Don’t badmouth your co-workers

Freddie Prinze Jr. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Freddie Prinze, Jr., who you may know from She’s All That and Scooby Doo, has recently been in the press for badmouthing his former 24 co-star Kiefer Sutherland. Prinze called Sutherland “the most unprofessional dude in the world” and said that working with him almost made him quit Hollywood.

Prinze’s comments certainly didn’t help Sutherland’s reputation, but they also may have hurt Prinze by making him seem spiteful and opportunistic. This article discusses why that Prinze was wrong to complain about Sutherland and how job seekers could learn from this story when discussing their previous jobs:

Freddie Prinze, Jr. learns why you don’t say bad things about co-workers (cbsnews.com)

What “Breaking Bad” teaches job seekers

Breaking Bad Logo (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Breaking Bad is coming to end this Sunday. And while I would never advise job seekers to become murderers and drug dealers like the show’s characters, I believe that Breaking Bad demonstrates the importance of making connections when you’re breaking into a career.

Caution: Mild spoilers follow

For those of you who are unfamiliar with the show, Breaking Bad centers on Walter White, a high school chemistry teacher who works two jobs to support a pregnant wife and a son with cerebral palsy. On his fiftieth birthday, he discovers that he has terminal lung cancer and only has months to live.

20something profile: Hayley

This post was written by Hayley, who aspires to work in television:

People underestimate the depth involved in humour.

There is an assumption that comedians and humorists are light-hearted people, when they’re actually the opposite — whether they’ve been dealt a rough hand in life or not.

To be a good writer is to be observant. An observant comic writer must see things, take them in, contemplate the incentives and the structure of why something happens, and then translate it to an audience to make them laugh because “it’s funny ’cause it’s true!”

Blurred lines: social media and work

Photo credit: Shea Allen

Shea Allen, a young TV reporter in Huntsville, Alabama, was fired from the evening news for a blog post that she wrote about her job.

In the post, entitled “No Apologies: Confessions of a Red Headed Reporter,” Allen admitted that she took naps in the news car, that she refused to do stories about the elderly because she was scared of them, and that she had gone braless during live broadcasts without anybody noticing.

Allen was surprised about the firing, saying that she was “being snarky and funny.” But for her employers, the post was neither snarky nor funny; it was humiliating and damaging to their reputation as a trusted news source with competent, professional employees.

20something profile: Julia

This post was written by Julia, whose goal is to work in film or television:

I can’t imagine a time when I wasn’t absolutely positive I’d find a place for myself in the film or television industry. It’s this gut feeling I’ve had for as long as I can remember, and although it may be naïve, it’s something I’ll never give up on.

I graduated in May of this year with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Film & Television Production from The University of Arizona. I plan to attend graduate school in the near future in pursuit of a master’s degree in film studies. I currently run an entertainment blog and write film reviews for other sites, including critics-associated.com.

Busting millennial myths

Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb (Photo credit: Save the Children)

In this segment of the Today Show, Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb interviewed psychologist Dale Atkins and Dan Schawbel of Millennial Branding about traits that are prevalent among millennials:

TODAY: How millennials see life differently from boomers (today.com)

Kathie Lee seemed to be the voice of negative millennial stereotypes during the interview, making statements like “They move from job to job and seem to be more laid back about life and seem to be very entitled.”

But Schawbel had more a esteemed opinion of millennials, praising their education, their desire to have meaningful work, and their optimism in spite of today’s economy:

Pay attention to life’s whisper

Oprah Winfrey (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

This is some great advice that Oprah Winfrey — who’s certainly had her share of struggles and successes — gave at Stanford University’s 2008 commencement ceremony:

“And what I’ve found is that difficulties come when you don’t pay attention to life’s whisper, because life always whispers to you first. And if you ignore the whisper, sooner or later you’ll get a scream. Whatever you resist persists. But, if you ask the right question — not why is this happening, but what is this here to teach me? — it puts you in the place and space to get the lesson you need.”

Click here for a video of Oprah’s speech.

And click here for more great excerpts of commencement speeches.

“Yes” is for young people

Stephen Colbert (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Trying to begin a career in this economy, I’ve often struggled with being cynical versus being optimistic. That’s why I was glad to read this advice that Stephen Colbert gave during his 2006 commencement speech:

“Cynicism masquerades as wisdom, but it is the farthest thing from it. Because cynics don’t learn anything. Because cynicism is a self-imposed blindness, a rejection of the world because we are afraid it will hurt us or disappoint us. Cynics always say no. But saying ‘yes’ begins things. Saying ‘yes’ is how things grow. Saying ‘yes’ leads to knowledge. ‘Yes’ is for young people. So for as long as you have the strength to, say ‘yes.’”

Click here for a video of Colbert’s speech.

And click here for more great excerpts of commencement speeches.

Make mistakes

Conan O’Brien (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Conan O’Brien gave this valuable advice at his 2000 Harvard commencement speech:

“So that’s what I wish for all of you — the bad as well as the good. Fall
down. Make a mess. Break something occasionally. Know that your mistakes
are your own unique way of getting to where you need to be. And
remember that the story is never over…I will go now to make bigger
mistakes and to embarrass this fine institution even more.”

Check out Part 1 and Part 2 of O’Brien’s speech.

And click here for more great excerpts of commencement speeches.

Live for you

Never in a million years did I think that I’d get a valuable life lesson from a reality TV star, but here’s an inspiring quote from Renee Graziano of Mob Wives:

“Wasting time is wasting life — and we need to stop taking life for granted and live in the here and now. Don’t wait for it to come to you. Go get it — and stop living for any or everyone else. Live for YOU.”

Click here for the rest of Renee’s blog post on HuffPost Celebrity.

Mob Wives (Photo credit: Wikipedia)