InsideTech

Twitter Mistakes to Avoid at Work

Hamsa Ramesha/HRGuru — Tue, 17 Nov 2009 15:53:00 -0800

A lot has been written about the revolutionary impact of Twitter: how it's changed the way we communicate, how it's connected us to one another and how it's increased transparency in everything we do. But as much as people love Twitter, there's growing concern about other impacts the social networking tool is having, especially when it comes to workplace productivity.

As with other popular social networks like Facebook, Twitter is a great way to pass the time. No point in denying that it's a quick and entertaining way to make your 9 to 5 day go by. It's also a great place to share your troubles with the world and go on a 140-character rant. The problem is that people tend to touch upon issues that are unprofessional, threaten company privacy agreements, or reflect badly on their own work ethics.

It's one thing to tweet about how you're tired and looking forward to the weekend, and another to mention your passionate hate for everyone in the office and blatantly announcing exactly how you'll be blowing off work. One is understandable, while the other could get you fired, or at least in very serious trouble.

We'll let you figure out which.

In the meantime, here are some cringe-worthy examples of inappropriate tweets for you to learn from, and maybe laugh at.

1. Lying on the Job

2. Goofing Off at Work

3. Complaining About a Coworker

4. Complaining About Your Boss

5. Complaining About Your Boss & Your Coworker

6. Colorful Language

7. Bored at Work

8. The Work Load

9. Criticizing Your Boss' Job

10. Using Other Social Networks

11. Threatening Violence

Get Started: #1. Lying on the Job

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1. Lying on the Job

We've all told a little white lie to get away with something – from family emergencies to mysterious doctor appointments, it's pretty harmless, and very common. But since you've gotten away with it, why broadcast the lie? If a boss or vengeful coworker comes across this public tweet, they'd be idiots not to confront you about it, and it may be cause for termination – especially if you've done this before. At least check the privacy button if you're going to boast about your lying prowess – and make sure your colleagues and peers aren't following you.

Next: #2. Goofing Off at Work

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2. Goofing Off at Work

You're already on Twitter when you should be doing more productive work. Unless it's part of your job to work the social network, everyone knows you aren't doing what you should be doing. "Tweeting" about how you're wasting even more time? Not smart. Sharing how many ways you aren't doing work? Even worse.

Hey, we've all got our off-days. No need to publicly declare to the rest of the world how you're wasting the company dime.

Next: #3. Complaining About a Coworker

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3. Complaining About a Coworker

Working with the same people eight hours a day, five days a week, can make some of our stranger quirks seem unbearably annoying rather than adorably cute as your spouse may think. We're not saying you should be extremely chummy with all of your fellow office mates – that's unrealistic.

But tweeting about exactly what annoys you (when you're on a public account) hurts. Think about it. Would you like the favor returned? Please, keep it private and be discreet.

Didn't your mother ever tell you, if you don't have anything nice to tweet, don't tweet anything at all?

Next: #4. Complaining About Your Boss

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4. Complaining About Your Boss

This one's a little self-explanatory. Complaining about your boss, really? And you think you won't get fired if she finds out? And the cussing… that's not helping any.

Yes, bosses can be a pain in the behind, but there's a professional way to deal with it. Using Twitter to publicly voice your anger is not smart. And, as in this case, there may be a reason why your boss is acting a certain way with you. If you've done something wrong, ranting about your boss and complaining about work on Twitter is like digging your own grave.

Complain all you want. Just do it in PRIVATE. 'Nuff said.

Next: #5. Boss & Coworker

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5. Complaining About Your Boss & Your Coworker

Is there a reason you're still working here? While Twitter is great for sharing thoughts, information and random stories, it's not a solution for workplace problems and it definitely doesn't replace good old fashioned communication.
Got an issue with your colleagues? Talk to them about it. Then maybe you could tweet about how everything was resolved and your workplace is AWESOME.

Next: #6. Colorful Language

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6. Colorful Language

We get it, work is stressful. Venting about your problems is good. Do it to a friend, or again, in private. What you don't want to do is come off as crass and extremely unprofessional like this post.

From their tweet, it's clear that this person:

If there's this much negativity going on, ask yourself, why are you even keeping the job? And don't say it's for the paycheck. Deal with the problem, or don't tweet about it to the world.

Next: #7. Bored at Work

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7. Bored at Work

Going to the office and plugging away at a 9 to 5 job in a tiny little cubicle isn't quite the adventure of a lifetime. So what if the tedium of work threatens to numb your brain every now and then; at least you've still got a job and a paycheck right?

This is an opportunity where you can show more initiative. Ask for more responsibility, rather than looking for more distractions. You may even get a promotion!

Next: #8. The Workload

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8. The Workload

Too much work at the office?

Ask. For. Help.

Say it slowly. Be upfront with your boss about how overwhelmed you are feeling with the workload; he'll appreciate the heads up, and you'll appreciate the lighter load. Plus, the work gets done faster – such a win-win.

On the other hand, if you're finding your day-to-day duties a little too much to handle, you may want to look into finding another job.

Next: #9. Criticizing Your Boss' Job

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9. Criticizing Your Boss' Job

Imagine if your boss, or your boss' boss came across this very public tweet. It spells trouble for your boss, and MAJOR trouble for you.

Confronting your boss about issues like these is difficult, but tweeting about it will do more damage to your reputation. It sheds a negative light on you, and on your workplace. Plus, if you do get fired, don't even think about a reference letter.

Next: #10. Using Other Social Networks

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10. Using Other Social Networks

Talk about being efficient at doing nothing at work!

You're on one social network (Twitter), confessing how you're also avoiding work by using another social network (Facebook). If you're workplace hasn't blocked Facebook or Twitter by now, the will after seeing this tweet. There's a privacy setting on Twitter for a reason. Use it.

Or maybe you want to get caught?

Next: #11. Threatening Violence

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11. Threatening Violence

There are SO many things wrong with this tweet. But threatening violence? Seriously? You're pretty much asking to be fired. That's all.

Next: Lesson Learned?

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We're not saying you should practice Twitter abstinence at work, although your employer would appreciate it. Just do so in a professional way and be discreet about what you tweet, especially if you've got a public account. If you must complain, gossip, or vent via Twitter, hit the privacy button and do make sure your coworkers or bosses aren't following you!

Many of these examples of Twitter misuse, as inappropriate as they were, could easily have been resolved if workers communicated face-to-face with their peers. Twitter has changed the way we communicate, but it hasn't replaced human interaction, and never will.

So tell us, do you have a Twitter horror story to share? Perhaps you were caught tweeting at work? Post in the comments below.

And of course, stay up-to-date on the latest IT news by following us on Twitter: @InsideTechNews.

Back to the Beginning

How to Motivate Employees on a Budget

Liz Ryan / BusinessWeek — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 09:42:00 -0800

With recession looming—or underway, depending on who you ask—corporate budget managers are battening down the hatches when it comes to expenses. One of the areas where spending is stingiest is employee raises; last year's average increase of 3.5% may look like a bonanza from the perspective of 2008, when many companies are likely to be giving raises of 2% or less.

Modest salary-increase budgets leave managers in a bind. On top of a tough hiring market fueled by Baby Boomer retirements, managers face a major challenge: keeping employees happy when their budgets force them to dispense Scrooge-like salary bumps.

Click through each page to learn some ideas to help keep your team engaged when you're forced to be the tightfisted manage.

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*+Tell them what to expect about raise+*

If you're held to an average 2% raise budget, let your employees know that. It's one thing to receive no raise or a tiny bump when other people are getting 6% or 8%. If the austerity plan is companywide or divisionwide, spell out your constraints to your team.

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*+Over-communicate on other areas, too+*

Don't stop at communicating the salary-increase budget. Let your employees know the department's and the division's goals, and which financial metrics will move the company into a better raise-granting position next year. The better informed people are, the less likely they are to stew about the minimal changes in their paychecks—and the more they feel like they can make a difference.

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*+Sometimes, one size fits all+*

One excellent manager I know said to his team as a group, "Look, our raise budget is 2.5%. Given such a small allotment, I'm not going to slice and dice and give one person 2.565% and another 2.275. I'm giving everyone in my group the same 2.5% because I only keep top performers in my group and I don't believe those extra sixteenths of a percent are going to motivate you one way or the other." If you've dealt appropriately with any performance issues on your team throughout the year and truly believe they are all pulling along as best they can, this may not be the time to make minute distinctions among the performers on your team.

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*+Pay in other ways+*

If a significant salary increase isn't feasible, sometimes a nice chunk of résumé padding can be the next best thing. Offer your best employees a chance to join you in a high-visibility project with C-level participants. Offer a top performer a mentor, possibly the leader of another function with whom you've arranged a swap that has each of you mentoring one of the other's high-potential team members. Give one of your employees the opportunity to lead a major initiative in your group. Doling out items of value doesn't stop with the paycheck, but it does require careful planning to ensure that when you say "this assignment will boost your career," it's not an empty promise and doesn't turn out to be more work than he can handle.

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*+Keep their eyes on the prize+*

When the purse strings are tight in corporate life, employees want to know, "What milestone will change the financial picture?" It's our job as managers to keep them well informed. A less-than-expected annual increase is not only disappointing, but also causes employees to wonder about the company's long-term viability. If the company is close to landing a major new client, or receiving a round of investment funding, employees want to know as much as it's legal to share. The worst scenario in a time of miniscule pay increases is one where the managers say "I know no more than you do." It's our job as managers to find out, and to share (judiciously, of course) what we know.

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*+What comes around+*

One manager friend called me to say, "Following our department's uninspiring 1% pay increases last month, I've got a top employee who's considering an outside offer. I'm torn between encouraging her to take it and hoping she'll stay in touch so maybe I can hire her back, and trying to sell her on just staying here." Sometimes, the best option is for an employee to move on. You might not stay in touch, but you may. She could even end up hiring you, someday. But if one of your team members is really chafing over pay issues, it might be best to let him or her move on.

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*+The last reward+*

The "last reward" comes last in our list because it's the most obvious employee motivator, notwithstanding the fact that managers routinely forget to make use of it. We refer to praise and acknowledgement, the 'attaboys' and 'attagirls' that remind employees we're paying attention. Acknowledging your team's efforts is a specific way in an ongoing process that won't make up for a low raise, but will show your employees you see their value, even if you can't put a dollar amount behind it. The habit of dropping frequent, relevant acknowledgements will also increase your one-on-one communication with your employees—and that is never a bad thing.

Dining Etiquette: Don't Meet With Your Mouth Full

By Adam C. Mayer | Monster Contributing Writer — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:25:00 -0800

No matter where a meeting takes place, it is still a meeting. If a potential client decides to interview you over a meal at a restaurant, your table manners must be up to par. The following etiquette guidelines will help get you through your next dinner interview.

