Would you like to use your own devices while at work? Sixty-four percent of working adults would like to!
If 64% want to use their smartphones while at work, I wonder how many actually do?
Just take a look your friends’ and co-workers’ social media accounts. Were posts and comments made during working hours? (There are a limited number of breaks during the day!)
While social media can be a distraction for some employees, others work better for a few little lighthearted breaks throughout the day, even if it’s just to read their timeline for 2 minutes or text briefly with a friend or spouse.
However, 23% of companies have no plans to allow employees to use social media while at work because of current IT policy (personal devices can be distracting and used so much that it prevents work from being done).
It is predicted that by 2016, 50% of email users will connect to their company’s network by a browser, tablet, or mobile device.
Graphic courtesy of Sunrise Software
In the current age, the IT sector is one of the fastest growing sectors and therefore offers a wide array of jobs to all those in search of them. However, while searching for a job in this sector, one has to know exactly what he/she is looking to find. There are several kinds of jobs offered in the world of IT and these range from desktop support to system administrators to network engineers to computer programmers, etc.
Let’s delve into the job entailments of the above mentioned just to get an idea of the differences. Desktop support basically refers to the role of creating the interface between clients and different companies. People in such positions usually interact with clients mostly through a telephone or by using a remote desktop. They deal with fairly simple, day-to-day user problems and also provide information about the company and its products to already existing clients or to potential clients.
This particular job requires only basic computer skills and mainly focuses on people skills. System administrators are the people who are tasked with ensuring the smooth and efficient running of the company’s operating system and they deal with any errors that may arise therein. There are also those who specialize in certain software products and work at improving such software products.
Network engineers design, implement and manage networks that allow interaction between clients and the servers. This particular line involves dealing with routers and switches and involves working a lot of after hours to ensure that the network is constantly updated in order to give the clients the best possible experience. Network engineers are always in high demand.
Lastly, computer programmers are people with vast knowledge and proficiency in computer languages who design various user oriented application software. They therefore convert solutions into a language that the computer understands. They are also very high in demand.
Once an individual understands these various posts, he/she is able to pick what category he best fits in and starts on the journey of how to actually get the job. Steps that should be followed are fairly simple. To begin with, get the necessary skills. This is a requirement for all fields.
One has to have the required skills in order to get any job. Therefore, learn as much as you can in your particular field either from learning institutions, from the internet, from mentors and any other source that can provide any relevant skills.
Move on to preparing a quality resume. To a job seeker, a resume is the strongest selling point of your personal brand. Therefore, prepare a well-drafted and neat resume, devoid of any grammatical errors. Be sure to state all your skills and any experience that you may have acquired at previous jobs. Do NOT lie in your resume, all lies eventually catch up with you in the long run. If you’re not sure how to format your resume there are websites that will show you how to make a resume.
With a good resume completed, start networking. This is about making yourself known to the relevant people. Networking can be done in a number of ways such as through fairs and seminars. One can also create an online profile and leverage social media to have your online CV and portfolio out there fore any interested IT savvy employer.
Finally, be aggressive in your job hunt. Literally have your ear to the ground. Be fast to respond and apply to all relevant job openings. This involves responding to newspaper advertisements and also online advertisements. Being the IT sector, leveraging platforms such as Twitter can enable you get information faster than traditional media.
Article contributed by Erik Bowitz from Resume Companion, an authority on resumes and interviewing having been featured on career sites such as Forbes and BrazenCareerist. When not pushing the limits of resumes Erik enjoys making pancakes and sailing.
Here is a quick graphic on bankruptcy and some recent brands that have filed for bankruptcy. Of note are Movie Gallery and Blockbuster, two movie rental businesses that have gone under with the rise of online movies. The growth of some industries can force others to go under. One other major electronics company to file for bankruptcy is Circuit City.
Courtesy of: Taggart Law Offices
Like the rest of the government, and like the rest of the world for that matter, digital technology is now an inseparable aspect of GSA contract functionality and process. The best example of this is eOffer/eMod, an online application that lets contractors work up and submit their GSA Schedule offers and modification requests to the Federal Acquisition Service online.
