Archives: August 2007

So that fatigue you experience after lunch is not necessarily associated with laziness, according to an article from NYTimes. The “post-lunch dip” is a result of a combination of nature’s call for rest and the demands of modern workplace. CNN’s poll shows that out of 7907 votes, 47% have fallen asleep at work. For many, a short nap may not be feasible in the office, many employees use caffeine as an alternative (a method I admit to abusing). Others walk around or chit chat with someone in order to alert their body to snap out of it. Some American companies are acknowledging the need for rest, a survey from the National Sleep Foundation in Washington says that 16% of respondents said their employers allow them to take a nap at work. And according to Mark Rosekind, a research psychologist and principal investigator for the NASA, after a nap of up to 45 minutes, workers usually feel more alert and productive. As absurd as it seems to allow a nap time policy in the workplace, wouldn’t an employer want productivity to be at its highest?
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Create a social media strategy, launch your campaign, and track the results in our Social Media Marketing Boot Camp starting February 16. The online event and workshop will feature speakers including The Onion's Baratunde Thurston (left), Facebook's Morin Oluwole, and bitly's Tim Devane. Register now.

Are you a hiring manager inundated with resumes from hundreds of job seekers applying for the same position? Here’s a tip from Liz Ryan: Be an applicant gatekeeper. Take it for its literal meaning, managing flow and traffic of applicants that will actually be considered and entered on the list of people to interview. Aside from the usual cover letter and resume, a gate would be another request that asks a candidate to do something out of his/her accustomed habits. For example, you can ask the candidate to send a paragraph about the Company’s latest product. Surprisingly, the majority of people will not follow these instructions and so you are able to weed out unqualified individuals who are lazy or simply cannot follow instructions. This is the opportunity to screen basic writing/grammar skills before deciding to call the applicant as well. You can save time and guard the overflow of resumes that will not likely be what you are looking for.
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Another day, another debate at MB HQ. This time, we’re talking about comments. Specifically, should we have comments on our vast — and brilliant — network of blogs? We already have the bulletin boards to discuss any and all things media, but should we open blog posts up to individual comments? What do you think? Let us know here (on the bulletin boards, ironically enough). We can’t wait to hear from you.

Providing a great benefits package is one of the key components in recruiting and retaining employees. It’s almost standard to expect a basic medical/401K plan when interviewing for a position, so it’s no wonder HR departments are continually researching ways to strategize and develop excellent benefits programs. It’s always good to plan ahead as well as being concerned about immediate needs. Creating a savings for retirement or emergency situations can provide a safety net for employees. Job seekers want to know that the company values their work and will therefore recognize the overall well being of its employees. That’s why there are added incentives in certain job listings, providing fitness discounts or recognition programs. Employers also agree on the effectiveness of these plans, 46% acknowledging the direct influence it has on retention, 36% agreeing that it is very effective towards risk management objectives, and 72% find it extremely important in building organizational culture. All these studies and more can be found on a Towers Perrin report which breaks down the tools that are needed to make benefit changes work.
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Whether you’re looking for a job in a finance, health care, or media company, all industries have positions that are offered under large corporations, mid-sized firms, or small start-ups. There’s debate over what type of benefits a large or small company can offer an employee. After all, you are devoting the majority of your time to this business and so it would be best to weigh your options carefully. What are some perks that a small company can offer? What are some benefits a large company can provide? Some may argue that a start-up gives someone the opportunity to wear different hats, providing challenging tasks that can vary or change frequently. On the other hand, some may refute by saying larger corporations can offer stability and a greater support system from the plethora of experienced senior level professionals who can give extensive feedback and training to a new employee. The Wall Street Journal created a forum to discuss the topic with CEOs of small companies explaining the reasoning behind their career choices. It’s really a matter of preference, but take a look at the forum if you would like to exchange opinions or read about what others have to say on this subject. It can be a life altering decision that can open doors to new opportunities in the future.
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I am a reality show fanatic. I am also a foodie. So naturally my favorite show on television is Top Chef. My sister sends me text messages every Wednesday to remind me the show is on. I once hired an intern just because he asked me in his interview if I thought Marcel or Ilan would win the finale. He is now our web production assistant, so I think I made a good call. You can imagine how thrilled I was when I watched last week’s episode and saw that the guest judge was blogger Andrea Strong of The Strong Buzz. Andrea’s reviews are everywhere, including on the wall of my favorite ice cream shop, Maggie Moo’s. She is also teaching an Intro to Food Writing class for us this September. Here is what Andrea shared with us about her judging experience:
How did you get to be a guest on Top Chef?
I was approached by Top Chef a few years ago about being a guest judge for Season One, but unfortunately that didn’t work out. I love the show and was excited to be a part of it. Then they called me in February to see if I was still interested in doing the show and I said “tell me where you want me to be and I’ll be there.” I was flown down to Miami in April. Restaurant Wars was a great episode to be a part of. I have opened restaurants and can understand the stress of it all, and because I review restaurants now for The Strong Buzz every week, it really did seem to be the right fit for me and the show.

