Overcoming your fear and gliding over the crisp white snow. Breathing in the fresh cold air. Then there’s the après ski. Sharing ski stories with friends over a beer in a beautiful ski chalet. This is why we do it.

The people at CPA and the Ontario Track 3 Ski Association volunteer their time and resources to make sure that people with spinal chord injuries and other physical disabilities have the opportunity to experience this exhilaration too.

On Thursday we participated in the 12th annual CPA Ski day. CPA is a wonderful organization that assists persons with spinal cord injuries and other physical disabilities to achieve independence, self-reliance and full community participation. Every year CPA teams up with the Ontario Track3 Association for Disabled Skiers http://www.track3.org/ to host CPA Ski Day at Craigleith Ski Club. We’ve been bringing our staff to this event for the past seven years, and every year it gets better.

Stafflink's Toronto team, friends and family hit the slopes with the Ontario Track3 Skiers

This year was the best year ever! Our staff has been preparing for this day for months by taking lessons and going out for practice runs at local ski clubs. We each found a group that was in our comfort zone – beginners, intermediates and black diamond daredevils. Then we hit the slopes. It was pure fun interlaced with moments of terror and lots of laughter.

When you see someone skiing down the mountain on one leg or in a sit ski, it puts everything into perspective. I have to give a shout out to my friend Steve Jones, Track3 instructor and president of the People Bank. Steve is a volunteer and former president of the Ontario Track3 Association for Disabled Skiers.

Every year I see Steve Jones and the other Track3 volunteers out there encouraging people and helping them get out of their wheelchairs and into a sit ski. Everyone is participating and having a blast regardless of their ability level. This is human nature at its best. We are so grateful to these amazing people for making this day possible!

Hope to see you at CPA Ski Day next February!

Related Links

• CPA Ski Day 2011: A Great Team Building Event
• Ontario Track3 Association for Disabled Skiers
• CPA Ontario (Canadian Paraplegic Association)

If you’re thinking, “Hey, I’m not a graphic designer. How the heck am I going to create a logo?” No worries. I’m going to show you how to create a logo using free software that you probably already have installed on your computer. Plus I’m going to give you 8 simple templates you can use to to make your own personal logo by substituting your name or the name of your website.

Quick recap: So far you signed up with a web host and registered a domain name. You installed WordPress and a theme. Now you are ready to add some of your own personal style to your website.

8 Simple Logo Templates

The easiest  way to create a personal logo is to use a novelty font. I created the following logo examples with fonts from Microsoft Office. Try to imagine how these logo ideas will look like with your own text. Or better yet, open up a word proccessing program and start playing with your text and different font combinations.

Template #1: AR DESTINE Font in 72 Point and 36 Point Bold Text with Turquoise Accent Text

Template #2: Bahaus 93 Font in 72 Point with Red Higlight and 36 Point Text

Template #3: Arial Rounded MT BOLD Font in 36 Point Black and Turquiose Accent Text

Template #4: Broadway Font in 36 Point White Text with Black Highlight

Template #5: Ebrima Font in 36 Point Black and 36 Point Bold Turquoise Text

Template #6: Magneto Font with 48 Point Initial Cap and 36 Point Text

Template #7: Myriad Web Pro Font in 36 point

Template #8: Blue Bubble Theme Inspired Logo Create with MS Paint

In the next video I show you how to use Microsoft Paint, a free program that is available on Windows computers, to create a BlueBubble Theme styled logo that looks like this:

Quick Tip: To download this BlueBubble Theme styled logo image file, right click the image and select

Video: How to Use MS Paint to Modify the BlueBubble Inspired e-Resume Portfolio Logo

How to Create an All-Text Logo and Upload It to Your Site

1. Make sure the font you want to use is available on your computer. If you want help with installing a font to your system go to http://www.fontsquirrel.com/help.
2. Open your Paint program and use the font to create the logo.
3. Make sure the background color of your logo matches the background color of your site.
4. Save your logo image as a JPG.
5. Go to your Dashboard and upload the logo to the Media Library.
6. Copy the File link location URL for your logo image file (CTRL-A).
7. Go to the BlueBubble theme options panel, open the Logo and Icon tab, and paste URL for your new logo image into the logo URL text box (CTRL-V).
8. Save your changes and check out your site.

