The folks over at PayScale Resources answer the question: Who Makes More - Blue Collar Jobs versus White Collar Jobs?

Do white collar jobs bring home more bacon than blue collar jobs? It's common to assume so. But according to a recent PayScale survey of job duties, salaries and career paths, white collar jobs don't always beat their blue collar counterparts. Let's take a look and compare the average job salaries from a list of white collar jobs and a list of blue collar jobs.

Too often people assume that a college degree or wear a suit & tie is required to have a 'real' job. This article compares 30 different careers - showing when that is be true (or not). I recommend doing your research when considering any career choice. Don't just rely on what 'everyone knows' to be true. Here is a great resource to do some of that research, it may surprise you!

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It may seem strange for me to suggest taking a look at Forbes article on what is hot in venture capital circles. The finances of multi-millionaires is not something that typically concerns me.




However, I think this list can be useful to the rest of us. It lists those ideas, products or services that some pretty smart people think would be a good investment. As the article explains:

When money is scarce, what a smart venture capitalist will pay for says plenty--the pressure is on for products and services that can get to market quick with either a relatively solid revenue stream or something a big acquirer just can't live without.

For the most part. After all, venture capitalists are in the business of placing money, so they have to bet on something, even in scary times.

Where this is interesting to me is to look ahead to things that just might be the next great thing. Just look at a few of the things on the way:

• Brightstorm - SAT test prep using short online videos
• Xunlight: Produces two kinds of solar cells on film so thin it can be rolled up
• SpeedDate: Offers 3 minute web-based video chat dates
• Predictive: Hopes to diagnose cancers by urine testing

Check out the article yourself and see the other things that just may be on the horizon - Ideas Worth Millions - Forbes.com

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Recently in my travels around the internet I came across the following statement: " sometimes recognizing how bad I am at something renews my appreciation for how gifted my colleagues are at it."
I'm not sure if the author meant it to be, but how incredibly profound!

It's like Rubin's Vase - the whole picture lies not in just where the ink is, but equally important, where it is not. Too often in we look only at those areas where we rise up shine. Those darker areas where we don't shine, perhaps even fail miserably, also have a great deal of value in our lives.


As the blogger above says, sometimes it is in recognizing our areas of weakness that we can appreciate those around us who are so very different. Early in my working life, I discovered a number of jobs that very clearly should not in my future. It is because I know exactly how bad my performance would be in that job that I really value those skilled enough to make it seem effortless.

This is also the foundation of teamwork. Teams need a variety of players with different skills, working together to accomplish the shared goal. Just think what would happen to a grocery store that hired only excellent cashiers. Cashiers are very important to the success of the store, but so are many others - the bakery, meat, deli, and produce departments all need to bring their talents.

This idea of recognizing your weaknesses can also help you in your career choices - by knowing what tasks you hate or perform badly, you can eliminate jobs that rely on those tasks from consideration. For example, if you do not like the sight of blood or other bodily fluids you need to think twice about going into health care. Just because it is today's 'hot' career field doesn't mean it is going to be a good idea for you. If you really love the health care field, then you could also use this information to narrow your options - consider only those jobs in health care that do not involved bodily fluids: medical receptionist instead of medical assistant.

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I know this has been out there for years, but I think it bears repeating. Many of us have a wallet full of little plastic cards. Customer cards from grocery stores, restaurants, department stores, gas stations, coffee shops, video stores, and pet stores. Each card is used to identify you as a loyal customer. The perks for being toting their card around vary - from discounts as you are shopping to the ability to earn rewards on future purchases or even cash back in some cases.

It can be a real headache to try and keep up with all the various cards for each different retailer. At times I think it would be so nice to have just one card that worked in multiple places. I would not actually use such a card...I am too concerned about privacy issues. There are some options out there....it is up to you to decide if you are comfortable with the risks attached to using them.

These DIY options are easy and cost you nothing but a few minutes to assemble:

• Just One Club Card
• Bonus-Card-Barcode-Hack

Depending on how much effort you want to put in to it you can make a pretty neat one. One of the issues with these are the confusion that comes from having so many bar codes where a scanner might scan more than one. Just One Club Card addresses this by having a sliding cover you can download and print out to make so only one code shows at a time.

Another option is to buy a more professional looking card. Get Solo has some nice ones that you can purchase - both wallet & key ring styles

This one sounded so promising a few years ago...but the website has not been updated in years so apparently it never got off the ground - Chameleon Card Maybe it will eventually get to market, or someone else will pick up the idea.

Whatever solution you choose, it does not seem like these bits of plastic will disappear anytime soon. It's up to you how you want to manage them.

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The Job Lounge has a great post today - Career Options for Ex-Felons that addresses the question of how & when to disclose your criminal history to a potential employer. While some of the information is California specific, much of it does apply in other places.



