“The Matt Cheek”

So many people today are looking for a job. So I recently asked Matt Cheek, an Account Manager at MATRIX, to share a few tips to help job seekers make the most of their time. Below is a short video with his top three resume tips, and the best ways to find a job, fast!

Advertisement

“I’m a blogger”

I still remember when I started my first blog. I was so excited. I could think of a million ideas to write about and was sure that I would never hit a “creative wall.”

Four weeks in, and I was at a complete loss of things to share. The honeymoon was over and the initial excitement of being a “blogger” (I thought it sounded so cool) was gone. Now, I was just a guy with this internal pressure to post something.

So if you are thinking about starting a blog, or have one but are becoming stale and unenthusiastic, here are a few tips to spark some creativity.

1. Lists– Top 5 lists are easy to read and always attract traffic.
2. Photos – Post a photo related to your blog niche.
3. How-To’s – Show your readers how to do something.
4. Link – Have you read an article that you find interesting? Write a short blog post and link to it.
5. Recommendations – Write-up a recommendation to your favorite book, website, movie, restaurant, etc.
6. Interview – People love interviews. Interview an expert in your field and share it on the blog.
7. Video – Most of the time, a video draws more traffic than a written post. So interview someone or show a how-to in a video format
8. A Personal Story – Everyone loves a personal story. Did you have something funny happen to you today? Did you attend an interesting seminar? Share your experience from the event.

Two final suggestions:
1. Don’t cram too much information into a single post. Pick one topic and stick with it. It makes the post easy to read. Plus, then you can expand your other thoughts into future posts.

2. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself to meet a deadline. Sometimes you just don’t have any creative thoughts. Inspiration comes at odd times, and you can’t predict when you will have a brilliant thought. But when you do, write it down quickly so you don’t forget it. Even if it is at 4 AM (done that). Because you might forget it in the morning.

Want more helpful blogging ideas? Here’s a link to “101 Great Posting Ideas“

Setting Goals

Merriam-Webster defines Goal as “the end toward which effort is directed,” and a big heap of effort is what I put into training for my first triathlon this past weekend. Rain or shine I trained every day for two months. There were days that I didn’t’ feel good, was tired from the workday, or would have rather sat on my couch eating chips and drinking a Corona, but never-the-less, I got up and trained.

Goals can seem overwhelming at first. To me, a true goal pushes you out of your comfort zone and urges you forward with determination. On day one of my training back in August, I thought “I will never be able to swim this distance and not drown.” But as time went by and I continued pushing myself further. I noticed my confidence growing and my ability to swim without stopping. Then I even had the strength to run after I swam.

Each day I moved closer to my goal. On October 4, my training paid off. I was able to complete the tri with, I think, a competitive time. If you want to see my actual times click here.

Running past my son near the finish line.

Set a goal that challenges you. Maybe it even scares you at first because you think it can’t be completed. But give yourself adequate time and begin to move in that direction. You never know what you are capable of until you push yourself a little further.

“. . Twitter . . . Really?” The power of social media for customer service.

My hat is off to Home Depot and their social media savvy customer service reps.

Recently the french doors they installed leaked, causing most of the newly purchased hardwoods in my house to buckle. I tweeted about my frustration with the leaky doors, and within 2 hours, Home Depot has contacted me via Twitter to research the problem.

Not only did they message me, but they actually gave me a specific name and number of a person to call to escalate my issue for faster resolution. Below is an image of the first of many “tweets’ the Home Depot and I had.

Tweets from Home Depot

 

When I told my wife that the problem was being worked out she said “all because of Twitter . . . really?”

 

Really.

 

Many thanks to Stephanie at the Home Depot; my new “twitter friend”