AP News, December 19th, 2006
NO MATCHES FOUND: Google and Yahoo may not be cutting it in the office, a recent survey shows.
A whopping 95 percent of professionals use Internet search engines to research information for work, according to a survey from Convera, but just two of five are satisfied with the results.
Twenty-one percent of professionals feel that search engines understand their queries, and only one in ten find exactly what they want on the first attempt.
On the second try, 90 percent will try the same search engine using a slightly different term, while 60 percent will try another popular search engine. More than half will turn to a topic-specific search engine.
Nearly 90 percent of professionals think that search engines developed by trade publications or professional organizations would yield more relevant content than popular consumer engines.
"Consumer search engines are designed around consumer needs," said Kurt Gastrock, Convera's chief operating officer. "As a result, they are not as productive as search engines tuned to specific professional communities."
Convera, a provider of search technologies, polled online 1,112 professionals in various industries in November.
TAKING STOCK: When reflecting on your personal growth during 2006 and deciding on resolutions for the new year, take time to consider your professional goals and achievements too, according to one expert.
"It's an ideal time to take a realistic look at where you are now, where you expect to be going forward, and how satisfied you are with both," said Doug Matthews, executive vice president of operations at Right Management, an outplacement company. "With the start of a new year, people like to make new beginnings, if necessary."
Matthews offers the following tips:
_ Your company's future: Perhaps you and your company are a great match. But if the company is flailing, future opportunities for career growth could be limited.
_ Your resume: If your skills aren't in demand or your professional knowledge isn't up to date, try doing some fine-tuning in the new year.
_ Your development: If your boss keeps challenging you with new responsibilities or often asks for your input, you may want to stay put and grow within the company. If not, look around.
_ Your likes and dislikes: Do you dread every workday? Do you think a different type of company is best for you? If yes, maybe it's time for a change.
IN THE HEADLINES: Who or what made the biggest publicity crash and burn in 2006? A hint: this computer maker took a turn as Big Brother.
According to PRWeek's Book of Lists 2006, Hewlett-Packard Co. committed the costliest public relations blunder when its chairman OK'd spying on company board members and journalists to locate leaks.
Not only did the scandal result in the ouster of Chairwoman Patricia Dunn, but it also launched the term "pretexting" into mainstream vernacular.
Rival computer manufacturer Dell Inc. followed on HP's heels with its exploding laptop fiasco. The story may have not made the list if not for the online video clip that circulated faster than the company's response to the incident.
"An important theme of 2006 is the huge changes taking place on the media landscape," said Julia Hood, PRWeek's editor in chief. "From Dell's exploding laptop to the sleeping Comcast repairman, citizen journalists and filmmakers are populating the Internet."
Vice President Dick Cheney and his hunting accident in February came in third.
Other PRWeek lists included the five brands that rocked (YouTube took No. 1), the 10 business events that caused a stir (the conclusion of the Enron saga topped the list), and the five terms you'd never want to hear again (Crackberry!).
