Zirr.us is a very simple “to do” list for the rest of us. They incorporated a number of web 2.0 characteristics (it combines Ajax/DHTML), like tag your tasks. Zirrus gives users two “to do” lists to keep track which can be defined as “Braindump” or “Now” for more immediate “to do” items. Zirrus lets you view your items in both a list and cloud view, that allows items change their font size according to various priority levels.

Zirr.us provides a fresh approach to task management.

Its features are:

• View and enter tasks quickly and easily, from anywhere.
• Put everything on your mind in your Braindump list. Put near-term tasks in your Now list.
• Set due dates and priorities. Categorize with tags.
• Overdue tasks move automatically to your Now list.
• Work with your tasks in an informative task cloud, color-coded by tag and sized by priority.
• Sort alphabetically, by date, or by priority.

No matter what kind of job you’re applying for, you should go into the interview with your own strategy. Here are some ideas on how to be successful in a variety of different interview approaches.

How to behave in a behavior-based interview: This article from JobWeb.com gives job seekers insight into what they’ll need to know for a behavior-based interview. Competencies sought by the interviewer:
- Describe a situation in which you had to use reference materials to write a research paper. What was the topic? What journals did you read? (research/written communication)
- Give me a specific example of a time when a co-worker or classmate criticized your work in front of others. How did you respond? How has that event shaped the way you communicate with others? (oral communication.
- Give me a specific example of a time when you sold your supervisor or professor on an idea or concept. How did you proceed? What was the result? (assertiveness)
- Describe the system you use for keeping track of multiple projects. How do you track your progress so that you can meet deadlines? How do you stay focused? (commitment to task)
How to beat the stress interview: Stress interviews can be extremely taxing if you’re not prepared. This article gives you some helpful hints that can help you be more successful with this type of interview. A stress interview is where the employer lines up a bunch of interviewers (one at a time or en masse) whose mission is to intimidate you. The ostensible purpose of this interview: to find out how you handle the stress.
Post-interview strategies: Don’t let your interview strategy end with the interview. Use this article to help you find success even after the hard part is over. The hardest part (the actual interview) is behind you. But that doesn’t mean you can just wait around for the phone to ring. You’ve still got work to do that will further enhance your chances of getting that job!
Behavioral interviewing strategies for job seekers: This extensive article gives candidates everything they need to know about preparing a behavioral interview strategy. Behavioral interviewing is a relatively new mode of job interviewing. Employers such as AT&T and Accenture (the former Andersen Consulting) have been using behavioral interviewing for about 15 years now, and because increasing numbers of employers are using behavior-based methods to screen job candidates, understanding how to excel in this interview environment is becoming a crucial job-hunting skill.
Interview strategies: This article from The Princeton Review Inc. gives some great general tips for making a good impression at your interview. The golden rule for interviews is “Be Yourself.” Interviewers have been through all of this before, and they’re pretty good at spotting people who are putting on an act or reading from a mental script.
Case interview strategies: Case-based interviews are growing in popularity among employers, and candidates can get step-by-step advice on looking great in them with this article. The case interview is a discussion, between the interviewer and the interviewee, on a real or hypothetical business or non-business scenario. Through this process, the interviewer intends to assess the interviewee’s analytical and people skills in handling realistic situations. These interviews, while being most common in the consulting industry and in strategy consulting in particular, are not limited only to the consulting industry. You are liable to come across these interviews, from time to time, in other industries as well.

At the end of any given conversation, whether it’s with co-workers, employees, or customers, do you ever find yourself asking the following questions:
- “How many times do I have to tell them how it’s done?”
- “Why are there so many misunderstandings?”
- “Doesn’t anyone ever listen to me?”

If so, you’re not alone. In companies across the nation, communication breakdown is one of the main challenges managers deal with on a daily basis. As a result, they spend time restating their objectives to the same people over and over again, only to have the intended message still get altered or confused. Depending on the situation, communication breakdown can have severe consequences—everything from lost sales and profits to high employee turnover rates.

