Jobs and Careers


How Many Of Us Earn A Truly Honest Living?

Posted by Chris Berry on October 29, 2008 in Jobs and Careers, Purely Personal

Yesterday I wrote about the son of Senator Ted Stevens making a lucrative career out of trading on his father’s name. The case of Ben Stevens is remarkable since he truly had nothing to offer his clients other than access to his dad. In return for this access, he was paid millions of dollars in [...]

If I Had It to Do All Over Again

Posted by Chris Berry on September 3, 2008 in Introversion, Jobs and Careers

I didn’t develop a full understanding of my unique personality type (INTP) until I was nearly 40 years old. At that point I came to realize that I had been blindly pursuing a career path for which I was very poorly suited. The further I advanced, the more unhappy I became. I had been quite [...]

Looking For Work That Brings Out The Best In Me

Posted by Chris Berry on August 20, 2008 in Introversion, Jobs and Careers, Purely Personal

One of the challenging aspects of my personality type is the fact that my mind bombards me with a constant stream of new ideas. Some are big, some are small, and they are rarely related to one another. I might have an idea for an entirely new product or service one day, and a unique [...]

Networking Alternatives For Introverts

Posted by Chris Berry on August 15, 2008 in Introversion, Jobs and Careers

There is a general consensus among job search experts that roughly 80% of job openings are never advertised, and the most effective way to learn about these opportunities is through personal networking. This typically puts introverts at a significant disadvantage, since we are generally not inclined to engage in the kind of business and social [...]

Should Introverts Consider A Career In Sales?

Posted by Chris Berry on July 24, 2008 in Introversion, Jobs and Careers

Most people would consider a career in sales to be the exclusive domain of type A extroverts, but under the right circumstances, introverts can be quite successful. I actually spent 10 years as a top 1% sales performer in the commercial printing industry before veering off on a completely different path. The key to success [...]

Education Is A Lifelong Process, Not A Birthright

Posted by Chris Berry on June 12, 2008 in Jobs and Careers, Rights and Wrongs

Inventing new rights has always been a favorite pastime of liberal politicians, and Senator Obama recently pulled a new one out of his hat when he declared that a college education was the birthright of every American citizen. This proposition is absurd on so many levels that it is impossible to refute them all. I [...]

Choose A Career That Fits

Posted by Chris Berry on April 4, 2008 in Introversion, Jobs and Careers, Purely Personal

I’ve spent a great deal of time lately trying to figure out what to do for the next stage of my working life. As a serial career changer, I’ve been through the process before, and each time I re-evaluate the possibilities, I become more convinced that the key to success lies in understanding myself. Finding [...]

Farewell To Foodies

Posted by Chris Berry on April 4, 2008 in Jobs and Careers, Purely Personal

Tuesday evening I performed my last official act in connection with Foodies. After dedicating 4 years of my life to the company, I had expected that it would be very difficult to walk away. Fortunately, I’ve had several months to adjust to the idea while I continued to teach classes for the new owners. When [...]

Thinking About A “Real Job”

Posted by Chris Berry on March 20, 2008 in Jobs and Careers, Purely Personal

The last time I had a job with a steady paycheck was 1988. I had never really given this much thought until a couple of days ago when I realized just how remarkable that sounded. This doesn’t mean that I’ve been unemployed for 20 years, only that I haven’t held a traditional 9 to 5 [...]

Focus On Skills Over Experience

Posted by Chris Berry on March 17, 2008 in Jobs and Careers

Depending on whose statistics you believe, most of us will change careers between 3 and 7 times during our working lives. We’re not talking about moving from one widget company to another, but switching career fields entirely. Many of these changes will be involuntary, resulting from downsizing or obsolescence. Other changes will be based on [...]