Tips to Job Search Success

Many of us have attended the career fair in hopes of getting a full time job. With Job interviews in full swing, I thought it would be appropriate to give some tips to job search success. These tips, however, are far from a comprehensive list of everything that can be (and needs to be) done during a job search.

I am under the impression that most of the people that read this post are going to be Senior MIS majors, however, one of the first tips toward success requires some skills from a different department within the College of Business Administration; Marketing. When you are on the hunt for a full-time job, many students forget that they are, essentially, marketing themselves to potential employers. Finalize your resumes and cover letters so they highlight your strengths.

The next tip to job search success is the interview. During an interview, you are going to want communicate clearly and effectively. Eliminate the sayings "Like" and "I don't know" from your answers. Employers are not going to want to hire an employee that is unsure of themselves or the work that complete. Speak with confidence and convey that you are the right person for the job. When the opportunity presents itself, ask questions. This will show the interviewer that you are engaged and want to know more about the position.

The last tip that I am going to cover is the follow up. After an interview, be sure to send out a thank you letter within 2 business days. In this stage of the job search, you want to show the interviewer that you are still interested. Call a week or two after the interview and ask about the status of their decision. Remember, don't be a pest, just follow up enough to show them that you are motivated to get the job.

I hope you leave this article with some new insight on ways to obtain a job from your job search. Most of this seems like common sense, but you would be surprised how many times it isn't done correctly.

-Curt R

Windows 8 - Metro UI and Gaming

With all of the hype from Microsoft about their new operating system, it leaves some wondering why game developers have criticized the "upgraded experience" that is Windows 8. Microsoft announced their new operating system with a new user interface similar to the Windows (smart) phone. This metro theme displays applications and the desktop with a series of boxes (see image below.) But co-founder of Valve, Gabe Newell calls Windows 8 "a catastrophe for everybody." There have been concerns about Microsoft locking down their new OS releases, which makes it harder for game developers when creating software for Windows. Some say that this limits competition and gives Microsoft an unfair advantage for developing games. Windows 8 games are being released as playable on Xbox Live. This could open the online experience, where you can now play online with a community of both Windows 8 and Xbox 360 systems.

Microsoft may also have plans of an official Application Store, similar to Steam, where it offers a collection of games that can be downloaded and play on the computer. This store will also contain software that is not a game, like office suites, productivity programs...etc. The web store will also give Microsoft an advantage on getting software out there for its users, like Apple has done with its phone, tablet, and computer programs. It will contain all types of software for the Windows Phone, Xbox system, and Windows 8 PC and include programs for even the most extreme gamers.

I have not personally tried Windows 8 yet, but I plan to give the pre-release a shot to see if it is worth buying the full version. I will probably stick with Windows 7 until something changes my opinion of 8. I play video games, but only on my PC. It would be great to play Xbox Live with my friends, who play on their Xbox 360, but I have a feeling that there will not be as wide of a selection of games that we can play. It will be harder for developers to make games that support both systems when playing online. My guess is that the Xbox 720 will close that gap and make it much easier to play games with Windows. I am very curious to see how Microsoft takes another step forward in the gaming industry using the Windows platform in combination with the Xbox system. Let's keep our eyes on them for the next year or two, I'm sure something big will come.

-Cody R

Wordpress: Pros & Cons

If you are studying MIS, Web Development or Computer Science, it is inevitable that at some point one of your friends or relatives will pop the question: “You do websites, right? Want to help me make one?” Your near future holds evenings filled with sitting next to your Aunt Shirley while she flips through computer images of her cats so you can set her up a site dedicated to Scratchy and Milo for the entire internet world to (hopefully) never see. While there is nothing more invigorating than having a computer layman peer over your shoulder as you attempt to set up their hosting account, answer a hundred questions and begin to wonder if this is worth all the hassle, there is a better way.

Save yourself the suffering and introduce Aunt Shirley to Wordpress. Although it was originally released as an open-source, free software used for blogging development and maintenance, it has now developed into a full-service website platform and content management tool used by novice bloggers, small business and even by large firms to develop sites to track and guide customers to advertise their services and products. Many web hosting companies such as Go Daddy, Bluehost, Hostgator and Fat Cow have jumped on the bandwagon and added Wordpress hosting to their features.

There are a number of great features gained by  using Wordpress. An uncountable bank of themes which are searchable by keywords, colors, or even by creator offers users unique backgrounds so there is no “cookie cutter” look to the site you create. There are hundreds of built-in settings that assist in basic site layout, privacy settings, display options and page order. For those of use with programming know-how, there is also the option of going directly to the Editor settings so you can code the entire site using html, php and a css stylesheet. This allows advanced users to override settings for any theme or plugin.

Here are a few things to consider before jumping on the bandwagon yourself:

Pro:

It’s easy to use, even for Aunt Shirley. If you can manage your Facebook account, you can handle navigating through Wordpress.  The menus are self explanatory and there are help menus at every turn. If you run into a question, you can be connected directly to Wordpress or be directed to a forum related to the issue you are having at the click of your mouse. There are also a number of books regarding Wordpress use and tips for using the program to its fullest potential.

Con:

As with anything “easy to use”, there are issues associated with it. Although the Wordpress application allows for the user to have no previous coding knowledge, there are times when it is helpful.  For example, a user may choose a theme that has sidebars which have a default width that is too small to properly insert the content. Someone with no experience in php and stylesheets would need to choose another theme, instead of simply changing a few numbers to widen the width of the theme template.

Pro:

Wordpress offers tons of plugins and widgets to choose from. These are add-ons that extend your sites capabilities beyond the basic Wordpress dashboard.  For example, if you want to add SEO functions to your site, you can download a plug-in that will offer you options and settings all related to SEO keywords, meta keywords and ways in which you’d like to use it on your site. Widgets allow you to add calendars, stock tickers, and even tools to count the traffic to your site. With over 20,000 plug-in and widgets to choose from, you can find one for anything. There is even a plug-in which allows Aunt Shirley to add a photo slideshow to her site to display her feline friends.

Con:

Sometimes less is honestly more. Plugins may offer every tool you need to implement SEO functions, prevent spam or even use sign-up forms on your site. Unfortunately, they all require updating when the creator makes a new version. You can expect to update at least a few of your plugins every time you log in.

Pro:

Easy uploading of images and other media. This is what causes the most appeal to those who want to be able to upload photos on a weekly or daily basis. Images, logos, videos and files can be uploaded into a Media Library where the user can either simply store the items or add them to any page.  If you want to remove a media item, you simply delete the link, leaving the media in the library for later use, if desired. The upload process is a basic “Browse My Computer” platform and process time is instant.

Con:

No matter how smooth the media uploading process goes, you will still find yourself having to resize or adjust certain images to get them to fit perfect. Wordpress offers a way to edit your media after it has been uploaded to the Media Library, but it is still another step that can sometimes be time consuming.

The image above displays a screenshot of the Wordpress dashboard. The menu on the left navigates you through the various features and settings.

To learn more about using Wordpress for your blog or website, go to the following site: http://wordpress.org/

Examples of sites created with Wordpress:

http://bullionandcoins.net/

http://fxcharts.com/

DN

Welcome to TechHub!

In this blog, we will cover many areas of the technological world and how it affects today's businesses. We will discuss current events, new emerging technologies, and tools to become more efficient both personally and in the work environment. Our writers have different backgrounds and education including accounting, law, service industry, and IT development. Some of the topics that will be covered include: social networking, GPS, Sarbanes-Oxley, Windows operating systems, website development, software applications (including open source), comparative research, hardware, security, and career searches.

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