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We’ve all heard rumors about big name actresses who, early in their career, posed for a batch of photos dressed in little more than a string bikini, if that. And while it’s less likely that you’ll find scandalous photos of a local freelance journalist plastered all over the Internet, it’s also unlikely that freelance writing is going to pay the rent, at least at the beginning. To start, there’s the catch-22 all new freelancers face, namely, that you need clips to get clips. To overcome that challenge, freelancers often pitch lesser-known pubs like community newspapers, or they might consider starting a blog. Both are great ways to showcase writing style and amass much-needed clips, but neither will pay the bills, at least not yet. In order to avoid finance-induced depression or worse, near constant laments that you didn’t major in finance or accounting, it’s a great idea to get a job that will supplement your writing income, while still leaving you time to write.
Since starvation and eviction are things I aim to avoid, I became a freelance mortgage closer. In essence, when someone takes out a mortgage on their home, I attend the closing to notarize documents and clear up title issues. I won’t pretend that closings are thrilling, but I console myself by thinking of accomplished writers, like Charles Bukowski, who started out doing less than gripping work. At times I consider going to work as an editorial assistant at a big-name publication, but also realize that it would leave little time for the exhaustive work of pitching. Beyond basic people skills, doing closings has very little to do with writing, but it does help pay my rent and buy groceries. Plus, I picked up a different skill set that has seen me through the early stages of freelancing and even a stint in graduate school. With a consistently paying position, I can afford to pitch lengthy features to smaller venues. That way, I get the beefy clip, and I can still afford to go out on weekends.
— Jaime Jordan
(Image via clipart.com)

If you’re a recent grad, you should think twice about creating a Facebook or MySpace account. An article from MSNBC says that new college graduates are most likely to be the target of Web research from corporations who use this method of background checking for new employees. The booming popularity of online social networking has provided a convenient tool for employers to research candidates and scope out their personal networks and connections. One Human Resource company researched that 66% of Generation Y respondents weren’t aware that their online networking can play a role in the hiring process.

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Imagine receiving a personalized gift directly from the CEO of a growing company, inviting you to join its team of skilled professionals? That’s exactly what happened to Scott Youngblood, an employee at Sony Corp.’s Sony Computer Entertainment America, who accepted a position at Red 5 shortly after receiving a package containing an i-pod shuffle. A personalized message was contained in the gadget, talking about the Company and about Youngblood’s own work. This recruiting technique benefited this start-up company, creating a stir in the industry about its hiring procedures. President and Chief Executive, Mark Kern, states that one reason for this method is due to his company struggling in the past to nail top talent. Larger, well-known companies have the budget and reputation to grab the top performers and that prompted Red 5 to let their creative juices flow. Don’t worry if your budget doesn’t allow such lavish gifts for each prospective employee, the article also mentions other ideas that’s easier on the wallet.

Yesterday the MB bunch had another thrilling brainstorming session at lunchtime. This time around the cuisine was pizza from The-Pizzeria, and the topic was Social Networking. As the person who called this little gathering, I wanted to get all my ideas out there in some tangible form. If your familiar with the office meeting, you know that tangents are sprinkled like land mines waiting to appear and take you off your main focus. So I showed off my master passable PowerPoint karate and made a pretty little graph. I don’t like to think of it as a graph though, but instead Seamus’ Social Networking Wonder Wheel. The wheel basically has every idea I could think of for Social Networking. Some of the ideas were plunked from other sites like Fannation.com, where I previously blogged about their “throwdowns” that allow two users to debate topic while other members casted votes.
In all there are about fifteen spokes on the wheel– some ideas are more immediately feasible, and others are what I like to call “blank check” ideas. One of those idea$ was “fantasy media,” where users would choose a team of media professionals and celebrities, then accumulate points based on how often they are mentioned in both MB produced and user-generate content. Unfortunately I discovered I’m not that much of a trailblazer– after the meeting a quick Google search came up with fafarazzi.com, a site that does the same thing that was floating around in my head– the only difference is the players were more from the Hollywood gossip circles than the “legitimate media.” Still, maybe it can be improved upon by us, or even better– maybe Mr. Alan Meckler can buy Fafarazzi for us. Call it an early Christmas present.
The majority of the other stuff on the wheel is user-generated content like groups, video, comments, etc. As my colleague and fellow Red Sox nation member Noah pointed out, some of the stuff we discussed falls closer to crowdsourcing than social networking. But essentially the overall goal (as I see it) is to create a collaboration platform, and that includes traditional tools of social networking, crowdsourcing, and stuff we probably haven’t thought of yet.
That’s where you come in.
In addition to my wacky social networking wheel, I also created a blank one for everyone at the meeting so they could fill in all their social networking desires. The next time we have another social networking confab, we’ll see if anything new and exciting comes out.
However those are just a handful of people. That’s why I’m offering a blank wheel to the MB community. I encourage everyone to print this out, and write in it in your ideas for social networking and any other kind of online collaboration tools. You can use mine as a model, or create your own from scratch. When you’re done with your creation, mail it here:
Seamus Condron
mediabistro.com
494 Broadway
4th floor
New York, NY 10012
Click here to view my social networking wheel
Click here to view and print your blank wheel