GSETA

Friday Link Round Up

It's the end of another week--hard to believe that July is almost over! Here's your round-up of links for this week.

• What You're Missing Out on By Not Outsourcing Your Job Search--I've always been a "do-it-yourself" kind of person with job search, but this article makes an interesting case for outsourcing some of the more mundane tasks of job searching to a virtual assistant. Some of these tasks can actually be automated. Interesting reading. . .

• The Guy's Guide to Re-Energizing Your Career--Just for Men (the hair coloring for men) has teamed with Monster.com to create this guide for guys over 40. Not surprisingly it starts with getting rid of the gray. Just ignore the ads and check out some of the other resources, which are pretty decent.

• Hey IT--We Want to Get Rid of IE6--Not sure why, but many organizations are still using Internet Explorer 6, the Microsoft browser that came out 8 years ago! There have actually been not one, but TWO updates since then. You can download a poster to remind IT that it might be time to update your browser.

Using Google Calendar for Job Search

Calendars are critical for a well-organized job search.  One of the big challenges for many job seekers is getting into a work rhythm following a lay-off because the familiar structure to their days has changed so radically. They don't have to be at work at a certain time, nor do they need to work on specific work projects, which can leave many people feeling uncertain about how to structure their daily routine. They say that when you're unemployed, your new full-time job is finding another one, and your calendar can be a valuable ally in that process.

Google Calendar is a great option for creating a job search calendar (For a sample daily/weekly calendar check out this one). Some key features include: 

• A very intuitive quick add feature--I can type in "Interview next Tuesday at 3 p.m." and Google will put the item on my calendar on the appropriate date.

• A description and comment section for each item--Use this to include any key information related to the content of an appointment.  For example, if you have to do a call, put the number into the description, along with the names of any other people you'll be talking to in the call. If it's an appointment at an unfamiliar location, run a Google Maps search for directions and then cut and paste the URL into the description so that it's there when you're ready to go. You could also put in the names of the people with whom you'll be interviewing or a link to the job opening.
  

• An option to have your agenda automatically emailed to you each morning. You can access it from the Settings tab--just go to Settings and then "Notifications." You can also integrate Google calendar with your cell phone so that you'll receive text appointment reminders, which is great if you're out and about.

• The ability to share calendars. Calendars can be public or private and you can set up a sharing option so that other key people in your life (like a spouse and children) can see and add to the calendar, which is an excellent way to manage family time too. 

• Integration with Google Tasks. Google Tasks is an application that lets you create your To-Do lists, which can then be integrated with the Google Calendar application.

For more ideas on how to use Google Calendar,  check out:

• Five Great Google Calendar Tricks
• 7 Google Calendar Tips
• Rock Your Calendar in 18 Ways
• 3 Quick Google Calendar Productivity Tips
• 40 Quick Tips for Using Google Calendar
• Get Things Done with Google Calendar (video)
• Google Calendar Mobile Tips (for using on your cell)

Use Screencasts to Create Tutorials and Online Explanations for Job Seekers

How many times have you had to explain to a job seeker about how to use a job board or fill out an online application? Wouldn't it be easier if you could point them to a video that showed them exactly what to do? With a new generation of free, lightweight screencasting tools you can.

A screencast is a recording of your computer screen. It usually includes audio narration, although with some programs you can insert text instructions. A screencast is an excellent way to teach someone how to perform a particular computer task. You can also use screencasts to record PPT presentations on virtually any topic.

Once you've created your screencast, you can embed/upload it to a website, blog, wiki, etc. where your job seekers can easily access it.

Screencasting Basics

To get you started with screencasting, here are some great resources.

• What is a Screencast?

• Beth Kanter's Screencasting Primer--Be sure to check out all the links on this great site. Beth includes examples, tools and resources for putting together a great screencast.

• Screencasting Strategies

• Top 10 Tips for Creating Screencasts

• How to Create Screencasts

• Mahalo Guide to Creating Screencasts

Screencasting Tools (via ZaidLearn)

• Flowgram
  A new communications platform that lets anyone package and share anything on the internet. A flowgram combines the advantages of slide presentations and screencasts with an interactive user experience that fully exploits the fact that almost all the information we might ever need is already on the web. Using the zero download Flowgram Maker, creators can assemble and annotate web pages, photographs, videos etc on any topic, and add a voice narrative which provides context, emotion and consistency.

