Mina's Arena

TaxSmarty

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 02:05:00 +0000

I recently completed an internet marketing project for my client TaxSmarty, a tax preparation company. They offer features such as "Ask a Tax Professional", which is included with a premium tax return. They also have a program called "Audit Shield" ®, which is an extended warranty program for tax returns. You can see a short demonstration of their system on their web site.

On being a LION hunter

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Fri, 23 May 2008 01:19:00 +0000

I've become a LION hunter.

Those of you who are acquainted with the outstanding social networking site LinkedIn may know that a LION is a LinkedIn Open Networker. According to MyLinkWiki, the term is used to "describe someone that is receptive to receiving 'Invitations to Connect' from people they don't know."

LIONs will often connect to anyone who invites them to connect, but according to MyLinkWiki, "by becoming a LinkedIn Lion, you ARE NOT agreeing to CONNECT to everyone, or even anyone, who requests to connect to you. You are only agreeing to RECEIVE LinkedIn Connection Requests from other LinkedIn Lions. That's it. No other obligation." However, in my experience, LIONs have been willing to connect to almost anyone.

I am eager to expand my LinkedIn network (and my Facebook network for that matter), but for some reason, I'm not psychologically ready to become a LION. Instead, I've become a LION hunter--I track down LIONS and then fire off a connection request.

I searched Google a few minutes ago for the terms: LinkedIn "LION hunter", and reviewed the summaries of each of the 72 results. None of them seemed to use the phrase LION hunter in this manner. Did I coin a phrase?

I see myself becoming a LION one day, but for know, I'm content to be a LION hunter. Time to go on safari.

Welcome Germany

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Fri, 23 May 2008 01:17:00 +0000

Welcome to our visitors from Germany.

A browser for analytics?

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Tue, 20 May 2008 00:29:00 +0000

According to this article on Computerworld, Kirix Corp. last month released what company president Nate Williams called the first "data browser."

Kirix Strata "is designed for people who need to create ad hoc reports from myriad data sources". It has its own scripting language as well.

Watch this video, and tell me what you think.

Working with recruiters (part 7, conclusion)

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:47:00 +0000

In summary, remember that good recruiters belong in your career planning network. Network with your friends and colleagues to find good recruiters, and if you're seeking a position in the United States or Canada, remember to contact the Better Business Bureau for information about the search firm(s) in question.

Recruiters can be an effective part of your job search, but you should continue an active search on your own. You own your job search. Be honest and professional with recruiters, and expect the same from them. If your relationship with a recruiter is unproductive, gracefully exit. After all, it's your career.

Bienvenidos Colombia, Welcome Singapore

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Tue, 13 May 2008 01:45:00 +0000

Welcome to visitors from Colombia and Singapore.

Preparing for your Performance Review (part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:53:00 +0000

In this series of posts, I will discuss preparing for the standard performance review. I define this as a performance review in which one employee is being reviewed by one or more reviewers, often including one's manager, but not necessarily.

These posts will be geared toward the party being reviewed, rather than the reviewer. I will not be considering 360 degree and related reviews.

A performance review can be referred to by different terms, including review, performance evaluation, performance appraisal, annual review, annual evaluation, annual appraisal, salary review, etc.

Performance reviews are important for various reasons, some more obvious, some less so. Most obviously, they may impact your salary, although there are employers that give you the same salary increase whether you have a good or bad review. One of my previous employers had that policy. The result was employee performance that was mediocre at best.

Also, performance reviews constitute feedback regarding how your performance is perceived by your primary customers. Do you have a future your current department? Are your accomplishments underrated? Is your reviewer so off-track that you question his/her management skills, or even his/her grip on reality? Performance reviews can help you answer these questions.

Welcome Denmark and India

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Sun, 27 Apr 2008 18:44:00 +0000

A belated welcome to visitors from Denmark and India. I've been behind in my posting due to other responsibilities.

Data Analyst poetry?

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 00:00:00 +0000

The poem is called "Data Analyst." In it, Luke, aka Dr. Wottrich, asks "If a data analyst falls in the office, does he make a sound? I have my doubts."

Working with recruiters (part 6)

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Mon, 17 Mar 2008 23:57:00 +0000

If a recruiter asks for an exclusive, meaning that the recruiter represents you for a fixed period of time and you agree not to work with other recruiters during that time, make sure you understand how you gain from this arrangement.

