I have been a marketer and promoter for ten years and have loved helping businesses grow.  In my experience, however, it used to be that marketing, communications, and public relations were seen as internal services – nonessential to the core businesses – sort of like purchasing or mailroom!

But not anymore!  So, what changed?

The Dot-Com Boom

The dot-com boom of the 1990s launched a new era for us all, especially for marketing and communications professionals!  Internet use increased, which spurred better technologies, which in turn drove greater use and so on.  Suddenly people expected great content to match the great technology – all tailored to their individual needs – and the marketing and communications professionals become more important. 

Branding

Once companies started to interact online with a much wider audience, branding became much more important.   Before the Internet, traditional stakeholders like customers, prospects, employees, and shareholders would base their perception of the brand on their personal experience with the product or service.  In the new world of the Internet, perceptions of the brand were based on much more fluid and less controlled factors, which made it more important to define the brand carefully.  It also became more important to set “expectations” for the brand in advance of delivering on “experiences” for the brand. 

Companies realized that an organization’s brand is dynamic and involves several facets that cannot be handled passively.  Marketing and communications professional roles started gaining momentum and value in the context of the business strategy.

Integrated Marketing

To deliver on great branding, companies had to deliver consistent messages through all channels of communications.  That elevated the importance of integrated marketing.  Yes, most companies fall short of a truly integrated marketing plan, with many initiatives executed independently of each other, diminishing the full potential of each initiative.  Still, companies realize that branding is most successful with integrated marketing, and efforts to pull everything together continue relentlessly. 

Social Media

Social Media is not just the latest buzzword.  It is the platform that brings together all of a company’s stakeholders plus commentators and observers.  Its significance is driven by the immediate satisfaction and transparency that all stakeholders crave.  It is now necessary for organizations to invest more in marketing, communications and public relations pros to oversee the activity.    So, what was once considered the next online fad has now become a business driver.   Thankfully, this is drawing the marketing and communications professionals into more visible strategic roles within the organization.

In other words, as tempting as it may be to trivialize social media, it is the very importance of social media to our stakeholders that at last elevates us marketing and communications pros to even higher levels of strategic importance within our companies.  As one very thankful marketing professional, I can’t wait to see how social media continues to evolve in ways that further strengthens our profession!

In a competitive job market, it’s your resume that makes the first impression and sets you apart.  On a busy day, I read about 200 resumes.  Some are great, easy to understand, and allow me to quickly determine the fit for a given job.  Others are not so great.  Resume coach Dawn Rasmussen offers this article on resume mistakes to avoid:

Day in and day out, people are struggling to get their résumé perfectly tuned up before sending it out into the universe, all in search of a job… any job.

But you know what? One of the greatest failings of the American education system is that it fails to train any of us (even new graduates) how to effectively write our credentials in a way that is easily digestible by employers. Ask any human resource manager… they will tell you that somewhere between 70 and 80% (and that’s being kind) of all résumés they see are absolutely terrible.

Here are 12 biggie mistakes that you absolutely must avoid to at least have a chance to make it into the “interview” pile – and away from the circular file…

1. Goofy or Inappropriate Email Address

It’s time to grow up. You don’t have to ditch your ‘princess92’ social email handle but please don’t use your ‘dieseltrucklvr@aol.com’ account on your résumé! Names like that can tip off an employer that you aren’t taking your job search seriously – and quite possibly land your application in the “I never received it” round-file.

2. Including an Objective Statement

The 1970’s are calling… and they want your résumé back. I really wish we could put up a giant flashing neon sign on every freeway that tells people to ditch this awful, old-school résumé element. Employers don’t care what YOU want. They care what you are going to do for THEM.

3. Not “Theming” your Document

Now that we have moved into early 21st century, please take notice of how technology is being used to scan your résumé to see if there are enough keywords to warrant a ‘to be looked at closer’ tag. It’s all about critical mass of the right keywords; by theming your document, you’ll get on the right track.