Long before you enter the restaurant, make sure you turn off your cell phone or beeper. The worker who receives a call during the meal doesn't receive a call after the meal.

Before the meal arrives, be sure to actively listen to the interviewer. Paraphrase the content of what an interviewer is saying. Be sure to stay away from sensitive subjects such as religion and politics. Look for and seize any opportunity to sell yourself, your accomplishments, and your IT skills. Remember, it's very competitive out there today.

During the Meal

Eighty percent of communication is expressed through body language. Although you may be nervous, do your best to relax. Maintain an assured posture throughout the meal and, yes, elbows off the table.

Chances are good that more than one person will meet with you. If this is the case, wait until everyone is comfortably seated at the table, and then place your napkin in your lap. If your napkin happens to fall to the floor, ask the server for a new one.

Browse the menu for harmless foods such as moderately priced chicken or fish. Stay away from messy foods such as spaghetti, expensive items and anything that sounds colossal. When ordering, be courteous to the wait staff. Throughout the meal, be sure to say "please" and "thank you." Your polite attitude will foster an overall positive impression.

After the Meal

Indicate that you are finished with your meal by placing the knife and fork, on your plate, at 4 o'clock. Be sure to place the napkin on the right-hand side of your table setting.

Pick up the bill even if your clients or interviewers invited you to meet. Make sure to tip properly for your service.

Be sure to thank them and obtain business cards if you are meeting anyone for the first time. Follow up the next day with a thank-you correspondence. Send one as soon as possible.

Dining 101

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Dining 101

Knowing the basics of table setup is essential and your key to comfort. You are free to drink from glasses on your right. Your bread plate is on the left. The old silverware maxim holds true: Start on the outside and work your way in.

When eating a roll or bread, make sure to break it into bite-size pieces. If your beverage is served in a stemmed glass, pick it up by the stem.

Once everyone's meal is served, begin eating slowly and with care. Hold your silverware with consideration. Placing a used utensil on the table is considered unsanitary and poor manners. Situate soiled utensils on the side of your plate. Keep the elbows close to your body while cutting food.

Only reach for items that are in front of you. Politely ask others to pass items out of reasonable reach. When passing items, be sure to offer to your left. Keep in mind, however, if a passing pattern has already developed, go with the flow.

Eat your entire meal if possible. It may seem disrespectful if you leave a large amount of food behind, and this isn't the time to request a doggy bag.

More Tips

Bring all foods to your mouth, not the other way around.

Never talk with your mouth full.

Under no circumstances should you smoke.

Be sparing in your alcohol consumption. This is not party time, it's your career and is therefore business. Keep a clear head.

Enjoy yourself.

5 Etiquette Tips Every IT Worker Needs

Susan Bryant | Monster Contributing Writer — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:19:00 -0800

What's the difference between the rising star whose career is picking up speed and his counterpart who can't seem to get the engine to turn over? Often, the star has mastered the nuances of business etiquette - the subtle but critical behaviors that can make or break an important meeting, influence a first impression or impress a potential client.

According to Hilka Klinkenberg, director of Etiquette International, a business etiquette firm, the basics of professional etiquette are really quite simple. First, understand the difference between business etiquette and social etiquette. Business etiquette is genderless. For example, the traditional chivalrous etiquette of holding the door open for a woman is not necessary in the workplace and can even have the unintended effect of offending her. In the work environment, men and women are peers.

Second, your guiding principle should always be to treat people with consideration and respect. Although this may seem obvious, Klinkenberg cites this basic decency as a frequent casualty in today's workplace.

Here are a few of the specific dos and don'ts of business etiquette you are likely to encounter during your workday.

First: Introduction Etiquette

Etiquette Tips 101

Susan Bryant | Monster Contributing Writer — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 16:19:00 -0800

Introductions

The proper way to make an introduction is to introduce a lower-ranking person to a higher-ranking person. For example, if your CEO is Mrs. Jones and you are introducing administrative assistant Jane Smith to her, the correct introduction would be "Mrs. Jones, I'd like you to meet Jane Smith."

If you forget a person's name while making an introduction, don't panic. Proceed with the introduction with a statement such as, "I'm sorry, your name has just slipped my mind." Omitting an introduction is a bigger faux pas than salvaging a botched introduction.

Handshakes

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Handshakes

The physical connection you make when shaking hands with someone can leave a powerful impression. When someone's handshake is unpleasant in any way, we often associate negative character traits with that person. A firm handshake made with direct eye contact sets the stage for a positive encounter.

Women take note: To avoid any confusion during an introduction, always extend your hand when greeting someone. Remember, men and women are equals in the workplace.

E-mail Etiquette

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E-Mail Etiquette

Email, faxes, conference calls and cell phones can create a veritable landmine of professional etiquette. Just because you have the capability to reach someone 24/7, it doesn't mean you should.

Email is so prevalent in many of today's companies that the transmission of jokes, spam and personal notes often constitute more of the messages employees receive than actual work-related material. Remember that your email messages are an example of your professional correspondence. Professional correspondence does not include smiley faces or similar emoticons.

Faxes and Conference Calls

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Faxes and Conference Calls

Faxes should always include your contact information, date and number of pages included. They should not be sent unsolicited - they waste the other person's paper and tie up the lines.

Conference call etiquette entails introducing all the participants at the beginning of the call so everyone knows who is in attendance. Since you're not able to see other participants' body language and nonverbal clues, you will have to compensate for this disadvantage by communicating very clearly.

Be aware of unintentionally interrupting someone or failing to address or include attendees because you can't see them. And finally, don't put anyone on speakerphone until you have asked permission to do so.

Cell Phones

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Cell Phones

Cell phones can be a lifesaver for many professionals. Unfortunately, if you are using a cell phone, you are most likely outside your office and may be preoccupied with driving, catching a flight or some other activity.

Be sensitive to the fact that your listener may not be interested in a play-by-play of traffic or the other events you are experiencing during your call.

Even if you have impeccable social graces, you will inevitably have a professional blunder at some point. When this happens, Klinkenberg offers this advice: Apologize sincerely without gushing or being too effusive. State your apology like you mean it, and then move on.

Making too big an issue of your mistake only magnifies the damage and makes the recipient more uncomfortable.

Wait, there are more tips to know! Check out the next page to see if your workplace dining etiquette is up to par.

Dining Etiquette

10 Worst Things to Say to Someone Who Just Got Laid Off

Alice Handley and Tania Khadder — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 17:34:00 -0800

Someone you know just lost their job. Yikes.

You want to be supportive. You want to help them see the positive side of their misfortune. You want to buy them a drink. And you should! But please, tread carefully.

The time directly following a layoff is a delicate one. Your friend will want your help, but they may not be so receptive to your wise suggestions or burning questions. The fact of the matter is, being laid off sucks. Your comments come from a good place (of course!), but you might be surprised at how they are construed by someone whose wounds are still fresh from getting shown the door.

Here are 10 things you shouldn’t say to someone who has just been laid off.

First Worst Thing to Say →

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1. "Are you freaked out?"

Don’t put ideas into her head! She’s probably worried enough as it is. Very few people are truly thrilled to be laid off, and if they are they’ll probably go out of their way to tell you before you can even get a word in edgewise.

To be truly supportive, just be there for your friend to open up to you on her own terms and on her own schedule. Maybe a kind joke or an unrelated anecdote or a question about something innocuous (Weekend plans? Movies they’ve seen recently) would help lift their spirits.

#2 Worst Thing to Say →

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2. "Do you know what you did to deserve it?"

Wow, talk about an insensitive comment. Think about it: what if he really did do something? Do you think he really wants to talk about it? It’s not like when someone breaks up with your friend you launch into a huge guilt trip about what he might have done or should have done to prevent it.

At the same time, many layoffs come out of the blue to people who were great employees and a valuable resource to the company, so there might not even be an answer in the first place. Unless you’re their direct supervisor, this just isn’t any of your business.

#3 Worst Thing to Say →

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3. "You’re not unemployed, you’re funemployed!"

So cute and yet so out of touch with reality. Sure, unemployment might be fun when you’re 22 and have no real responsibilities. It’s quite a different story when you’re 54, have two kids in college, a mortgage and a chronic health problem.

For so many people, being unemployed is not an opportunity to do some volunteer work or self-discovery — it’s a very real and very frightening financial, emotional and professional setback. Cute, trendy sayings aren’t going to change that.

#4 Worst Thing to Say →

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4. "Have you started applying for new jobs yet?"

You’ve got to give your friends time to breathe after a layoff. It’s a really big deal! She’s probably still reeling from the shock. Many people who have been recently let go from a job need days — even weeks — to really deal with what’s just happened to them. Especially if it was a job they really loved and identified with.

Give your friend time to breathe, process, and even grieve about what just happened to them before they’re ready to make a fresh start and jump back into the job search.

#5 Worst Thing to Say →

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5. "Have you thought about temping?"

This insult is two-fold. If temp work is a little bit low on the career ladder for someone of their experience, they’ll be insulted by your suggestion. And if it isn’t, chances are they have thought about it already. They’ve probably tried. And there probably aren’t any temp jobs available. Your question is just a reminder of how dire the situation really is.

#6 Worst Thing to Say →

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6. "Was it just you? Or did others get laid off too?"

This question implies that your friend’s layoff is palatable (or not) depending on who else got laid off at the same time. Does it really matter? What if it was just your friend? Do you really want to remind them that they were the only person at their company who was considered expendable on that particular day?

Sometimes, layoffs happen all at once. Other times, they happen on a rolling basis. Either way, the timing of your friend’s layoff probably has little to do with their own performance and a lot to do with the company’s budget and priorities.

#7 Worst Thing to Say →

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7. "Have you filed for unemployment yet?"

This presumes that your friend is even going to be applying for unemployment in the first place and that he’s actually eligible for it. Remember that some people have a hard time admitting that they need outside assistance. It’s hard enough for some of us to accept that we need help (or god forbid, “charity”) in the first place, let alone having to talk about it to other people.

If your friend hasn’t volunteered information about unemployment insurance yet, just don’t bring up the subject. Better safe than sorry, right?

#8 Worst Thing to Say →

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8. " I can get you a new job!" [and the job is totally inappropriate]

While the sentiment is appreciated, you’re presuming that the person you’re talking to is totally desperate for a job. A former Director of Marketing probably isn’t interested in waiting tables, and a pastry chef probably wouldn’t want to apply for a job in the Human Resources department.

While it’s definitely good to keep an eye out for your friends, don’t assume they’ll do just anything for a living. If you want to help, make sure you’re aware of what your friend wants before you start reaching out to contacts.