Video: How to Upload Your Logo to Your Website

In this video I walk you through the process of uploading your new logo to your WordPress Admin Dashboard so it will appear on your website.

Where to Find More Fonts

Many fonts are available on your personal computer. Here are some other places to look for free fonts:

• Google Web Fonts – http://www.google.com/webfonts
• Font Squirrel – http://fontsquirrel.com
• League of Movable Type – http://leagueofmovabletype.com
• DaFont – http://dafont.com

Ideas, Suggestions, Questions?

Got another idea for a log0. Please let us know in the comments section below.

Enroll Now!

Course Map

• Do You Need an eResume Portfolio Website?
• DIY e-Resume Portfolio: Let’s Get Started
• DIY e-Resume Portfolio Step 1: Claim Your Space on the Web
• DIY e-Resume Portfolio Step 2: Install WordPress
• DIY e-Resume Portfolio Step 3: Choose a WordPress Theme
• DIY e-Resume Portfolio Step 4: Install a New Theme on Your Site
• You are here: DIY e-Resume Portfolio Step 5: Create a Logo and Upload It to Your Site

Sparing kids the unbearable weight of textbooks in their backpacks, in January, Apple announced iBooks textbooks for iPad.

Why iBooks Are Useful

• No more heavy textbooks! All you need is the iPad
• Textbooks can be easily downloaded and updated whenever newer versions come out
• No need to worry about returning books

What You Can Do with iBooks

• Interactive: don’t just read the text -get into it!
• Images and animations bring learning to life with multi-touch technology: Zoom in, zoom out, view images in 3D, rotate them around with the touch of your finger
• Highlight and take notes right on the iPad
• Make instant study cards: One of the neatest things about the iBooks - all your notes and highlights instantly become study cards. Flip them over for definitions, or the notes attached to highlights. Shuffle the cards to study. Wish this was available when I was in school. Think of all the time this must save!

iPads are already being used in classrooms around the world, and Apple is hoping that iBooks serve to update the learning experience for kids. Partnered with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw Hill, and Pearson (which supply over 90% of K-12 content), Apple has created multitouch textbooks available now from the iBookstore. These interactive textbooks are accessible using a free iPad app, and cost approximately $14.99.

Are your kids using iPads in the classroom yet? Are they ‘kid friendly’ enough? What do you and your children think of them?

Related Posts:

• Steve Jobs Envisioned A Textbook Revolution
• Tech Trends To Watch For In 2012
• Smart Technologies
• The Next Big Thing is a Google Ecosystem
• From Steve Urkel to Steve Jobs: How Being a Geek Became Cool
• Steve Jobs Action Figure

Here’s a last minute gift guide for finding that special something for the geek in your life:

If you have any other ideas, I’d love to hear them!

Related Posts:

• From Steve Urkel to Steve Jobs: How Being A ‘Geek’ Became ‘Cool’
• Nerdy New Year’s Resolutions

Recruiters often receive so many applications that they only have time to skim through the application emails to decide which resume attachments open. So you want to make sure that you grab their attention right away and give them a reason to have a closer look at what you have to offer.

The best way to get a recruiter to read your attached resume: Put the job title in the subject line and summarize your qualifications for that job in the body of your email.

Here’s an example of the kind of job application emails that work for us:

With the right content, this email template will help you get noticed

Do you have any other tips for writing those all important job application email intros?

Let’s review the reason you’re building this website

I just want to remind you about why you’re doing all of this. You are creating a website that is dedicated to your career and the awesome skills and unique solutions you bring to the people and companies that you work with. This is a great way to establish your reputation as an expert. So let’s forge ahead and install a WordPress theme on your site.

What if You’re having trouble choosing a theme?

You’ve probably heard the saying, “Content is king.” It applies to your website, so don’t be too concerned about finding the perfect theme. The content you put into your website is more important than the theme. The theme is just a way to make sure your content looks good, is readable and easy to access. If in doubt go with a simple theme that allows your content to shine through.

If you’re having trouble deciding on a theme, I recommend using one of these themes:

1. If you’re willing to purchase a premium theme for $39 then go with the “My Resume WordPress Theme” from Elegant Themes.
2. If you want to use a free theme and you would like to have lots of images on your site, then go with the BlueBubble theme that I used for my e-resume portfolio website.
3. If you want to use a free theme and you don’t plan to use a lot of pictures, then try out the CleanHome theme. It’s a clean minimalistic design from the official WordPress themes directory that will allow your textual content to stand out.