4. Forgetting Skill Sets

Knock, knock. Who’s there? Keywords. Keywords who? Keywords are key to getting your résumé noticed… ok, ok, that joke really sucks but not any worse than a résumé without keyword skill sets included. (Pssst: onetonline.org -= keyword motherlode… pass it on…)

5. Placing Awards and Top Achievements at End of Document

Arguably, most people don’t know what to do with any industry or company awards. They usually stick them under a specific employer or dump the mention at the end of the document. Please… insert a “Notable Achievements” section right after your keyword section in the top 1/3 of the résumé. Remember, the cream rises to the top…

6. Lumping Multiple Jobs at One Employer into One Position

A deal-breaker. Some people have had a wonderful career at one employer, holding multiple positions as they worked their way to the top. However, this does NOT entitle them to lump the entirety of their time at that employer under that one position. Tsk, tsk… a BIG no-no.

7. “Stretching” Your Employment Dates

If you started on 11/2007 and left in 2/2008, my friend, that does not mean you can put “2007-2008” on your résumé. That’s called… lying. Save yourself some grief. Just give the employer the Month/Year – Month/Year. They are going to ask – and verify – anyway.

8. Upgrading Your Job Title

Ask any human resource person; they will tell you a story about someone who decided to ‘upgrade’ their job title to more ‘accurately’ reflect the work that they were doing. True, some companies are stingy in the job title department. However, the title listed on the résumé should MATCH what is on file in the personnel office – or you’re creating a terrible first impression.

9. Including Employer Address, Phone, Supervisor Name and Email.

How anxious are you to “prove” that you’re legit? Employers have this thing called the Internet to research your previous companies. Don’t look insecure by listing EVERYTHING – which actually calls the wrong kind of attention to your employment record, and warrants a cynical second look.

10. Listing Your Job Duties

Here’s a little secret: It isn’t about listing what your job duties were anymore… it’s about what did you DO? Employers will read that laundry list and then say, “So what?” – THAT’S the nugget they are really after. A great résumé tells a story that catches the employer’s attention while showing VALUE.

11. Getting Employers to “Assume” Things About Education

Oh dear … how many times have I seen the following: EDUCATION: ABC College – Bachelor of Science. Me: “What did you get your degree in?” Job seeker: (long pause, cough)… “Um, I didn’t graduate… I took coursework.” Me: “You realize it looks like you’re trying to get the employer to assume that you did complete your degree?” Job seeker: “Um, nooooooooo.” Either you got the degree, are in progress, or took program coursework. Say that. Please.

12. Not Keeping Up-to-Date

If the last class you took to boost your on-the-job knowledge was in 1999, then you need to get cracking. Employers are hiring subject matter experts, and your job, until you retire (I know, tall order) is to always be thinking the professional development (classes, workshops, conferences, etc.) you should be taking to enhance your job knowledge. Since there is no such thing as job security anymore… this is your insurance policy to being employable.

These common mistakes are made by everyone at all levels, in all walks of life, at all economic levels. This is why we need to implement a standardized career training curriculum – to ensure those entering the workforce are equipped with the knowledge to properly build career documents.

Now that you know the mistakes to avoid, you do have a fighting chance to building a more effective document and landing that job you’ve been dreaming about!

I would add Mistake #13 to this list: underestimating the importance of the resume.   It may be the only tool that advances you to the next step in the hiring process – perhaps more important to advancement than cover letters, phone calls and references.  Your resume should communicate your accomplishments and contributions for each company.  In other words, why did each company keep you as an employee?  Answers that demonstrate the benefits you brought to previous employers will give future employers the confidence that YOU may be the one to succeed in their new opportunity!

