LinkedIn Gaining Popularity.....Sort Of

Today's LinkedIn workshop was very basic.  I have been using linkedin for awhile now so I learned nothing new, but I did find it interesting and encouraging that the university is now pushing students to join and get connected on linkedin.  I also think that it should be broadcasted that Linkedin is not meant to be a replacement for personal networking and in person meetings, but it is most effective when used to augment one's existing and potential personal relationships.  There were still only 3 other students there and I am still thoroughly surprised when I hear other IIT majors that do not use it but it only cripples their chances and increases mine!

Bye to the tie!!!

http://virg.in/b2t

So the above link deals with Richard Branson's "bye to the tie" campaign.  I must say that I follow most of what Richard Branson has to say and being a super successful billionaire does help lend credence to many of his ideals.  However, not everyone can take up this particular cause because we do live in a world that is still hung on appearance as well as certain preconceived notions on what is acceptable in and out of the work place. I personally love suits and ties and own many blazers, ties and a few suits.  Also, if my budget allowed at this particular point in time I would buy many more.  I seem to remember  some time ago, people claiming that a university education may not be necessary because of the success Mark Zuckerberg and Bill Gates and others experienced leaving college early to pursue their endeavors.  If you have the business acumen and the kind of brain power that surpasses your physical appearance then go for it!!  The problem with this mentality is that this mentality does not particularly apply to those who lack exceptional skills and personality.  First impressions still very much rule the business world.  I think that Richard Branson has a point but I do have a problem with technical people that automatically dismiss those who choose to dress up because they feel that fancy suits and ties belay a lack of technical knowledge and ability.  I do wear t shirts and jeans but it depends on the mood that I am in and the situation.  I also personally think that I look great when I am dressed up and I am as comfortable in a tie as I am in casual clothing.  The key is to find a look that works best for YOU.  I've worked along side many developers that work best in Grateful Dead t-shirts cargo shorts.  Most of these people, however, have done significant work in the industry and are currently making valuable contributions to their corporation.  I desire to work in a sector of technology that allows for direct client interaction so my ultimate practice will be to dress appropriately for my specific client.  If I am ever fortunate enough to do business with any of Richard Branson's people then I will gladly forego the tie for the day.  However if left up to me, my ties are here to stay!!!

Yahoo eliminates work from home!!

So theres a new hot topic out there involving Yahoo now eliminating the work from home option from its employees. The issue has sparked debate and outrage on Twitter and in the networking arena from Yahoo's employees and those who follow Yahoo's progress.  I took to Twitter and many people feel that Marissa Meyer making such a strong decision is reminiscent of the 80's work environment.  I even saw other companies tweeting that they still embraced remote employees and even put out offers for unhappy employees to apply with their companies.  As for my own opinion, I understand that Marissa is trying to promote collaboration and connection among employees but in this day and age I am not sure if totally eliminating the ability to work from home is the best route to go.  Perhaps recent troubles at Yahoo have caused them to go to this extreme due to other financial reasons as well as they fight for relevancy in today's market.  As a future IT professional I am very well aware that I will very possibly be working remotely during some points of my career and I find it hard to see how such a policy will truly be implemented but the next few months of this new mandate unfolding should be interesting.  I would love to converse with a current and experienced remote employee to see how they feel about this!

New Playstation 4

As the owner of a PS3 I was a little intrigued in seeing which direction Sony would go in involving the release of the new PS4.  Truthfully, with the hefty price tag this new system will be sporting, and with my current system working just fine, I have no intentions of buying this system.  I am also dismayed that it is not compatible with any games purchased for the PS3 system.  Perhaps the biggest change with the new system seems to be it's complete social network integration for those gamers who are big on combining the benefits of gaming and social networks.  I for one, use my gaming system as a form of entertainment to get away from the social network so I would prefer the system have other developments but perhaps more will be revealed.  I have plans in place to use my social networks for professional purposes, therefore I am not really big on connecting my network to my gaming habits in the least.  Perhaps there will be more about this system that will be attractive but as of now, I am not interested.

Why I'm happy students take personal branding for granted!

