8 Apps to Simplify Your Life

8 Apps to Simplify Your Life If you love your job, but find it hard to strike a reasonable  mix  between work and your personal life, youre not alone. Its one of the main battles that any business man or woman has to find the answer to; striking the perfect balance is hard to do. Some people make sure theyre  home on a certain number of evenings per week, while others simply schedule time  with family and friends to ensure their job doesnt completely rule their life. Different people have different techniques, but at the end of the day, everyone could use some extra minutes in the day every now and again! Enter: new technologies. Smartphones have  put the world at our fingertips. Were able to call the other side of the world in seconds, send photos, videos and audio in just a click and use the internet (almost) anywhere. Could these apps be the answer to our work/life balance woes,  allowing us more time for whats important in life? Heres a list of our favourite time-saving apps: The automation nation If youre looking for a way to automate all the little things in your life you NEED to use IFTTT. It stands for if this then that, and it does what it says on the tin. IFTTT allows you to automate almost everything you do. You create recipes that trigger a certain sequence of events. For instance, there is an IFTTT recipe that sends a text to your other half when you leave your office (using your phone location settings). You can also automate posts on social media, emails that need to be sent or uploads that need to be made. Check out IFTTT here. If this then that. Pretty amazing app @IFTTT . very useful in these busy times Slim T OAV Production (@slimtmusic) May 21, 2016 Track your health The Fitbit app is useful for  people who are trying to live a healthier lifestyle. If you have a Fitbit wristband, you can connect  it to the app  and track your movement/general health this way. You can also use your iPhone to track your steps, so its a useful app even if you dont have a Fitbit! Log your food, exercise and connect with your friends and family its great for managing your daily  health and wellbeing. https://twitter.com/skardasz/status/569957895229480961 Find your true zen The Mindfulness App is a great way to start your journey to being mindful. If you want to decrease levels of anxiety, increase your concentration and get better night of sleep, you should download this! With a series of meditation sessions that last from 3 minutes to 30 minutes, youll find your zen in no time. A Sunday moment of zen. pic.twitter.com/M1l4IQEGX0 Barbie (@Barbie) May 22, 2016 Workout in less than the time it takes for you to drive to the gym The 7 Minute Workout app is great for those wanting to stay fit and healthy, but who may not have the time to attend the gym every day or devote an hour to exercise. Each work out takes 7 minutes (yep, you guessed it!) and are easy to do in your own home.  The 7 minute workout only consists 12 exercises to be done for 30 seconds, with 10 seconds breaks between each. All you need just a chair and a wall. Then you repeat 2-3 circuits, according to  how fast youre moving through.  Its an easy way to get in that exercise that will help keep you energised. Congratulations! You earned the following achievement(s): ?Worked out without ever pausing the workout. 7 Minute Workout Challenge App. Erica Leibner (@EricaLeib) May 13, 2016 Organise yourself Trello is a terrific tool for project management. You can list all your tasks and responsibilities in an easy-to-use dashboard, which is also sharable to others in your team, so its great for collaboration. So get rid of all the clutter when it comes to do-do lists, post-it notes and large pads of paper. All you need is in this tool. Trello update notes in the App Store = win! Adrienne Frances (she/her) (@indieadah) May 13, 2016 Never forget about an email again Ever read an email and thought Ill reply to that when I get back into the office, and then immediately forget about it and never end up responding? Stop those issues with the Inbox  by  Google app. The app allows you to collate all your email accounts into one streamlined app, and one of the best features is  the reminder app for emails and responses. I have been using INBOX by Google for a month now, I couldnt go back. https://t.co/ecaQox4vey Liz Cooper (@LizzleCoop) May 13, 2016 Exercise your mind To keep you  stimulated with a healthy, active brain, you cant go past puzzles and game apps. Keeping your brain exercised is fun, and it also is also a great change from spending hours on social or watching stupid videos on YouTube. We reccommend an app called Peak, which actually creates a training programme style of puzzles and games, combining  maths, memory, language and mental agility. So get off Facebook and train your brain! Love this so much #peak #braintraining pic.twitter.com/S5qZ7l5G4j kj (@its_cursetea) April 16, 2016 Learn something new everyday Want to learn something new on your commute? What about listening to a drama whilst you go for a jog? Check out your phones native podcast app for a selection of interesting and informative podcasts, featuring anyone from  celebrities to random guys in their bedrooms talking about Star Wars. You can find a podcast about anything and everything. We recommend the #SMKnowHow podcast and Ask Gary V! Aside from the obvious I like discovering new intriguing podcasts. Any suggestions peoples #PodcastLife Matt (@MATTYDEL34) October 5, 2015  Main image credit: Shutterstock

