TechWhirl’s own Duct Tape Writer, Craig Cardimon, scours the far reaches of the web to provide the Help Files to his friends and anyone else who doesn’t have time to search for some work-a-day gems. His collection of hints, tips, and tricks can make anyone more productive and less prone to screwing up their work life, no matter whether the office is in a cubicle farm, a catamaran, or the couch.
“Oh I get by with a little help from my friends” -The Beatles, 1967
Linking In
Tips for Using LinkedIn to Find a Job
Seems like everyone is “looking” for a new job. If you are job hunting, or you would be satisfied to squeeze more out of the job you feel lucky to have, Sarah Halzack of The Washington Post offers tips from two LinkedIn experts to help you.
Backup Your LinkedIn Account
Okay, so you’ve finally arrived in the 21st century, and you have spent time and effort in carefully building and fine-tuning your LinkedIn account. (You DO have a LinkedIn account, don’t you? If not, stop right now and go sign up. We’ll wait.) Well, all your work, and this includes your valuable business contacts, can suddenly disappear. Gone. Vanished. LinkedIn could go down or, even worse, delete your account. Yes, they reserve the right to make you disappear from LinkedIn. Given that LinkedIn is now an essential business tool for up-and-comers and those who’ve already arrived (read: EVERYONE), this could be scary, discomforting news. Fortunately, Donna Serdula offers great ways to save your stuff.
Emailing Out
Using Gmail’s Tabbed Inbox Wisely
Let’s face it: We are all buried under a tsunami of email that takes lots of time to sort through. Not everyone takes pleasure in configuring dozens of email filters required to turn the tidal wave to a manageable flow. And there is always a danger that you could do something wrong and turn the labels of your must-read email messages into spam. But gee whiz, if only there was an automatic sorting system. Well, now we have one. If you are a Gmail user, you may have noticed some big changes recently. Gmail now offers a tabbed inbox to help sort your mail, and Becky McCray shares practical tips on setting up the new tabs to work for you.
How to Adjust the New Gmail Tabs to Get Priority Email
If your favorite newsletters still getting misfiled by Gmail Tabs, Pam Moore is here to help with a specific tip on how to rescue your gotta-have messages.
Seven Ways to Manage Email so it Doesn’t Manage You
Speaking of email and the thunderstorm of messages that rains down on you every day, Jeff Weiner has not one, not two, but seven methods you can use to help take charge of the deluge.
37 Tips for Writing Emails that Don’t Get Deleted
For better or worse, email is a part of everyone’s life. We like getting messages from friends, not so much from corporations whose sole purpose is to part us from even more of our hard-earned wages. We read the ones from friends. We delete the ones from corporations. Copyblogger shares some nuts-and-bolts know-how on writing emails that get opened, read, and clicked.
Getting Down with Note-taking
Evernote for Beginners
I use Evernote every day. It is a superb system for taking notes. Evernote can be overwhelming for newbies, however. Heck, I’m still learning it myself. Fortunately, Mashable has created a guide just for beginners — and those of us who still feel like beginners!
Evernote Poweruser
For those of us have been using Evernote, and are looking to squeeze even more out of it, Jess Fee has some tips to help you stay productive and organized.
Have some tips or tools to share with your fellow writers and content developers? Drop Craig a note: HelpFiles@TechWhirl.com.
