LinkedIn and Branding: Expand Your Network

Are you looking for a job? Yes? No? In either case, you NEED LinkedIn.  Why? LinkedIn is basically a social networking website that is all about NETWORKING.  Having connections is the key to your SUCCESS.  LinkedIn helps you expand your professional network and increase your chances of being found and evaluated. Nowadays, employers have been increasingly using LinkedIn to seek talent by conducting background research, sourcing candidates, and acquiring references. But what if you already have a job and you're not looking one? It doesn't matter. 80% of users on LinkedIn are currently not seeking employment. By having a large network, you can use it in case you are laid off and then have a higher chance to be employed again.  If you are seeking employment, 77% of all job openings are posted on LinkedIn!  You are missing out on many opportunities of landing a job by not having a profile.  Once you make a profile and put yourself out in the world, you allow employers to connect with you, even if you're not log in all the time.  

Expand your network

So maybe you have a LinkedIn account already but are you utilizing it to its fullest? The most important thing is having a very strong and complete profile.  To make a great impression, you need to fill it out to increase your chances of being offered a job. You are your own brand and you need to advertise your professional resume.  You want to show WHY people should hire YOU.  Start building your Network today!

QR Codes: What are they and how do they work?

Created using Quickmark

     
       You see that weird looking square on the left side there? If you have a smart phone, download the QR code reader app if you haven't already and scan it.  Well what is it!? That's right, it is direct link to my blog!  How does it do that? That square is called a QR code, which is basically a two-dimensional bar code that stores information.  You are already familiar with the 1-dimensional bar code, which you've seen at grocery stores. Bar codes are stored only in its horizontal widths and its spaces while its vertical makes no difference.

Sample barcode taken from http://freebarcodefonts.dobsonsw.com/

The QR code differs from the bar code by having a larger amount of data in a smaller space, is more reliable, and reads at a higher speed.  They can be scanned from any direction within 360 degrees and because of their design, they can be read up to 20 times faster than regular matrix codes.  The QR code conveys its information by the arrangement of black and white elements called "modules" in both the horizontal and vertical direction.  Each module represents either a 0 or 1, which allows the smart phone to use the code and access information. But what information!?  When scanned, it can link you to any URL whether it be Facebook, Google, YouTube, or Richard's blog!  In our society today, they are being used for marketing, entertainment, commercial tracking, etc.  If you have a product you want to advertise, go ahead and make a QR code to allow people to access your website or any information about your product! 

A poster used in Japan made by Disney to allow people to access exclusive information

Pros/Cons of Social Networking

       When we think of social networking sites, we think of Facebook, Myspace, Twitter, LinkedIn, Pinterest,  etc.  Their purposes are to build communities in which people share interests and activities or explore interests of others. According to Craig Smith, Facebook has currently 1.15 billion users, which is currently the most used social networking site! It has provided great communication (personal and professional) between friends, family, and colleagues, allowing people to build stronger connections. It has also allowed businesses to promote their brand, garnering more attention than they ever would without social networks.  Not only will people have recognition of their brand, but also they can provide feedback.  Although there are many reasons to promote these social networks, there are also cons. Here are my pros/cons for using social medias:

Pros:

• Maintain connections and create closer bonds.
• Allows job employment by letting businesses to reach out to potential employees.
• Find others who share same interest.
• Increase overall quality of life by communication among friends.
• a platform for communication between professors and students that promotes education.
• Allow businesses to promote their brand.

Cons:

• Lack of privacy, allowing intrusions of government.
• Can lead to stress due to conflicting relationships or having no companionship.
• Discourages people to make physical interactions.
• Dissemination of false information.
• Easily allows people to waste time.
• Negative publicity for a business's brand.

Despite these pros and cons, an important aspect of social networking is its security.  Anyone using any kind of social media is at risk because of hacks, and viruses.  Confidential information could be stolen. Tech companies such as Facebook, Microsoft, NBC, and New York times have been hacked!  The latest hacks involve the victim to visiting "infected pages" first and result in computers allowing hackers access to the network's private information.  It is no doubt that these hacks will ever stop so be cautious whenever using social networking sites!