How easy is it to switch themes if you change your mind later?

It all depends on how much work you have put into customizing your website and adding content. It’s very easy to switch themes before you add a lot of content. But after you have customized your website and added your personal content, changing to a new theme is a lot more work because you need to update your site to make it compatible with the settings of the new theme.

How to Install a Theme on Your Site

The easiest way to install a WordPress theme is to upload the theme’s ZIP file  using the automatic theme uploader that is available in the Appearance panel of your WordPress Admin Dashboard.  Occassionally you may find a theme that has a ZIP file that is not compatible with the WordPress uploader. In that case you can upload the ZIP file using the cPanel of your Web Host, or you can use an FTP program to transfer the theme files to your WordPress install.

Basic steps to install a new theme on your site

1. Download the Theme archive ZIP file to your local computer.
2. Upload the Theme files to your WordPress install on your Web Host host server.
3. Select and activate the new Theme in your WordPress Admin Panel.

3 Ways to Upload the Theme Files to your Website

After you download the theme files to your computer hard drive, you need to move the file to the WordPress install on your web host.

The WordPress.org Codex offers excellent instructions for all three of the following methods here: http://codex.wordpress.org/Using_Themes.

Method 1) Use the WordPress Automatic Uploader in Your WP-Admin Dashboard

WordPress has an automatic theme file uploader that works with most theme ZIP files. WordPress Themes are usually condensed into a  ZIP file. After you download this file to your personal computer, you can use the WordPress Theme Uploader to automatically upload and extract the theme files to your site.

To download Themes directly to your website by using the Add New Themes option in the Appearance sub-menu.

1. In your web browser, go to http://yourwebsite.*/wp-admin and log in to your WordPress Administration Panel. (Substitute your own domain for “yourwebsite.*”)
2. Select the Appearance panel, then Themes.
3. Select Install Themes
4. Use the sub-menu or the Search or Filter options to locate a Theme you would like to upload.
5. Click on the Install link to upload the Theme to your blog.
6. Use the Upload link in the top sub-menu to upload a zipped copy of a Theme that you have previously downloaded to your machine.
7. Follow the instructions below for selecting and activation the new Theme.

If the automatic uploader worked, then you can skip ahead to the section called “Selecting and Activating a New Theme for Your Website.” If the automatic uploader didn’t work, then try one of these alternative methods.

Use Your CPanel to Upload and Extract the Theme ZIP File

If your host offers the cPanel control panel, and the Theme files are in a .zip or .gz format follow these instructions.  Note:  This assumes the Theme you download is a compressed (zip) file and the files in the zip file are in a folder named after the theme.

1. Download the Theme zip file to your local machine.
2. In cPanel File Manager, navigate to your Themes folder.  If you have WordPress installed in it’s own folder called wordpress, you would navigate to “public_html/wordpress/wp-content/themes” and if WordPress is installed in your web-root folder you would navigate to “public_html/wp-content/themes”.
3. Once you’ve navigated to the Themes folder in cPanel File Manager, click on Upload file(s) and upload that zip file you saved in Step 1.
4. Once the zip file is uploaded, click on the zip file name in cPanel, then click on Extract File Contents, and that zip file will be uncompressed.
5. Follow the instructions below for selecting and activating the new Theme.

Use an FTP Client to Transfer the Files to Your WebHost

FTP stands for File Transfer Protocol. If you are unable to upload the theme files using the WordPress admin panel automatic uploader and or using your cPanel, then you can use an FTP client.

1. Download the Theme zip file to your local machine.
2. Extract the files.
3. If this is your first time using FTP, you need to set up an FTP client so you can transfer the theme files to your WordPress install on your web host. Here’s a a tutorial I created to walk you through the step: How to Set Up and Configure FTP
4. Transfer the files to your website. The following video shows you how I used FTP to transfer the Theme files for the BlueBubble theme to my WordPress install on Hostgator. The process is basically the same for any theme.
5. Follow the instructions for Selecting and Activating the New Theme for you website.