Original author, Dawn Rasmussen with http://www.pathfindercareers.com

[Dawn's posts]  Dawn Rasmussen, CMP, is the president of Portland, Ore.-based Pathfinder Writing and Career Services. Clients from across the United States and Canada and from all career levels have benefited from Dawn’s highly-focused and results-oriented résumé, cover letter, and job search coaching services. Many professional groups as well as colleges and universities have appreciated the insights and expertise she shares during presentations on career management topics, and she is a frequently requested national speaker as a result. Dawn also shares her knowledge as the official “Get the Job” columnist for One+ Magazine distributed to over 26,000 people worldwide, and writes as a jobs expert for the “Career Oxygen” feature on Talentzoo.com, a job resource site for creative and marketing professionals.  Dawn’s social links:  
                                                                                                               

USA Today columnist Andrea Clay notes that although his books may be vintage, author Dale Carnegie’s “How to Win Friends and Influence People” (1936) and “How to Stop Worrying and Start Living” (1948) offer timeless advice for job seekers.

Click here for full article.

 Photo by Alfred Eisenstaedt for LIFE Magazine (c) 1949

The New York Times in a article this week noted how Facebook has adapted to enable more granular group activity.

But sometimes any Facebook posting is just too visble… or perhaps you are trying to do something best done by TEXT for a small group…   The Times also highlighted other services:

Path allows a small group to share photos and videos…

Frenzy lets friends share links, photos, songs and other items in an invitation-only folder on the Web storage service Dropbox, effectively turning it into a private social feed…

Shizzlr lets a group of up to 20 people decide and plan joint activities together via text message…

GroupMe allows a specific group of people to communicate by text message simultaneiously using just one “phone number”…

Give any or all of them a try and let us know what you think in the “comments” below!

1. Hale Business Systems, Mary Kay Cosmetics, Fuller Brush, and W.R. Grace Co. merge to become: Hale Mary Fuller Grace.
2. Polygram Records, Warner Brothers, and Keebler Crackers merge to become: Polly-Warner-Cracker.
3. 3M and Goodyear merge to become: MMMGood.
4. John Deere and Abitibi-Price merge to become: Deere Abi.
5. Zippo Manufacturing, Audi Motors, Dofasco, and Dakota Mining merge to become: Zip Audi Do Da
6. Honeywell, Imasco, and Home Oil merge to become: Honey I’m Home.
7. Denison Mines, and Alliance and Metal Mining merge to become: Mine All Mine.
8. Federal Express and UPS merge to become: FED UP.
9. Xerox and Wurlitzer will merge and begin manufacturing reproductive organs.
10. Fairchild Electronics and Honeywell Computers will merge and become: Fairwell Honeychild.
11. 3M, J.C. Penney and the Canadian Opera Company will merge and become: 3 Penney Opera.
12. Knott’s Berry Farm & National Organization for Women will merge and become: Knott NOW.

Chances are high and growing that the colleague sitting next to you in the adjacent cubicle or the candidate I am about to send out on an interview are members of the newest generation to enter the workforce — the Millennials. Also referred to as Generation Next or Generation Y, these individuals were born between 1980 and 2000 (think graduating high school classes of 1999-2019 and people ages 11-31), and they constitute the largest generation to enter the workforce since the Baby Boomers.

Like other generations, the Millennials bring to the workforce their own set of skills, experiences and perspectives — as well as new challenges for their managers, many of whom are Baby Boomers. I believe that a company will realize greater productivity once  both generations understand and accept one another.

Traits, skills

While the Millennial clients I work with at Brookwoods Group possess varying traits, I believe generally they share the following characteristics:

1. Highly educated
    
   Millennials are well-educated. They were raised to achieve — from the grade school classroom to the soccer field to summer jobs that provide the material for winning college application essays. College is always on the map for Millennials.
    
2. Ethnically and racially diverse
    
   This generation is the most ethnically and racially diverse group of youth in U.S. history. Of those ages 13-29, 18.5% are Hispanic, 14.2% are black, 4.3% are Asian, 3.2% are mixed race or other, and 59.8%  are white, according to the Pew Research Center. http://people-press.org/.  Whereas former generations embraced people’s similarities, Millennials embrace and accept people’s differences. And this generation perceives these differences as learning opportunities.
    
