Friday, June 24, 2011

Pomodoro: Getting things done 25 minutes at a time

You know those un-fun days at your desk when you have a lot to do, but don't want to do any of it?  When I have long lists of mundane tasks that seem way less interesting than checking (again) what people are saying on Facebook?

A simple technique
I came across a little online club a couple of years ago that celebrates a productivity tool called the Pomodoro technique.  (They explained that pomodoro was italian for tomato.)  You can get all the info straight from the source here.  Keep reading after the jump to get my take on the technique.

Tuesday, June 21, 2011

Book Review: Poke the Box by Seth Godin

The Author

Seth Godin is the author of a wildly popular blog and thirteen books.  Though his professional background has been in marketing, his advice spans product development and personal development as well.  Mr. Godin has built his career on thinking big and changing everything. His newest book is an evolution on that theme.

Poke the Box

Do something.  Try it out.  See what happens.  See if you get what you want.  If you are wrong, make some adjustments and try it again.  This is the main lesson in Poke the Box.  We, as a people, have forgotten how to start things.  We have become very good at turning the crank and supporting the status quo, but have become nearly incapable of trying something new.
Read the rest of my review... after the jump. 

Monday, June 20, 2011

The non-all-important resume

As a student, I spent a lot of time working on my resume.  I met with several counselors for suggestions.  I reworded sentences endlessly.  After meeting with each advisor, I'd change paragraphs to bullet lists and back to paragraphs.  I bought special cotton paper.  I fussed over fonts and formatting.  I adjusted the size and justification of my name.  And looking back now, it was probably all a poor use of time. 

As with any document, before creating a resume, you need to identify two things:
  1. What is your purpose?
  2. Who is your audience?  
I can only speak for my own experience.  I spent two years as a university recruiter for a 3000-employee technical company and also served on the recruiting team for a small IT start-up. Let me tell you what wasn't important to my recruiting team... after the jump.

Saturday, June 18, 2011

Effective Networking Part 2

There’s a right way and a wrong way

Networking the wrong way is slimy. The wrong way is self centered.  The wrong way won’t get you very far. The wrong way is the person that is only interested in connecting with people that will benefit him/her. 
The right way is helpful.  The right way is generous.  The right way is the person that meets as many people as he/she can so that everyone benefits. 
If you’re not sure whether you’re doing it the right way or the wrong way, here’s a little test you can employ that is 100% accurate. Ask yourself if you’re being sincere.  Are you forthcoming with your intentions?  If you’re being real, then keep it up.

How to do it

There are unlimited ways to grow your network.  Here’s the basic strategy: constantly strive to meet more people.  When you meet someone new, look for a way to connect with him or her on a personal level.  To seal the deal, find a sincere way to do the person a favor.  Then stay in touch.

Everyone else benefits

Networking can be a lot of work and can take a lot of concentration.  Here are some of the benefits that make it worth the effort:
1.       Life becomes more fun.  A rich life is one that is shared with a variety of people.
2.       The more connections you have, the more help that you can offer to others.
3.       The better connected you are, the more opportunities that will be available to you.
Have you benefited from expanding your network far outside your circle of friends?  Join the discussion in the comments.

Wednesday, June 15, 2011

Effective Networking Part 1

Every good opportunity has come from people I knew

Starting with my first job in my career, every new opportunity has come from a relationship with someone I knew.  The best jobs, the kind of jobs you really want, don’t make it to the job listings.  The interesting, challenging jobs that require thinking will never be listed in the Help Wanted ads or recruited for at career fairs.  The open-ended jobs that require responsibility and innovation will always be given to someone with whom the hiring manager has a relationship.
That sounds unfair to people that don’t have any contacts.  It did to me when I was a student and my classmates were being offered internships from friends of their parents.  “Must be nice,” I’d think to myself as I spent my afternoons online applying for summer positions.  But the reality is, there’s no point feeling bitter about it or feeling left out.  Networking is the great career equalizer.   Anyone can do it and everyone should. 
I'll give one example... after the jump.

Thursday, June 9, 2011

Clear your inbox, clear your mind

What do you do with your groceries when you get back from the store? 

At my house they sit on the kitchen table for a while. My wife and I pretend to not see them as we wait for each other to put them away.  Before the end of the day, though, they get put away in the refrigerator, cupboards and pantry in the garage. 

Cluttered kitchens
What if we didn't put them away?  Ever? It's ridiculous to think of us digging through bags that were organized by cart-pushers whenever we need the cumin.  You can't enjoy a meal eating at a table that is covered with paper and plastic, and we'd likely end up eating our meals in the living room, until the couch and coffee table would get covered when my wife returns from Trader Joe's next week.

So, as I said, we put the groceries away.

Out-of-date emails
So why are our inboxes overflowing with emails from several months ago?  It's not a lot different.  If you don't put your emails away, but instead work out of your inbox, your inbox will NEVER be cleaned out, and things you need to do will get overlooked.  Guaranteed.

I've got recommendations on how to handle your daily flood of emails... after the jump.

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The limit on technical degrees

I like the idea of a two-year technical degree. They are immensely practical.  They take less time (and less money overall) than four-year bachelors degrees.  They usually have a large percentage of time spent in hands-on labs.  Having a two-year degree is much better than having only a high-school diploma (which is much better than having no diploma.)

You can't get there from here
The problem with having a two-year degree is that the ceiling is much lower than it would be with a four-year degree. Or, in other words, the ladder to where you want to go may not reach down to people with two-year degrees.

As with any life decision, you have to first ask yourself what your goals are.

Let me illustrate with a tale of two friends... after the jump.
______

Read more »

Sunday, June 5, 2011

Career options are like flocks of girls

Disneyworld crushes
As a teenager I discovered a phenomenon that seemed unique to flocks of girls in public places.  From thirty feet away, any group of girls my age was appealing.  The larger the group was, the less closely  I looked at any one of them.  I once chased down an all-girls marching band at Disneyworld, completely infatuated with all of them.  Only after chatting up the whole group and verbally committing to spend the afternoon with them did I realize that not any one of them was actually that cute.  (Shallow?  Yes.  But then again, what else are you supposed to build a relationship on during spring break at Disneyworld?)

Late in my college years, I found that girls en masse are not the only ones to exhibit this phenomenon.  Career paths are very similar.

How to find the keepers... after the jump.