Crowdsourcing was a key buzzword of 2011 along with Kickstarter: the ultimate crowdsourcing in which a group of micro investors make magic happen.
As our business continues to expand despite the “economic downturn,” we’re hiring but profoundly selective about whom we hire. Our people represent our business and have to be just the right fit with business philosophies and goals. Our interview process is extensively documented and we do background checks on each technician for our customer safety. The full details are here, but in a nutshell the customer service skills are as important as the technical skills
Fortunately we pay very well and treat our technicians right: with respect, appreciation and flexibility. We report to the customer and I report to my technicians and it’s my goal to make them as successful as possible during the service call to please “the boss” (the customer). Technician exit interviews and performance reviews indicate we have a supportive and collaborative approach. Check our reviews and see what a great job we do
Looking at the more traditional methods of finding a technician such as job boards, newspapers, and online services are extremely expensive and/or time consuming. Free options are too often worth what you are paying. There has to be a better way!!
I think in 2012 I can find the next great DoctorDave tech via word of mouth and I’m willing to put my money where my mouth is The old school methods usually cost $300-$500 a pop so I figure: “Why not put it in the pockets of real individuals instead of a corporation?”
Therefore, for the month of January, if you refer someone (including yourself) to DoctorDave Computer Repair and we bring that person on board, we’ll give you either a brand new iPad or $500.
Here is the small print, that really isn’t that small
1) If you refer yourself, just send us an email saying you’d like to get the “Crowdsourcing Bonus”
2) If you refer someone else, just cc us on the email saying you’d like to take advantage of the “Crowdsourcing Bonus”
2) The applicant must be local and familiar with greater Kansas City, but you don’t have to live in the area to refer someone.
3) They must work with us for 3 months and do at least 30 service calls during that time period
4) After that time period, we’ll either give you $500 or a new iPad worth that amount. You’ll be responsible for taxes and all the nitty gritty thereof.
So this is *my* version of a crowdsourced project. No need to contribute money. Just spread the word to your tech friends looking for some part time work.
Oh, and just to help out the community via this crowdsourced project, we’ll give five dollars to a local Lawrence charity for every qualified applicant. Which charity? Tell us when you refer a qualified applicant and the charity with the most votes gets the entire pool of money. Will it be $50 $100 $500? I don’t know –but that’s up to you.
Posted in Business by .
Any time you are selling a product, you need to stand out amongst the competition. When we do computer repair in Lawrence, I think we provide a level of service that is a cut above the rest and our reviews speak for themselves.
Finding more technicians to assist us in this mission has been hard enough that we are offering a $500 referral bonus if you refer a qualified applicant that we hire. We got lot and lots of pushy applicants. People that say we are “fools” not to hire them or are “too demanding” in our expectations. The best ones I consistently get are “I don’t have time to answer your questions. Either interview me or go away”. Note that they are unemployed. They don’t want the phone interview or the email interview. They demand the in-person interview right away. I can see why these people are still unemployed!
Being pushy doesn’t work. Have you ever met a salesperson with a hard sell that you are excited about? Me neither. However, you do need to be assertive. Stand above the competition and present yourself in the very best possible light.
After you send your resume, it’s great to follow up. A polite email confirming receipt of the resume and asking if they have any initial questions is professional. Don’t push for the interview or do your sales pitch. Just ask if they got it. Pushy people will ask for the interview or highlight their interests. You should have done that in the cover letter, you just want to make sure the system didn’t glitch. Even in 2012, email gets lost in the shuffle or the Post Office loses mail. Helping people with stuff like that is what WE do for a living.
I recommended sending a paper resume as well. Unless it is an advertised position that specifically say no paper, this indicates a strong interest in the position. Ideally you send this to the person responsible for hiring and do it on high quality presentation paper. Depending on the size of the company at which you are applying, you might consider sending a couple extra copies of your resume. This often says “pass me along” and allows the recipient to share the resume easily with others (and saves a trip to the copier!)
