Quotable: 20090331

Common sense and a sense of humor are the same thing, moving at different speeds. A sense of humor is just common sense, dancing. ~ William James

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How Business Does Twitter

CoTweet says it is "how business does Twitter." The start-up is in private beta now with some big names on board. Best Buy, Ford, Hershey Entertainment & Resorts, JetBlue, Intuit, Meetup.com, Microsoft, PepsiCo, Robert Verdi, Inc., Rotary International, Sprint and Waterford Wedgwood USA are using the tool now, providing feedback, and in a program (CoTweet Cohorts) to advise CoTweet.

CoTweet is built around a combination of CRM and a dash of marketing -- focused on positioning itself in the SM branding wars -- but information in a recent Mashable article indicates CoTweet is very close to workflow integration capability. It has some interesting features in that area now. This opens the application to many other uses and may foreshadow the path of further development including service applications.

Seems hopeful.

What do you think?

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I Just Got Fired

This SlideShare Presentation sets a high standard in interest and appeal. Worth a look especially if you are job seeking now or expect to be in the future.

--Highly recommended

I Just Got Fired

View more presentations from jasonalba.

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Quotable: 20090316

Posted by: William W. (Woody) Williams

I had to make some optimistic assumptions to meet the revenue target. In week three, we're visited by an alien named D'utox Inag who offers to share his advanced technology. --Dilbert

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Sign Up Now!!! Technology Showcase

Posted by: William W. (Woody) Williams

Central Texas has a long and colorful history and some of that history includes technology. Central Texas is an area centered around Austin. From San Antonio to the south and north to Round Rock, and Temple. The area includes numerous giants like Dell and IBM with hundreds of smaller tech outfits and start-ups.

There's a set of skills, a creative spirit, and an entrepreneurial talent pool in Central Texas that blends well with the rugged Texas Hill Country and Highland Lakes. It's a hot bed of high-tech start-ups... a not-so-west-coast version of Silicon Valley.

door64 -- a Central Texas High-Tech Community is organizing a showcase for technology related companies to be held in Austin on April 30, 2009. These people have an outstanding track record for putting on amazing events. You and your company should be there.

Matt Genovese, door64 founder, says, "The goal of this event is to showcase Central Texas technology companies, and help them gain exposure in the local tech community. With such exposure each company may discover new customers, partners, hiring candidates, suppliers, investors, etc."

All 4000+ members of the door64 community, and 7000+ members of the LinkedIn group will be invited. Besides engineers from around the Central Texas area, other groups of individuals and organizations will be invited (e.g. angels/VC's, etc.)

Prior to the Tech Fair, your company will be promoted on the the event web page so attendees know you will be there. At the event, your company will be provided a table, two chairs, and signage. Within reason, you may bring whatever materials or promotional items you wish! This is your opportunity to showcase your business to the local tech community, so demo yourself!

We are holding the door64 Tech Fair on the same date/location as the IEEE 125th Anniversary / GACC Brain Party held on Thursday, April 30th in Austin, Texas. So immediately after the Tech Fair there are plenty of activities planned, including a panel discussion, and the party. So make plans to stick around and continue to network after the Tech Fair!

If you own, manage, or are employed by a technology related company in the area or if you simply would like to attend this affair, check out the details on door64 here: door64 Tech Fair.

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Quotable: 20090315

Posted by: William W. (Woody) Williams

In every marriage more than a week old, there are grounds for divorce. The trick is to find, and continue to find, grounds for marriage. -- Robert Anderson

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Free Webinars with PDUs

Posted by: William W. (Woody) Williams

Two great sources for free webinars offering PDUs.

International Institute for Learning:

IIL’s free 1-hour webinars cover the latest topics in Project, Program and Portfolio Management, Microsoft® Office Project and Project Server, Lean Six Sigma, Business Analysis and more.

ITPMI -- The 2009 Software Best Practices Webinar Series

The Software Best Practices Webinars Series is dedicated to improving the practice and management of software development and maintenance world wide. All live webinars are FREE and have been accredited with PDU credits by PMI's ISSIG group. Each webinar is worth 1 PDU credit. Topics covered in 2009 will include:

• Software Measurement
  
• Software Project Estimation
  
• Software Testing
  
• Software Project Management
  
• Software Benchmarking
  
• Rapid Application Development
  
• Legacy Systems Support
  
• Agile Development
  
• Software Six Sigma
  
• IT Project Governance
  
• IT Infrastructure Library (ITIL)
  
• Outsourcing Best Practices
  

Thanks to Nancy Shindler, PMP of the Austin PMI Chapter for passing these along via Austin PMI Discuss.

