Fan To Pro - The Blog of Professional Geekery

Turning Books Into Action

I advise people to always be reading books, including career books.  One of the problems however is we can read so much that our latest reading falls out of our mind as soon as we finish it and pick up a new one.  So here a few tips for what I use to turn what I learn in a book to action.

1) If a book has exercises you can do while reading them?  Do them.  This lets you get as much out of the book as possible and keeps it in your mind fast.

2) If a book has exercises you can't do until you're done, do them IMMEDIATELY or very shortly after finishing the book.  Keep the book with you if possible for a reminder.

3) Review the book after completion to make sure you integrate the lessons.

4) Keep notes while reading for things to do after you read the book.

5) After you finish the book (or during) write up an action plan to put what you read into action.  Include what you truly need, don't include everything unless you feel you have to or the book works best if you do all exercises.

Reading and getting the most out of a book is a matter of active engagement.  A plan to get the most out of a book makes sure you are engaged.

- Steven Savage

Social Media, Life, and prominence

We hear constantly about Social Media these days until many of us are sick of it (I'm getting a bit tired of hearing about it myself).  In all the discussions, analysis, articles, witty twitters, and so on, one thing gets missed. I'd like to discuss it since social media is both a geeky life tool, a geeky career tool, and a geeky career destination.

And that fact is that Social Media offers nothing new.

Blasphemy, many will say, but it's the truth.  Social Media is completely unoriginal, and that's why it works.

Week In Review 5/30/2009 - And More

This is going to be our last week in review done in text format - instead we're going to be doing weekly shows every Saturday reviewing the geeky career news and discussing progeek issues at Fan To Pro on BlogTalkRadio!  We haven't set an exact time, but we plan to shortly.

So, let's get to reviewing the news of the week for career geeks!

Lots of Google news.  Google makes it easier on people to use special widgets on the web, further cementing their presence and mindshare.  Big news however was their mega-collboration-communication tool in the works, Google Wave, which has open source elements, and a Twitter integrator.  I'm guessing this is google's big push post-android to shore up web presence and, as I mentioned, dilute the chance for others to dominate in various areas.

Facebook got a huge $200 million investment.  That's a lot of money, but really only a 2% ownership of the company.  Still that's a giant amount of cash to get, and good for Facebook.  As a side note, it seems we've got more Russian investment in social media (remember Livejournal?).  Interestingly Facebook may have peaked among users 55 and older.   Facebook is facing a number of challenges and advantages.

(Also, don't forget the advice you have a social media backup plan).

Hulu took on Boxee, launching it's own desktop (and I suspect making a play for X-box installation).  Boxee of course offers to work with them.  Hulu, for all it's dominance, seems surprisingly insecure, and i want to watch what they do - it could be something self-defeating.

For gaming, the sad note high reviews are no guarantee of sales.

My big takes this week are Hulu, Google, and Facebook.  Hulu seems to be wanting to expand fast and furious, Google already is (and let's face it, a clash involving YouTube is coming.  Again), and Facebook is working to expand.  Those are the 3 to keep an eye on this week.

- Steven Savage

Make your Own Job Title!

Here's an exercise I want you to try - and do it right as you read this.

Sit down and create your ideal job and give it a title.  Do NOT use any existing job description, and do not use any existing job title.  In fact, if you can, when you create that job title, try not to use any words in your current job title if at all possible, even if its close to ideal.

(If you're a fan of fantasy RPGs or games with "class" structures this may be easy for you)

Ready for more?

News of the Day 4/29/2009

And now your weekday review of geekonomic news, careers for nerds, and the activities in the geekosphere.

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Cool Tools:
Five things you didn't know you could do with Linkedin.com.

Career:
Make the most out of your career decisions - Can't go focusing on the negative, but you can build on the positive. This article hits home with me in that, though I've had adversity in my career (and whined about it, ask my wife), that you can build on the good things.

Economics/Geekonomics/Freakonomics:
Counting inflation, housing values are down to what they were in 2000 on average - 'On average' being important to note. I still see things falling, 'on average' a little further, considering how long the run-up has been building. I recall articles on home value inflation over a decade ago.