Where past programs like grants.gov had simply been a sort of job board, this secure system governs the entire process and both an RFP manager and a submission manager. Ultra-secure, it employs digital authentication technology and digital certificates to guarantee the integrity and stability of the data you submit.
With all security measures come drawbacks. In this case, it will take seven to fourteen business days for a digital certificate to be processed, and this is after the required paperwork has been notarized. Further, the certificates must be renewed every two years. Contractors must keep their certificates up to date, as an expired digital certificate will not be accepted.
Benefits
This technological ubiquity in the proposal application process is not without its benefits. In fact, most would say that they far outweigh the detriments. For one, the system is easy-to-use, and boasts a progressive screen design for submitting Schedule proposals. eOffer/eMod guides users through the solicitation and modification steps, automates the submission process via an email function, and provides for the electronic signature of documents.
Catching Up
The government is no stranger to modernization criticism. From politics to policy, the government has long been notoriously stubborn, refusing to change internal systems or make concessions for changes in the way it interacts with the public. As we have seen technology begin to completely take over the “real world,” we have seen the government have problems with everything from electronic voting booths to electronic tax returns. eOffer/eMod is truly a step in the right direction, and it takes away needless administrative steps and delivers responsibility for this aspect of managing contractor relations where it belongs – with the contractor.
Moving Forward
So with the advancement comes at least a small measure of streamlined simplicity, not yet another step, which is what the government us usually guilty of. With this, both public and private entities are optimistic that the federal government will be more user friendly in the years to come.
William Deutsch hails from Northern Virginia and is a marketing specialists for expert GSA consultants who can be found at gsacontract.com.
Statistics are interesting things, and the statistics on causes of death can be quite surprising. It is amazing how many technological things are more dangerous than sensational causes of death. Tip for everyone sitting in an office, or working from home, be sure to make exercise a regular part of your routine.
Infographic courtesy of Hulenlaw.com.
Courtesy of: Hulen Law
The hot commodity in the tech world right now is definitely tablet computers. Apple’s iPad pioneered this category with its launch several years ago, but since that time every other major operating system has made a foray into the tablet market. As smartphones have become increasingly popular, they have approached market saturation. Now tech companies are racing to get their tablets into the hands of consumers, and there is lot of growth in this market as a result.
Despite Microsoft’s attempt at a tablet operating system with Windows 8, Apple’s iOS and Google’s Android remain the dominant players in the market. Apple’s iOS is only available on the iPad. Though they offer several different models, including the iPad mini, most iPads are fairly similar. Android, on the other hand, is run on tablets produced by a variety of manufacturers. At the top of the line are the Nexus products, where Google works closely with the manufacturers to design tablets they specifically approve of. The Nexus line of products are specifically designed to run Android very well. They also get updates very quickly, while some manufacturers leave their hardware on older versions of Android for a while.
So which one is better? Both are the top of the line within their own respective categories. The iPad costs a little more for similar hardware, so the budget conscious user might prefer the Nexus 10. Apple’s iPad boosts their highly-touted Retina display. While Google hasn’t focused on the Nexus’s screen as a major advantage, it actually has a higher resolution per inch and overall than the iPad.
Perhaps the biggest difference between the two is the software. Apple’s iOS has had a bit more time than their competitors to build up a large repository of apps. Although most major apps are available cross-platform, iOS still has a few apps that Andorid doesn’t yet have. That being said, Andorid also has apps that aren’t available on iOS for various reasons. If you don’t yet have a mobile computing device, then you might not know which apps you do or don’t want. For people who are looking for specific functionality in their tablets, however, the choice of operating systems can be very important. Also, some users just find it more convenient to stick to something they’re comfortable with, so iPhone or Apple computer users might find it more convenient to buy an iPad, and people with an Android phone might want to get a Nexus 10.