• FreeScreencast
  RECORD your screen, UPLOAD, and SHARE online with ease!

• Jing
  Snap a picture of anything on your desktop. Record a video of what you do, or what you see, Instantly uploaded. Share in email, IM, or blogs.

• Webinaria
  Create and share software demos online with their screen recording/ screencast software.
  
  
• ScreenToaster
  Is a free online screen recorder, enabling you to record your screen activity, publish the video on the Internet, and stream the recorded video in Flash.

• WebKut
  Is an AIR application that allows you to capture web pages, or parts of them in a very simple way. It provides you 3 capture options: the entire page, the current view, or only a selection.

• CamStudio
  Enables you to record all screen and audio activity on your computer and create industry-standard AVI video files and using its built-in SWF Producer can turn those AVIs into bandwidth-friendly Streaming Flash videos (SWFs) .

• Wink
  A Tutorial and Presentation creation software, primarily aimed at creating tutorials on how to use software (like a tutor for MS-Word/Excel etc).

• Screenjelly
  Records your screen activity with your voice so you can spread it as a video via Twitter or email. Use it to quickly share cool apps or software tips, report a bug, or just show stuff you like.

• Screencast-O-Matic
  Is a Java-based application that anyone can use to create screencasts of their screen with no additional software to download. Without even registering to the site, you can record anything that happens on your screen just by setting the capture size, choose if you want audio included, and click go. When done, you can publish the screencast online or download it in .mov format. Free to use.

• uTIPu
  Record and share your screen in a video. You get unlimited public video sharing, 250MB private video sharing, and you can upload directly from TipCam.

• Capture Fox - Firefox Add-on
  You can capture your screen and record your voice to make screencasts (tutorials, e-lessons, etc.).

• oRipa Screen Recorder
  Is a handy tool to record your Windows desktop activities in real time and save it as a video file. oRipa Screen Recorder also captures anything you can hear on your PC, such as, music and talking through the PC's microphone.

• ISU (I Show You)
  Is a free software for Windows platforms that enables you to easily record a sequence of operations in real-time as you perform them on your screen. After the screencasting session ends, you can edit your recording by drawing on it, adding notes, or recording a voice over narration. When done, you can send it to your friends via email, messenger or any other application.

• Debut
  Is a free screen capturing software for Windows that anyone can use to capture video or still images from any device. The setup comes in just 400kb and, after you install it, you can capture any part of your screen, or even capture videos from a webcam. You can export the video in any format and save the screenshots in JPG format. Debut is completely free to download and use.

• AviScreen
  Is an application for capturing screen activity (ScreenCast) in the form of AVI video or images. Beside the usual options defining the capture area, AviScreen has a unique feature called “follow the cursor”. Using this mode you can produce a video or image of relatively small dimensions while covering all mouse activity over the whole screen area.

Friday Link Round Up

We have some good links this week. . .

• Report on Ill-Prepared Workforce--A new report, “The Ill-Prepared U.S. Workforce: Exploring the Challenges of Employer-Provided Workforce Readiness Training” that was produced by Corporate Voice for Working Families, the American Society for Training & Development (ASTD), The Conference Board and the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM),  finds that new hires lack crucial basic and applied skills. A definite must-read.

• Google Maps Mania--If you didn't get Google Map fever yet, this site will definitely get your mind working.

• Facebook Applications for Learning--Everyone thinks that Facebook is a just for socializing, but it turns out, you can actually LEARN there, too. ASTD pulled these applications together and they are definitely worth a look.

• Am I Money?--Figure out how career savvy you are with this quiz.

• Google Docs Templates--Google Docs is a great free, online word processor that also lets people work collaboratively on the same document. Now Google Docs has templates, including resume templates. If your job seekers were using this tool, you could actually edit their resumes ONLINE where they could access them anywhere. They could also publish their resumes online and include a link to it in their emails to employers. The possibilities are endless. And it's FREE.

• Wheel of Lunch--If you have time for lunch, you may be struggling with where to go. With this handy tool, you simply type in your zip code and the "wheel of lunch" (patterned after the Wheel of Fortune) makes a suggestion. Also good for resolving arguments about where to eat.