#9 Worst Thing to Say →

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9. "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!"

What about when life gives you credit card debt, foreclosure and a few steps back in your career? What should you make then? Lemonade and vodka maybe.

It’s nice of you to try and offer your friend a dose of optimism, but realize that cliché catchphrases may be interpreted as insensitive. It’s a lot easier to see the silver lining when you’re still gainfully employed, right? When you’ve just lost your job, sometimes all you want is a shoulder to cry on. Some situations just aren’t good, and there’s no way to spin it.

#10 Worst Thing to Say →

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10. "Everything happens for a reason."

What if the reason is that their boss is a nut job? Or that they are one of the older employees and therefore too expensive to keep on board? Or what if the reason is that they just weren’t great at their job?

To the person being laid off, no reason seems like a very good one — and right after a layoff, it’s not easy to adopt a more long term, philosophical approach. Once the layoff has had time to sink in and the layoffee starts taking steps to get back on their feet, they might be able to see the bigger picture. Until then, be sensitive to their grief and understand that the situation is not ideal. End of story.

Related Reads:

10 Ways to Make Yourself Unfireable

The 15 Coolest Office Gadgets

Kayla Baxter and Alice Handley — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 17:16:00 -0800

If you have to be stuck at your desk all day, you might as well make it fun. From the totally useful to the completely random, there’s no end to the gadgets that can perk up your work day. Here’s our collection of the greatest office gadgets of all time!

Laser
Trip Wire Fruit-Powered
Clock USB Coffee
Warmer Office
Multi-Tool Portable
Napping Cube

USB Fish
Handwarmer USB
Greenhouse iSaw USB
Chainsaw Doggie & Kitty
Staple-Free Stapler Smart
Rabbit

The Scan
Toaster USB Fragrance
Diffuser Livescribe
SmartPen Printing
Whiteboard USB Stealth
Switch

Check them out ->

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Laser Trip Wire

When you’re serious about your cube

If you’re lucky enough to have a cube of your own, you’re probably very protective of it. Make sure nobody’s messing with your workspace with this handy laser trip wire. Attach it to an alarm or a video camera and tell your coworkers to beware!

Source: Klear Gear

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Fruit Powered Clock

Put your lunch to work for you

Before you snack on that midmorning apple or finish your lunch off with a banana, get some real use out of your fruit by having it power this fun little clock! Your diet will be nutritious and informative.

Source: Fat Brain Toys

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USB Coffee Warmer

Never drink cold coffee again

If it takes you a little while to get through your morning (or afternoon!) tea or coffee, you’re probably tired of running to the kitchen microwave. Well, have we got the solution for you. A handy cup warmer that’s powered by your computer!

Source: Amazon.com

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Office MultiTool

Multitasks just like you do!

If you find your desk to be just a little too cluttered or you find yourself having to do your job on the go, simplify matters with this handy 5-in-1 office tool. Never find yourself without a stapler or calculator again!

Source: Overstock.com

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Portable Napping Cube

Never have an excuse not to nap

Tempted to take a nap but not lucky enough to have a bed at your desk? This sleek and innovative inflatable screen keeps you comfortable while giving you the privacy you need to drift away. Think your boss would let you get away with it?

Source: Gadget Grid

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USB Fish Hand Warmer

Tired of having a frozen mouse hand? Thinking about mittens? This cute little guy keeps your mouse hand warm while you work. Trust us — we’ve got one in the office! But, wait … are fish actually furry?

Source: USB Geek

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USB Greenhouse

Bring a little life to your desk

Want some flowers on your desk every day, but can’t afford the florist? Don’t have a green thumb? Don’t sweat it! This USB-powered greenhouse does all the work for you with a built-in watering reminder and a calendar.

Source: Dream Cheeky

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iSaw USB Chainsaw

Making the office less stressful

Hate your job, your boss, or your coworkers? Go on a chainsaw spree and hack their desks to pieces! Or not, since we’re pretty sure the USB Chainsaw isn’t actually in production. Oh well, we can dream!

Source: www.usbchainsaw.com

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Doggie and Kitty Staple-Free Stapler

Cute and environmentally friendly

These little guys aren’t just adorable — they’re good for the planet! By making a tiny slit in one sheet and folding a tab through another, these staplers attach pieces of paper without metal staples. Something this clever will definitely make you look smart, cost efficient, and eco-friendly at the office.

Source: ThinkGeek

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The Smart Rabbit

Who knew a bunny could do so much?

Need your own assistant? This adorable rabbit uses WiFi technology to fetch information and bring it to you. It can wake you up, tell you stock quotes, read news headlines aloud, and give you the weather forecast. Nabaztag can even communicate with fellow bunnies and get married!

Source: Klear Gear

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The Scan Toaster

Burn the headlines right into your breakfast

The Scan Toaster connects to your PC over a USB wire and downloads everything from weather to the latest gossip and burns it onto your bread slice. “The appliance is a finalist in design competition run by manufacturer Electrolux and designer Sung Bae Chang said he got the idea whilst — you guessed it — making some toast.”

Source: Register Hardware

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USB Fragrance Diffuser

Aromatherapy on the go

Choose from lavender, lemongrass or orange and turn your desk into a therapeutic sanctuary. The Fragrance Diffuser also comes in any shape you can imagine (your company's logo or your kids' faces, maybe?) and a variety of different colors.

Source: AromaUSB

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LiveScribe SmartPen

A pen that does more than you do

Be a meeting master with a Smart Pen! The Livescribe Pen records everything being said, and has an audio jack for your 3D recording headset, and a built-in infrared camera that tracks everything you write on Livescribe Dot Paper (which you can print for free), and has a USB connection for charging and transferring your notes and audio to your PC. What can't it do?

Source: LiveScribe

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Printing Whiteboard

Say goodbye to writing “Do not erase!”

So this isn’t exactly something you can keep on your desk — it’s still a great invention. Save your best office brainstorms, lists, and diagrams (or doodles!) with this whiteboard that actually prints out what you write on it.

Source: Electronic Whiteboards Warehouse

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USB Stealth Switch

Never get caught slacking off again

Well, now you can slack off without fear with this handy little foot pedal that switches screens, mutes programs, and more. Don’t tell your boss!

Source: gadgets.co.uk

Did you miss any?

Laser
Trip Wire Fruit-Powered
Clock USB Coffee
Warmer Office
Multi-Tool Portable
Napping Cube

USB Fish
Handwarmer USB
Greenhouse iSaw USB
Chainsaw Doggie & Kitty
Staple-Free Stapler Smart
Rabbit

The Scan
Toaster USB Fragrance
Diffuser Livescribe
SmartPen Printing
Whiteboard USB Stealth
Switch

Eight Ways to Take a Day for Yourself

AdminSecret — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 16:18:00 -0800

Even if you absolutely love your job you probably need a little mini-vacation from the office from time to time. You really, really could use a day off? Need a little bit of time to yourself for some much-needed rest and relaxation? Can’t bring yourself to be honest about it to your boss? Don't worry, we totally understand. It's important to take care of yourself — physically and mentally — and sometimes you just have to put yourself first, no matter how dedicated you are to your job. You'll return to your job rested, refreshed, and ready to take on the world!

This tongue-in-cheek guide will help you discover the perfect excuse you need to get yourself out of anything!

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“My grandmother died.”

This one is a tried-and-true classic because it really works, and it should work for you no matter who you are. There’s very little chance that any of your coworkers have actually met your grandmother, so you’re unlikely to get tripped up on that level. If you play your cards right, you might even get more than one day off for this, if you factor in travel time to the "funeral." There is one caveat: This excuse only works for people under a certain age. If you’re 60 years old, it's unlikely that your grandmother would still be alive unless you come from a family of vampires. And, of course, remember what you kept in mind when you were using this excuse in school: You can’t use it more than twice! At least not at the same job…

Next: Use Your Head →

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“I’ve got an eye appointment”

Claiming you’ve got a regular doctor’s appointment can be tricky, because nosy bosses will wonder why you haven’t been sick lately, and as an excuse to get out of work it’s just plain overused. Eye doctor appointments, however, are regular, low-key, and dependable. Why would anyone lie about that? For maximum efficacy, “schedule” your appointment for mid-morning and then be unable to come back to the office because your eyes are dilated and it’s just too gosh darn bright in the office for you to work right, especially with that old monitor of yours (Hint hint to the boss!). Your whole office will appreciate your proactive attitude towards your health.

Next: Fight For It →

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“My child was in a fight”

Obviously only a worthwhile excuse for the parents we’ve got in the audience, a fictional schoolyard fight involving a very real child is golden when it comes to getting you out of the office. Fake a call from an angry teacher and you’re in the principal’s office — by which we mean the mall, or the beach, or just relaxing on your couch — in no time. Don’t fabricate anything too serious, of course, and you’ll want to be as vague about the matter as possible because people might be curious about such a juicy story! Just make sure to head off any pesky follow up questions by acting very embarrassed about your misbehaving offspring when you get back to work the next day.

Next: A Bit of Danger →

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“My house got broken into!”

A killer excuse, especially if you live in a rather questionable neighborhood. For those who have never experienced one, a break-in will inevitably result in a lot of time talking to the police, your neighbors, and the helpful insurance people — at least that’s what you want your office to believe you’re doing all day. You may be tempted to say your car was the target of the fictional thieves, but showing up to work the next day in a pristine ride would make you look more than a little guilty. Stay safe and make your far-off home the scene of tragedy. A few whispered conversations might go far towards sealing the deal with this one, so play it up while you can!

Next: Your Inner Animal →

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“I had to take my cat to the vet”

This is the perfect excuse to use because who’s going to question you going out of your way to tend to some poor, helpless creature? Just tell them that your precious cat was hit by a car and is in serious condition. Turns out you don’t have a cat? It’s time to make one up, or say it was a neighbor’s cat and you did the deed yourself. Whatever you do, don’t say it was your dog, because they’ll wonder why you didn’t talk about it before. Just a nice, quiet cat. And if they want you to produce the animal later, well then, poor Fluffy is going to have to take a turn for the worse and die (giving you days off for bereavement in the process?). We promise it won’t just get you a day off — you’ll get some much-needed sympathy as well.

Next: You Are What You Eat →

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“I got food poisoning”

If you just have to leave the office immediately, this is the excuse for you. You want to live it up while you can, right? We’re pretty sure that an imaginary bout of food poisoning could be your ticket to a leisurely day off. It’s a remarkably believable illness that happens to everybody eventually. And it doesn’t last too long, so you can make it back to work the next day in style. You can even use food poisoning to ditch a bad day after a morning snack or lunch. Plus, nobody wants to hear all the gory details, so you don’t have to worry about nosy bosses or jealous coworkers shooting holes in your story. Just make sure you don’t brag tomorrow about all the fun you had while you were “sick” and you should be just fine!

