Category Archives: Career
Is It Irresponsible For Colleges To Continue To PUSH Traditional Marketing As A Major?
We are at a transitional period with technology and things are changing very quickly. It is quite amazing to be aware and involved with this transition from what is considered a traditional means of advertising and marketing to the very technology focused era of digital marketing.
I remember when the Internet initially became mainstream, it was a very exciting time as a technology user to be involved. I remembered thinking how cool it would be to be involved with technology from the inside, as a person actually driving the growth of the technology.
The first boom of technology really put us in a position to see such growth in this field. It was so very different than what is online now; it is quite amazing how things have grown and how quickly they have grown. The Internet initially was VERY text driven and basic. I you go to a website called the Wayback Machine you can actually see how your favorite website displayed during the first boom of the Internet. You will be quite amazed at the changes and growth of technology in a relatively short period of time.
A few years ago I decided to go back to school after returning ten years previously to get my Bachelors Degree in Business. This time I decided to get a Graduate Degree in Internet Marketing and this was driven by my need to be a part of the evolution of technolgy. When I started doing my research online every search produced Full Sail University as the only option that taught everything thing that I was interested in learning. They were very cutting edge and differed from any other University that I’ve ever seen with their platform and coursework. So of course Full Sail was the option for me.
After spending so much time in traditional sales and marketing industries and having a love for all things Internet related, this was a natural progression for me. So I went full steam ahead into this exciting and evolving industry. I felt a real sense of urgency when moving into this field because I knew that is would be life altering and I was correct.
Digital Marketing has truly changed how all industries are promoting and advertising their organizations. Traditional marketing, which was partially driven by physical media, has had a 180-degree change. I am not minimizing the role of traditional marketing only stating that it has changed. It has change so quickly that it has grown even beyond what I was taught in Graduate school just 2 years ago. That is astounding.
When I attended Full Sail University the curriculum was geared toward giving students the most cutting edge knowledge needed to either work with an organization, start your own organization or grow your current organization. Honestly I’ve never seen a University embrace cutting edge technologies as I’ve seen Full Sail University. This really makes me proud to be Alumni, because I graduated from the best!
Attending such a cutting edge university made me take a look at the offerings of some of the other universities. This is when I realized that there are so many universities and colleges still offering degrees in Traditional Marketing. I am really amazed that more universities have NOT pursued offering degrees in Digital/Internet Marketing or even altered their curriculum to incorporate MORE digital marketing courses.
I was speaking to a few people about traditional marketing degrees and the dire need for colleges and universities to take a look at what they are teaching. Hello? Traditional Marketing as we once knew it, does not exist anymore. I am not saying that it’s totally gone, only that it is a hybrid of what it once was at best. Due to this fact colleges and universities should address their curriculum immediately.
Teaching traditional marketing in a world that no longer exclusively utilizes this media as a primary means of advertising and marketing is irresponsible on the part of the university. The goal of colleges and universities are to prepare students for work in the real world. Continuing to teach marketing as it was many years ago only prepares students for a world that no longer exists. We have evolved way past brochures, print media, flyer and other traditional marketing strategies.
Time to step it up colleges and universities that have not altered their marketing curriculum in the past two years or so. What you are teaching is obsolete at worse and dated as best. Either way it does NOT prepare your graduates for the new world of Digital Marketing.
The takeaway: When looking for a college or university make sure their curriculum is up to date and prepares you for the field that will best put you on the best path for your career.
The Three T’s Of The New Workplace Organizational Structure: Technology, Teamwork and Time With [Infographic]
We are truly in new and unchartered lands when it comes to technology. We are experiencing growth and change at a rate of speed in which I’ve never experiences due to the growth of technology primarily excelerated by the growth of smaller devices like tablets and smart phones. These technologies are now having a profound effect on how we live in our personal and business lives. Technology in regard to our personal lives is a little bit easier to adapt to; however, technology growth within the workplace is a whole different animal.
When planning a new technology strategy, there are so many things that have to be considered. Some of those things are how people will adapt to the introduction of new technology, training staff, how it will effect the budget and more. If a company is a B2B or B2C it can be that more difficult to adapt, change and embrace new technologies on an organizational level. Of course for some organizations it can be an easier process but for some it can be a challenge. Companies that are involved with technology on a certain level will of course adapt better to change, but those that are totally removed from technology may struggle a bit more than those that work within the technology industry.