If applicable, mention in that paper cover letter you also applied electronically so they know to look for the email. If everyone does this, you won’t stand out in the crowd, but I suspect that won’t be a problem! Filing out an electronic form takes very little effort, but sending paper with a stamp and going to the mailbox takes effort. Savvy employers like employees that take a bit of initiative.
The pushy applicants call or stop by unsolicited. That is intrusive and takes away from the work day. If you do that, they’ll remember you for sure, but not in the good way!
Getting to the interview is a critical point in a job search process and pushing your way in won’t work. What you do during the interview and after will be the difference between acceptance and rejection. More on that in the next post.
Posted in Business Commentary by .
I’ve been blogging the past couple of weeks about the hidden job market and why you should apply even when there may not be an open position. (We’ve got an open position and will give you $500 to refer us to the right person) The clincher to it all is the effective cover letter. Not just effective, but awesome. It really isn’t hard.
First let’s talk about the crappy ones, the ones that make me think of gas station coffee rather than a fine pour-over:
To Whom it May Concern (variations: Dear Sir/Madam, Dear Hiring Manger)
I am applying for a position at your company. As you can see in the enclosed resume, I have the background and experience will make a valuable asset to your team.
Feel free to contact me for an interview.
Sincerely,
Boring applicant.
If I had a dollar for everyone of these I get, I could afford advertising. At least it’s short. This tells me you consider me a generic no-name employer and guess what? I’m going to treat you as a generic no-name applicant! Sure, I’ll read your resume, but you have really stand out in this market. This letter tells me you are sending your resume to any job regardless of qualifications. It’s HR spam. Many employers won’t read past this because they don’t even know what you are applying for.
Let’s look at an awesome cover letter I would write if I were applying for my own job. Actually these are pretty much paraphrases from a few excellent ones I’ve received over the years.
Dear Dave (or DoctorDave or Dave Greenbaum)
I’m responding to your ad (or proactively applying) for the job of an onsite computer technician. I’ve researched your company and I’m impressed with the dedication you have to customer service. You stand out in a Google search as one of the best companies in Lawrence for computer repair.
Since my first paper route, I’ve had an extreme dedication to customer service. I believe that if you don’t take care of the customer someone else will. The only thing that exceeds my dedication to customer service is my love of technology. I build computers in my spare time and help family and friends. In my current job, I am the go to person whenever people have trouble with their computers. While others see this as a burden, I see this as a welcome opportunity to help my peers.
Even if I’m not the best fit right now, I would appreciate if you kept my resume on file for future opportunities because I would really like to be part of such a great organization…or at least meet Tova sometime.
Sincerely,
Quality applicant.
Let’s examine my awesome cover letter:
First, I take the time to learn about the hiring manager. With LinkedIn, Facebook, Twitter and just plain old Google, not knowing something about the person on the other end is virtually inexcusable. The fact you researched shows initiative and is a plus. The best cover letters I get say “DoctorDave™ Computer Repair” recognizing the exact branding of my business. W00T!
Next, you compliment the business in a direct and unique way. You’ve taken the time to see what’s important to us and you mention that. Be specific. Don’t just say it’s a great place to work or you’ve heard good things. Flattery will get you everywhere, but generic platitudes gets you in the trash can. Showing you understand the business is your first step to working there. This shouldn’t take more than five minutes. Read Google, LinkedIn, Yelp, Glass Door as well as the company’s website.
Then take what you know about the business (do your research!) and align their needs with your background. Don’t rehash what’s in the resume (employers do know how to read), but summarize it. Think of it as a teaser to a movie. Highlight the best and most relevant facts to your potential employer so that they know what to look for in your resume. Match it up with the ad (if they are advertising the position) or their unique services (if they are not advertising).
For your closing paragraph, remind them that you might be interested in future opportunities. This is especially important if the company doesn’t have any advertised open positions, because it shows you recognize that and want to be proactive for the future.