Next: The Waiting Game →

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“I have to wait for the cable guy”

This excuse is perfect for the dependable type around the office, the kind of person who is usually there to pick up the slack. Sound like you? Well, there’s a job to be done and you’re definitely going to be the one to do it, even if it means biting the bullet and “working from home” while you wait for the imaginary cable guy to come. Just make sure you check in by phone or email a couple of times (Tip: Call your boss or coworkers during lunch so you don't actually have to talk to anyone!) to make it look like you’re hard at work. Already have cable? You need it upgraded or repaired, clearly. So the next time the sun is shining and freedom is calling, make an imaginary call to the cable company and you should be all set. Have fun!

Next: Go All the Way to the Top →

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“The president wants to meet with me”

If you’re the brains of the operation, the one who always has a great plan, you definitely need a high-caliber excuse. Nobody’s going to buy that you got food poisoning, you’re way too smart for that, and everyone knows you know how to set up your own cable. So shoot for the stars and claim that the President insists on meeting with you about … something totally hush hush. Nope, you can’t even tell your boss. Or your boss’ boss. You don't want the Secret Service to find out you’ve been spilling the details! You won’t just get a day off, you’ll make yourself look that much more important to your boss and your coworkers. Have they met the president? We didn’t think so! So stay tight-lipped about what you got up to on your day off when you get back to work and you should pull this one off in style.

10 Body Language Blunders

InsideTech — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:31:00 -0700

1. A Closed Body

Whether sitting or standing, your body should be loose and open. Do not cross your arms. Do not cross your legs. While you may think it conveys a sense of ease, studies have shown that a people read a closed body differently: they subconsciously think you have something to hide.

What's more, you're missing a golden opportunity to send a positive signal. In keeping your body open and your arms spread a little more widely than your torso, you offer your counterpart a "mock hug". You don't want to actually hug them (that could be mistake #11!), but this visual cue of a hug antecedent sends the right signal.

NEXT MISTAKE

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2. Clenched Fists

Clenching your fists can create two problems.

First, the closed body issue (#1): closed hands are just like closed bodies.

Second, you could make some people think that you're short-tempered and ready for a fight. You don't want your interviewer or client to think you're about to hit them.

While clenching for many is just a nervous habit, it's one well worth training yourself to avoid. Force your hands open to send positive signals and convey a sense of being at ease with yourself and the conversation.

NEXT MISTAKE

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3. The Handshake

The handshake is your first chance to make a non-verbal impression. To begin with, you should endeavor to be the first to offer the handshake. You don't want your arm flying up wildly in a desperate attempt to be first. However, when someone new comes in and says your name (usually as a question) extend your hand and reply.

When the handshake begins, make sure you extend your arm without fear. If there is any hesitation on your part, you'll end up shaking fingers.

Aim for two pumps. Many more than that and your handshake partner will see you as exceedingly nervous (or that you're trying to rip off their arm).

Keep your hands dry. No one likes to reach out and touch someone if they've got clamy palms. Step 1: Don't clench your fists. This will make your hands warm and build up sweat. If that's not enough, wash your hands regularly (drying well) or keep a kleenex in your pocket.

NEXT MISTAKE

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4. Posture

Unfortunately, teachers no longer make students walk around with books on their heads. While this may be great for students now, most of them will have poor posture a few years down the road.

Bad posture gives off an air of timidity or sloth. A person sitting in a chair, slouching, does not project confidence and determination. It's like your body saying, "Whatever," in response to every question.

Put your shoulders back, suck your stomach in. Try to find a more upright way of sitting that still feels somewhat comfortable.

NEXT MISTAKE

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5. Brow Furrowing

You hear something interesting. You think hard about something. What do most people do with their face? Furrow their brows. Unfortunately, this is also the facial expression for scorn or bewilderment. While their may be subtle distinctions, no one will pick up on them in a thirty-minute encounter.

To avoid this tic, try opening your eyes a little wider each time someone says something interesting or asks a question that makes you think. A positive action in response to a habit reduces the tic's occurrence more than just trying not to do anything does. In addition, opening your face up subconsciously invites people into your thinking, rather than scaring them away.

NEXT MISTAKE

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6. Shifty Eyes

Though it may be a myth of history, many people believe that Richard Nixon was defeated by John F. Kennedy in the first televised presidential debates because of Nixon's eyes. Kennedy had a natural television presence. Nixon, according to many viewers at the time, had eyes that seemed shift and unfocused. The lesson: make eye contact and rarely break it.

This doesn't mean you can't blink (it would be even worse if you didn't) and you can glance down from time to time. But looking your interlocutor directly in the eyes says, whether fairly or not, "I'm honest and have nothing to hide."

NEXT MISTAKE

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7. Aggressive Nodding

When you agree with someone a natural reaction is to nod. When you're a little nervous, people tend to exaggerate that. But when you answer yes to a simple question, you shouldn't look like you're having a seizure.

A fast, repetitive nod says that you're nervous. A slow, short nod utilizes body language to emphasize something important, the point of agreement. It also shows that you're not eager to please, you just happen to please (and happen to be the right match).

Points of agreement are magic moments, you don't want to ruin them by creating a hurricane with your head.

NEXT MISTAKE

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8. Fidgeting

If you think a good strategy is to seemed bored, fidgeting is the way to go. If, on the other hand, you want to be perceived as engaged and interested, stop.

The best way to avoid this is to know yourself and how you fidget.

Don't:

Tap your foot

Twirl your pen

Doodle

Pick at your nails or cuticles

Twirl your hair

Rub your hands together incessantly

Tap your fingers on a table

NEXT MISTAKE

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9. Wild Gestures

It's natural to try to communicate with your hands and arms when speaking. Just don't get carried away. Only use your body language for emphasis when you really want to accentuate a point.

One of the worst gestures you can make is to point. No one likes being pointed at or having a finger wagged in their face.

Better ways to use your hands?

The Karate Chop. Hand flattened with one or two gentle downward movements.

The Bill Clinton. Former President Bill Clinton was a master of communication. Clinton often emphasized his points with his hands, but he seldom pointed. Instead, he made a fist then moved his thumb over his index finger. He was still pointing, but with just the nub of his thumb extended, it was not aggressive like a full index finger is.

NEXT MISTAKE

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10. Distraction

Of course you don't want to seem distracted in an interview or client meeting. But not coming out behind isn't the same as coming out ahead. Potential distractions should be seen as an opportunity to convey your professionalism and focus.

Someone accidentally comes into the meeting room? Continue looking at your target and stop speaking until the person excuses himself then resume speaking like nothing happened. Don't even mention it. You are so focused on what's important, nothing can distract you.

Related Reads:

20 Career Lessons from Celebrities

13 Types of Boss and How to Impress Them

Alice Handley and Kayla Baxter — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 14:27:00 -0700

Along with paychecks, deadlines, and overtime, bosses are one of the things you just can’t avoid in the workplace. But how to identify these strange characters and deal with them? Don’t go it alone — it’s a jungle out there. We show you how!

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The Robot

Distinguishing characteristics: An empty desk, no family pictures.

What they do: All business, all the time: That’s The Robot. We’re not saying she’s not human, but we’ve definitely got our doubts on the matter sometimes. The sworn enemy of fun, levity, and emotion, The Robot would rather you just get to work. At all times. While it can be nice to have someone driving you to do your best, it would be nice to feel a little bit of emotional connection from time to time, right?

How to make her love you: It may not sound like a lot of fun, but you’ll probably have to conceal your own feelings and buckle down to The Robot’s schedule. On the up side, she can teach you discipline and efficiency. Try making allies of your coworkers. They’re probably as frustrated as you are! Inside jokes and friendly chit-chat can make the day seem brighter.

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The Softy

Distinguishing characteristics: Second chances.

What they do: They think they’re making things easier on their employees, but in the long run The Softy’s kid-glove approach to management just makes it harder for great workers to succeed and easier for slackers to stick around. Being a boss involves making difficult decisions sometimes, especially when it comes to employees, but The Softy doesn’t seem to realize this.

How to make him love you: The worst thing to do is hurt The Softy’s feelings, so try changing things up by commending them on his toughest calls, however rare. A little positive reinforcement can go a long way when The Softy learns that being the bad cop doesn’t have to be the worst job in the world.

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The Weasel

Distinguishing characteristics: Empty promises

What they do: Promising one thing but delivering another, The Weasel will say anything — and we do mean anything — to get what she wants out of you. A raise? A promotion? Some time off? Sure, you’ll get what you’ve been dreaming about eventually if you take on extra work or a hellish new project. Or so she says, but we wouldn’t recommend holding your breath for The Weasel to actually deliver. Why should she? You’re already doing the extra work for free.

How to make her love you: Completing all the grunt work will get you great distances with The Weasel, but just remember to trust nothing The Weasel says, ever. Or, at very least, get it in writing and double-check with whomever The Weasel answers to in upper management. A paper trail will be your best defense against lies and false promises. Maybe you’ll actually get that promotion!

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The Mystery

Distinguishing characteristics: Closed doors, Out Of Office messages.

What they do: Who knows? The Mystery is an expert at the arts of subterfuge, denial, and … whatever it is he does. Either he’s on a business trip or in a locked-door meeting or plotting world domination all day or … something. Whatever it is, you’re left to your own devices to figure things out, minus any guidance at all. Too bad you’ll still be on the hook if things go wrong. The Mystery will be gone when it comes down to it.

How to make him love you: Wait it out and give him space. If you stay patient (and we mean really patient) you may be able, like a persevering biologist in the jungle observing shy animals, to learn a little bit more about The Mystery’s habits.

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The Viper

Distinguishing characteristics: Backhanded compliments, fake smiles.

What they do: Does The Viper wake up on the wrong side of the bed every single morning? It sure seems like it. From snippy comments about personal matters (“Are you pregnant? Oh, it just seemed like you were gaining weight.”) to undermining your efforts at work (“So you’re just learning Excel, right?”), The Viper has a real talent for making you feel bad about yourself. No matter how thick your skin is, it’s hard not to let her get to you.

How to make her love you: We’re not actually certain that the Viper is capable of loving an employee, so it’s probably best to just stay a good distance away from her. Keep feelings to yourself, and share as little information about your life as possible, all the while being extremely pleasant. The Viper can’t hurt you if she doesn’t know where you’re sensitive.