3. Tech-savvy, peer-oriented
    
   Millennials are the most tech-savvy generation to date, having been exposed to communications, media and digital technologies from a very early age onward.Due to their heavy use of instant communication technologies such as email, texting and IM , YouTube, Facebook, MySpace and Twitter, they are highly peer-oriented and value tight friendships and bonds. To many, a job is an opportunity to make more friends and be included in after-hour social events. They also value maintaining a healthy balance between work and “having a life.” For more on this, view the 2007 National Public Radio broadcast Generation Next at www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=6718024.
    
   Millennials also value expression.  “We’ve grown up surrounded by technology and are comfortable expressing ourselves in a multitude of ways,” said Janis Gorton, 30, a staff attorney with Berg & Androphy law firm in Houston. “Technology makes it easier than ever to express ourselves, and we embrace that.”
    
4. In the know, socially conscious
    
   Millennials closely follow what is going on in the world through the Internet and TV, and care deeply about current events. (Remember, they have grown up with instantaneous news coverage of major events such as 9/11, the Iraq war and Mideast tensions, the Enron debacle, the dot-come bubble and the resulting financial crisis.)They also have been described as “living search engines” who want to know what, why and how as soon as possible or even sooner.  “We are armed with more facts than previous generations,” Gorton said. 
    
   Perhaps because they are so aware, Millennials have a genuine desire and strong will to give back and change things for the better. They tend to seek work that is meaningful and will improve people’s lives. Many are attracted to jobs in the arts, social services and green industries, or to companies with strong social consciences.  “We don’t follow the money,” said Travis Fowler, 28, a training specialist with Austin-based Alliance Work Partners http://www.alliancewp.com/. “A job is not an identity, but something we can get excited about.”
    
   In addition, they are more politically engaged, trending more democratic.
    
5. Idealistic, motivated team players
    
   Fowler said Millennials desire challenges, solutions and growth opportunities. He added that they are idealistic and highly motivated, and easily commit to a team vision or collective action. “They seek fun, diversity and challenges — and a more efficient way to do things, which is why they also are referred to as “Generation Why?” I believe they are more laid back and less formal than prior generations, and are eager to accomplish tasks, receive promotions and move up the career ladder — as fast as they can. To this end, they are eager to build their skills and thus their employability.  Millennials are also considered fast and great multi-taskers who can easily manage several projects at once. They desire open communication and a mentoring relationship with their superiors.

Not without some negatives

On the downside, I have noticed that some members of the Millennial generation generally believe they deserve a job, promotions and advancement.

Furthermore, I believe their level of humility is less than those of my parents’ and grandparents’ generations, for example, who lived through the Great Depression and World War I and II. The Millennials’ drive to achieve can fuel this sense of entitlement, I believe.

Fowler added that many Millennials may perceive dead-end tasks as something to outsource or employ robots to accomplish. When faced with administrative or bureaucratic red tape, they are likely to ask,  “Is this really necessary?” and then devise and present to management a “quicker and dirtier way to solve problems.”

While some managers might be offended by this, some productivity specialists believe that the Millennials’ solution orientation will lead many business out of the recession. To read more on this, visit Rebecca Ryan, founder of Next Generation Consulting, at http://www.studyofwork.com/tag/rebecca-ryan/.

While considered super multi-taskers, when Millennials are confronted with a task that they believe is not part of their job description, they are more likely to think, “Hey, that’s not my responsibility.”
 
Unlike Baby Boomers who have stayed in jobs for long periods of time, Millennials generally desire to broaden their skills set to improve their employability and keep their options open to pursue the next perceived growth opportunity. According to Fowler, his generation values skills over length of experience, which may be perceived by some managers as a lack of loyalty and by potential employers as a short-term career perspective.

Because Millennials access information 24 hours a day from any location, they are more inclined to work away from a desk using laptops and smartphones. A 40-hour work week and punching a time clock are harsh realities for Millennials.

From the research I have done and the experiences I have gained in the workplace, I’m going to be so bold as to offer the following tips for both Millennials and their managers. My hope is that I will push both groups to give this phenomenon more of their time and attention and thus accelerate what I perceive to be a natural evolution.