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Sometimes Documentation is Everything

Posted by: William W. (Woody) Williams

An attention grabbing news story: Text quoted below scrapped from Fox News but same story / text available from most media outlets.

The Department of Defense and the National Nuclear Security Administration had to wait more than a year to refurbish aging nuclear warheads — partly because they had forgotten how to make a crucial component, a government report states.

Regarding a classified material codenamed "Fogbank," a Government Accountability Office report released this month states that "NNSA had lost knowledge of how to manufacture the material because it had kept few records of the process when the material was made in the 1980s and almost all staff with expertise on production had retired or left the agency."

Short story is: "kept few records" exacerbated by, for various reasons, no one with knowledge of the process on staff.

To recover, it took a year, a large project team, and a lot of money recreating the lost production process -- tax dollars wasted because a single file was never saved. The cost of rework decades after the fact is a lot more than the tiny cost of producing and archiving a few documents the first time through.

Not every project produces a product as critical or dangerous as a nuclear weapon. However, in this case the point concerns a production process, not the delivery of a warhead or the firing of a missile.

That undocumented production process is one we knew or should have known would be required in the future. Maintenance is an ongoing requirement in almost any system -- especially systems with expected life times in decades. "Transition to support" is a well defined process followed in every product lifecycle and always involves the sharing of maintenance knowledge.

Hairs may be split over whether or not a particular set of documents amounts to knowledge but, in this case, neither documents nor knowledge were retained. This is a grievous error in judgment and project planning.

Product and project managers, as well as their teams, take heed. Whether we refer to it as "documentation" or "knowledge management," there is a clear lesson.

There is a small upfront cost to planning and knowledge management (or documentation). It is worth it.

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Time on a Merry-Go-Round

Posted by: William W. (Woody) Williams

It's hard not to take daylight saving time personally. The semi-annual dread and abhorrence of "springing" and "falling" alike turns into weeks of confusion, lack of sleep, and an overall sense of doom with each change.

We are one of those lucky people with an acute and accurate sense of time. Our friends are constantly amazed by this -- one used to call frequently simply to ask the time. Since cellphones and computers largely took over this function, we've lost touch with him. Please call and check in -- we haven't spoken in over a decade now.

This time-ability is not something learned or practiced, it is natural. Not something taught in schools or through books or over the internet... just in the genes and mind somewhere. It's very accurate -- inside 15 minutes easily and very often inside 5 minutes.

That's why the old friend used to call... almost as good as the Naval Observatory. Never really understood why they didn't just get a watch but they always were something of a cheapskate and that could explain it.

So twice a year, every year we experience a complete dislocation of the time sense. It's scary... depressing... painful... and takes many weeks to normalize.

Nothing seems quite right. There's a sense of foreboding as if somehow the very basis of the universe itself has gone horribly wrong. A little like spending too much time on a merry-go-round.

Eventually the feeling of impending disaster fades, the time-space continuum readjusts its personal clock, and we are able to resume life again. But the whole process seems unnecessary, illogical, and generally a waste of... well; a waste of time.

And now, again, it is that time. The merry-go-round is whirling madly... it will be weeks before it stops.

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Success Techniques: On line Job Search (I)

Posted by: William W. (Woody) Williams

Over the past 12 or 13 years, every job offer I accepted came about as a direct result of using online tools. That's a bold statement but it's true. Others tell different tales about their on line experiences but this story is about a 100% success rate.

Online tools are not the only resources used, or useful, and they are not the only key to success. I don't recommend relying solely on online tools. That said, online tools are quite important, especially when synchronized with offline networking, face time, and other activities.

Having been a project manager for ten years or so, there's a reliance in my personal life on repeatable methods and processes. I treat searching for employment opportunities in the same manner as any other project. After all: Why not? It works.

What follows is a distillation / summary in three parts of some successful working methods and processes.

Online Job Search: Recommendations for Success (I)

Online, Public, Searchable Resumes: The Job Boards

First Agonizing Reality: There is No Common Ground
An agonizing reality faced by every job seeker playing the online "resume roulette" game, is the multitude of format requirements across different sites and venues. Job boards, networking sites, recruiters, and employers all require something a little different in profiles or resumes.

Resume File Size
In the resume department, there are sites cutting off uploads at 100K (HotJobs is one), others cut off at 200K (CareerBuilder is one), and still others that accept any file size we throw at them.

