Time for Some Digging

When you are looking for a new job, networking to keep your options open or finding consulting work; you have to be ready to tell your story.  Our goal is for our students develop their personal positioning pitch so they can tell their unique story when asked at anytime.

Before developing their pitch they must do some self-reflection that we call Dig Deep.  The first module of the WhyHire.me personal branding curriculum is to ask many reflective questions of oneself. As individuals we don’t spend enough time thinking about ourselves. We think about projects, others, world issues and more.  But to develop your career you really need to keep asking yourself the big questions.

• What are my personal values and greatest strengths?
• What personalities traits make me unique and stand out?
• Where have I had successes and what do they show about my strengths, personality, and values?
• What do others say about working and dealing with me?  Have I really been listening to what others have to say about my performance, strengths and personality?

Our students answer these questions plus complete a variety of activities, worksheets, and online tools to help complete the Dig Deep Module.  The end result is the words and phrases that will become the foundation of there positioning pitch.  This is the starting point of their online WhyHire.me profile.

Employers, Recruiters and the Web

Many times over, educators ask us how are corporations responding to online personal branding? Why should we consume class time to teach this agenda? How does it help foster career success?  This is the first in a multi-part series covering the WHY as it relates to the online personal branding agenda.

Months ago, I spoke to Kirsti Stubbs, a recruiter with Starbucks Canada. You can check out what she has to say about scouting for candidates within the social media spectrum at this link.

This month, I sat down with Eliot Burdett, a partner with Peak Sales Recruiting. Eliot is a Partner and a very active blogger himself. He and his team make extensive use of the Internet to source and learn about prospective candidates they bring to employers. Eliot shares his views on how a candidate can truly differentiate themselves with an online presence.  He also offers candid views on common mistakes people make when they interact online and apply for jobs.

Summer Break is Over. Back to Blogging School We Go!

Now that I’ve been back on campus and have felt the buzz of the new school year, I’m feeling the urge to blog.  All summer I have been absent from blogging yet at the same time feeling guilty about not making more of commitment to it.  It often surprises me how much blogging is like exercise.  You have to make a regular steady commitment to get results.

So back on the proverbial saddle I go and I will blame my absence on the need for a summer break.  This school year I will approach this blog more like an exercise routine that needs a constant and on-going commitment in order to make an impact.

#plmkwysdt Please let me know when you stop doing that

So you got my reply to your Foursquare update – #plmkwysdt.

Don’t take it personally, but I am checking out and I am no longer following you. There are too many interesting threads to follow and I am simply looking to cut down on meaningless information flowing into my Twitter feed.

Since I can’t receive your Foursquare updates in context and my Twitter client does not support filtering content out of my stream, I am forced to unfollow you. I really don’t need to know about trips to Lowes, Home Depot, Starbucks or the pub. Unless you ask me to join you:). Without question, a certain segment that is online all the time are keen on the badges and the honor of being designated mayor. Consider another viewpoint. Some people you are connected to don’t need to know these details.

If you come around to this viewpoint and you stop Tweeting your Foursquare updates, PLEASE let me know and I will start following you again. After all, you do have interesting news and views to share. It’s why I followed you in the first place!

All the best!

The social needs context… please

Make no mistake, a huge segment of mobile phone users are jumping all over Foursquare. Its fun, hip and who wouldn’t want to be major of their favorite bar? Say it with me…Norm!

The only challenge with Foursquare and other check-in services and games is they generate chaffe. Chaffe is defined as “Trivial or worthless matter.” Other culprits include Farmville, Mob Boss etc…Oh My!

Let me explain. Chaffe is something that clutters your inbox, news or Twitter feed when the update is not relevant at the precise point in time. What do we do? We can set up spam filters, feed filters or simply stop subscribing…begrudgingly.

Now, imagine 100% penetration and uptake of Foursquare by all the mobile users in North America alone. If each of us checked into Starbucks on the way to work, the office, the gym, the local pub, then home….this would generate 1.5 Billion updates per day in North America. Twitter is currently serving 50 Million Tweets per day. They would need to increase their already overloaded capacity by a multiple of 30 just for North America.

Since the average person follows 125 people, this translates into 635 Tweets that are simply chaffe…unless you are mobile and keen for a meet-up at the coffee shop, coming out of the office, the gym or at the pub.

Enter the phrase, context sensitive updates and tweets. Today’s developers should be building out system level preferences that let users accept updates that are in context. For me, this would mean turning on a preference to let trusted applications know I am mobile and keen for a choice meet up. I would also like a custom alert that would literally have my phone poke me, so I don’t miss out. Make no mistake, this would open privacy issues with my mobile provider…but they already know if I am out of my home.

Leave behind a comment and pile on this agenda. If we don’t get context aware applications, the shear volume of inane updates will turn us away.

Looking for Inspiration

As I start to update the content of the WhyHire.me, I find myself looking for inspiration from a variety of places including students and professors that have used the program, innovative educators, industry experts and my education and marketing instincts.

