Clipmarks | coconutshell's Career collection

The best at what you do.

Sun, 17 Feb 2008 10:28:38 GMT

clipped by: coconutshell
clipper's remarks: It makes you think. And it's a good read.

Clip Source: www.wisebread.com

Joe

was born with Down Syndrome

His condition makes most jobs out of his reach

that didn’t stop him from getting a position at the local grocery store as a bagger

not a particularly glamorous job

pay isn’t exactly wonderful

He wanted to be the best bagger in the store, if not, the city

He went home and, with the help of his father, typed up inspirational sayings and quotes

he cut them out and took them to work

Every time he put groceries in a bag, he would add one of the little inspirational quotes

It made Joe happy to spread a little joy

and the customers loved it

people were lining up to get their groceries bagged by Joe

From a mundane job, Joe created something extraordinary

He did something remarkable and genuine, and everyone around him felt inspired. That is the embodiment of being the best at what you do

What could you do better in your daily routine? It doesn’t need to take a lot of time or money, but just a little thought.

Tags: people, jobs, inspiration, best

Video Interviews - a new trend?

Tue, 06 Mar 2007 06:01:19 GMT

clipped by: coconutshell
clipper's remarks: Interesting. More things to worry about rather than just the interviewer.

Clip Source: sympaticomsn.workopolis.com

Video interviewing for a job has become a growing trend, WALLACE IMMEN finds. But there are some issues to consider before you're ready for your close-up

As though job interviews were not enough for a serious case of the nerves, a fast-growing trend is toward video interviewing as an alternative to face-to-face meetings.

In a personal encounter, an interviewer puts a majority of attention on what a person is saying but in video, appearance and presentation become predominant, Mr. Mindszenthy says.

Other common faults are fidgeting or appearing to be daydreaming, which are magnified when the face is the only thing the interviewer can see, Mr. Orlikow adds.

Dress tastefully.

Make a pit stop

Speak with conviction

Use a prop

Be yourself

Watch your body language

Listen before answering. Pause for two seconds, which seems like a long time but it makes you seem thoughtful and introspective.

Ask for clarification

Keep notes

Make your point

Keep it short

Tags: interview, career, employment, media, tips

What a teacher makes.

Sat, 03 Feb 2007 06:44:20 GMT

clipped by: coconutshell

Clip Source: www.thatsfit.com

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life.

One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?"

He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher, Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"

Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness, replied, "You want to know what I make?

(She paused for a second, then began...)

"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could.

I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor.

I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an iPod, Game Cube or movie rental...

You want to know what I make?" (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.)

I make kids wonder.

I make them question.

I make them criticize.

I make them apologize and mean it.

I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.

I teach them to write and then I make them write.

I make them read, read, read.

I make them show all their work in math.

I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know in English while preserving their unique cultural identity.

I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.

I make my students stand to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, because we live in the United States of America.

Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life.

(Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)

"Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant...

You want to know what I make? I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make?"

Tags: career, people, society, life, lesson

A Christmas tech story.....

Fri, 01 Dec 2006 16:45:53 GMT

clipped by: coconutshell
clipper's remarks: What I would like to do is challenge each and every one of you DCoTers to take a look through your older computer equipment and see if you can put together a system that could help out someone in need during the holiday. It may just be a “pile of junk” to you but it can make all the difference in the world to someone in need.

If you have ever done something like this or you plan to do something like this, I want to hear about it. Leave your Christmas Tech Miracle stories in the comments for all to read. "

Clip Source: www.dailycupoftech.com

Christmas Needs Tech Support, Too!

Posted on Thursday, November 30, 2006 by Tim Fehlman

Clip Source: www.dailycupoftech.com

I ran across a blog entry on the ZDNet website and I was so inspired that I decided to write my own version of the blog and recount my own experience.

A number of years ago, a refugee family from Africa found their way to our fair country. Our church had decided to support them in various ways and they petitioned the congregation for help. Since they had literally nothing (They truly knew the meaning of “nothing but the cloths on their backs”), anything that we could give would be useful.

Wanting to help, I dug up the old computer that I had just replaced with a new system. I cleaned it up and talked with the local internet provider to see if they could provide them with free Internet access. They agreed to help.

At the Christmas Eve service, I pulled the father of the family aside and surprised him with the computer. I apologized that it was not the fastest or newest computer but it was reliable and worked well. He and his family were ecstatic! I offered to help set up the system but their oldest boy wanted to try by himself first. Soon after, they quit coming to our church and I never heard from them again until…

A few weeks ago, I received an e-mail from the father whom I gave the computer to. In the e-mail, he apologized for not sending me the e-mail earlier but he wanted to let me know how that computer changed their lives.

The first thing it did was get him his first job. He got a job translating documents but one of the requirements was that they have a computer at home do the work. The system allowed him to do that job!

The other thing it did was strike an interest in his oldest son (the one who wanted to set up the system). He was now attending university in the Computer Engineering field.

Tags: technology, computers, career, people, challenge, society

Toronto!! Photos galore!!

