Marketing Me! What to do about the gold brick at work?

Your know the gold brick.

Maybe he is the guy the boss spoon feeds sales leads to and helps close every deal.

Maybe he is the guy who goes to meetings, blabs his big mouth off, but has never successfully launched a product. Yet you just found out he is going to be managing your next project because everyone else thinks he is sooo charming.

Or perhaps he is the stellar non-performer who plays a mean game of golf with the boss and now has that cushy corner office while you linger in cubeville?

Okay, so what to do?

The fast answer is leave. Find another job and get away from a company which promotes this type of loser.

The medium answer is to deal with the problem by ignoring him and hoping he does not affect you too much.

The long term answer is to out do this yahoo and show him or her up at every opportunity. Remember, the gold brick bum does not work, does not like to work and rarely produces anything. Use this to your advantage.

Also... make your own alliances. Be it with the HR staff, the support team or operations people. Build your own army of rabid followers within the organization but outside of your own team.

Finally, keep your emotions in check. Gold bricks love people who lose their cool and make wild claims. The gold brick will roll his eyes and turn to your boss with some sarcastic remark about your behavior.

Most of all, keep building your network and fan base outside of the company with your clients, peers and competitors. Nothing is permanent but success!

Marketing Me! Questions

A random sample of inbound questions..

I hate my current job, what should I do?

Quit. Better yet, find a new job and then quit.

I just gave notice where I work. My company requires an exit interview, should I tell them the real reason why I am leaving (co-worker) or should I give the standard answers?

Unless there is the possibility of legal action on your behalf (harassment, wrongful termination, etc) I would keep my thoughts to myself or at the very least, present them as positive as possible. Remember to thank your old employer for the opportunity and the meeting.

As I am job hunting, I am considering a resume service. Which one do you recommend?

None of them unless you are really struggling with your resume. A resume service charges several hundreds of dollars to do something you could do yourself with a good resume guide.

College degree or technical certification?


Degree. A college degree in English Literature awarded in 1973 is more valuable than a Microsoft Certified Professional certification from 1999 any day.

I am thinking about starting my own consulting firm but my wife thinks I should stay with my secure 9-5 job. What do you think?

Too many things to consider here, but my first gut reaction is do both for six months if possible. If going alone is bringing in the change, make the jump. Support your family first!

Which part of the country has the best job opportunities?


It depends upon what you do. There are people working out of Bozeman, Montana almost exclusively online who are making six figures a year. Geography is quickly becoming irrelevant.

Should lawmakers prevent jobs from going overseas?


Not much they can do about it. More and more jobs are nearly virtual anyway.. think telephone customer service, insurance, IT.. so many jobs can be done with Skype and the Internet they can be done from anywhere. Rather think about how this can benefit you. You might be able to do your current job from somewhere far more fun than where you live now.

I am thinking about learning a new language to increase my job skills. What do you think?

Depends upon what language and what you do. Twenty years ago, everyone wanted to learn Japanese. I guess that would be fun now, but Chinese might be far more valuable today. Concentrate on what you are saying and the value it brings than in how you say it.

My company is shutting down operations in our city. Should I take the severance package or relocate with the company? (The package is quite a bit of money).


First and only question: Do you like your job? If so, move with it. If you are considering the money I bet you hate your job enough to take money to leave it. Take the money and do something you love.

How important is networking?


Let's put it this way, if you are down and out, you can always turn to your family. Think of your network as your professional family. They will be there when you are in need.

Is your name really Jack?

Nope - and that is not my picture either!