What Color Is Your Parachute?

Stack Exchange

Website url: http://stackexchange.com

Background: A network of 51 question and answer sites, with a community contributing, answering, evaluating, and voting; same genre as Quora, Aardvark, Answers.com, etc.

General Description: Useful for finding fast answers to puzzling questions.

Usefulness to Job-Hunters:

When you’re trying to find something, someone, some business, this is a good place to go to, and see if they know the answer, without your having to do detailed research forever. Great time- saver.

Skype

Website url: www.skype.com

Background: Over 665 million registered users, bought by eBay in 2005, Microsoft in 2011.

General Description: Telephone calls over the Internet, utilizing both voice and video; free if the hookup is between registered users.

Usefulness to Job-Hunters:

You can use video interviewing for informational interviewing with members of your network who live far away. More important, if an employer lives in another country of interest to you, and you or they want to do an interview, this is an inexpensive way to do it. If an employer can only talk to you over the phone, this at least adds video to your phone call, if the employer is also a Skype user. You can find interview tips on the web at sites such as Alison Doyle’s http://tinyurl.com/nmbt5r.

YouTube

Website url: www.youtube.com

Background: Wildly popular; 375 million unique visitors offered 75 billion video streams in 2011.

General Description: You can find a video on almost any subject, or post a video of your own, thus saving you from using up bandwidth on your own website (if you have one).

Usefulness to Job-Hunters:

You can post a video resume, you can demonstrate your skills in a demonstration video you shoot, and post, etc. You can create your own channel through a widget (www.widgetbox.com/widgets). Widgets can be embedded on all your other sites, as well. You might even find some videos devoted to job-hunting techniques, such as: http://tinyurl.com/4ynl42n. (smile)

Blogs

Website url: if it’s your blog, you know the url. If you’re looking for someone else’s, do a search through Google, or Technorati (below).

Background: 133 million blogs, averaging 900,000 posts a day according to Technorati (http://technorati.com central headquarters for all things blog.)—the

General Description: At their best, blogs offer an expert’s advice and wisdom.

Usefulness to Job-Hunters:

If you can find a blog on your particular field or industry, you may discover openings through that blog. Also consider starting your own blog related to the field in which you are you looking for work, where—if you keep your blog focused—you can develop a reputation as an expert in your specialty, thus attracting the attention of prospective employers—maybe. (Possible but not likely; still, you never know. It’s worth trying! ) Remember, the Web is the modern way to attract attention to yourself. A blog, carefully managed, can ideally serve that purpose. Of course, you are only one out of 133 million blogs, so don’t put all your eggs in this basket.

Online Universities

Website url: www.phoenix.edu; www.kaplan.edu; www.capella.edu

Background: According to Global Language Monitor’s July 2010 ranking, the three top online universities are the University of Phoenix, Kaplan University, and Capella University.

General Description: Offers both courses and degree programs, either by yourself or interacting with an instructor or other students online.

Usefulness to Job-Hunters:

You can go to school online, get trained in new skills, etc., while still pursuing your job-hunt. For example, you can get trained in such skills as using a computer or particular software programs, accounting, marketing, business plans, etc. You can even get a college degree while job-hunting.

THE FUTURE IS COMING AT US, FAST

These are some of the principal sites that job-hunters are turning to, today. But what of tomorrow? Tomorrow is populated with clouds, and apps, and QR tags, and new technologies, as yet undreamed. And one thing you can be sure of: with so many people out of work—not only here, but around the world—some bright souls are going to figure out how to make these serve job-hunters and career-changers, whatever else they may do. Maybe one of those bright souls will even turn out to be You.

DANGERS OF LIVING IN A SOCIAL MEDIA WORLD

Social media sites are wonderful. And useful. Amazingly so. But entering social networks is like setting out to explore a mysterious forest. There is much there that is awe-inspiring, and beautiful to behold; you will be so glad you set out on this journey.

But also, there are dangers lurking in that forest: wild beasts, often ravenous ones.

The first beast is called Identity Theft. You must take care not to give your Social Security number or credit card information to any site whose url does not begin with https. That is is important. Just http won’t do. You want a secure site, one whose url begins with https, which means it’s encrypted (128 bit) and virtually unhackable. But be warned: this beast usually tries to lure you into its lair by offering to give you something for practically nothing, or to claim to straighten out something that is wrong with your bank account, or credit card, or financial records. Don’t give them the information they ask for. If you think something might genuinely be wrong, disconnect from the site giving you that warning, and once you’re free of them, go dial the Internet address of the bank, or whatever, using a lookup through Google. Never use the site the beast suggests.

The second wild beast waiting for you in the social media forest is called Fraud. This beast takes the initiative in approaching you, and basically offers you money you know you’re not entitled to, or asks you to deposit money for them (their check is always bogus) and give them back a portion of it (before their check bounces!). In the U.S. the FBI maintains a helpful list of fraudulent schemes, and what you can do to avoid being suckered (www.fbi.gov/scams- safety/fraud).

The third beast is called Unwarranted Charges on Your Bill. You get a notice to call them back about anything—an “undeliverable package,” or whatever. When you call that phone number (area codes 284, 473, 649, 664, 784, 809, or 876) you are calling the Caribbean, and the charges will probably run you $50 or more on your next phone bill. And if you sign up for some service or