Maybe I am the only one who is bugged by ( above):

She may know finance… or Thanks for making my point, DB…

As far as the real world…to me, anyone who behaves so rudely to others ( like some posters do) would have no friends and perhaps not even a job. I think this is why so many hide behind a name that makes no sense. They would never own up to their comments. Again, maybe it is just me.

Disagreeing is a fact of life but boorish behavior, name calling and generally idiocy ( sp?) makes no one any friends. If some posters behaved, like they do on this blog, in the real world…hmmm.
If others continues to pick on people, like they do here…ditto. In the real world, we like to be around folks who have something interesting to contribute…not ragging on others.

No, it is not about popularity….I absolutely agree! This is why I am amazed at those who rail on Theresa about her choice of topics. She does not need to weigh in as to whether the topics meet anyone’s approval…she is the writer and that is all there is too it. As far as I can tell, she is the only one who gets a dime from being here. I do hope she is o.k. though, as she did not weigh in at all on Friday.

I did get a kick out of all the opinions about chocolate milk and even milk consumption period.
I am past weighing in on the pluses or minuses of kids drinking chocolate milk.

I get agitated with other regulars, and sure they probably do at me too. It’s not about popularity, and seldom is just one side of the issue the ‘right’ side. There are days you see “FCM” and agreement comments and others you see “FCM” and disagreement comments. That happens in my ‘real life’ too.

I disagree with this statement “THIS blog is not the real world ( most posters do not use a name that is remotely close to their real name and often switch it) ” Blogs, tweets, and other ‘online communities” have been increasing and redefining the “real world” since the chat rooms of the 90s. It just operates differently than the “real world” you have spent much of your life in. As to posters not using their “real names” that is a security reaction for most of us. The internet is among the top places to have identity theft occur. It also opens doors to many other predators — most of whom we do not need to give information too. T

For those of us who remember the days of IM and chat, or for those like your children who grew up with computers, or my children who are growing up with internet in the classroom, this medium is very real. It can also be very dangerous as you never know whom your inviting into your home via this portal. That is why not posting information that leads back to the “real” you is so important. FCM is not remotely like my real name. My original blog name was Fulton County Mom. The lifers changed it just like we shortened yours to MJG. It does not hide whom I really am, it just keeps the physical me and my family a bit safer.

Regarding the girl with no experience, I cannot say that I would hire ANYONE to do ANYTHING
( for me) $18-$20 per hour who had NO experience….much less someone who would be watching my children.

This is why, I cannot for the life of me, figure out why parents would put their kids all the way through college and not encourage them to get ANY job, simply to try out their people skills.
My kids are developing people skills that I hope will help them land a job. Both are employed now and it seems to be working.

It is also why I personally think that while it may be convenient to stay in school and get your Masters in Education, you may want to teach some too. Would anyone really want to hire someone ( to teach) with their masters ( pay them more) who has NO experience in the classroom? I do not know. It seems to me, like in your post, that skill and experience should count too! I am told that I have good people skills but they must evaporate when I am on this blog…who knows?

This is really what it boils down to for me…
“If you did not have skill and experience then you have stupid clients!”
Thanks for pointing it out. Guess that is why I try to remind folks that I have been all across the country and my clients ( an educated bunch) do seem pleased with what I can do.

My clients often tell me that they have had speakers with more letters after their names who are not nearly as much fun and interesting, as me. I try to sustain a good balance between WHY we are doing something, WHAT we need to do and HOW we are going to do it. I completely agree with your speaker .

I also had a light bulb moment with your reminder of marketable skills. While I may think my skills are highly marketable in …as you say…the real world….
THIS blog is not the real world ( most posters do not use a name that is remotely close to their real name and often switch it) and I am not marketing my skills here…no one has to get it here…we are simply sharing information and not trying to encompass it in a marketable product. THAT is probably the hardest thing for me to realize.

Kind of like when folks tell me ( in other states) how BAD could the traffic actually be in Atlanta…you must be exaggerating….NO, I am not. I KNOW about the traffic here ( as you do) but they do not, if they have never been here.

I KNOW some ( not all) things from being a parent for 22 years. Others, who have been parents for 30 years obviously know more!

Thanks for your ideas….they made me think!

I had a talk with a VP the other day. She said she had 2 candidates for a job. One had a MBA and one a BBA. The person with the MBA said how much more are you going to pay me for my MBA? She said well do you have “x’ skills? No. Do you have experience with ‘y’? No. Do you bring anything more to the table besides and MBA? No. The other candidate had ‘x’ and ‘y’. Want to guess who was hired? In the ‘real world’ (as opposed to wherever this 18 yo you mention is living) it’s skill and experience that are marketable. Then again YOU know that, you are paid to impart your wisdom to the clients. If you did not have skill and experience then you have stupid clients!

We had an awesome speaker at work this week. He pointed out that your job is always a % job skills and % people skills. The vast majority of his audience said job skills they had tons of training/education on. The people skill side was not part of job training. There were maybe a handful of us who claimed to have good people skills (although mine may not always be apparent on the blog – lol).

You have perhaps given us the most useful resource because we can all say what we wish but this web site tells what folks are charging, today and in our areas. Whether they are working or not….who knows?