Using LinkedIn Groups to Connect With Your Employers and Job Seekers

LinkedIn is a powerful online business networking tool that can connect you to literally thousands of professionals. It can also be a great way for you to provide information, answer questions and update employers and job seekers with the LinkedIn's "Groups" option.

With LinkedIn Groups, you could set up industry-based groups of employers or job seeker groups as a sort of "job club." You could also link together employers and job seekers--perhaps setting up an industry or occupational group that job seekers could join to ask questions about the industry or a career area. Through your Group, you can send links to articles and other resources and announcements about events. You can also provide customized news and members of your group  can  ask and answer questions and share their own links and resources. 

Features of LinkedIn Groups include:

• Group home page: A private space for your members on LinkedIn.
• Discussion forums: Simple discussion spaces for you and your members. (You can turn discussions off in your management control panel if you like)
• Enhanced roster: Searchable list of group members.
• Digest emails: Daily or weekly digests of new discussion topics, which your members may choose to receive. 
• RSS News Feeds--Managers can  create customs news feeds by adding an RSS feed, an Atom feed, or just a Web site URL.

Anyone can start a LinkedIn Group. You just need to have a free LinkedIn account.Check out the LinkedIn Superguide if you're new to LinkedIn and need to get yourself set up.

Once you're on LinkedIn, here are some resources to get you started creating and managing your LinkedIn Groups:

• LinkedIn Learning Center on Groups
• Dummies.com Guide to Creating a LinkedIn Group
• Create a Custom News Feed for Your Linked In Group
• How to Create a Successful LinkedIn Group
• 5 Tips for Creating, Promoting and Managing a LinkedIn Group
• Top 10 Tips on How to Manage a LinkedIn Group
• Best Practices for LinkedIn Group Management
• 6 Ways to Improve LinkedIn Groups
• LinkedIn Subgroups and How You Can Use Them

Has anyone started a LinkedIn Group? What experiences have you had running your group? What advice do you have for people thinking about starting a group? Drop us a note in comments.

More Mapping Resources

Last month we talked about how to use Google Maps, a powerful tool for creating online maps. Here's an excellent article from Tech Soup that provides more information, including some additional suggestions for how to use maps:

• A basic map of locations and directions. If your organization is the kind of place people turn to for services, maps easily direct them to your centers. The Emergency Food Shelf Network in Minneapolis is one example of this type of map.
• A map of services and resources. The dynamic NOLA Food Map, for example, helps New Orleans residents locate nearby grocery stores, restaurants, and food banks.
• A map that illustrates events over time. A good example is the Kenya Electoral Violence Map, which displays incidents of violence that occurred in that country during late 2007 and early 2008.
• A map that provides information during a crisis. The 2007 San Diego Fires Map, for instance, depicts fire locations, evacuation zones, and freeway closures using graphic icons.
• A map that illustrates relationships. iLoveMountains.org uses maps to show Americans how they are personally connected to mountaintop removals in the Appalachian Mountains.
• A map that shows areas of density and concentration. This "heat map," for example, shows solar power installations in California over time.
• Maps that aggregate and display statistics. Thematic Mapping Engine , for example, charts a variety of quality of life indicators from the United Nations.

Take a look at some of the examples to see how you might apply these in a workforce development context.

Also check out Aardvark Map, a "free, easy-to-use mapping facility that works with Google Maps to allow you to add maps to websites, emails or forum posts. It requires no programming knowledge or expertise, and it will take you just a few minutes to create a map." (Via Workforce Developments)

Friday Link Round-Up

Some great links for a beautiful Friday morning. . .

• Best Tips for Getting Connecting Fast with Top People in an Industry--Some good ideas here, with an emphasis on using social media tools like Twitter and LinkedIn.

• Business Card Designs: 100+ Creative Examples, Useful Tutorials and Templates--Every job seeker should have business cards for networking and there are some great resources here. A business card is a good place to include your six-word resume.

• Recession-Proof Business Card Trick--Speaking of business cards, here's a nice way to use them.

• The Workforce Alliance Channel on YouTube--Want to stay updated on the latest legislative developments? The Workforce Alliance is providing video updates. 

• ScreenToaster--Use this free online tool to record your computer screen. You can create tutorials, website tours, etc. that can then be embedded in a web page. So you can show job seekers how to navigate a job search site or fill out an online application. Did I mention that this tool is FREE?