Selecting  and Activating the New Theme for Your Website

To select a Theme to activate it for your website:

1. Log in to the WordPress Administration Panel. To do so, go to http://yourwebsite.*/wp-admin (substitute your own domain for the ”yourwebsite.*” part of the address.)
2. Select the Appearance panel, then Themes.
3. From the Available Themes section, click on the Theme title (or Theme screenshot) for the Theme you wish to activate.
4. A preview of the Theme will be shown.
5. To activate the Theme click the Activate “Theme Name” link in the top right.

Your selection should immediately become active.

Note: If the Theme preview is blank, do not activate the new Theme without investigating further. Your site may not be displayed correctly, otherwise.

Moving Forward

When you are all finished with today’s lesson, the foundation of your e-resume portfolio site will be complete. That’s fantastic! The rest is just pure fun.

Now you get to add all of the content to your website that will tell people all about your amazing talents and accomplishments. You get to tell people about the unique solution you offer that will make their company more successful.

Let ‘s me know how it’s going. Hopefully today’s lesson was easy for you. But if you have any questions at all, I will be happy to help.

Course Map

• Do You Need an eResume Portfolio Website?
• DIY e-Resume Portfolio: Let’s Get Started
• DIY e-Resume Portfolio Step 1: Claim Your Space on the Web
• DIY e-Resume Portfolio Step 2: Install WordPress
• DIY e-Resume Portfolio Step 3: Choose a WordPress Theme
• You are here: DIY e-Resume Portfolio Step 4: Install a New Theme on Your Site
• DIY e-Resume Portfolio Step 5: Create a Logo and Upload It to Your Site

Subscribe to DIY e-Resume Porfolio with WordPress

1. General subject lines. General subject lines such as “John Smith Resume” or “John Smith” used in emails may seem like a good idea, but there is a much more advantageous way to catch the attention of the hiring manager/recruiter right off the bat. Instead, start writing your subject lines by using your name and then following with the exact position you are applying for and the company name if wanted. For example, “John Smith for Project Control Officer at RBC” states the exact position you are applying for without making anyone second guess.

2. Not summarizing skills/abilities in the email. If you really want to ensure that the hiring manager will review your resume, list in bullet points your key skills/achievements that are relevant to the position you are applying for. It is the quickest and most efficient way for you to sell yourself within the first thirty seconds of your application being reviewed.

3. General applications. Although we love to receive resumes, receiving ones which are just general and contain no information about your skills/abilities do not serve that much of a purpose. A resume is supposed to be a way for you to endorse yourself as well as let us know where you would like your career to advance to. Basically, avoid sending general applications and always be specific about the opportunity you are applying for.

4. Not including your location. If you are open to employment in cities that are not in your current area of employment, please include that in the body of your job application email. Otherwise, you may be overlooked for opportunities just because you are not currently situated there. Also, when applying for an international job, if you are legally entitled to work in that country, be sure to say this in your resume. This gives you a better chance at being considered for the opportunity.

5. Not including your contact information. Even though this seems like a no brainer, but you would be surprised at how many resumes do not contain phone numbers or email addresses. Including at least two methods of contact is the best way to ensure that every hiring manger/recruiter will be able to get a hold of you.

Here’s a template you can use as a basis for a job application email. Remember to attach your resume.

With the right content, this email template will help you get noticed

Next time you are sending in a job application, try to think of these tips in order to better your chances of getting an interview. If you can think of any other common job application mistakes, feel free to send them to me!

Related Posts:

• Video: How to Ace Your IT Job Interview
• Do You Need an e-Resume Portfolio Site?
• Questions to Ask at the End of Your Job Interview
• Tackling The Interview Question, “What Is Your Biggest Weakness?
• IT Resume Template: Optimizing Your Resume for Search
• 20 Things Not to Do in an Interview

What is Pinterest?

Pinterest is a virtual pinboard -basically a spot where you can upload or bookmark all your favourite things that you created or found on the Web and then organize it all however you like using boards. You can also follow other people’s boards and invite your friends.

Make a board to plan a trip, design a wedding, decorate your home, bookmark things you want to buy, collect your favourite recipes, or simply browse other people’s boards to get inspired. The possibilities are endless.

Pinterest Facts

• According to comScore: Pinterest is the fastest growing independent site to hit 10 million monthly unique visits in the U.S.
• According to a report from Shareaholic: Pinterest drives more referral traffic than YouTube, Google+ and LinkedIn combined (that’s a lot of traffic)
• Time magazine named it one of the 50 best websites of 2011
• Techcrunch named it the best new startup of 2011

Why use Pinterest for Business?