Tips for Millennials

• Adjust your attitude and be thankful for the job you have.
   
• Don’t feel you deserve what is coming to you.
   
• Dress accordingly for your workplace, taking your cues as to what is appropriate from colleagues who have been employed there longer than you have.

Tips for management

• Do your research to understand Millennials — how they think; what they want and need — and how they differ from older employees and managers. Consider role-playing exercises and engaging outside consultants.
   
• Consider updating your reward strategies. Unlike their Baby Boomer parents who sought retirements and pensions from a job — and who later experienced massive layoffs and high unemployment —- Millennials value increased flex time and vacation hours.
   
• Consider upgrading your management style to one that is more mentoring-based and goal-oriented. Avoid “boss relationships.”
   
• Consider adopting a Results-Only Work Environment. This management philosophy is based on the premise that giving employees complete control over their time is the best way to increase productivity in the workplace. (Read BNET CBS Business Network’s What is a Results Only Work Environment? http://www.bnet.com/article/what-is-a-results-only-work-environment/237128).
   
• Continue to invest in personal development, continuing education, peer group and training initiatives. Consider expanding mentoring programs. Tailor existing training programs to be more interactive. Consider using downloadable cell-phone applications for more mobile employees.
   
• Clearly define your social responsibility efforts, including volunteerism, community involvement, charitable giving and environmental best practices, and clearly communicate them to employees. Millennials are attracted to companies that are committed to improving communities and society at large.
   
• Use technology such as avatars and internal networking sites to engage employees.
   
• Endeavor to provide ongoing challenges and variety in the workplace.
   
• Maintain a strategy for diversity and consider collaborative efforts with other cultures.

Does any of this align with your experience?  Would you make different suggestions?  Post your comments below!

Kyle Fake contributed to this article.

IS THIS E-MAIL EVEN NEEDED?

• Is e-mail the best channel for this message?  Even if e-mail is one good way to communicate your message, it may not be the best way.  If your voice will do, make a phone call, especially if a personal dialog will lead to a better outcome or assure that the message is understood.  If you have a question for a person sitting six feet away, get up and ask them the question.  
   
• Do your recipients need or want your message?  Just because you have the need or desire to communicate does not mean your recipients have the need or desire to receive your message.  If you send an e-mail that is ignored and unread, you have wasted your time AND increased the chance that your next e-mail will not be read either!
   
• Can you accomplish your goal a better way?  If you are trying to get information, perhaps you can look it up online instead?  If you are trying to reach a consensus of opinion, can it wait until the next meeting?
   
• You should probably NOT email…  if you are angry, if you are providing negative feedback to a colleague, if you are offering an apology, or if you are resigning a job.  As uncomfortable as these communications may be, they are best done in person or at least by phone.

SEND IT TO THE RIGHT PEOPLE!

• To:  Your list of primary recipients should include ONLY those individuals who must take action on your e-mail, even if the action is to acknowledge they have received and understood the message.
   
• Cc:  Your list of copied recipients should include ONLY those individuals who have a real need to know that the message went out and that primary recipients have been asked to take action.  Otherwise, who are you trying to impress?   The cc should not be used as a passive way to rope someone into an issue. 
   
• Bcc:  Use with caution.  Using Bcc is like trying to keep a secret in the office; it rarely works successfully.  It is very easy for a bcc recipient to inadvertently “reply all”, at which point all the recipients and copied recipients know that there was at least one blind recipient and they will rightfully wonder why.  Anyone you think to bcc, you should probably be transparent and cc them instead.

YOUR SUBJECT LINE SAYS IT ALL!

The subject line may be the most important part of any e-mail, because it determines which e-mails get opened and which get ignored.

• It is accurate.  The subject should state what one item is actually in the e-mail.  An e-mail with the subject “Sales Results” should not really be about “Sales Training”.  If an e-mail is really about two different subjects, it should be broken into two different e-mails.
   