For the successful online job seeker, several resume file sizes may be needed and, regardless of file size, all must be crafted to convey the same message and communicate virtually the same information. It's a challenge and it requires a full time approach and careful attention to detail.

Smaller file size requirements obviously favor the "no more than one" or "no more than three" page approach to creating resumes. For recent grads and folks with less than five years experience, that's simple enough. For the contractor or consultant with 10 gigs in the last five years, or folks with 10 or more years experience, creating a resume in MS Word with a file size less than 100K is daunting.

The simplest approach is probably the best and, in this case, simpler means less "version control" across multiple resumes. That could mean one version (.doc, .pdf, or other document format) at less than 100k used for submissions and uploads everywhere. A more realistic approach involving minimal version control is creating two versions: One at less than 100K and the other at less than 200K.

Use the less than 100K file for submissions to sites with restrictive upload limits and the less than 200K file for everything else.

Resume file format
Some boards require resumes in plain text only, others take MS Word, Rich Text, and/or PDF. Some accept HTML and others: No way.

Some job boards reformat resumes sent as documents into HTML for on-line display. These sites have various formatting requirements (some stated; some not) to help manage that conversion in a relatively friendly fashion.

Most sites have a link to information on how to optimize the resume format for submissions. Do not ignore that link: Use it if they offer it and customize the resume format for optimal results. Optimal is always the better choice.

For better results, create three versions: MS Word, Adobe PDF, and plain text. Don't forget that each of these three versions needs to meet the file size criteria previously discussed. That could mean, given both less than 100K and less than 200k file size versions, creating each in a different file type as well. Fortunately, that usually isn't required.

For one thing, plain text versions rarely present issues with file size constraints. A 200K MS Word resume, for example, saved as plain text should be easily less than 30K and submit without issue to just about any site that accepts plain text. It won't be pretty, but it will upload.

Plain text resumes may not display well when converted to HTML compared to more sophisticated formats. They also lack formatting options that lead to easy reading. Plain text, on the plus side, easily scans into databases used by job boards, employers, and recruiters. Job seekers must have a plain text resume version but it shouldn't be the only version.

Converting or printing to Adobe's Portable Document Format (PDF) usually reduces the file size of an MS Word document. At the very least, it won't be a larger file size. Another advantage to PDF is that conversion to HTML is usually pretty smooth. However, PDF documents scan to some but not all databases. In a case where it is known that a resume is going to a database (recruiters, most large HR departments), it's better to send MS Word, RTF, or Plain Text instead of PDF.

PDF is an excellent format for personal email since file size is smaller, formatting is retained, changes are not allowed, and almost everyone has the capability to view PDF documents. Job seekers should have this file type but remember it's not scannable into all databases.

MS Word documents get big fairly quickly, especially if colors, multiple fonts, and a lot of formatting options are added. For a short resume ( 1 - 3 pages), this shouldn't represent a file size issue. If the resume is five pages, it's probably north of 100K. If the resume is eight to ten pages, it's probably north of 200K. When creating a resume in Word, keep a close watch on the file size and choice of formatting options.

One MS Word formatting option worth mentioning concerns tables vs columns. Most job boards that convert resumes to HTML render tables as expected -- the same way it looks in Word. Columns, however, do not render the same -- the columns are lost, becoming long paragraphs.

On the other hand, converting a Word document with tables into other formats (Rich Text or Plain Text) requires a lot of manual clean-up. Not so with columns. Some job boards recommend against tables for this reason.

Using tabs or spaces to create table-like sections in MS Word is not recommended. They rarely render well or convert easily.

There are open source options for document creation that get away from relying on MS Word.Google Docs is one "cloud" or on line example. Open Office is another, downloadable, runs-from-the-desktop option. Most open source applications allow saving in MS Word, PDF, and other formats.

For job seekers without MS Word, cloud and open source applications may represent the best solution. It may be a good option for any job seeker wanting to maintain one source file with multiple compatibility options.

No matter which or how many sites or job boards used or their file formats, focus on consistency in content and message across all.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three

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Success Techniques: On line Job Search (II)

Posted by: William W. (Woody) Williams

Online Job Search: Recommendations for Success (II)

Other Job Board Vagaries and Twists of Fate
One job board -- don't remember which at the moment and it might be more than one -- won't accept a school added to a member profile unless a degree is selected. If career related courses were taken, for example, at a community college but no degree obtained from that institution, it can't be included in the profile. Other job boards have a "no degree" option available.

