Perhaps no meteorologist is as famous and well known as Punxsutawney Phil, the groundhog that forecasts whether we’ll have an early spring or a longer winter.
Despite meteorological tools at his disposal, Punxsutawney Phil predicts the weather based solely on whether or not he sees his shadow when he comes up from the ground. Seeing a shadow means six more weeks of winter, but no shadow forecasts an early spring.
This time of year many of us wish for sunny skies, but today we might hope for clouds so that Phil forecasts an early spring.
Much the same way a cloud can be an effective tool in forecasting potential weather conditions, THE Cloud can be an effective tool in forecasting potential employment conditions. By “The Cloud” I’m referring to the great (computer) server in the sky . . .
The Cloud is a computer server, or a central storehouse of data and programs shared by users on a network. A server “serves” information by running applications (Office 365, Adobe Creative Cloud), delivering services such as email (Gmail, Hotmail) and/or simply being a place where you can store files, as opposed to storage on your hard drive.
Have you ever felt like a dark cloud is following you wherever you go? Well, with this cloud, that wouldn’t be such a bad thing! All the applications, services and storage places in the cloud can be accessed wherever you are, as long as you have internet service (at places like a Workforce Solutions, local library, friend’s house, etc.).
The Cloud can also be accessed on different devices, such as your smart phone, tablet, laptop, desktop computer, television, automobile, refrigerator, spectacles and any other device that might have been invented come next Groundhog Day!
With that, the following are three examples of how The Cloud can be a great tool as you search for a job.
1. Email – Email applications have become much more robust by offering organizational features such as folders to store messages, an address book for important contact information, search features to find old email messages, the ability to filter messages by date, sender and much more.
2. Cloud Storage – Job seekers can keep copies of resumes or applications on the cloud, copies of cover letters, company information, copies of email messages and other information necessary for an effective job search campaign. Some examples include Dropbox, Google Drive, and iCloud.
3. Note Taking and Archiving – A note-taking application can allow you to write notes, contact information or some interesting facts about a company/industry you’re currently researching for possible employment. You can also take a screen shot of a website (text or images) as opposed to simply noting the website address. Two examples are Evernote and Simplenote.
Here’s to hoping this blog brings “cloudy” skies that lead to an early spring and abundant job leads. 🙂
David Spears is a member of the Workforce SolutionsNavigator team for the Texas Gulf Coast Region. Combining training and education to real world examples, David brings personal and professional experience with disabilities to the table in order to help job seekers with disabilities realize their potential. David has a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Business Administration with over 20 years of experience in the business world.
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