ITList Information Technology Blog » Few Days http://itlist.com Current IT field related information Fri, 03 Jun 2011 16:40:29 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.2 Make Twitter Work For You http://itlist.com/make-twitter-work-for-you/ http://itlist.com/make-twitter-work-for-you/#comments Sat, 09 Jan 2010 08:56:05 +0000 SamElli http://itlist.com/?p=2171 Twitter is essentially the biggest thing on the internet right now.  The ability for any person to have abstract conversations and musings with one another has really caught fire.  But have you thought about the ways that Twitter could help you professionally?  Twitter is actually a really good way to do market research, and even promote yourself or your company.  Because Twitter is so widely used you can reach, and also receive feedback from a global community, if you know what to do.

So obviously the first step is to create a professional Twitter page.  Whether for your business, or personal business ventures, make sure that you update often.  The quickest way to be forgotten is to tweet only once every few days.  You have to keep your Twitter page active, usually with multiple tweets per day, so that there is always more content for an interested party to keep tabs on.

Use Twitter search to narrow down people, or other businesses that might be interested in finding your Twitter page.  Try and contact them, either through mention on your Twitter account or via personal message to let them know about you.  This way you can gain more and more followers.  Your efforts won’t be very successful if you don’t have very many followers accessing your tweets.

Remember to take care of your followers as you gain them as well.  Respond to them, mention them, etc.  Make them involved, as they will become interested, and also mention you in their tweets, and that’s free advertising.  Keeping your followers interested is key to building the Twitter page, and increasing your effectiveness.

Finally use Twitter’s search function to see how many mentions you are getting on other pages throughout the site.  This is a good way to keep up on how successful your efforts have been.  Also you’ll be able to keep track of what you should change to accommodate the greater interest.  Twitter feedback is valuable, so take full advantage of the ability to see accurate feedback so quickly.

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How To Handle A Self Review http://itlist.com/how-to-handle-a-self-review/ http://itlist.com/how-to-handle-a-self-review/#comments Sun, 20 Dec 2009 23:38:01 +0000 SamElli http://itlist.com/?p=2110 Writing a self review is essentially part of every job.  How you handle the writing of your personal performance review, tells a lot about the job you’ve done.  Bosses gauge the way that your responses and assessments are written, in addition to what you actually write.  Most managers have a great nose for sniffing out lies and embellishments.  But mainly this gives them a great idea if you’re both on the same page, and straying too far from the company’s targets could see you replaced.

So it’s important to take time and care when writing your self review.  Allow yourself plenty of time to get the work done.  That means setting aside time everyday for a few days to work on the self evaluation.  This way you aren’t stressed, or rushing at the last minute to complete the project.  This also gives you time to go over your responses a few times, and make sure that you’re satisfied with what you’ve written.  Don’t turn in a review that you aren’t happy with.

Make sure that you’ve been compiling a list of your accomplishments, as that is a necessity for your self review.  Highlighting accomplishments accurate is a great statement in itself.  Not only do you have the great examples of your importance, but you also show your attention to detail by having the accurate records.  Both are fantastic traits magnified by the self review.

Remember to be honest when assessing the areas where you need improvement.  Nobody is infallible, and if you review suggests that you are, it’s a sham.  Your manager already knows that skills that you need to work on, and wants to see that you agree.  By being honest, and putting your actual weaknesses, you show that you are aware and are working to better yourself.  That’s what a boss wants.

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Find A Job Quickly http://itlist.com/find-a-job-quickly/ http://itlist.com/find-a-job-quickly/#comments Wed, 02 Dec 2009 19:41:09 +0000 SamElli http://itlist.com/?p=2044 Finding a job quickly means being persistent.  The only way to find a job quickly is to keep trying, and work hard at finding one.  The recession has been declared over, but the jobs will be the last thing to come back.  After such a bad one, that can take a while, which means competition will be intense.  But as long as you remain persistent you can still succeed.

Every application needs a cover letter, and a cover letter is your chance to shine.  So take advantage of that opportunity and be original.  The last thing you want in a cover letter is to sound mundane, or like the cover letter is the same form that you’ve sent to every other company you’ve applied.  Personalize and let your personality show.  That’s what a cover letter is for.  Sell yourself, and let your originality shine, and that will make your cover letter stand out from the rest.  Just remember to remain professional and courteous.

Being persistent means letting the company know who you are.  After you’ve turned in an application make sure to follow up.  That means waiting a few days, and then visiting the company again to check on the status of your application.  This shows initiative and a genuine desire to work.  That gives you an edge as most people think the process is done after submitting an application.

Finally, remember once you have that interview, the job is far from done.  Be confident, and do your research.  You need to know what you’re talking about here, because a bad interview will always lose you the job opportunity.  Stay positive, and confident, and know your facts concerning the company.  Use those facts to work for you, and to outline your desire to work there.  Performing that to great effect will make you a top candidate for the job, and will best increase your chances for landing the position as quickly as possible.

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