Today at Techie Youth, I learned about constructive questions to ask in order to get meaningful feedback from customers. The 10 great questions that Product Manager should ask customers are Why?, How do you do that today?, How do you know you've had a successful year/month/day?, How do you feel about your current solution?, What is the most frustrating thing about your current solution?, What do you wish you could do that you can't do today?, How would your day/job/task be different if you had this?, Can you give me an example?, If this were available today, would you buy/use it?, and Why would you recommend our solution to others? By asking "why" as a follow-up question, it can often extract a more enlightening response and get to the crux of their issue. For questions that ask how one feels, it is great to ask customers for a specific feature. You will be able to dig in to understand how they are accomplishing the job today. The third question is valuable to ask for business products where you are trying to uncover metrics and customer goals. Next, the question is good for understanding opportunities to differentiate your product from competitors. Open-ended questions can be used to open the conversation flow and to discover pain points. Questions that ask to provide examples are another great general purpose question that can give you a goldmine of supporting evidence for your new product or feature. Lastly, as shown above, some are questions are better suited for new product development, but most will work well for your ongoing feature validation and win-loss interviews. Sometimes, great questions aren't worth much unless you listen closely, read between the lines, and then ask deeper follow-up questions.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about product management. A product manager is responsible for guiding a product from idea to launch. This involves gathering feedback, choosing which features to develop and then guiding the team to execute them. The basics of what a product manager does are conducting research, developing strategy, communicating plans, coordinating development, acting on feedback, and data analysis. In addition, the key functions that a product manager focuses on are researching, setting product vision, communicating vision to stakeholders, developing strategic plan, creating and maintaining product roadmap. Product managers are also responsible for communicating product objectives and plans for the rest of the company. They must ensure everyone is working toward a shared organizational goal. To create a product strategy in 5 steps, you should talk with your prospects, develop a high level vision, define the product's goals, use those goals to guide the roadmap, and continuously review the product vision and strategy. The 6 key hard skills in product management are basic business competencies, basic product management knowledge, ruthless prioritization skills, proficiency in research and analysis, familiarity with economics, and knowledge of development principles. Lastly, the pros and cons of product management is that it improves communication with development and engineering teams, understanding tech trends and how they affect the roadmap, and subject matter expert on competitive analysis and technical challenges. However, sometimes it is only needed when PM team is large enough for specialization, risks becoming too specialized on technical solutions, and it can become extension of the development team.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about mastering job interviews and getting hired. Having a good interview will leave a lasting impression on the interviewers and put you near the top of the list for potential candidates to obtain the job. Some typical steps to being hired are to send in your resume and cover letter requesting the role and if that is successful, the company will schedule a time to interview you. Next, is to go through the interview and if that is successful, the company will provide you a job offer. It's typically a letter outlining your terms of employment, including salary and benefits. They will also often call you to discuss the offer. After that, you sign or acknowledge acceptance of the offer and fill out any other paperwork provided. You will then want to communicate with the company any necessary details that were not outlined. To add on to the steps above, some tips are to always accept the soonest date/time possible of an interview because the longer you wait to be interviewed, the greater the likelihood that they will interview someone else and give them the job. Also, keep a copy of everything that you signed when you accept the job, so you can always refer back to it. Never be embarrassed to ask questions about any uncertainties that are important to you. It is better to be prepared for an opportunity and not have one, than to have an opportunity and not be prepared. When negotiating your salary, it can get intimidating and risky of obtaining employment. There are differing opinions as to whether it is appropriate for a job seeker to discuss salary during the interview process. Lastly, I learned about 4 things employers look for when they google you. They are looking for a professional headshot, online portfolio, size of your digital footprint, and your character/behavior.