Tag Archives: employment

The Daily Feed, WMATA
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WMATA raises the bar

Photo courtesy of
‘Metro: Don’t Panic’
courtesy of ‘nevermindtheend’

This story reminds me of an exchange I had in the workplace long ago. I told a co-worker I was surprised he knew about some company goings-ons and he said “I know more than you think.” I replied “you’d have to.”

WMATA has announced that they’re raising their standards for employment, though I think it’s more accurate to say they’re adding to the list of recent offenses that disqualify a person from being hired. Perhaps it’s a pointless distinction, but I don’t think we’d say that refusing to date someone who had been recently convicted of murder would qualify you as “having standards.”

I’d call them a worthwhile step, though. Applicants for front line positions can not have received a citation for moving violations related to carelessness within the last three years. Previously they were only disqualified if their license has been suspended during that period. More than two points on their license in the last three years also now disqualifies a candidate, as does a DUI during that period.

I’m less thrilled with the increased criteria on criminal offenses – if Michael Vick can be written a free pass by so many people because he has “served his time” I’m not sure why we don’t apply the same forgiveness to the less famous. However this WMATA limit only applied to customer-interacting folks, so the reformed aren’t completely cut off from opportunities with metro.

Life in the Capital, People, Technology, The Daily Feed
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Time Warner – You’ve Got No Mail!

not such a happy family anymore?

not such a happy family anymore?

Fresh off the presses today, it seems that a number of employees now at Time Warner/AOL can shorten that to just “AOL”. The board of directors authorized the divestiture of AOL from the company and, as expected for many months (if not years), AOL is left to fend for itself. As a friend of a number of AOL employees, both past and present, I’m sure there’s even more speculation as to what’s going to happen to one of NoVa’s largest employers.

Business and Money
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The Dog-Eat-Dog World of the Job Hunt

It’s tough out there right now. Businesses are being bought out by each other, taken over, pillaged, and people are getting laid off all over. Here in the DC area we have the shelter of government, so we don’t feel it as deeply as some other areas do. However, it’s still a tough time. In this time of employment upheaval, I wanted to share a story about how I came to find a new job not so long ago and would love to hear your recommendations on that score as well.

I recently did a job search. Actually, not that recently. My current employer reads this blog, so I should emphasize that I mean recent in terms of my total of 23 years in the workforce. I found a job almost three months ago and it has worked out great.

However, when I was starting my search, I consulted a friend who used to be in the recruiting world and she gave me some great advice. She told me to not jump too quickly into a new job. As much as I hated working for a short-sighted company whose regular business practices included such great things as emailing customers’ credit card information instead of getting a secure system, I should cool my heels. Ignore the disrespect, inflated egos, nonsensical marketing plans, and bad, inflexible corporate culture. “You already have a job you hate,” she said. “Why not search for a job you love?”
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