This is when you must make absolutely sure that your resume is not sent without your approval. You'll look disorganized if two firms present you to the same employer. Even worse, the employer may avoid you because it does not want to get involved in a dispute between two firms over who found you first.

Approach an interview with a recruiter as if it were with a potential employer. The employer's first impression of you will more often than not come from the recruiter. With that in mind, prepare for an interview with a recruiter just as you would for an interview with a hiring manager.

Even though the recruiter does not work for you, in some cases you can be more open with the recruiter than you would be with an employer without the adverse consequences. For example, specifying a number of job search parameters early on, such as maximum commute time, salary range, benefits, etc., may be considered presumptive or premature when interviewing with an employer, but it is much less so with a recruiter. In fact, skilled recruiters will appreciate the honesty, because they'll know not to waste their time and yours sending you somewhere you don't want to be.

If you aren't interested in a position, let the recruiter know. They may drop you if it happens more than once, but you'll probably be better off. Besides, why should they keep wasting your time sending you to positions you don't like? You deserve better.

Keep the recruiters in your network informed when you change jobs, get promoted, etc., especially those with whom you have already established a relationship (e.g., if they previously placed you).

To be continued....

Upcoming posts

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Tue, 11 Mar 2008 23:59:00 +0000

Over the course of the next few weeks I will be posting on the following topics, but not exclusively:

Working with recruiters - I'll be continuing this series of posts. At this time, I think that two more posts, part 6 and part 7, remain.

Preparing for your performance review - Performance reviews, also known as annual reviews, performance evaluations, etc., are used for many purposes, from helping determine your salary, to serving as justification for your dismissal, to being proxies for references from your managers when you don't want them to know you're seeking employment elsewhere. I'll be discussing the strategies you should follow for a successful evaluation.

Career Portfolios - What they are, why you need one, and how to create one.

Lessons I've learned as a business analyst - This includes a discussion of why true dimensional data models are a rarity, why metadata repositories are often missing critical information, why we must understand the political dangers inherent in a data quality initiative, why you should never believe that your one-time-only assignment is really one-time-only, and why you don't want to become VP in charge of weather, among other things.

Working with recruiters (part 5)

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:26:00 +0000

Once you meet with a recruiter, assess his/her knowledge of your field. Use this knowledge in deciding on the type of relationship you want with this recruiter. One example I often mention in the classes I teach: In 2000, I saw a job ad asking for someone with 5 years of XML experience, and 15 years of JavaScript experience. The problem? XML did not exist until 1998, and JavaScript did not exist until 1995 (when it was called LiveScript). Whoever wrote the ad had no clue what they were talking about.

Don't sit back and leave your future entirely in the hands of a recruiter. Be sure to keep looking for a job on your own to the degree that your schedule allows it. To avoid problems, however, be sure to require a recruiter to get your permission before sending your resume to an employer. The recruiter should tell you the name of the employer, and honor your wishes to not pursue employment with that employer, should you feel that way. Also, be sure to inform your recruiter of any companies to which you will be sending your resume on your own.

About eighteen years ago, one recruiter sent my resume to an employer that already had my resume as a result of my own job search. The employer told me what happened, and said that they would inform the recruiter that they already had my resume. They told me that, should they hire me, they would not consider me to have been presented by her. When that company eventually did hire me, the recruiter was not compensated. At that time, I was two years out of grad school, and she was an experienced recruiter, but we both should have known to avoid a situation like that.

If one recruiter is not getting you as many opportunities as you'd like as quickly as you'd like, then consider engaging more than one recruiter. Why not have more people working to help you find a position? Different recruiters know about different openings, especially retained recruiters, who typically have an exclusive agreement with a company for a particular opening or for all their openings.

Inform each recruiter with whom you are involved that you are pursuing other job leads, and that some of those will involve working with other recruiters. Use judgment in giving more details.

To be continued….

Bienvenidos Panama!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Mon, 03 Mar 2008 00:23:00 +0000

Bienvenidos Panama!

Witajcie!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 02:30:00 +0000

Welcome to our visitors from Poland.

