Apple unveils their most recent OS today at the WWDC. What will we see? Will it be more of the same, or will there be a unified push to combine their iOS with their Desktop? Will they FOLLOW in the direction of Windows 8, (which is Gr8!) continue down the same old path of one size icon locked to a grid, OR will they return to the top with a completely new interface!
Only time will tell, and we shall see in just a few short hours...
Happy Monday!
KB
I have been a Mac guy since the first Mac Plus which I bought at the university bookstore—since the first iPod, iPhone then iPad—whatever it was, iHad to have it. It was always about the innovative UI and the way Apple presented the information to me. They had their slick icons, buttons and in the early days those cool "inits" that loaded like badges across the bottom of the screen that kept me engaged and intrigued. Now 10+ plus years later I am still looking at the same thing, just in 3D. Granted, there is nothing more comfortable than an old pair of shoes, but you wouldn't wear them to the office or show them off at a party because they are old, and worn.
Have you seen the Windows 8 phone and Desktop OS? The UI is innovative, intriguing and the information is right in front you—dynamically changing and keeping you more connected than ever before. W8 allows you to merge contacts, view all your social media outlets in one window, even post to all of them from one place. You can create shortcuts to contacts that provide feedback on miss calls, texts and email messages. There is so much innovation on the screen; I still can’t take my eyes off of it.
Since I have started using the Windows 8 phone as a test, (by the way, I bought it used off Craigslist when my iPhone 5's battery came out of place and needed to be fixed.) I have purchased a Windows 8 Tablet with touchscreen and have given up the iPhone 5 for work. Am I becoming a Windows guy? Probably not entirely but I am certainly a fan at this point.
Where is Apple? Is there no more innovation left? They are now so far behind Windows that they will be in catch-up mode and not the innovator they once were. It seems they are more concerned about competing with Rolex in the watch space then Microsoft in the OS space!
Only time will tell, but for now I have to say…. W8 is GR8!
Have a great weekend!
KB
Many job interviews include a question along the lines of "tell me about yourself." Interviewers ask this question to get a sense of how articulate the candidates are as well as how confident they are and what kind of impression they would make in the work setting. Additionally, "tell me about yourself" gives employers a sense of what potential employees deem to be important.When job interviewees practice best interviewing techniques, they embrace this opportunity to describe themselves in a positive light and put a focus on their strengths. When answered properly, the question puts the interviewee in control of the interview. He can set the mood and focus for the remainder of the interview, directing the questions that he wants to answer the most.There are several tips that interviewees can follow when answering this question to impress the interviewers even further.
- Be to the point. An employer is not looking for a life story. Potential employees can follow best interviewing practices by sharing up two or three notable pieces of information that are both interesting and useful. The information should be succinct and only cover what is necessary. Many interviewees opt to write out their answers ahead of time and practice them until they become natural. Interviewers should come away from this question with their interest piqued.
- Be articulate. One of the best interviewing tips is to portray professionalism as much as possible. Regardless of the job position at hand, interviewers will not be impressed by candidates that cannot convey information about themselves successfully. Articulation is another reason why it can be beneficial to practice answers to popular interview questions and prompts, such as "tell me about yourself," ahead of time. Practice helps the answers come together more smoothly during the actual interview.
- Have a specialized skill or value. Many job interviewees can describe strengths about themselves that are applicable to most candidates, such as hard working, punctual, or works well with others. A stellar interviewee will move beyond these characteristics when responding to the prompt "tell me about yourself" and describe skill sets or values that are specific to the position at hand. For example, if a teacher is applying for a special education job position, he may choose to describe the steps that he took to run successful IEP meetings during past teaching positions.
No trend in the past ten years has been more perplexing -- or necessary -- to businesses than social media. In fact,a recent report from socialmediatoday.com indicates that 90% of small business are active on social sites, and nearly all big businesses have a presence. Why? These sites are a low-cost channel for marketing and communication with your customers. But, unlike traditional marketing channels, social sites are ever evolving and must be maintained in real-time. Therefore, maintaining a respectable social presence requires time and money.
Your Companies Profile
First, social media is a “personal” representation of your company. Essentially, you want to say: “Look, we are people just like you . . . but we mean business.” This has been interpreted different ways across the industries. For example, NASA made big waves when it personalized the Mars rover Curiosity through twitter by personifying its tweets. Other companies take a more traditional route and use their social presence to promote campaigns and introduce new products.