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The Buddy

Distinguishing characteristics: Baseball caps, high-fives

What they do: The Buddy wants to be your friend, not your boss. Too bad for him you’ve already got friends and wouldn’t want to hang with him anyway. From “happy” hours that seem more like a punishment to unfunny jokes that you’ve just got to laugh at (or else!) The Buddy really has a way of making fun into a chore. And don’t get us started on his habit of trying to start questionable relationships with subordinates. It’s just painful to watch.

How to make him love you: Laugh at his funnier jokes, but don’t stoop to laughing at every joke – being a suck-up isn’t a great way to maintain your dignity. Say no thanks to all the invitations you can, and keep your own interactions with The Buddy on an extremely professional level – you’ll be helping him in the long run, and he’ll respect you for it. Protect yourself with a thick layer of decorum and common sense, because he sure isn’t going to do it for you.

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The Miracle

Distinguishing characteristics: An office that looks like yours, encouraging emails

What they do: Fun, supportive, capable, and inspiring, The Miracle is truly an employee’s dream come true. She does what she says, always follows up, and usually can push you to do your best in a way that makes the hardest work seem like play. If you’re working for The Miracle you’ll know it, from the smile on your face at the end of the day to your rewarding paycheck at the end of the week. Just try not to brag too much!

How to make her love you: Work your butt off and thank your lucky stars, since The Miracle doesn’t come along very often. Use this great opportunity to really see how far you can go, and at the end of The Miracle’s tenure, make sure you get a letter of reference!

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The Monster

Distinguishing characteristics: Thrown coffee cups, restraining orders

What they do: The question is more “What don’t they do?” The Monster lives to make your own life hell, and he’s good at it. From screaming at you in front of the customers to lying about your results to engaging in borderline criminal harassment, The Monster repeatedly demonstrates that has no pity, human decency, or shame. He’s the worst boss around, hands down, and we’re sorry for anyone who has to deal with him.

How to make him love you: Unfortunately, with this one you just have to run. Get out. There’s no hope for improvement when you work for someone who has no scruples at all.

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The Number Cruncher

Distinguishing characteristics: Incredible Excel skills, a calculator watch

What they do:Number Crunchers are prevalent in IT companies. Her best quality is her ability to break things down into measurable statistics, a most useful part of the company. But there are some that completely give way to their technical background, offer little personal feedback, and actively refuse to see little else but numbers. The Number Cruncher can only read math and statistical analysis, and if your performance appears to be declining on paper rest assured you will get a lecture, even if you’ve been working as hard as you can and your intangibles are helping out the company in other ways. Ever feel like you are “just a number?” We’re here to confirm that you definitely are.

How to make her love you: Give her something she can understand: Numbers and strict analysis. Track your successes (and your failures) with painstaking detail and fanatical devotion. Even if it’s a chore in the immediate future, your data mining will pay off and you will have something on paper that proves you’ve been working hard, even if your efforts haven’t been working. Who knows, her approach might teach you something!

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The Innovator

Distinguishing characteristics: Brainstorming sessions, expensive toys, subscription to Entrepreneur magazine

What they do: The Innovator’s head is full of big ideas, and he wastes no time dreaming them up and then making sure they actually come true. Great for business, but it usually means you get no life outside the office because you’re the one actually making his dream come to life. The pros? This boss can be incredibly charismatic and inspiring, and truly cares about the work. The cons? Sometimes it seems like the only thing this boss cares about is work. Hope that’s all you care about, too!

How to make him love you: Work hard and show commitment, but keep your sense of self outside of work. Remind the boss that the outside world does exist: Ask The Innovator about his weekend, his children (if he has any, which is a total mystery) about any hobby he has outside work. After you’re done chitchatting, give your all and The Innovator will respect your work and hopefully, your own need for work-life balance.

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The Tuft Hunter

Distinguishing characteristics: The CEO’s wardrobe, car, and haircut.

What they do: In the old days, a tuft hunter was a nobleman’s parasite, one who tried to curry favor with the rich and powerful in order to gain favor or influence. The Tuft Hunter as a boss, however, is always looking for her own next promotion. Does that mean she’ll create an opening for you once she makes it up that ladder — or are you merely a rung on her own to be stepped on? That’s something only The Tuft Hunter knows. You’ll probably find out too late.

How to make her love you: Do everything in your power to make The Tuft Hunter look good, and you’ll be one step closer to a promotion of your very own. Watch her back and tell her every bit of news that you come across from upper management and you’ll earn her respect and maybe even her loyalty — if she has any.

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The Patronizer

Distinguishing characteristics: Terrible computer skills, degree in law or medicine

What they do: If you’ve worked for someone who explained how to turn your computer on or how to change the toner on the printer, you’ve experienced The Patronizer. The Patronizer makes sure you know exactly how much time and effort it takes for him just to grace you with his presence every morning. He leaves you to your own devices mostly, but is sure to micromanage the simplest and most mundane tasks whenever he gets the opportunity.

How to make him love you: Keep your eye on the ball, whether it’s getting better at your job or getting a foot out the door. If you feel you are being made to look stupid, you can interrupt The Patronizer mid-sentence during one of his boring lectures by saying, “I already know how to do that, but I am interested what you think about …” If the condescending behavior just doesn’t stop, or if he’s being outright rude, it’s important to tell The Patronizer to knock it off. The Patronizer believes you're beneath him, and when you show him you're not, you'll gain his respect.

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The Nitpicker

Distinguishing characteristics: Fierce attention to detail, red pens, lots of spare time.

What they do: The Nitpicker is a micro-manager who likes to control all of your work, all the time. Did you save the company money on office supplies? It’s not nearly enough. Work hard on a killer presentation? There’s a punctuation error on the 10th slide. Nothing you do is ever good enough for The Nitpicker, and that can cause your own faith in your abilities to slip. You’ll spend all your time second-guessing yourself instead of innovating.

How to make her love you: Instead of letting the Nitpicker drain you of all motivation, learn to work by your own standards. Try finding someone else in the company to be your mentor, because you surely won’t get coaching out of her, unless it’s to point out all your faults. You might also try working one step ahead of The Nitpicker, detailing every single thing you do, so you’ll be ready for the inevitable barrage of questions.

IT Lessons from Amazon and Google

R. Marc Phillips — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 08:07:00 -0700

How much does it cost your company every time your network or your website goes down? Probably not as much as the millions per minute Amazon has on the table if it's down for any real chunk of time. Global enterprises like Google and Amazon are the overclocked gaming PCs of the IT world--very few people need a machine on that scale, but we can all benefit from the lessons they learn in pushing technology so far. Here are a few things these web giants have taught us over the years:

Test Environments Are Your Friend

This goes back to the cost question above. Whatever change you're about to make, you're better off doing a trial run first. Massive websites take their test and staging environments to extremes, but even a small test setup can pay massive dividends each time it catches a bug or a mistake you would have pushed live. Invest in testing and watch it save your butt time and again.

Don't Throw Away Data

Google's used its position as probably the biggest (non manufacturing) hard drive and memory buyer in the world to release some astounding real-world reliability tests. (More on that in a minute.) But Google couldn't do that if it weren't constantly collecting data about failure rates, replacement times, manufacturers -- everything. Make data and metrics a part of your organizational culture, because the next time you need to make a key decision, it will be great to have the data to back it up.

ECC and Memory Replacements Actually ARE Important

Here's the most recent finding of Google long-running study of RAM: Memory errors happen way more often than you think. After 2.5 years analyzing more RAM than most countries use, Google found that the rate of hardware errors was higher than they'd expected, with machines likely to experience at least one per year under continuous operation. Plus, after about 20 months in service, the error rate jumps up drastically.

If you're running a data center, get that memory on a regular replacement cycle. Or at least check out the Google study to learn more about the risks you're running.

Hard Drives Fail, Too. Starting at Two Years

Here's some more info from Google's vast data set: Hard drive failure rates jump from around two percent in the first year of operation up to around eight percent after two years. Google's hard drive usage more closely resembles a torture test than the way most consumers normally user a hard drive, but its other conclusions were striking. According to the study, failures weren't correctly predicted by SMART and drive temperature didn't correlate with failure rates.

The 10 Worst Job Hunting Mistakes

InsideTech — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 15:08:00 -0700

Whether you are a first-time job-seeker or you’re a veteran employee, it's important that you are cautious and thoughtful as you try to land your ideal job. There’s more to a successful job search than ironing your best suit and printing out extra resumes.

Today's IT companies are looking for the best of the best; one typo on your resume or cover letter could get you thrown into the "Do Not Call" pile.

Even though IT employees are still in high demand, there is still formidable competition for each job opening. What mistakes could cost you your dream job? Read through ten here:

1. Failing to Ask Questions in an Interview

2. Not Being Concise

3. Being Too Polished or Over-Prepared

4. Using an Unprofessional E-Mail Address

5. Sloppy Speech

6. Failing to Customize Your Cover Letter

7. References Do Not Check Out

8. Not Providing Concrete Examples

9. Using Personal Pronouns and Articles in Your Resume

10. Highlighting Duties Instead of Accomplishments in Your Resume

More Advice

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Whether you are a first-time job-seeker or you’re a veteran in your field, it is important that you take the right steps toward landing you ideal job. There’s more to a successful job search than ironing your best suit and printing out extra resumes.

Today’s employers are looking for the best of the best, and one typo on your cover letter can can get you thrown into the “Do Not Call” pile. Avoid these common mistakes to score your dream job.

1. Failing to Ask Questions in an Interview

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Employers want to hire people who are interested in the company and its specific business and want to learn and grow within. If, at the end of your interview, you fail to ask pertinent, detailed questions, it will be assumed that you are not very interested or not prepared. Of course, certain IT jobs require the question-and-answer aspect (like any engineering or programming openings) but not all of them do, such as the marketing or data entry. If you ask smart, well-thought out questions, employers will see that you have researched the company and really put thought into your interview. It also means their investment in you will be

It is equally bad to ask questions that are too simple or can be easily answered by reading the company’s website. Asking when the company started, or where headquarters are located, will not score you any points. Prepare at least 10 questions you truly want the answers, too, along with follow up questions. Avoid questions that only require a one-word answer as they leave the conversation at a dead-end.

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Whether you are a first-time job-seeker or you’re a veteran in your field, it is important that you take the right steps toward landing you ideal job. There’s more to a successful job search than ironing your best suit and printing out extra resumes.

Today’s employers are looking for the best of the best, and one typo on your cover letter can can get you thrown into the “Do Not Call” pile. Avoid these common mistakes to score your dream job.

2. Not Being Concise

Don’t confuse telling your story with creating your autobiography. Recruiters are inundated with applications and are faced with weeding out the good from the bad. The first step involves quickly skimming through submissions and eliminating candidates who clearly are not qualified. Therefore, your application needs to pass the skim test. Look at your resume and ask yourself:

1) Can a hiring manager see my main credentials within 10 to 15 seconds?