You may have noticed that I added a ClustrMaps widget just under the Feedjit widget to the right. It was added later, so it does not reflect all the locations from which I've previously received visitors. Also, I've noticed that it lags behing Feedjit in recording new visitor locations. However, it does have the advantage of using circle size to indicate the number of visitors from a particular location.

Recipe for Masta ar Himba Tuima ar Yaave Apsa

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 02:24:00 +0000

Scott Williams, a friend and coworker of mine, suggested that I conduct the following online identity management experiment: Being aware of the other Michael Mina, a.k.a. chef Michael Mina, Scott suggested that I post one of my own recipes to my blog and observe any changes in the number and geographic distribution of my visitors.

The problem? I have no culinary skills. Frankly, I can barely make oatmeal to my own satisfaction. (I don't feel too bad about that--after all, chef Michael Mina is not known for his fiction).

Scott suggested that I use my recipe for a peanut butter sandwich. His insight was amazing, because when it comes to peanut butter sandwiches, I wield the knife with consummate skill. Here, then, is my own recipe for my favorite peanut butter sandwich, with a speculative fiction twist:

- - - - -
Fiction writer Michael Mina's recipe for
Masta ar Himba Tuima ar Yaave Apsa *
(Peanut Butter and Grape Jam Sandwich)
Note: this is NOT a recipe by chef Michael Mina

Serves 1

Ingredients:
2 slices of wheat bread
2 tablespoons Smuckers Natural Peanut Butter (creamy)
2 tablespoons Smuckers Concord Grape Jam

Toast the two slices of bread between light and medium. Spread the peanut butter on one slice. Spread the jam on the other. Press the two slices of bread together so that the peanut butter on one slice touches the jam on the other slice, and serve.
- - - - -

Keep in mind that this is a serious posting that really has nothing to do with peanut butter sandwiches, and everything to do with online identity management. As I gather any information about changes in the number and geographic distribution of my visitors, I will post updates.

By the way, I don't work for Smuckers, but I understand that it is considered one of the best companies to work for.

If you want real recipes, i.e., recipes from chef Michael Mina, you can find them here and here.

* As a Lord of the Rings fan, this is my best English to Elvish (Sindarin) translation for peanut butter and grape jam sandwich. I think it means "bread and sticky sprout and cooked fruit." That's the best I could do (see http://www.geocities.com/elfgirl06/ElvenTranslator.html). If you can do better, then please leave a comment or email me. You can learn more at the Wikipedia entry for Sindarin.

P.S.: As a Star Trek fan, I have to confess that I first tried to translate this into Klingon, but couldn't find the words even when using some of the online Klingon translators. If you can translate "Peanut Butter and Grape Jam Sandwich" into Klingon (not Klingonaase), then please leave a comment or email me.

P.P.S.: Yes, I do have a life.

Working with recruiters (part 4)

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 20:35:00 +0000

A recruiter is absolutely not your career adviser. Since recruiters have an incentive to place you, any advice they give you can be biased. I've experienced this personally. Fortunately, I had a strong sense of self-interest and I knew what she was doing. I made one of the best career moves of my life by doing the opposite of what she advised. Even though the recruiter does not work for you, your relationship with the recruiter must advance your own interests. If there is no value exchange, then gracefully exit the relationship.

I remember being a candidate for a position for which the recruiter said that the employer wanted candidates to be able to go on an interview with less than two hours notice. This was an unreasonable request, but it was very telling. A potential employer completely unconcerned with a candidate's circumstances at the time that they want to woo candidates is unlikely to care at all once they become the candidate's employer.

Contact a recruiter only when you see an open position whose requirements match your skills. This can be a position posted to a job site or on the search firm's own web site. One exception will be covered below.

Think outside the region. Even if you're seeking employment where you currently live, keep in mind that some of the recruiters seeking to fill jobs in your area live and work elsewhere.

Speak to recruiters that contact you even if you aren't actively searching for a job, and return their calls if they ask you to. One exception is if you have good reason to believe that a relationship with that particular recruiter would not be beneficial. I had a friend who was contacted by an independent recruiter who wanted to meet her in person. She didn't meet with him because she wasn't able to find anything out about the man or his company.

Don't think you're being disloyal to your current employer by maintaining contact with recruiters. For all you know, your current employer could be giving you a pinkslip tomorrow morning.

