A late November batch of a links
Since the most recent batch of links went out, paying subscribers received a Q&A with a career pivoter and then an overview of how companies typically outsource all the wrong things to experts. This coming weekend, they’ll find an essay about my deliberate shift away from sports obsession.
Below, you’ll find a batch of links that echo the themes of this newsletter, which are professional development, community building, and self care.
Job listings are the new Zillow. Even if you don’t reside in NYC or one of the other states that has previously mandated salary transparency, this shift will have sizable impact on what and how people negotiate for pay raises in the coming months. I’d expect a lot of movement in Q1.
‘A different kind of different’: B2C marketers on making the switch to B2B.
Is the world’s richest person the world’s worst boss? What it’s like working for Elon Musk.
Musk was not implicated directly in any of the complaints. Nor did he show any sign of taking them more seriously than he has taken past allegations of bias in his company’s workplaces or criticisms of his own deportment. His response: an email to workers advising victims of racism to get a “thick skin.
How the pandemic ended America’s bad romance with work.
Career challenge: How to ask the boss for a raise in a bad economy. Some good advice here for when you sit down amid reviews season. Talk about what you’ve accomplished, even if it’s less than what was discussed to do.
5 companies share which new benefits they’re offering in 2023.
The Beautiful, Brutal World of Bonsai. I thought this was a great summary of what you should turn to your manager for: “One paradox of being an apprentice is that you are expected to learn how to re-create your master’s style. But a true master does not copy anyone’s style—he creates freely and fearlessly. In order to truly copy a master, an apprentice must break free.”
Meta, Lyft, Salesforce and Other Tech Firms Dump Office Space as They Downsize. I don’t want to keep hitting the same talking point each and every week, but the downsizing of office space and a move toward remote-only work will inform the candidates they hire, which for some of these companies will go their way and for others it won’t. It’s part of the marketing and messaging going forward, and candidates will choose what they want from their employers.
Why do people in good organizations do bad things?
Flailing With Remote Work? Your Employer May Be to Blame. I agree with this, but I’d say to redefine ‘training’ to mean not formal training rather access to more of what’s going on - and others who are working on it. “When it comes to getting training, employees may need to advocate harder for themselves than they do for other resources. Your boss will make sure you have a laptop, but they might not ever think to offer you training.”
Mass Layoffs in Big Tech Are an Old-Guard Mistake.
Heading Back to the Office? How to Love your Commute. I love that we got to hear from someone who is positive about the commutes she does to give her some space to breathe and think. My experience has been similar. It’s a form of downtime because I sit on a train and space out. It creates a reliable barrier between work time and home time.
Many Gig Workers Lack Health Insurance, Need Help, Broker Says.
These companies ran an experiment: Pay workers their full salary to work fewer days. This article better than others on the subject of the four-day workweek acknowledges that there’s a lot of room to have flexibility to accommodate a variety of people, but it’s more likely to happen a company policy level than a willy-nilly individual level. That adds up. Choose a company that best matches your needs. Personally, a four-day workweek doesn’t appeal to me.