Articles

Career Advancement Corporation periodically posts articles that will help job-seekers everywhere.

Displaying articles 6 - 10 of 14 in total

How to Google. Better than Before.

Posted on March 24, 2010

Googling was officially entered into The Oxford and Webster dictionaries in 2006, and for a good reason. The world’s most popular search engine is that popular because it works. The internet is vast and unending. Growing at a faster pace than would ever be possible for any human to see it all. The good news is that because of how easy it has become to blog and make pages, EVERYONE is doing it. That means that there are pages from all professions, hobbies, and interests. Need to know about wine? Boom! There are tons of sites for that. Need to know how to make wool from a sheep? Boom! Tons of sites for that too. The key to being smart in this world is quickly shifting from experience, to knowing where to find resources. Here are a few tips to hone your Google search engine skills.

Before we begin, it’s important to note that Google is an Indexed Search engine. Which means it going around the internet constantly and saves things into a giant database, and searches that. That way, older information can still be found (via ‘cached’ sites) and put into your results. So if a newspaper has a front page article from a year ago that is relevant, odds are that Google hung onto it for you. Clicking the “cached” link just below a search result will take you to those page relics.

Now, on to the tips:

Searching locally:
Phone books are becoming a thing of the past. Not only are they a waste of paper, but they aren’t at our fingertips all day like our computers are. To find local business, don’t bother with typing “near St. Louis,” just search as you normally would and add your zip code! Searching “Taco Bell 63132” brings up the closest restaurants to our office. It also brings up maps to help show you where the locations are.

Searching specific sites:
If you want to search ONLY ONE site, just add “site:example.com” This gives you the freedom to search single sites for specific information. If you’d like to search our articles for a particular phrase, try searching “email site:careeradvancementcorp.com” This will bring up any articles or pages that mention the word “email.” A handy way to narrow down to specific things!

Searching for general knowledge:
wikepedia is another great (although not always credible) source for information. If you need to quickly find out about copy machines or information about a particular person, adding “wiki” to your search will add wikipedia results to your list. Even though they aren’t always 100% reliable, they’re often a good place to start.

Other things you can search for:
Don’t forget that Google’ index is very good at keeping track of data. If you get a phone call from a number you don’t recognize, type the number into Google’s search engine. Search model numbers to find manuals, search full sentences to look for how-to articles or better written information. There are very few things that WON’T turn up good search results, but just remember, if nothing turns up, adding MORE information doesn’t help! Take away a few details and you’ll get more results!

Staying Ahead of the Curve

Posted on March 15, 2010

Nowadays, it’s easy to get left behind by technology and skills required for many jobs. Before, knowing how to fax something was good enough, now you need to know how to email attachments. White-out is a thing of the past, replaced by Microsoft Office and other word processors. As jobs become harder and harder to find, candidates need to make themselves more and more appealing. 25 years at a company is great experience, but if you get laid off and need another job, there are a handful of skills you’ll need to learn to make yourself a true asset to a new company. Here is a brief list of skills and links to get you up to date with technology and to prepare yourself for the future:

1. Email
Email is the new standard for communication. It’s the fastest, most direct way to reach people anywhere around the world. It’s also free in most cases, and therefor very easy to try and learn. There is a brief article at http://www.ehow.com/how_4477916_use-email.html that can help a first timer. Also, many public libraries teach classes for free on computer basics. Great for those who have never learned how to use a mouse or the internet.

2. Word Processors
The typewriter has been retired, and the word processor is it’s successor. Familiarity with the most common software will translate to other programs as well. Microsoft word is the industry standard, but OpenOffice has a free version. Libraries and internet sites have training for these programs as well. Often Free. Copy and Paste are key functions for efficiency.

3. Digital Cameras
Many people who aren’t familiar with these are afraid of them, but the truth is, they’re just like the same ones we’ve always used! Most of them are as simple as just holding down a button, sometimes without even looking through the viewfinder, because a picture is on the screen. Walk into a Best Buy or Target and play around, ask the associates, they’re usually eager to help. You don’t even have to buy one, just get the feel for snapping a few pictures.

4. Text Messages
This one is slowly crawling to the forefront of communication. Direct, hard-to-ignore messages are sent from phone to phone using the phones numeric keypad to type messages. If you don’t have a phone, borrow a friend’s and ask them how to use it. Being able to send simple replies like “Yes,” “no,” or “Call CAC, they helped me!” is a huge factor that can set you apart from technologically challenged candidates.

Lastly,
5. The internet. If you’re reading this, you’re at least part of the way there. Learning to search and properly harness the power of the internet can make you the untimate candidate. Virtually anything can be learned online as there are instructions, tutorials, and wikipedia. Not sure how to fix the copier? Knowing how to find the instruction manual online makes you the new repairman. Not sure which forms you need for taxes? The internet has the answer if you know how to search. Spend some time searching on Google, and using different keywords. Check out next week’s article about search tips and how to find what you need, quickly.