Politics:
With the Obama administration talking a new cyberczar, people are all up having discussions, and I'm sure we'll be posting more. The president says there won't be spying on the net, but there's concern about identity management. If you're in IT or not this affects you - welcome to the omnipresent geekosphere.

There have been stories about rape games being banned in Japan, but that's apparently not true. I doubt this would have been a big deal in Japan if it wasn't for the controversy elsewhere. It's something worth following if only to see where it goes - and because globalization is going to produce both rumors and actual legal actions. Most of us with a knowledge of games knew Japan turned out some pretty eye-wateringly bizarre and morally questionable entertainment, but in a more globalized world, such things will get much more attention.

Publishing:
Google's new Widgets for news may help publishers of news? This would make the announcement very timely wouldn't it? Since Google is talking to some publishers, something could be up, though probably not anything that's going to save jobs right away.

Book sales are still dropping - I can't say I'm surprised, but I am curious where the bottom and the 'new normal' is. I've also wanted to find research about how webcomics, online publishing, and patronage systems are going - but haven't seen much lately.

Technology:
Microsoft's new Bing search engine announcement sort of wasn't. I doubt they hurt themselves bad with this, but it's still curious as to what they're up to.

Social Media:
Playdom is hiring some big people, including folks from rival Zynga.com, which surprises me as Zynga is doing pretty good. Job-wise, this is something to watch as social media workers are probably evolving into their own subculture, just like gaming - meaning you have to break into the culture as well as the industry.

Video:
Boxee offers to work with Hulu again, and calls them on a misleading popup - And so the battle continues. I'm still not sure where Boxee is going to end up, but Hulu is a force to be reckoned with.

Video Games:
EA is trying to evolve Tiger Woods game into online - It's a gamble, but not an unwise one considering more and more sales are going on line, the cut in production cost, and of course the strength of the Woods name (this might not work with other properties). EA is of course trying everything, but this one may work, so as we keep noting, stay tuned. I'd also note that, for reasons I am still fathoming, golf games are more popular than I'd expect - to the point where *I* have had to resist buying some.

Good reviews don't mean good profits in gaming - Obvious, yes, but a telling read if you're in the industry, especially for the factors you may not notice - such as the cost of quality outstripping the profit margin.

Another casualty: The Matrix Online is shutting down. Four years isn't too bad a run.

The psychology of achievements and collecting in games - If you're in games, or play them, READ THIS. It's an excellent look at the psychology of these activities, how they tap into our needs, and some of the benefits (and pitfalls).

Finally, President Obama's dog, Bo will appear in Lockjaw and the Pet Avengers from Marvel comics. I'm really trying to think of something to say. I'm failing . .

Wait! This and other Obama-comic related activities are probably a mixture of our growing multimedia synergy, and the fact he's a bit of a geek anyway. There, I made it somewhat profound.

- Steve Savage

Your Fandom Address Book and You

If you’ve been in fandom any length of time, chances are you’ve accumulated a fandom address list. Maybe it’s a series of addresses in your E-mail account, maybe it’s your LiveJournal friends list. But it’s highly unlikely for someone to have passed through organized fan activity without accumulating at least some contacts.

That seemingly casual list may be one of the most valuable tools in your job search.

When do you outsource?

I wrote awhile ago about fansourcing and wanted to follow up on a general question - when do you outsource things important to your career?

We geek types sometimes try and do everything - being technically adept, having multiple skills, and being cutting-edge means we can do a lot.  We also may be afraid to outsource things to other people since, simply, it can be hard to trust someone else.

Unfortunately, we find we have to.  There's only so much we can do.

News of the Day 5/28/2009

Cool Tools:
Five social media identity integrators - If you're trying to combine your identities and make it easier, here's your guide!

Career:
Ouch, the $100,000-per-year-plus job search site's resume review appears to be a scam. I've used The Ladders myself, with mixed results, and this is making me question its usefulness and ethics. Since networking is a big deal for finding jobs, all search sites, paid or not, are something to evaluate very carefully.

