I saw in the paper Monday that Manpower, a leading employment agency, released figures from a recent survey they conducted about hiring practices. It was kind of grim for most of us working people: Only 16% planned to hire anyone before March and 16% of companies planned to fire workers in that timeframe ("Merry Christmas! Now get your junk and get out of the building"). The figures were for American industries and did not focus on Information Technology jobs, but it isn't hard to figure out that IT jobs are more likely to be in the "16% firing" category. Few companies are actually hiring workers for IT-related jobs.

That is, unless you are Metropolitan West Financial in Los Angeles, CA. The diversified financial holding company, with over $50 billion US dollars in assets under management, is doing so well that they just hired a new vice-chairman for their executive leadership team. According to the press release from MetWest CEO Richard S. Hollander, the new vice-chairman will "develop strategies in biotechnology and information technology, and will explore opportunities for MetWest Financial to expand its business in international markets." This is a very visible position for a big company like MetWest. Who better to develop IT strategies for a companyÕs international expansion than former Vice-President Al Gore?

Yes, at a time when all high-paying nonsense IT jobs are being cut, MetWest hires Al Gore for a high-paying nonsense IT job. Of course, if you want to hire someone to develop strategies for technology investing and profiting from your company's international expansion, Al Gore is the perfect choice. Mr. Gore has extensive technology experience because of his initiative in "creating the Internet" and also knows first hand the best way to shake down Chinese Buddhists for cash.

"Technology Strategist" was a popular job title a couple of years ago, especially in San Francisco and Boston. Before the tech bubble burst, college students from Stanford or MIT were able sweet talk a couple of million bucks in venture capital out of investors for their dot-com "businesses." If you were lucky, the guy you sat next to in database theory class hired you as a "technology strategist" for his earth shatteringly cool new dot-com company. As the companyÕs "tech strategist," you'd be paid a hundred grand or so to surf the web for information about how your company could actually fit into the marketplace and report your findings back to the board of directors. If need be, you would go "into the field" and investigate the competition at conventions held in Vegas or New Orleans. ItÕs easy to see why few companies have retained their overpriced and basically useless "technology strategists."

As MetWest's new technology strategist, Mr. Gore alludes to the fact that heÕs only held two private sector jobs in the past 30 years in the press release. "I am eager to learn more about business as an active executive of this dynamic and community-oriented company." Oh geez, are you kidding me? IÕm eager to learn more about business too, but I wouldn't apply for the executive vice-chairman position of a financial company knowing my only other business job was two years of selling real estate 25 years ago (investigative reporter for the local paper while living off of daddy's money doesn't count as a "business" job)!

Some will say IÕm just being too negative about this whole thing. Perhaps they are right and I'm looking at this news all wrong. The news that Gore is getting a high-paid nonsense IT job in the middle of a less than stellar economy is like seeing a beautiful fashion model hanging on the arm of a homely guy. This news should give all of us low-paid working stiffs in the IT industry some hope! Hey, hereÕs a job for "Director of Technology Development" at ExoLink, a Dallas company that handles online transactions for the newly deregulated energy industry in Texas and other states. ExoLink is offering up to $115,000 a year salary to candidates with experience with software life cycles, Java and a required ten years of IT management É Hey, I've written about software, Sun Microsystems and have managed to fix my dadÕs computers for at least ten years! Plus, I know all about the energy industry because I've had electricity in my house for 30 years! When do you guys at ExoLink want me to drive up to Dallas to pick up my check? IÕm no less qualified for that job than Al Gore is qualified to be MetWestÕs executive vice-chairman for technology strategies!

Personally, I think this is not just a bad business decision, but also a bad PR move for MetWest. Lots of talented IT pros are having a tough time right now and would have jumped at the chance to work at a respected company like MetWest Financial. My best wishes go out to MetWest and I hope they can keep Mr. GoreÕs imaginative storytelling under control while he is in their employ.

Am I being too hard on poor multi-millionaire Al or just want to say: "Right on, brother"? Send me your comments
<>

Print this Article

Email this article

Free Headline Alerts