Google’s Andorid platform is a more open system for app developers, which encourages creativity and innovation. This is perhaps the biggest single advantage of the Andorid platform. Apple is known for their beautiful hardware design and easy to use products. While this still holds true for the iPad, the Android platform has caught up so much that Apple’s iPad doesn’t offer as much of an advantage as it used to. With the Nexus being slightly cheaper and not really having any disadvantages, why not choose it? The Nexus 10 and iPad are both great products, but the Nexus 10 has a slight lead.
This article was written by Andy G from http://www.helpjet.net/, a driver download website.
Measuring customer satisfaction is an important job aspect for any manager in the service industry. For IT, continuous advancement and variance in customer experience can greatly affect and skew the numbers analyzing customer satisfaction metrics. While there are many methods of gathering this data, it is unquestionably useful to compile the results in a database for easy access and interpretation. Here are some items that you should utilize to measure customer satisfaction, and then keep organized for your records.
Return Customers
Databases are great for tracking information, so why not track your return rate? How many of your customers are regulars? Occasional repeats? Tracking the number of first time customers can let you know how your marketing is doing. If you’re offering a service rather than a product, rate of return can signify how helpful you are. On the other hand, if someone has a one-time computer problem and you help them adequately, they may not need you again. There are a lot of factors to consider, but if you create a reliable process for recording the information, it will be easier to analyze later.
Customer Satisfaction Survey
In IT, it is important to gauge how helpful you are, and one of the best ways to do this is a customer satisfaction survey. Be sure to ask specific questions, gauging the reason for the visit, whether a problem was solved, and if not, why it wasn’t able to be resolved. Asking the customer questions about themselves may also reveal reasons for their answers about you. If they are knowledgeable in your industry, they will have different insight than someone who is not.
As useful as surveys are, it is important not to bombard people with them. No one wants to fill out the same information over and over again. Consider an optional customer comment box, and then occasional surveys, either with the new year, or with the roll-out of new products and services. Asking customers what they think before you make changes will make them feel in the loop and help you to anticipate their needs.
Database Maintenance
Of course, it is important to make sure your database stays relevant. This means regularly analyzing the data that it is compiling and the ways it is doing so. Do employees utilize the database in the best way possible? Is it capable of meeting the company’s needs? Is there a bunch of irrelevant information clogging up the system?
Routine maintenance is the only way to prevent your database from becoming obsolete. So whether you outsource your data analytics or manage it in-house, having reliable database performance monitoring software is a must.
Customer satisfaction is one of those business metrics that is really important, but difficult to measure. It is also easy to get so caught up in collecting the necessary data that you fail to utilize it. How do you measure customer satisfaction? How do you make sure you follow through?
Vanessa James is a business technology consultant and blogger. She enjoys reading about new technologies, especially while listening to The Rat Pack. She currently writes for Oracle performance monitoring software provider confio.com.
Working on a MAC machine is a great experience, however, the difficulty is much more problematic when issues begin popping up. A sudden interruption while performing an important task seems like a giant. Yes, problems may occur when corruption occurs in Mac OS X startup disk directory, cache files or permissions of system folders or files.
People generally form a wrong opinion that permissions tend to change automatically. In fact there is always something behind the changes in permissions. Have a look at some of the possible causes that lead to the problem:
If bad installers are used, permissions are more likely to change.
There are various causes of corruption in drive, such as sudden power disconnection, crashes in system etc. Such corruption increases the probability of alteration in permissions.
So, whenever you encounter change in permissions,the above two issues are often major causes of the problem.
Now, it is good to analyze the consequences that could occur due to changes in permission. First, in case of incorrect application of permissions, when Mac tries to access them, problems occur. Moreover, if an inbuilt program or other software needs some application, for which permissions have not been set properly, in this case the application fails to function. To resolve, Disk utility can be used.
Tip: It is good to have regular checks for permissions to avoid bad consequences. And in case a problem is found, it should be repaired by that time.
You can do the following to repair the permissions on your MAC machine:
Log in to the Administrator account
Close the applications that started automatically. Follow the startup items or login items of your account.
