Online Career Tips

By: J. Mason
Online Career Tips Staff

If you’re looking for a way to seamlessly dump out your brain then look no further then Thinkery. This web app is pretty brilliant, and very easy to sign-up.

There are other great web apps out there to put aside your thoughts, or notes from a recent work conference, but this one is as fluid as a top of the line smartphone. You have the ability to add your thoughts or do a search from the main page.

Interested in signing up? They have a “try it out” button on their homepage. You start typing in a note or a task and it automatically creates a private account for you to store your brain dump. So, no need up front to register before “test driving” the product.

[related: Make a Priorities List]

There’s an extension for Chrome you can easily add on, an import addition for Instapaper, and so much more. Depending on how your brain processes information, this may be a better fit from other similar note saving options on the market. So, the next time you’re sitting in a meeting or at a conference file your brain’s tidbits into Thinkery. The new perspective and app may help keep you better organized and on top of things.

Image of a busy desk at Marie Claire

By: J. Mason
Online Career Tips Staff

This morning I was inspired by this Huffington Post article on what several editors keep near to them in their desk. There are some obvious things like post-it notes, pictures of loved ones, and even some strange pieces. As a writer I can appreciate Sittenfield’s phone book that helps them pick out names for their story characters, and I felt the signed image of George Clooney was pretty great as well. It got me to thinking though, what do I really value that I keep at my desk?

While my list may not consist of framed pictures of the President, or handwritten notes from celebrities, they are things that support me through the work day.

1. My son’s artwork. It’s not framed, just in it’s raw state from daycare. I smile when I see them and they inspire me as well.  More thought may go into those squiggly lines than you think!
2. Lots of pens. As a writer I jot things down frequently, and I like the feel of transferring my ideas onto paper instead of through the keyboard.
3. My spiffy headphones. I use these things when I need to crank out a post, project, or an email. Pandora is my best work buddy at times!
4. The New Yorker cut-up cartoons from my desk calendar. I find humor, and inspiration in these. The ones I find especially useful I cut-up and tape around my desk for a good laugh during a hard day.
5. Cards from friends. I have a card from a good friends wedding, a good friend departing, and a thank you from a shower. Another inspirational tool that helps when I’m stuck on a problem for work.

Most people have a method to the chaos at their desk. If you haven’t found yours take a few minutes today to get organized.

Not everyone needs a perfectly labeled filing system to find the papers they need. Some rely on post-its, or folders in the computer. Being that most companies keep files on a network that you can access from anywhere it might be a good idea to back up your projects and save to the network or your personal drive at work.

If you do however need to keep folders at your desk, explore how you best process information. If you’re more the type to file by general categories use that, or maybe a date system flows better for you.

Personally, I file all my documents on my computer and keep them there unless I have a meeting. I label the folders by the content and relativity to certain projects or departments. If it’s something time sensitive I highlight the information in the folder and set a reminder in Outlook. Find the method for sorting out your “madness” so you know where everything is so it doesn’t delay you from getting started.

*Another good point to note is to keep the naming convention consistent. If you change it up and start naming projects differently than before it may take you a while to find what you’re looking for, creating a drop in productivity. Don’t change things up because you can’t remember what you called the last one, look at the most recent related document for reference then go from there.