2) Does the most critical information jump off the page?

3) Do I effectively sell myself on the top quarter of the first page?

Many workers are proud of their careers and feel the information on a resume should reflect everything they’ve accomplished. However, a resume shouldn’t contain every detail and not everything . So be judicious. If your college days are far behind you, does it really matter that you pledged a fraternity or delivered pizza? The editing step will be difficult if you are holding on to your past for emotional reasons.

If you were a recruiter looking at a resume for an IT writer, which of the following entries would impress you more:

• “Wrote news releases.”

• “Wrote 25 news releases on IT in a three-week period under daily deadlines.”

Clearly the second statement carries more weight. Why? Because it uses numbers to quantify the writer’s accomplishment, giving it a context that helps the interviewer understand the degree of difficulty involved in the task. Numbers are powerful resume tools that will help your accomplishments draw the attention they deserve from prospective employers. With just a little thought, you can find effective ways to quantify your successes on your resume.

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Whether you are a first-time job-seeker or you’re a veteran in your field, it is important that you take the right steps toward landing you ideal job. There’s more to a successful job search than ironing your best suit and printing out extra resumes.

Today’s employers are looking for the best of the best, and one typo on your cover letter can can get you thrown into the “Do Not Call” pile. Avoid these common mistakes to score your dream job.

3. Being Too Polished or Over-Prepared

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Of course you should prepare questions and examples, but a major interview mistake can be preparing too much. Interviewers can tell if you are too rehearsed or not genuine. Don’t be afraid to be yourself during interviews. Practice does make perfect, but too much practice can cause you to lose out on employment opportunities.

Don’t be afraid of having answers that aren’t textbook perfect. Be honest and highlight your achievements. The “right” answer isn’t necessarily what you think the interview wants to hear.

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Whether you are a first-time job-seeker or you're a veteran in your field, it is important that you take the right steps toward landing you ideal job. There’s more to a successful job search than ironing your best suit and printing out extra resumes.

Today’s employers are looking for the best of the best, and one typo on your cover letter can can get you thrown into the “Do Not Call” pile. Avoid these common mistakes to score your dream job.

4. Using an Unprofessional E-Mail Address

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“Anarchy212@gmail.com” doesn’t exactly give off the impression of a serious person looking for a job in the IT securities field. A silly email address makes potential employers think that you don’t take your job seriously and that you may act similarly on the job. Just like your resume, your email says a lot about you, and if it's particularly "weird," it will be taken into consideration with the rest of your accomplishments. You may think your fun email address is memorable, but when a company sees an inappropriate email name, expect it to go go straight into the “Do Not Call” pile and forgotten minutes later.

Stick with email addresses that contain your name. This way, potential employers can easily attach your email to your resume and your resume to what a great candidate you are.

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Whether you are a first-time job-seeker or you’re a veteran in your field, it is important that you take the right steps toward landing you ideal job. There’s more to a successful job search than ironing your best suit and printing out extra resumes.

Today’s employers are looking for the best of the best, and one typo on your cover letter can can get you thrown into the “Do Not Call” pile. Avoid these common mistakes to score your dream job.

5. Sloppy Speech

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Speaking correctly, when on the phone with a potential employer or when in an interview, is just as important as having a typo-free cover letter. Being an IT professional doesn't mean you're not expected to interact with a wide variety of people, even if you have a low-key, quiet, HTML-crunching personality. During your career, you will be expected to talk to anyone from salespersons to public relations officers, from data crunchers to IT engineering or writing peers. No matter who you are speaking to, you must be able to speak clearly and concisely. This means leaving out the “ums” and “likes”, not talking too fast or too slow, and using strong, decisive words to get your point across. The growing influence of the geek-techy cultural model on the business world doesn't mean that the old social expectations will go away entirely.

Think of the Google model. Plenty of people at the Mountain View company are laid-back and use social-network idioms but they must also be confident and clear enough vocally to get their 15%-time products some airtime during meetings. Don't skimp on professionalism here.

For the interview, remember that you must be able to speak to the level of your audience. You should talk to the potential employer with confidence but stay away from sounding arrogant. It is also important to not speak like a child who is being scolded. Don’t whisper or slur your speech, and remember to take a breath between sentences. Simple stuff, but you'd be surprised how many people blow it here.

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Whether you are a first-time job-seeker or you’re a veteran in your field, it is important that you take the right steps toward landing you ideal job. There’s more to a successful job search than ironing your best suit and printing out extra resumes.

Today’s employers are looking for the best of the best, and one typo on your cover letter can can get you thrown into the “Do Not Call” pile. Avoid these common mistakes to score your dream job.

6. Failing to Customize Your Cover Letter

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If you are applying to many of the same positions at different locations, it is tempting to cut and paste your cover letter, substituting the appropriate employer name and position title. But job-seeker beware! Employers can sniff out a cut-and-paste cover letter from a mile away. If you notice that your department-of-choice has begun to do work in the IT security counter-terrorism field, and you have a 5 years of counter-terrorism, military, or security experience, you can tailor your cover letter to mention it.

By using a cut-and-paste cover letter, you also risk leaving in an incorrect employer by not thoroughly re-reading what you wrote. If you are applying for an IT position at a government agency, for example, you might want to double check that you changed the "Department of Energy" for "Department of Defense." Because you'd have a hard time explaining away your laziness.

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Whether you are a first-time job-seeker or you’re a veteran in your field, it is important that you take the right steps toward landing you ideal job. There’s more to a successful job search than ironing your best suit and printing out extra resumes.

Today’s employers are looking for the best of the best, and one typo on your cover letter can can get you thrown into the “Do Not Call” pile. Avoid these common mistakes to score your dream job.

7. References Do Not Check Out

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If you are required to provide references for a recruiter or an HR department, it is absolutely essential that you select professional, qualified referents.

An excellent reference convinces an employer that his or her trust in your ability to do the job is well-placed; a negative, ambiguous, or careless reference will have your employer hitting the 'escape' button.

The traits of a good referent are straightforward: they must be credible, and provide a fair and balanced representation of your skills. They must be eloquent, non-confrontational, and emotionally mature. Most importantly, you must have spent significant time in a work environment with them, and you must have directly worked with or for them.

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Whether you are a first-time job-seeker or you’re a veteran in your field, it is important that you take the right steps toward landing you ideal job. There’s more to a successful job search than ironing your best suit and printing out extra resumes.

Today’s employers are looking for the best of the best, and one typo on your cover letter can can get you thrown into the “Do Not Call” pile. Avoid these common mistakes to score your dream job.

8. Not Having Concrete Examples

When an employer asks about your experience in a specific area, have examples at hand. If you have to sit and think about a time you dealt with a difficult patient, and you sit in silence for too long, an interview might assume that you are unprepared or that you are creating a story to tell. Prep for your interviews with a friend or co-worker and have them quiz you with questions you might get asked at the real thing.

Simply answering “yes” isn’t enough. Back up you answers with specific examples to show your wide range of experience. Be honest if you don’t have an example, though. Telling the truth is always better than making up a lie that your employer could learn about later.

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Whether you are a first-time job-seeker or you’re a veteran in your field, it is important that you take the right steps toward landing you ideal job. There’s more to a successful job search than ironing your best suit and printing out extra resumes.

Today’s employers are looking for the best of the best, and one typo on your cover letter can can get you thrown into the “Do Not Call” pile. Avoid these common mistakes to score your dream job.

9. Using Personal Pronouns and Articles in Your Resume

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Your resume and your cover letter are not the same thing. While it’s okay to talk directly about yourself in your cover letter, “I” should be avoided at all costs in your resume. You resume should be concise, neat, and easy for an employer to read. Long explanations for job assignments and accomplishments are not needed. You want employers to learn as much as they can about you in one page, and wordy explanations will just turn the reader off.

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Whether you are a first-time job-seeker or you’re a veteran in your field, it is important that you take the right steps toward landing you ideal job. There’s more to a successful job search than ironing your best suit and printing out extra resumes.

Today’s employers are looking for the best of the best, and one typo on your cover letter can can get you thrown into the “Do Not Call” pile. Avoid these common mistakes to score your dream job.

10. Highlighting Duties Instead of Accomplishments in Your Resume

One of the most common errors is for job applications to give a laundry list of the job duties instead of pointing out their accomplishments. Employers can usually identify what your duties were through the job title – they would rather know what you did that made a difference. How did you succeed at your last place of employment?

Instead of “Managed sales for a website for 7 years” you could say “Single-handedly organized 7 years of economic growth trend records for 25+ sectors of website, including marketing, analytics, and content provider deals.” Including your accomplishments instead of your duties will make you stand out in a crowd.

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Helpful Articles

Six Must-Have IT Skills

Which Skills are Hot in IT Today? (Part I)

How IT Can Do More for Your Company

R. Marc Phillips — Tue, 13 Oct 2009 08:20:00 -0700

What's the best way to make sure your department doesn't get hit hard by tough times--recession-based or otherwise? How about making it obvious how indispensable you all are? Sure, you could try the whole "take down the network, then stage a sick-out" routine, but that's probably not the most constructive way to get your point across. Here, then, are a few things any IT department can do to raise its profile and make people happier with what you do:

Make Time for the Small Fixes

I know there's that month-long project to finish, but you'd be surprised how much favor you can curry (and how much time you can save the company) by taking 20 minutes every week to fix something small about your system that's bugging your users. If people use a tool to save documents hundreds of times a day, but they have to scroll for five seconds to find the save button, the 10 minutes it takes you to move that button to a logical place could save your company hours each week.

But while the business case for small fixes is often solid, the employee morale benefits are key. Think back to the last time you eliminated a cumbersome work-around. Did people thank you more for that or for the year-long Sarbox compliance work you did? That doesn't mean you pull people from Sarbox work to fix minor bugs, but if you can devote an hour a week to identifying and fixing low-hanging fruit, you'll make everyone at the company happier.

Write Better Release Notes

Ask anyone what the biggest problem at their company is, and "communication" will likely be a top answer. Everyone's busy these days, which means IT rarely has a clue what sales is doing and accounting can't think twice about what IT has accomplished. But it doesn't have to be that way.

If you already send regular release notes, that's great. Spend a bit more time on them, and you'll reap the benefits of better-informed users and a company with better communication. If not, make a habit of sending an e-mail about IT's accomplishments and tasks each month.

