Comments on: Twentysomething: 5 ways people get screwed early in a career http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/ Advice at the intersection of work and life Sun, 08 Nov 2009 04:20:06 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=abc hourly 1 By: The Urban Muse | Blog promotion tips http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/comment-page-1/#comment-159068 The Urban Muse | Blog promotion tips Wed, 30 Jul 2008 06:24:56 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/#comment-159068 [...] deeper and write with more honesty and angst than I would share on my own blog. I was proud of that post but also terrified that I’d get raked over the coals for being so blunt and really putting [...] [...] deeper and write with more honesty and angst than I would share on my own blog. I was proud of that post but also terrified that I'd get raked over the coals for being so blunt and really putting [...]

]]> By: Simon http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/comment-page-1/#comment-134660 Simon Sun, 27 Jan 2008 23:27:15 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/#comment-134660 <p>If you are an avid home business Entrepreneur who is frugal, or at least aware of attempts being made to separate you from career living by deceptive employers, this is a no brainer. The reason I became so fed up with jobs/careers, was the fact that the rich get richer, and the less fortunate, get poorer! </p> <p>With an Internet Marketing business, and becoming your own boss, the playing field is leveled in your favour!</p> If you are an avid home business Entrepreneur who is frugal, or at least aware of attempts being made to separate you from career living by deceptive employers, this is a no brainer. The reason I became so fed up with jobs/careers, was the fact that the rich get richer, and the less fortunate, get poorer!

With an Internet Marketing business, and becoming your own boss, the playing field is leveled in your favour!

]]> By: bluecrayon http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/comment-page-1/#comment-134551 bluecrayon Thu, 24 Jan 2008 19:27:22 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/#comment-134551 The points above were great and so was everyone's feedback. I'm only 23 and I've felt the force of each one. I'm a firm believer that sacrifices must be made in order to acheive success. I've also found much insight and forsight in discussing making them with my husband and making them OUR decisions. In doing so, you can move forward in your career and it's the choice of your family. The points above were great and so was everyone's feedback. I'm only 23 and I've felt the force of each one.

I'm a firm believer that sacrifices must be made in order to acheive success. I've also found much insight and forsight in discussing making them with my husband and making them OUR decisions. In doing so, you can move forward in your career and it's the choice of your family.

]]> By: Rich http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/comment-page-1/#comment-134207 Rich Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:41:04 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/#comment-134207 Nice post I think your #1 'screwing' could be an article or book in and of itself. I'll add to that to tell 20 somethings that it's ok to get screwed provided you learn from it. Don't let a bad boss or shafted raise deter you. Generations before you have been getting screwed as long as there have been organizations with more than 2 people in them. I think your best advice comes with respect to the 'intern' comment. The only way I would suggest someone take a job offer from where they interned is if the job is in a different location from where they previously worked. I have seen very talented people blow away the regular workforce for three months, only to return and be handed the crappy assignments and leave 18 months later wasting time and money. Also, there is a good chance that the projects you want to work on will be assigned to someone else by the time you wrap up school and show up at the office. Remember, you have the leverage until your start date. Nice post

I think your #1 'screwing' could be an article or book in and of itself.

I'll add to that to tell 20 somethings that it's ok to get screwed provided you learn from it. Don't let a bad boss or shafted raise deter you. Generations before you have been getting screwed as long as there have been organizations with more than 2 people in them.

I think your best advice comes with respect to the 'intern' comment. The only way I would suggest someone take a job offer from where they interned is if the job is in a different location from where they previously worked. I have seen very talented people blow away the regular workforce for three months, only to return and be handed the crappy assignments and leave 18 months later wasting time and money.

Also, there is a good chance that the projects you want to work on will be assigned to someone else by the time you wrap up school and show up at the office. Remember, you have the leverage until your start date.

]]> By: Caitlin http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/comment-page-1/#comment-134206 Caitlin Wed, 16 Jan 2008 20:40:19 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/#comment-134206 Doug, it's not about planning your life around who might screw you, it's about avoiding common pitfalls that can leave you in a less favourable position. Getting screwed does not imply automatically that a person is screwing you. You can also be screwed by a situation. I wouldn't focus too much on that one word. I thought it was a great post and it seems that many others agree - this is certainly the most positive set of comments I've seen on a Twenty-Something post, probably ever. Doug, it's not about planning your life around who might screw you, it's about avoiding common pitfalls that can leave you in a less favourable position.

Getting screwed does not imply automatically that a person is screwing you. You can also be screwed by a situation.

I wouldn't focus too much on that one word. I thought it was a great post and it seems that many others agree – this is certainly the most positive set of comments I've seen on a Twenty-Something post, probably ever.