Choosing Social Networks
Second, you need to figure out where you want to represent yourself. The number of social media outlets is staggering. But, for the purpose of business it suffices to maintain the big four: Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and Google+ (which is increasing exponentially in it’s influence). Importantly, with limited time and budget, you need to draw the line at the sites that are most ubiquitous with your customers.
What to Post
Next, social media blurs the line between marketing and customer service. Thus, your posts should serve one of three goals: make your company look good; drive up business; or resolve customer issues. But remember, don’t delete every negative comment you receive, nothing will damage your “social-media-cred” faster than censoring criticism. The best thing to do is to respond gracefully. A well worded response will build trust and respect with your customers.
Justifying the Expense: ROI
Finally, all this publicity does not come without a price; and guaranteed someone at the top of the corporate food chain is going to want a clear ROI. But, defining key performance indicators (KPI) can be difficult. Many companies measure the success through “campaigns”; that is, targeted posts designed to effect purchases, demo requests, downloads, or email opt-ins. ROI can be measured by showing a bump in these numbers after a campaign is released.
In sum, social media is a low cost marketing and customer service channel that can drive up business. 

With its new release of the BB 10 OS, Blackberry (formerly RIM) is bidding to make its way back to the top of the smartphone world. The initial release of the OS, along with the Z10 device, reportedly has been the best that Blackberry has ever had.
Most reactions to the new OS have been favorable so far. One of the best new features is the Hub, which allows you to check your email and calendar without having to exit your window, a function that other smartphones lack. Their new virtual keyboard design adjusts to your particular typing habits and features a unique word prediction system that includes up to three languages. Overall, Blackberry has truly thought about how to improve some of the frustrations from other smartphones on the market and they've done it in a way that should appeal to the professionals who already favor the brand.However, that innovation will likely be more effective in pleasing current users than in converting those who are already on an Apple or Android smartphone. Although the changes they've announced are great improvements, their phones are still geared towards professionals. There has been little mention about how the phone improves social networking and gaming experiences. BB 10 also doesn't use Google maps and instead relies on its own, less reliable application. Without a greater appeal to those smartphone users who use their devices for more than just work, Blackberry may still struggle to regain its former hold on the market. Their new OS needs to be more than a great tool for work. It has to appeal to people for the rest of their daily uses as well. Competing smartphones are professional enough that people no longer need two separate phones for work and for private life. Because of this change, Blackberry will need to rethink their new audience and figure out how to win over casual users as well. Without a reason to switch to an entirely new system, users will most likely stick to the OS they already know.
The late Apple mastermind Steve Jobs was once quoted as saying “You‘ve got to start with the customer experience and work back toward the technology - not the other way around." Like many great thinkers of this century, Jobs was always focused on the experience, and built every product with the hope of developing the greatest end user experience possible. This school of thought is one of the primary reasons why Jobs was so successful, and why Apple remains one of the most highly praised and easily recognized brands of this century.
When people see an Apple product, they recognize it’s simplicity and ease of use. However, they probably aren’t thinking much about the process used to reach that end, or how many prototypes were trashed before a decision was reached. Jobs knew that nothing was every really finished, and was always working to improve his process, his products, and the customer experience.
When a company is always looking for new ways to improve, they remain on the cutting edge. By continually refining your processes – both as a company and an individual – you can maintain a leg up on the competition. However, admitting you have room to improve also sends a clear message to the customer that you strive to have the best product on the market, and that you will do whatever it takes to remain at that top spot for their benefit. This message resounds with potential customers, and they quickly become brand loyal. These customers are the people who refer your products and services to everyone they know.
Here at Phoenix Staff, we make it our primary goal to deliver the best possible recruiting experience – for both employers and candidates. By always growing and learning, we’re continually discovering new ways to streamline recruiting practices and promise a more fulfilling experience for all.
There is a lot of truth in the concept of love at first sight. Maybe it’s someone new you met by chance at a friend’s party, or maybe it’s a flashy new tech gadget you see for sale in the window at a shopping mall. Whatever it might be, we all know the feeling of stumbling upon something you just have to have. However, the difference lies in how you react. Some of us are impulsive opportunists – we pounce on what we want the moment we see it. Others take a more analytical approach, and carefully weigh multiple options before making a decision. Both of these approaches have their benefits – but they also have their drawbacks.