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 08:05:57 GMT

clipped by: coconutshell
clipper's remarks: Through the eyes of Sam Javanrouh. He takes photographs around downtown Toronto and everywhere else he goes. I love his work. So much much much more at the source....I can't decribe Toronto as well as he photographs it. He shows so many aspects of daily life...A must see!!

Clip Source: wvs.topleftpixel.com

Tags: photos, photography, art

Don't want a 9-5 job?

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 05:34:39 GMT

clipped by: coconutshell
clipper's remarks: I don't mind 9-5...it's the being-behind-a-desk-all-day that I don't like...

Clip Source: msn.monster.co.uk

What’s a portfolio career? It’s simply a way of working where you have more than one job. It’s not moonlighting, because it’s totally legitimate, and it’s not about working all the hours God sends. It’s about recognising that all of us have more than one string to our bow. It’s arguably not at all natural to spend 40 hours (or more) a week doing pretty much the same kind of thing – we’d get bored fairly quickly if we did exactly the same thing every weekend. A portfolio career is about doing two or more different jobs on a part-time basis. They might be totally unrelated, or they might be complementary. For example, you might spend 4 days a week working in an office so that you have a day a week spare to build up your garden landscaping business. Or you might spend 3 days a week running your own software consultancy business and 2 days a week working in a company as their software developer.

it gives you variety and allows you to pursue more than one area of interest at any one time;

if you’re relatively new to the world of work and aren’t sure of your long-term direction, it’s an efficient way of “dipping your toe in the water” of a number of different areas;

it’s ideal for people who have other responsibilities to work around, e.g. children or caring for relatives;

if you’re clever about it, it’s a great way of developing your personal and professional “brand”, as you can combine different skills and interests in a way that is unique to you; AND

Think about the balance you’d like between the different roles. For example, would you like to work mainly in one area (say, 4 days a week) with one day to ring the changes, or would you prefer to split it half-and-half, with maybe a day off in between to do your own thing?

Of course, not all jobs or career directions lend themselves easily to portfolio working. But it’s amazing how much flexibility and variety you can build in your working life with just a little bit of creativity and imagination.

by Jenny Ungless

Tags: career, employment, portfolio

Half of teachers make simple apostrophe mistake

Mon, 27 Nov 2006 05:19:37 GMT

clipped by: ArghDangIt
clipper's remarks: yikes

Clip Source: www.dailymail.co.uk

Two-thirds made a basic apostrophe mistake in a test administered to more than 2,000 workers from key professions. Eight per cent even muddled the use of I and me.

Teachers made a string of blunders despite being responsible for drumming correct English into the next generation.

They managed only to match financial workers, who are hardly known for their strong literacy skills.

Among other errors, teachers slipped up on the correct use of apostrophes, with many making the classic "greengrocer's" error.

Plural nouns in English do not have an apostrophe - as in "newspapers" - but the rule is often broken.

Shopkeepers sometimes advertise apple's and pear's for sale, hence the term greengrocer's apostrophe.

In the punctuation test, two thirds wrongly tried to place an apostrophe before or after the "s" in the sentence "The 70s was a great decade for music".

Nearly half failed to use the apostrophe correctly in "The Smiths' house is a disused windmill".

Another exercise required workers to choose the correct word in the sentence "I implied/inferred/ensued from his art collection that he was extremely wealthy".

Seven per cent wrongly picked "implied" while a similar proportion believed the answer was "ensued".

Eleven per cent thought it was "none of the above" while seven per cent passed on the question altogether.

Some eight per cent failed to give the correct answer to a question requiring respondents to choose between "I" and "me".

Steve Girdler, a director at Kelly Services, said: "The research bore out our suspicions about the UK's poor levels of competency in grammar.

"A logical solution would be to send people back to school, but closer inspection of the results revealed teachers were far from the grammar gurus they claimed to be."

A spokesman for the National Union of Teachers pointed out that teachers were far from being bottom of the class in the online test, adding: "It would be nice to eliminate the problem completely but teachers are human beings and subject to error."

Tags: teachers, grammar, english, u.k.

What to ask during a job interview.

Wed, 22 Nov 2006 10:12:08 GMT

clipped by: coconutshell
clipper's remarks: If I get a job interview anytime soon, I'm sure these'l come in handy. Nothing like impressing the future employers, right?

Clip Source: msn.careerbuilder.com

An interview is meant to be a two-way street. The hiring manager is interviewing you to determine whether you're the best fit for the job. At the same time, you should be asking questions to determine whether you would be happy in the position or with the company.

The company

What do you see ahead for your company in the next five years?

How do you see the future for this industry?

What do you consider to be your firm's most important assets?

What can you tell me about your new product or plans for growth?

How do you rate your competition?

The position's history

What happened to the last person who held this job?

What were the major strengths and weaknesses of the last person who held this job?

What types of skills do you NOT already have onboard that you're looking to fill with a new hire?

The department

What is the overall structure of the company and how does your department fit the structure?

What are the career paths in this department?

What have been the department's successes in the last couple of years?

How do you view your group/division/department?

The job's responsibilities

What would you consider to be the most important aspects of this job?