One of my professors, +Lynn Keane , recently posted an article concerning the importance of doing your research and personal branding.  For me personally, I have read many blogs and articles concerning how important personal branding is, and how enhancing one's network is included in the many ways one can build their brand and gain exposure.  Valuable advice I'm sure, yet so many students, at least in my circle, do not heed this advice!  There are students that I have encountered that do not know which direction they want their IT careers to go in, they have no professional friends on Facebook, or they simply connect with someone on LinkedIn and beef up there profile and then cross their fingers and hope for the best.  I must say that I LOVE this trend because if this is my competition then I know that I have a leg up on some of these students.  You would think that in today's competitive and scarce market most students would jump at the opportunity to promote themselves and increase their earning potential simply by putting themselves out there but this is NOT what occurs. Although I have achieved high marks in my curriculum the past two years, I do not have a stellar overall academic career at USC.  Being a completely independent student and working multiple jobs hindered academic success early on in my career at USC but I did gain perspective by taking time to travel and expose myself to different parts of the world while also working multiple jobs provided a foundation for working with all manners of people.  As a result, I am not afraid to engage with anyone, and their are few topics that I will not throw my hat in being that my life experience has cast  a wide blanket of relevance that allows me to easily engage with all sorts of individuals in all walks of life.  I will drive several hours to meet or have the chance to interact with someone that I can learn from.  I will design what I call a "network map" to structure a way to engage someone that has the power to help get me to where I want to be in my career.  Although I don't succeed nearly enough, I constantly look up conferences and attempt to find a way to see if I can be sponsored to attend since my financial situation is tight.  I successfully managed to get sponsored to attend an Enterprise Computing Conference in New York and gained many valuable contacts and much needed information during my time there.  I am not afraid to step out of my comfort zone and engage with ANYONE.  If someone I admire makes a statement on Twitter or LinkedIn I look for ways to engage.  Much of the success and publicity
I have received over the past year, whether it is being mentioned in an article or winning a scholarship, is not necessarily due to me being more intelligent than other students, but it is due to the growing strength of my network and ability to be seen and remembered. I have a long way to go but I am pushing forward while others remain stagnant.  I will take any edge that I can get so I'm glad that other students still have the ridiculous notion that Twitter is a waste of time.  I am glad other students only get on LinkedIn to complete an assignment and do just enough to get by.  I'm glad that many students will wait until graduation to reach out to potential employers.  I'm glad that personal branding is seen as a chore to some, as opposed to a privilege that our generation gets to enjoy that is virtually free of charge and can put your personality thousands of miles across a distance into the views of those who are otherwise inaccessible.  More for me I say!!!

Next Wave Tech

As a student it is sometimes difficult to afford all the techie gadgets that catch my interest but these days I can honestly say that one of the highlights of my upcoming graduation is finally having a steady income that can partially fund some of my hi-tech desires.  As the owner of a Droid Smartphone I have lost much of my fervor for envying the latest cell phones from Apple and Droid.  The last tech purchase I made was my Ipad and honestly, I do not feel that I have needed much else. Thanks to increased marketing and articles ranging from Sergey Brin's random photographed outing on a New York subway in "Google Goggles" and talks of Apple releasing a versatile "smart watch" capable of some James Bond Techlike abilities, my interests are staring to picque again!  If my stating salary permits, I would have no shame in admitting I'd be among the first wave of consumers to try out a new set of Google Goggles without hesitation.  Smartphone and tablet innovations have been plentiful as of late but these goggles could be the first of a new wave of tech that takes us into the next tier of device development that brings us closer to the awe inspiring feeling we crave when we ponder the excitement of owning super techno capable spy gear that we often see on television and in movies.  Let it begin! (soon I hope)

IIT Overlooked at SET Career Fair?

If there is one thing I learned at last summer's internship with a global employer is that the other technical interns I met did not seem to be more qualified than me in terms of showing the ability to contribute to many goals of a company.  I am not knocking the other technical majors however at this year's career fair, yet again it baffles me how some companies show up looking exclusively for Comp Sci majors or Engineering majors.  I believe that employers should open the minds of the HR representatives they send to these fairs so that we can finally bypass that awkward moment when you go up to a company and they show subtle, if not obvious, disappointment or disinterest because they have a quota they must meet that only involves certain majors.  If a student has significant technical aptitude then that student should be treated with the same applomb as engineering and comp sci students.  I was brought to a recent interview session (along with two other IIT students) for a widely known company along with schools and majors from all over the country and our group stood out significantly during the problem solving parts of the interview.  IIT majors may not prefer coding, but we have just as much technical potential as other majors and should be treated as such!