Although technology has grown at such a fast rate we are all still trying to catch up with all of the changes. I once said that at any given day you can feel like a n00b because of the super quick growth to technology, social media and digital marketing channels. We are truly in a different work era now due to the the boom of technology and although technology can be used to streamline our processes, save time and make things easier often times that is not the case because we are all still learning to utilize those technologies within our workplace more effectively.
The first thing that we must do when planning to implement new technology within our organization, is to realize that we are indeed in a different workplace era now due to the growth of technology and adapt accordingly. That, I must say, will probably be the biggest challenge in the new technology focused workplace. We are now a part of a technology boom that is equivalent to the initial introduction of PC into the workplace. So I cannot promise that the process will be easy and seamless. We can use the technology that is growing so quickly as an asset to our organizations or allow it to be a burden. A few very basic things to keep in mind are the fundamentals and I call them the Three T’s Of the New Workplace Organizational Structure:
Technology:
We must first learn to embrace technology in general as time is not going to roll back to suit you in your need to hold on to the pre-technology days. Then we must discover the technologies that we deem to be appropriate for our business. Not all technology, social media and or digital media channels are appropiate for all businesses. Exploring new technologies can be as easy or as hard as a company can make it. The first step would be to assign or hire a person that is familiar with a variety of technologies, that have embraced new technologies and can lead your company on the right path. After finding out what technologies and or digital marketing strategies work for your organization, implement a plan to integrate those technologies into your company organizational structure.
The implementation process is what will probably be the hardest challenge, and this is especially the case with older organizational structures. The key is to have professional guidance and get started sooner rather than later because technology will never wait for you to catch up.
Teamwork:
One of the greatest things about the growth of technology is that it presents organizations with an opportunity to take a look at their organizational structure and tweak it if needed to integrate more of a teamwork structure if it is conducive to the organization as a whole. Technology will almost force people within the organization to work as a team due to the huge effect that technology has on the entire organization. There is no aspect of an organization that will be exempt from the use of technology when its implemented so this will create more of a teamwork atmosphere. Teamwork is great for employees, the workflow and the bottom line which is good for the entire company. You know what they say, there is no I in team.
Time:
As we utilize technology more effectively and implement a more team oriented workplace it can actually minimize the amount of time spent on task and streamline organizational workflow. This is of course contingent upon effective utilization and adaption of technology, increased teamwork and proper training of staff.
We are at a point in the workplace that we are NOT utilizing time effectively which minimizes productivity and maximizes the amount of time spent doing tasks. Consequently our days are longer, our workflow is not as effective as it should be and organizations are not running as smoothly as they could. Take a look at the Infographic below which will give you an idea of exactly how ineffectively we are managing our time within the workplace. A few tweaks to organizational structure to implement a teamwork dynamic and implementation of effective technologies could really change this slippery slope that we are on.
Source: OnlineMBA.com
Ultimately the goal is to utilize technology strategies that are smart for the employees and organization as a unit in order to use time more effectively while creating a teamwork inspired organizational structure. This is the new workplace organizational structure, embrace it!
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#Technology and #Entrepreneurship: The Answer To The Recession?? [Infographic]
We are in a recession, no doubt about that and it is tough. However recession and a tough economy can bring out the entrepreneur spirit in many people. In tough times people are almost forced to step it up. Some of the greatest companies in the world were created during tough economic times. There are many, one of those companies is Apple, can you believe that?
Amazing stuff! It seems that due to our own economic downturn we could very well be in the middle of our own entrepreneurship boom and I think a lot of that is fueled by the super quick growth of technology. Take a look at the infographic below to give you an idea of where innovation is happening:
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Technology Growth: Look Beyond Silicon Valley For Your Next GIG [Infographic]
As we all know technology has grown and I am hearing that there may be a challenge for companies to find workers in this industry due to the big boom. I am definitely all for a consult in the Philadelphia area anytime and I’m sure lots of other people are looking for that next consult or even gig. The people in my circles always have room for another consult (cha-ching…that’s my catch phrase…seriously)
So what’s a person to do, head out to Silicon? Umm yeah, as glamorous as that seems, the average person just can’t pick up and leave, family, kids, good cheesesteaks. Yeah did I say Cheesesteaks? Well there may be at least one other option. Take a look at the infographic below to give you an idea of where you could start.