Not only can Pinterest generate a ton of buzz for your brand, but it can translate into sales if you play your cards right. If your content starts going viral on Pinterest, you better pray that your site is ready for the influx of traffic that the site can generate.

Pinterest works best for retailers

Whether some retail companies are aware of it or not, they may already be on Pinterest. Users of Pinterest love to design boards featuring clothing, shoes, kitchen wares, and other products they purchased or want to buy. Not only that, but the social aspect of Pinterest means that everyone’s friends and followers can see what they are pinning on their boards as well.

With Pinterest users posting a link to product websites on their Pinterest board, they are:

• Generating traffic to those websites
• Increasing brand awareness for those companies and products
• Potentially helping those companies/products go viral

Not a retail company?

There are still possibilities for using Pinterest for business. Even if you aren’t a retailer, you can still get in on the action by linking to your blog posts. Don’t have a blog yet? Add Pinterest to your list as another reason to start one. Make sure when you start your blog, that it has unique content and includes plenty of images and visuals you can share on Pinterest, as well as Facebook and Twitter.

As for visually-lacking brands, Pinterest might not be right for you. The first question you need to ask yourself, is whether Pinterest will work for your product. Don’t just try to jump on the bandwagon because everyone else is doing it.

What should I be Pinning?

Below, is an outline of a fews guidelines on using Pinterest for business:

• Post shareworthy content: To be successful in any form of social media, you need to have something to share that others can pass on such as blog posts, photos, tips, news etc.
• Keep it visual: Visuals are key on most blogs and social media sites, but are especially important on Pinterest. Make your how-to’s visual. Videos can be shared as a screen capture image, create infographics. Get creative!
• Make your boards SEO-friendly: Create fun easy titles for boards that are searchable: Valentine’s Day gift ideas, how-to tips, etc.
• Don’t be selfish: As always with social media, remember you are entering a conversation. No one likes someone that only talks about themselves and doesn’t engage with everyone else. Share other people’s content as well as your own. Make sure to also follow anyone that is pinning your content.
• Promote your boards: Introduce your followers on Twitter and Facebook to your boards on Pinterest.

Finally, a company has provided a way to organize the clutter and information overload of the Internet. Pinterest is not only a company to keep an eye on this year, but potentially a company that is changing the way we interact with content on the Web.

While I have only but amazing things to say about Pinterest, I must say it should come with a warning. As I mentioned, it is extremely addictive and will probably become your favourite new timewaster. If you have yet to try it out, you can request an invite at pinterest.com, but don’t say I didn’t warn you!

Happy pinning!

Related Posts:

• Should Your Website Go Mobile?
• Crowdsource Your Next Creative Design Project
• 11 Reasons To Partner With An IT Staffing Company

Step One: Be Ready to Explain Why You Are Leaving

Have your reasons for why you are leaving prepared. Keep your tone positive. Don’t knock the people or the company you worked for. Rather than saying you found a better job or better pay somewhere else, keep the tone postitive by saying you are looking to advance your career, or that you’ve been offered an opportunity you simply couldn’t pass up.

Step Two: Keep the Resignation Letter Professional

You will likely be requested to write an official letter of resignation. This is not the place to write a long sappy letter about how much you love the company and will miss it. Keep it short, simple and professional. Write it up in a Word document, and provide your employee with an email and paper copy.

Step Three: Dealing with Counter Offers

What happens if your current employers aren’t so happy that you are leaving and try to convince you to stay by offering you more money, or other incentives to stay?

Whatever you decide, try not to make a decision on the spot. Tell them you’ll consider it, but wait until you are out of the office to mull it over without pressure.

If you are already signed up to start at another job, and are truly not interested in staying, tell your current employer the truth and politely decline. Ensure your current employer knows that you’ve given it a lot of thought, and really believe that this is the best decision for you.

Step Two: Get a Reference or Recommendation Before You Leave

Be sure to ask for references from managers or supervisors that you worked closely with and who knew you well. If they use LinkedIn, be sure to request a written recommendation on LinkedIn as well.