Finally, add a human touch if you can. I put Tova on the website for a few reasons. She’s cute. We all know that. She also is a way to show you’ve been to my website and looked around. Tova helps create a human connection for people. If you see the hiring manager is a KC Chiefs fan based on what she posts on Google+, mention you are a Chiefs fan too (if you are). Leave them with a smile on your face and you’ll leave them with a positive impression.
That cover letter and resume is the beginning of the process, but if it’s the only part of the process you care about, it may not be enough. Where to go from here is my next blog topic and how to be assertive without being pushy.
Posted in Business Commentary by .
Last time I talked about how we are hiring (and offering a $500 referral bonus), but we aren’t currently advertising a position in the places applicants too often look: newspapers and online job boards. I love unsolicited resumes and I think that 99% of small business owners ought to as well. However, there is a right way and a wrong way to do this and some of these tips will help you be successful in your job search.
As a job seeker, remember that everyone’s time is valuable. Most of us who work for a living, well, have to work. Wasting our time helps ensure you won’t get a job. Make a significant negative impression and not only will you not get a job there, but you may jeopardize your chances working other places as businesses do talk!
First, don’t waste a business’s time calling the main number for the business. That number is generally for customers. Failure to recognize that fact immediately says to a business “I care more about me than I do your customer”. Do your research. Find out who the owner or hiring manager is online. By doing so you are showing initiative to your potential employer and you are respecting their time. If I get an email that says “Dear Hiring Manager” or “To Whom it May Concern” I think “really?” This a computer job and you can’t do a Google search to figure out to whom to address your inquiry? The business name is DoctorDave after all.
If you must call, be apologetic and direct and say something like “Hi, I know your time is valuable and I would like to know who to contact regarding hiring of technicians”. Short, sweet and to the point. You’ll hopefully get the name of someone to contact.
Next, that first contact is your only chance to make a first impression so make it good. Even though I’m in computers and love email, I think sometimes email is a terrible way to communicate. Your email that is applying for a position gets caught up with all the other email that is hitting their inbox. I try to effectively manage my email and have a good system, but it’s a chore and too often something gets lost in the shuffle or somewhere between “here” and “there” I didn’t get it. Send your resume (and cover letter) via snail mail. I apologize in advance to the trees killed doing so (try 100% post-consumer recycled paper), but a physical piece of paper demands the attention that an email can’t. Also, let’s face it, when an email is important, what do we often do…we print it out. Save your potential employer the time and trouble of doing so by printing it in advance.
Send your resume alone with an awesome cover letter to that potential employer and magic can happen. Maybe not today or tomorrow, but if you do it right you will get the call when they need someone. What’s an awesome cover letter? That’s for next time.
Posted in Business Commentary by .
Back in the day when tweeting was something birds did and a “Facebook” was a way of finding who was sitting next to you in class, one looked for a job by searching want ads and job boards.
That’s so 1998 and I’m a key example of why job seekers need to look for the hidden job market.
I’ve had a hard time finding people to work for DoctorDave (earn yourself $500 for referring someone).
While many of us despise unsolicited salespeople and spam, especially as a business owner, these sales techniques can be effective. The key is to contact a consumer when they have the need. If your air conditioner just died and someone knocks on the door offering repair, then you’ve made a sale.
If you are a big company like Apple or Google, everyone wants to work for you. As a small business though, having a list of ready-to-go potential employees is really important. You avoid the hassles of the hiring process and save some serious money. Not everyone is smart enough to think ahead though.
Too often businesses tend to be reactive rather than proactive. They advertise only when sales are down or answer the phone only when they aren’t busy (what is it about contractors that they don’t return phone calls?) You know many of these companies because you see them in the legal announcements section going bankrupt.
Savvy businesses realize that you have to plan for the ups and downs. They budget, advertise even when business is booming, and always respond to customers. Similarly, they realize that people leave employment for a variety of factors and quickly filling a position is key to their survival.
