productivity

Apparently LinkedIn wants to move away from its status as a pure career network towards establishing itself as a more social network. LinkedIn has been overhauling the look of its homepage with a cleaner and simpler interface, which now closely resembles the designs of Facebook and Google+. Some of the new features include a newer, simpler, and more modern design, more relevant updates on top of the news feed, and a richer, cleaner comment / update / post stream. As with Facebook and Google+ there’s a line on top of the stream that shows which people — and how many — commented and liked a post. Also, the sidebar now lists statistical information on your network and other related info like jobs you may be interested in and other people you may know.

What do you think about the new design and features?

Teams are the typical building blocks of an organization: They provide companies with the means to combine the various skills, talents and perspectives of a group of individuals to achieve corporate goals. In the past, managers used to colocate team members because of the high levels of interdependencies that are inherent in group work. Today, though, more and more companies organize projects over distance, with teams increasingly consisting of people who are scattered over various offices and locations. While virtual teams provide a number of benefits, it can be quite challenging to manage them efficiently. Following the five- step program on Inc.com will help you manage a decentralized workforce.

1. Clear Understanding of Project Objectives – One of the greatest challenges facing any virtual team is a clear understanding of what they need to accomplish.

2. Communication – While communication is imperative for any project to be completed, it is of even greater importance when you have a decentralized team.

3. Clearly Defined Roles and Responsibilities – Problems are sure to arise when members of the team are unsure about the role they play and what is expected of them.

4. Don’t Rely on Nonverbal Communication – Oftentimes managers become over-reliant on emailing, texting or other forms of written communication.

5. Flexibility – Because virtual teams don’t have the same access to managers from afar, it is advisable to be lenient regarding work hours, deliverables, and timelines.

According to Ruth Mantell, a repoter for MarketWatch, networking requires strategy, research and social grace. Because competition for jobs is intense, there is a lot that we can get wrong when trying to build business relationships and generate business opportunities. First and foremost networking is about building relationships – not simply selling yourself. In that sense, here are 5 important networking “don’ts”.

• Don’t misuse the Internet – Don’t rely too much on email and networking websites such as LinkedIn. Nothing beats meeting face to face.

• Don’t be vague – Tell networking contacts about specific ambitions for your career or professional growth so they know how to support you

• Don’t stop – Keep networking, even when you’re not looking for a job. That way, your network is in place when you do need it.

• Don’t be selfish – Networking solely for your own goals is a mistake and doesn’t work. Also help your contacts.

• Don’t misuse your network – Distributing your references’ contact info too frequently can lead to burnout. Don’t abuse your network with too much contact either.

Many freelancers operate as just another anonymous resource in the crowded market. Their services lack an identifying mark that stands for something. It is therefore not surprising that, at times, it can be very difficult to prevail in a highly competitive freelance environment. In that sense, building a distinctive image and lasting reputation for your freelancing business can be very beneficial.

Many people make the mistake of thinking that having business cards, a logo, a website, a social media presence, or a slogan for their business means that they have a brand. But they are wrong. Those things, in and of themselves, are not a brand, but they can help build a brand. They serve as a reminder of what your freelancing business stands for. In a nutshell, a brand is what your clients think of when they think of you and your work. Simply being known as a good designer or good programmer is no longer enough. You should rather be known as a designer who provides elegant yet simple work or a programmer who is known for his/her exceptional ability to solve tough problems. Developing a strong brand takes time and effort. Besides exceptional work, building a brand usually requires significant and consistent marketing and PR.

Having a strong freelancing brand can mean the difference when pitching for a project or job. What do you think?

Google+ provides some interesting tools for freelancers, including Google+ Brand Pages. Another aspect of Google+ that freelancers should consider is the Hangouts feature.

Google+ Hangouts is a very interesting social media tool – especially for freelancers. It is one of the unique Google+ features that helps to distinguish Google+ from other social media tools.

If you’re a freelancer, you should think about the various ways that Google+ Hangouts can benefit you as a freelancer. Google+ Hangouts offers a great opportunity for freelancers to connect on a more personal level with individuals they would ordinarily not be able to interact with on a face-to-face basis. Google+ Hangouts are easy to use, versatile, and free of charge.

Here are some ways that freelancers can use Google+ Hangouts:

• Hosting a conference call
• Brainstorming
• Training
• Holding a status meeting
• Networking
• Building a community
• Discussing potential projects with prospective clients (instead of sales calls)
• Collaborating on a group project
• Holding “office hours” for clients

Google+ Hangout sessions can also be recorded, so a team meeting can be shared with absent members at a later date. Also, this means that a training session could potentially be used over and over. In fact, there are countless possibilities for using hangouts. Can you think of Google+ Hangout uses for your own freelancing business? Currently, the only downside is that Google+ Hangouts is limited to ten people (including the person who initiated the hangout). So, if you have a need to connect with more people, you’ll need to use another method of communication.