How Your Personal Brand Changes Over Time - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

How Your Personal Brand Changes Over Time - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career Your personal brand isn’t meant to be stagnant. After all, throughout your career, you’ll certainly grow and change as an individual. So will your business. What influences these changes in your personal brand over time? Your experience New business ventures Switching career paths Interests New skills Your mentors or close colleagues Just because you’ve built a certain brand right now does not mean that it will be your brand forever. After all, companies do this all the time with their products and services. Take a look at the major players in the soft drink industry, for example. Can you even remember how many different slogans Coca-Cola or Pepsi have had? When it comes to your personal brand, there are some changes to expect as time ticks on. Here are a few examples of things that may change for you: Niche Since a niche is a very specific direction, don’t be surprised if it changes slightly throughout your career in your industry. Especially if your niche is related to technologyâ€"there’s no telling what will be different about it 10 or 20 years from now! Brand statement You might find that your branding statement doesn’t work once you’ve switched your focus or transitioned into a new field at some point in your life. Make sure to re-work it so that it makes sense to your intended audience. And don’t forget to update your network on your new venture or direction. Industry outlook For many, their passion and direction is synonymous with their career or business, and when the industry shifts and changes it makes them reevaluate their personal brand and unique selling points. What other changes happen to one’s personal brand over time? Author: Heather R. Huhman is a career expert, experienced hiring manager, and founder president of Come Recommended, a  content marketing and digital PR consultancy for organizations with products that target job seekers and/or employers. She is also the author of Lies, Damned Lies Internships: The Truth About Getting from Classroom to Cubicle (2011), #ENTRYLEVELtweet: Taking Your Career from Classroom to Cubicle (2010), and writes  career and recruiting advice for numerous outlets.

Endorse Me and Be Damned!

