Resolve To Not Be A Digital Nuisance In 2008

Resolve To Not Be A Digital Nuisance In 2008 Improving communication is key to our career success, right? Here are 08 things for 08 to help us communicate better on the digital playground. Dont solely message people through non-e-mail methods. Send me a direct message through Twitter and I have to go into Twitter to reply. Send me communication only through Facebook or LI and I usually have to go through those systems to reply. Make it hard for me and its likely I wont get to it, since I deal with at least two hundred e-mails a day. Dont send me big file attachments. I read a story last night about a media specialist who sent a very large file attachment to a Wall Street Journal editor. The problem was, he was in a hotel, on a very tight deadline, and it hung up his e-mail send/receive process. Its always a good idea to ASK FIRST, something like can I send you a 2 MB file? (what is prompting this post this morning? Someone sent me a 7mb file in an e-mail. Twice.) Dont invite me to anymore social networks. Seriously Ive been social-networked-out for years. Right now Im only concerned about LinkedIn and Facebook (and Twitter, and a couple of niche/industry social networks), and I only do what I need to. Im not an early adopter, I dont like to explore or poke around, and I dont care to the be the first one. I dont have time or mental energy for that. When you invite me to LinkedIn, dont send me three paragraphs about the value of LinkedIn. For crying out loud I wrote the book on LinkedIn! Cant you at least read my profile and make the invitation personal? Even a canned, template invitation is better than preaching to me about what I already know about (just read the top of my profile to know that I already get the value of LinkedIn). Dont put me in the cc field and then address me in the e-mail. This is a small pet peeve of mine, but heres how it works. If you want to address someone in the body of your e-mail, their address goes in the To field. If you want to refer to me, but you dont talk to me, then it goes in the CC field. Refrain, when possible, from me too e-mails. People are busy. I bet the average person I deal with gets one hundred e-mails a day. The last thing we need is irrelevant communication coming our way. When someone sends something to an e-mail list, usually there is no need to reply with a bunch of attaboys (like I agree). Of course there are exceptions to this (like, to give congratulations or something like that), but think about the value of the message you are sending if there is no value, dont send! Dont be a jerk. I have a few personal examples from 2007 when I crossed the line and was a jerk. I wasnt even trying to be funny or sarcastic, I was just a plain jerk, no excuses. The problem is that too many people are making very quick decisions, and impressions are lasting. One of my resolutions is still to try and be nice, even when its hard, or when Ive been wronged, or when something isnt fair. That mean ol goofball today might be in a position to be very helpful tomorrow. Besides, maybe they arent a mean ol goofball, maybe something got lost in the digital translation (perhaps their shortness was simply an attempt to reply to you immediately, and they were pressed for time and mental energy), and they really do care about helping you, or adding value to your business. Dont be a genius. Ok, I wrote something about this a few months ago and was slammed for not holding humanity to a higher intellectual standard. Sorry to those that feel like were already dumb enough. But there are two things that will make your e-mail sit in my inbox longer than anything else (as I wonder when Ill get around to it): First, if it is too long, Im going to get to it later. Second, if it has lots of big words that make me go to dictionary.com, Im going to get to it later. Im sorry but if you want to have a communication, dont get all PhD on me. Not that I dont like intellectual stimulation, but Im busy. Just like everyone else. (No, I didnt wake up on the wrong side of the bed, these things have just been building up over the last few months) Happy New Year! Resolve To Not Be A Digital Nuisance In 2008 Improving communication is key to our career success, right? Here are 08 things for 08 to help us communicate better on the digital playground. Dont solely message people through non-e-mail methods. Send me a direct message through Twitter and I have to go into Twitter to reply. Send me communication only through Facebook or LI and I usually have to go through those systems to reply. Make it hard for me and its likely I wont get to it, since I deal with at least two hundred e-mails a day. Dont send me big file attachments. I read a story last night about a media specialist who sent a very large file attachment to a Wall Street Journal editor. The problem was, he was in a hotel, on a very tight deadline, and it hung up his e-mail send/receive process. Its always a good idea to ASK FIRST, something like can I send you a 2 MB file? (what is prompting this post this morning? Someone sent me a 7mb file in an e-mail. Twice.) Dont invite me to anymore social networks. Seriously Ive been social-networked-out for years. Right now Im only concerned about LinkedIn and Facebook (and Twitter, and a couple of niche/industry social networks), and I only do what I need to. Im not an early adopter, I dont like to explore or poke around, and I dont care to the be the first one. I dont have time or