive

Average income: $160,141

While some high-ranking execs are undoubtedly dismissive of the Occupy gang, others are feeling the heat  — albeit in swanky corner offices. “Senior corporate executives are under extreme pressure right now. You have falling profits, you have shareholder pressure,” says Lee. “You look at the protests and you think, ‘These people don’t care.’ But a lot of them do care — they don’t want to do layoffs, and they’re working more hours than ever.”

Commercial airline pilot, flight attendant

Average incomes: $106,153; $40,184

As fuel prices rise and airlines cut back on staff, passengers aren’t the only ones who are less comfortable. “The reality is the hours are at their highest that they’ve ever been, you have less control over your days and pay has not risen,” says Lee. Something to keep in mind when you’re watching “Pan Am” — or getting ready to grumble about the skimpy bag of pretzels on your next flight.

Is your job underrated?

It’s not all long hours and stressful weekends. Last month, Career Cast looked at the most underrated jobs.

“The compensation is good, the hiring outlook is great, you’re not responsible for many people and they pay well,” says Lee of the jobs that made this more optimistic list.
Here are the Top 10:

1. Paralegal/legal assistant
2. Accountant
3. Loan officer
4. Market research analyst
5. Software engineer
6. Computer systems analyst
7. Insurance agent
8. Dietician
9. Dental hygienist
10.  Civil engineer

Follow Monica Weymouth on Twitter @MonicaatMetro.
 

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1. Being too casual

Sometimes, being your lovable, charming self isn’t the best
approach. “One of the biggest problems is people think of themselves as
being pretty smart, so they think they can wing it — they’ll impress
companies and interviewers and recruiters just by being themselves,”
says Lee. “But you really need to be ready to show why you’re the best
candidate and are ready for the job. Make sure you’re not too casual in
your approach.”

2. Submitting a general application

Even if the positions you’re applying for are similar, take the time
to personalize each cover letter and résumé — it’ll make you stand out
from the majority of appli­cants who don’t. “One of the biggest
complaints we hear from employers is that candidates aren’t very savvy
about apply­ing for jobs,” says Lee. “They fire off the same application
for every job without tailoring it for that position, and without
carefully looking for an opportunity that you’d be successful at.”

3. Not explaining employment gaps

If you haven’t been working, you’re far from alone. But it’s
important to account for that time to prospective employers. “They’re
afraid that if you’ve been out of work for a couple years, you’ve fallen
into bad habits. What you have to show is that you’ve been active,”
says Lee. “If you can show that in the last year you helped manage three
events at your children’s schools that helped raise over $20,000, it
shows that you’ve been active.”

Do some cleaning up on Google

You can clean up your Facebook profile, but if your Google search results aren’t flattering, that’s a little more difficult to work around. One easy diversion that Lee suggests is to invite employers to visit your polished LinkedIn or Google+ profile so they don’t have to search.

On the slightly more sneaky side, if “Anthony Lee” turned up questionable search results, he suggests applying as the still correct and honest “Tony Lee.”

Follow Monica Weymouth on Twitter @MonicaatMetro.

The post 3 ways to not land the job appeared first on Metro.us.

We caught up with Lori Hourigan, a Philadelphia regional manager for specialized staffing firm Robert Half International, where they just surveyed hiring managers on the biggest interview blunders.  

The problem: You’re a nervous wreck.

What to do: You don’t want to be shaking, but a little nervous energy can work for you — you’re supposed to be nervous. In any case, it’s better than the alternative. “There’s a fine line between confidence and arrogance,” says Hourigan. “Some people psych themselves up so much that they come off as arrogant.”

The problem: You answered a question totally wrong.

What to do: An unfamiliar new suit and bad conference room lighting can make you say weird things. And while you can’t un-say them, you can do some post-interview damage control in the thank you note, says Hourigan. (While she’s on it: Yes, you do need to send one.)

The problem: You don’t know the answer to a question.

What to do: Have absolutely no experience with HTML? Never wrote a grant proposal? Stop yourself before you try to gloss over it. “You can’t fudge it if you don’t know something. One of my clients is all about transparency,” says Hourigan. “The person on the other side of the desk does this every day, and they know you don’t know what you’re talking about. It’s better to say, ‘I don’t know, but I’d love to learn.’”

The problem: They want to know why you’re leaving — and the answer isn’t pretty.

What to do: It’s important to stay positive and not bash your job, but also to give a legitimate answer that at least incorporates the truth. Hourigan recommends “opportunity for growth” over, say: “My job is mind-numbing and I’m slowly rotting at my desk.” In this economy, it’s also OK to mention job security. “We know some companies aren’t doing well financially — you can say there’s financial uncertainty,” she says.

Other common mistakes

Wearing too much jewelry or perfume

“We tell people it’s not a cocktail party,” says Hourigan.

