So is Google dying? Yep, I heard that very thing yesterday at a tech conference...and I will give you the exact quotes and sources very soon...but for today let me comment a bit about getting a job in this environment with the Dow tanking, mortgages being foreclosed upon, gas prices through the roof, global warming, chocolate prices up, and other incredibly serious problems...so I was asked about this recently and thought I would offer an opine.

Think of the job market like a fruit tree and all of the 'low hanging fruit' has been picked...so now you have a problem. Many people would look at this tree and sit down and want to wait for months if not years to pass by, seasons to change, others to come along and prune and fertilize and care for the tree until the low fruit appears again much later...fair enough...and if this is you I would recommend you go to http://www.usajobs.gov/ and get yourself a government job, and prepare to wait your life for others to determine your future...if not taking action and getting things done is your cup of tea you really need to think about working for the government (and they are hiring big time!) and pursue that route...

But there are others who would not want to wait for others to "grow the fruit"...and these ones would go find a ladder or a stool or some extension of your arm to get to the fruit...notice the fruit is still there but it just takes different tools and skills and resourcefullness to get to it...Is it easy? Is it the same? Nope, and I would recommend we just get over it...but note the fruit is still there! For instance, last year I sat in a faculty committee meeting for education at PLNU and all I heard from my coslleagues was (literally said) "there are no jobs for teachers in San Diego." (Heard it multiple times actually!) So I got to thinking...did I miss that headline that every teacher in San Diego was staying in their position, that there were no retirements, moves, transfers or openings of any kind? Of course not. What my dear colleagues were actually saying was "there are fewer jobs than in past years for teachers in San Diego" (or at least I hope that is what they were saying) and they left the conversation at that, nodding in some sort of a forlorn way, tsk-tsking the poor young teachers trying to get a job in this dismal market...So I kept silent in the midst of this woeful gathering who were content to wait for another "season" or two to pass...and went home and talked to my daughter Rachel about the great opportunity that existed because others were convinced there were no teaching jobs...and this attitude creates opportunities for those willing to go get a ladder and pick the fruit! So Rachel does all the things that we have told other students to do---a great resume, strong letters of recommendation, business dress, positive and enthusiastic attitude, tenacity, networking through friends, faculty and connections, etc.---and ends up with two significant teaching opportunities by the end of the summer. Was it easy, stress free, and not without its mishaps along the way? Of course not! But the point is despite the headlines companies are still looking for talent, drive, iniative and a positive attitude regardless of the current economic state...smart companies are always on the prowl for good employees...

So my point here is to choose between crying about the low hanging fruit or about getting your future going...I know many of you who are corresponding with me about your futures and I have full confidence in your abilities...go for it!

An interesting current article about some hot jobs exists at http://hotjobs.yahoo.com/career-articles-10_hot_jobs_that_start_at_50k-418

And there may even be some of you who want to go "build your own ladders" (e.g. entrepreneurs)...and you know how I feel about that!

Have a great weekend all of you and be looking for the info on the future of technology and the internet soon...it was interesting stuff....

and by the way the good news is I filled up my car for $3.60 a gallon on Wednesday...and I had multiple stations to choose from...seriously...but I guess the bad news was I was in western Kansas about 2 hours from Wichita....ouch!