I especially like Kathy Knudson's comments on who can see expunged crimes vs dismissed, vs sealed. It was nice to see someone pointing out the difference between what the Law says, and how it works in real life. I added a comment about how important the choice of words can be in explaining your background to an employer (or landlord for that matter) -

I would add to be aware of the choice of specific words used when disclosing an criminal history. 'Kidnapping' for example - the general public thinks it involves duct tape & the trunk of a car.

While generally I suggest limiting the amount detail used in explanations, there are times when the details can be very helpful: 'Manufacturing of a controlled substance' is generally perceived as a meth lab - so if it was really about growing marijuana, I suggest making the detail clear.

I think my favorite example is a client who was getting zero response to his applications. A quick glance at a sample application revealed he was listing his crime as 'white slavery' - No wonder employers weren't calling him back! Making a minor change to 'violating the Mann Act' gave him a much better response to his application, and often the opportunity to explain the charges directly to the employer.

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In recent news media there have been a flurry of reports about teens as young as 13 potentially being charged as a sex offender. From newspaper reports around the country to national news programs we are hearing more about something called "sexting".

Sexting is sexually suggestive messaging via cellphone - including text messages, pictures or video.


Sexting has likely been around for years, but the adult world is just now hearing about it. Look on Google and there are hundreds of news stories about this phenomena. Sadly, there are also reports of teen suicide linked to sexting.

This is not one isolated case in some far-off place either - Wisconsin, New York, Alabama, Pennsylvania, Texas, Michigan, Utah, and Oregon all have reported cases. In the Pennsylvania case involved 6 teens - 3 (14-15yr old) girls sent naked photos of themselves to 3 (16-17yr old) boys. Police say both those sending the pictures and those receiving them are facing charges.

According to the Tech & Sex survey (sponsored by Cosmo Girl & National Campaign to Prevent Teen and Unplanned Pregnancy) 20% of teens 13-19 surveyed had sent nude or sexually suggestive semi-nude pics of themselves and just under half of teens sending sexual messages.

This could been seen as just teens being teens...after all, how many of us who are past our teen years can think of at least one or two things we did that was less than brilliant in hindsight? Where this can potentially turn ugly for today's teens is where this teen "fun" meets laws like Megan's Law.

Just to get an idea of some of the problems being label a sex offender can bring, here is one example - a story from the mother of a registered sex offender in Minnesota who talks about how being labeled a sex offender has impacted his life. This article does not even start get into the lifelong challenges to find a job or renting an apartment or any number other areas of life. The possible ways this can impact these young lives are truly endless! Just imagine - one of these young boys who received the photo...years down the road this could very likely be brought up during a custody hearing. The list of doors which may be closed forever to these children is astonishing: no jobs of any kind (even fast food) in any airport, medical field, schools, gym, counseling, etc; possible restrictions of traveling overseas; problems renting any apartment..the list goes on.

This discussion must include how we as a society label and treat sex offenders, along with other types of 'criminals". Don't get me wrong - I am in no way suggesting that people should not pay for their actions. I do think that too often in our current system the punishment does not fit the crime. From my work I see any number of people who have been charged with serious crimes for relatively minor actions. I hope we are finally getting to the point where we will allow our judicial system to consider the individual circumstances and to have a sentence that makes sense.

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Welcome to LifeABILITY!

So what is LifeABILITY?

From the Merriam-Webster Dictionary:

Main Entry: life
Etymology: Middle English lif, from Old English lif; akin to Old English libban to live
Date: before 12th century

1 a: the quality that distinguishes a vital and functional being from a dead body
b: a principle or force that is considered to underlie the distinctive quality of animate beings
c: an organismic state characterized by capacity for metabolism, growth, reaction to stimuli,
and reproduction

2 a: the sequence of physical and mental experiences that make up the existence of an individual
b: one or more aspects of the process of living


Main Entry: abil·i·ty
Etymology: Middle English abilite, from Anglo-French, from Latin habilitat-, habilitas, from habilis apt,
Date: 14th century

1 a: the quality or state of being able; especially : physical, mental, or legal power to perform
b: competence in doing : skill
2: natural aptitude or acquired proficiency

Based on the above definitions, Life Ability.net – a place to learn skills and acquire proficiency in dealing with the experiences that make up our day to day process of living.



So here at LifeABILITY you will find all sorts of information about living life and the skills to do so better. Generally, things are broken up into either Employment or Life Skills, however there are two special sections: the bookshelf and a Q & A section. A tag cloud located in the sidebar will also help you pinpoint specific sections of interest. Here are some of the topics you can expect to see on LifeABILITY:

Employment Job search Technology & job search Applications Career Planning Resumes Unusual Occupations Interviewing Job retention Labor Market & Trends

Life Skills Tenant education Landlord/Tenant Laws Civil Rights Addressing Barriers Community Resources Technology Tools Food & Nutrition Organization Money management Health

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I recently heard about this great website: Coalition of Community Health Clinics. From the website -

The Coalition is a network of thirteen private, non-profit health clinics located throughout Multnomah County. These clinics provide health services to the uninsured and under-served men, women and children in the Portland Metropolitan area. In fiscal year 2005-2006, Coalition clinics provided over 181,000 patient visits to people who had no other access to medical care.

