As we all joined up in droves, eager to start tweeting about everything from our locations to our lost loves, we realized the catch- we only got 140 characters (spaces included!) to express ourselves with.

Some denied, some gave up, but some stayed. Some learned that this limitation was really what we all needed- a concentrated conversation with no fillers. Companies began a global conversation with their followers, users custom chose their voices, and we all had to figure out how to say everything in short form.

Part of the short form included L33t speak or internet slang. It has taken over some traditional spelling because of the character restriction, changing “I defeated the enemy with my top score, may I be rewarded with a cheese burger? Haha!” to “I hax0red ur base, I can haz cheeseburger? LOL” but understanding is moving closer to universal. Twitter is a global phenomenon but the most important things, like laughter, cut through language barriers and borders.

Stemming from mutual understanding is a conversation. Never before could companies find out exactly how consumers reacted to their products and never before could consumers have an audience directly with companies. Now I know that there is a marketing guru behind every companies’ @ sign but hey, one less curtain to look behind right?

I believe that Twitter has made us more precise, has forced us to use more direct language, put us on the 140 character spot and we are all better for it. We say what we mean, ask for what we want and have found the most important attribute of communication- brevity.

Just wanted to let you know that I am eligible for the Career Focus program put on by the government of Canada.

“Career Focus provides funding for employers to help post-secondary graduates obtain career-related work opportunities in Canada to support their development of advanced skills, to help them make career-related links to the job market, and to assist them in becoming leaders in their field.”

This is a work-subsidy program so companies can hire recent grads (like me!) who have less experience at a lower cost.
It’s a win-win situation really.

You get: Me! A highly educated, technical skilled media professional  at 50% salary reduction (up to $15,000 I believe)

I get: To help you with projects, to make connections at your company, gain experience in my field

I am currently working with Dwayne Coyle, Senior Employment Specialist/Job Developer at the YMCA Employment Centre of Dartmouth. He can give you all of the details and the low down on how to get started with this great program.  He can be reached at:  tel: (902) 461-2513 ext.223 dcoyle@accesscable.net

Ok so, best Twitter app is def Tweetie2 (not free but worth it). I tried TweetDeck (free) but I found that I like the way tweets are displayed on tweetie2 better as well as being able to pick up where you left off and a better tweeting interface.

Other cool apps  (free unless noted) in no particular order:

- Around me- shows stuff on a map like banks, restaurants, pubs; great when I am in a hurry

- Weather Eye

- Facebook

- Geocaching ($9.99 but well worth it)

- Sparkpeople- for tracking food intake, calories burned and water intake

- Remember the Milk (not free)- To Do list that I can sync with my google account

- YouNoteLite- take a pic or record a voice note

- WordPress

- Wikipanion

- Google Earth

- Flashlight

- PS Mobile (Photoshop!)

- Snap Tell- compares online prices of an item by picture

- Urbanspoon- looks for restaurants for you in your area

- Air Canada

I am finding that the best way to find cool apps is not the App Store or apple’s website but subscribing to blogs and rss feeds that review apps as well as just thinking about things that are useful for me and searching for an app that does it.

What are your faves?

Edit: Here are some screen shots of my iPhone, I recently rearranged it.

Front Page- Everything I use on a daily basis

Page 2- Practical things

Page 3- Things I use less frequently

Tweet (1/5/2010 0900 ATL) : “I just joined @oDesk interesting alternative/supplement to Elance, I like the layout better already”

Backstory: I learned in Vancouver that putting all of your career “eggs” in one basket is a bad idea. I had signed up with one temp agency and they got me a job within 2 days- great! It wasn’t so great after the contract ended and they stopped calling me. I felt like I was stuck in a corner, I was too scared to take on some retail job for fear that I wouldn’t be available to take anything the temp agency threw my way (which in my defense was always in better working conditions and higher pay). For a full month I stayed at home waiting for the phone to ring, applying for any full time jobs that caught my interest and cleaning up the house.

Then in January of 2009, I joined Elance. I was both excited and over whelmed at the same time. I saw lots of jobs available that I could do (book layout, editing, photoshopping) but there seemed to be a LOT of competition for these jobs AND I could only apply to so many of them for free each month. The good thing was though, I got lucky.

I was hired by Rob (Software by Rob) to edit audio podcasts for the Micropreneur Academy a couple of times a week.  Then I learned Camtasia, a video editor, and edited screencasts for him too. I left the money I earned in my paypal account and by the end of the year I had a tidy little sum stashed away.

Rob’s podcasts aren’t just work for me to do, they are informative, educational pieces that I’ve been learning from too. I’ve learned more about SEO, web marketing and buying/selling websites that I could from any book.

One of the things in particular that Rob mentions to his Academy members is outsourcing tasks . He talked about how I was doing this audio for him and how he has a virtual assistant (VA) in India that does more menial tasks. At the end of 2009 I got more curious how someone could be a VA (since I was still unemployed save a few temp assignments here and there)  and what the process was like so I asked him where he got his from. Here comes- oDesk.

Elance VS oDesk:

Quick Points:

–  Jobs available: oDesk WINS because they don’t limit you to one category like Elance; I can apply for any job I feel I can do. Elance limits me to 1/8 categories for a free signup which is bad for someone like me who has design skills but also had writing/editing skills.

– Payments: oDesk WINS Elance charges between 6-8% (depending on your earnings) and skims it off what you are taking home versus oDesk who markets the fee to Buyers as something they are responsible for when hiring a Provider. oDesk fee is higher at 10% but it’s the same across the board (where Elance calculates it based on your business) and oDesk has a handy calculator on the same page when you are applying for jobs which makes the job applying process a lot smoother than Elance.  Even though it’s a hire rate I say oDesk wins here because they put every provider on the same level instead of deterring companies from hiring less experiences Elancers by changing the rate.

– Average wage: Elance WINS Elance is mostly people who are educatedt, English speaking and talented in specific areas. oDesk is more general, hosts Providers from over seas and the hourly rate can vary from $3/4hr to $15/hr where on Elance you’ll see $8/hr – $25/hr

I am signed up for both and I’ll keep taking their skill tests and applying for work (and answering Rob’s calls) while combing the tundra of job search websites and temp agencies for jobs here in Halifax.

Wish me luck!

What do I really want in 2010? A job. A career. A break.

I spent all of 2009 working with temp agencies, the YMCA, every job search website out there, freelancing and I would really really just like to be going to “the office” like everyone else.

The fact of the matter is that I spent a lot of money and time and effort getting 3 degrees that I was certain would land me a job when I graduated. Add in one recession, two relocations and a cold realization that university is only part of the equation and BOOM- fast forward to now.

But let’s back up a minute and review…

In August of 2008 I finished up my thesis and walked across the stage at Radio City Music Hall.

Then POOF- off to Vancouver.

Lessons we learned: Vancouver is CRAZY expensive; large cities grow bigger but also bust bigger when recessions come along; there’s no place like home.

BAM- Home to the Maritime Provinces of Canada.

We bought a house and are planning a wedding, both of which are difficult enough on their own and even more so when you are unemployed.

I don’t really believe in New Years Resolutions (mine is 3360 X 1050 BTW) but I’ve thrown away the old ideals and have started fresh, cleaned out the virtual attic and have begun job searching anew.

Stay tuned for some updates on my strategies on life, job searching and wedding planning on a budget.

AND- just because no one can resist, here’s Yoshi (one of two Beagles) barking in the New Year: