Akademik

n.

A person who changed jobs as a result of stress or anxiety caused by the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

Signs of the changing emphasis abound. Teach for America, which places recent college graduates in urban and rural public schools, received 14,000 applications for its 2002 corps. That's the most in its 12-year history and nearly triple the number received for 2001. Organization officials credit the increase in part to renewed interest post-Sept. 11.

A Pentagon spokesman says there has been a jump in inquiries and recruiting visits since Sept. 11. The Peace Corps also reported a spike in inquires and online applications after Sept. 11. The changes have even given rise to a new buzzword: post-traumatic job switcher.

— Stephanie Armour, "After 9/11, some workers turn their lives upside down," USA Today, May 8, 2002

Since the outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc. began compiling its work-in-progress Workplace Dictionary in 1997, entries have gone from lighthearted ("bugeaters" to describe programmers attempting to solve Y2K problems and "reverbs" to specify baby-boomers' children, for example) to more serious reflections of today's business and economic climate.

"The language is being influenced by many of the negative images and events that have taken place over the last year," says John A. Challenger, the company's chief executive officer. "It reflects a more pessimistic view of corporate America, politics, workplace and domestic security. It is a far cry from the high-flying, nothing-can-stop-us outlook prevalent in the late 1990s and into 2000."

Some of the new additions:

Enroned: Reputation undermined due to a questionable employer.

Up-titling: Giving employees a better job title in lieu of a pay raise.

Shadow work force: Teams that work outside of the primary office to ensure business continues under emergency conditions.

Recession perks: Perks that build loyalty and make employees' lives better without increasing overhead.

Post-traumatic job-switcher: Someone who changes jobs in search of a more meaningful career after a disaster.

Senior entry-level: People over 50 who earn degrees toward a second career instead of pursuing leisure activities after retirement.

Blamestorming: Group discussions about why deadlines were missed or projects failed.

Pinkslip perks: Benefits that go beyond a severance package, such as tuition to retrain for a different career path.

Unsigning bonus: Money paid to new-hires not to start their jobs.

— "Managing effectively when disaster strikes," Copley News Service, April 29, 2002