Go to ‘Macintosh HD’ then ‘Applications’, and then ‘utilities Folder’ to open Disk Utility
Select startup disk
Disk utility window appears; click ‘First Aid’ tab and then click ‘Repair Disk Permissions’
You can also determine the status of Repair Disk Permissions.
If you see the following message after completion of the process, quit Disk Utility:
“Permissions Repair Complete
The privileges have been verified or repaired on the selected volume”
If you find the following message, it indicates that the process failed to perform the task.
“Error: No valid packages (-9997)”
Oh, no! What should you do in such situation? No need to think about it much.
Keep your chin up; there are a number of Mac OS Repair software programs that will solve the problem in a short span of time. These systems are built by experts using sophisticated platforms. Therefore, you do not encounter a failure message ever. Moreover, you can get the software over the Internet.
Bio: This post is contributed by Abhay. He says, never let a Mac hard drive fail due to an error. Instead, use disk repair tool for Mac to fix a damaged partition.
For the man who has everything, here is our list of the top 5 kitchen gadgets that every man should own. They are so useful that you never know; the significant other in your life might even want to share them!
How often have you made a hot drink only to find that stuck at the bottom of the cup is all the sugar? Have you ever sat down with a hot chocolate and discovered most of the chocolate powder congealed at the bottom of the cup? Well an end to these problems is here. The self-stirring mug has a button on the handle which when pressed causes the inside of the mug to spin, giving your hot drink the final stir it may be lacking! The mug, which requires batteries, has a stainless steel outer case with plastic interior and even comes with a lid.
For many men who are responsible for their own diet, pizza is probably a staple. If this is the case then this revolutionary pizza cutter is for you. The Pizza Boss 3000 is designed to look like a circular saw. The cutter has a removable shield and a stainless steel blade which means that it makes light work of most foods that would need cutting in this way, its use by no means restricted to pizza. This is most definitely the kitchen gadget for the man who has everything.
If you have ever been about to open a bottle and have been unable to locate the opener then look no further. The owl corkscrew is a waiters’ friend with a unique owl design, making it easy to find, even in the most cluttered of kitchen drawers. The bonus is that not only is it a corkscrew but it also has a foil cutter and a bottle opener, meaning three tools for the price of one!
For men who like their burgers this ketchup bottle is absolutely perfect. It has the look of the space guns that used to be featured in cartoons and will take any chap back to his youth. The main body is red and it has an orange lid that screws on. It also features a ball shaped top which will ensure there are no spillages. If you fancy some childish fun at mealtimes then why not try blasting ketchup onto your food with this!
Say ‘hello’ to the peanut butter maker which will enable you to make your own peanut butter at home. This machine will allow you to use any shelled nuts of your choice, so as well as your own peanut butter you could be making macadamia or cashew butter in no time. Just pop the nuts in the machine and press a button. The machine will do all the hard work in providing you with butter that is either smooth or crunchy depending on your preferences.
So there you have it. Five ‘must have’ kitchen gadgets for men that we think will change the way you think about food, as well as making life a little easier!
This post was written by Mark Reeves exclusively for Digitizd, on behalf of Glotech.co.uk, who specialise in Bosch, Miele and Siemens washing machines.
From the latest iPhone to the newest camera, our obsession with gadgets never ends. 80% of the world’s population now owns a mobile phone while nearly a fifth of consumers in China, the UK and US own a tablet, such as the Microsoft Surface or Apple’s iconic iPad.
With rumours floating around of a ‘smartwatch’ from the style-savvy Apple and Google surprising yet again with their mysterious Google Glass project, we have become inseparable from our gadgets. Our lives seem incomplete without our smartphones or documenting our lives with Instagram’s vintage filters.
However, every once in a little while, major technology brands release a gadget that may seem to be a fantastic idea at the time, but fail to catch our imaginations and to sell.
Did you know that:
Join us as we delve into the weird and wonderful world of the 15 Gadgets That Never Made It.
’15 Gadgets That Never Made It’ by helpucover
