Friday, March 30, 2007

Resume Blunders from Hell


I visited my buddy at Resume Hell today.

As usual, I was not disappointed.

Here's a clip from one of the resumes they recently received....and apparently, this person takes their hobby very seriously:

"Hobbies: I enjoy cooking Chinese and Italians"

Ok, this person either has a very sick sense of humor, or, they failed to contact Louise for some expert resume assistance.

Let's hope it's the latter.

Wireless industry brings TV to cell phones


Outside the United States, 400,000 people in Italy are using a cell TV service launched less than a year ago by the mobile carrier 3, a unit of Hutchison Whampoa Ltd.

Those customers, representing nearly 6 percent of the carrier's 7 million users, are paying as much as 29.99 euros ($40) extra per month to get TV on the go.

In Korea, several million have signed up for mobile TV services from TU Media Corp. and others since 2005.

Most of the talk around it's ability to take off in the U.S. has been a thumbs-down.

However, in early March, Verizon Wireless introduced an eight-channel service that broadcast programming, much of it identical to that being shown on regular TV, including shows from CBS, Comedy Central, ESPN, Fox and NBC.

The service, delivered over an $800 million network being built bT&T Incy Qualcomm Inc. and slated to expand to 20 channels, will also be offered later this year by the new AT&T's Cingular Wireless under a recent deal.

Undeterred by the loss of these two major wireless providers, a rival venture started by cell tower operator Crown Castle International Corp. is forging ahead with a trial network across the New York City area. The venture, Modeo, says it remains confident it will launch the service in 30 major markets at a cost of up to $500 million.

No doubt about it - mobile tv is here.

Whether it flies or not is another question.

source: DailyIllini

Wednesday, March 28, 2007

YouTube to Launch Mobile Site

YouTube will launch its mobile website in June 2007 for U.S. users, according to a spokesperson. The mobile YouTube site will go live once the exclusivity clause on the company’s mobile video deal with Verizon Wireless expires.

The service will be live for European users in May. YouTube has been already working closely with mobile carriers, and handset makers such as Nokia on the mobile version of their video service.

In response to my question if YouTube is developing a mobile client, the spokesperson said that the company had been talking about it, but had no information to share at this time. Check out a preview of the blocked mobile site or this demo site, which you can see from some mobile phones.

source: GigaOM

Tuesday, March 27, 2007

Slugging through the War for Talent


Take heart job seekers!

The chips are stacked on your side of the table, and in the war for talent, employers think they know what you want.

But most are still found wanting.

According to a study released today by Development Dimensions International (DDI), and Monster®, today's job market is increasingly in the hands of the candidate.

The study, titled Slugging Through the War for Talent: Selection Forecast 2006-2007, reveals that 73 percent of staffing directors report competition for talent has increased since 2005, while 79 percent expect it to further intensify in 2007.


Candidates are in a very powerful positionorganizations need to think about hiring as a competitive practice if they want to attract the best people,
said Scott Erker, senior vice president of DDIs Selection Solutions.

Right now, there is a significant gap between what candidates want and what employers think they want. Thats dangerous for organizations, because many dont understand the motivations of the candidate sitting right in front of them.
This is DDIs third study of hiring and recruiting practice since 1999, providing perspective on the changing shape of the hiring market over the last eight years.

The report, which reflects responses from staffing directors, hiring managers and job seekers across five global regions, examines recruitment, selection and retention practices and reveals that a tightening labor market has subsequently led to a power shift toward job seekers.

In order to lure top talent in this increasingly competitive environment, the
findings suggest that
employers must identify, understand
and respond to job seekers
motivations and desires.

The study also outlines the tactics and strategies organizations can implement to improve their hiring systems and better meet job seekers needs.

The recruiting industry has acknowledged for several years that retiring Baby Boomers, coupled with a tightening labor market, would eventually bring about an acute labor shortage. However, the survey findings indicate that this eventuality is already upon us,
said Neal Bruce, vice president of alliances, Monster.

Select Survey Highlights

  • Its a buyers market.
  • There is a gap between employer perceptions and candidate realities.
  • Turnover is rapid.
  • Interviews can be dealmakers or deal breakers.
The executive summary, "Selection Forecast 2006-2007" is is currently available online from DDI HERE and the Monster Intelligence web site, HERE.

Check out the complete article on PRWeb.com.

Monday, March 26, 2007

Lose Market Share ... Write for the Robots

Arthur Wall (SEOBook.com) guest posts on Problogger today with:

What Does it Mean to Optimize a Blog Post?
Appealing to the robots is a surefire way to never gain market-share,

says Wall.

Read the complete article HERE.

Thursday, March 22, 2007

Top 5 Things That Should Be Taught in Every School

Brian Kim knocks it out of the park with this post.

Here's a quick list of his top 5 (be sure to read the entire post HERE):

  1. Personal Finance
  2. Communicating Effectively
  3. Social Skills
  4. Sales
  5. Time Management

Friday, March 16, 2007

Scott Pollard Corrupts our Youth

Scott Pollard, former NBA'er with the Kings, reminds us why he's a failed role model for our children. If you can stomach his ignorance, check it out HERE.

Tuesday, March 13, 2007

Good is not almost as good as great


Advice from Godin:

"Fire half your sales force."

Because good sales people are not almost as good as great sales people.

If you want the long version, click HERE.

Technorati Acquires PersonalBee?


source: Mashable.com

We’re still waiting for confirmation from founder Ted Shelton on this one, but I give a fairly good probability to the news today that blog search engine Technorati has acquired PersonalBee, the “news discovery engine” that uses human editors and algorithms to sort through the news, creating a series of niche portals. It’s a similar idea, in fact, to Boxxet.

PersonalBee doesn’t seem to have gained much traction in terms of traffic, visitors and buzz, and there doesn’t seem to be a strong motivation to build your own “beehive” (portal page).

According to Valleywag, which brought the rumor online today, Technorati is interested in spinning out lots of niche news sites - the price is a six figure sum and Shelton would become VP of business development at Technorati. If this is confirmed, it’s certainly a technology/talent buy, since the site’s traction isn’t much to boast about.

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

First Truly Mobile Social Networking Service Launched

VelvetPuffin announced the launching of the first integrated social networking service that allows its users to instantly communicate, create and share user-generated content of all types with friends and family through a mobile phone or desktop computer.

Completely carrier independent and offered at no cost to the consumer, VelvetPuffin merges instant messaging and social networking to create truly mobile social networking.


source: The Blog Herald

Sunday, March 4, 2007

Russian Pigs in Space















Thanks to OMG LMAO for bringing us these breathtaking "pigs in space" pics.