A Different Kind of Resume

The past few weeks I have been conducting research for my personal learning project for my COM 509 class. I have been gathering information about LinkedIn, and how to use it within your job search. Within the last four years, I have spent numerous hours perfecting my resume, trying to make it as up-to-date as possible. I have had over three professors look over my resume, and even have the career center tell me what they think.

Within my research, I have learned that using LinkedIn as a digital resume is a smart move.  Recruiters and those working within HR are using LinkedIn to find qualified candidates for open positions, and also to do a little research about who you are. Employers are using social networking sites as a new kind of background check, and are finding more about you then you think.

Think about it. Facebook comes around, you get slightly addicted, and next thing you know, you have 1,000 pictures tagged of you. Three months later, you join the group “Let’s get drunk” for your friends birthday party, and of course, pictures will be posted from that night. Now, Facebook is a great way to keep up with friends and all, but how much needs to be visible about one’s life?

Next thing you know, graduation is approaching and you are applying for jobs. A recruiter from the number one company you want to work for receives your resume and starts to consider you for the job. She logs onto Faceboook, does a search for your name, and poof! There you are, all 900 pictures of you doing things that you are not so proud of. Recruiters and HR are using social media to find out everything about you they can.

The worst part about it… We are the ones who are in control of our profiles, and we chose to show ourselves off as the person who can do a 40 second keg stand. So just a helpful hint. As soon as your resume is out there for recruiters to consider you for a job, either give your Facebook a little makeover, or simply freeze your account for a bit.

Mobile Applications For The Bar

Just when I thought there was a mobile application for anything and everything under the sun, I came across an article in “Market Watch” magazine that proved me wrong.  TabbedOut, the newest phone application, allows people to order drinks, manage their tab, and even pay their tabs all from their smartphone. Company CEO and co-founder Rick Orr says that he got the idea from a bad dinning experience that he had when the waitress didn’t come back for 55 minutes after she dropped off his tab.

In a way, I think this is awesome and at the same time slightly unnecessary.  If I was at a bar, and it was crazy busy with no waitress to help me, I would love having this application. I would have a drink whenever I wanted, and I wouldn’t have to wait on someone else’s time to get it. Also, I wouldn’t have to worry about giving my card away to hold my tab for a server or bartender to misplace or charge the wrong tab on it.

On the other hand, I would be spending more time on my phone, ignoring my friends, and would be leaving half the tip because the waitress did half the work. Most importantly, if this app blows up like I think it will, bars and restaurants won’t need as many waitresses working so more jobs will be lost.

As a waitress myself, I understand that having a table that can simply send me a message of just what they want and I don’t have to repetitively ask if my table needs anything sounds great. But, what if my table gets too drunk. Ever hear the term “drunk texting?” Yeah, I can only imagine what drink orders will look like from an iPhone to a waitress.

TabbedOut is free to download, but only charges 99 cents for each time you pay your tab. It is already available in about 90 different bars in eight states (Apps For Buying Drinks). Not only is this application available through your iPhone, it is also available on Android and Blackberry.

The future of this application seems bright, but how secure does the future look for waitresses? How much will their work tasks be altered? Are there going to be any cutbacks because the application handles nearly 1/2 of a cocktail waitresses job? What do you think?

Foursquare-Social Tool or Creep Magnet?

Want your friends to know what and where you are? Other than updating your Facebook status or Tweeting about it, another social network has been created to not only tell your buddies what you are up to, but gain accreditation for the places you visit. Foursquare is a new social network that is making its mark on the social media movement. It is an online community that members add to their phone and “check-in” with their current locations. After they have updated their specific location their friends are then notified and Foursquare automatically tells you who of your friends are nearby.

One can then gain points or badges from visiting locations and can receive more points by traveling, visiting locations frequently, or adding a new venue to their Foursquare. Specific venues and locations are even on to this growing trend. Some places even reward Foursquare users with special coupons or promotions for visiting their establishments.

http://www.youtube.com/v/DFXzyJ8mUh4?fs=1&hl=en_US

As a college student, this sounds great. If my friends and I want to go out, we can simply check where our friends are on Foursquare and see which bar is the better choice. One could also use this site to avoid running into people in which they would not want to see. Sound perfect yet?

I am all in for things that make my life easier, get things completed faster, and simply make my day that much better. But when I start to think about this on a deeper level. What if someone who I didn’t want to see wanted to see me?

I admit that yes, I have “creeped” a little on Facebook and just-so-happened to find out that my roommate was friends with someone so I could check out their pictures. I guess it was a little wrong, but I know me and my intentions and I would never take it further than that. The problem-we don’t know others as well as we think. Most of us like to see the best in people and trust others after only knowing them for a short amount of time.

I have not only been the victim but seen a lot of girlfriends get those stalker phone calls, text messages, and Facebook messages. I have even seen people magically “show up” to places that we were located at. Most of the time I brush it off and reassure my friends that it is a college town and that people are bound to run into one another when out eventually.

But what if you are too trusting with the wrong person? Could Foursquare just make that creepy person one step closer to you?

Source: foursquare.com