Work Smarter

Do sweat the small stuff. The combination of an insane attention to details and neurotic focus on customer experience is what sets the great companies apart from the good, Box CEO Aaron Levie reminds us. Organizations that adopt this level of intensity will always have superior offerings, an instant differentiator from the indistinguishable competition. 

Embrace gratitude as a business strategy. Almost everyone suffers from Gratitude Deficit Disorder. We want to know that we matter, that our efforts make the world a better place. And so do your customers, vendors, coworkers, employees, friends, and family. So make an action plan to communicate your appreciation in 2012.  

Figure out your social media strategy already. Twitter still give you hives? Not sure how to connect with your customers on Facebook? Accept it: Social media is not a fad. Syncapse CEO Michael Scissons answers the most commonly asked questions about developing a social media strategy. 

Read the full article on fastcompany.com!

When it comes to a company’s social media strategy, it’s easy to get wrapped up in Facebook and Twitter. That’s where most of the people are, after all.

But for a more professional edge, LinkedIn is another excellent tool you and your company can use to reach out to current and potential customers.

We spoke to a LinkedIn insider for some tips on how to turn the social network into a handy CRM tool.

Here’s the best stuff:

Interviewing for a job can be very stressful. Some of the questions can really make you sweat as you try and find the right things to say.

Others, not so much.

Glassdoor.com, a jobs and career website, recently released its top-25 “oddball questions” from interviewers in 2011. The company picked through more than 150,000 interview questions to come up with some of the wackiest things job candidates were asked in 2011.

Read the full article on bizjournals.com!

New claims for unemployment benefits unexpectedly fell last week, reaching the lowest level since April 2008 and providing another sign of improvement for the weak labor market.

Initial jobless claims declined by 4,000, to a seasonally adjusted 364,000, in the week ended Dec. 17, the Labor Department said Thursday.
Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had forecast claims would rise by 14,000, to 380,000.

The decline carried claims to the lowest since the week ending April 19, 2008, and marked the third drop in a row. For the week ended Dec. 10, claims were revised slightly up to 368,000 from an originally reported 366,000.

Read the full article on chicagotribune.com!

This article is by Avi Savar, founder and chief creative officer of Big Fuel, a social media agency that is part of Publicis Groupe.

Companies sometimes gripe that social media is useless as a branding tool.

For marketers, converting messages into transactions is the Holy Grail, but if they don’t quickly materialize through new media outlets, that’s no reason to throw in the towel. Facebook, Twitter, YouTube and other outlets are constantly evolving and experimentation is necessary to find success.

Once we accept that “social” does not equal “transactional” we’ll all be a lot more adept at using it in 2012.

Three trends and tools to watch in the coming year:

Read the full article on forbes.com!

I have a few coworkers that always seem to be at my desk talking to me. Whether I’m in the middle of a task and obviously working or I’m trying to talk on the phone or I’m having lunch or a snack at my desk, these folks keep coming up to socialize. I like them, and our office environment is pretty casual, so I don’t want to hurt anyone’s feelings, but how can I make them stop bothering me when I’m trying to work or eat at my desk?

Signed,
Not-So-Chatty Kathy

Dear Not-So-Chatty Kathy,

I can’t begin to explain how much I understand where you’re coming from. In my last office job, I had to deal with the same thing—coworkers coming up and hanging over your desk and socializing endlessly, even if you clearly were in the middle of working on something, or had your lunch out, visible, and getting cold on your desk. Thankfully, there are a few ways to drive them off without being a jerk, or psyche them into leaving you alone. Here are a few of them.

Read the full article on lifehacker.com!

I’ve been working on my Christmas list, even though I know the big day will come and, as always, I’ll end up disappointed. (To be honest, my wife’s “but there are no unicorns” excuse is getting a bit tiresome.)

Outside the realm of personal possessions, however, there are things I’d love to see happen in the coming year to improve the lives of all denizens of the workplace:

I want all meetings to come with doughnuts.

I want bosses and co-workers to be honest and direct — game playing is for the spineless (no offense to any readers who happen to be jellyfish).

I want companies to be responsive to job candidates, to not leave applicants hanging and to never, ever discount a job seeker simply because that person has been unemployed.

Read the full article on chicagotribune.com!

You have more important things to focus on than, um, focusing. Get back on track with these tips.

You probably don’t want to admit it but you love distractions. In fact, just like monkeys, you get a shot of dopamine every time something pulls you in another direction. Why do you think you check your email so much?

Want to be more productive and get your focus back? There are no secret tricks here… do one thing at a time. Stop multitasking—it’s just another form of distraction.

Easier said than done, I know.

Read the full article on inc.com!

Are you “creative,” “organizational, and “effective”? If so, your résumé might also be in need of a makeover.

LinkedIn, the social networking site for people with business cards, has released its list of the year’s most overused professional buzzwords, culled from the profiles of its 135 million members. As one might expect, they’re all terms that sound awfully nice but say almost nothing specific about a person. They’re the type of terms that are roughly the equivalent of listing “showing up to work” in your skills section. (Note: This might be a bit rough to read if you are one of the people using these words, but we all need a little tough love sometimes.)

For example, dynamic is at number 10. According to the Oxford English Dictionary, its primary meaning is “of or pertaining to force producing motion: often opposed to static.” So by using this word, you have literally told your potential employer that you are adept at not being stationary. You are the type of person who does things and moves from place to place.

Read the full article on time.com!

I heard that a lot of companies use software to weed out “good” from “bad” resumes. How do those systems work, and is there anything I can do to improve my chances of my resume getting through the system and into the hands of a real person?

