Best Business Commentary

The beating heart of innovation

Last week’s Consumer Electronics Show promised a “sleek and shiny Star Trek future,” says Eduardo Porter in The New York Times, but it will more likely deliver a “necropolis” of “once-promising appliances exiled to call-now commercials or an in-flight magazine.” Despite the amazing “appetite of the American consumer,” most gadget makers won’t “hit the jackpot with an iPod or a Nintendo Wii.” But what’s “breathtaking” about the widespread innovation on display last week is that the “promise of a blockbuster” is enough to keep companies trying. And so “the heart of modern capitalism” goes on beating.

Working for the dream job

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Coming up with your dream job takes “introspection and honest self-assessment,” says Molly Selvin in the Los Angeles Times, but landing it “is all about doggedness and focus.” If you’re up for the “hard work,” here are some pointers. Do post your resume online, but also apply to companies directly and “the old-fashioned way”: research and send your resume to the right person. Also, tell “almost anyone and practically everyone” that you’re looking, to tap the “hidden” networking-driven job market. Take calls from headhunters, and work and rework your resume. If you get an interview, research the company and the people interviewing you—and please, “brush your teeth.”