Advice

Career Advice For 2016: Watching for 2017

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So here we are at the end of 2015, a year of massive . . . well massive everything, both good and bad . . . and 2016 is coming.  So what does the Geek Job Guru think about 2016 and your careers (in the US)?

The strange thing is most of it is about 2017.

Economy In General

So first of all the economy in the US seems to be doing OK overall right now but remember we came out of the worst recession since the depression, and not everyone caught up.    This Salon article is worth reading, and though it focuses on the worst and ignores subtleties (for instance, some people may not have liquid cash but do have assets, it does help paint a picture that the US middle class on down isn’t doing too hot.  A good economy doesn’t mean good for all.

This is also on top of student loan debt, etc.

I also share some of the concerns about the world economy as detailed by Larry Elliott in The Guardian – China’s probably-contracting economy, the Eurozone ups and downs, and Brazil (which I hadn’t paid attention to).

So my short form take on the US Economy is meandering and a lot of people aren’t doing too hot – good for some, OK for others, but a lot of people are being hosed.  In turn we’ve got some bumps in the world economy.

I don’t see the world economy hitting a big bump in 2016 – but I see it as a distinct possibility in 2017 as there’s too many things that can go wrong.  Unless it’s minor, its impact will be extended as so much of the US has not recovered.  Collapse or some kind of dystopian nightmare?  No. But it’ll depend on other issues . .

Politics

Politically, let’s face it the Republican party is in a meltdown with Trump.  I give him odds to win the nomination, but I don’t see him winning.  However the party will likely take an obstructionist route in politics – well, continue it.  Trump on the other hand will stick around to make trouble.

The Democrats will probably unify behind Clinton, and if she’s smart (and she is) she’ll outreach to the Sanders constituency.  Trump’s antics allow her to move to the left (which, to show my biases, we need), by driving moderates into her area.  A big issue for government functioning is if Clinton has coattails so she brings in enough change to keep the Republicans from being obstructionist.

Your politics aside – my politics aside – the gridlock as of late has been terrible.  One look at our poor infrastructure and erratic politics will tell you that.  To be blunt I think the Democrats will allow us to better navigate upcoming economic bumps.

If on the other hand Trump wins, against all odds, he will be massively disruptive to put it mildly.  But I don’t expect it.

The US political situation will affect how bad a likely bump is.  If the Republicans win or win enough to be obstructionist, we’re going to grind on and the 2017 bump will hurt a lot of people.

Jobs In General

Don’t see a lot of change on the job front per se, which is actually not good for everyone.  you can get a gander at the top paying jobs in the US according to Business Insider – which you’ll note require degrees and training.  For people without degrees, you can check out BI’s non-degree job guide – but training and speciality work is also required.

In a lot of cases you see the same patterns time and again – be involved in health care, engineering, building/maintenance, mechanicals, technology, and transport.  And yes, IT is good but I’ve previously covered that getting in on the ground level is hard.

If you’re senior at a job there’s always reasons to be concerned, but I think you’re probably safer, at least in IT – and if you’re skilled you’re also hard to replace, especially if you’re hands-on.  No one outsources their Dentist or HVAC construction.

The problem is if you’re starting out, you need to start out fast, have a plan, measure progress, and get the hell trained.

Also you’ll notice a lot of jobs aren’t particularly “geeky.”  Work with things that fit you and be willing to evolve.

Where This All Goes

So my basic take on jobs for 2016 is:

Prepare for things to “go bump” in 2017.  Be ready with savings, plans, etc.  I’m not guaranteeing it’ll happen, but I’m suspicious.

  • If you’re Senior in your job, it’s more a case of holding on – saving money, keeping up a rep, getting some extra training.  This is especially true if your job is hard to outsource or replace.
  • If you’re entry-level, you should work to get yourself to some senior level experience before 2017.  Actually doing it at reasonable speed is a good idea anyway.  Work to make sure you’ve got options and are established.
  • If you’re just starting out – pick careers carefully, watch your finances, and have backup plans.  Be ready to live with your parents, friends, etc.  Be willing to work on a more stable, less interesting career – you can always change later.
  • If you can’t do your perfect job, do what you can but also be willing to “careerize” a hobby to explore options.  I recommend that anyway, but it may be nice to have options anyway.

 

This will be amplified – or decreased – by our political situation in the US.

Now past 2017?  I’m not sure.  Too far out for me.  But I think 2016 means we have time to prepare for 2017.

And we should

– Steve

 

Healthy Cooking: Okonomiyaki

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I haven’t posted as much on cooking in the last year as i’ve been working on the voice of the blog – which I settled on as being “mine” which cleared things up.