Endorse Me and Be Damned! I’ve always considered the word “endorsement” to have rather flaky connotations. Perhaps it’s because it conjures to my mind images of cheesy personalities or wooden sports stars “endorsing” products they quite clearly would never buy or use in a million years Henry Cooper may well have splashed his Brut all over (boxers weren’t paid much back then and he was probably grateful of a few freebies) but I’m fairly sure David Beckham’s hair never saw an ounce of Brylcreem (especially after Posh got her claws in and started managing his look â€" Denis Compton, the original Brylcreem Boy and personal hero of mine given his first-class batting average and Arsenal career, I’m sure was spinning in his grave). Or perhaps “endorsement” brings to mind (for me) too many occurrences of when they have gone horribly wrong like remembering the one bad meal or a dodgy hotel room after a succession of pleasant experiences and then writing a furious entry on TripAdvisor IN CAPITALS and with over use of !!!!! , **** and the consonants F, K, S, H and T. Spectacularly misjudged endorsements include everything ever endorsed by Tiger Woods or Lance Armstrong (to be fair to the product people who knew Tiger would end up being caught swinging his club around too freely or that Lance would turn out to be the biggest cheat in sporting history) and, of course, various fashion labels aghast at being endorsed by a cocaine snorting Kate Moss (drugs in the fashion industry … how shocking … who’d have thought? It seems such a healthy and low-key kind of industry). Car-Crash Endorsements: A personal car-crash endorsement favourite is Madonna’s $5m contract with Pepsi quickly being scotched after the release of her Like a Prayer video, which included rape, racism, stigmata, has Madge gyrating around a burning cross and kissing a black saint who may or may not be Jesus (Lady Gaga take note this is how it’s really done!) Apparently all this didn’t go down well with religious groups in America and a leading Catholic Bishop called for a boycott of Pepsi and all their holdings (Taco Bell, KFC and Pizza Hut) after Madonna’s song accompanied a much heralded advert for Pepsi during the Bill Cosby Show. This wasn’t a great commercial move by Pepsi whilst at the height of the Cola War. LinkedIn Endorsements: So, when LinkedIn decided to spring a new feature on us networking addicts a while backed called LinkedIn Endorsements, I was not at first all that hopeful or positive towards to the development, having associated the term with too many bad experiences and examples. Unfortunately my feelings towards the feature have not got any better in the following months. My problems with LinkedIn Endorsements are: the pop window asking you to continually endorse a connection is way too annoying. I receive Endorsements from people who, I know, have no way of telling if what they have endorsed me for is true or not. They just add noise and no value. I’ve even seen recently examples of Endorsements that create a bit of humour (no bad thing) such as being endorsed for “Kicking Ass” (bit American for my taste but “Kicking Arse” never seems quite right as you end of sounding like a Hugh Grant fop) and indeed there is a potential mischief that could be created by people endorsing others for non-complimentary skills â€" such as  Racketeering (noun: illegal business or scheme; usually run as part of organised crime â€" AKA being a MP, Journo or City Banker). LinkedIn Endorsements are too easily given and offer no substance as to how they’ve been earned they are akin to a Facebook like, which is about as ephemeral and inconsequential as can be. So I’m opting out of Endorsements from now on. I’m not going to be swayed by the annoying pop window to endorse for endorsing’s sake and any of my connections who choose to continually endorse me for skills they are in no position to judge will be removed from my network. A bit harsh perhaps but it means they’re either a) stupid or b) disingenuous and it gives me a good reason to prune back who I choose to remain connected to (so, maybe in a strange way Linkedin Endorsements will be a force for good after all). What are your thoughts on LinkedIn Endorsements? Let us know in the comments below!

R.I.P Twitter as a Marketing Platform - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career