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about many worksites for Virtual Assistant services. Some worksites that were brought to my attention are Zip Recruiter, Upwork, FlexJobs, and Wonder. Zip Recruiter is a top rated app and job search engine. It's simple, a 1-tap job application process, and has over 30 different job categories. It's also an American job marketplace and uses artificial intelligence to match job seekers with employers. You can expect to make $10-$20 per hour. Next is Upwork and it earns up to $34 per hour as a freelancer. You can get 10 free connects every month and 40 extra connects when you pass a test. Time tracks ensure you get paid, which is around $30-40 an hour once you build a reputation. Upwork is also an online freelancer marketplace that is similar to Freelancer.com in that freelancers create profiles and employers post remote jobs. FlexJobs is a job board that focuses on flexible work from home jobs. Companies from around the globe can post on FlexJobs. The portal also exhibits curated job posts from other platforms. Depending on the company that hires you, you can expect to earn an hourly rate of $10-$15 per hour as a beginner. However, you will need to pay a small fee to FlexJobs as part of your membership plan. Lastly, Wonder has no minimum cash out with flexible schedules. It's sometimes referred to as Ask Wonder and is a US based organization that hires VAs to work as researchers. The company was founded by its CEO and he serves anyone who needs online research.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about retrofitting electronic products. I learned that one of the problems with technology is that objects become outdated and what was once cutting edge very quickly becomes trash. These include the VCR, old non-digital cellphones, CRT TV sets, cassette players, landline telephones, low-resolution digital cameras, etc. Although these items appear useless, we can make a fun income channel procuring these items, either to restore/fix and sell as vintage, or to create something new and useful out of the obsolete technology. It is suggested to avoid paying anything significant for the donor item and procure discarded/given away objects offered in the free section on Craigslist, or to find very inexpensive products at garage sales and similar private outlets. I also learned about safety precautions when working with old technology. I learned that any device that is powered from "mains electric" that is plugged directly into the wall without using a step down transformer to reduce the voltage should never be operated with any electrical circuits or uninsulated wiring exposed. Electrocution is very serious and can be fatal. To avoid electrocution, always discharge large capacitors before touching them if they have previously been powered on in the last year. When soldering, make sure to work in a well ventilated area and always wash your hands with soap after handling lead solder to limit lead consumption. The tip of the soldering iron is obviously very hot and an iron stand is a highly recommended accessory to avoid accidental burns. Lastly, I learned how to utilize old devices. The steps are to plug it in and see if anything works, see if you can make profit from that item and estimate the repair costs to determine profit margin, consider taking the item apart to scavenge valuable components from it, attempt to run a safe amount of current through it to see if the component inside will operate, and remove all the broken interior components and repack some new working technology inside the old shell for a vintage look new item.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about pricing and inventory planning. I learned that to calculate the cost of a product, I should take note of the minimum price that I can afford to sell the product for and determine what other people are selling similar items for. If your product creation costs are significantly greater than the price range that the product sells for then competitors with mass production capabilities are dominating the market, so it's suggested to explore a different product idea. In addition, if your break even price point is close to the range that it sells for then there is not enough financial incentive to warrant creating this product. You will either need to cut costs or include additional benefits that will justify charging a premium. If your costs are also substantially lower than the range that it sells for then you have found a solid market. Some pricing tips I learned are to start with lower pricing to build traction, reviews, and trust. Once you have gained the follower base and proof of demand, you can increase your prices. If possible, I learned to try to have enough profit in each sale to pay for both the product and manufacturing of an additional product. I should also be sure to log and track sales. Lastly, it is always better to sell out of a product than to have extra unsold inventory.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about clothing, jewelry, fashion items, and wearable tech. Clothing and fashion is among the most common interests among people worldwide. The fundamentals of designing clothing are assembling a mental toolkit, dreaming up designs, drawing your designs on a croquis, sewing, and selling your work. I also learned about designing in CAD. CAD is an acronym for Computer Aided Design and it's a class of computer software that enables you to design objects in realistic scale. The resulting CAD designs can be used for visualizing ideas or to actually generate the object through methods such as CNC machining or 3D printing. Learning how to create objects with CAD is a very useful skill with many professional applications beyond creating objects and crafts. To begin, you will need a CAD software program and Tinkercad is relatively an easy CAD program to start with. The simplest way to produce the products that you design in CAD is through 3D printing, but you do not initially need to own a 3D printer. It's great for prototyping, but it's also not always efficient or practical for production. Plastic parts are commonly injection molded in production runs. Lastly, wearables are anything electronic that is meant to be worn as clothing, jewelry, or a clothing accessory. They fall into two categories - functional items that have a productive purpose and fashionable items that are primarily an aesthetic wardrobe add - on.