Engage with the Business

You've heard it before and you'll hear it again: IT needs to be more intimitely connected to every company's business. So if your IT or engineering department doesn't have the role it should, take some initiative. See if you can sit in on a planning meeting or two. Offer some suggestions. Often, IT projects don't start because it's hard for other departments to know what's easy for tech to accomplish. But you don't have that problem.

11 Writing Mistakes that Make You Look Dumb

InsideTech — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 15:40:00 -0700

Professional writers often worry that their work is unnecessary. After all, can't anyone with even a basic education write? The answer: no, they can't. Even college graduates don't seem to be learning composition basics.

Of course not everyone is going to be the next Mark Twain, but career success does depend on not looking stupid. Sure, some clients, coworkers, or resume readers might make some of these mistakes themselves. But it takes just one person to see just one mistake for you to be discounted.

Avoid these 11 mistakes and get the job, make the sale, and write better!

FIRST MISTAKE

IT Pet Peeves (and Solutions)

R. Marc Phillips — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 08:37:00 -0700

From clueless users to missing project requirements to misdirected tech support requests, we've all experienced these IT industry pet peeves. And how you manage them (or avoid them) can be the key to advancing your career. Here's how to deal with some of the worst offenders.

The Requirements Slow-Roll

Peeve: So you're working on a big project, building a new system for the company or a client, and everything seems like it's going fine. It looks like you'll have the usual time crunch before the deadline--maybe a few late nights, but nothing unexpected. No problem, right? But then a request comes through. And another. And could you maybe change the way this works, too? Suddenly, your clearly scoped project is 60 percent bigger than it used to be and your makeable deadline wouldn't be realistic if you moved it out a week and a half.

Solution: First off, as with all of these peeves, you'll have to realize that you can't get rid of this entirely. It's often impossible to nail down every project requirement in advance because you won't know verything you need until you start building. Still, here are two ways to deal with the problem:

1. Engage with the process. Get engineers and IT staff involved in the scoping process so they understand the project beyond what's in the requirements doc. Anticipate problems and propose solutions before you start building. Find the tech savvy member of your client's team and ask if they can be more involved in the process. Show off intermediate milestones as early as possible.

2. Stick to your guns. With some clients, the above approach won't work. If you find projects spiraling out of control no matter what you do about it, it's time to lock down your roadmap. Department heads need to push back and make sure that clients understand that anything left out of the spec won't get built. That's not always the most satisfying approach, but it can help keep you sane.

The Perpetual PEBKAC

Peeve: We've all dealt with that one user who always seems to have a problem. Their network's down when nobody else's is. They can't check their e-mail. And then there's the dreaded "Why is everything running so slow?" Problem users can be a real drain on your time and resources, and unfortunately, XKCD's troubleshooting flowchart won't work for everyone.

Solution: Delay tactics sometimes work well here, since oftentimes a perceived problem will simply go away when the user reboots or more bandwidth frees up on the company net connection. Here are a few other suggestions: Attempt to pair your problem user up with a more-savvy coworker. Often, they'll be able to solve a problem that didn't require IT intervention. Or try giving them a list a of things to try first. Finally, if a user really is taking up too much of your time, the best solution may be to talk to their manager and explain the problem.

Shopping Advice & Home Tech Support

Peeve: Just 'cause you're in IT, everyone comes to you when they're looking to buy their next computer or when their home machine caught a virus. And while sometimes you don't mind handing out a few tips, having to dispense advice to any random coworker who drops by can be difficult.

Solution: First, recognize that extra curricular advice and support isn't your job. Try to confine your advice giving to people you know will take it the right way. No problem helping your friend shop for a new netbook, but if the company sales manager needs a new gaming PC, do you really want to be the person she thinks of if the machine you recommend turns out to have problems? If all else fails, you can always claim a personal policy of not providing tech support or buying advice for non-work machines.

The Unsung Heroes

Peeve: It seems like the only time you hear about IT is when something breaks. Nobody's impressed by the hours you put in to setup secure Wi-Fi access around the building, but let the Internet go down for five minutes because of some work building maintenance is doing, and suddenly people want updates every 30 seconds.

Solution: IT's a complex discipline, which often makes it tough to explain your successes. If your department isn't getting the credit it deserves, ask your manager to explain a bit about what you've been doing at the next company meeting. Or volunteer to do it yourself.

5 Skills to Learn if You’re Looking for a Job

Peter McDougall | MainStreet.com — Mon, 05 Oct 2009 15:01:00 -0700

It’s becoming harder to stand out from the growing pile of resumes in today’s tough job market. If you’re unemployed, consider learning a new skill to gain an advantage.

“First, look at your strengths to see how those might cross over into other fields or careers,” says Diane Brennan, an Arizona-based career consultant. “Then decide what other skills you need to succeed in that area and work on developing them.”

Here are five skills that might give you an advantage over other job applicants:

1. Project management

If you’re unemployed and have management experience, consider getting certified in project management. The Project Management Institute certifies people with at least three years of experience in the field or 35 hours of related education.

“Project management is a major area of opportunity these days,” says Steve Armstrong, senior vice president of the technical services group at Michigan-based Kelly Services. Certification costs between $200 and $300.

2. Human resources

The Society for Human Resource Management offers courses on conflict resolution, recruiting and salary analysis. The trade organization also offers a certification exam that involves 24 to 36 hours of classroom instruction.

Continue reading on the next page ->

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3. Search engine optimization

Web developers rely on “search engine optimization,” strategies designed to help sites rank higher in searches, to boost traffic to their pages. As more people find information through Google and Yahoo , search engine optimization, or SEO, has become an important marketing skill.

Many colleges and trade organizations offer SEO courses or workshops that cost less than $100 and take a few weeks to complete.

4. Public speaking

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Consider polishing your presentation skills by joining your local chapter of Toastmasters International. The organization brings together groups of 20 people or fewer, who meet weekly to practice speeches and get feedback.

“It can help you in a future job but it will also improve your networking and help polish your pitch to prospective employers,” says John McKee, founder of the Colorado-based consulting firm BusinessSuccessCoach.net

5. LEED certification

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Want to get ahead in real estate or construction? Consider seeking certification in Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design from the U.S. Green Building Council. Applicants must learn about sustainable building and energy and water management to become certified, which costs $200.

Home sellers hire LEED-certified real estate agents to help them value eco-friendly improvements they’ve made. LEED-certified builders are tapping into demand for green development.

6 Steps to Great Leadership

Dan McCarthy | Greatleadershipbydan.com — Wed, 30 Sep 2009 16:00:00 -0700

Every once in a while I’ll get a question from a reader, co-worker, or student about how to break into the leadership development field. The reality is, it’s not really an entry level profession, and there’s no one right way to get there.

The leadership development profession includes trainers, coaches, HR generalists, managers, authors, speakers, preachers, and every combination of these. They have degrees in management, organizational development, human resource development, psychology, education, and engineering. Some have certification… some don’t.

So while I don’t have a good answer on how to break into the field, I can look back and share how I’ve learned (and continue to learn) about leadership development. I believe these could be repeatable learning experiences for someone just getting started.

In no particular order: Step 1

Featured Author: Dan McCarthy

Dan McCarthy has been a practitioner in the field of leadership development for over 20 years. He's currently the Manager of Leadership and Management Development at a Fortune "Great Place to Work," "Training Top 125," and "High Impact Learning" (HILO 80) company. Dan has a Master's degree in Human Resource and Organizational Development and has held management positions in both HR and training. His award winning blog, Great Leadership, offers practical information and opinions about leadership development, leadership, and talent management.

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1. Study Real Leaders

From the day we play our first sport or join our first organized activity, we are surrounded by opportunities to study leadership and management. We learn from all of those good and bad examples. It’s a numbers thing - the more of them we are exposed to, the more we learn. I started out training first level supervisors – blue collar foreman, nuclear engineers, and accountants - so in the course of just a few years, I was exposed to hundreds of new supervisors from all walks of life.

However, the “studying” needs to be intentional – it won’t just happen by osmosis.

You have to be rampantly curious about what makes great leaders tick – their skills, values, experiences, career paths, styles, etc.

More importantly, you have to be an investigative reporter to find out how they got to where they are. You begin to see patterns on how the good ones develop, and the bad ones don’t. Those patterns can then be replicated for others to follow or avoid.

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2. Learn From the Real “Gurus”

Fortunately, there are already a lot of people out there that have already had all this experience and studying. When you can fit what you seeing and hearing into already discovered best practice frameworks, it all starts to come together and make sense. You develop a proven framework and toolkit.

For my money, the most credible source on leadership development is The Center for Creative Leadership. They have the best research, models, theories, publications, and programs. No one else comes close, and those that do, tend to have roots that go back to CCL.

To be fair, there are others…. Dave Ulrich, Noel Tichy, Marshall Goldsmith, Morgan McCall, Warren Bennis, Peter Drucker, and way too many others to mention. I’ve accumulated over 200 books on leadership development, and am constantly looking things up and re-reading them. Good practice based on research is timeless, unlike some of the fads the charlatans peddle.

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3. Learn From Fellow Practitioners

When you work for a big company, chances are, there will be others involved in leadership development that you can learn from. I’ve learned from my managers, peers, and employees. One of my favorite former managers now runs an executive development practice at Monitor. Another ran leadership development programs at GE, considered the best at leadership development.

There’s also lot’s of opportunities to learn from others outside of your organization. I’ve gone to a lot of great conferences and networking events, and am always looking for new opportunities to maintain an external perspective.
That’s one of the reasons I blog… I learn as much as I share. It’s a way to connect with others from around the world that are as passionate about this stuff as I am.

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4. Don't Just Buy Products and Services;
Buy Capability

I lot of what I learned came from external suppliers, consultants, and coaches. I suppose this is a combination of learning from experts and other practitioners, but worth calling out separately. I’m thinking more of those that I have hired to do work or provide products for the various companies I’ve worked for. In my early days, I did this a lot, because quite frankly, I didn’t know a whole lot about anything. Each time I did, I tried to soak up as much as I could during certifications and project work. Most were very generous about transferring their capabilities. Some of the best I’ve learned from are DDI, PDI, Lominger, and a lot of small, niche consultants and coaches.

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5. Stay in “school”

There are some good degree programs in this field (HRD, OD,), but that’s not where I’d recommend starting. First get a few years of experience, then the degree.

In addition to at least a Masters, and perhaps a PhD, I’d recommend attending as many university-based executive development programs as possible. Michigan, USC, and Harvard all have deep expertise in leadership development, as well as CCL.

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6. Trial and error

I’ve been fortunate to have worked at companies that have given me a lot of freedom to innovate, take risks, and screw up now and then. I love to tinker with the system, test new ideas, and add to my toolbox. I've always considered a 1/3 adoption rate a pretty good batting average.