Via MBA@UNC: Online MBA
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2012 Is Here: Time to Rock Your Job Search with Social Media
We are all living in a very technology driven and social media oriented world. It seemed as one minute we were typing a way and the next we’re all on Facebook, Twitter and Linkedin. This happened in a very short span of time and we are all reeling from how different everything is. It is a very new and exciting time to be involved with technology and to be in a position to take advantage of all that it has to offer. Some are really going with technology and some are like WTH! Both responses are very understandable. 
One of the areas that we have not adapted to using Social Media is in our job search, beyond Linkedin of course. I think this is primarily because some of the cool tools out there are not as mainstream and popular. Again this is because there are so many new platforms out there that its hard to keep up, but there are some really cool platforms that will add a new spin to your hunt for that next consult or employment opportunity.
New technologies and social media used in this very tough job market could allow you to stand apart from the brutal competition that we are all going up against to gain the next consulting or job opportunity. What better way to do that than to add a few cool social elements to your job search.
A few Tips:
Traditional resumes are great and the have really served the purpose for many years, they still do but there are are a few options available that can be used as a compliment to a traditional resume.
- Zerply: Is an online resume format that allows you to create a wonderful display of your employment accomplishments for all to see in a beautiful and easy to use online format.
- Vizualizeme: Is still in Beta so you will have to request an invite. This format is also an online resume format and it allows you to create and infographic styled resume. You can customize the look and totally make it your own.
- Re.Vu: Is another online format that I really love. I just created an online resume using this format and it is a bit of a combination of all of the above AND it creates a QR Code for your online resume. You can then add the QR code to your business cards, traditional resume and all other marketing materials.
You can also go one step further by adding a social element to your email. After all an email is the first thing that will be noticed when you send your resume. So why not add a few social elements to that as well.
- Wisestamp: Allows you to create a simple email signature with all of your social media platforms.
- BrandMyMail: Is amazing! I just started using it and it allows you add video, blog posts, an email signature and more to your email.
A few more things:
- Clean up your social media presence
- Update your traditional resume
- Update your LinkedIn profile
Good Luck! Happy consulting & job hunting in 2012!
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Will Your Organization Be Embracing The Telecommuting Trend?
I just heard that due to political issues in the Middle East there may be an issue with allowing oil to the US, this could potentially push gas prices up to as much as $5.00 per gallon by the summertime. I anticipate that this may cause an undo burden upon everyone. The workforce and employees may very well be effected by this more than most, especially those with a longer commute.
This could be an opportunity for employers to consider telecommuting as an option for positions and employes that would benefit. The amazing thing about this option is that due to technology it is really possible to make telecommuting a very real and beneficial thing to all involved. The could be a win-win situation for all involved.
Sun Microsystems saved more than $67 million in real estate expenses in 2006 when they shifted 18,000 workers into a telecommuting operation, and Sun saves more than $70 million every fiscal year on real estate costs and operating expenses due to their use of telecommuting workers.
That is some amazing statistics on the benefits of Telecommuting! Take a look at the cost of commuting below:
So compare what you could save, how much commuters spend and how much they will spend if gas goes up to $5.00. I do believe it’s time to seriously think about telecommuting as a realistic option for your organization.
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Freelancers: Stop Slacking and Start Branding…Yourself
Once I realized that I would be venturing out on my own, a bit sooner than I had planned due to unique circumstances I knew that it was very important that I really brand myself effectively. Yes, I said branding myself. While in grad school I had a Branding Class that really happened at such a transitional time in my life but most importantly really affected how I viewed companies and myself as a brand. This class really demonstrated and taught the importance of effecting branding, that really extends to individuals as well.
I’ve recently noticed a lot of people with phrases that describe their employment as, Self employed and loving it, I work for myself, or even Me in an area that requires a job title. This is great to make a statement, joke about with friends and or when you are hanging out with your pals. However if you are serious about your chosen path of self employment or as a freelancer, you are NOT doing yourself a favor or effectively marketing YOUR BRAND.
When self employed you are in a position that you can really call the shots for yourself, work at your own pace and work from any location even on the beach if you want. How awesome is that? Well on the flip side, you are also totally responsibility for accounting, sales and marketing YOURSELF. This is why effective branding is very important.