The main website includes information about health fairs, flu shots, prescription assistance, and Safety Net information...and much more. This is definitely one for the list of sites to explore further!

But the real jewel of this site is the interactive form – It couldn't be simpler: you (or your client) answer a few questions, push the button and up pops a list of all the resources available for that specific client’s issue. Now when I am meeting with a client and a health issue comes up, I can get an up-to-date list of the options especially for him. With the frequency of services being changed or discontinued, this will make it much easier to have accurate information a few clicks away.

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Recently I met with a man in his early 60's who had retired. At first he enjoyed not having to get up and go to work every day, but that was short lived. Now, he was spending more and more time just sitting around his apartment doing nothing. He was getting more and more isolated from friends and family also. Most of the people he knew still had to work all day. He came to me to figure out how to go back to work. In our meeting it became very clear he really did not want to go back to the job he had previously held, but instead wanted to be actively participating in life.

I get questions like this all the time from people who are retired and want to be doing something. I hear similar questions from clients who are not working due to a disability and still want to do something productive with their time as well. There are lots of alternatives out there, if you know where to look for them:

• Check with your local 1-stop/Workforce programs and get connected with the local agencies that work specifically with "older workers" We have 3-4 in our area. The services they offer vary greatly, so ask lots of questions.


• Americorps - has a couple of different programs, one is specifically for seniors, but my favorite is VISTA It is a great way to transition into a different career, earn money for college, etc. There are opportunities in VISTA all over the US.


• Volunteer work - there are lots of organizations in every community that need volunteers - you can find something that you enjoy and makes use of your specific skills and talents.


• Exchange system - there are many places that have a local exchange currency system. You exchange your time doing things you do well for "dollars" in the Time Bank. You can then spend these "dollars" on services that you need. Each program is very different, so you will need to do some research to find one that meets your needs. You can also start your own in your neighborhood, social group, family, etc.


• Hobby - retirement is a great time to start a new hobby you have always wanted to do, but never had the time. Or maybe you had something you enjoyed years ago, but never found the time to continue. Now would be a great time to enjoy a hobby.
  


• Education - There are classes available in many communities on a wide range of topics. Start by look at your community college and the parks & recreation programs. While there are more traditional offerings (history, sciences, math, etc) there are a wide variety of offerings that you may not think of as "school" including gourmet cooking, home repair, herbalism, etc. Ask about special tuition rates for seniors too.


• "Senior classes" - our local community college offers a unique program for older adults. The Senior Studies Institute offers learning in a pressure-free atmosphere — no grades, no bell curves, no tests, no papers, no compulsory attendance, no competitive pressures and no formal faculty. Don't let the name fool you either - while most of the participants are older, people of any age is welcome to join.
  

As you can see there are lots of options. There are more in my community I did not mention here. From grocery stores to Community Development Corporations (CDCs) to non-profits, look around your community and you may find ever more options to choose from.

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One of the scariest things that most adults will ever face is the first time they do their taxes. (More about that 60% in a bit) I was lucky enough to be forced into doing them when I was in high school (Thank you Samo) when I was naive enough to not know enough to be afraid of taxes...it was just one more assignment that had to be done.

Most people have very simple returns - the more complicated your financial life, the more complicated your returns. If you own your own business, or home, or have significant investments, etc then you will likely want to advice of a professional.

For the rest of you - don't be afraid there is help on the way! Put aside your fears and everything you have heard about how hard it is to do your taxes. Here are three simple steps that will get most people through the worst of it (and with no math required!) -

Step 1 - Get all your tax information together! - You'll save time and won't have to stop in the middle of preparing your return to find a missing document. Here's what you'll need :

• Social Security numbers for yourself, your spouse, and any dependents.
• W-2 forms from all employers are required for yourself and your spouse.
• 1099 forms for Dividends, Retirement, or other income, or any 1099 forms with Income Tax Withholding. (these would have magically appeared in your mailbox)
  
• Receipts for expenses for Itemized Deductions (Schedule A).
• Receipts and records for other income or expenses.
• Bank Account numbers (for a fast refund, or to pay electronically).
• Complete information on what records you need, and how long to keep your records.
• Prior year Adjusted Gross Income amount if using a Self-Select PIN as your signature.

Step 2 - Choose the method of e-filing that works for you:

• Tax Professional
• Personal Computer Software
• Free File - Make sure you go to http://www.irs.gov/app/freeFile/jsp/index.jsp to get to the free filing program, otherwise you may end up paying for what is a free service. There are a wide variety of reputable sites that will allow many people to file for free. Some are based on age, some on income, some on other criteria - look around to find the one that is right for you.

Step 3 - e-file it! Relax - You're done! Don't forget to print out the return to keep for your records -– even though many sites will save it on their secure server.

Getting back to the title - 60% of the people who can claim the Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) don't ask for it! One more reason to use the Free File websites.

Hurry up now - you only have about a month left.

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