Earlier in my career I fell for my share of fads and wacky ideas. Now, while I still like to think I’m open to possibilities, I’ll make sure anything new I try is based on research, tested, reference checked, and evaluated.

So while that’s what’s worked for me so far, I realize my experience is limited and there still is lot’s more to learn.

For those of you in the field, what’s worked from you? Where have you learned the most about leadership development, and what advice could you share for someone just getting started?

Featured Author: Dan McCarthy

Dan McCarthy has been a practitioner in the field of leadership development for over 20 years. He's currently the Manager of Leadership and Management Development at a Fortune "Great Place to Work," "Training Top 125," and "High Impact Learning" (HILO 80) company. Dan has a Master's degree in Human Resource and Organizational Development and has held management positions in both HR and training. His award winning blog, Great Leadership, offers practical information and opinions about leadership development, leadership, and talent management.

Four Web Apps You Need to Know

R. Marc Phillips — Tue, 29 Sep 2009 08:00:00 -0700

Whether built into your product, rented from a third party, or installed via open-source, Web apps and protocols are becoming more and more a part of how we do business. Here are four you need to know about:

BaseCamp

These days anyone can build a wiki, but few can compare to BaseCamp -- one of the original Web 2.0 project management tools and the app for which 37Signals first built Ruby on Rails. Basecamp lets you share files, collect information, set and track milestones, create to-do lists, and leave messages for other team members in an interface that's far more user friendly than most apps like Trac or Redmine.

Basecamp plans are available starting at $24 per month and going up to $149 a month for a plan that includes 50 GB of storage and an unlimited number of projects. There's also a free plan that lets you track one project at a time but doesn't allow file sharing.

Zimbra

Ever wish you could just get rid of all your Microsoft Exchange headaches and have someone else run e-mail and collaboration for you? That's the promise of Zimbra, an open source Ajax-based e-mail, calendaring, and collaboration suite that many small and medium businesses swear by. Oh, right... Plus, it all works in your browser.

The browser-based mail client combines the best bits of Yahoo's Web-based mail interface with full support for Exchange and iCal. There's even a desktop client if you'd prefer to give your users an app that sits on their machine permenently. Zimbra is available from several hosting providers; as installable, fully supported software; or in an open-source version that you're free to install, improve, and use as you will.

Bespin

Bespin's not fully baked yet, but its potential definitel makes it one to watch. Mozilla Labs is building Bespin as an open-source, web-based framework for editing code. And while Bespin is still in development, its potential to enable distributed groups of coders to work effectively is tremendous. Check out their intro video:

Introducing Bespin from Dion Almaer on Vimeo.

PubSubHubbub

The so-called Real-Time Web is burning up the the Internets at the moment, and PubSubHubbub is one of a few apps that lets you take advantage of the hype. With so much energy building around Twitter, Facebook, and other real-time Web converstaions, it's become increasingly important for companies to engage users more quickly across as many channels as possible.

Real-time Web protocols like PubSubHubbub go a step beyond RSS to enable that functionality. Here's how they work:

5 Ways to Combat Loneliness When You're Jobless

Tania Khadder — Wed, 23 Sep 2009 15:03:00 -0700

Sit in front of laptop. Lie on couch. Eat pickles for lunch. Back to laptop.

Feel sorry for self. Feel sick of self. Tear hair out in frustration. And ... back to couch.

If this is your 9-to-5 routine, you're probably like 14 million other Americans: unemployed. And in addition to the frustration of looking for work, you might find yourself feeling a little lonely.

Sure, you chat with friends online all day. And you may have a family or significant other who comes home in the evening. But good old fashioned, face-to-face contact with another human being before dinner? Kind of rare these days.

In running my unemployment blog, I’ve received plenty of emails from readers. And although many of them were lighthearted in nature, a number of them were quite the opposite. One of the saddest read: “You're the first person I've spoken to in days.”

Unemployment can make a recluse out of even the most social of butterflies. After all, you want to spend as much time as possible looking for work. And where do you look for work? Online. And where do you go online? At home.

But spending too much time alone can be detrimental, not just to your emotional well-being, but to your job search too! Staying connected with the rest of the world is not a luxury. It's a necessity!

Work from a coffee shop.

Find a coffee shop with WiFi in your neighborhood (even better if it’s free WiFi!). Grab your laptop and go. You may not be striking up conversations with fellow coffee shop patrons, but it’s nice to be in the presence of other human beings. It’s also nice to have a change of scenery; one that doesn’t include Oprah on mute and swag from your previous employer.

Next Page: More Ways to Fight Loneliness ->

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Team up with other jobseekers.

Chances are, you know others who are unemployed. Instead of each working alone in your respective homes, why not team up? Agree to meet at someone’s house, and look for jobs together. After all, misery loves company. Not only will you have others to talk to who are in the same situation, you might just find that your jobless friends make good leads. You never know who might know of a job that isn’t quite right for them, but fits you perfectly.

Go to networking events.

Whatever your industry, there are probably relevant networking or trade association events taking place locally. Not only will you keep abreast of changes in your field, you’ll get to rub elbows with living, breathing, hiring members of the work force. We all know that spending hours and hours online every day is not the most efficient way to get hired. The majority of jobseekers find work through a contact. You need to get out there and network!

Get a (night) life!

Spending eight dollars on an Apple Martini may be the furthest thing from your mind right now. And rightly so. But maintaining and growing your social network (and we don’t mean Facebook) can be a valuable part of your job search. And you don’t have to spend exorbitant amounts of money (or borrow cash from friends) to go out. Especially right now, there are plenty of extended happy hours and recession specials. Check out sites like My Open Bar to find a local spot that’s offering free (or seriously discounted) drinks tonight.

Volunteer

I’ve said this before and I’ll say it again: You can’t spend all day, every day, looking for work. Volunteering a couple of days a week will give you something else to do, a fresh perspective and a chance to spend time with others who share your passion for a cause. And depending on the type of volunteer work you choose, it may even help keep your career on track (and your resumé strong). I know a laid-off writer who started volunteering in the communications department of a non-profit agency. She says it’s keeping her busy, helping her develop her writing skills, and preventing her from sticking her head in an oven. Not bad for a dozen or so hours a week, which would have otherwise been spent obsessively surfing the web.

Four Trends Changing IT

R. Marc Phillips — Tue, 22 Sep 2009 08:43:00 -0700

Technology, by definition, is constantly changing. That's part of what makes working in IT so great, but it can also cause its share of problems. Take your eye off the ball for a month and you could find out that the hot new programming language you selected for your company's latest Web app doesn't scale, or that security concerns have trashed the reputation of a product you used to rely on.

Keeping up with everything that's going on in IT isn't easy, but here's a look at a few trends I think will continue to shape the industry for the next few years:

More Tech-Savvy Users

Gen-Y won't change everything, but it will certainly make things different for IT staffs. As your company brings in more and more young workers, you'll face the challenge of supporting a generation raised on gmail, Facebook, and Twitter--one that's unfamiliar with IT policy restrictions limiting app installs and filtering Web access.

The more a group knows about technology, the more they're likely to demand from it, and that's a powerful and dangerous thing. Over the next decade, IT will need to find ways to help harness that enthusiasm and savvy or risk becoming irrelevant. At the same time, you'll need to balance that with continued vigilance about security, both of the apps that are explicitly part of your toolset and of those that your workforce adopts on its own.

Outsourcing

Like it or not, more and more work is headed overseas to teams of coders and support staff that cost significantly less than the same workforce in the U.S. So what's the best way to protect your job from outsourcing? How about learning how to be a point of contact for the outsourced teams you'll almost certainly be dealing with?

Outsourcing isn't going away anytime soon, so smart IT workers need to start accumulating experience in working with outsourced teams. Learn which project requirements you have to outline in greater detail to get good results. Figure out which assumptions you'll have to give up. Adjust. Then apply that knowledge so you'll have a success story to tell next time you're looking for a job.

Web-Based Apps

Project management, e-mail, calendaring -- even word processing -- are all moving online. And whether you're building the apps your company uses to access your data from anywhere or working with a third-party solution, you'd better get comfortable with the idea of more of your resources sitting out in the cloud.

Smaller Teams

What do all the above trends have in common? Ideally, they let fewer people accomplish more. But the mere fact that team sizes are shrinking has some important implications. First, it's more important to be a bit of a generalist or to at least be able to prove that you can adapt quickly. If your staff can't afford to have a dedicated security professional, you might have to play that role as a network administrator. Second, interpersonal skills, hiring, and how new employees fit in with your team become absolutely critical. If you've got a 20-person staff, it's probably OK if three of you don't get along. On a five-person staff, even one conflict can really torpedo things.

So that's my list. I'm sure there are more, so chime in below with the trends you see making a big impact on the next ten years in IT...


Laser Trip Wire	Fruit-Powered Clock	USB Coffee Warmer	Office Multi-Tool	Portable Napping Cube


USB Fish Handwarmer	USB Greenhouse	iSaw USB Chainsaw	Doggie & Kitty Staple-Free Stapler	Smart Rabbit


The Scan Toaster	USB Fragrance Diffuser	Livescribe SmartPen	Printing Whiteboard	USB Stealth Switch

InsideTech

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Get Started: #1. Lying on the Job

1. Lying on the Job

Next: #2. Goofing Off at Work

2. Goofing Off at Work

Next: #3. Complaining About a Coworker

3. Complaining About a Coworker

Next: #4. Complaining About Your Boss

4. Complaining About Your Boss

Next: #5. Boss & Coworker

5. Complaining About Your Boss & Your Coworker

Next: #6. Colorful Language

6. Colorful Language

Next: #7. Bored at Work

7. Bored at Work

Next: #8. The Workload

8. The Workload

Next: #9. Criticizing Your Boss' Job

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Next: #10. Using Other Social Networks

10. Using Other Social Networks

Next: #11. Threatening Violence

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4. "Have you started applying for new jobs yet?"

5. "Have you thought about temping?"

6. "Was it just you? Or did others get laid off too?"

7. "Have you filed for unemployment yet?"

8. " I can get you a new job!" [and the job is totally inappropriate]

9. "When life gives you lemons, make lemonade!"

10. "Everything happens for a reason."

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Laser Trip Wire

Fruit Powered Clock

USB Coffee Warmer

Office MultiTool

Portable Napping Cube

USB Fish Hand Warmer

USB Greenhouse

iSaw USB Chainsaw

Doggie and Kitty Staple-Free Stapler

The Smart Rabbit

The Scan Toaster

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LiveScribe SmartPen

Printing Whiteboard

USB Stealth Switch

Did you miss any?

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“My house got broken into!”

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“I got food poisoning”

“I have to wait for the cable guy”

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