It is in your best interests to include recruiters in your career planning network. You could face downsizing, reorganization resulting in a difficult manager, relocation, etc. A good relationship with a good recruiter is a good investment in your future.

To be continued….

GLMF 2008, without E Muzeki

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Thu, 21 Feb 2008 01:22:00 +0000

The Great Lakes Medieval Faire starts in less than five months, and I'm really looking forward to it. There is an unofficial GLMF message board that has the latest news.

Unfortunately, the fabulous group E Muzeki [E Muzeki web site] [E Muzeki video] has apparently disbanded. If the message boards are accurate, the two successor groups to E Muzeki are Elysium, and Wine and Alchemy. Elysium is supposed to be at the 2008 GLMF.

Working with recruiters (part 3)

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 02:12:00 +0000

Much of the advice about dealing with recruiters is written by recruiters themselves. Unsurprisingly, it is geared toward getting you to behave in a manner best suited to their needs. So how do you find accurate information about recruiters?

If you're looking for a job in the United States or Canada that will require you to work through a search firm, you can search the Better Business Bureau database for a reliability report on that firm. Many search firms can be found in their database, and you can learn which of them are BBB accredited, have a satisfactory rating, have had any complaints, etc. If a particular search firm cannot be found in the database, the fact that the firm didn't bother to subscribe to BBB practices is revealing in itself. I view BBB accreditation as a critical differentiator between search firms.

Another source of information about recruiters is your own network. Whether it's people you know personally, or through a social networking site like LinkedIn or Facebook, you should ask them to privately share their experiences with that search firm with you.

Finally, some employees placed by the search firm itself should be willing to share their experiences with you. Ask the search firm for the names of some people they've placed that would be willing to speak with you. If they do a good job, there should be no shortage of people they've placed who have had positive experiences.

If you decide to work with a particular search firm, ask yourself how attentive they are to your concerns. Do they send you to the kinds of employers you want? Do you feel pressured to act against your best interests? Remember that recruiters do not work for you. They are not at your beck and call, and they don't have time to return all the calls and/or emails they receive. If you fit a job they are recruiting for, you can be confident they'll contact you.

To be continued….

Welcome, Bienvenu, Bienvenidos - Thanks Feedjit!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 03:34:00 +0000

Welcome to our visitors from all over the United States, as well as Quebec and the Distrito Federal in Mexico. You've got to love the Feedjit widget that makes this information possible. Feedjit generates the small map of the world you see off to the right of these posts. It shows you where your visitors are located.

Working with recruiters (part 2)

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 02:51:00 +0000

Recruiters generally receive about 25%-35% of the starting salary of the new hire, plus expenses. Ideally, this should be paid to the recruiter as per their relationship to the employer (i.e., retained vs. contingency), and not through any payment from the new hire. Study any agreement with a recruiter very carefully to determine if you will have to pay any fees.

According to Kennedy Information (a partner of CareerJournal.com), as of several years ago, there were about 5,500 search firms in North America, of which 2,650 work on a retainer basis (48%), and 2,850 work on a contingency basis (52%).

I will be discussing search firms (i.e., third-party recruiters), which are typically what people mean when they refer to recruiters. I will not be discussing search firms that charge you fees. I've never worked with such firms before, as there are plenty of firms that will seek to place you without charging you.

Using one or more search firms as part of your job search does offer some advantages. They often have access to job openings that aren't otherwise advertised, and they often have information and contacts that you don't, and some may even specialize in your particular industry. An applicant submitted by a search firm often has an advantage over other applicants because the search firm prequalifies them.

Disadvantages of working with search firms include the fact that you are not their customer, but their product. The employer is interested in finding the right product. If this fact disturbs you, then consider avoiding recruiters. Also, if you are seeking an entry level position, a search firm may not be interested in you (unless they posted an opening for such a position.) A search firm often adds little value in filling entry level positions.

Also, if you come to an employer through a contingency recruiter, it costs more to hire you than if you had come to their attention through another route. Retained recruiters usually submit a candidate's resume to one potential employer at a time, which can limit your opportunities.

Other disadvantages of working with search firms include the fact that you will probably lose some control over how you are presented to others. About twelve years ago, a contingency recruiter was preparing to present me as a candidate to a very large firm. At least I thought it was me, but the person they described in their written communication to the firm was much better than I really was. I decided not to continue working with them.