Thanks,
Resume Revamper

Dear RR,
It’s true: Employers and hiring managers are turning more than ever to resume screening software, thanks to the overwhelming number of job applications they get. It pays to know how these systems (called Applicant Tracking Systems or Automated Resume Screeners) work so you can make your resume more relevant to the job you’re applying for. Here’s a brief overview of how the software analyzes your resume and what you can do about it.

Read the full article on lifehacker.com!

The number of U.S. workers filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell to the lowest level in nine months, showing improvement for the long-shaky labor market.

Initial jobless claims dropped by 23,000 to a seasonally adjusted 381,000 in the week ended Dec. 3, the Labor Department said Thursday.

Economists surveyed by Dow Jones Newswires had forecast claims would fall by 7,000, to 395,000

For the week ended Nov. 26, claims were revised up to 404,000 from an originally reported 402,000.

The four-week moving average of new jobless claims, closely watched by economists since it smoothes out volatile weekly figures, decreased last week by 3,000 to 393,250.

Read the full article on chicagotribune.com!

Holiday parties may seem like a time to kick back and enjoy – and yet they also may be the best opportunities all winter to grow your network and add a little warmth to those who have helped you out, or may do so in the year ahead.

After all there are plenty of holiday celebrations and fundraisers where you can build connections, whether it’s a group of neighbors at a cookie exchange, a professional association holiday happening or your company’s party or potluck. Every social event brings opportunities to connect – and those connections, carefully nurtured, could lead to career or other opportunities later on.

Read the full article on glassdoor.com!

Everyone who cares, even modestly, about design can name a few decisive events that set them on that path. Steve Jobs was no different, but he was also extraordinarily lucky: The formative design lessons he got were so far ahead of their time that they would lay the groundwork for Apple’s success with the Macintosh, the iMac, iPhone, and the iPad. Here’s six of the defining design lessons that Jobs learned, and which imbued every product he created.

 Craft, Above All

Under Jobs, Apple became famous for a level of craft that seemed almost gratuitous: For example, on the “Sunflower” Macintosh of a few years ago, there was an exquisitely fine, laser-etched Apple logo. As an owner, you might see that logo only once a year, when moving the computer. But it mattered, because that single time made an impression. In the same way, Jobs spent a lot of time making the circuit boards of the first Macintosh beautiful–he wanted their architecture to be clean and orderly. Who cared about that? But again, that level of detail would have made a deep impression on the few people that would have seen the inner guts.

Read the full article on fastcodesign.com!

Why have you been so successful in reaching some of your goals, but not others? If you aren’t sure, you are far from alone in your confusion. It turns out that even brilliant, highly accomplished people are pretty lousy when it comes to understanding why they succeed or fail. The intuitive answer — that you are born predisposed to certain talents and lacking in others — is really just one small piece of the puzzle. In fact, decades of research on achievement suggests that successful people reach their goals not simply because of who they are, but more often because of what they do.

Read the full article on blogs.hbr.org!

You nailed the job interview, and now the hiring manager wants to know when you can start, and whether you’re planning to take some time off between leaving your current gig and starting the new one. You may be tempted to take a week off just to put your feet up, or start as soon as possible to avoid any gaps in your income, but here’s how to make the right decision and determine whether you’re mentally or emotionally ready to start a new job right away.

Read the full article on lifehacker.com!

It’s that time of year again; time to reflect on all the bounties of 2011. Time to dig deep and think about what we are thankful for despite an imperfect economy, Kim Kardashian’s shocking divorce, and all-around challenging times.

Whether you’re just starting out at your first job, settling into mid-management or a seasoned professional, there are (hopefully) a number of career lessons you’ve learned along the way that have helped you in some significant way — lessons that might have even changed the entire course of your career.

To create a little healthy communal learning, we asked job seekers to share the career lessons they are most thankful for. Here’s what we learned.

Read the full article on chicagotribune.com!

You know it’s coming.

It’s the most feared question during any job interview: Do you think I would look good in a cowboy hat?

Just kidding. The real question is: Can you tell me about yourself?

Blecch. What a boring, vague, open-ended question. Who likes answering that?

I know. I’m with you. But unfortunately, hiring managers and executive recruiters ask the question. Even if you’re not interviewing and you’re out networking in the community — you need to be ready to hear it and answer it. At all times.

Now, before I share a list of 10 memorable answers, consider the two essential elements behind the answers:

Read the full article on theladders.com!

It’s been a long time coming, but Google has finally given the official go-ahead for businesses to create profiles on the Google+ social network.

We have gone hands-on with the new option to offer you a simple walkthrough, demoing just how quick and easy it is to get set up on the service.

Take a look through our image gallery above for our no-nonsense how-to. Once you’ve got yours set up, link us in the comments to your brand’s Google+ page.

If you’re looking for inspiration, then take a look at what other brands have created in the gallery below.

Read the full article on mashable.com!

After getting fired in October from the high-tech startup where he had worked for more than four years Joshua Filgate, a 27-year-old engineer in Southborough, Mass., took the usual steps to jump start his job search. He updated his resume and his LinkedIn profile; applied for 100 positions listed on Internet job sites, and let family, friends and former co-workers know he was out of work. Within a week one contact — a venture capitalist in the Boston area — sent him a text message with the name of another venture capitalist who he recommended Filgate follow on Twitter. This was someone who Filgate’s friend also followed, but did not know personally.

Filgate, who had never used Twitter before, followed the suggestion. Soon after, the venture capitalist, a partner at the Boston firm General Catalyst, tweeted:

“What are top recruitment firms for mechanical engineers, process engineers, materials scientists, manufacturing engineers?”

Read the full article on forbes.com!