Breakthroughs in the organization and access to information do not come around all that often.
Let’s see, I would think of the first library that was started by the king of Assyria. That was certainly a breakthrough.
Then I believe that another breakthrough happened when Ben Franklin started the first lending library allowing public citizens to borrow books and reference related information.
Today, I would like to declare a breakthrough in one’s ability to access, organize and utilize career and job performance information.  It is a computer based application called Netvibes.  It is free and you can find it at www.netvibes.com .

  
Okay, I do not have a degree in library science, and maybe I missed a breakthrough or two,  but I would declare that this web based application called Netvibes– and this next point is important — coupled with the widget called “Link Module” –  allows each of us to centralize and organize highly useful information on one dashboard page. 

Powerful Information at Your Fingertips
The access to information you will have will literally be at your fingertips.  When complete and set up for your needs and goals, it is really remarkable and you will see it to be true.  But I urge some caution as well.  There are so many thousands of widgets/sources of information to choose from that it is a little like being a kid in a candy store. As with any powerful tool, you can benefit from taking time to know what you want to use it for and then how to use it effectively.

Remember why you are here – it probably has to do with some career related issues. 
For me, as a career and work performance consultant and coach, I urge you to be patient in the design and construction of your Netvibes platform so that it best supports your career and work performance goals.    And those probably have to do with one of the following:

• Job search campaign dashboards to assist in career decision making .. developing job leads .. implementing strategies .. effective interviewing
• Working professional dashboards – designing and developing dashboards that reflect and support your day-to-day work and objectives

Getting Started
I’ve attached a youtube video below that was done by “mreecastro.”   He has done a very good job in 8-9 minutes reviewing how to download Netvibes  and set it up. 

 
So when you download the program and work with the wizard to assist you, there are literally thousands of widgets you can use in building your personal dashboard to incorporate into.  You will be amazed and the temptation to start filling up tabs with lots of information -  it is like being a kid in a candy store.   There are thousands of purposes that Netvibes can be built to support you and your work.
I believe that what “mreecastro” does do well is the production of his video (I thank him for that) and here you will learn how to

• Set up Netvibes
• Delete unwanted widget
• Set up new tabs

However, “mreecastro”  does not address the all important “link module widget.” This widget can be found in the essential widgets section – located in the first 10-15 widgets – and it is this all important widget with which you want to build your Netvibes dashboard.
Once your tabs are in place … business research .. career information .. job search tools.. etc, you will then download the link module widget into the tab. You can use it as many times as you want.    Using this module, you can then cut and paste specific URL’s of unique sources of information you wish to use and track.
 

Additional Information and Support.
I am going to be brief in my blog on Netvibes  This may be all of the actual information you are interested in pursuing. I am please to bring this useful resource to your attention. 

• For those who want further information and a more step-by-step process of getting this dashboard integrated onto your computer, I offer a whitepaper in the Resources section.
• Additionally, I offer individual and group coaching and support to those of you who begin to understand the power of this great resource and its ability to significantly enhance work performance and effectiveness and wish to develop it even further,.

What follows is the “mreecastro” you tube video. Enjoy.    When you are through viewing the video and wish to return to the blog page, go to Accord Blog tab at the top of the page.

An Idea Whose Time Has Come …

First, the good news … in our economy, there will always be jobs.  There will be teachers, scientists, government employees, skilled workers, administrative support and the rest.   At the moment, the US economy is the strongest in the world.  There is and will continue to be employment.   Also, we can trust that the  foundational methods by which we acquire, maintain and excel in our jobs … gaining education, resumes, and all that, will remain fundamentally the same.
However, changes – big changes – as to how we acquire and maintain employment are occurring right now. For better or worse, you will be affected and involved in these changes. I am observing  that to survive, and I trust, thrive, in this new economy, we can benefit by taking on an attitude and commitment of “career sustainability.”  This requires a focus on developing our abilities  to “endure” for the long haul. 
It is my purpose, as well as that of  this website and Accord Career Services on how to get employed and stay employed

Career Sustainability
The term “sustainability” fundamentally concerns this capacity to endure.  It is a wide-ranging term that can be applied to almost any facet of life on earth, from local to a global scale and over various periods of time.  In ecology, the word describes how biological systems remain diverse, flexible and responsive over time.  For humans, it concerns the potential for long-term maintenance of well being. 