We’ve built a great widget that has been released and is now available. We would like to take a moment and describe some of the features our widget has and how you might take advantage of it.

Do you offer employment services and solutions, human resource consulting or manage a database for recruitment and permanent placement?

As one of the leading online  project marketplaces in Germany, we’ve been connecting freelance professionals and innovative businesses on our specialized industry platforms since 1999. Benefit from co-branding with projektwerk.

The widget enables you to offer your website visitors a customized project marketplace with valuable, daily updated content. By utilizing the projektwerk widget, you can provide your website visitors with interesting, sector-specific freelance work on individual project basis and simultaneously provide access to the best database for excellent freelance professionals. The widget can easily be added to your website and is totally integrated into the look and feel of your corporate design. No updating or editing necessary – the information is pulled automatically and syndicated over to your site.

Have a look at the widget on two of our partner sites:

For more information please contact:

Daniela Chikato

Mail: d.chikato@projektwerk.de

Phone: 040-43 21 30-36

Many freelancers who juggle between work and personal life are in a constant struggle for productivity. Therefore, the last thing you want to do is waste precious time. Luckily, mobile apps for Apple or Android devices can help simplify many day-to-day tasks. Here are 5 apps that might save you time and help to keep you more organized:

LogMeIn: Use LogMeIn to access your Mac or PC content from your iPhone or iPad. This app is great for traveling or to pull up files remotely. With LogMeIn you can also run any PC application from your mobile device.

Total Recall: Automatically or manually record calls, lectures or meetings, or leave yourself an audio note with Total Recall. The app works on most Android devices and even syncs with Evernote.

EasySign: With EasySign, eliminate the need for paper documents altogether. Using your finger or a stylus, sign Word docs, PDFs, JPEGs and more on your iPhone, iPad or Android device. You have the option to add three signatures per document. You can then send securely and/or import to Dropbox or Box.net for example.

LucyPhone: If you are tired of waiting on hold with customer service for hours and hours, LucyPhone takes the hassle out of holding by allowing you to …hang up. Search LucyPhone’s list of popular customer service phone numbers, then LucyPhone will patch you through. If you get put on hold, press **. You’ll be disconnected, but when a customer service agent comes back on the line, LucyPhone will call you back and reconnect you two.

Pocket: Securely store sensitive information on your Android mobile device with Pocket. The app stores bank information, passwords, prescriptions, locker combinations, etc. The information is only accessible via a master password that cannot be accessed locally, in case your phone were to fall in the wrong hands. Connect to Dropbox or to your desktop for extra access and backup.

Facebook today announced Timeline, a total redesign of the current profile page. Timeline chronicles your Facebook history and enables you to look at everything that has ever happened in your Facebook lifespan. Here’s a Mashable post that offers some great snapshots of Facebook’s new appearance and discusses some of the novelties. What do you think?

Picture courtesy of Mashable

Some of the new features include:

• “Timeline” – a stream of information about you (the photos you’ve posted, all your status updates, the apps you’ve used, even the places you’ve visited) that scrolls all the way back to your birth.
• You don’t have to just like something – “Facebook Gestures” enables users to express various kinds of reactions or emotions.
• Facebook apps will only ask for permission once to post content on your behalf – before apps had to ask each time before sharing information about you.
• Lightweight or trivial information is going to the “Ticker” – only the more relevant things such as status updates, photos from a wedding or a vacation, or changes in relationship status will appear in your news feed.
• And lastly, you can watch TV and movies, listen to music, and read news with your friends — all within Facebook.

Google+, Facebook’s newest challenger, has been available for a while now. Some interesting new features include: “Circles” – which enables users to organize contacts into groups for sharing, “Hangouts”  - which are places used to facilitate group video chat, “Sparks” – which enables users to identify topics they might be interested in sharing with others, or ”Huddle” – which is a feature available to Android, iPhone, and SMS devices for communicating through instant messaging within circles. If you have an account and plan to use it professionally, here are some things that might be helpful for you to know.

Innovative software and applications from services like Box.net and Huddle.com suggest new concepts for how to work and communicate in the knowledge age and apparently offer an alternative to long-established players like Microsoft or Oracle. Some of these companies seem to be taking collaboration technology past traditional conventions to reshape the way we approach the workday…