Way back when, I was told that for every ten thousand dollars in salary you wish to earn you should plan on one month of job searching. Therefore plan 3 months for a 30,0000 a year job. I’d say the same as an employer. If you want to fill a 50,000 a year position, you need to plan for it to take about five months: from the moment of the person leaving until the new person comes on board at your organization.
The key to all this for job seekers is to send your resume and apply at a company that isn’t hiring. If you are simply responding to wants ads and job boards you are completely missing out on the companies that either can’t afford to advertise and/or are smart enough to having a rolling acceptance process for applicants.
You absolutely want to work for a company that does this. They are positioned for long term success. There is a right way and a wrong way to do this. That’s a topic for my next blog post.
Posted in Business Commentary by .
Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house…
not a creature was stirring, except for a mouse!
The web was searched with thought and care,
but not a company could get gifts there.
The children were nestled all snug in their beds,
while panic and mayhem danced in your head.
But DoctorDave ™ in his gloves and cap,
refused to settle for a long winter’s nap.
His inkjet printer makes such a clatter
because last minute gift certificates are really what matter!
Out to the car he went like a flash,
turn on the car and give it some gas.
On Christmas eve it started to snow
No matter, because he had places to go!
Out on the doorstep, what should appear?
Not Santa, not Rudolph or other reindeer..
But rather DoctorDave™, who no longer resembles St. Nick.
Gift certificate in hand…boy that was quick!
One night a request at 3am came,
no problem, no worry, just give him a name
and he’ll print a gift certificate, for whatever needs fixin’.
So happy holidays from all of us here,
and last minute gift certificates always bring cheer!
Gives us a call, Christmas Eve or day,
and we’ll email a gift certificate without delay!
Thanks for being a client of the famous DoctorDave™.
Posted in Tips by .
Putting tech items under the tree this year? Great! But are you also giving the gift of frustration at no additional charge?
Around this time of year, we get lots of questions about what this year’s best tech gifts might be. Of course the most popular this year is the iPad (I recommend purchasing at MacXprts located inside iCafe). Other popular items are laptops, non-Apple tablets (Amazon fire!) and of course Smartphones such as droids.
When you were a kid, how frustrating were the phrases “Assembly required” and “batteries not included?” You’d rip open the wrapping paper only to wait for hours for the setup or until the next morning because Mom didn’t realize it was AAA and not AA. It’s enough to wish for the days of the Red Ryder, but then as we know, someone can lose an eye.
Tech toys for the grown ups are the same way. While they may include batteries and be already assembled, they aren’t ready to use out of the box. Let’s take the iPad (don’t take mine though!) Here are the steps that are typical
1) Open the wrapping paper and explain “Oh my an iPad”
2) Kiss your spouse
3) Maybe complain they spent too much, your choice
4) Turn it on and be faced with a setup screen
5) Hook it up to your computer–not enough USB ports. Need a USB hub, but it’s Christmas and most stores are closed
6) Now your computer wants an update to iTunes–can you find the password to install the software?
7) Next, your antivirus (on a PC) needs to be configured to support a new version of iTunes
Once iTunes is configured, the iPad wants to know your Apple ID and mentions something about iCloud. Do you remember it and your password?
9) After those steps you have to wait sometimes up to half an hour for iTunes to reconfigure your pictures for the iPad
10) Now that you’ve done all the syncing (on average 45 minutes), you can disconnect the iPad.
11) So now your iPad is usable for music, but now you need to connect it to your wireless network (even if you have an iPad 3G)
12) If you can’t find your wireless password, your router needs to be configured. Otherwise, find your wireless password and network info
13) Ok, you can browse the net and listen to music, but additional steps may be needed to setup your email especially if you use hotmail, yahoo or gmail
14) Great, now you can do the critical things with the iPad, but the apps are where it’s at
15) Unless you have previously owned an iPad, you’ll need to download iPad configured apps and then set them up properly. Common examples: Netflix, hulu, and Facebook
Now it’s time for dinner. Wasn’t that a great way to spend the holiday?
I have a better way….