Most job boards won't accept a school added to a member profile (degree or not) unless a physical location / address for the institution is selected. "Online" is not an option. That is non-intuitive since there are numerous online colleges with no brick and mortar attached. So, if a certification course was completed online from Villanova, for example, then the profile shows the location as a suburb of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

The "school locations" constraint is probably there to avoid confusion between schools with the same name in different locations. However, it may result in employers or recruiters assuming this means a residency in Philadelphia, for example, when that is not the case. At the very least, for those with credentials from on line educational organizations, it means digging around and finding a physical address.

The amount and kind of similar vagaries are too numerous to list or categorize logically.

Bottom line: Be prepared to accept and handle these things on a one-off basis. Be flexible; take a deep breath; move on.

Employer web sites
Job applicants, in most cases, should expect corporate HR sites to be onerous, capricious, complex, less rational, and more time consuming than any other on line entity. Only the largest and most conscientious organizations make an attempt to provide a clean, friendly, user experience. These are few and far between.

The odds are good that one of the resume file formats and sizes created can be uploaded to a corporate HR site. But, be prepared, many do not accept a resume at all preferring, instead, for applicants to build a resume or application from scratch using their proprietary system. Some require opening an account with log on and password, profile building, and more.

Bottom Line Again: Be flexible; accept what comes and move on.

Other online documents

References
Create a list of references in a couple of file formats -- one document (.doc, .rtf, pdf) format for submissions and email and one in plain text. References are not typically required unless an interview is scheduled, however some HR / corporate websites require references up front. Use the plain text version to easily cut and paste into on line forms.

Never send references unless requested to do so and the recipient is trusted.

Cover Letter
Probably not as meaningful for contract opportunities as for permanent positions but a good idea for all.

Create a simple template document. Include a section for "Requirements and Response" and a Value Proposition. An "availability statement" is particularly important if relocating or working away from home .

For each submission, cut and paste the specific job requirements to the "Requirements and Response" section and bullet the list. For each requirement, briefly note if it's met or not (Yes/No) and a brief statement. "Yes, expert, 10 years," for example. Be sure to include all the job requirements posted.

Research the company, its culture, and goals. Tell them why/how those goals are fulfilled and the culture a good fit. Quantify the value brought to the table and tell them what it means for this position.

If the position, for example, requires experience in process improvement, include a statement based on verifiable personal experience such as...

• Reduced call center resource needs by over 30% through process improvement initiatives.
  

If research shows, for example, the potential employer values team building highly, include a statement based on verifiable personal experience like..

• Increased retention rates in key resources by 25% in one year through team building, advocacy, and leadership.

That's the idea behind cover letters.

Most job boards allow members to save cover letters. Use the same template on all and customize for each submission.

Documents: The Point
The point of the cover letter is to motivate a real person to take the next step and look at the resume rather than hit the "next" key. Be very brief and focused on meeting the specific needs of the employer and, therefore, generating interest in reading / viewing the resume.

The point of the resume is to motivate a real person to take the next step and schedule an interview. Customize each submission to the needs of the employer. Be specific and be brief about the quantified, verifiable value the candidate brings in terms of the specific position and specific corporate culture.

The point of the interview is to get the job... but that's not in scope at the moment. It is important to understand the flow of things... from cover letter to resume to interview, and what the point is for each document submitted.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three

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Success Techniques: On line Job Search (III)

Posted by: William W. (Woody) Williams

Online Job Search: Recommendations for Success (III)

A Systematic Approach
Develop a systematic approach... a process by which resumes, cover letters, and the data points required for submission are close at hand, organized, and systematically used.

At the very least, create various resume versions -- all conveying the same message and synchronized content -- to meet typical on line submission requirements.

Resumes should be designed and crafted for ease in customization -- to speak to a specific submission. Customize for each submission -- usually by deleting irrelevant content.

In other words the "basic" resume versions that are public on the job boards are broad -- they include the full experience and skill set. A customized resume for a specific submission is usually briefer and only includes the experience and skill set relevant to this particular position. Big resume = broad coverage. Smaller resume = Specific submission.

Store different "basic" versions (file size and formats) in a logical file system. Ditto for cover letters and references. Store specific (customized) submissions in a different file system -- more below on that point.

In addition, a text file or other document with data required for submissions (especially employer HR sites) but not typically included on a resume is also helpful. Previous residence information, is one example.

Become very fast and efficient -- a cut-and-paste daemon of mythical proportions.

