A search on Amazon.com for books on Productivity returns 45,960 titles. If you’re having trouble being productive at work you may find it difficult to make the time to read a book on productivity cover to cover.

For that reason, I’m going to share with you 5 proven tactics that you can start implementing today that WILL enable you to increase your productivity and help you to get more done.

5 Proven Tactics to Increase Your Productivity

1. Wake Up Early

The morning provides a calm that is often hard to find at any other time of day. Phones aren’t ringing, emails are only starting to trickle, and not gush in, as they do later in the day. This is your time to get ahead. Use this time to exercise, read or study, and to get a jumpstart on your most important task of the day.

2. Start with Important Work

Our most meaningful and impacting projects are often the hardest and require the most time and attention. That’s why they often end up getting pushed lower and lower on our to-do list throughout the day. Take a new approach and start your day by focusing on your most important work first. You may find it hard to get going, but once you do you’ll be working on tasks that have meaning and provide a real impact to your business and career. Plus, once you get through your most important item you’ll feel liberated and can move on to the less important work that so often clogs the day.

3. No Interruptions

Robin Sharma points to research data that says workers are interrupted every 11 minutes. Every distraction reduces your productivity and derails your focus and energy from the task at hand. Value your work and value your time by saying NO to interruptions. Close your door, create a “Do Not Disturb” sign if you need one, and block your calendar with work times so your assistant or co-workers know not to bother you. There are so many interruptions around us each day. Find what they are in your life and start removing them.

4. Avoid Meetings

Daily and weekly meetings can be critical to keep the flow and rhythm in a business. But meetings where several people need to spend 20, 30 minutes to an hour or more need to be avoided like the plague. Not only do these meetings often result with few actionable ideas, the topics they cover can usually be dealt with over a 5 minute phone call. In fact, Seth Godin goes as far as saying he won’t attend meetings (at least in the typical sense) but prefers conversations where a decision can be reached. If not, meetings simply become events. Think about how much money is “invested” into a meeting when you have 4-5 employees sitting around a table for 30 minutes or an hour.

5. Disconnect the Internet

Stop swearing at me! Seriously, I know you NEED the internet. In a CNN survey many respondents said they would take the Internet over Sex any day. I digress. While the Internet does increase your productivity and allows for access to information in unimaginable ways, it continues to lower the productivity of many workers. How often do you get a notification of a new email? Engaged in research and come upon a Youtube video that you just “needed to watch”? Had to update your Facebook or Twitter status because you just found the cutest cat picture ever? You get the point, right? Unplugging yourself by taking your work offline provides a level of focus that you just can’t achieve online with all the potential distractions it presents.

Start by implementing one of these tactics today. You’ll start seeing positive results and will quickly move to implementing more of them.

To a more productive you!

How do you increase your productivity? We’re curious to hear your tips!

Photo by David Castillo Dominici.

If the only jobs that were left on Earth were Internet jobs based on Internet applications, would you be able to get hired? This a question more and more job applicants are asking themselves. One of the biggest job growth sectors is online, where e-commerce sites, Internet magazines, social networks, online retailers, and SEO agencies are tapping into one of the most important inventions since the printing press.

Increasingly, job applicants are looking online for jobs and searching Internet forums in order to find a career. Hiring managers are using the Internet for their own recruiting purposes. Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn are all being utilized for business growth and career development simultaneously. 

As of 2009, the Internet economy had created 1.2 million new jobs over the course of the preceding decade. We can expect that number to double or even triple by the time this decade ends. But what are some of the skills you will need in order to flourish online? Once you get that interview, what will your portfolio tell employers about your ability to adapt in the newest job environment?

Here are 5 skills and tactics you can use to posture yourself for an Internet job:

Content management systems

The ability to be able to navigate a CMS is an extremely valuable skill that many businesses look for in a job applicant. In addition to demonstrating basic web and computer-savviness, a great many companies now fuel their webpages with CMS services like WordPress, Drupal, and Joomla, which can transform ordinary blogs into complex online magazines.