Time of Change

It is my experience that within the world of work – how we train for, acquire and maintain our employment is changing and changing quickly.   Unlike changes in the past, like moving from an agrarian to industrial society, these changes are occurring very, very quickly.  They are happening all around us.  They will be permanent and everyone will feels the effects
Big picture — we stand on one of those important points in history where we bear personal witness to the radical shift in how work has been done in the past and how it will be done in the future. 
We are quickly moving into a time where getting and keeping a job is increasingly more of a challenge. 
As our regional, national and global economies move, evolve and change, they impact the stability and continuity of our individual jobs, careers and industries.  They are being fueled by such forces as technology, globalization, economic need and various other factors.

Your Point of View

You are reading this because you, or individuals you care about, are being adversely affected by these changes. You’re finding that the beliefs, expectations and strategies we have applied in the past regarding how we acquire jobs and maintain our careers is not as effective as it was in the past.
ou are also realizing that 

•  If you are a working professional, and are currently out of work, what you face can seem like a “perfect storm” of imposing obstacles.  
•  If you are working, you probably see these changes taking shape around you and are concerned.   You may be asking yourself what to do about it. You are coming to the conclusion that the changes are only going to become more extreme.

In truth, these changes will be occurring and affecting your short and long term employability whether you choose to take action now or not.  We all know that it is not going back to the old ways.   You need to stay ahead of the curve.

Career 1.0/Job Search 1.0 versus Career 2.0/Job Search 2.0
I will make the comparison by distinguishing the past, “Career 1.0 and Job Search 1.0” and the present “Career 2.0 and Job Search 2.0”

• In “Career 1.0” – life and work carried forward in a serial progression of steps.  For most of us,  we first went to school or received training to prepare us for a trade or professional position.  Next, we acquired work and  then learned on the job. Finally,  we worked at that same job until we were able to retire.
• In “Job Search 1.0” – again, the process was carried through is a series of progressive stages .. First, we made decisions on job/career options .. we wrote a resume .. we implemented job search strategies .. we interviewed .. we acquired a position. 
•  In “Career 2.0/Job Search 2.0” – we still must do all of the things we had to do in Career 1.0 —   prepare and educate ourselves for work .. perform well while on the job .. at work at that job – or more realistically a series of jobs until we get that opportunity to retire.  But now the expectations and levels of awareness are different.

Points to Consider

In order to gain employment and stay employed in the “2.0” there are additional points that you must come to terms with if you wish to continuously enjoy the benefits and rewards of good work.   So, dependent on your experience, it may have become evident to you that

• More qualified people are competing against you for fewer good jobs
• Mergers, reorganizations, new technologies, and changes can eliminate your job at any time
• Good, smart, educated people are out of work for longer and longer periods of time
• Traditional ways of getting a job and staying employed are very important yet not enough
• You need more current and effective strategies to secure a position and stay competitive
• Your earning power/job security is based on the value you contribute
• You can no longer blame the “work environment” or think, “it’s not my fault”
• To stay employed you must stand out.
• The future of work is now personal
• The “brand” is you
• No one is going to pay you for just having a degree
• The only constant is change

This is quite a list, I know.  All of these points can be overwhelming.

You want acquire and build career resilience and sustainability.  Use the available resources here to do so.

Hello- I am Tod Gerardo and this is my first blog post.

I have been practicing as an HR professional, career consultant and work performance coach since 1980. I offer a long term, passionate interest in providing talent management and career coaching for working professionals.

Purpose of the Blog
In this blog, I will be writing about the strategies and tactics directed to:

• Managing your career
• Performing and achieving at work
• Realizing your objectives
• Telling your career story through the effective use of social media and related sources

What I Do
I contribute highly customizable programs directed to career management, performance coaching, succession planning, leadership development, executive development, and job/career transition.    I have worked extensively with individuals and groups who share a common commitment and focus of effectively integrating business goals and human performance.

The Changing Nature of Work
Over these past three decades, I participated in thousands of hours of coaching and counseling associated with the core methods and manner by which each of us seeks to acquire and maintain the jobs and careers that we pursue.  From the early days of my career, I’ve watched the job search methods ebb and flow with the cyclical changes in the economy.
There has always been a foundational and  process of sequential actions and documents that was followed – career testing and decision making.. resume.. job search strategy .. interviewing .. and then began a (hopefully) long period of employment.    Although tactical actions changed to match cyclical stages in the economy … over a period of time, the cycles would repeat themselves.   This time period might be referred to as “Career 1.0.”

Access to Information, Insight and Tools
Over the past several years – and ever increasingly during past last 12 months – I have witnessed continued and accelerated changes in the actions and steps by which competitive working professionals are acquiring work and staying employed.
These changes are being incorporated into what is considered the “new normal and expected” actions and behaviors associated with acquiring work and staying employed.

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