Keep all submissions. Store them in a logical file structure. Here's one way to do so.

• Create a folder named "Resume" to hold the basic versions
• Create a sub-folder under "Resume" named "Submitted."
  
• Create sub-folders under "Submitted" with company names: XYZ_Inc or ABC_Agency.
  
• Stash each submission in its company named folder.

This allows quick, easy access to refer back to any submission when selected for an interview or phone screen. Ditto for email submissions. This is important; do it.

Critical: Synchronizing the Public View
When a recruiter or employer views a LinkedIn profile, then looks at a resume, they may also have access to the Dice or Monster profile of a candidate. Everything should "synch" and look the same. If a skill on the resume shows 5 years experience, the same skill on Monster shows 3 years, and on LinkedIn the skill isn't mentioned at all, they will not offer the job to that candidate.

The "basic" resume and profile across all platforms should say the same thing in terms of message and content even though the look and feel varies depending on the site. Even if it's not a best-in-class, professionally produced resume, at least the job seeker is consistent. That's a good thing.

An Online List and Updates
Make a list of job boards, recruiters, organizations, business networking, and personal networking sites. Ones used currently and those targeted for future use. Make sure log on / password information is saved (securely) for quick access and sign-on.

Use the list to ensure alignment between all public profiles and resumes. It's like a 2-do or checklist when making changes or additions to resumes or profile information... a map of where the change should flow. This is invaluable (critical) for "version control."

When the next job is landed, use this list to systematically back-out or go private. It serves as a map showing where the public items are posted. Going through the list means going "private" again very quickly.

Make systematic and regular updates to public profiles and resumes on job boards, LinkedIn, and recruiter / corporate web sites. For active job seekers, monthly is not too often. Recently updated resumes and profiles generate more interest from employers and recruiters alike. Create a calendar event and include a reminder -- the first or last weekend of each month, for example -- and update everything on a regular basis.

Social Networks & Business Networks
Facebook, MySpace, Flickr, and Ning, for example, are social networks. LinkedIn, in contrast, is a business network. Both social and business networks are important, especially how they are managed.

Social networks, even though not necessarily business related, may contain connections that are... Either now or in the future. What is said on social networks does matter -- or may matter in the future -- in ways that affect career advancement. Another important point: Potential employers and recruiters can view public profile information on social networks. Manage social networks with these points in mind.

One good approach is making a clean separation between business and social online networks. For example: LinkedIn -- only for business; Facebook -- only for friends. Don't connect on Facebook with the same people connected with on LinkedIn. Keep connection preferences and profile views on social networks private -- "friends only." Be careful in selection of those friends. Usually just family and close personal friends.

At the very least, "clean up" the public parts of social networks when actively job seeking. Comments about previous employers, opinions about people in business organizations or the organizations themselves, comments about politics, religion, news, events, and the like -- even when positive -- can be, and are subject to interpretation. Seemingly innocuous remarks made in a public, online venue may result in another individual being selected for a desirable position.

Going a step further... make sure profiles posted on social networks are synchronized with profiles elsewhere.

Email updates
Build an email list based on previous email contacts and friendly connections on LinkedIn or other networks. Include recruiters who have shown interest in the past, people who are willing to personally help, hiring managers, and the like.

The list should only include people with whom we had previous contact concerning job opportunities. That last bit is important -- people with whom we had previous contact. It's an "interested party" list, not spamola. Keep it updated; current.

When the job search begins, send an updated resume, perhaps an availability statement (where / when), and, perhaps an updated value proposition statement to the list. With each regular update of on line profiles and resumes, send an update to the list. Not every week... but once a month is probably OK.

In each email update, mention the "previous contact" thing briefly to refresh any lagging memory banks. Say, again briefly, that this is an update to the resume, "for your review and comment." Attach it, include it in the email, and/or provide a link to it. Just that: No begging. No "pitch." Just an update.

When the new, "next" job becomes reality, send an email update to the list signaling success and ending the need for assistance. If it's a contract and there are recruiters on the list, mention the contract end date and ask for future job recommendations after that date.

Conclusion

It is what it is.
For first time job seekers or those just beginning the online job search process after some time in a permanent position, ramp-up is considerable and frustration a constant companion. It will take time, especially in today's market, so be prepared for a lengthy process. Be patient, work online and offline networks -- and synchronize.

Bottom Line: Be flexible; every challenge has an opportunity in it somewhere. Get a system together and use it. Success will come.

Part One
Part Two
Part Three

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