There are a multitude of reasons why CMSs are so revered: Their plugins can assist with social media integration, e-commerce, SEO, and a wide variety of other necessary web applications. Even if you won’t be responsible for producing the actual content on a site, knowing how to use a CMS to manage online material and optimize it for the web may land you a job.

In particular, familiarize yourself with the incredible diversity of plugins, extensions, and widgets that can be used to modify blogs and websites.

SEO

Ask any online marketer or Internet entrepreneur what the most important strategies are in order to make a company grow and they will inevitably cite search engine optimization near the top of that list. SEO is a major growth sector on the Internet and an undeniably powerful asset to possess.

This is probably one of the more complex skills on this list, as search engine algorithms are continually changing and SEO tactics are in a near constant state of flux. Even a working familiarity with SEO should earn you some brownie points in most employer’s eyes.

And don’t even think about applying for a job with an Internet marketing company if you don’t have some experience with SEO.

Social media optimization

Social media would at first seem like a fairly trivial skill to list on a resume, but increasingly it’s viewed as an important part of brand awareness, reputation management, and even SEO. The rise of social networks as dominant forces in our society underscores the importance of understanding what they can be used for. Facebook and Twitter aren’t just for messaging friends and family anymore—they are comprehensive ways for businesses to reach out to consumers, create brands, and generate more traffic.

Newer popular sites like Instagram, Pinterest and location-based sites like Foursquare present even more options for social media-friendly businesses. Knowing your social networks is looking better and better on resumes. Even better is a demonstrable track record of helping clients improve their online presence by creating media-rich social media profiles.

Graphic design

Digital graphic design is always sought after as an online skill. Even if it’s just for putting together a newsletter or showing off a logo watermark on a business document, a familiarity with graphic design and online aesthetics will go a long way toward landing you a job in today’s job market and preparing you for the job market of tomorrow.

Even a well designed resume can create a lasting impression in an employer’s mind. If in addition you can list proficiency in photo editing software like Adobe Photoshop or even video editing software like Final Cut Pro, hiring managers will begin to think of you as tech-savvy. It will also increase the number of jobs you are capable of handling.

Many people go back to school in order to earn degrees in graphic design. Increasingly, web developers are expected to be familiar with web design as well as distributed network applications.

Podcasts

Podcasts are increasingly thought of us as important tools for businesses in order to reach more people and target niche markets. Many major blogs now have corresponding podcasts that help them to widen their sphere of influence. A job applicant with a portfolio of podcast experience is likely to rise higher on the list of candidates an employer looks at for an Internet job.

Fortunately, podcasts are inexpensive to produce and don’t require a great amount of gear. Podcasts suggest Internet literacy and technological proficiency and in today’s age those are highly regarded characteristics.

The more of these skills you possess the more likely you are to get hired by an online company or a company that is developing an online division. Many companies want Jacks and Jills of all trades—in other words, they want employees who can take on a number of different tasks and switch between them on an ongoing basis.

An Internet company may charge its Social Media Director, for instance, with updating content on WordPress, optimizing it for the web using SEO, and sending out relevant social media posts. This same person may be in charge of creating a podcast for the company and then designing the header for the page on which the podcast is featured.

All in a day’s work! Goes to show you the importance of having a variety of online skills and continually honing and refining them.

Photo by photostock.

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As a community manager, I spend a significant part of my day on Twitter. That is where I get my news, where I decide what community events I’ll be attending and how I hear about certain movers and shakers I should be paying attention to.

For me, and a large portion of the population, Twitter is quickly becoming a one-stop-shop for information pertaining to both my personal and professional life.

So, as you might have guessed, having a noticeable presence and gaining more followers on Twitter can do wonders for any business — whether it is an entrepreneur on a solo venture or a company with 100+ employees. In fact, it’s one arena where both operations can find themselves on an equal playing field.

But, it’s not as simple as creating an attractive profile and sending out a few tweets here and there. If that’s where your outreach stops, chances are your followers (if you manage to get a few) will take note and lose interest.

Success in social media is generally followed by an overall increase in success for your business. If you’re ready to make an impact on Twitter, here are a few tips to get you started.

Tip #1 – Don’t use Twitter strictly for self promotion.

