Online Job hunt - Job Boards

I've been jobhunting online. Very high tech but very frustrating.
Here are some of my discoveries...
visualcv.com allows you to create a really cool multimedia resume. You can upload your reference files, photos, video clips. Use your imagination.

I just wish more job boards and corporate websites would link to it. Instead you have to answer millions of minute details, one at a time, repetitively, on each individual employer website. Some sites do recognize your visualcv - what a time saver!

• njhire.com - for NJ high shcools
  
• higheredjobs.com - for colleges - I wish that I could limit the results by zip code.
  
• indeed.com - will search a whole bunch of job boards based on keywords and distance from your zip code.

Cooperating Tools - Everyone Cooperating

It's easy to get from my Blog to my website, my twitter, or my Linkedin. I recently enabled my recent Tweets to appear on the lower right-hand side of my blog. Blogger makes it easy to place it anywhere on the page. You can even email updates to your blog with embedded images.

Blogging can be used by high school teachers, to share info on class lessons. Like a bulletin board, the teacher can allow students to post comments on blogs: Or, even authorize students to create posts. What a great cooperative learning tool!

Aspiring writers can practice and gain an audience. Small business owners can share their expertise to stay in contact with customers and attract new business.

My programming skills are useful but not required. As a programmer I can create and test value-added resources, gadgets or widgets, to share with others. It must meet blogspot's quality control. I am already thinking of what I could create.

How to Gain a Following

I began twittering. After each twitter I submit, I observe what reaction I get. In my last twitter, I mentioned that I got accepted to a local College, for their CISCO CCNA certification program. I immediately got several responses from Twitter about new people now "Following" me. When I visited each of the profiles from my new followers, I noticed that most of them had some connection to CISCO. One person is selling Belkin routers. Another is offering CISCO certification seminars. Since I am interested in new certifications, at the moment, I chose to follow the seminar guy. I do not want to follow just anyone. I want TWITs that I can relate to.

remote Box of files

I just added a new applet to use with my LinkedIn and Twitter accounts. http://www.box.net provides a simple easy to use interface to upload and organize your files online. I have uploaded my resumes and reference letters. The files and folders can be shared or kept private. I'm not ready to share yet. But, for now it offers an easy backup location for files that I often need to send out. Can be handy if I'm away from home and do not have my computer or SAN disk with me. I know I have a remote copy on the Internet.

Descriptive Profile Links

After reading an article from Duct Tape marketing, I have updated the display of my web links on LinkedIn. Instead of the default "my Website" that LinkedIn provides - I chose OTHER to place my own descriptive titles "Boot-Up now of Northern NJ". Instead of "My Blog", the "other" category lets me enter it as "Boot-Up now Technical Blog". It's interesting to note that when I search google on my name or "beverly margolies bootup now", LINKedIN, Naymz, Twitter & this Blog come up at the top of my search results list. My bootupnow.com website comes later!
Visit the article

http://www.ducttapemarketing.com

The purpose of descriptive web link titles is to enhance search engine optimization for your site. Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Google Profile, and Mixx are also mentioned in the article.

how-to recipes

I discovered a good site for "how-to" info - for facebook and other new technologies --- check out http://www.tech-recipes.com/

Creative Technology at work

I thought it was time I create a Logo for Boot-up now. So after watching some tutorials and lots of trial and error I created my first pass at a logo, using Adobe Illustrator CS4. I like the latest Blob Paintbrush.

which should I use? mulitple methods ....

Now that I have Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook, Blogger, Youtube and a website .... I wonder what method is best to share my thoughts? If I share my thoughts on this blog, do I need to also update my Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook status? What would you do?

Find out what others think ....

I've discovered a website offering advice and reviews on the latest gadgets and tech products for the home user http://www.techtalkforfamilies.com/

I never can tell if I will like a new cell phone until I've used it for a few days. I hate the fact that my Motorola cell phone is inconsistent. When someone calls I put them on speaker by pressing the topmost right-hand button. However, if I hit that button too soon it sends a busy signal! - because the answer button is also the busy button. How confusing is that!
Sites like techtalkforfamilies could help people like me see the pros and cons that you cannot see by looking at the product in the store.

Why do strangers want to follow me?

I joined Twitter to find out what all the fuss was about. I am suspicious of my newfound popularity. I'm getting requests from all over the world - requesting to follow me. Well, Twitter certainly makes it possible for someone in London to follow someone in NY. How do they find me? Who should I follow? I already use Facebook and LinkedIn. Should I follow my LinkedIn contacts on Twitter or is that redundant? Should I follow my followers?