We’ve done some research in the form of interviews and we are constantly on the look out for new ideas, approaches for teaching and content that should be included to enhance the program.

Right now I think the big changes will include a push to ’sell’ the value of of having an online presence, mind mapping for Dig Deep, and more depth in the area of social media tools in Deploy Your Brand.

One overall inspiration for me is Sir Ken Robinson’s 2010 TED speech.  Students need to be far more engaged in the teaching of WhyHire.me.  They need to be intertwined in it and apart of developing the content.  Enjoy!

What will a publisher look like in 5 years? If the web is a global learning environment, what roll will they play?

I have been noting more teachers embracing all kinds new content and material they are assembling and bringing into class. At my spouses college, more and more classes are not using traditional textbooks. They are getting material from the web, direct publishers and the like.

The advent of social media is creating a network of collective experts that as a whole, can overpower the reach, depth and knowledge of one or a few co-authors. So, what does the future hold for a traditional textbook publisher?

I get the impression they will need to transform how they aggregate, assemble and edit learning materials. In my opinion, it will turn their existing model upside down…from sales to production to ongoing textbook revisions.

Will they change or will Amazon, Blackboard, Apple, Desire2Learn or Google  become the next generation textbook publisher? Will a publisher need to think more like a portal? Will content need to edutain?

I have taken our content and software to traditional publishers. The reaction has been well received by staff that are younger or that have stay connected to how the web is transforming learning and communications.

What is your perspective? I am keen to hear your views.

Part-time Professor of the Year, Patti Church!

A big shout out to Patti Church, for winning the Dianne Bloor Part-time Faculty Award at Algonquin College this year. When she was nominated by Jennifer Monk, Patti was honored to be amongst so many other amazing instructors, each with their own unique experiences worthy of such an award.

As the event drew closer, my biased perspective was, the award was hers. I watched her develop and execute so many creative programs and interesting new learning experiences for her students. Many of them have thanked her profusely and she continues to stay in touch with them.

I have every belief she will continue to inspire students and build amazing new learning experiences. She is a change agent that will keep pushing for new tools and programs that bolster the student experience.

Thank you Jennifer Monk (@jenmonk) for nominating, suporting and inspiring her.

Focus, grit and steadfast determination

Last night, Patti and I dropped into a BobCat concert – our first! We were very keen to check out two hugely talented musicians we had met earlier in their careers. Three years back, both Amanda Rheume and Tara Holloway had just committed to starting their careers as professional musicians.

We were absolutely blown away at the talent we saw last night. Both of these women and the legendary Jeff Logan (lead guitar)  simply blew the crowd out of the water. What I found so inspiring was their humility, support for each other and personal commitment to success in what they love doing best – performing!

These three are putting in their time and doing their share of road trips. I have no doubt these musicians will find their place amongst a broader base of audiences. They continue to learn, create and build their respective brands through performing, producing and getting out there amongst us.

Students thinking about their passion core should make sure they follow the path that gives them such passion and unbridled commitment. When you come across someone with such focus and passion, it is not hard to root for them and share their music and stories. Check them out!

Let’s Talk Twitter

A recent study from Edison Research in the US just announced that the level of familiarity of Facebook and Twitter are almost the same at 87% and 86% respectively.  The big difference falls in the area of application.  Although the majority of those that are familiar with Facebook also know how to use the social network, very few, just 7%, feel that they are actively using Twitter properly.

Given the numbers and the questions we keep being asked by faculty, admin, and students alike, it’s time for another pitch for Twitter.

People’s first reactions include ‘why bother’, ‘I don’t get it’, ‘what’s going on’, and ‘I already using _______’.  At the beginning, Twitter is confusing, different, and looks like a big waste of time.  But just like exercise, you have to make a commitment to get results.

Twitter can be used;

To learn – The Twitterverse is all about sharing.  Once you connect and start to follow people you will start see a constant stream of information from like-minded people and subject matter specialists.

To stay up to date – Twitter is instant information.  World events of all sorts will be reported faster on Twitter then any other media.

To promote events – There is a constant stream of events that are being announced, linked to and promoted on Twitter.

To connect with like minds – Connect with people that are talking about the same topics that are of interest to you.  You can share information with them, add to conversations, and connect for partnership opportunities.

To communicate – Twitter is a direct communication channel that can be used publicly or privately.  The advantage of public chats is that others can chime in and add thoughts, resources, or links that add to the conversation.  You can also quickly jump into a private conversation where you can share emails or phone numbers for more detail.

You have to decide what kind of commitment you are going to make to Twitter.  It also helps if you start to see the value of it.  I have expanded my local network with Twitter, participated in several amazing events, connected and lectured in a class in Nevada, promoted events, have had contacts lecture in my class through video from Toronto, and next week I start sailing, all because of Twitter.

I’m strengthening my Twitter muscle and continue to get results that make the commitment worthwhile.  However, it took a commitment upfront to get some momentum and find the value.  I strongly suggest you give Twitter some time and attention.  It will open up new doors if you take the time to knock on them.