Tesar-Reynes

News came last week that Blue Cross Blue Shield (BCBS) plans to cut 650 jobs over the next six months. Thoughts went out to my former coworkers at BCBS, where I did my first internship as a Web content editor. Even then, the health insurer had instituted a hiring freeze in their IT department, causing my summer internship to be extended 8 months but without the possibility of a position.

Did you know BCBS is actually considered a non-profit? Not in the traditional sense, of course, but they do enjoy some non-profit benefits because they are required by federal law to keep administrative costs below 12.5%. That means with all the hefty premiums they collect, summing up to billions, less than 12.5% can be devoted to expenses like payroll and …

Everything I have read talks about the change in the buyer behavior of this country. That our savings rates are back up and that spending is way down. I have tended to believe this until I heard an ad the other night for buying foreclosed real estate.

The ad intimated that whatever your credit, they could get you into the house of your dreams. Note to self: re-check the DVR, were you watching a new episode of CSI or was it one from early last year?

I came across this Yahoo article How to Protect Your Online Reputation this morning. Forbes writer Amanda Berlin details some nice tips on keeping track of your personal brand on the Web. With all the social networking going on, do you know what image you’re projecting?

Here’s a list of tips she recommends:

1. Google your name
2. Register your name as a domain and with social networks
3. Create a Google Alert for yourself

Searching for yourself is self-explanatory, but make sure to do an image search too. I’m pretty lucky to have a unique name like …

I have tuned out the whole debate. It is a waste of time. As a small business owner, I am acutely aware of the need for reform. BCBS graciously increased our rates by 57% this year. Our insurance guys shopped out our needs to other carriers to no avail. Nobody needs to tell me that a company with less than 10 people is like a fish in a barrel for any insurance company. It is painful and unfair.

I have turned off the debate because it is all hot air and political posturing right now. The media is not telling me news, it is telling me moves in the debate. And, in turn, most parts of the plan have not even reached the mark-up stage. …

It is a beautiful Friday here in Chicago. The temperature reads 80 degrees and the sun shines bright. Not a single cloud hangs over the city. I think I’ll head to the beach after I get this post out.

So, in celebration of good spirits, here’s the latest viral video craze. The Today Show featured this video of a wedding party dancing to Chris Brown’s Forever earlier this week, and it’s reached over 12 million hits already. (Thanks to my friend Sarah Bonkowski for tweeting this earlier in the week.)

Now that’s how you celebrate starting a new life with someone! How happy was that bride when she came out into the aisle? Amazing!

It’s a time of transitions for me. I’ve lived with my good friend Jeramiah …

On more than one occasion, a candidate has brought up to me their concern about giving personal information on corporate websites. They have felt, whether it is true or not, that they were asked to give permission to the company to investigate private information before they’d even had an interview. They felt uncomfortable answering questions about things like traffic violations and health care. This also included the release of their Social Security number.

In this age, I believe that these people have a perfect right to be concerned. When I asked them whether the corporate site promised to protect their information, none could recall such.

I honestly don’t know whether very many corporate sites do this but if it’s a perception then it’s a partial reality. If it is a reality then I can flat guarantee that certain companies …

It’s a strange time for college graduates. Those who just finished school should be ecstatic that step of their lives is over. Instead, I run into former classmates and hear two reoccurring themes. One, they can’t find work. Two, it’s beginning to affect their self-esteem.

If you’re one of these people, then you may find yourself shooting for an internship rather than an account executive position. My six-month internship with Carolyn Grisko & Associates, for example, just ended last week.

Unfortunately, the timing was not right for me to translate that internship into a full-time position. Others are luckier. A good associate of mine has interned at Ketchum for a year and will soon be hired on. There’s still hope for those of you seeking …