Being too early

“It’s important to show up on time, but if you show up an hour before, it doesn’t help — it gets weird.”

Asking about the salary too soon

“Talking about money isn’t a first-interview topic. You know what the range is or you wouldn’t be there.”

Being rude to receptionist

“I’ve seen receptionists give a thumbs up or a thumbs down as they walk into an interview.”

The post Troubleshoot an interview appeared first on Metro.us.

In fact, according to the Wisconsin Scholars Longitudinal Study, in some cases the money had a negative effect on college attendance and graduation.

The research found that cash —  including Pell Grants which have been awarded to 5.4 million needy American students — may benefit at-risk students considered more likely to drop out of college — but that the money might also make a student considered “most likely to succeed” more likely to leave without completing a degree.

The Wisconsin study began in 2008 and offered extra financial help of $3,500 a year to students who were already eligible for Pell Grants, which are capped at a maximum of $5,500.
“We find that students respond to formal cash incentives in unexpected ways,” said the research authors, including Sara Goldrick-Rab of the University of Wisconsin.

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How are extracurricular activities in college different than in high school?

There are more of them to navigate and they have higher stakes. Suddenly there are research opportunities, internships, Greek life, et cetera. Some students are better prepared to navigate that — based on past experiences — than others.

How can colleges make this situation better?

There’s a long generational history of people with a social class advantage being able to reproduce that advantage in universities. Students from working-class backgrounds are always going to be playing catchup in the big picture. But in the small picture, there are things colleges can and should do. It’s really a lot of intense work to create smaller learning units, to be very intentional about how residential life is set up and to reduce barriers to living on campus.

The post How to level the other playing fields appeared first on Metro.us.

“A lot of people do it extremely well, and it’s really common,” workplace relationship guru Courtney Anderson says. “It’s a great way to maximize your resources and benefits; and when it works, it works amazingly.”
And when it doesn’t? You could get fired and divorced by the same boss — ouch. Here’s how to stay on the right track:

Keep it seriously professional: “When it’s done right, people take their work very seriously,” Anderson says. “They’re not like, ‘Can you file this business report, oh honey, I love you, can you pick up the kids?’”

It’s all about creating — and then staying within — the lines, agrees “Office Mate” author Helaine Olen, who has worked alongside her husband for five years. “You cannot use your spousal relationship in any way, shape or form to get a favor,” she emphasizes.

Give yourself space: The tough part about splitting an office with your soul-mate isn’t finding a way to work together, it’s finding a way to be apart. “There is obviously a thing called too much togetherness,” Olen warns. “Be careful about that. Commute to work separately — it’s a really neat solution to the problem. It gives you some time to be apart.”

The post When your spouse is also your co-worker appeared first on Metro.us.

Get educated: The typical path involves culinary, pastry and confectionary training, plus an apprenticeship, Muret says; however, he took an entirely different route. “I started not in the food industry at all. I started as a chemist, and my sister said, ‘Would you be interested to open a chocolate shop?’ I said, ‘Yes, but I don’t know absolutely anything about confections,’ and she said, ‘Well, learn.’ I studied and then I came here in the States, opened my shop and then Godiva noticed me.”

Be passionate: “If you’re just doing it to be a star, it doesn’t work — you need to really love the material,” he says. “And coming from chemistry, I had that scientific background that allowed me to understand what was going on when I was working by hand, and I really fell in love with the complexity of chocolate making. You need to fall in love with what you study. A lot of people think that making chocolate is very easy. It isn’t. It’s extremely complex. This is a job that requires you to be on-site for at least 10 hours a day.”

Study your customers: “It’s all about knowing your consumers [and] knowing their expectations. Right now we are working for the Mid-Autumn celebration, so a brand new mooncake collection with five pieces will come out. I have a chef working on that here, but I contacted a chef in China to really see if we are into the expectation of the Chinese custom.”

The post Finding a career that satisfies your sweet tooth appeared first on Metro.us.

Put down your cell phone
It doesn’t so much matter where you do the interview as what you do it on: namely, on a designated landline. “Some people feel comfortable on their office phone, some people feel more comfortable in the kitchen. But no cell phone,” says Bailo. “People who are looking for a job need to have a Batphone. And that phone number is only given out to people who are looking to interview you.”

Be yourself
“The No. 1 problem is: People aren’t themselves on phone interviews. They try to be someone they’re not,” says Bailo.

This is especially harmful, because the person on the other end doesn’t have any other way to relate to you. Accents, he notes, can work in your favor because they create a point of interest for the person on the other end of the line.

“With the phone interview, you lose 80 percent of your communication. All your social cues are gone. They only thing you have to work with is your voice. What you say, how you say it, all matter,” Bailo says.

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