Twitter can be a great platform to share information about your business, but if that’s all you’re using it for, no one will ever pay careful attention to what you’re saying.

Instead, learn how to reach your target audience by sharing information centered around your line of work. For example, if you own a skin care line, stay on top of trends in the industry and link to articles relating to it, or share tips that your followers might later share with their followers.

Establish your company’s personality and share your knowledge — then sprinkle in a little self promotion.

Tip #2 – Join in on the conversation.

If people are retweeting your tweets or speaking to you directly, take the time to respond. This lets your followers know that there is a live person behind your Twitter account and you aren’t just treating it like an automated system.

This is a great way for companies to keep an eye on their reputation and manage any disgruntled customers before they start spreading their opinion or bad experience like wildfire.

And, of course, people appreciate a pat on the back, so if you’re offering a thank you or letting them know when you appreciate what they are saying, they are far more likely to return the favor.

Tip #3 – Don’t rely on automated direct messages.

I certainly appreciate the idea behind offering a direct message feature, but my inbox is filled to the brim with automated messages that all sound exactly the same — “Thanks for the follow, make sure you check out our blog!” or “Stop in to our store or restaurant for XY or Z!”

Not only is there no originality in these responses, but it shouts “We’re only here for self promotion and don’t really care who you are!”

If you feel the need to send a direct message, personalize it to let them know that you are speaking directly to them.

Tip #4 – Give credit where credit is due.

If you are sharing something with your followers that you heard or saw elsewhere, give credit where it’s due. Let people know you are paying attention and helping to facilitate the conversation and not sharing ideas as if they were your own.

This can also increase your followers by showing that you are paying attention to the Twitter universe and you are a great source of information on whatever topic you are covering.

Tip #5 – Be an active follower.

Always be on the lookout for ways to gain more followers on Twitter by following people that might be interested in what you have to say, and those who might share something relevant to your business. Most people will return the favor by following you, so paying attention to if they are in your target audience can be extremely helpful.

There are automated programs that will do the following for you, but they are incredibly easy to spot. For instance when I send out a tweet that happens to mention office furniture and immediately have a store that sells office furniture in some far off country follow me, I know they didn’t seek me out on their own. These are generally the accounts that I won’t follow back.

Tip #6 – Keep your account updated.

If you’re only tweeting once every couple of days, the chances of you really making an impact are slim to none.

Let your followers know that they can rely on you for a constant stream of information, and you will be far more likely to attract new followers and be added to more lists. Participate in conversations daily — the time it takes can be minimal, but the impact can be substantial.

What are your tips for being noticed and gain more followers on Twitter?

Photo by JefferyTurner.

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With so much competition in the job market, how do you think outside the box and have a solid plan in place on how to get noticed? If you didn’t realize yet, it’s going to take a bit of innovation to set yourself apart. There are so many traditional ways of trying to get a job, but with recruiters receiving on average 75 resumes per job opening, how can you be the one that they choose to contact? Be creative! Do something well. . . awesome!

There are many unique ways to get employers to notice you. But getting noticed is just one piece of the puzzle. You need to keep their attention in order to potentially be handed that coveted job offer. Some ways to get their attention won’t change – like having an awesome resume – however, let’s look at three creative resume ideas you could try in addition:

1. Infographic resume.

Infographic images have a visual appeal that traditional text only resumes do not have. They quickly grab an employer’s attention through color and design. For a hiring manager who is looking through resumes, it would likely pop off the page in a sea of words. An infographic is simply a graphic visual representation of information and your skills. So when you consider a resume as an advertisement, it makes sense that a resume could also be an infographic. Using the graphical respresentation, you can show your credentials and creative skills in a fun way!

2. Industry-related resume format.

Much like the infographic resume, you can show this visually, or built into the aesthetics of the wording. For instance, perhaps you are trying to get a writing position and you write your entire resume as if it is a blog. Think about what is unique about your field, is there a font or template that might stand out? If you need some inspiration have a stab at an idea map resume! While what worked for one person, might not be what works best for you, think about your field and your resume and how you can align them.

