Wishing and Hoping

Workforce, Dec, 2000

We asked subscribers to the Workforce Week e-mail newsletter (http://www.workforce.com/join) what they were wishing for during the holiday season. Here are some of their responses:

"I wish that academia would quit telling engineering students that they can expect to command a salary of $48,000 to $50,000 when they graduate. Not all engineers are rocket scientists from MIT."

--Human Resource Manager, Portage, MI

"My wish is that managers can manage, and think that developing themselves and their people is a natural way of life!"

--Melinda Sutcliffe, HR Manager, Sydney, Australia

"I wish start-up technology companies could see the need for HR at their inception and not after they have been sued."

--HR Consultant, Austin, Texas

"My wish (dream) for 2001 is to find qualified candidates for every available position through the entire year!"

--Human Resources Director, Hershey, PA

"I wish I could work part-time and get full-time salary."

--Payroll/Benefits Administrator, Yakima, Washington

I wish for clients who are able to clearly state the objectives of their projects...and then stick to something remotely close to what we originally agree on!

--President, HR Consulting firm, New Rochelle, NY

"The first wish is that I may continue my unemployment soiree at least through the end of the year, while continuing to make ends meet, because I need time to write and research ways to make my second wish come true. The second wish is two-fold. It is that all of the money that I've put into my degree in business and all of the hours of experience I've attained in human resources, public relations and finance employment, coupled with my true-to-life experience of living life with a physical disability that has sometimes prevented me from going places, will pay off, so that I will be doing what I want to do, not what I have to do. What I want to do is to advocate for access and real acceptance from society for those of us who are disabled. I want to do this by public-speaking events and through the writing and promotion of a book that is swirling around in my head."

--Newly unemployed Human Resources Generalist for 15 years in federal government.

"Recognition for work well done. Increase in pay. Ability to work at home one day a week without being "on-call"--am I the only one that knows how to use the database?"

--Business Manager, Cleveland, OH

"One day of non-violence."

--Personal Financial Analyst, Baltimore, Maryland