1) Setup an appointment with DoctorDave – we’re open Christmas Eve and Christmas Day even.
2) Hand us the tech item and answer a few questions
3) We’ll do all the work and set it up
4) Then we’ll explain how to use it briefly and which cable goes where
5) Box it up for you
6) Christmas day open the box, kiss the spouse, complain if applicable
7) Finish your morning coffee
Wasn’t that better? Not everyone takes advantage of our “Santa Service,” but more should. We can’t promise the kiss or the lack of complaining Christmas morning, but we can promise it will work out of the box for you. No assembly required and batteries will be included.
Happy Holidays!
As you go about purchasing a new computer this holiday season, if you are affiliated with KU (or many other educational institutions) you can purchase copies of Microsoft products such as the FULL version of Microsoft Office 2010, Windows 7 Ultimate (and upgrade from Home Premium) for as low as $9.95.
Not only that, but you can save on your antivirus and a variety of other software because of your affiliation with KU.
For complete information about software available with a KU ID go here and the Microsoft info can be found here
If you are affiliated with another educational institution, you might give them a call and see what programs they might have in place for you.
Posted in Uncategorized by .
Dec 11
11
Secure your WiFi or else!
Having a secure wi-fi connection is important for a variety of reasons. Interlopers can slow down your internet connection and cause you bandwidth overage charges.
Here are two interesting stories I came across about how an open wireless connection has caused problems. In this link a police officer was using a variety of neighbors’ wifi and businesses in order to access child pornography. Yuck.
In this second story, there was a wifi password, but one that has been cracked (yet still used by many DSL modems and older routers). Fences may make good neighbors but since wireless networks don’t respect property lines, a neighborhood conflict can quickly become an ongoing incident of cyber-terrorism.
Of course, if you want to check security of your wireless network let us know and we’d be delighted to set an appointment to make sure your wifi network is safe and secure.
Posted in Tips by .
Welcome to my blog! 
Jan 12
27
Modern Interview techniques and how to excel at them
With our busy lives and the ubiquity of technology, an in-person interview as the primary way of selecting an employee is wasteful and inefficient A combination of email and phone interviews are a norm. Here we do email, phone, and in-person (did I mention our $500 hiring bonus for referring a qualified applicant we hire?) Besides being more efficient, phone and email interviews also keeps us and other employees free of any bias situation. While I may be able to guess your gender by your name and voice, other biases based on nuances such as physical appearance and ethnicity can be minimized. Humans make assumptions about people and naturally “like” people similar to us. Email and voice interviews focus on the skills of the applicant.
For email interviews, don’t treat it like you would an informal email to family and friends. This is a formal process and you’ll be judged on multiple criteria. The time of the email reply can speak volumes about you. What time did you send it? Did you send it during the work day of your current job (bad sign!) or did you send it at some off hour like 2am (what were you doing up at 2am?) Most important is how quickly you replied. That shows how much thought you gave the questions and how eager you were. Reply too soon and it shows you didn’t think out your answers well. Wait days and it shows lack of interest as well as general unprofessionalism. One business day would be an acceptable time frame and replying before or after work if you are currently employed is best.
In the body of the email don’t use abbreviations, shortcuts or informal language such as “LOL” and “FWIW” even if your interviewer used such informalities. Try to send from a professional email account. Catlover57@yahoo.com doesn’t send the right image. Email addresses are free, so set one up that communicates professionalism. Also, if you send via your phone or tablet, remove the signature at the bottom that promotes the device. This should advertise you, not the devices you own. Moreover, simply don’t use those devices to reply to the email. The risk of “autocorrect” fail is simply too high. The only time this may be acceptable is to send a message like “I’m very interested in responding however I’ve got a family emergency and won’t be back until late tomorrow”. If you can’t reply within that 24 hour time frame, reply letting the employer know when to expect a reply and a reason why you are delayed. “Family emergency”, “school deadlines” or “personal reasons” is fully acceptable. Not responding is not acceptable.