3. Video resume.

What better way to get through the non-verbal communication barrier that a piece of paper relies on. Making a video resume allows you to be in front of a possible employer earlier in the hiring process, and gives them the ability to assess whether or not your personality may be a good fit for their company.

There are many ways you can be unique when creating a video resume, and all you need is a computer with a webcam, no high tech recording equipment! You should keep your video to a minute and try to have lighting and surroundings that will be most advantageous.

These are some great tools to use to give yourself an edge in getting noticed so that you will get that first call for an interview. Be sure to get noticed, then keep their attention by standing out in your interview.

How do you think outside the box when it comes to jobs? How will you utilize your creativity to land that next job?

Photo by digitalart.

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When it comes to running a small company effectively, task management is one of the keys to success. For many years, however, small business owners have had to deal with the added expense of hiring an IT expert to upgrade and maintain licensed software across their computer networks, which is why they are always looking for ways to cut this cost.

Fortunately, business software is much more affordable now that cloud-based applications give users a number of powerful tools that can be synced with desktops and mobile computing devices. Best of all, most apps can be scaled according to a company’s demand, which means that owners no longer have to worry about paying thousands of dollars for software features they don’t need.

Here are some cool task management programs for small companies by computing and business news sources for their rich features, affordability and ease of use:

1. bizodo (Firefox, Chrome, Safari)

This web-based app enables companies to build and share online forms with ease, which is important for keeping track of group projects. Moreover, the program comes with encryption software to protect sensitive data, along with a cloud-based storage system to reduce hard drive space. Bizodo also offers three subscription tiers for companies that need more resources.

2. Do (iPhone)

Business owners are probably surprised that there is an app that enables them to manage team projects through their iPhones, but Do is designed for this purpose. Through its simple interface, users can create a task, assign it to another person, and can even add comments. Do also offers a website that allows users to manage tasks from their desktops.

3. Producteev (iPhone, Android, Mac, Windows)

Another web-based task management app, Producteev can retrieve data from E-mail, Google Calendar, and Instant Messaging programs to help users keep track of deadlines and other important notices. They also offer multiple pricing tiers for additional storage. Best of all, Producteev provides custom scenarios to help users decide how to make the most out of its features.

4. Chandler (Firefox, IE, Safari)

For business owners who want more control, Chandler enables them to manage complex tasks while still remaining simple enough for new users. This open-source application can import data from a number of other programs such as Google Calendar, and it also features E-mail collaboration, note-taking and file sharing. In fact, there is very little that it cannot do when it comes to keeping track of things.

5. Gmail (Chrome, Firefox, IE, Safari, iPhone, Android)

Gmail has for years been a popular web-based e-mail host, but few people realize that it can also manage their daily tasks. The task box appears at the bottom right corner of the browser to enable users to create lists or generate tasks directly from their e-mail. Although business owners might need a more robust app to manage larger projects, the fact that most users already have this program makes it great for everyday organizing.

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Since all these task management programs are free, even those who have recently obtained their business degree and are busy starting up a new company will have no trouble obtaining them, and since cutting costs is vital to staying afloat as a growing business, these apps are the way to go when it comes to budgeting for software.

What other programs do you use for task management? Share with us!

Photo by Pong.

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Have you ever watched, eyes green with envy, as administrative virtual assistants skillfully smooth away the bumps in an executive’s day?

“If only,” you think, “I could afford to have someone like that to answer the phone, keep my calendar, keep me organized, make travel arrangements, keep up with social media, update my website, deal with customers, keep my books… (the list goes on) Then, I could really focus on the important things that will make my business or career thrive! But, alas, I don’t have the _____ (fill in the blank: money, time, know-how, office space, etc.) to hire someone like that.”

So you go on spinning through your days, bouncing from crisis to crisis while the important things remain undone.

Well, here’s some good news for you. Having spent the past three years helping people find and use experienced virtual assistants from all over the world to their best advantage, I can tell you that this is closer within your reach than you think. Due to the explosion of affordable, cloud-based productivity and communications technology as well as the availability of highly skilled freelancers looking to work from their homes, it is now possible to build a staff of one or more experienced professionals — from next door or half a world away.

