Web video is hot. From YouTube to Skype video chat and all that falls in between, it’s everywhere. You may be wondering if video can help you do your job — or even find a job. But you may also find it daunting. Don’t you need to have a film degree to do video on the web? Don’t you need to spend thousands of dollars on cameras, lights and microphones to make anything worth sharing? Luckily, the answer to both of those questions is “no.”
All you really need is a good idea and a goal. Read More
I was super-psyched when the new Priority Inbox showed up in my Gmail account earlier this week. I typically get 100+ emails on an average weekday, so even with filters and other sorting techniques, it’s hard to stay on top of my inbox.
Might Priority Inbox be the answer?
Time will tell. So far, it assumes that frequency implies importance, and that’s not necessarily the case for me. Sure, I like getting Google Alerts and Groupons daily, but those messages aren’t nearly as important as the less frequent ones from clients and editors. I’ve been marking a lot of emails as “important” (or not), so hopefully that does the trick.
I’ll report back in a week once I’ve had a chance to test drive Priority Inbox a bit more. In the meantime, let us know in the comments if you’ve tried it out yet. What are your initial impressions? Read More
If you’ve ever had to train people at work you will certainly learn, over time, the right way to do so. Winging it is not part of my vernacular when it comes to training others. Here are some tips that I have picked up during my career that have helped me immensely when training people at work. Read More
If you’re anything like I am, then you often find yourself checking email late at night, but you’re hesitant to actually send emails at that hour lest you give clients the impression that you have no life and they can always expect an immediate response from you. Or maybe you have a set of recurring emails that you’re often forgetting to send.
Enter Baydin’s Boomergang for Gmail (it’s also available for Outlook). Read More
No matter how great and feature-rich a phone is, once the battery goes down, it is as good as the toy you bought your kid for a few bucks. It is no surprise that most of the modern phones can’t boast of the battery power our good old phones, sans all the multi-media features, used to have.
So, if you’ve got a shiny new Android phone and love playing with it, it’d be a prudent to step to acquaint yourself with some tips that could maximize its battery life. The How-to Geek blog has a comprehensive article that should help you with the process. Check out the following guide to Android cell phone battery life extension.
Complete Guide to Maximizing Your Android Phone’s Battery Life Read More
Writing a good resume can get you the job…or at least will put you on top of the pile.
But professional resume design is a skill not everyone has. No worries though, there is help out there. Here is how to create a resume format that will make your skills stand out. Design is important next to content. The grouping, highlighting and placement of the text can help your resume stand out. Read More
Getting coverage from blogs for your business or product isn’t easy. Bloggers get too many pitches nowadays and there is every chance of your pitch getting ignored even if your product is a genuine fit for the readers.
If you are a small business owner looking for some online press, you should read this guide on blog coverage. Written by Lisa Barone on the Small Business Trends blog, the article has useful tips on things to follow and avoid while pitching bloggers.
My personal favorite is the second point about creating relationships. As a blogger, I would always respond to those who cared to strike a conversation with me first instead of sending a blind pitch. Building relationships and rapport should always come first.
Nowadays, with photos on Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, even individual blog comments, you’re often judged based on your avatar. That postcard-sized picture says a lot about you. Depending on the image you choose, you might come off as professional or playful, creative or cookie-cutter, silly or somber.
Due to privacy concerns, some people opt for a symbol (a typewriter for a writer, a gavel for a lawyer) instead of a photograph. Others choose a cartoon alter ego or some sort of artistic representation (for instance, a close-up of the just the eyes or a silhouette). Still others use an actual photo, whether it’s a professional headshot, a candid photo snapped by a friend, or a self-portrait courtesy of an iPhone.
I use a photo taken by a photographer friend. We staged a photo shoot at a local writer’s space to create a literary vibe, also incorporating props like my laptop and books plucked from the shelves to reflect my love of words.
How did you choose your online image? What sort of impression did you want to create? Read More
The landline telephone was invented over a hundred years ago, and it has since evolved into nation-wide data networks, mobile phones and hands-free headsets, all of which can be incredible productivity tools. You can close a business deal while you cook dinner, manage your bank account on a bus, interview an applicant during your drive to work or touch base with your colleagues with both hands on a fishing pole or a golf club. Read More