Similar to an email interview, phone interviews should be treated as a formal occasion and done professionally. Don’t do it at a coffeeshop or standing outside your current employer during break on your mobile phone. Whenever possible do it on a landline. Mobile phones simply can’t be counted on like they should. A low battery, a dropped call, or a text coming in makes the difference between getting the job and the employer getting annoyed they can’t hear you or keep calling back. If you must use your mobile, put it on vibrate so text messages and other notifications aren’t heard during the interview.
Pick a quiet spot that is noise and distraction free. In front of your computer is fine, but be sure to mute it. Again an employer might get annoyed with your chat ding or your email alert during the interview. I recommend during the interview to keep careful notes either via the computer or by hand. Know what you talked about and what the employer was interested in. That helps you in the next stage. Whenever possible, repeat the question of the interviewer either directly: “Why am I interested in working for you…” or “I’m interested in working for you because….” With phones especially you may not always hear the question correctly so letting the interviewer know what you are responding to makes sure they get the answer they desire.
I won’t talk hear about in-person interview techniques because there are so many tips regarding these already out there, but I’ll share things I’ve seen over the years that make applicants stand out:
1) Professional appearance that’s one step above
If you’ve done your research you know the attire of the workplace. I often see applicants try to match the style of the workplace. That isn’t always a good idea. As an employer, I want your best foot forward and that means dressing one level above current staff. Rarely can you be overdressed, but you can frequently be underdressed. Probably a tuxedo is a bit much, but a classic suit works in most occasions. A tip: try it on every few weeks in your job search. Our bodies fluctuate and without working, our eating habits change. You either decided to use the extra time to exercise or maybe sit on the couch. Either way your clothes may not fit the same. The morning of the interview is not the time to find this out. If for some reason you have a wardrobe malfunction, acknowledge it and apologize (“I’m sorry I’m not dressed more appropriately but the cleaners lost my suit”).
2) Bring multiple printed copies of the resume
Your resume – when submitted either electronically or via paper (or both as I suggest earlier), is often copied and is on flimsy paper. Bring a copy on quality paper and present it to each interviewer. That make you literally stand out from that stack on their desk
3) Have a business card
Even if you are unemployed, business cards are still the way business is done. Include your name and how they may reach you. Best ones I’ve seen include a QR code or URL to your LinkedIn profile or other resume service. Giving your business card also encourages them to give you theirs. That’s gold because it’s a way of thanking them and following up
4) Remember you are being watched
Your interview starts at 11:00am, so you get there a few minutes early. How you treat the receptionist and other staff may be observed. Don’t just think of the interviewer as the decision maker. That person sitting at the reception desk will report positive or negative impressions. That person in the bathroom could be the CEO. Be “on” the moment you approach the building. How you park, for whom you open the door, and whom you bump into leaves an impression. Even across the street when you get lunch afterwards, you don’t know who is sitting at the table next to you. If you dressed the same way you did during the interview and you are nearby, assume it’s still part of it. True story: when I was on an interview team for a large company we all went out to eat afterwards. Applicant was at the next table over make a big stink about his meal being served cold. The way he treated the waitstaff told us he wasn’t a good fit in a customer service position.
5) Always thank the interviewers
When someone takes the time to interview, they are showing an interest in you. It’s polite to thank them for that valuable gift. Hopefully you got their business card in step 2. An email “thanks” is fine without a sales pitch. If you think you made a mistake in the interview or answered a question wrong, now might be a good time to try to make a save. Something like “During the interview you asked me about X and upon reflection I realized I should have mentioned…” Keep it short and sweet because your primary goal is to thank them. If you really want the job, send them the letter overnight with signature required. That will help insure it gets to them and it’s a way of saying “I’m really serious about working here.” The $15 it costs is a small investment in your career. Obviously do it for only jobs you really want as it can get expensive to do this each time.
I’m almost done writing about getting a job, especially from the “hidden” job market. Next post will be the top mistakes I see applicants make
Posted in Business Commentary by dgreenbaum. No Comments