mental energy for that. When you invite me to LinkedIn, dont send me three paragraphs about the value of LinkedIn. For crying out loud I wrote the book on LinkedIn! Cant you at least read my profile and make the invitation personal? Even a canned, template invitation is better than preaching to me about what I already know about (just read the top of my profile to know that I already get the value of LinkedIn). Dont put me in the cc field and then address me in the e-mail. This is a small pet peeve of mine, but heres how it works. If you want to address someone in the body of your e-mail, their address goes in the To field. If you want to refer to me, but you dont talk to me, then it goes in the CC field. Refrain, when possible, from me too e-mails. People are busy. I bet the average person I deal with gets one hundred e-mails a day. The last thing we need is irrelevant communication coming our way. When someone sends something to an e-mail list, usually there is no need to reply with a bunch of attaboys (like I agree). Of course there are exceptions to this (like, to give congratulations or something like that), but think about the value of the message you are sending if there is no value, dont send! Dont be a jerk. I have a few personal examples from 2007 when I crossed the line and was a jerk. I wasnt even trying to be funny or sarcastic, I was just a plain jerk, no excuses. The problem is that too many people are making very quick decisions, and impressions are lasting. One of my resolutions is still to try and be nice, even when its hard, or when Ive been wronged, or when something isnt fair. That mean ol goofball today might be in a position to be very helpful tomorrow. Besides, maybe they arent a mean ol goofball, maybe something got lost in the digital translation (perhaps their shortness was simply an attempt to reply to you immediately, and they were pressed for time and mental energy), and they really do care about helping you, or adding value to your business. Dont be a genius. Ok, I wrote something about this a few months ago and was slammed for not holding humanity to a higher intellectual standard. Sorry to those that feel like were already dumb enough. But there are two things that will make your e-mail sit in my inbox longer than anything else (as I wonder when Ill get around to it): First, if it is too long, Im going to get to it later. Second, if it has lots of big words that make me go to dictionary.com, Im going to get to it later. Im sorry but if you want to have a communication, dont get all PhD on me. Not that I dont like intellectual stimulation, but Im busy. Just like everyone else. (No, I didnt wake up on the wrong side of the bed, these things have just been building up over the last few months) Happy New Year! Resolve To Not Be A Digital Nuisance In 2008 Improving communication is key to our career success, right? Here are 08 things for 08 to help us communicate better on the digital playground. Dont solely message people through non-e-mail methods. Send me a direct message through Twitter and I have to go into Twitter to reply. Send me communication only through Facebook or LI and I usually have to go through those systems to reply. Make it hard for me and its likely I wont get to it, since I deal with at least two hundred e-mails a day. Dont send me big file attachments. I read a story last night about a media specialist who sent a very large file attachment to a Wall Street Journal editor. The problem was, he was in a hotel, on a very tight deadline, and it hung up his e-mail send/receive process. Its always a good idea to ASK FIRST, something like can I send you a 2 MB file? (what is prompting this post this morning? Someone sent me a 7mb file in an e-mail. Twice.) Dont invite me to anymore social networks. Seriously Ive been social-networked-out for years. Right now Im only concerned about LinkedIn and Facebook (and Twitter, and a couple of niche/industry social networks), and I only do what I need to. Im not an early adopter, I dont like to explore or poke around, and I dont care to the be the first one. I dont have time or mental energy for that. When you invite me to LinkedIn, dont send me three paragraphs about the value of LinkedIn. For crying out loud I wrote the book on LinkedIn! Cant you at least read my profile and make the invitation personal? Even a canned, template invitation is better than preaching to me about what I already know about (just read the top of my profile to know that I already get the value of LinkedIn). Dont put me in the cc field and then address me in the e-mail. This is a small pet peeve of mine, but heres how it works. If you want to address someone in the body of your e-mail, their address goes in the To field. If you want to refer to me, but you dont talk to me, then it goes in the CC field. Refrain, when possible, from me too e-mails. People are busy. I bet the average person I deal with gets one hundred e-mails a day. The last thing we need is irrelevant communication coming our way. When someone sends something to an e-mail list, usually there is no need to reply with a bunch of attaboys (like I agree). Of course there are exceptions to this (like, to give congratulations or something like that), but think about the value of the message you are sending if there is no value, dont send! Dont be a jerk. I have a few personal examples from 2007 when I crossed the line and was a jerk. I wasnt even trying to be funny or sarcastic, I was just a plain jerk, no