mercedsunstar.com :: Red Light, Dinosaurs, Whoosh!

EMERGENCY Q: I am 32, have a B.S. in mechanical engineering, have been working in thermal engineering for a chip company and want to learn something new and different. I'm also looking for a less stressful job environment. How can I leverage my knowledge and experience? My siblings are all in nursing, but the field of nutrition interests me greatly. How can I transition with the least pain? Oblivious

A: Oblivious, You are. You have such tunnel vision that you e-mailed me from work. This means that you've put yourself at tremendous risk should your employer find out. You've:

stolen time from your work,

used his equipment for personal gain, and

broadcast to his entire system that you plan to leave.

Watch out for signs that the company is aware of your state of mind. You may be eased out or thrown out.

DO NOT JOB HUNT ON COMPANY TIME OR RESOURCES.

Are you sufficiently interested in nutrition to get a new degree? Can you afford to? If not, where can you position yourself to be working around issues related to nutrition? Ever think of agribusiness? City slickers abound, as do people with technical skills. Engineers are difficult to recruit, which means that moving into the field could be relatively easy for you. Take a look: http://web.knoxnews.com/jobs/workwise/text/mc02292004.shtml. mlc

PRE-RECORDED HISTORY

Q: I read with interest a comment you made in a recent column: "Unless you're a dinosaur, include the date of any degree mentioned." What do you consider a dinosaur? How do I know if I am one? I get conflicting advice from a recruiter (tell all for depth) and an outplacement specialist (keep silent to avoid age bias). 'Hoping I'm Not a Dinosaur Yet'

A. Oh, Hoping, Never give up! You're a dinosaur if you still use a manual (or electric) typewriter. You're a dinosaur if you're auditioning for youthful roles at Universal Studios. You're a dinosaur if everyone in your industry sees you as one.

You're not a dinosaur if no one offers to carry your groceries. (Of course, it may be raining outside.) You're not a dinosaur if you keep reading.

Your question raises the obvious point that every potential employer is different. There are no one-size-fits-all resumes, no one-size-fits-all policies. The bottom line is that if you make yourself appear considerably younger than you are, you're misrepresenting yourself. Any employer has a right to know if you can't sustain the image on your resume once you walk into the room. Some employers ignore wrinkles. Others figure that wrinkles bring depth. Give the kids in the workplace a break. Be real. mlc

**blogTip**

ENERGY

Are you stuck where you are? No chance for a raise or a promotion? Is your desk holding you back?

Not your DESK, silly. The MESS on it. "The annual spring cleaning season is a great excuse to get rid of clutter," says Rick Constantine, director of marketing, professional and consumer label-makers for DYMO (dymo.com). According to the company's online survey of 2,611 people, he adds, "More than half of all managers actually evaluate tidiness during annual reviews. This means that it's more important than ever to keep your office neat."

The goal? Fifty percent (that's 50 percent) surface visibility. Audition for the File King or Queen to make this happen. Note your increased concentration. Note that productivity. How are you going to spend the extra time? Angle for new assignments?

Hey, if you get really good at this, you might propel yourself into a career as a clutter-buster.