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about creating and selling digital art. It has a relative low barrier to entry, so literally anyone can do it. It is not uncommon to discover art commissions and works for sale from artists who may have never taken an art class or have any skills with a traditional paintbrush. However, turning a profit does require a lot of dedication, skill, hard work, and also bit of luck as the competitions is enormous. Some methods to create digital art are computer based sketching, drawing, painting for a traditional style artwork created digitally, manipulating and retouching photos, collaging them together, adding filters, visual effects, tracing over an existing image and then coloring it, and video installations. If you are. wondering, the market for video installations is relatively tiny which makes it a less likely source of income. I also learned that when creating a digital print, you will always want to save your file as a lossless image, and send this to your buyer. Printing will add a cost along with having to ship the art, but it also enables earning much higher prices from the art that you sell. Lastly, an alternative income source is to create your digital art and then sell objects that has your art on them.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about robotic products. They are functional objects that can be interacted with physically and are powered by custom electronics and/or a programmable microcontroller. The basic fundamentals of electronic engineering is that it monitors various types of inputs and uses that information to determine what it should output. This most basic of inputs include pushing a button or turning a knob, or sensor for light, temperature or distance. The resulting outputs can include lighting up an LED, activating a motor to create movement, displaying something on a screen or generating a sound. I also learned how to start a robotics project. It may be best to start out with an idea that has already been done before, so that you can follow what they did and get a feel for how everything works. Once you become comfortable programming circuits, you can graduate on to more complex and original ideas. Next, you will need to purchase a programmable prototyping board, which depends on the complexity of your idea and your personal comfort with configuring a microcontroller board. Both Arduino and Raspberry Pi have cloned products that are substantially less expensive than the brand name versions, and often the clones work exactly the same. Electronic accessories that you are likely going to want are breadboard for testing, wires in various lengths, prototyping circuit boards, and soldering kit. In addition, some components to build your project include LEDs, Transistors, Switches, Buttons, Diodes, Display Boards, and Voltage transforming components. Soldering iron kits and electronic starter kits will contain most of these parts in a single kit and can be purchased for relatively low cost online. Lastly, Arduinos and Raspberry Pi's are great for low quantity projects, but are impractical to use for mass produced electronic.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about laser cut products. Laser cutting is a laser used to precisely cut out shapes from various materials. It can engrave or cut into all sorts of materials, cardstock being a common inexpensive material to start with. You can also use glue or adhesive to create 3D objects by using 2D laser cut parts, such as creating a cube from six squares. Laser cutters are very precise and detailed. They are ideal for smaller objects that have low manufacturing costs and sell for a premium such as earrings and small figurines. Before modeling in software, it is good to try to draw and cut out the design that you plan to make on a piece of paper or cardstock and glue it together. This will help you get a feel for the shapes that you want to make, where you want to cut and the size of everything once assembled. It is also important to determine in advance which laser cutting service you intend to use because the specifications for how to create the modeling file will change between services. An example is that if you plan to cut through Ponoko, then your model should not have anything filled in and use different color outlines for the areas that should be cut or engraved, and the files should be saved as an Adobe Illustrator Al, EPS, Inkscape SVG, or AutoCAD DXF file. I also learned how to get objects laser cut. I can do this by using online services like Ponoko and Sculpteo, buying your own laser cutter, or using a markerspace, which enables you to print things on shared equipment. Lastly, some software packages for laser cutting are Adobe Illustrator, AutoCad, Inkscape, LibreCad, and CorelDraw.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about 3D printed products. 3D printing has fixed per unit costs, so to make a profit you will need to be able to sell whatever objects that you make for more than your costs. Some considerations that I learned are that the least expensive things to print are one color, one piece, small, and plastic. These are also usually the quickest to print out. Printing is also expensive, so ideal products are those that command high prices, and have a high demand with low supply. Customizing products for an additional fee can be a profitable upsell and we should consider selling products that are already being sold. This will make it competitive of adding additional value, finding new markets to sell them, and competing on price. The last thing to consider is that with current technologies, 3D printing is notoriously error-prone, with a frequent occurrence of failed prints. So, it is important to plan and account for periodic failed prints that result in lost time and the cost of wasted printing consumables. I also learned how to create a 3D object. There are many software packages that can be used to create 3D objects, including TinkerCad, Blender, Autodesk Meshmixer, AutoCad by Autodesk, and Solidworks. TinkerCad is free, ease of use, and it works directly in your web browser. Blender is also free, used for art and game development in certain fields, and is ideal for curvy blobby shapes. Next is Autodesk Meshmixer, which is free, wacky, fun, very ease of use, and it gives you a block of clay to sculpt and mold. AutoCad by Autodesk, however, is costly with free trial, widely used, and has become the deficit standard for most technical drafting work to design everything from toys to planes, with both 2D and 3D functionality. Solidworks is also costly and some entrepreneurs may be eligible for a free limited term license. It is considered to be challenging to learn. To move on, I learned how to outsource 3D printing. It can be expensive, so you may need to sell the items at a premium and ship them directly to the customers from the printing company. Lastly, after successfully selling initial 3D printed items, I can become financially strategic to invest in buying my own 3D printed to reduce per unit printing costs.