• It reveals the content.  The subject line is like the headline of an article.  It should provide enough information to drive the reader to open and read the rest of the message.  For example, “Required Sales Training Starts Apr 1”.
   
• It indicates the action needed and from whom.  “Required Sales Training for Cleveland Reps Starts Apr 1; Sign Up Online by Mar 15”.
   
• It does all this in a handful of words!  In the example above, 15 words is about right!

WRITE CLEAR CONTENT

• Make the conclusion and action request first, then explain.  This may seem a little counter-intuitive.  In many areas of life, we tend to outline the history, then state the situation, then present our case, and finally ask for action.  For example, “Dad, I have been really good and kept my grades up all semester.  There is a long weekend coming up and my group does not have anything fun planned.  I think it is my turn to host a party for my friends where we wouldn’t have any alcohol or music that would bother the neighbors.  Can I invite my friends and can you help me set it up?”  In a great e-mail, the communication starts with, “Dad, I want your permission and help to put on a party for my friends.”  Then make the case.
   
• Give choices.  If you want action, give people real choices.  It is better to ask, “For our event venue, do you favor the zoo, the museum, or the planetarium?”  This is more effective, than, ”Where do you think we should hold our event?”
   
• Use bold to outline your points.  Your recipient should be able to get the gist of your message if they read nothing but the bold points.  This article is an example.  If you did nothing more than scan the bold statements, you would have a decent idea of what it takes to make a great e-mail!  Still, there can be too much of a good thing; unrestrained boldface type or all-caps is the e-mail equivalent of shouting.  Your message gets lost.
   
• Use bullet points or numbered lists.  Information packed too tightly does not get processed well in our minds.  Use bullet points and headlines in an e-mail to separate the key points or arguments.
   
• Provide LINKS for more information.  Remember that most people read e-mails while they are connected online.  It makes sense, then, to use links whenever possible to both free your e-mail of unnecessary content and to provide the opportunity for much deeper information if needed.  Photos and videos, for example, should not be attached to e-mails; instead provide a link to a photo sharing site or YouTube.
• Assume nothing.  It sometimes helps to imagine your e-mail being read by someone who has missed out on all prior communication on the subject.  For example, if an email exchange talks about the time and date for a meeting, it is important to repeat any prior information about the location and agenda.     
   
• Summarize, repeating the conclusion and action.  It never hurts to repeat your conclusion and call to action at the very end of your message.  “Dad, I really appreciate your trust in me to have a party and your willingness to help!  Can I do anything to make your decision easy?”

THINGS TO REMEMBER

• Tone is important.  The best human communication is done face-to-face in person.  Nothing beats looking someone in the eye, seeing their body language, hearing their tone of voice, sensing their touch, even smelling their fear!  Close-up video conference may be the next-best thing, followed by phone calls.  E-mails come in next-to-last, just ahead of text messaging!  That is why it is important to maintain a proper tone in your e-mails.  None of the sensory clues are in play for e-mail, but people want to perceive those clues anyway.  Even neutral tone is counter-productive.  Very short responses can be easily misinterpreted.  For example, note the difference in tone between, “I am happy report a ten percent increase in sales this quarter…” compared to “Sales increased ten percent this quarter.”
   
• All e-mails can be public.  Compose any e-mail as though you could see it on the front page of the newspaper, or in any blog on the Internet, or on your mother’s desk.  Once you press send, you cannot un-send it.  Your e-mail can very easily travel around the world and be read by millions, even if you think it is a private person-to-person or group communication.  Just ask Bill Gates, whose business e-mails were subpoenaed, dissected and published as part of an anti-trust case. 
   
• Check your grammar.  Is this a business e-mail?  It could be published! (See above.) Check your grammar.  Have someone proofread it for you before you send.  Your recipients may never notice your good grammar, but they will certainly notice your bad grammar and typos!
   