excuses. The problem is that too many people are making very quick decisions, and impressions are lasting. One of my resolutions is still to try and be nice, even when its hard, or when Ive been wronged, or when something isnt fair. That mean ol goofball today might be in a position to be very helpful tomorrow. Besides, maybe they arent a mean ol goofball, maybe something got lost in the digital translation (perhaps their shortness was simply an attempt to reply to you immediately, and they were pressed for time and mental energy), and they really do care about helping you, or adding value to your business. Dont be a genius. Ok, I wrote something about this a few months ago and was slammed for not holding humanity to a higher intellectual standard. Sorry to those that feel like were already dumb enough. But there are two things that will make your e-mail sit in my inbox longer than anything else (as I wonder when Ill get around to it): First, if it is too long, Im going to get to it later. Second, if it has lots of big words that make me go to dictionary.com, Im going to get to it later. Im sorry but if you want to have a communication, dont get all PhD on me. Not that I dont like intellectual stimulation, but Im busy. Just like everyone else. (No, I didnt wake up on the wrong side of the bed, these things have just been building up over the last few months) Happy New Year! Resolve To Not Be A Digital Nuisance In 2008 Improving communication is key to our career success, right? Here are 08 things for 08 to help us communicate better on the digital playground. Dont solely message people through non-e-mail methods. Send me a direct message through Twitter and I have to go into Twitter to reply. Send me communication only through Facebook or LI and I usually have to go through those systems to reply. Make it hard for me and its likely I wont get to it, since I deal with at least two hundred e-mails a day. Dont send me big file attachments. I read a story last night about a media specialist who sent a very large file attachment to a Wall Street Journal editor. The problem was, he was in a hotel, on a very tight deadline, and it hung up his e-mail send/receive process. Its always a good idea to ASK FIRST, something like can I send you a 2 MB file? (what is prompting this post this morning? Someone sent me a 7mb file in an e-mail. Twice.) Dont invite me to anymore social networks. Seriously Ive been social-networked-out for years. Right now Im only concerned about LinkedIn and Facebook (and Twitter, and a couple of niche/industry social networks), and I only do what I need to. Im not an early adopter, I dont like to explore or poke around, and I dont care to the be the first one. I dont have time or mental energy for that. When you invite me to LinkedIn, dont send me three paragraphs about the value of LinkedIn. For crying out loud I wrote the book on LinkedIn! Cant you at least read my profile and make the invitation personal? Even a canned, template invitation is better than preaching to me about what I already know about (just read the top of my profile to know that I already get the value of LinkedIn). Dont put me in the cc field and then address me in the e-mail. This is a small pet peeve of mine, but heres how it works. If you want to address someone in the body of your e-mail, their address goes in the To field. If you want to refer to me, but you dont talk to me, then it goes in the CC field. Refrain, when possible, from me too e-mails. People are busy. I bet the average person I deal with gets one hundred e-mails a day. The last thing we need is irrelevant communication coming our way. When someone sends something to an e-mail list, usually there is no need to reply with a bunch of attaboys (like I agree). Of course there are exceptions to this (like, to give congratulations or something like that), but think about the value of the message you are sending if there is no value, dont send! Dont be a jerk. I have a few personal examples from 2007 when I crossed the line and was a jerk. I wasnt even trying to be funny or sarcastic, I was just a plain jerk, no excuses. The problem is that too many people are making very quick decisions, and impressions are lasting. One of my resolutions is still to try and be nice, even when its hard, or when Ive been wronged, or when something isnt fair. That mean ol goofball today might be in a position to be very helpful tomorrow. Besides, maybe they arent a mean ol goofball, maybe something got lost in the digital translation (perhaps their shortness was simply an attempt to reply to you immediately, and they were pressed for time and mental energy), and they really do care about helping you, or adding value to your business. Dont be a genius. Ok, I wrote something about this a few months ago and was slammed for not holding humanity to a higher intellectual standard. Sorry to those that feel like were already dumb enough. But there are two things that will make your e-mail sit in my inbox longer than anything else (as I wonder when Ill get around to it): First, if it is too long, Im going to get to it later. Second, if it has lots of big words that make me go to dictionary.com, Im going to get to it later. Im sorry but if you want to have a communication, dont get all PhD on me. Not that I dont like intellectual stimulation, but Im busy. Just like everyone else. (No, I didnt wake up on the wrong side of the bed, these things have just been building up over the last few months) Happy New Year!