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned how to ship out products. I learned that for craft objects that are breakable, I should consider packing it within a box inside of a larger shipping box with padding in between, or very small durable items can be sent in a padded envelopes. It should also be sealed with air, bubble wrap and crumpled up craft paper, which are the most common padding materials. You can use crumpled up newspaper or any other material, but in doing so, it will look less professional if you are mailing an expensive item. It is recommended to not use foam packing peanuts with electronic items as the foam peanuts can carry a static charge that can short electronic components. Next, I learned to put a layer of packaging material at the bottom of the box to absorb impact when the box drops during shipping. After that, fill any empty space in the box with cushioning packaging material and make sure to pack the box tightly with minimal room for the item to move during transit. For art items, I learned that I should pack them in a larger envelope reinforced by two hard cardboard sheets, one on each side of the art to prevent the item from being bent. There are also mailing tubes that may be used for art that is larger and can safely be rolled up. Continually, I learned how to prepare a shipment. The steps are to fill out the weight and dimensions accurately, use a scale to measure the exact weight, and use a printer to print out the shipping label. Lastly, it's time to send the shipment out. Sending the shipment varies by your region of the world, but for North America, the main shipment services are the US Postal Service, UPS, and Fedex.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned where I can sell my product. I learned that the two basic channels for selling products is in online marketplaces or on my own individual website. It is also common to do both. Some marketplaces such as eBay and Etsy are usually the easiest starting option, especially when you have limited starting resources and only a small quantity of products. These websites also have the huge advantage of an existing customer base, but your product will also be listed alongside many other items so your product needs to have differentiating characteristics. Some pros of marketplaces are that it's little to no start up costs, instant audiences of potential customers, paying for ads or visibility is often unnecessary, and no technological effort or responsibility. The cons are that it's a built in competition, profit is shared with the marketplace, not customizable, and customer experience is favored over merchant satisfaction. eBay is an enormous customer base. The seller fees are a percentage of the selling price; no cost if your item does not sell. It also requires accepting payment through Paypal, which adds payment processing fees. Etsy's seller fees are a small listing fee plus a percentage of the selling price on any item that you sell, plus payment processing fees. It's a large user base specifically for crafty, DIY communities, and connects directly to your bank account. Lastly the pros and cons of selling from your own website is that you have the maximum control, but will also have the added challenge of driving customers to your store.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about setting up virtual meetings as a virtual assistant. Virtual meetings are imperative in facilitating proper communication between you and your employee. As virtual meetings are becoming more and more popular, the number of meeting platforms have increased. The 10 best video meeting apps are Zoom, Skype, Slack, BigBlueButton, BlueJeans, Whereby, GoToMeeting, Cisco WebEx, Google Meet, and Blackboard Collaborate. Google Hangouts is linked to your Gmail account, which makes it convenient and accessible. Skype is also well known for being a reliable and easy to navigate as a video conferencing platform. Good virtual meetings require preparation to ensure that the background, lighting, appearance, and audio quality are to its satisfactory. I also learned about data entry. Data entry encompasses different job titles, but all roles typically involve inputting data into a company's system from written or audio files. Most legitimate companies hiring for this type of work will hire people as independent contractors snd not full-time employees. Skills that are useful for data entry work include proficient typing skills, computer skills and a knowledge of relevant software packages, basic literary and numeracy skills, good communications skills, both written and verbal. Many companies have a lot of data to manage, so data entry is a good skill to have. However, data entry jobs are frequently the bait for work at home scams, so be sure to research these opportunities carefully. You should never need to pay for kits or software in order to perform this role. Lastly, if a company asks you for a fee for anything before you begin work, then it is a scam.