How is the Economy and Recession Affecting *YOU*?

Utah’s economy continues to outpace the United States, though we’re losing ground on key economic indicators, we’re losing that ground more slowly than the nation as a whole and many states around the country.

September 2008 Unemployment Rate Utah VS. USA
Click for latest employment situation report

Utah: 3.5%
U.S.: 6.1%

Year-Over Nonfarm Growth

Utah: 0.1%
U.S.: -0.4%

With economists and pundits expecting [...]

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What Are The Best Companies to Work For in America?

Annually, Fortune Magazine highlights the 100 best companies to work for in the US. Thanks to the economic downturn, many people are looking to recession-proof their jobs, and part of that includes changing jobs.
Here’s the latest list (below), from the February 4, 2008 edition.  Find the full Fortune 100 list online.
It’s worth noting that eBay [...]

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How to Retain Your Employees

A few months ago, I was approached by Peter Fretty, an author with Business Connect, to discuss employee retention tools employers can take advantage of.
I shared a few things with him which I am glad to say were published in this month’s magazine along with some other good, insightful thoughts from both local and national [...]

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Standing Out From the Crowd

If you’re vying for a position at a company, there is a fine line you must walk between looking like everyone else and being so different you don’t fit in at all.
Here’s a few simple ideas I can suggest for getting around the gatekeepers, receiving straight feedback, and (if you’re right for it) the job.

Research: [...]

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What it Takes to GO BIG

A great post came across my twitter radar today, written by Sam Lawrence, forwarded by Chris Brogan, then Jason Alba.
Sam’s Blog, Go Big Always, pushes the envelope just by its nature. He hits right at home when he says, “Companies are so highly matrixed and political that they make sticking your neck out nearly impossible”.

He [...]

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Google to Close Phoenix Office; Bloggers Fire Back: Contribute or Die

The official Google Blog noted Friday that Google will be shutting down their Phoenix, Arizona office in November.
We opened our Phoenix office in 2006 and hoped that it would develop to support many of our internal engineering projects, the systems that make Google, well, Google. But we’ve found that despite everyone’s best efforts, the projects [...]

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Omniture Web Analytics Competition — Fall 2008

The semiannual Omniture Web Analytics Competition kicks off this Thursday at 251 TNRB (Tanner Building) in the Marriott School building of the BYU campus in Provo, Utah (Google Map). The competition is co-sponsored by Omniture (OMTR) and the Kevin and Debra Rollins Center for eBusiness at BYU.
Check out the event notice on Facebook for more [...]

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Listen To Your Coach

A friend asked me last night for some advice in his job situation.  He’s been there only a short time, and interested in long-term salary increases and other promotions, etc. He was, in effect, asking me how and when to negotiate your next moves within a company.
How to do this?
LISTEN TO YOUR COACH
Your “coach” in [...]

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Utah Geek Dinner at My Thai - TONIGHT 9/4

Come and geek out (or just hang out) with fellow geeks, bloggers, etc. Find more info at Codeaway.org and RSVP at Upcoming:
September’s Utah Geek/Blogger Dinner is this Thursday, September 4th, 2008 at 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM.
We are having it at My Thai, which is a new Thai restaurant in the Salt Lake Area. They [...]

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Time for a Change

I received an email today from a dear colleague that starts with “I don’t even know where to begin…”
Me, too.

Today marks my last day as an employee of SOS Engineering & Technology, and my last day running the Orem, Utah branch of their company. Tuesday, I will begin working in the recruiting department of [...]

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