Find a Team that Needs You

Find a Team that Needs You What was your role in your last job? Not specifically, not your job title; but in the big scheme of things  why did your manager hire you?   Are you the steady, reliable, go-to guy that always gets the job done â€" or stays until it is? Are you the creative genius who comes up with the solution no one thought of? Are you the precise fact checker who always gets it right â€" and catches other people’s errors before they go public? (a thankless job, but soooo important) Are you the glue that holds the office together? Offering brownies to celebrate or advice and sympathy when needed? Maybe your role wasn’t clear when you got hired.   Maybe you found the niche and filled it.   Maybe you came in and found the perfect conditions to blossom.   Maybe you came in and went through a transformational disaster that showed you   and everyone else â€" what you were made of.   Doesn’t matter how you got there. Do you remember the days that went really well, the days that you felt energized at quitting time â€" surprised it was time to leave?   You left thinking, “Yes!   That’s what I was hired to do.” If you don’t remember any days like that, don’t mourn your last job, no matter how much you made.   If you do remember lots of days like that, figure out how to articulate what you did and were good at.   No â€" great at.   Be sure to bring it out in your next interview.  Keep looking until you find another place that needs you.   You may have to take a job (or two) in between.   But keep looking.   Everyone deserves to feel like they fit in their company.   Like they’ve been hired for a reason and they are appreciated for playing that role. In baseball, pitchers, relievers, outfielders, third basemen and catchers all have different skill sets.   But we couldn’t play the game without them.   Be the best you can be, and keep looking for a team that needs you.

Reviewing the Bookaway online travel booking service

Reviewing the Bookaway online travel booking service Bookaway is an online travel booking service which essentially fulfils all the ground transportation needs of the travellers in the developing countries, covering ferries, trains and buses. As against the train and bus networks in Western Europe and North America, the developing world’s ground transportation industry is still pretty fragmented, with 95% of the inventory sold in the off-line marketplace. In fact, a large majority of suppliers don’t have any presence on the Internet. It is here that the Bookaway’s technology steps in and offers easy online integration to these medium and small size suppliers. Hooking up with Bookaway allows these entities to reach more number of customers and scale up their operations. From the travellers’ perspective, they get an easy-to-use platform and can make their bookings with the confidence that they’ll always be provided an enjoyable travel experience. Regions served As of now, the primary areas served by Bookaway are mainly ground and river transportation in Southeast Asia. They currently have more than 2000 routes available on their website in a total of 30 countries across the world. In fact Bookaway platform is an excellent example of how technology has transformed the travel industry over the years. Customer Care The only way you can gauge the dependability of a transportation booking portal is by checking their availability at different times of the day/night, not just in a certain part of the day or a few days in the week. For instance, let’s say it’s Christmas and you are travelling to some place in Goa. You are suddenly faced with an unexpected problem related to an upcoming bus ride, because of the odd/holiday hours. You try reaching your booking agency but to no avail. Chances are high that you might miss your train, putting your entire India travel itinerary in jeopardy. This problem would have never occurred if you had made your bookings with Bookaway. Their customer service team can be reached at all hours of the day and night, 7 days a week. You are free to make changes to your bookings and enquire about any transportation needs by reaching out to their customer service team. Transparent pricing structure What also sets Bookaway apart from a great majority of similar services is their transparent pricing model. You pay only what you see quoted on their webpages.   And no one will trick you into paying extra in the form of hidden fees. The company is very upfront and straightforward about their pricing structure, which is usually the best price you can get for that route in the market. Hassle-free booking management Bookaway goes out of its way to ensure that you always travel without any hassles. Trips can be booked fairly easily by selecting starting and end destinations, along with the scheduled travel dates. Once you provide this info, you’d be shown various travel options, including boat rides, cars, train rides and bus rides. The brand doesn’t offer any flight bookings and is completely focused on ground and river transportation mediums as of now. Their website is mobile friendly and can be easily used on any mobile device.