R.I.P Twitter as a Marketing Platform - Personal Branding Blog - Stand Out In Your Career A marketing platform is a mass communication tool that allows you convert subscribers (readers/fans) into leads. Marketing, by definition, uses a mix of place, product, promotion and price to create a transaction between a buyer and a seller. Its not about brand awareness or customer support. The focus of a marketing platform is to drive revenue for a company. You, as a personal brand, may sell products (books, magazines, whitepapers) and services (consulting, workshops, speaking) on your website. A marketing platform, therefore, would help you drive people to your website and then convert them into leads and then to buyers. Twitter is no longer a viable marketing platform. Im saying this as a very heavy user that tweets about ten to twenty times per day and has an 80,000 person following. The logic Every single day, the value of Twitter as a marketing platform will decrease because more and more people are following more and more people, so your message gets lost. Lets say you have one hundred thousand Twitter followers. If each of these followers now follows one thousand people, that means only a small percentage, who are logged in at that time, will actually see your tweet. Then, only a very small percentage will click a link from your tweet to the corresponding website. The trickle down effect You tweet a message. Only users who are active on Twitter at that time CAN see the tweet. Only a small number of THOSE active followers will have it come up on their radar depending on how many people they are following. Only a small number of THOSE active followers who saw the tweet will engage with it, and possibly either retweet it or click a link. As you can see, as more people are added to the overall Twitter platform, and people continue to follow mass amounts of Twitter users, your message gets lost. It doesnt matter how many Twitter followers you have because the conversion wont increase. Key point: Its not about your follower number, but everyone elses follower number, when it comes to marketing on Twitter. The facts The following statistics will show you the growth of Twitter, why people arent keen on advertising on Twitter (the way in which you would make money), and the low activity level of users on the platform.   One conclusion Ive made is that relationships arent reciprocated on Twitter because people are using it as a mass communications system (which doesnt work!). 106 million registered users (Chirp Conference) Growing by 300,000 new users per day (Smash Summit) 88% of marketers use Twitter (SocialMediaExaminer) 71% of Twitter users dont want to see promoted tweet advertising (Twitter Sentiment Report) 88% of the connections on Twitter arent reciprocal (Koreas Advanced Institute of Science and Technology) 87% of all Americans are now aware of Twitter â€" up from 5% in 2008 â€" but only 7% of the population actually use it (Edison Research) 7% of people are active on Twitter (Edison Research) The real applications Instead of using Twitter as a marketing platform, try these applications: Customer support: people are already talking about you, so why not interact with them? Its been proven again and again that customers are demanding that companies and people engage online. If you fix a customer complaint, then it will prevent a possible viral forest fire. Brand awareness: If you look at the statistic above, 87% of people are aware of what Twitter is. For you, as a brand, if you stop tweeting, your face will stop showing up, but your competitors faces wont. There is an opportunity cost to completely dropping Twitter. Job searching: Stop using job boards and start locating jobs and hiring managers on Twitter that can actually help you get a job. Networking: If youre specific in who you want to build relationships with, Twitter is the best platform to do so. Creating buzz: By giving away something for free to some exclusive content, you can use Twitter to get people talking. Recruitment: I believe everyone in the world is a recruiter, whether you have a job, or work in the HR department or not. You can use Twitter to locate people that you want to partner with, hire, or refer, very easily. Researching: By using the Twitter search function, you can find out what people are saying about you, competitors, partners, etc. Build perception: By having a large number of Twitter followers, its easy to grow your network and open doors because youre perceived as famous, or worth speaking to. Which social networks convert As a business owner, Im starting to think more about conversion, ROI, and other metrics. Based on experimenting with social networking, I see email converting the most, and Twitter the least. Im still measuring Facebook, so Ill have an opinion on that network soon. Twitter isnt a marketing platform because theres no loyalty and the time it takes you to follow someone else is almost zero seconds. When you sign up for an email newsletter, it takes at least a half of a minute to fill in two or more fields (name and email address typically). People who work harder to be part of your marketing list are worth more, and the probability they will convert into customers is higher. How to move from Twitter to higher conversion platforms First, let me be clear that Im not saying that you should stop tweeting altogether. What I am saying is that if youre trying to make money, you will need to start looking at Twitter as a brand awareness platform instead of a marketing database. Create a blog and/or email newsletter. Leverage your current reputation and network on Twitter to start pushing people daily to your blog and/or email newsletter. Tweet about five other pieces of valuable content on Twitter each day to balance off your self-promotion. Repeat. If you can start tweeting less, like I will be doing soon, and start using what you already have to build your blog and email newsletter assets, you will be more successful. Remember that an email subscriber is worth five times as much as a blog subscriber and ten times as much as a Twitter follower. Taking all things into account, Id rather have 5,000 email contacts than 100,000 Twitter followers. Your turn Have you been using Twitter as a marketing platform? What results have you gotten?

The three music mixes for a night in if youre sick of clubbing - Debut

The three music mixes for a night in if youre sick of clubbing - Debut Music Mixes for a Night In This post is written by a member of the Debut Student Publisher Network. Read on for  Christines  curated music  mixes for a night in: Listen, weve all been through the Freshers Week wringer. And while some people love to hit up a good party, some of us get a little worn out from hittin up the clubs. Its not that we dont wanna be social, but occasionally its nice to kick back and host a night in instead. So to set the mood, weve created a few playlists tailored to whatever night in you feel like having, from hosting your own get-together to chilling by yourself with a good book and some red wine. Music Mixes for a Night In 1. Me Time This playlist is for when you just wanna curl up as a little blanket burrito and tune out the rest of the world. Sometimes you gotta just be by yourself, and thats okay. So here are some tunes for just that: taking a deep breath and re-charging. 2. Breakin It Down This playlist is for when you have some friends over and you want to create a fun atmosphere where you can get down and get groovy. Its a mix of nostalgia and heavy beats that work for either background noise or drunken sing-a-longs or both a two-for-the-price-of-one kinda deal. 3. Boardgames and Chill This playlist is for the kind of hang-out where you invite people over for a board game night or a potluck. Here you have music that sets up a chilled out vibe and allows you to talk and get to know each other, so its essentially the antithesis of the pounding club bass. Just what you need for a break from the parties! All in all, its important to know that its okay not to want to party all the time. There are lots of other options you can spend your time on, and its totally fine to need to switch off from going out all the time. Hopefully with these playlists, youll be less worried about FOMO; youre not missing out on anything by doing what makes you comfortable. Download the Debut app and you could totally grab yourself a summer internship  way before anyone else. Follow Christine  on Twitter  @slytherchris Connect with Debut on  Facebook  and  Twitter