To be continued….

Widgetbox

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Tue, 12 Feb 2008 03:32:00 +0000

I found Widgetbox, a web site that has some interesting widgets. Here is an example of one:

This particular widget provides another way for people to access your blog. If you click on "Get Widget" at the bottom, you can embed this widget into your own web page or blog. I've added widgets as a discussion topic in this blog.

Datanomics

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Mon, 11 Feb 2008 01:03:00 +0000

Jason Heller recently coined the term "Datanomics" in a posting on his blog The Digital Blur. He defines datanomics as "The study and practice of creating direct and indirect value by leveraging data at all points in the business, encompassing everything from simple communication of collective experience and knowledge to the implementation and management of sophisticated data analysis tools and dashboards"

He adds that "A company’s 'datanomic position' affects its overall position in the market, creates or impedes competitive advantages, creates operational efficiencies and increases profitability." Although the term datanomics is new, I think that many people who work in analytics can attest to that.

I think this term can help focus and clarify our thinking on the interplay between the affected subject areas, and I hope to read more about this topic on his blog and elsewhere.

Working with recruiters (part 1)

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Sun, 10 Feb 2008 23:43:00 +0000

Although I'm not currently seeking employment, the reality of the current marketplace is such that it benefits all of us to be prepared to find a new job at any time. That very often involves working with recruiters.

Recruiters fall into two broad categories: corporate and third party. Corporate recruiters are usually part of an employer's HR staff, while third party recruiters belong to a company whose major business is finding employees for other companies.

There are two kinds of third party recruiters: retained and contingency. Retained recruiters typically have an exclusive agreement with the company for a particular opening, or for all openings. They are often paid a portion of their fee up front, and the balance when the search ends, and they are often paid whether or not they find qualified candidates.

Contingency recruiters typically do not have an exclusive relationship with a company. Often, they are paid only if the company hires a candidate presented to them by the recruiter. Contingency recruiters present candidates to multiple organizations, and the organizations usually use more than one contingency recruiter to help them find candidates.

If an employer uses a contingency firm, there is usually more than one such firm trying to fill that position. You may be competing with a larger number of applicants. However, if an employer uses a retained firm, you may be facing as few as three to five competitors if you make it through. It is in therefore in your best interest to find out if the recruiter is working on a contingency or retained basis.

To be continued....

I'm really not the chef!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 00:02:00 +0000

Earlier today, I received a voicemail at my work number from an employee of one of the Michael Mina restaurants. He needed to discuss an important matter with the chef, and of course, he thought that I was the chef. He left a callback number, so I felt compelled to call him back, even though he was in another state.

I explained that I wasn't the chef, and I wondered how he got my phone number. Apparently, one of the hotels near him told him that they looked for the number and found it on http://www.michaelmina.com/. I didn't ask what the hotel had to do with anything, and the previously mentioned web site does not have my work number, although my own web site, http://michaelmina.info/, does.

Here's a video of chef Michael Mina and his restaurant in San Francisco.

I better hurry up and finish my novel so I can have some of that fame and fortune. That way, after my appearance on Oprah, people can call him and tell him how they loved his novel. If only they could find his phone number....

I'm not the chef!

noreply@blogger.com (Michael Mina) — Tue, 29 Jan 2008 00:52:00 +0000

You may be aware that there is a chef whose name I share. My web site is http://michaelmina.info, and his is http://michaelmina.net. I mention this now for two reasons:

(photo courtesy of Antoine Smith)

(1) I've been thinking and reading a lot lately about online identity management, and in fact, I'm writing an ebook that deals with how to manage your online identity in order to create more career opportunities. The fact that Michael Mina the chef and I both share a name dilutes my online identity because, as of now, he has achieved more success and notoriety as a chef than I have as a writer. But the kicker is this:

(2) I actually got an email the other day from a woman who dined at one of his restaurants in Detroit. She assumed that I was the chef and proceeded to tell me about her dining experience.

I'm fairly certain that this is just a foretaste of the online identity confusion we can expect to see in the future. I'm going to create a topic for this blog called "The Other Michael Mina" to deal with this issue specifically, and one called "Online identity management" to deal with related topics generally.