The Emerging Professional

Tech-iquette

"I eat my peas with honey, I've done it all my life.
It may taste kind of funny but it keeps them on my knife."

This is one of the only poems I can repeat from memory, a poem oft-quoted by my mother, and--often in the same breath as "Mabel, Mabel, strong and able...keep your elbows off the table."

Regardless of whether manners and etiquette are important to you, you can count on the fact that they may be important to the employers and individuals who help you in the job search. Fortunately, many of the "standards" for behavior are generally universal in scope--firm handshakes (for the U.S. based job search), saying "thank you for your consideration" in a cover letter, and sending a follow-up note post-interview.

What's less clear is etiquette protocol surrounding Web 2.0 and cell phones. Given that my mother has never sent a text message, I need more go-to resources on this...(and I find many of them through my friends at Career Hub).

In her latest post on Water Cooler Wisdom, Alexandra Levit shares Five Burning Questions about Tech Etiquette from Real Simple magazine. This piece provides expert answers to all of these questions you might even not have thought to ask.

1. You’re walking down the street and listening to your iPod when you run into someone you know. Do you need to remove both earbuds to talk to her?

2. Is it rude to check your PDA at a friend’s house?

3. How quickly must I respond to an e-mail? Are the standards different for work e-mails versus personal e-mails?

4. If someone calls you, can you e-mail the person back or send a text message if you’re not in the mood to talk? What if you text or e-mail someone and the person calls you back?

 5. Is using BCC on an e-mail considered sneaky? (Note: I especially liked this answer, as it had information I had not previously considered).

To learn the answers to these questions, check out the posting on Alexandra's Water Cooler Wisdom blog.

Missing Tim Russert (& The Secret to a Great Presentation)

It's election night, and I join many in missing Tim Russert.

Over at Keppie Careers, my friend Miriam Salpeter has posted a lovely piece in appreciation of Mr. Russert's interpersonal and communication skills. I remember his smile and easy manner; I once spotted him enjoying a quiet beer and a few laughs at the Hawk and Dove near Capitol Hill.

But more than that, I remember his election night skills and his legacy--the white board. As technology and poll tracking improved dramatically in 2000 and 2004, Mr. Russert always referred to a simple whiteboard with a dry erase pen to explain the results to the American public. He showed us how his math worked as if he were our third grade math teacher--and made the complex simple. I'll never forget the election of 2000, when at least one network called Florida for "Gore" and then retracted. In the end, Mr. Russert's white board prediction that the election would hinge on "Florida, Florida, Florida" was correct--and it was four long weeks before we truly knew our next President.

As I write, the polls are closing. Many statistics buffs, analysts, pundits and journalists are scrambling to access what's happened, and I'm thinking about how Mr. Russert's  legacy extends beyond politics to strong relationships and presentations of elegant simplicity.

I can only imagine that he'd be an advocate of the 3 x 5 rule for making PowerPoint presentations: no more than three bullet points per slide and five words per line. Next time you have a chance to attend a conference, evaluate the effectiveness of the speakers presentation techniques: In your opinion, what's more effective--having extensive slides with all the notes included onscreen, or a sparse presentation high on substance and low on bells and whistles? What works for you, and do you have any presentation role models or tips you'd like to share?