Step Four: Wrap Up Loose Ends

Typically, most offices require two weeks notice if you resign from a job. Use this time to complete any outstanding projects before you leave. If this is impossible, try to make the company’s transition to coping without you as easy as possible. Make a detailed list of what needs to get done, deadlines, etc. Offer to train your replacement or someone who can step in for you until a replacement is found.

Step Five: Leave on a Positive Note

Inform everyone you work with closely that you are leaving. You can let your team know in a group email (this is your opportunity to get more sappy), or if you prefer, let everyone know one-on-one, but make sure to keep everyone in the loop since your leaving might affect them as well. Provide your phone number and email for anyone who would like to keep in touch, and make sure everyone knows who to speak to about any questions that might arise when you are gone.

The most important thing to remember is to leave on a positive note, since you never know who you might run into down the line in your career. Oh, and last but not least, don’t forget to enjoy the goodbye cake!

Related Posts:

• Questions to Ask at the End of Your Job Interview
• Tackling The Interview Question, “What Is Your Biggest Weakness?”
• Do You Need a Cover Letter with Your Online Job Application?
• 20 Things Not To Do During An Interview

Sometimes recruiting is a race to catch to the best candidates

Some recruiters or search professionals are even offended by the term headunter. Instead, many people prefer the term ‘direct hire specialist.’ I have been doing this for 20 years, and you can call me what you like. I believe the best recruiters are people that are a hybrid of both headhunting and recruiting. The best people will use their social media networks, headhunt, work their databases, and publish your jobs to find you the perfect candidate.When you need a tech specialist in a flash, a person’s title is not going to be as important as how fast they can find you your ideal candidate. However, I thought I’d use today’s blog post to clarify the difference between the two terms, for arguments sake.

Headhunter (AKA Executive Search Agents or Executive Search Professionals):

An informal term for an ‘employment recruiter’ that finds qualified candidates for job positions, otherwise referred to as an ‘executive search agents’ or ‘executive search professionals.’

Executive Search Agents/Professionals:

• Have an extensive network of contacts in their industry.
• Often have been executives themselves and migrated to the search industry.
• Have detailed and specific knowledge in their specific area of expertise.
• Have researchers that do all the sourcing of candidates.
• Operate at the most senior level of executive positions.
• Are involved throughout the hiring process: conduct interviews, present candidates to clients selectively.
• Typically have long-lasting relationships with clients spanning many years.
• Their main responsibility is finding the ideal candidate for their clients.

Recruiter:

A recruiter is someone who finds people to fill job positions within a company, non-profit company, sports team, military, etc. A recruiter is either hired as part of a company’s human resources department or as an ‘internal recruiter,’ or on an outsourced basis as a ‘third party recruiter.’

Internal Recruiter (AKA In-House Recruiter or Corporate Recruiter):

• Employee of a company in the human resources (HR) department.
• May have various job roles, doing both HR tasks alongside recruiting, or may spend all their time dedicated to recruiting.
• May work as permanent employee or be hired on as contractor specifically for recruiting, and move from company to company
• Their main responsibility is to filter candidates as per the requirements of each client.

Third Party (Agency) Recruiter:

• A third party recruiter acts as an independent contact between its client companies and the candidates it recruits for a position.
• Works for multiple companies at once.
• These firms or individuals specialize in client relationships and finding candidates, with minimal or no focus on other HR tasks.
• Boolean Search Experts.
• Normally do sourcing, interviewing, and sometimes account management.
• Strong interviewing and screening skills – able to “find the needle in the haystack.”
• Some recruiters tend to specialize in permanent, full-time, direct-hire positions or contract positions, and occasionally in both.
• Their main responsibility is to filter candidates as per the requirements of each client.

When selecting somebody to find staff for you or interviewing a recruiter, be sure to ask them where they find their candidates. Ask them to give you examples of candidates they have placed using social media. Now that you know the difference between terms, it should help when you are making choices on staffing.

Is your job about finding candidates? What do you like to be called?

Should everybody be called staffing professionals?

Related Links

• What Does It Take to Be an IT Recruiter
• Google, Facebook, LinkedIn: It’s Getting Personal
• How to Hire an Online Marketing Specialist
• Announcing Our New Boolean Search Secrets for Recruiters Resource Page
• Booming Demand for Developers and Online Marketing Pros
• Does technical testing help you make the best hiring decision?