An additional revenue stream for NPR stations.

The Pew Charitable trust is one of the many underwriters of public radio stations across the United States.

Their names are mentioned by voice at regular intervals; before and after the news summary for instance.

With the advent of the internet, the underwriters names are also featured on NPR stations websites. If you go to WBUR.org for instance, you will see them listed as banners.

Now here is yet another way in which NPR stations should raise money.

Many NPR programs can be downloaded as podcasts. Here is WBUR’s “On Point” as I see it on my iPod.

On Point Radio on my iPod

If I press again the central button on my iPod, I get the following information on the show:

You can read the date of the episode, the title, its duration, description and even the link to download this particular episode.

In this particular screen, the people who upload that information have some editorial flexibility in what can be written, length parameters notwithstanding.

Therefore, there is an opportunity to invite existing underwriters (or attract new ones) by making available some of this space to them, perhaps up to 30 characters.

This could then be transformed into additional revenues for stations such as WBUR at no additional cost.

Playing down your job credentials

Jane Porter of the Wall Street Journal career blog reports anecdotal evidence that some job-seekers are downgrading their C.V.’s.

A shortage of jobs and an excess of job-applicants made Ms. Konopka come to the conclusion that people don’t “want to hire anyone who is overqualified.”

The article goes on to highlight evidence that indeed, understating your credentials and skills may help you get a job during the recession.

This tactic may be risky though. Recruiters are increasingly relying on the web to gather extra information on candidates. (Go ahead, search your name now and see what digital footprints you have left).

The web, even in its short life, has an almost comprehensive memory. That VP job where you earned an award will not disappear so easily. Even if the website does not exist anymore, there are websites whose archives go back to the mid-nineties.

Therefore, and perhaps as always, the best option is to be true to yourself. That way, what you have written about yourself in your job application will match what the recruiter will find about you online.