• Use Social Networks to Get More Targeted, More Quickly: Good article on using LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and some other online tools to conduct a highly organized and targeted job search.

The Six Word Resume

Six word stories have been around since Hemingway, who is credited with the first one:

“For sale: baby shoes, never worn.”

Now there's a six-word resume contest going on.

Here are a few good ones from the comments section of the post:

• “Tirelessly finding answers. And sharing them.”
• “Solving complex problems efficiently and elegantly.”
• "Project delivered, team happy, customer satisfied!"

These would make great tag-lines for a networking business card, on a blog or Twitter account or in an online portfolio. The six-word resume is also a nice way to get people to start their 30-second commercials.

Want an Easy Way to Send Texts to Job Seekers' Cell Phones? Try Twitter!

While not every job seeker has a computer, just about everyone has a cell phone--especially youth. So why not use cell phone messages to send quick job search tips, links to online articles and resources and notices of job openings? You can do it easily with Twitter.

What is Twitter?

Twitter is a 140-character messaging service that allows you to send quick messages to people who are following you. It's perfect for sending out job search tips, notices about One Stop events and links to interesting articles and resources on line.

For more information on Twitter, check out our previous post on using it for job search.

How Do I Get Started?

1. Set up an account with Twitter.
Go to http://twitter.com/ and click on the link to Get Started:

You'll be asked to complete a form that looks like this:

You could either create a username for your One Stop or for yourself to use with your customers. For additional instructions, try this tutorial.

2. Start "tweeting."

A "tweet" is a Twitter message. Each message must be less than 140 characters and you can send them either from the Twitter website or from your cell phone if you've set up the link between your Twitter account and your cell. 

If you're going to send a link in your tweet, be sure to use something like TinyURL to shorten it before you send it.This will help you stay under the 140 character limit.

Tweeting from Your Computer

To send a "tweet" from the Twitter website, make sure you are logged into your account and then type your update into the Twitter update box that looks like this:

Once you've typed in your message, you click the "Update" button and your tweet will be sent. 

Tweeting from Your Cell Phone

Instructions for adding your cell phone to your Twitter account are here.

FAQs on using your cell phone with Twitter are here.

Troubleshooting Verizon/Twitter problems

Troubleshooting Sprint/Twitter problems

3. Get your job seekers to follow you on Twitter
For job seekers to get your messages on their cell phones, they will need to send a text message to 40404. The text should say follow yourusername. So, for example, if your Twitter username is GSETA, job seekers would send "follow GSETA" (without quotes) to the phone number 40404. Then, the next time you send a tweet, it will go to the job seeker's cell phone.

You should advertise this option in as many ways as possible--with signs in the One Stop, on your emails and publications, during Orientations and other meetings with job seekers, on your website, etc.

This is a really simple, cost-effective way to provide your job seekers with reminders, updates and resources.

If you have questions about how to use Twitter with your job seekers, drop us a line at gsetanj (at) gmail.com

Friday Link Round Up

Here's this week's round-up of links. Hope you're enjoying your summer!

• Getting Started With Google Alerts: Part 1 and Part 2--Although geared toward nonprofits, these two posts on using Google Alerts have all the basics you need for staying up to date on anything. This is a must-have tool for any job seeker or staff person.

• Only the Employed Need Apply--It's hard enough to find a job when they're disappearing by the millions. Now the Wall Street Journal reports that businesses are only considering people who are already working in the belief that if they weren't laid off, they must be pretty special. This is disheartening, to say the least. 

• 500 Positive Resume Action Verbs--Beef up that resume. 

• Prisoner Reentry in Atlanta--A report put out by Emery University on the challenges facing ex-offenders in the Atlanta area where it turns out housing is the number one problem. Good reading for anyone working with ex-offenders.

• School & Main Youth Program Initiative Training Guides--These guides were developed in conjunction with 28 Workforce Boards in Texas. There are some great tools here for engaging youth providers in the community to plan for and implement the most effective youth programming. They include guides on work-based learning, engaging employers and engaging out-of-school youth.

• Job Search Log Template--Download an Excel spreadsheet that's already set up to maintain a job search log. 

• LinkedIn Guide for Knowledge Workers--A nice list of resources for anyone who wants to learn how to use LinkedIn for professional development and networking.