Whats on your summer reading and writing list - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

What’s on your summer reading and writing list - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career What will you be reading this summer? What will you be writing this summer? Finding time to do both can be easier than you think. Almost everyone I know says they never have time to read any more. While I think most of us read a lot every day it’s not the kind of  reading that we’d categorize as pleasure reading. We all read a lot of emails and updates and perhaps a pile of reports. But, that’s not the same thing as reading for the pleasure of reading. The same is true with writing. We write a lot of emails and updates or if you work for a more forward thinking company you might be writing Slack updates. But, the effort and effect are the same. They are for work. Reading Time Reading for fun can open up new synapses in the brain and can get us thinking outside the box. It doesn’t matter what you read. Just that you make some time for it. There are a few tips and tricks I use that might be useful for you too. Distractions Off The obvious and easy things to do are turn off the TV and turn off the social media. Your Time Find a time that works for you. If you are a morning person get up 20-30 minutes earlier. If you work out you may be able to get a few pages read on the treadmill or elliptical. Your Spot  â€" Whether you need a quiet spot, a certain amount of light or something else. Find a spot that works for you. Want to read a 500 page book every month? Simple, commit  to reading 20 pages a day. Money should not be an obstacle. Between your local library and all the free books available to anyone with a Kindle Reader App there are plenty of options available. Writing Commitment Writing for most people is a lot harder. I know it is for me. While writing might be harder the efforts to setup a space, a model and a time that works for you are effectively the same as they are for reading time. Here is a short list of a few things I do to get  my creative juices flowing. Write Longhand  â€" We too often get caught up looking for a keyboard, which can mean looking for power and a table that’s at just the right height. Old school pen and paper can be used anywhere and at any angle. And, pen and paper always boot. Library or Coffee Shop  â€" The local library can be a great place to take a mental break and the inspiration for  your book or blog. A coffee shop, perhaps not in your immediate area, can also be a great place to get a new perspective on things. Notes on a Phone  â€" I use Microsoft OneNote, Dictation Station and Evernote to capture notes when I’m in the queue at the bank, sitting in a coffee shop and even when I walk my dog. They are quick and easy and can make for an easy way to get a few thoughts out of my head and get them captured. Take the Time for Yourself By making the time to read a bit more and write a bit more you will stand out in your career. The old saying of the well read person has never been more true. There are countless books to be read and there are countless stories to be told. This is the summer to make that happen. With a bit of forethought and a little effort you can read a few books this summer and who knows maybe even write one. This summer it’s time to take back some time for ourselves to read and write. Which one will you do first?

How to Start Your Freelancer Career - CareerMetis.com

How to Start Your Freelancer Career In 2010 the software company Inuit conducted a research about the U.S. Workforce. According to its results, by 2020 above 40% of the U.S. workforce will be freelancers. It’s more than 60 million people.The freelance movement is growing and powerful. In 2014, 33% of the U.S. workforce tried freelancing within the year.Why Is Freelancing so Popular? evalThe main reason employers hire freelancers is money. It is cheaper to hire a remote worker as freelancers do not get the majority of benefits As a rule, customers hire freelancers for specific tasks. Being a freelancer implies that you are a specialist in the certain field and you do not need extra training. In case the company has temporary budget issues, it will not have to worry about benefits payouts for freelancers.According to a survey made in 2014, the half of the surveyed freelancers were able to find a job within 3 days with the help of social media and networking. One quarter was able to find a job within 24 hours.To gain su ccess in the freelancer’s profession, you have to take a number of steps. First of all, it is essential to know how to list the freelance jobs on the resume. Prospective clients need to see all your skills.Tailor Your Resume to the Prospective CustomerWhen writing a freelancer resume, you have to focus not on your school, university or usual chronological career details. The emphasis should be put on your achievements and what you can do for a potential employer.Your customers will hire you to complete some task. Your goal is to demonstrate them you are able to complete it as fast as possible.The Ladders conducted an interesting study. It shows that recruiters spend only 6 seconds looking at a resume before deciding whether it is worth their attention. That is why each resume should be tailored to the customer or company you want to impress.It is time-consuming to write a new resume for each new job. However, it is worth it. If you make your resume targeted, it will make your recr uiter see only what you want him to see. If you create a version that corresponds the company’s needs, you will make a better impression.Include a Separate Section for SkillsevalYou are trying to show the customer or employer what you can do for him/her. That is why you should include a separate section for skills and certifications.If you know an in-demand programming language or a software program, have years of experience that requires a long time to learn, this is the section will allow you to brag a little.Do not claim the skills everyone has, like Microsoft Office or Internet literacy. Don’t claim you are an expert in an almost unknown area as well.Use Keywords, Action Words, and Dollar SignsAction words present you as a person who gets things done. The right resume keywords are also essential, particularly if you are applying online. If you use keywords, you will beat ATS successfully. Analyze job listing to figure out what keywords to use.evalRead the following infograph ic to discover what else you need to gain success in the freelancer career:Infographic Credit â€" ResumeWritingLab.com