So let me share one of my secrets of healthy, fast, delicious cooking: Okonomiyaki.

Okonomiyaki’s been descried in many ways – usually poorly – so I’ll give my own summary: a pancake with vegetables and often savory ingredients in it, served with sauces (usually Bulldog and mayo). It’s a Japanese creation, repurposed from other cuisine, and quite popular as you can do it many ways – the name itself comes from “as you like it.”

To me, it’s a way to get a healthy meal fast that’s easy to eat. Of course I do it my way.

See I use chickpea flour. Chickpea Flour, aka Gram flour, aka Besan Flour, has two benefits:

  • It’s high protein because its’ pulverized beans.
  • When mixed with water, it’s sticky, so you don’t need eggs (great for vegans, people with allergies, or folks that just don’t want eggs).

Seriously, Chickpea Flour is culinary magic.

So here’s my take on using Oknonomiyaki to eat healthy – now this does involve a bit of oil for frying so it’s not as healthy as it could be, but still.

For a single serving you need

  • 1 cup besan flour
  • 1 tsp aluminum-free baking powder (you can also use baking soda if you stir in a tsp of vinegar right before cooking)
  • 1/2 cup water
  • 2+ cups shredded vegetables – traditionally cabbage, I use finely shredded cabbage and carrots in a 3-1 blend. you can also try grated sweet potato, spinach, and chopped tomatoes (though they add a little water to the mix). Think of it like a veggie omelet if you want to get ideas.
  • Sauces of your choice (I recommend barbecue or Bulldog, some mix with mayo – I need to post my own version of Bulldog sometime).

To do this:

  1. Mix Chickpea Flour, baking powder and water in a bowl. Mix thoroughly as the flour can form little lumps.
  2. Gradually add the shredded vegetables, stirring until the bowl is basically vegetables coated in batter, stuck together. I get in as much as possible, which is usually a bit over two cups depending how well shredded it is.
  3. Heat a non-stick pan and add a bit of oil (olive or sesame) when hot, then dump the bowl and fry it up like a pancake. It usually takes 3-5 minutes a side -and try not to press down on it so it fluffs up.
  4. The complete pancake fits easily onto a standard plate. Dump it out and serve with sauce – even a bit of soy does the trick.

That’s it – a giant heaping helping of leafy greens and powdered beans turned into a delicious pancake.

There’s also ways to enhance it:

  1. Add soy sauce to the mixture to add savory tastes
  2. Add pickled ginger (about a tablespoon) for a great kick.
  3. Add about 1/4 cup kimchi – that adds fluid, so I’d use a bit less water.

To make it even easier? Keep a bag of frozen shredded vegetables in the freezer to grab whenever you want.

I’m sure you can come up with more ways to do it! It’s become one of my go-to for a quick healthy meal that tastes great – nothing like a nice, warm, savory pancake filled with nutritional goodness, with some nice condiments, after a hard day. I tend to make it about once a week.

Give it a try, let me know how it comes out for you.

-Steve

The (Literal) Joy Of Networking

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So over Thanksgiving I did some networking. I should note it’s no exactl intentional – I do it automatically as I like it

A lot of people don’t like Networking, and my theory on that is simple – we get taught to make a natural human activity (socailizing) into work. It’s not fun which is what it should be.

Over Thanksgiving:

  • I met Neale Bayly, who does motorcycle demonstrations for good causes, writes on his experiences, and in general seems to be someone who would normally be fictional character. Turns out he’s real, very cool, and we chatted after meeting during a delayed plane. It was fun, I got inspired, and of course I followed him.
  • * Meanwhile on twitter over the holiday I noticed Magencubed made comments on superheroes. That resonated with my recent analyses of Concrete Revoluio, and we traded some commentary. Just random twitter opened my mind – and I learned a lot.
  • Finally, on the flight back I had a chance to talk with a gentleman working in branding (as we discussed things privately, I won’t mention his name, but we’re connecting on LinkedIn) and we had a marvelous discussion about Hasbro and other companies in fascinating branding efforts.  But often Hasbro because damn.

Three connections, three different people, just because I was open to networking and it was fun. Really, it was natural.

And that’s when Networking is best. I could talk techniques, I could talk methods, but the thing is be open to Networking. Be open to connect when it’s there, be interested in people, socialize.

And when you’re not wanting to be social? That’s fine. Find what works for you.

Networking is an art, and an individual one at that.  Know when you need to express it.

– Steven Savage