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about the proficiency with productivity apps, which is an expected skill for virtual assistants. Some of the productivity apps include google sheets, google docs, google slides, gmail, and google drive. Google Sheets is great for organizing, analyzing, viewing data of any kind, managing accounting and numerical calculations. It's also free and similar to Microsoft Excel. Next, Google Docs is ideal for any writing assignment or collaborative essay. It is a free alternative to Microsoft Word and it allows many users to share, collaborate ideas, edits, and suggestions. Google Slides enables the creation of presentations. It is also free and equipped with a multitude of elegant presentation designs. It gives users a professional and useful platform to create presentations. In addition, the Gmail email platform allows users to create an email address and send emails, but it is loaded with more advanced features. As a virtual assistant, it is important to adopt a professional writing style in your emails. Google Drive is an online cloud storage where all your Google documents get stored. It allows users to easily share these documents with others as well as organize all the documents. It also includes many beneficial tools that we can learn to use efficiently. Lastly, it is also a common task to manage social media for companies as a virtual assistant. There are many social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Youtube.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned what a virtual assistant does and how I can become one. A virtual assistant handles clerical concerning day to day administrative duties, and should be technically savvy having experience with a variety of SaaS products like G-Suite, Facebook, LinkedIn, Salesforce and Zoom. It should also be able to deliver high quality work under minimum supervision. Virtual assistants may also work remotely, often from a home office. They may get paid an hourly rate or a fixed fee per week/month. The responsibilities of a virtual assistant are to respond to emails and phone calls, schedule meetings, book travel accommodations, manage a contact list, prepare customer spreadsheets and keep online records, organize manager's calendars, perform market research, create presentations, address employees administrative queries, and provide customer service as first point of contact. Some tasks that a Virtual Assistant can do are calendar management, email and contact management, communications, phone tasks, business development, and personal errands. I also learned some websites that hire virtual assistants such as Time etc, Smith.ai, Delegated, 24/7 Virtual Assistant, Zirtual, Profit Factory, Assistant Merch, Wonder, NS Virtual Services, Vicky, Rock Solid, and Fancy Hands. Lastly, when people are trying to hire virtual assistant, they typically expect to see examples of your talents and previous experience; having a website that demonstrate those skills.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about online modeling. Models typically have the role of promoting, displaying and advertising commercial products like clothing, but they may also take on other roles such as posing as a photographer's subject. Modeling work can also be performed remotely by shooting your own photos and videos, but it's more common that its done in person. Modeling depends on the natural beauty, talent, and photograph posing. It's a very competitive field, so if you were to do modeling remotely, it would be very challenging to obtain work. I also learned that it's important to know that a reputable modeling agency will never ask you to pay for photography or portfolio submission. Moving forward, there are many types of modeling that one can do. This includes promotional modeling, lifestyles models, fashion modeling, hand models, and commercial actors. Lastly, I learned how to build an online portfolio of photographs and techniques to gain publicity on social media. The steps to build an online modeling portfolio are to decide on your modeling type, arrange a professional photoshoot, show your versatility, choose the ultimate template, present your best shots, include high quality images, use diverse media, share all the vital information, add a contact section, stay social, and get personal with a blog. To add on, some techniques to gain publicity on social media are to include a description, cover picture, posts, get fans/friends, what and when to post, and facebook groups.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned how to sell art online. Selling art online can be a profitable endeavor, both if you are an artist seeking to sell your own work or if you are simply an admirer of art who wants to make a business of selling other people's work. Some steps that I learned to take when selling my art online are to decide what medium of art to sell, decide to sell originals or reproductions, choose a printer, build a brand, set prices, setup your online store, apply for exhibitions, pop ups, and events, work with galleries, market your art, and package your art. I also learned that I may run into art scams. Art scams are ways to exploit an artist who is eager to succeed and may be convinced that the scammer is sincerely offering a useful service or purchase. I learned that it's important to have my pricing the same on every platform and that I should maintain my own inventory spreadsheet, so that I have a thorough overview of what artworks are being listed on each site and that I don't risk selling the same original artwork twice or overselling inventory. During my research of analyzing what platforms fits best for my art practice, I noticed that many people used social media like Instagram to share their art and in order to gain recognition/increase popularity. I also learned many tips and strategies on getting started. For example, I learned how to make artworks that will draw people to want to buy it, what platforms would be easy for the buyers to see, the different ways to get my work seen by potential employers, packaging, printing, etc. Lastly, many videos of current and professional artists walked me through their experience and a step by step guidance to sell art online.