You can hire someone with the skillset you need to provide whatever service you need that does not require a physical presence, without long term commitment, overhead, payroll taxes or benefits.  What is more, you can use your virtual assistant for as many or few hours as you need, to work long-term or on a single project.

“Okay, I’m hooked,” you say.  “What does it take to do this right?”

Finding Virtual Assistance

You may choose to post your project or position on one of the many automated marketplaces where freelance providers hang out (like Elance, ODesk, Guru, Freelancer, etc.) or use a virtual service company that finds and manages assistance for you. The principles are the same for finding a great virtual assistant or team to which you can confidently delegate work:

• What does success look like? Have a clear idea of what you need the virtual assistant to accomplish and the skills and experience they should have to do so.
• Write your job description with enough detail so providers can understand whether your job is a good fit for them.
• Be realistic in budgeting. Yes, you can probably get someone to write your blog for a 10 dollars, but as in most things, you usually get what you pay for. Remember, although you’ll have to pay a small percentage to the service, you won’t have to pay taxes, benefits, office and equipment fees or long-term commitment.
• Be aware of possible government reporting requirements for contractors. The marketplace or service company can help you with this.
• Carefully review the proposals you receive to make sure respondents understand and fit your requirements. Review work samples and especially reviews of their work by previous clients.
• Consider work ethics, personality and broad experience base as well as the specific skill set you need.  The best programmer in the world will only be a frustration if he is uncommunicative, doesn’t take feedback well and misses deadlines.
• Keep in mind time zones, language and cultural issues when choosing virtual assistance from around the globe. There may be advantages to having someone from another country, but there will also be challenges.
• Use a web-based communication tool such as Skype to interview finalists to help you choose the best fit.
• Try them out with a small project before making a larger commitment.

Working Awesomely with Virtual Assistants

You’ve done it!  You posted your project, vetted and selected from 20 proposals, and you and your new virtual assistant are ready to get started.  Here are a few pointers to help you delegate successfully.

• Think of your virtual assistant as a partner. Taking time to get the partnership off to a good start will pay off for you both in the long run.
• Just as in defining the job in the first place, being precise in your requirements and expectations will help your virtual staff give you what you need.
• Delegating doesn’t mean forgetting. You must keep in touch and monitor the quality of the work being performed. After all, it is your name that goes on the work, no matter who performs it. Monitor fairly closely at first. You may be able to back off a little or a lot as you develop a good working relationship.
• Frequent communication and feedback on work performed are essential, especially in the beginning. Your virtual assistant wants to do his best for you and needs to know how to adapt to your requirements. This may take some tweaking. Be patient and precise.
• Communicate carefully. You may be staying in touch most frequently through emails or chats. The written word, especially across cultures, is much more easily misunderstood than face to face communication, so be careful and re-read what you have written before pushing the send button! An occasional video or audio chat will be helpful in ensuring clarity of understanding, especially for building long-term relationships or managing complex projects.

Finding a VA is within your reach. If you feel the need, take action today. The principles and skills you use to hire and manage your virtual staff are the same employed by any good leader. Apply these principles in finding, choosing and managing great virtual assistants for a few days — or years — and you will build a support structure that can flex and grow with your needs. You can then climb to success on this support structure.

Have you ever worked with virtual assistants? How did you go about it and what was your experience?

Photo by Graeme Weatherston.

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These days, it can be difficult to stand out from others in the workplace, whether you’re a newbie to the team or a seasoned veteran. Therefore, proving that you’re a viable and essential employee is an important task because you don’t want to be known as that employee, i.e. disposable. But how do you prove yourself?

Although we don’t all have the time to create a “work map,” it’s important to note where you want to go, how you plan on getting there, and what the outcome was, whether the objective was big or small.

The easiest way to do this is to get yourself into a habit of mapping your routine and showing your results. Here’s how:

Take control

Even if you’re not at management level, it doesn’t mean you can’t take control of your day-to-day activities, as well as your career.

Make conscious efforts to see what works for you. For example, if you work better in groups, ask your boss about weekly brainstorming sessions. Conversely, if you prefer to work on your own, this can be relayed at well.

By telling your manager that you work better by doing a certain task a certain way, you’re essentially letting them know how you can work at your optimum level.