What are the skills and attributes you value most for someone being hired for this position?

Where have successful employees previously in this position progressed to within the company?

Could you describe a typical day or week in this position? The typical client or customer I would be dealing with?

The expectations

What are the most immediate challenges of the position that need to be addressed in the first three months?

What are the performance expectations of this position over the first 12 months?

How will I be evaluated at XYZ company, and how often?

The next steps

What are the next steps in the interview process?

Laura Morsch, CareerBuilder.com writer

Tags: employment, interview, employer, career, industry

Clock of Daily Life

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 06:51:33 GMT

clipped by: ArghDangIt

Clip Source: www.on.net.mk

Tags: clock, life, humor

Pro gaming: not always fun?

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 07:51:04 GMT

clipped by: coconutshell
clipper's remarks: If I knew that much about gaming, and people were willing to pay me to coach, I'd quit this desk job.

Clip Source: ca.news.yahoo.com

Professional video gamer says it's not all fun

LOS ANGELES, Nov 8 (Reuters Life!) - Professional video gamer Tom Taylor, aka Tsquared, is the envy of every young video game player but he wants to debunk the myth that wielding a joystick for a living is all fun and games.

Taylor, 19, now earns $120,000 to $150,000 a year between prize money reaped playing "Halo 2" and Gaming-lessons.com, an online site he founded last year to teach people gaming skills -- and he is about to almost double the hourly tutoring rate he charges.

But he says he has had to be disciplined to succeed, sometimes playing games for up to 12 hours a day ahead of competitions and sticking to an exercise regime and good diet to keep a mental and physical edge.

"A lot of people think playing video games isn't a lot of work. It doesn't leave a lot of time for vacation. In five years I've never had any personal downtime for myself," Taylor, told Reuters.

In June 2004 he signed a $250,000 contract with professional league Major League Gaming and as team leader of Str8 Rippin, he is one of the league's top-ranked players.

He appears on Stuff Magazine's list of the 20 most influential people under the age of 30 and after the MLG National Championships in Las Vegas later this month, he's raising his video game tutoring rate to $115 an hour from $65.

Taylor is also shifting to a different screen soon with USA Networks, which will start airing coverage of the MLG 2006 Pro Circuit on November 11. The TV series chronicles the eight-month competition that culminates in Nevada's "Sin City," where gamers will battle for the title and a $234,000 purse.

On an average day, Taylor plays two to three hours of video games -- a session that usually starts after 11 p.m.. That time investment jumps to 10 to 12 hours ahead of tournaments.

While Taylor says no age is too old to be a pro gamer, he admits the average competitor is college-aged.

Tags: entertainment, gaming, media, video games, career, work

Geek office slang

Thu, 09 Nov 2006 05:34:53 GMT

clipped by: coconutshell
clipper's remarks: Hahaah....more at the source.

Clip Source: www.berro.com

Geek Office Slang: New Office Slang Incorporating Geek Language

404: Someone who is clueless. From the Web error message, "404 Not Found," which means the document requested couldn't be located. "Don't bother asking John. He's 404."

Alpha Geek: The most knowledgeable, technically proficient person in an office or work group. "I dunno, ask Rick. He's our alpha geek."

Assmosis: Remember "Osmosis" The process by which some people seem to absorb success and advancement by kissing up to the boss rather than working hard.

Betamaxed: When a technology is overtaken in the market by inferior but better marketed competition as in "Microsoft betamaxed Apple right out of the market"

Chips and Salsa: Chips = hardware, salsa = software. "First we gotta figure out if the problem's in your chips or your salsa."

Dilberted: To be exploited and oppressed by your boss, as is Dilbert, the comic strip character. "Damn, I've been dilberted again! The old man revised the specs for the fourth time this week."

Treeware: Hacker slang for documentation or other printed material.

Vulcan Nerve Pinch: The taxing hand position required to reach all the appropriate keys for certain commands. For instance, the warm re- boot for a Mac II computer involves simultaneously pressing the Control key, the Command key, the Return key and the Power On key.

Yuppie Food Coupons: Twenty dollar bills from an ATM

Tags: humour, humor, funny, geek, language, slang, internet, computers, technology

Top 10 Programmer Excuses

Sun, 13 Aug 2006 14:46:33 GMT

clipped by: coconutshell
clipper's remarks: 3. "It's never done that before" =>HAH!

Clip Source: www.geek24.com

Top 10 Excuses Made by Programmers

Geeked by Geek 24 Geeks on 4 August, 2006 - 14:48.

Good programmer's never re-invent the wheel, so even the excuses when something doesn't work or get done are pretty much the same across languages :) We have compiled the top 10 excuses you are likely to hear if you work with a programmer, the computer department or the tech support team.

10. "I haven't touched that module in weeks!"

9. "It must be a hardware problem."

8. "Somebody must have changed my code."

7. "Did you check for a virus on your system?"

6. "You must have the wrong version."

5. "That's weird..."

4. "There must be something wrong with your data"

3. "It's never done that before."

2. "It worked yesterday."

and the best one

1. "It works on my machine"

Tags: humour, computers, technology, programming, funny