Alexandra Levits Water Cooler Wisdom Celebrating 50 Years of Project Management

Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom Celebrating 50 Years of Project Management Last year inthe International Journal of Project Management, Julien Pollack and Daniel Adler reported on 50 years of PM research trends to distill where the industry has come from, and where it’s going. Their report acknowledges passing fads as well as those that have withstood the test of time. When Pollack and Adler set out to examine theevolution of project management, they knew that a standard literature review wouldn’t do. They wanted to check out everything, so they sourced 94,472 unique records of PM research (published between 1962 and 2012) from the Scopus and ISI Web of Science databases. The keywords and abstracts that authors used to describe their work were analyzed in terms of word frequency, rate of change and the co-occurrence of keywords and abstract terms. Comparisons were made between the frequencies of key terms and rapid changes in the ways that terms were used in the literature to identify emergent trends. Long-Term, Overall Transformation from Siloed to Holistic First and foremost, the research indicated a change in emphasis in project management research from a technical engineering orientation to one which encompasses a broader organizational perspective. Also, recent bursts of keywords related to environmental issues, strategic planning, project managers, knowledge management, business and innovation suggest a movement from technical and industry-specific issues to an emphasis on theinterpersonal aspects of project managementand the role of the field in the broader organizational context. Education and Financial Investment Dominate the Early 00s Use of keywords related to education enjoyed a period of popularity from 1999 to 2005. This may be attributed to the growth of project management professional associations, theincreasing significance of certificationsas a route to employment, and the widespread increase in university education focused on developing the capabilities of project managers. Also in the first few years of this century, keywords related to cost, contracts and investment were popular from 2001 to 2006. Interestingly, keywords related to cost andcontract managementwere more strongly associated with the construction industry than the IT industry, while issues associated with education were more strongly associated with IT than construction. For more where this came from, check out the full post at the Intuit Fast Track blog.

New Year, New Wardrobe! - 5 Steps to Inexpensively Update Your Closet

New Year, New Wardrobe! - 5 Steps to Inexpensively Update Your Closet Happy New Year! It’s a new year and new you! Well, you are already pretty awesome and savvy, but you need a few new add-ons to ring in the new year.   Here are five steps to inexpensively to update your wardrobe for the new year. Analyze your closet. Yes, I know hun, you are probably thinking “My closet? I never have anything to wear.” Us girls do fall victim to the “nothing to wear” cliché, but you should always look to your current pieces to minimize costs.Categorize work clothes from happy hour clothes.   Seasonal clothes should be labeled and put away. If you no longer have a need for something, then donate it to a local organization, like Salvation Army or Goodwill, or sell on eBay, Craigslist or a co-signment shop (this will help with your wardrobe budget). Once you are rid of the clothes, you should come up with several looks. Set up a “wardrobe” spending plan.  You’re new in your career and you have other bills, so you have to be very realistic about your “wardrobe” budget. Your plan should only be between twenty to thirty percent of your discretionary budget. Also be sure to set spending plan per item. For instance, I tell myself when shopping, “I refuse to pay more than $50 for a cream blouse.” This helps me understand that I am only there to shop for a cream blouse, and to walk away if I cannot find the item in my price range. Invest in accessories and basics. From first grade to my senior year in high school, I wore a uniform. From day-to-day, my peers and I wore the same exact color palette of gray, navy blue and white.  What I learned from my years in prison, I mean school, was that the right accessories could complete a look. Some days I would “edge up” my uniform by adding a tie or vibrant jewelry. I also became a huge sock and stocking fanatic. Argyles, stripes and polka dots were my best friends for 12 years. When shopping for jewelry, always look for something that you can make YOUR statement, and be ready for the influx of random compliments.Basics are helpful as well. A basic tank can be worn at work under a blazer, or a sheer blouse that would be deemed as inappropriate office attire. Basics are interchangeable and can be worn in all seasons. Both options are also cost effective. Buy classics. The white blouse, a LBD and black pumps are items that are very safe, can be played up with accessories and will last you for years to come. Buy trendy clothes from mass produced retailers. If you would like to buy a peplum, glittery sweater, or any clothing that are the pantone color of the year (by the way, Emerald City is the 2013 color of the year), you should always buy from mass produced retailers. Trends only last for a few seasons and then they are gone. Stores like Forever 21, HM and Zara are perfect places to get trendy styles and are so inexpensive; it is easier to part ways with the articles of clothing once you’re done with them. For more fashion tips, check out Pink Velvet Kisses or ask me any questions on Twitter @pink_kiss_deuce. Photo Source:  StyleBakery

How to Use Facebook for Recruiting

How to Use Facebook for Recruiting Facebook is tipped to be THE place to recruit people in the next year or two. Social Recruiting has already started at some companies as we can see below.  Take a look at this infographic to learn more about recruiting on Facebook. Do you have a social media recruiting success story? Is it as effective as traditional recruiting? Let us know in the comments. In this infographic we learn that Facebook is of course the second most trafficked website in the world, only trailing Google. No less than 85% of internet users have Facebook accounts and this is why its high time to start building a Facebook talent community now. Three quarters of internet users (74%) use Facebook daily, 57% of internet users have more than 100 friends on Facebook. And 58% of Facebook users have liked a brand on Facebook the idea here is to get future employees to like your brand now. Top 5 Brands with career pages on Facebook are: Starbucks 27 million fans Red Bull 26 million fans PlayStation 19 million fans McDonalds 14 million fans Levis 10 million fans Job hunter Facebook stats: 84% of job seekers have a Facebook profile 48% of all job seekers have done at least one social job hunt activity last year 1 in 5 job seekers added professional information to their Facebook profile last year 16 of all job seekers received a job referral from a Facebook friend RELATED:  How Companies Use Social Media to Recruit. Source: HireRabbit