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about online ad campaign management. An ad campaign is a set of advertisements that revolve around a single message and are intended to achieve a particular goal. Campaign management involves identifying the strategies you will use to support your business goals, then designing, planning, testing and monitoring the advertising campaign. You will also have to analyze the results along the way. Some tasks to manage online ad campaigns include knowing your audience, tracking ad efficiency, identifying the right locations, and advertising mediums. To add on, I was taught step by step on how to set up my own facebook ad campaigns. The Facebook Ads Manager is where I will go to create and manage my ad campaigns. I will use it to set up facebook ad campaigns, create new ad sets and ads, manage Facebook ad bids, target many different audiences, optimize my ad campaigns, and keep track of my campaigns performance. It will be very helpful in understanding the Ads manager's ins and outs because it will be the key to getting the most out of your Facebook advertising dollars. If you don't already know, the Ads manager is where you create and coordinate your ad campaigns. Some of the basic parts of the Ads manager are the main navigation menu, create new ad campaigns, campaign view, ad set view, ads view, columns, campaign breakdown, and the data field. Once you are comfortable with understanding the Ads manager, the next step is to choose the right objective. This is a very important decision when crafting your ad campaign.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about building portfolios and how to gather content. A portfolio or editing reel showcases your best work and gives people a sense of what you're like professionally. However, in order to have a portfolio, you need to have content and previous works to include in the portfolio. You can get started by gathering clients and showing them your portfolio. You may also have to offer your editing services for free or at a very low price in exchange for the experience and use of their projects in your portfolio. From all the videos that I've watched, many mentioned that portfolios or editing reels can help clients get a better sense of your skills and increase your chances of getting hired. It also suggested many sites to use to make portfolios, which I found really easy to use and relatively affordable. These sites are Wix and SquareSpace. Lastly, I learned that I can also have an editing reel that is a compilation of all the highlights of my work to show clients my content in a very quick and smooth way.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned about online tutoring and the money that one can earn from that career. Tutoring online can be a good source of income and experience. You can earn money from helping students gain skills and knowledge in a more personalized way than in traditional classrooms. The role of an online tutor provides flexibility too. You'll be able to set up a class schedule with students and meet as often that you decide. This also includes setting it up during zoom or any other online source. Some tutoring ranges from $10 to $40+ (USD) an hour and up to $100/hour for a specialized tutor with certification. Rates will also vary depending on whether this is one on one tutoring, where students may pay more for individual attention, and what level of experience you have teaching, or how much knowledge you have about the skill or subject that you are teaching. You may be wondering how to start or where to begin. You can begin by teaching a subject and it can help to gain a certification in that topic. Some certifications are TESL, TEFL, and TESO which are proofs of your fluency. These certifications take around 120 hours to obtain, which is typically 3 to 10 weeks depending on amount of free time, and can be done online. As I mentioned before, zoom is an application that enables video, telephone and online chat communications. It is free to sign up and download. Zoom also enables the creation of a learning environment with students that includes face to face communications while sharing a whiteboard or website.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned what and how to sell stock photographs, videos, and audios. Stock photographs and stock video footage are professional-grade media that have usage rights sold to whomever wants them in their project. The medias can be anything as long as someone is interested in buying the usage right. In addition, common stock images are of popular landmarks, nature, events, activities, and people. The photographer or author of a stock photo or video makes it available for licensing and it's usually through a stock photo/video website. After that, the people pay a fee to get the right to use the media in their projects. However, I learned that it is very important to be aware of copyright laws to avoid unnecessary issues. I also learned some resources that I can use to sell stock photographs, videos, and audios. This includes Shutterstock, Dreamstime, EyeEm Market, Pond5, Alemy, Stockimo by Alamy, Foap, ACX, and Artlist. The ones that I find interesting and helpful are Shutterstock and Dreamstime. Shutterstock is among the largest stock photo distributors where we can earn extra money when we refer someone to join as a photographer or customer. It also has an app to simplify uploading photos from a mobile device. Dreamstime, on the other hand, enables you to sell your images, illustrations, audio clips, animations, video clips, and more. They also pay a small amount when each of the media files are accepted onto the site and then offer a revenue share whenever someone buys your content from them.