Internet Wrangling

Posted on February 09, 2010

We’ve been talking for a few weeks about technology and the internet and how to take advantage of both without wasting time and money. Well, we’re back with another installment. This time it’s to help get that giant internet into something you can digest. We’re going to talk about Google, but rest assured that Yahoo is also capable of most of this, we’re just going to stick with Google.

When you go to google.com, you probably see the standard homepage, clever logo, search bar, that’s about it. But did you know that you can make this page SO MUCH MORE? By logging into google, you can create a custom home page which brings you the things you need. Live.

Rather than search for news, or go to a few different sites each day, you can have google bring you news specific to a single genre or industry. Stop spending time at both NYT and Perez Hilton, instead, have Google give you 3 headlines from “top news” and 3 from “entertainment.” You can also have search terms, so that when a news story pops up somewhere in the world about St. Louis’ old soccer team the Ambush, that story will be brought to you when it is posted.

Weather, stocks, and tons of other applications are at your fingertips. So check it out and whittle down your morning internet time by having it delivered to you just the way you like.

Being Productive, On-The-Go!

Posted on January 11, 2010

In today’s world, you may find yourself working from many different places. Work can often be done not only from an office, but from a local coffee shop, a hotel room or even from the home. An idea may strike you at any moment. Fortunately, the internet continues to provide tools, many of which are free, to accomodate people who may be working on different computers and in different circumstances. Here are some ideas to make you more productive wherever you are.

1. Look into an online office suite.

If you work from more then one computer, or would like to, looking to the internet to do your more basic work can be a lot more convenient than booting up a desktop application. The biggest upside is that you can edit them from any computer that has internet access. You don’t have to email them to yourself, and the computer you are using doesn’t have to have an Office suite on it. Another benefit is that most online documents are easy to share with others, and even collaborate. Online office suites make sure that people can be up to date with the latest version of a document without having to spam their inboxes with emails every time they are updated. Of course, the documents can be downloaded and saved to a computer circumstances that require an actual .doc file. Two of the most popular free online Office suites are Google Docs (docs.google.com) and ThinkFree (thinkfree.com)

Of course, it must be said that like all things online, there is a small possibility that your data may be compromised. Always be careful what you put online, and it’s probably best to keep your most sensitive data to yourself.

2. Don’t wait to document what you are thinking.

Ideas can strike when you are at your office, sitting on your couch watching TV, or pretty much any time. Fortunately for us, we almost always have our cellphones on us. Even if you don’t have a “smartphone” this technology can allow us to record our ideas for later. See something on TV that you want to learn more about later? Send a text to yourself. Just remembered that you have a meeting tomorrow that you are worried you might forget about? Set an alarm on your phone. Making a habit of of doing these type of things can boost your productivity and augment even the most forgetful among us.

3. Remember to be respectful of those around you.

All of that said, It’s important to note that safety and respect for those around you should be the primary concern. Don’t text and drive, no matter how good you think you are at it. It’s illegal in many states (including Illinois) and has statistically proven to be quite dangerous. If you’ve got a great idea that you think you’ll forget before you get home, pull in to a parking lot. Also remember that just because it’s safe to use your electronics, that doesn’t necessarily mean it is polite. Make sure that you aren’t buried in your laptop or cell phone when you should be paying attention to those around you.

With those warnings in mind, we encourage you to go out and explore all of the emerging possibilities that mobile productivity has to offer you!

Hey Bosses, check 'em out!

Posted on January 06, 2010

It can be challenging for supervisors to keep tabs on their employees performance, and accurately generate feedback and incentives. Many times, a busy supervisor will only see the work on an employee in the form of occasional reports submitted, or presentations created, etc. Here are a few other tell-tale signs of good employees. These are just a few of the many, and they are just indicators, not something by which to hire or fire.

Early every day.

There is a saying: “Early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable.” This is a sign of a great work ethic. Someone who walks in the door at 9am, and then takes 10 minutes to hang their coat, get coffee, say hello, check their facebook, use the restroom, and then get down to business, may have a problem with their work ethic. Take note of employees who schedule in their own time for morning routines, so that they’re rolling when they’re supposed to start rolling.

Lunch can be an indicator…

There is no black-and-white rule here, but patterns can be indicators of habit. Someone who eats out everyday, or orders large expensive meals is a different person than the one who packs their lunch each day, or orders out for a sandwich or salad. Depending on your company, one method may be better than another, but take a look at your best employees. What are their lunch habits? Now, compare these habits to other employees? Do you see a correlation?

Do you hear that?

This one is all over the board, but some people work better with a radio on, others listen to it but are distracted. If one of your employees has just won their 4th radio call-in contest this month, it may be time to take a look at their other performance. Take note of how an employee creates their workspace environment, it, too, can be an indicator of work ethic and efficiency.

So remember, these are just guidelines and starting points, but they are often ignored pieces to evaluate. Take note and see if you gain any insight into what makes your office run smoothly.