• Simple courtesy counts.  Start off your e-mail with a simple salutation such as “John,”  “Hi John,”  “Andes Project Team,” “Ms. Jones,” etc.  Finish off your e-mail with a simple acknowledgement such as “Thanks,” “Kind regards,” “Please call with questions,” etc.  Finally, a signature, which can be as simple as your name or as long as your name, address, contact information and philosophical statement.  In the end, business e-mail signatures should have ONLY business information, and only what you really need your recipients to know.

1. A king size waterbed holds enough water to fill a 2000 sq. ft. house, 4 inches deep.
2. If you spray hair spray on dust bunnies and run over them with roller blades, they can ignite.
3. A 3-year old boy’s voice is louder than 200 adults in a crowded restaurant.
4. If you hook a dog leash over a ceiling fan, the motor is not strong enough to rotate a 42 pound boy wearing Batman underwear and a Superman cape. It is strong enough, however, if tied to a paint can, to spread paint on all four walls of a 20×20 ft. room.
5. You should not throw baseballs up when the ceiling fan is on. When using a ceiling fan as a bat, you have to throw the ball up a few times before you get a hit. A ceiling fan can hit a baseball a long way.
6. The glass in windows (even double-pane) doesn’t stop a baseball hit by a ceiling fan.
7. When you hear the toilet flush and the words “uh oh” it’s already too late.
8. Brake fluid mixed with Clorox makes smoke, and lots of it.
9. A six-year old boy can start a fire with a flint rock even though a 36-year old man says they can only do it in the movies.
10. Certain Legos will pass through the digestive tract of a 4-year old boy.
11. Play dough and microwave should not be used in the same sentence.
12. Super glue is forever.
13. No matter how much Jell-O you put in a swimming pool, you still can’t walk on water.
14. Pool filters do not like Jell-O.
15. VCRs do not eject “PB & J” sandwiches even though TV commercials show they do.
16. Garbage bags do not make good parachutes.
17. Marbles in gas tanks make lots of noise when driving.
18. You probably DO NOT want to know what that odor is.
19. Always look in the oven before you turn it on; plastic toys do not like ovens.
20. The fire department has a 5-minute response time.
21. The spin cycle on the washing machine does not make earthworms dizzy.
22. It will, however, make cats dizzy.
23. Cats throw up twice their body weight when dizzy.
24. 80% of men who read this will try mixing the Clorox and brake fluid.

Care to explore other half-baked ideas? Do you have half-baked ideas of your own? Check out the “Half Bakery” at www.halfbakery.com. The Halfbakery is a communal database of original, fictitious inventions, edited by its users, and maintained by a dictatorial cabal of volunteers. It was created by people who like to speculate, both as a form of satire and as a form of creative expression.

My favorite half-baked idea? Custard filled speed bumps! They are benign at slow speeds, but solidify or even burst when a car travels over them fast. Wheee!

Of course, you may want to check out some REAL half-baked ideas, at FreePatentsOnline, which tracks legitimate patents as well as some considered a bit crazy… 

How about a Walt Disney patent on a device to communicate with porpoises?

If your company is using LinkedIn’s job posting board then you should know that LinkedIn has filed for an IPO!  This means current free features MAY wind up on the paid-only feature section!  Why?  This translates to more revenue from companies posting jobs, profiles, groups and more… In other words, as a public compnay, shareholders will demand that LinkedIn generate maximum revenue…  and users will pay!

See the original Recruiter.com article at http://bit.ly/LIFreeRide (scroll up to the top of the article).

Clearly, the technology of recruiting is constantly evolving and changing – LinkedIn is a good example.  Still, great corporate recruiters with companies like Brookwoods Group supporting them can add real value regardless of what LinkedIn is doing.  Recruiting, for example, encompasses sourcing, assessing, matching, screening, coaching, and negotiating – all within a context of trusted relationships and experienced judgment.  LinkedIn at any price cannot replace that.  Yes, LinkedIn is a good sourcing tool for all of us, in that it mimics a relatively shallow trusted relationship.  But with the competition to grow ones first level contacts to high numbers, there cannot be many relationships that have enough depth and meaning to replace the value of a great recruiter with a great company standing behind them.