Do you really want passionate employees?

One of the most common themes in job postings is that companies are looking for passionate people. The trend, at least among newer companies in North America is to have an ubiquitous corporate culture where employees' strongest desires is to be at work. The idea is to get employees to take ownership of their work because someone who is personally invested in the project will often spend more hours working unpaid overtime, do a better job, and produce higher quality output, theoretically for similar or even less pay than a non-passionate employee in a non-passionate environment. What company wouldn't want that?

Keeping motivated

A number of people have remarked to me that they are impressed at how I keep up my motivation and energy during the job search.  Job searches are difficult and discouraging, and yet every day I have potential leads, new applications sent out, interviews scheduled, and news of some kind. At the same time I am sharpening my skills.  I exercise every day and am learning German at lightning speed.

The secret to my endurance is routine.

Three small tips to improve a party

Recently I was at my cousin's wedding, easily the most stylish wedding I've ever been to. The venue was the 6th floor of an old department store in downtown Toronto that had been renovated as an events hall.  The contrasts of textures and colours made it feel like a ritzy art gallery in New York.

The value of a niche

So last week my friend Tim Blais posted a music video he created on YouTube that combined two of his main interests - particle physics and music.  It is so technical that I didn't understand half of the lyrics. All I knew was that it was brilliant.

Cover Letters and Resumes: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly

It has been quite a while since my last update and I know you guys have missed me.  The reason for this hiatus was partly due to a few trips I have taken over the summer, but also largely due to an increased focus on looking for work.  I have been trying hard to find work, and it isn't easy.  This is because there is generally very little feedback for an application so it is difficult to tell if it your approach that is not working, or just that you are not the right fit for a job.

Roles: Bullying

I have done a lot of thinking about the nature of bullying over the years, mainly because I was bullied as a child.  Bullying is the sort of abuse that can affect you your entire life, and I'm not sure I ever fully recovered from my childhood experiences.