If you’re not using RSS by now, then you need to find a time machine and press FWD. But even if you are, few people realize that you can use RSS to improve the efficiency of your job search. If you don’t know anything about RSS read RSS Explained.
All you need to do to get the most up-to-date job search results is to find the career sites that you use most often and subscribe to their feeds. If the site doesn’t have a feed, you can have Google Reader do the subscribing for you as you surf the web with its subscribe bookmark:
Go to Manage Subscriptions on the bottom left side of the reader
Click the Goodies tab
Drag the Subscribe bookmark to your browser’s toolbar.
You can find everything you need to do to set up your career feed at at One Day One Job.
And while you’re at it, subscribe to my feed to learn more tips on using the web to life better.
ReadWriteWeb posted the video on their blog in the context of how Generation Y will use these newer technologies to change how we work with the web. But you don’t have to Gen Y to reap the benefits of a sleeker web.
After listening to the webinar presented by authors Chjarlene Li and Josh Bernoff of groundswell: winning in a world transformed by social technologies, I have more faith that more of Corporate America will embrace the promises of the new marketing approaches possible with Web 2.0. Groundswell offers a good segue into social marketing for businesses that have yet to catch up.
I listed some of the key points the presenters made over at ReadWriteWeb. Essentially, they advocate an approach to marketing that emphasizes people first followed by clear objectives with an intelligent strategy using appropriate technology. Their acronym for this approach is POST. (I guess when you blog, your POSTs should keep these steps in mind–not a bad meme for blogging general by the way.)
They also discussed the analogues of the roles of traditional marketing with the objectives of groundswell:
Research by listening to your customers on your blogs, forums, groups, etc.
Market by talking with your customers on your chosen web platforms
Sell your products or services by energizing your customers
Support your efforts and customers with the right kinds of supporting technlogies
Develop your business needs by embracing your customers through the new platforms
All of this is common sense really. But Forrester Research, the firm that Charlene and Josh’s represent, provides a remarkable service to business executives who need to get up to speed with the merciless curve of change coming down on all enterprises.
I’d love to see more of the kinds of services emerge because those businesses which “get the web” (e.g. those who “get” Seth Godin’s attitude on marketing) will thrive. Heck, I’d love to get into this business myself because I really want to see the fundamental projects of capitalism and democracy succeed.
An acquaintance of mine recently attended a presentation by the Charlene and Josh and came away very impressed with their personable, approachable style and felt that her company could greatly benefit from what they have to say. Ultimately, successful adopters will realize the enormous potential offered by the socialization of billions of people and the dangers of misplaced attempts.
Groundswell is an excellent start for newbies and pros. I plan to offer a succinct review of their book in a future post. In the meantime please visit their sleek blog and start your groundswelling campaign the right way.
Finally a new design for viewing the web through clean well-lighted places! Hemingway meets search.
Addict-o-matic is a new search tool that offers users a simple but cleaver design for search results. Pages are returned that display tiny elegant windows of live sites. It’s sleek and from what I’ve seen reliable.
Aside from the visual appeal of the layout, the concept of aggregating search results by source benefits users’ ability to better determine the reliability, quality and relevance of content. Users can personalize their view of the web. For publishers this could be a rich source of blogging beats.
It’s an amazing service that helps us confront the problem of abundance of data versus scarcity of meaning in a world heading toward infinity.
Wouldn’t it make sense for companies to get their employees up-to-date with the latest Web 2.0 tools? Roll out RSS feeds to employees to keep them posted on the company’s latest news, projects and opportunities? How much value could be generated from a policy that encourages employees to invest 20% of their time at work blogging, social book-marking or otherwise engaged in acquiring the skills needed to stay ahead of the curve? Employees surf the web anyway. Why not tie their downtime to the needs of your business? It has it’s risks, but taking risks is the business of business.
As computer technology shrinks in size and grows in power and portability, the opportunity and necessity for companies to infuse the market with remarkable products and services becomes increasingly unavoidable. The failure of our businesses is not inevitable. But failure does become increasingly inevitable for those businesses that don’t grasp the exponential changes taking place right now.
The democratization of the world is accelerating, it’s cruel, it’s dangerous, but in the end it will be liberating. If your business wants to win, giving your employees the edge is the most remarkable way to thrive in the 21st century.
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