Economics/Freakonomics/Geekonomics:
Yes we have an economic recovery later 2009. It will also be uneven. A long complex read, but worth your time as it points out that the volatility of the last few decades isn't going to change and the recovery will be uneven.

Another good article on what cities will grow and what cities will suffer in the future - Mostly addressing the New-York-is-in-trouble meme that keeps surfacing. Most interesting to me - I didn't know Tokyo was suffering that much. If relocating, do your research before following memes.

One out of eight homeowners with mortgages are behind or in foreclosure - Ugly, and continuing as the economy takes its toll on people. Note that it's an uneven distribution though.

Publishing:
Technical news blog network GigaOm to go to paid options. This is for exclusive content that actually sounds reasonable for the $79 a year. I don't use their service, but considering they're tech-savvy, I'd give them the benefit of the dobut that they thought this through. This is one worth watching performance-wise, and brings up the interesting possibility that some high-tech online companies might switch to subscription modes faster - and wiser - than others.

Social Media:
Users over 55 seem to be declining in Facebook usage. Demographics worth noting - are they going to other media or just losing interest after the fads? Knowing could be important if you're in social media.

Technology:
Google releases series of web gadgets for sites and blogs - Pretty much follows their finger-in-every-pie strategy. I myself have trouble keeping track of the gadgets, plugins, gizmos, and add-ons out there anyway, but let's face it - Google has mindshare. Important note here is that these tools also provide a leg up for amateurs and non-pros to gussy up their websites - further increasing mindshare and loyalty in a time where the personal web page can fall behind more advanced technologies.

Google has also announced Google Wave. It's not out yet (and the announcement is many months early, suggesting to me they want to get mindshare and interest). What Google Wave is what PM's like me call a Dashboard (or an active Dashboard), a big data-combining and interaction tool. This one is for your life - mail, conversations, etc. It's also open-sourced, and there's already a Twitter extention. This will be important for life management, but also suggests to me that Google is on it's 'next wave' of getting integrated and getting out there in people's lives. Job-wise of course let's face it working for Google would be great - but these tools are also good for job searches, our lives, and building communication.

Also in Google-ness, there's going to be a flood of Android phones soon.

Video:
Hulu launches Hulu desktop - Of course this lets them take on Boxee. Again I figure Hulu is a great choice for jobs - and as a bit of geek speculation, what if they can get this onto the X-Box 360?

Writing:
There's a sort-of-review of a blogging course. It's a bit thin and overly positive, but for $19.00 this might be worth examining.

Now with all this said, time for an aside on Google.

My take on Google is this - they don't want to rule the world - they do want a finger in every pie and to be established enough no one can jerk them around in their markets. By establishing good utilities and mindshare, they can do this with minimal conflict.

What does this mean in Geeky careers?

• First, Google's mindshare means they will affect other developers and companies simply by the fact they can easily get into certain markets. Watch out to see if Google can affect your company.
• Working at Google is still probably a great bet career-wise. They're established.
• Google is providing tools to people that do stuff they want - integrate the mass of social media, provide cool functions to websites, etc. Google is helping people keep up in a time of change. That's a brilliant strategy because people need that. Let me reiterate this - Google is making it easier to keep up with stuff, people will like that. That's a strategy to learn from.
• This creates a single point of corporate failure for many people - monoculture in a way. This does mean that simple incidents can produce seismic shifts in people's lives - and Google can be easily on the outs.

-Steve Savage

The Art of the Stopgap Job

When you’re looking for a job, you’re looking for that dream career, right? You want that job that perfectly matches your skillset to appear before you, as if by magic.

Unfortunately, life doesn’t always work out like that, and that’s why – especially if you aren’t employed at the moment – you should consider taking a job that’s not “Mr. Right” but “Mr. That’ll Do” – at least until the dream career comes along.

You cannot NOT communicate

There's a principle in the psychological theory/techniques known as Neuro Linguistic Programming (NLP) - you cannot NOT communicate.  That's worth remembering in your career (and indeed, your whole life).

Humans are social animals and are communicating constantly.  In your career, of course, communication is important, which is why I wanted to do a separate essay on this.