I signed up PinoyTattoos.com for GetSatisfaction a few days ago in an effort to cut down on redundant emails, create transparency with my customers, and cultivate an idea farm.
Get Satisfaction is a direct connection between people and companies that fosters problem-solving, promotes sharing, and builds up relationships. Thousands of companies use this neutral space to support customers, exchange ideas, and get feedback about their products and services. Get Satisfaction is open, transparent, and free. You’re free to ask, free to answer, and free to start a new conversation. Everyone is invited and encouraged to participate: companies, employees, customers — anyone with an opinion, an answer, or something to say.
The GetSatisfaction business model is pretty much taking your business reputation hostage. Not that it’s a bad thing, it’s pretty smart. Yammer and Yelp do something similar. These companies feed the most basic human need, communication with others. No business will be able to stop anyone from talking. They can only try to manage their own reputation. Basically, if a business wants manage their page on the service, they pay. Brilliant.
So far, so good in revamping my customer service process. I just have a few customer email entry points I need to clean up. There’s an order form, photo upload form, tattoo artist directory submission form, and 2 GetSatisfaction widgets. This doesn’t include Facebook, Twitter, Myspace, IM, and etc. Way too much. I have to consolidate all that.
With the economy in the crapper, it’s never been more important to know about modern job searching. If I were laid off, one would probably update their resume, ping friends/relatives, contact headhunters, and search/post their resume on a jobsite such as Hotjobs. That’s what I did when I was laid off over a year ago from Restoration Hardware. That process was considered Jobs2.0. With that process now being the norm, how does one stand out from the crowd? How does one go beyond the jobsites?
I believe employers want to hire people who are naturally passionate for the job. The perfect employee would be one who would be “into” his industry even if they were not in the industry. If I was looking for a car salesman, I would look for someone who’s a car fanatic 1st and a salesman 2nd. It’s all about transferable personal interests. So how do you get employers to know what your passions are?
1st, let’s define the 3 stages of job hunting:
Jobs1.o – Pre-internet
Newspapers, agencies, friends, relatives, co-workers
Jobs2.0 – A connected world
Monster, Hotjobs, Craigslist, Jobster
Jobs3.0 – An OPEN world
Besides going through the Jobs1.0 & Jobs2.0 process, one must go to the next level as competition is tough. A resume will no longer cut it. Some of the new job tools are:
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1. Work your ass off – This one is obvious. No time for on the job training. Be read to rock day 1.
2. Don’t work too much overtime – Working too much overtime either means that 1) You can’t manage the work within normal business hours 2) Your milking it.
3. Don’t be a dick – Show authority in terms of leadership and knowledge but don’t be a Richard
4. Volunteer – Boss needs someone to cover the weekend or the holiday? Do it.
5. Show genuine interest – Good managers can tell their what their peeps are passionate about. If your job is out of your personal interest scope, look for a part of it that is. Be creative.
6. Research - Know the company and do your research – Have the knowledge of an old-timer. Go beyond Wikipedia.
7. A different world – You need to transform the environment into 2 worlds. The world before and after your arrival.
8. Goals - Make goals and send status reports to your manager every week
9. Beer - Have a beer with the people you work with. Don’t drink? Let them know and take one for the team you wuss.
10. Have a fallback job – Make the bosses aware that your looking for full time employment and that you have other opportunities. It will put pressure on them to convert you sooner than later or risk loosing you.