Even if you are using your given name as your business you should create a memorable brand identity and that starts with a professional logo. I say professional logo because when you start in creation of your brand identity you want to make sure that your brand is presented in a professional manner and that the logo is created in a variety of different formats. If you are graphically challenge, you may want to go with a graphic designer to tackle this project for you. You should have a copy of your logo in jpg, pdf, png with a transparent background and EPS formats. The importance of having your logo in EPS format is that it allows the logo to be resized effectively without pixelation. This allows you to add your logo to web and print projects and have them look professional.
Creation of your logo is the first part of creating an effective brand identity for YOU as a freelancer or self employed person. So start spreading your newly branded logo around! Add it to your blog, all of your social media channels and don’t forget to add it to your email signature. Now that you have your logo completed you can now create a great color scheme to match your logo and add it to your entire online presence. So let the Branding begin!!
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#Cloud Computing & Smacking Down Old School Organizational Structures
I recently wrote about organizations with old school marketing departments and how they will be soon rendered useless. Well, I think I was less harsh with the phrasing, however you all know what I mean. Well, if you think beyond the Marketing Departments of these organizations you will realize that companies and organizations that have held on to an old school way of marketing are usually holding on to an old school way of doing business as well.
Old school organizational structures are a thing of the past. This is primarily due to the growth of technology, social media and companies becoming more global. As technology grows so does the mindset of employees and potential employees. This can present a challenge to organziations if they are running the company as they did in 1980. We will not even discuss companies that have not changed their way of operating since the 1960′s or before.
Times have changed, people have changed, technology has changed and companies have to adapt their business structure accordingly. Some technology changes that have had the biggest impact on workers are mobile technologies. These technologies allow workers to think outside of The CUBE. This means that options for talented employees will grow due to the ability to become more mobile with the growth of technology. Technology is allowing employees to think outside of their immediate commutable area because they are reaching the point in technology growth that they will no longer be limited by distance. Mobile technology is allowing this to happen right before our eyes. The advancement in computer technologies which has brought us Tablets and Smartphones has moved us that much closer to true mobility in workplace or workforce I should say.
Image via Wikipedia
Cloud computing is one of the final pieces of the puzzle that will allow employees to be totally mobile. This is HUGE for employees because it will allow them to unchain themselves from their cubicle. This is a great thing for employees that are thinking of expanding their opportunities. However this may present challenges to the old school organization that have not remained abreast of the growth in technologies.
Cloud computing will allow workplaces to essential remove the need to have a huge server/computer room which is currently used for maintaining data storage and integrity. Cloud computing allows this data to be stored in “The Cloud” which allows the information to be ready accessible by all with permission to utilize it. Can we say HUGE??
If companies are able to implement this properly it will allow employees to be cubicle-less and totally mobile. Although this is huge for employees because it would allow them the ability to work from home, work from the beach, work from a little bistro in Italy if they choose. This can also benefit employers as well.
Companies can view this as a negative as some old school organizations may, but it can be viewed as a positive for companies as well. As an organization that is receptive to change, has embraced new technologies, and a change in organizational structure this will give them the opportunity to scout talent beyond the local area. This means increasing the chances of implementing a more global employee base. The ability to grab the best and most talent employees from any location in the world will increase with the acceptance of Cloud Computing. Again, this is HUGE.
So ultimately everyone can view these technological advancements as a win win for all. Cloud Computing is a game changer to employees and employers. How we chose to view these changes will determine how we adapt moving forward as employees and employers.
As usual, I welcome comments, good, bad, ugly or indifferent. So feel free to leave a comment here, or catch me on Twitter, Facebook or Google+.
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#SocialMedia The Route To Your Next Gig [INFOGRAPHIC]
Social Media has pretty much replaced most forms of traditional print media so it is totally understandable that the hunt for a job has been also effected by social Media. I have seen lots of social media channels advertising jobs and even some channels that have even created a company job board.
Take a look at the infographic below to give you an idea of how much the job market has been changed by Social Media
Created by: MBA Online
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Land the Tech Job of Your Dreams
As a tech focused person I am always interested in what’s going on in technology in general, innovations, news and the companies that are behind them. Some of the heavy hitters like Google, Apple and Facebook are the companies that I watch more often as they set the trends in technology. I always like to know what they are doing, how they are doing it and who’s working on these projects.
If you are a person that’s involved in any technology industry it would be as close to heaven as you could imagine to snag a position at any of the huge tech companies that are literally driving innovation. Take a look at some things you could do to make this happen.
Created by: Masters Degree
