Virtual Learning

June 4, 1999

It certainly looks like 1999 will be the year of cyber-classrooms, online education, and virtual learning. Universities are quickly moving to offer online courses, and students are clamoring for more. For example, the University of California has joined with Cal State University and California Community Colleges to offer nearly 2000 online courses and degree programs.

There are obvious drawbacks as well. Email conversations eliminate some of the spontaneity and visual cues that are inherent in face to face interactions. Recent reports indicate that the students that suffer the most from using online classes rather than traditional methods are those that need to be 'bottle fed' information. Stanley Chodorow, Dean of California Virtual University, notes that cyber-learning "students must be active. There is a certain percentage of students whose only action is to get themselves to class… then they sit there dead silent."

Western Governor's University provides more than 300 online classes from 26 different universities, colleges, and corporations. Look at what online classes are offered in your area, and try one out. Some proponents of online classes think that they are more appropriate for core introductory material, or for specialty/technical classes.

Afterviews

June 3, 1999

Job Interviews are not only one of the Holy Grails of Jobhunting, they are also regarded with fear and loathing. You are assessed like a piece of meat, fodder for the labor grist mill. And it takes a lot of effort for most of us to walk away still feeling good about ourselves, especially since the odds are so great we'll be rejected for the Job.

Given our Love/Hate relationship to Job Interviews, there are some important things to remember before you thank the Inquisitor, er, Interviewer, for their time. First and foremost, don't forget to ask for the Job! Most Interviewees forget (or are too shy, embarrassed, etc) to ask for the position they are Interviewing for.

Offer to come back for another Interview. Recognize the plight the Interviewer is in, talking to dozens of candidates and trying to discern relevant differences between them. Showing your compassion, or ability to put yourself in someone else's shoes, may be the deciding factor in your favor. If not this time, maybe it will stick with the next Interviewer.

Find out the Employer's hiring timeframe, and whether they inform all applicants of their decision, or just the ones they hire. You need to know when you should be crossing this company off your 'possibles list', and concentrating on the next Job lead.

Finally, at the end of every Interview, ask the Hiring Manager for leads to other Jobs. They may be the best possible source anywhere for Job availability information. You've just made an effort to sell them on your skills, and they've reviewed your work history in some detail. Hiring Managers travel in a circle of associations with like-minded concerns, namely, "How do I fill these positions with competent and dependable Employees?" What a goldmine! Their professional success is dependent on finding good Employees. Even if you are not the best candidate for the particular Job they are filling today, you may be the best match for one they are (or a colleague is) filling tomorrow.

So don't leave an Interview on a depressed note when it looks like you're not 'the one and only'. Remember that the Interviewer is human, prone to errors in judgement, and may yet serve as the critical resource in getting you either the Job you want, or something close to it. And send a thank you note!!! Hiring managers are almost universally surprised (read disappointed) that less than one out of fifteen Interviewees takes the time to perform this simple courtesy. They remember the Jobhunters that give them respect, and this may just be the edge you need.

OT (Organizational Types)

June 2, 1999

Organizations that are steeped in a bureaucratic, hierarchical way of Employer/Employee relations seek greater control over workers. Changes tend to be incremental, and decisions are made top down. Conformity and Control are the corporate mindset, so worker survival depends on the ability to follow orders and ritualize your work behavior.

Bureaucratic companies value rank over creativity, so paradigm shift thinking is rewarded only when it is presented through the proper channels. Make your boss look good, and you will rise - make them look bad, and you'll suffer the consequences. While the downside of working for rule-driven outfits are legendary, don't forget the upside - these firms generally have an accepted set of behaviors that are easy to learn, and require less energy to follow. Just do as your manager tells you, follow the company handbook, and everything will be OK.

Directly opposed to the Bureaucratic Organization is the Entrepreneurial Company. Loosely constructed organizational charts downplay who's in charge, and a team environment is encouraged. Members of the team include people working on a particular project, and all team members are supposed to feel free to contribute their opinions on how to make the workplace a better and more efficient arena. Decision making tends to resemble a more consensus orientation, rather than coming down from 'on high'.

Worker Empowerment is (theoretically, at least) more than a slogan used to recruit new workers or put on TV ads. Getting along in an organization like this requires the ability to talk to co-workers with ease. Give and receive information without taking it personally, and brainstorm freely with an open mind. In a word, what you'll need are good communication skills.

Most organizations lean toward one of these two archetypes. While the variations are abundant, the differences are generally a matter of degree. And company culture does change - losing money consistently can sure affect the attitude of both workers and top management. Have you ever worked for an Employer that blamed the hired help for their own poor management decisions? The spread of gloom throughout the organization is almost palpable, and going to work is like heading to the gallows.

A primary function of your Jobsearch should include the two stage step of realizing what type of organization you prefer to work for, and matching that with what you can find out about your target companies. Finding Employee discussion groups Online, and trawling for what really goes on at your target companies, could make or break your decision to work there. And increase both your longevity and enjoyment with that firm.

-Mark Poppen

OB (Organizational Behaviour)

June 1, 1999

Working in an office can be a trying experience.

Often the easiest part of the Job is the actual work. The trouble comes in trying to get along with your supervisors and co-workers. And how they behave is often a function of the corporate culture, company ethos, and the subsequent behavior of individuals within the organization. There are a myriad of methods that you can use to adjust to the seemingly bizarre behaviors that confront you in the workplace, and how well you adapt depends on who you are, and how you perceive yourself.

Some people isolate themselves as much as possible, realizing that they get more work completed without interruptions - and limit their chances for negative interaction with colleagues. They regard work and home as separated entities, and try not to confuse the two. They tend to avoid revealing much about their life outside of work to people they work with, and are unlikely to join in workplace gossip or games. They may realize that substantial interaction under stress at work causes them to blow up at co-workers (and supervisors!).

Other workers need the support, advice, interaction, and camaraderie of not only their peers, but supervisors as well. They want (maybe even need) to have fun at work, and many of their friends started out as co-workers first. Self described "people persons" (ugh) live for the hustle and bustle that makes an office seem more like a home away from home. Interoffice gossip, email jokes, and goofing on friends at work makes their day go by quicker, and may (arguably) prolong their productivity and tenure at the firm.

To survive (and thrive) in the workplace you need to come to grips with the corporate culture that predates your arrival on the Job, and integrate it with your personal idiosyncrasies. Tomorrow: what types of organizations are you most likely to run into?

-Mark Poppen