YourCommunicationsEdge

  With so much affluence and too much supposed sophisticated career advice floating around what has become buried in the abyss is the oldest fundamental about landing a job:  Nothing gets you a job like having a job.  And that applies even if the title and the tasks involved in your current position are not in what you consider to be your career path or what you studied in undergraduate/graduate and professional school. On professional anonymous network  Reddit,  a senior in college majoring in public relations laments sending a bunch of applications without receiving any interviews. One response is so wonderfully grounded: "When I was a PR agency hiring manager, I hired a restaurant server and a Best Buy employee. I liked that they had to handle tasks and deal with customers. They had stories to tell during interviews that helped their cases. They continue to have successful PR careers. "Doing something is better than nothing." Embedded in this guidance are four realiti

  In this era of extreme cost-efficiency, the odds are that 1) If you are a knowledge worker you will be laid off and 2) You will be tempted to ease the pain and perhaps get the edge in landing another job through becoming what's called a "Layoff Influencer." The latter ranges from Cloudflare whistleblower Brittany Pietsch to Zoe Pritchard who initially made $5k from being "the layoff girl." Bloomberg  covers this trend, citing the pros and cons.  Obviously, losing a job because of the employers' financial situation or changed strategic direction is shaking off its stigma. That's progress. When I had been laid off from a Fortune 50 in 1987 I experienced shame. That shadowed me for about three years even though I had launched a successful executive communications boutique.  Things have changed a lot since Corporate America shifted from being paternalistic to being lean and mean in the final decades of the 20th century. For a while now LinkedIn,  the  netw

  The word "telecommuting" is appearing less on help-wanted sites such as Craigslist for full-time positions and contract assignments in content-creation and other aspects of communications. Here  is an example posted in the New Haven, Connecticut section of Craigslist for work in Boston, Massachusetts.  This is an abrupt shift. Just a year ago myriad book ghostwriting assignments were posted as remote. Obviously, it's a buyers' market. And, buyers want content-creators onsite.  In business and life you usually have only one shot at whatever. Up the odds of success with Jane Genova. I am an intuitive coach, tarot reader and content-creator. Complimentary consultation (please text/phone 203-468-8579 or email janegenova374@gmail.com)  

  "Relationships between law firms and political candidates -- particularly a candidate like Harris who is herself a lawyer -- are nothing new. But advocacy groups are concerned that funders with corporate ties could wield outsized influence, shifting Harris away from policies under  President Joe Biden  that have chafed the business community." -  Reuters Legal , August 12, 2024  Paul, Weiss is  the  law firm way out front in both fundraising for Kamala Harris - Tim Walz and providing support in other ways such as participating in the debate coaching. For example, Paul, Weiss chair Brad Karp has reached out to 300 corporate lawyers, motivating donations. Lawyers and staff at the firm have contributed the most among law firms - $1.4 million. Partner Karen Dunn had prepped Harris in the 2020 debate and will do the same for the September 10th one.  Given how Washington works, Paul, Weiss could be building unique access within the next administration, if Harris wins. Already, as

  "What’s unclear is whether the lawyers [suing Duane Morris and Thompson Hine about non-equity partnerships] will prevail, send shockwaves through Big Law and lessen the use of the tier that has boosted firms’ bottom lines. Conversely, solid wins by the law firms could boost firms’ confidence in the classification." -  Bloomberg Law,  August 12, 2024 About 48% of the top 200 law firms use non-equity partners (NEPs). Most recently, Cravath and Paul, Weiss have jumped on board.  The advantages of this tier are primarily for the law firm. The major one is that NEPs can be billed out at a higher rate. That boosts Profits Per Equity Partner (PPEP). Those have surged 90% since 2013 when this classification grew. Another benefit to the firm is that it can retain experienced lawyers. In this sector, when business is brisk, it is easy to lose midlevel associates in the lateral game. Overall, it has been widely known that the NEP tier was a problematic category for those in it. In my 

  In an Ivy League doctoral program in the 1970s my Ph.D. colleague was reprimanded by the power structure. On her jacket was a button for a popular cause. "That's a distraction," they said. At an auto corporation in the 1980s, every time something went wrong in a manager's unit there was the tsk-tsk about the sideline of owning a franchise.  More recently, Goldman Sachs head David Solomon had taken it on the chin for also being a professional DJ. There was a time, in some circles extending into the present, when professionals had to have one and only one brand. You were a Doctor, Lawyer or Indian (Native American) Chief. Okay, of course, if you did some investing such as in real estate but, please, keep that low profile. Achievement in other areas, such as golf, was labeled a "hobby." Lawyer Scott Turow's hobby was publishing best-selling novels, right.  To violate that norm, it was warned, would result in brand dilution. In addition, another warning wa

So many of the men and women I have worked for as an employee or who were my clients got their first big break by working in politics. Having that experience on their resumes is usually what caught the eye of those hiring or promoting. A hands-on background in politics continues to be a sturdy career platform (even if the politico loses) for both starting a career or doing a career reset. In addition, just being in the loop as are law firms like Paul, Weiss, Covington and Jones Day breaks open unexpected opportunities. The good news is that the on-fire Harris-Walz campaign has 60 paid openings.  Here you can review the many categories on the website.     They are based in Wilmington, Delaware and most compensate at $85k but some go higher. There is a major emphasis on tech, communications in all its aspects such as audience development, social and what are thought of as "creative" functions. Essentially the campaign is driven by tech/social-first.  The publication  Fast Compa

