Tawny Labrum sent me a link to her post, 25 Google Applications to Assist in Your Job Search or Branding Your Career. Very interesting… let me comment on the ones that caught my eye. You really should go read her original post. Tawny says:
Google is more than just an Internet search engine. It is a toolbox full of valuable weapons that any professional can use, no matter what stage of your career you are in. By using the applications below you can keep up to date on companies of interest, build your online brand and showoff your accomplishments.
Here are my top picks from her list of 25:
1. Google blog search – looking for influencers in your space? This is a terrific place to go – find blogs (and bloggers) who are writing about stuff that is relevant to you.
2. Gmail – this is, imo, the best email client around. Start a new account with a professional name that doesn’t make someone wonder “what the heck is that email address?” It took me a while to transition from Outlook to Gmail but I absolutely love Gmail (for the record, I still use both quite a bit).
7. iGoogle – the ONLY reason I include this is if you use RSS feeds – from LinkedIn Answers or JibberJobber action items or something like that. It’s a great place to put all of your RSS feeds together, AND see other stuff that might be relevant to you. Not a strong recommendation if you don’t use RSS.
8. Google Alerts – MUST USE. Put in your name, your target companies, keywords in your industry or profession, etc. I have my company name as well as my competition in here so I can keep up to speed on what’s happening.
10. Google Maps – or mapquest or whatever you prefer – but don’t get caught lost on your way to an interview – how very stressful that would be.
11. Google Finance – great place to do research on the company you are interviewing with (and their competition).
20. Google Calendar – Pretty cool features, especially collaborative features. I regularly get requests from Google Calendar to meet for an appointment. Also syncs with various systems (like Outlook).
22. Google Groups – or Yahoo Groups… find Groups that in your space so you can participate, network, brand yourself, etc.
The original post is good, but I would not recommend 25 things to job seekers (they are already overwhelmed as it is). Different tools will have different value – for example, I didn’t mention her #15: Google Patent Search. This would be good if your job search or career has to do with stuff that is patentable/patented, etc.
Overall, great post Tawny!