Plus, when it comes down to it, it’s your career. If you don’t take control of it, who will? Don’t be unreasonable, but do speak your mind.

Show how you manage your goals

Managing your goals is not the responsibility of the team lead. They’re the responsibility of those who are assigned to them.

How do you manage goals? What do you use to track progress toward your goals? Do you use a legal pad or a management platform? Can your manager see?

Figuring out the best way to manage your goals and showing how to reach them will give your manager insight into your progress, as well as show why you’re an asset to the team.

Track your accomplishments

Tracking your accomplishments should be one of the main priorities at your job, apart from your day-to-day activities. Why is this important? Well, apart from the obvious, no one is going to keep tabs on each and every one of your objectives and goals. That’s something you need to be in charge of.

This is easier said than done, of course. Since we don’t always have five minutes to jot down when we’ve met a goal, you either need to get into a strict routine or use an outside platform to track your accomplishments.

Keep in mind that you probably won’t remember every objective you’ve reached, so having a list and keeping up with it is necessary. When it comes down to it, this proactive tactic will help you in the long-run.

For example, imagine sitting in a room with your manager only to forget those little accomplishments which led to something larger. It’s inexcusable in your manager’s head and would have been completely avoidable in yours, so start tracking!

Measure your progress

How often do you measure your progress toward goals? It shouldn’t be during performance reviews. They should be measured often.

The more systematically— and the more frequently—you monitor progress toward any given goal, the better your chances of reaching that goal. Plus, relaying to your manager that you achieved XYZ during an important time period lets them know what you excel in, what projects you’ll be great with, who you work well with, as well as your stake in the company.

Ask for an endorsement

One of the simpler ways to show your results is to get others to do the talking for you. When it comes down to it, you can say you rocked it, but when others vouch for you, it’s even better.

Endorsements don’t have to be formal, either. They can be anything from a LinkedIn recommendation, to a co-worker praising your skills, to an old boss giving you the stamp of approval.

Remember, the opinion of others is pretty important in any decision making process. If you’re ever in the position where you need to prove yourself, be sure to back up quality work with a thumbs-up from outside parties.

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What do you think? What are some other ways prove yourself to your manager?

Photo by David Castillo Dominici.

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When putting an important presentation together, it’s critical that you include all the information necessary to convey your message. However, spending hours on the design of your slideshow, rather than themessage you’re trying to communicate, means that you risk leaving out important details or presenting only a fraction of what you hope to convey. Slidevana has recently released its Keynote and PowerPoint template software to ward off exactly that.

“Whether it was for a board meeting, sales call, industry conference, investor pitch or internal review, these presentations needed to get done fast and tell a great story. But most presenters spend more than half of their time creating slides, instead of honing their message. That is why I created Slidevana.”  – Ravi Mehta, CEO of Slidevana, PRWeb.

The Details

For $69, you’ll get a professional bundle of slide templates created specifically for the busy business person. Mehta explains that the idea sprouted from years of rushing through presentations. Too many sloppy slide shows later, and Slidevana was created. Mehta has put together an easy to use and comprehensive presentation toolkit with over 140 of the most widely used business templates.

Now you may be thinking: Is it for Mac, PC, iPad, or iPhone? While that is an excellent question, I have an even better answer for you: All of the above. Originally released for Mac, iPad, and iPhone, the pack has recently been made PC-compatible. The program works in conjunction with Keynote for Mac and iOS as well as PowerPoint on both Mac and Windows. Despite distinct differences between the two systems, the program itself provides all the same features and capabilities, regardless of what device you prefer. It even makes going back and forth between Keynote and PowerPoint easier.

Why You Want It

When it comes to impressing the big wigs, your presentations need to be perfect. With work, family and social obligations, take a load off your shoulders with Slidevana. But, you ask, why not simply use the templates that come with PowerPoint and the like? Why is this perfect presentation medium for you?