]]> By: Mark Braun http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/comment-page-1/#comment-134202 Mark Braun Wed, 16 Jan 2008 19:27:09 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/#comment-134202 My daughter recently got this whole list tossed at her; I agree that most employers now seem to want to pay Dunkin' Donuts prices for MBAs. I DO recommend THE HAGGLER'S HANDBOOK as a short, working bible of tactics to fight these traps. Remember that ANY salary is negotiable and you'd better negotiate to take it all. Even at my age (54), I was recently b.s.'d out of a week of (verbally) promised salary and a bonus for picking up a big, big new responsibility. How'd this guy get away with it? No review, no raise, no discussing anything. Luckily, I'd haggled a decent starting salary some years back in anticipation of tricks like this. My daughter recently got this whole list tossed at her; I agree that most employers now seem to want to pay Dunkin' Donuts prices for MBAs.

I DO recommend THE HAGGLER'S HANDBOOK as a short, working bible of tactics to fight these traps. Remember that ANY salary is negotiable and you'd better negotiate to take it all.

Even at my age (54), I was recently b.s.'d out of a week of (verbally) promised salary and a bonus for picking up a big, big new responsibility. How'd this guy get away with it? No review, no raise, no discussing anything. Luckily, I'd haggled a decent starting salary some years back in anticipation of tricks like this.

]]> By: mari http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/comment-page-1/#comment-134184 mari Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:39:40 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/#comment-134184 ooops, i mean #2. ooops, i mean #2.

]]> By: mari http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/comment-page-1/#comment-134183 mari Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:38:58 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/#comment-134183 i agree with #4. my boss verbally promised me a raise without putting it in writing. i held on to that in good faith and because i trusted my boss. months after the discussion about the raise, he changed his mind and blamed other factors which are beyond my control. i agree with #4. my boss verbally promised me a raise without putting it in writing. i held on to that in good faith and because i trusted my boss. months after the discussion about the raise, he changed his mind and blamed other factors which are beyond my control.

]]> By: MariaMH http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/comment-page-1/#comment-134182 MariaMH Wed, 16 Jan 2008 16:34:14 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/#comment-134182 I think these are really good things for everyone to keep in mind. As far as #3 goes, although it is tough to change people's perception of you always being seen as the receptionist or the intern, when you move to another position, try to get your new boss involved in stopping the requests to do work you did previously. Make sure your job description is well defined and don't be afraid to ask if you are really supposed to be doing "task X" anymore. People may not even realize they are asking you to do something you used to do and shouldn't be doing in the current position. As for #4, that certainly depends on the position and company, but I am older and married with no children. I have a life outside work and I do not automatically say yes to extra hours. If I need to meet a deadline, then I work out my schedule to get the work done. If someone asks me if I can work over, I tell them I need to check my schedule and get back to them. Just because I don't have kids doesn't mean I don't have other commitments. If I can work it out, then I say yes. Maybe I have just been lucky to have jobs and managers who never automatically assumed because I was single or didn't have kids that I was going to work ridiculous hours. Or maybe it is the other way around - since I didn't always work tons of hours, they didn't automatically assume I was always available. I think these are really good things for everyone to keep in mind. As far as #3 goes, although it is tough to change people's perception of you always being seen as the receptionist or the intern, when you move to another position, try to get your new boss involved in stopping the requests to do work you did previously. Make sure your job description is well defined and don't be afraid to ask if you are really supposed to be doing "task X" anymore. People may not even realize they are asking you to do something you used to do and shouldn't be doing in the current position.

As for #4, that certainly depends on the position and company, but I am older and married with no children. I have a life outside work and I do not automatically say yes to extra hours. If I need to meet a deadline, then I work out my schedule to get the work done. If someone asks me if I can work over, I tell them I need to check my schedule and get back to them. Just because I don't have kids doesn't mean I don't have other commitments. If I can work it out, then I say yes. Maybe I have just been lucky to have jobs and managers who never automatically assumed because I was single or didn't have kids that I was going to work ridiculous hours. Or maybe it is the other way around – since I didn't always work tons of hours, they didn't automatically assume I was always available.

]]> By: Doug http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/comment-page-1/#comment-134181 Doug Wed, 16 Jan 2008 15:23:47 +0000 http://blog.penelopetrunk.com/2008/01/15/twentysomething-five-ways-people-get-screwed-early-in-their-career/#comment-134181 But what gets me about this post is the focus on being screwed. Work is not a zero sum game. If you are willing to unlearn all the nonsense you learn in school, you find the most important thing is having clearly defined goals. Once you do that, your primary competitor will be yourself. Ever see a successful 40 year old who fights over nickels and dimes in his comp package and plans his day around who might "screw" him? But what gets me about this post is the focus on being screwed. Work is not a zero sum game. If you are willing to unlearn all the nonsense you learn in school, you find the most important thing is having clearly defined goals. Once you do that, your primary competitor will be yourself.

Ever see a successful 40 year old who fights over nickels and dimes in his comp package and plans his day around who might "screw" him?

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