   SHORT SHORT FICTION BY JANE GENOVA  "I got tickets the the Harris Inauguration, Dad. I can fly you in." Of course, Robert was showing off. It was one of those "Look at me." At the time, maybe he was working at Covington or Paul, Weiss.  The two of us never liked each other.  Awful, the relief I could feel through the phone when I said "no." Four years later I  had  to go. Not-all-that-ambitious Walz had decided to pack it in after one term. My son took his place.  "I am proud of you, son." That's what he wanted to hear. That freed me up not to be on any telepathic wave length with him while I was in D.C.  I wanted my wiring to be entirely open to "read" so many of those others strutting around. I am a psychic, quite a successful one. That was before that niche, like Hollywood, management consulting, content-creation, graphic arts and tech, became glutted. The "it" about Robert showed up before his birthday party as he w

  Unique insulation for a politico comes from establishing a rhetorical presence in  someone else.  Richard Nixon, who although heavily flawed as a human being was known for his political brilliance, created that in his vice president  Spiro T. Agnew . And that's what Donald Trump seems to have put together in the number-two on the ticket JD Vance. Part of Nixon's communications strategy was to continually reinforce the support from mainstream Americana. He pitted them against the perceived "elites.'  Recall how the aristocratic John F. Kennedy, a graduate of Harvard, made him come across so badly in the televised debate - and later defeated him in the presidential election.  Agnew tossed around rhetorical grenades about the educated's criticism of Nixon's policies. Classic was "the nattering nabobs of negativity." There is plenty of precedent for Vance's radical statements. But there is a major difference. Sure, the liberal press made fun of Agne

  Digital gossip tabloid Gawker, like Donald Trump, had its time. Then it ran out of time after it, again like Trump, crossed too many lines. One in particular - broadcasting without permission a video of celebrity wrestler Hulk Hogan having sex with someone else's wife - got it sued. The nuclear jury verdict of $141 million finished off Gawker.  A sign that not many care much about Gawker any more is that Gawker 2.0 never was able to get traction and went away. It's reported to be having some kind of third try overseas. However, that hasn't deterred interest by  Ben Affleck and Matt Damon to possibly make a commercial film about the infamous trial in Florida for "Hulk Hogan v Gawker."  Charles Harder for the plaintiff became a bigger name and eventually it came out that high-profile conservative Peter Thiel did a version of litigation financing. The studio owned by Affleck and Damon - Artists Equity - bought the screenplay of that litigation which is reported to

  " ... receiving ‘tough’ feedback is nothing to panic about as long as you spend time creating a plan on how to address it and be proactive. When I’ve received tough feedback I’ve gone back to the person taken them through the plan so you get them feeling like they are working with you not against you and then make sure I report back to them on progress against the plan." -  Fishbowl Consulting , August 6, 2024 That's one of the responses to a first-year manager in Big Consulting who didn't receive the one-time-standard "Compliment Sandwich." As I explain in this  article , that management strategy - the Compliment Sandwich - is an attempt to mask negatives in a performance review between a top layer and a bottom layer of praise. Of course, rarely is anyone duped. Instead they are usually freaked and don't embark on that productive journey of self-improvement. Gen Z is having none of that.  But, less of it may be handed out. The Knuckle Sandwich could r

  Dumb phones are making a comeback in the US. Counterpoint Research estimates sales will reach 2.8 million by the end of 2024. In Canada they already account for 25% of phone purchases. More folks are weary of all the gee-whiz attributes and benefits of smart phones.   The same kind of resistence to so-smart is showing up when businesses leverage Gen AI in their marketing communications. A  Washington State University stunner of a study  found that using the buzzword or the concept of AI in promotions can be counterproductive in sales.  Fast Company  puts it plainly: Mentioning AI in features and benefits can actually hurt sales: " ... [The Study] which surveyed more than 1,000 Americans to develop a deeper understanding of the relationship between AI disclosure and consumer behavior, found that when companies mentioned AI in product descriptions, sales fell." The reasons range from skepticism about the value of AI by consumers to the lowering of emtional trust. About the la

"An email sent to nearly 300 lawyers on Sunday by Brad Karp, chair of prestigious law firm Paul Weiss, sought to rally support for Harris. It has generated an enthusiastic response, according to recipients, with the leader of Cravath and senior figures at DLA Piper helping to mobilise colleagues."  Financial Times , August 1, 2024 That support goes beyond fundraising. It extends from event planning to addressing legal issues during the campaign. About the latter, some may recall that Jones Day partner Don McGahn took on that role in Donald Trump's first campaign.  As for Karp, this isn't his first rodeo. He also had been prominent in guiding Harris in 2019 for the 2020 election. No surprise, on March 25, 2021,  Bloomberg Law  noted that Karp's Wall Street law firm Paul, Weiss was well connected with the Biden Administration.  The guy is a master at building, nurturing and growing political networks. Interestingly, Karp left off the list of recipients for his lette