The warning signs of communication breakdown include the listener losing interest before you’re finished speaking, your being unable to get the floor at meetings, and doing all the talking during a conversation when you want feedback. If any of these things routinely happen to you during conversations, your communication efforts are not effective or efficient.

Traditionally, most business leaders have spent their time attempting to change the way others listen. This is an exercise in futility because the only element in any interaction you can change is your part of it. Those professionals who are motivated to adjust their speaking in order to get people to listen, develop better relations with staff, investors and customers. The result will be fewer misunderstandings and more success in the business. By making the following adjustments to your conversations, you too can experience the satisfying results of positive communication.

1. Stop talking
When someone talks incessantly, the listener naturally wants to tune out. Listening is an energy draining process, so forcing people to listen for long periods of time can wear them out. To motivate others, especially if you are the boss or key figure in a negotiation, be quiet and listen to others in order to discover what they are thinking. Stop talking long enough to capture the entire essence of what the other person is saying. Listen for the value the other person wants to add and incorporate that into your response.

2. Get to the point
Effective communicators don’t beat around the bush. They make their points clearly and accurately. To do so, start with a single sentence that notes your positive intent. Next, state the overall goal. Once you make your suggestion for action, follow it up with justifications. Often, but not always, ask for feedback on the idea and allow for brainstorming. Summarize all decisions and each person’s role with dated, specific, and measurable commitments.

3. Take a presentation skills class
By brushing up on your speaking skills, you can “even the playing field” with those successful but less talented colleagues who got where they are because of their excellent oratory skills. Most accomplished speakers take a class or review a book on presentation skills every few years to become more confident, persuasive, and effective.

4. Keep your tone neutral
During every conversation, speak to others as you want them to speak to you. Avoid sarcasm and other hostile behaviors. When you routinely humiliate, berate, or poke fun at others, they won’t listen to much of what you say or go the extra mile for you. Speak loud enough so that no one must strain to hear you, and speak with authority, so you’ll be perceived as more credible. As far as what to say, always remember to praise in public and criticize in private, each time addressing the behavior itself and not the person’s personality.

5. Reduce your speaking accent
When listening to someone who has a thick accent, people routinely miss 10-30 percent of what is said. If you are completely fluent in English but still have people asking you to repeat yourself, taking a presentation skills class that focuses on accent reduction is a wise career move. It’s your job as the speaker to be a clear communicator, especially since others won’t work to understand you. Additionally, listeners can become embarrassed when they have to continually ask you to repeat yourself. Instead, very often they’ll nod and smile, and then ask each other afterward, “What are we supposed to do?” But there is no reason to lose your accent entirely, as a charming accent differentiates you from the group and is part of your persona. However, with information and videotaped training, even a couple of days of coaching can improve comprehension by 80 percent.

Being an effective communicator is the best way to get others to listen to what you say. Since few people enjoy repeating themselves multiple times or the resulting consequences of not getting important messages understood, improve your communication skills so that listening is not a burden for others. The result will be that listeners will hear and comprehend you each time you speak.

Dr. Reesa Woolf
Public Speaking Coach

Website: Http://ConfidentSpeaking.com

Box.net, a virtual storage space for your computer files, offers 1GB free accounts. Whether you want to move files among multiple computers, backup important data in the event of a computer crash, or share documents and photos with friends and colleagues, Box.net is for you.
They just completed the first releasable version of Office On Demand, which is a cool new way to save files directly from Microsoft Office to your Box. Currently it’s compatible with Word, Powerpoint, Excel, and Access both in 2007 and 2003 (and XP/Vista!).

A small “Save to Box.net” button will appear as a button in your toolbar section of the Office app - upon clicking, you’ll be able to login and upload your file to Box. Extremely useful if you’re jumping between computers or devices. We’ll be adding Box Network sharing functionality soon as well.

Download the first version here: http://www.box.net/shared/m0jjh7n610

You know how important it is to make a good impression with your resume. Usually personnel people do not spend more than 30 seconds looking at resumes in their pile. It means that you must compose it in such a way that it does not get to the bin right away.

Posted in Tips, Office | No Comments »