• Choose it: Slidevana includes two different color schemes. Decide between Slidevana Light, which features a white background perfect for projecting or printing, and Slidevana Dark, which offers a bolder, powerful look for audiences of all sizes.
• Personalize it: Every clean cut, minimalistic slide can be customized with your personal logo, photos, color palette, and theme layouts.
• Customize it: From diagrams to tables, charts, and lists, you have every option to make the presentation perfect for any occasion.
• Dictate it: Even on the go, completing your presentation is not out of the question. Dictate the contents of your slides with Siri (Apple’s Speech Recognition technology) on the iPhone 4s and the new iPad.

While these options are available to some extent in any other presentation software, Slidevana has innovated the process. Simply cut and paste the perfect slide for your message to make the process quick, easy and a guaranteed success.

The Drawbacks

Slidevana does an excellent job of presenting you with every possible option for optimizing your presentation. However, according to a review by Erica Sadun, on TUAW.com, “. . . there’s a bit of redundancy such as 4 charts worth of duplicate shapes all presented with distinct key colors.” Yet, Sadun quickly changes tone suggesting that despite repetition, the plethora of slides lead to a complete bundle sure to please any user.

When the negative is easily turned into a positive, you can be sure you’re getting a good product. While it may take you a moment extra to sort through a few redundant slides, overall you’re still spending significantly less time putting the presentation together, and getting options to suit every occasion.

Conclusion

As a busy business person, having a toolkit such as this can be the difference between getting a presentation done on time and losing an important potential client. Slidevana’s professionally designed templates will allow you to spend your time creating a persuasive message, rather than pushing pixels in your presentation program.

You can make your next presentation easier with Slidevana and see the results – a notable, well designed slide deck sure to impress and inspire your audience.

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If you’re looking for a great opportunity, look no further than your computer. The workplace is changing and to meet the demands of consumers and companies are rethinking their staffing approach – they are not limiting themselves to local, in-person employees. Today, you can capitalize on the opportunity to work from home for clients worldwide.

The Internet consists of several legitimate work from home sites. The question really is how badly do you want to work? The ideal scenario for most graduates is to make money without trying too hard. You see your parents working all day in living hell and don’t want to follow in their footsteps. After all, it seems like a bitter pill to swallow if you wake up one day and realize you’ve been sitting in an office for most of your life.

The solution lies in working from the comfort of your own home, whenever you want to, without feeling the pressure of a fixed schedule. The Internet is a great resource for telecommuting jobs, whether you’re interested in freelance writing, offering online technical support, translating/transcribing or designing. And the best part? You don’t even have to localize your efforts since you can work for employers from all over the world, as long as you meet their requirements.

Here are some of the most popular sites providing telecommuting positions:

oDesk.com

This is one of the biggest legitimate work from home websites when it comes to locating telecommuting opportunities. It’s a highly popular site with a wide range of listings, thus giving you the chance to gain experience in a variety of fields. You apply for jobs, much the same as you would if you were applying to a job right down the street: You set up a portfolio, send applications and samples and are interviewed online. This is a competitive forum but once your asking rate is fair and your work is consistently high-quality, it’s up to you to decide if you want to treat this as a part-time excursion or a full-time experience.

FreelanceJobOpenings.com

On this website, job ads are posted daily. These ads are filtered; those which contain spam, too low payment or no payment at all are automatically deleted.  It sorts through all the noise so you don’t have to.  It’s a huge timesaver.  After all, do you really want to be sorting through gobs of ads, only to find out that the employers are only willing to pay $1/hour? No thanks!

Mashable.com

Everyone who reads tech news on a daily basis has heard of Mashable. From time to time, they post job openings in the dedicated section of their website. Snag one with them and watch your prospects for the future skyrocket.  This is a reputable organization and will give you massive amounts of credibility in the future.

Guru.com

This website resembles oDesk in many aspects, allowing you to both post your projects and search for jobs.  oDesk and Guru.com pack a mean 1-2 punch that’ll get you to work faster than you can hit your snooze button for the second time.

FreelancePhotoJobs.com

If you have a passion for photography, then this is the site for you.  With content being more important than ever in the wild world of internet marketing, expect this site to pick up steam quickly in upcoming months.

Twitter.com

We know what you’re thinking, but just bear with us: Twitter isn’t just a great social platform, it’s also a place to get noticed by important companies. Using its search function could prove to be useful in finding a suitable job.

