Essential Web Tools for Every Professional
If meetings and water-cooler conversations increasingly seem filled with jargon you don’t quite get�blog, IM, podcast, Facebook�take the hint: You’re a bit of a dinosaur. It’s time for a primer on Web 2.0.
You don’t need to be adept at programming or coding, but mastering a few emerging technologies can put a whole new set of business tools at your fingertips, helping you stay informed, serve clients better, and get tips on job openings. Whether you’re a 20-something just beginning to juice your career or a boomer looking forward to retirement, these guidelines will help sharpen your professional persona:
Learn the basics. Start with terminology, and get familiar with offerings like instant messaging, text messaging, and social networking sites. Just like phones and fax machines before them, these modern tools are becoming ubiquitous�and employers want workers who know how to use them. “I want to hear [workers] say they Googled this term or that a particular blog helped them piece together information for a project,” says Jim Finkelstein, the CEO of consulting firm Futuresense. “That tells me they work in a real-time environment.” In interviews, he pays close attention to the language candidates use for signs that they’re Web-conversant.
The easiest way to learn these technologies is to jump in and try using them. If you don’t have an iPod or MP3 player, buy one, or borrow your kid’s, and download a few podcasts. Listen while exercising or working around the house. While you’re at it, have the kids show you how to IM or send a text message.
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