When making connections, it’s always great to network in person so that you can put a face to whom you’re talking. But let’s face it (no pun intended!), this scenario isn’t always possible; sometimes, you’re going to find yourself trying to make connections over the phone. And when you do, take note of your phone skills.

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Scribble on a notepad, write on your hand, or text yourself. People find all sorts of ways to remember things. You may prefer to call it organized chaos, but it’s still chaos.

1. Invest in a calendar: I forgot is a horrible excuse. Everyone should have a calendar to keep track of deadlines, upcoming events, and relevant information. I forgot only gets you so far – soon your internship supervisor will just say I forgot to hire you.
2. Utilize a daily planner: Keep your thoughts organized. It’s just as important to micro-manage as it is to macro-manage. What’s sexier? I can manage multiple large scale projects and micro-manage my team members to ensure high productivity or I can follow directions.
3. Find your niche: Most importantly, learn about your working habits and when you perform at your best. Keep a notepad with you, a blackberry, or a journal to jot down your best ideas which you can organize later.
   

Take initiative and start organizing your life. Show you can manage your own schedule along with your job responsibilities. Sooner or later you will run out of hand space. I hope you have plenty of yellow-colored hand-shaped sticky notes.

How do you keep organized? Send your thoughts to ken@jointap.com. Please no hands with scribbles all over.

Yes! Why fear change? You shouldn’t. The ability to handle pressure is enticing to employers. If you aren’t able to adapt to a changing work environment, then you may need to rethink the application to sell $5 footlongs.

I’ve taken a double take while working at TAP. Sufficient just isn’t enough in todays economic down turn. Finding and keeping a job is harder than ever. Unemployment is rising, jobs are scarce and the U.S. is in a recession.

Stay current and make effective use of free time to learn how to use social networking websites, latest software, and sharpen your communication skills. Most importantly: Invest in your future – do your homework and change for the better. Make it part of your routine and daily news consumption.

Send your ideas to ken@jointap.com on how we can change for the better. Pennies accepted.