Sologig.com

This website can help you find an IT or Engineering  listing.  If you subscribe, you will also receive recommendations.  Not too shabby!

Problogger.net

If blogging is your passion, check out these listings. They might help you find topics you might like to work on. Imagine that: Writing about something you love.  Novel concept – and one that many people are capitalizing on.

Elance.com

Elance is a first cousin to oDesk and Guru.com.  It’s set up almost the same way in format, although the quality of opportunities available is slightly higher here than others.

ifreelance.com

This is another website for companies that need freelancers.  It’s not as highly trafficked as some of the other sites in the list, but still worth mentioning for the golden nuggets you can find there.

In the end, the Internet is your friend and opens up a whole new world of possibilities as it relates to job opportunities.  Whether you’re looking for a quick gig, a part time job or full time employment, these sites can help you embark on a new journey where the sky is truly the limit!

What other legitimate work from home websites would you add to the list?

Photo by chispita_666.

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If you are in the process of looking for a job you’re probably already using all the traditional approaches: job application forms, CVs and résumés, covering letters and emails. But have you also thought about setting up a personal online profile with a website?

This not only shows potential employers that you understand digital media, it also offers you another opportunity to differentiate yourself from other jobseekers. At a time when the overall economic climate is less favorable this is even more important than ever.

Why have an online profile?

Consider your own website as an online extension of your job application. Here you can include lots more information about your experience, skills and interests, that you wouldn’t be able to fit into a standard application form or résumé.

If your dream job involves online media (e.g. marketing, design, project management), having your own online profile can also help convince potential employers of your capabilities in this environment.

But even if online media are not really your thing, or if you’re worried about the technical aspects, there are a number of website builders that can help you create a professional-looking website in no time at all, and without the need to know anything about HTML, PHP or JavaScript.

What to include?

Even though I would recommend keeping this kind of website relatively short and succinct, it still allows you to include more detailed information about projects you have been involved in than is possible in your application form and covering letter.

And, of course, unlike your original application letter or email, the online profile also offers opportunities to make use of other media, such as videos or audio clips, and include links to relevant content elsewhere on the Internet.

As an architect, for example, you can include plans and visualizations of buildings you designed, if you’re a journalist you can add video or audio files of interviews you conducted, and as a marketer you could include visuals (pictures, banners, links, pdfs) of campaigns you have been involved in. Even university projects or your degree thesis can offer useful and relevant information for potential employers.

You could also record a video message for your future employer and embed it on your site. But make sure you know what you’re doing. However easy it may be to create videos using your webcam, they can look a little basic and unprofessional – which is not the impression you want to give here. Check out these tips on how to create a professional looking video résumé.

If you like, you can even include links to your social media profiles or give information about your hobbies and personal interests. This gives a more rounded picture of you as a person and may well work in your favor if your interests are a good match for the kind of company you are hoping to work for.

A few things to bear in mind

Personal content can be password-protected if you prefer, which is easy to set up with most website builders or content management systems (CMS). But make sure your future employer can easily access the information you want them to see. Don’t put obstacles in their way – they are busy people!

Most importantly though, do bear in mind that your potential new employer will only check out your online profile if you have managed to arouse sufficient interest in yourself. So, your initial written application (electronic or otherwise) has to be powerful and convincing enough to pique their curiosity.

Here are a few things to be aware of so you don’t undermine the value of your online profile:

• Your personal website does not replace your covering letter or email and CV!
• Offer additional information – don’t simply repeat what you’ve already written in your application documents.
• Do make sure your online profile looks professional, especially in terms of design and visuals, but also makes you stand out from the crowd.
• If you’re using different versions to match different applications, make sure this is not obvious.
• Use your own domain name. Domain names are cheap and easy to get, so there’s really no need to use a generic URL like firstnamelastname.blogspot.com. It just looks unprofessional.
• And be aware that if you place your full résumé on your public online profile the information may end up on Google and will therefore be accessible to anyone in the world.

If you wanted to take things a step further you could even start a blog and develop a name for yourself as an expert in your field.

Photo by jscreationzs.

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