In the past few days I’ve been playing with Squidoo – a site that lets you create one page mini-sites. Each one is called a “lens” because it focuses on specific information related to topics of your interest.
There are pre-formatted templates and modules that make the process easier than having to understand about html or css, but you can still use simple html if you want.
Anyway, I decided to put up a series of career-related sites (lenses) that focus on the individual issues that make up any job hunt or career transition.
As I got started, I found my ideas growing and the natural linkage starting to unfold. So I started “reserving” names that I knew I would want for this series.
Well, even before I finished my first lens, I already had 12 or 15 names started! By the time I published that first lens, I was already developing a second one that was linked to the first. By the end of the evening, I had 2 completed lenses and literally 23 names reserved.
Now, luckily, once you start the process, with a little planning you can get a decent lens up in about 30-60 minutes, provided you have already done most of your research. By being a bit more organized, you could probably get the process down to 15-30 minutes for a simple lens. I expect the next few to go a lot more quickly since I already have much of the information I will need.
I can tell you that the process itself is SOOO much easier than designing a website, and almost as easy as writing a blog. There are some add-on modules, so you need to decide exactly what you want to include, but you don’t have to know any kind of code to get your lens published. It’s really easy to update your published lenses, and when you do, there is a built in feature allowing you to notify folks on your social networks such as Twitter.
And, I hear that Google loves Squidoo, so that means your pages get indexed relatively quickly. Now this is very good news, because if you use the site properly, it could be a great way to drive more traffic to your own business site, or to your affiliate program or product through the linking capability.
Unlike Wikipedia, Squidoo encourages you to also put up pages (lenses) that “toot your own horn”. What better way to showcase your talents and abilities for prospective employers? It would be a quick and easy way to use your lens as an online resume that is easily upgradeable as things change.
On the other hand, it’s wise to remember the WWW is public, so be careful about what you link to your name since it also means that anyone looking for you could track just about anything you are linked to. I keep thinking about the job applicant who included her myspace link on her resume. Unfortunately the myspace page included a totally job-inappropriate youtube video the applicant had posted about herself. The prospective employer was negatively impressed. Not a wise career move.
I’ve been thinking it would be fun to do a site memorializing each of my parents (both of whom are now gone) and let my brothers and sisters add their memories and photos to them, too. That way the extended family can contribute, and there will be something for the grandkids to see – kind of an online scrapbook.
There are so many creative ways to use Squidoo – and there are lots of lenses designed to give you ideas on how to create whatever you want.
My New Squidoo Lenses
The first lens I created is Interview Success Secrets. It discusses some of the things you need to do in order to be successful in a job interview.
The second lens identifies things you need to consider as you schedule Informational Interviews. I have another lens planned for Interview Questions, including how to handle difficult questions and which questions are illegal for an interviewer to ask.
Then, of course, there will be lenses focusing on Resumes, Cover Letters, Post-Interview Followup and other items that relate to job hunting. As I said, the names are reserved, now I just have to find the time – LOL.
And, I’ll be updating the lenses periodically, so if you’re interested in keeping track of the new ones and the updates, follow my BizLifeCoachKD twitter account.
What’s Next For Me
Because of other commitments, for the past five years or so the Career Life Institute has been on hold. I was forced to consolidate many of my activities due to time constraints. My commitments will be up in December, so in the next few months I will be evaluating my next steps as I create my new vision and strategic plans.
As one of the ways to manage the limited time that I had, until recently I have been using two main Twitter accounts – a general one under my own name, and one that is specifically related to my dichroic glass jewelry business (I make kiln-fired glass jewelry in my “spare” time-it’s my creative outlet).
Because of the specific focus of these new Squidoo lenses, I have added a separate Twitter account that focuses on career and business issues (that’s the BizLifeCoachKD one). That one will be strictly for updates, including the lenses and this blog.
You are welcome to follow me on Twitter in any way that appeals to you (or not to if that’s your desire, too!). I will continue to let you know about new blog entries through the mailing list.
(By the way, for those of you who have not yet heard about Twitter – it is a “microblogging” service that allows you to follow mini-messages limited to 140 characters each for people that you are interested in. I love it – it lets me keep up with my friends, and has been fantastic in terms of finding out about new resources! See a previous blog to find out more.)
Thanks for following, and please feel free to leave comments!
Warmly,
Katie