For example, sometimes taking too much time to explore other options means missing your chance at getting what you want. Perhaps that gadget you saw in the mall goes up in price, or the attractive stranger from the party begins dating someone else. Of course, love at first sight can also apply in the career field and in your job search field – both as an employer and candidate. When it comes to falling in love with a job opportunity, or a candidate, there are three important rules to remember:
Don’t let the good one get away. People have a way of losing faith in those who are unable to make a decision in a timely fashion. If you interview a stellar candidate with all of the right credentials, chances are they’re wowing other employers too. If you don’t scoop them up fast enough, another company will.
When you know it, you know it. When you spot something you want badly, you feel a natural pull and instincts begin to set in. You know, deep down, that it’s the perfect choice. When it comes to the right candidate and the right position, it’s an undeniable match – so go with your gut.
Time kills all deals. Nothing good can come from “waiting it out” – especially when it comes to a career. Whether it’s waiting until the last minute to apply for the position your recruiter notified you about several days ago, or taking weeks to make the final decision about a new hire, waiting too long can often mean missing your shot. Act fast, or you could end up with regrets.
Technology is exciting, fast paced and ever-changing – and it’s for these reasons that most of us got involved in the field. There are always new opportunities and ways to grow. However, this continual movement also means you’ll never run out of new things to learn. In order to stay on the cutting edge of this field, and on par with your peers, it’s imperative that you are always refreshing your knowledge and updating your skill set.
However, when most of us hear the phrase “workplace training,” we think of lengthy, boring seminars, endless busy work and all-day classes that seem to do nothing more than cut into our workday and curtail our productivity. On the contrary, we should instead view workplace training and on-the-job education as a unique opportunity to make ourselves a more marketable asset. Instead of finding ways to skip class like a high school delinquent, embrace the chance to expand your education and lengthen your resume.
One thing to keep in mind about workplace training and education endeavors is that they are generally paid for by your company in an effort to retain employees and improve their current staff. These same classes, seminars and programs can run you hundreds to thousands of dollars if you choose to take them off the clock. So, instead of spending your next training day playing a secret game of Angry Birds or doodling unattractive caricatures of the instructor, take time to listen and learn. While you may feel stuck in your current position, this additional (and free) knowledge could be the key to landing your dream career.
Technology is exciting, fast paced and ever-changing – and it’s for these reasons that most of us got involved in the field. There are always new opportunities and ways to grow. However, this continual movement also means you’ll never run out of new things to learn. In order to stay on the cutting edge of this field, and on par with your peers, it’s imperative that you are always refreshing your knowledge and updating your skill set.
However, when most of us hear the phrase “workplace training,” we think of lengthy, boring seminars, endless busy work and all-day classes that seem to do nothing more than cut into our workday and curtail our productivity. On the contrary, we should instead view workplace training and on-the-job education as a unique opportunity to make ourselves a more marketable asset. Instead of finding ways to skip class like a high school delinquent, embrace the chance to expand your education and lengthen your resume.
One thing to keep in mind about workplace training and education endeavors is that they are generally paid for by your company in an effort to retain employees and improve their current staff. These same classes, seminars and programs can run you hundreds to thousands of dollars if you choose to take them off the clock. So, instead of spending your next training day playing a secret game of Angry Birds or doodling unattractive caricatures of the instructor, take time to listen and learn. While you may feel stuck in your current position, this additional (and free) knowledge could be the key to landing your dream career.
In the wake of the recession, many technology companies were forced to drastically slim down their staff just to stay afloat. Generally, this meant keeping a skeleton crew comprised of just the most essential key people. After massive lay-offs, the only remaining employees were those that played the most crucial roles in the company, and those who could not be easily replaced.
Today, the recession is over and the technology sector, like every sector, is beginning to experience the slow comeback of wealth. As companies rebuild themselves and begin to bulk their staff back up, the efforts of those original key players is more important than ever. Retention of these important personnel is a prime issue for businesses in these precarious times – but that’s something they should have already known.
Over two years ago, economists and business experts warned companies that, as the economy rebounded from the recession, retention was going to be a chief concern. Unfortunately, many companies failed to heed this advice. This is primarily because employers did not realize how difficult it would be to recruit professionals with such high-demand skills.
Nowhere is retention more of a concern than it is within technology. Although this field is rapidly growing, and though many students have realized the benefit of majoring in IT, there is still a relatively shallow pool from which to draw new experienced employees. This is a serious issue for employers, but it puts job seekers in a very unique position. IT professionals at the height of their career are so important to the stability of a company that they can demand generous benefits packages and other incentives.
In other words, if you’re considering other opportunities, there has never been a better time to take your IT career to the next level.