An early June batch of links
Due to some production issues last month related to Substack moving buttons around for no apparent reason, I sent two newsletters earlier in the week than I would have liked. But last weekend we got back on track with our regular Saturday schedule, and the open rates recovered to where they should always have been. As a result, since the last batch of links went out, only one new column went out, which offered an up-close-and-personal view of one reader’s experience with burnout and what she did about it. This coming weekend, we’ll have a complementary interview running courtesy of a careers expert, who will reflect on what he’s seen work and not work in his corner of consulting on behalf of dreamers. That interview will go out to paying subscribers on Saturday evening. For everyone else, here’s a batch of links to peruse related to the core themes of this newsletter: professional development, community building, and self care.
Job Hunters Flock to Slack to Land Offers Fast. This is a good story, but it only touches on a small segment of the professional networking taking place on these channels. Really, Slack’s best utility is to tie together people from different companies, not to increased collaboration internally. I’m in several excellent groups I depend on daily, and some not as great groups.
Op-ed: Profiles of people living in homeless encampments. It’s rarely what you’d expect.
N.Y.C. Companies Are Opening Offices Where Their Workers Live: Brooklyn. I remember pitching this story angle two years ago while working for an office space company in the first weeks after the pandemic began here. It’s probably a trend that will stick; the world is finally ready to adopt it.
'True unemployment' is a lot higher than you think.
Dreaded Commute to the City Is Keeping Offices Mostly Empty. If you were paying attention, this was all readily evident. What we need to be talking about is how to make time in the City worth commuting for a day or several days a week. The debate hasn’t even focused yet since there’s been so much noise surrounding it.
Canceling Plans at the Last Minute Is New Normal.
This Summer, the Wedding Is Happening No Matter What.
Ultimately, the couple decided to soldier on—without Mr. Greenberg. The Greenbergs already have a baby daughter, and they balked at the prospect of rebooking again.
The couple notified their guests of their plans to move forward, warning them of Mrs. Greenberg’s Covid-19 exposure. She says none of the 59 people who decided to attend ended up testing positive in the days after the party.
A friend helped to get a cardboard cutout in Mr. Greenberg’s likeness for Mrs. Greenberg and her guests to dance with. The couple’s DJ arranged to have Mr. Greenberg videoconference into the reception. Although Mr. Greenberg couldn’t attend in person, he says he was glad his wife was able to celebrate in her wedding dress with their loved ones, adding that he danced on his couch.
Inflation is Going to Get Worse. Blame a Lack of Diesel.
When the Only Way to Get to Work Is This Slow Bus. I’ve never felt so rich than earlier this year taking a Lyft both directions for two days to jury duty. There were lots of other ways I could have gotten there, but I decided that $200 was well spent to feel more at ease ahead of and throughout those days of sitting still before being let out.
Will We See Big Law Gender Parity in 20 Years? Dream On.
15,000 Tech Workers Have Been Let Go In May. Were You One of Them?
NO SHAME. For many people this will have been the first time you ever got let go, and the emotions can be fierce. Know that many of us (myself included) have been in similar situations, and you shouldn’t feel embarrassed. It’s not the end of your career, your reputation has not be sullied, and there are still seats on rocketships waiting for you.
Remote work is closing the geographic pay gap. This is likely going to be the chatter of the next generation of workers: “The rise of remote work and geo-neutral pay — the practice of offering similar compensation regardless of location — are rejiggering what it costs to build a tech team. While distributed work opens up a less expensive talent pool, it’s no longer as much of a discount to hire outside expensive cities.”
Human-resources workers are beyond burned out.
‘We aren’t prepared to accept it’: Why a lack of senior female representation is driving women away from top roles. I thought some of the advice here was more measured in approach than what I’ve seen suggested in other places. We should hold people accountable to do the right thing the right way, and also to give them the space to explain where they are in their progression.