You are Employed, How Do You Make Time for Job Search

You are Employed, How Do You Make Time for Job Search First, lets frame the question.    You are employed could mean youve secured a job solely for income purposes.   Or youve taken a job that is just that, a job, not something you are passionate about.   Or, it is a short-term or contracted position. Or it is your dream vocation!   If any of these apply, great. Next, what do I mean by job searching?   NETWORKING.   So how do you continue to network (for your career) when you are working? Identify People You Want to Meet The simplest answer is to just carve out time each week or month to do it.   But obviously this is easier said than done.   What is preventing you from doing it?   Perhaps you dont know where or with whom to network. Remember when you were in job search you created a target list of companies?   That is a great tool and now you need to go back and update it regularly.   Use this tool to identify companies and people you would like to meet.   Stop, look and listen for names in the news related to your passion.   Add them to your target list. Chances are, if you put them on your radar, youll be able to think of a way to connect with them.   Could it be virtually?   Perhaps via LinkedIn or Twitter or even Facebook?   Where would you find people from this company hanging out? Seek Information, Not A Job When connecting to these targets, you have to find a way to ease into  a conversation as to not jeopardize your current employment situation.   You dont want to overtly convey you are looking for a new job.   To quote from my favorite movie, These things have to be taken care of delicately (said with your most wickedly witch voice). Think about initiating conversation in one of these ways: Do they have expertise in an area related to your current job?   You could ask to talk with them about that area of expertise. Perhaps their company has overcome challenges that you would like insight on.   Ask for advice. Basically networking is networking.   It was never asking for a job.   It never will be. Attend Events Now that you have a job, you might be eligible of company training, conference attendance, or professional association meetings.   Take your employer up  on any or all of the above. Carving out time is the most important part of this.   Create your plan, put the time on your calendar and do it.   It may  be morning coffee, it may be afternoon coffee, it may be lunch.   You must keep at it.   Dont ever stop.

Created Synonym Resume - How to Write One

Created Synonym Resume - How to Write OneThe created synonym resume is a special kind of resume that simply gives you the name of a word or name you want to use in your resume. Instead of using a last name and 'First', there is one word in the reverse order, and this can be used anywhere on the resume and the employer will see it as part of the name.Now that you have the word's type and length in mind, you can use it with ease. Instead of writing: Edward J. Smith, PhD, created synonym resume for your title, you can now just write: Edward J. Smith created synonym resume.Before using a word with the reversed order, ask yourself if the person who will read your resume will know that it is just a synonym. If the answer is no, you may want to either go with a different type of word or a new name altogether.You may also find that your boss can't relate to you at all. So, if your job description has too many circles, make it square. If your job description has too many circles, make it squa re.By making sure that the job description matches the skills that you are trying to convey to the reader, you will give them a whole picture of you'll have something to relate back to when it comes time to find out about you. Sometimes it is very easy to tell what is going on in the head of a person who is working in human resources. So, take the time to find out who the general public thinks you are.After you have chosen the right word for the job, try using created synonym resume. Although you should always be careful not to just use anything, the added benefit of this type of resume is that it may come across as more professional than your traditional resume that contains your last name and the first initial.Remember, that creating a created synonym resume does not mean that you can have some sort of silly joke in there to get more sympathy for yourself. You still need to be able to tell how well you communicate your information.In most cases, this type of resume is simply a pla in old job application. Just be sure that the job description is up to date and that the job is what you really want.