Social Network Butterfly

You can find me on Facebook, LinkedIn, Meetup, Youtube and Twitter. Whenever I join a new networking site, I always feel uncomfortable. I feel like the new person in a room of strangers who know each other. It takes me awhile to get my bearings and to decide if and how I will continue to use the site.

Facebook provides me a way to share news, websites, photos and video clips with friends and family. My daughter reminds me that I don't have any friends. Well, when I started I didn't. But, I'm OK with that. I'll make friends over time.

When I joined LinkedIn I only found 1 person I knew. Thankfully she agreed to be my friend. Thanks, Kristen! She even wrote a testimonial for me. Kristen and I were a dynamic duo when we were Tech Reps at IBI. It took several weeks before I found anyone else to join me on LinkedIn. I began to think that LinkedIn was only used by employees of large corporations.

Eventually my LINKedIN network grew as more of my contacts joined me and as I discovered long-lost colleagues. That's what is really neat about LinkedIn - being able to communicate with people I used to work with, but had lost touch since. I am now connected with coworkers from Chubb, DEC, and IBI.

I joined Meetup.com and signed up for a bunch of interesting groups. Too many for me to be active in all of them. I figured I'd go to some meetings, but I never did. Then one day I did a Google search on my name and all my Meetup groups came up in my results page. That bothered me since I had made my meetup groups private. Plus I am not interested in advertising Meetup when I am focused on my own business, Boot-up, bootupnow.com. So I immediately unjoined all groups and deleted my account. I have since recreated my account. Although I am not a member of any groups.

I began Twittering to find out what the Buzz is all about. I'm not sure why Twitter is so popular but I will try to find out. I think it is like Text Messaging for Adults. Adults want to be young and use technology like teenagers do.

When I began posting video testimonials on Youtube it was exciting to watch as the numbers of views increased. It was also flattering to have others subscribe and follow me. I now have 3 subscribers from around the world who automatically get notified when I post another video on Youtube. You can visit me http://youtube.com/bevmargo - Maybe you'll want to subscribe?

Software on the Server

When I worked as a Tech Rep at DEC in the late 80's, the focus was on selling customers a Server which would act as a single source for all their needs.  Instead of installing tools onto everyone's desktop PC, the server would simplify the process.   It is so much easier to have someone manage the server and others can access everything they need over the network.  

I find software installations boring and tedious.  I think it is so awesome when I find tools I can use, over the Internet.   The Internet is the ultimate server.  I can keep my own calendar and to do list on my laptop or my desktop PC.  But, if I use my calendar on my MACbook Pro laptop, then I don't have access to it from my Desktop in my office.    I discovered Toodledo.  toodledo.com provides a centralized place for your to-do list.   It can sync with your Outlook calendar --- but it does not sync with the MAC calendar & to-do list.  Oh well,  I'll have to search for a site that's Mac compatible.

It is so neat to be able to store Photos & Videos & share them over the Internet using Facebook, Youtube, among other sites.  I don't have to worry about running out of disk space  or other computer problems.  I like the idea of accessing my stuff from anywhere.  The simplicity of a computer browser,  with  Internet connectivity.    

I remember the old days when I had to configure computers for customers.  Now computers come fully loaded and configured.  Access to the Internet is easy.  Just need the IP address of your Internet service provider.   Your URL identifies a specific computer based on IP address.

Visit geekgirlfriends.com for the latest in cool websites.  

adding the MAC platform

I am still perfecting the fine points of using the MAC.  I have completed the setup of my new MacBook Pro.   

• I've successfully used iMovie to create and upload educational video testimonials.  You can check them out http://youtube.com/bevmargo
  
• I've successfully installed VMware Fusion.   I had some difficulties I had to overcome. I had to reinstall twice.  
• I now have Windows XP running on my MAC as a virtual machine.  Very cool!   I must remember to take Snapshots after every new software install in my XP VM.  
• I installed MS-Office on my XP VM.  This includes Word and Access.  There is no Access for MAC.   
• I am also looking at Open Source software to install on my MAC.   

I love the fact that the MAC is built on UNIX.  UNIX has always been my forte: I worked for several hardware/software vendors as a Unix Programmer and Tech Support Rep:  AT&T, DEC, Info Builders,....