A friend recently asked me, “You work in recruitment for the government, but you’re under a hiring freeze… What do you do all day?” I resisted the urge to say something snarky like, “Recruiters aren’t bears – we don’t hibernate and wait for the freeze to thaw.” The business of recruitment isn’t a 100-meter dash,Read… Read more »
According to Steve Towns at Government Technology,”cloud computing” is among the developments that have received the most attention in government in recent memory. It is, one might say, the LeBron James of government technology… lots of hype, but no championships… yet Cloud Computing Meets Reality It’s hard to think of a technology that’s received moreRead… Read more »
At long last, The Transit Wire has a Twitter account. I’ll continue posting stories via @OakSquareSusan, but now you can follow @TheTransitWire directly. If you’re not a Twitter user, you still can visit The Transit Wire on Facebook or subscribe by email and RSS using the links on the home page. Or do it theRead… Read more »
BLAGO TRIAL UPDATE. The Times. “Disgraced former Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich did not want to mix fundraising and governing, a former aide said on Monday, but other witnesses said political donations and government favors were linked.” COALITION AGAINST DRAFT EO. Story here. “In a letter sent Monday to Obama, groups such as the U.S. ChamberRead… Read more »
Can you think of behaviors or traits that might make you say, “Hey this person would make a great civil servant!” Or conversely, would cause you to say “Hey, this person needs to start their own business, they really might not fit in with the government?” I am giving a speech to the JSSA EmploymentRead… Read more »
I am giving a talk to future civil servants at the JSSA Employment and Career Services. http://getagovjob.eventbrite.com/ I am talking about developing internal champions within the agency they want to work. Richard Nelson Bolles, in “What Color Is Your Parachute” suggests doing research to find needs that the job seeker is uniquely qualified to meet.Read… Read more »
Guest post by Denis Geoghegan As a program manager the second most common question I’m asked is “what is the difference between a project manager and a program manager?”. The first most popular question I’m asked is “what is a program manager anyway?”. Deliverables Versus Benefits The classic explanation of the difference between project managersRead… Read more »
In addition to getting transit directions, HopStop users can now find out how many calories they’re burning on the walk to and from the subway stop. “It’s nice that I’m getting something out of it,” an Upper East Side lawyer told the New York Post. “I won’t feel guilty drinking a Frappuccino.” Earlier this month,Read… Read more »
Maglev without the magnets? The Aero-Train (which almost shares a name with another futuristic train) keeps the levitation but, according to Fast Company, the prototype from Japan would use the principles of “wing-in-ground effect” to eliminate drag by flying very close to the ground. So is it transit? Fast Company says yes: “Take one ofRead… Read more »
Chiltern Railways (UK) launched a mobile ticketing application that allows customers to buy, download, and validate tickets on their mobile phones. The free application delivers a 2D barcode, which can be scanned at the faregate and by ticket inspectors. “This innovation in ticketing is a first within the rail industry,” said marketing director Thomas AblemanRead… Read more »