Today at Techie Youth, I continued to learn how to video edit including softwares and tips that I can use. I learned that video editing doesn't only have to use editing softwares, but also templates, stock images, and audio clips that are specific to projects. Many softwares that I have seen are quite expensive. This includes the Adobe Premiere Pro, DaVinci Resolve Studio, and Final Cut Bro. All of these softwares can also be used on Macs, which I found to be great because I currently own a Macbook Air Laptop. Since, some softwares were very pricey, I learned some popular free editing softwares that I can use instead such as Hitfilm Express, VSDC, Lightworks, Shotcut, and DaVinci Resolve. Lastly, I watched many videos where current video editors gave a step by step guide teaching what and how to video edit. They were very helpful.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned what and how to video edit. A video editor's job is to communicate a story or message by combining video clips and audio together. Video editing can also be done remotely at home on your own schedule. Money will be given for creative work and it pays well as a side job. I also learned the difference between a freelancer and staff video editor. A freelancer negotiates hours, picks their own projects, can be less experienced to start working, and has inconsistent source of income. A staff has steady income, assignments, opportunity to learn from coworkers, fixed pay/hours, and are harder to get a job with no established portfolio. Contents that video editors would edit are films, documentaries, commercials, youtube, and personal projects. The purpose of video editing is to combine images and sounds in a way that helps the brain create meaning in order to capture a feeling or tell a story. Some steps I learned to take to video edit are to craft a killer script, choose the right color combination, use high quality images, get the sound right, format videos like a pro, market videos, and bring it all together.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned how to find a positive role model and mentor who would benefit me. To start off, I learned how important it is to have someone to look up to during our education and career journey. In doing so, it is beneficial not only in the short-term, but also with long-term inspiration and motivation. Some main quantities to consider while identifying role models are inspirational and positive ethics. I also learned that complimenting role models that offer to teach or give help, advice, and support to those less experienced are mentors. However, for a mentorship to be successful and beneficial, the mentor and mentee must form a personal connection and be able to openly discuss topics of significance. To find a mentor and maintain a beneficial relationship with someone who agreed to mentor you in the long term, I learned that I should know my goals that are both short and long term. I should also know who I look up to by doing research and recognizing the difference between a mentor and sponsor. After this, I should have an elevator pitch ready to make the ask to be my mentor. I should also mention what I like about the person's work and if its an email, I should make my subject line compelling, reference something specific, ask for what I want nicely, and most importantly say thank you in the end for taking the time. Having a mentor will also require time and effort on my part, which includes not being afraid to ask questions, being open-minded, willing to not only share my experience, but also listen to my mentor stories and advice. Lastly, I should also respect their time by always coming to scheduled meetings prepared on time.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned what and how I can time manage effectively. Time management is the ability to use one’s time productively. Some of the most important time management skills are organization, prioritization, goal-setting, communication, planning, and stress management. However, the key factors in managing your time effectively are organization and planning. Steps that I learned to take are firstly know how to spend your time and set priorities. Next, use planning tools, get organized, and set your time appropriately. After this, it is best to get help from others, stop procrastinating, and manage external time wasters. Lastly, the final steps are avoid multitasking and stay healthy. Overall, having the ability to time manage will help achieve goals.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned how to properly network with people. I learned that in order to network successfully, I should be genuine and helpful with the goal of making meaningful connections. I learned to constantly network and engage others genuinely. In doing so, it will build relationships. I also learned to follow up with my network regularly and keep in touch. Instead of rejecting a connection because of status, I learned that I should add connections regardless of their title. Lastly, I learned that I should also meet up at gatherings or events.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned how to write a simple and good resume to show companies that I’m right for the job. I learned that in order to write a good resume, I should keep it short and only list key points that will grab the interviewers attention. Keep the points or events relevant and recent in chronological order. Include experiences and skills to show off, but making sure I don’t include my weaknesses. For an interview, I learned that I should dress appropriately with neutral colors and be prepared to answer interview questions. I should know my weaknesses and strengths. I should also talk clearly and confidently to engage the interviewer.
Today at Techie Youth, I learned that in order to be a great leader, I have to be confident in myself and know what I want to do/how to begin. Also, do things that I'm passionate about and making sure I can take charge without fear of peoples judgement. However, I should be able to manage my time and be able to use what I earn responsibly. There are many things we can do remotely, but it is up to us how we want to take action. There are also many benefits and downfalls to working remotely, including people with different time zones, internet issues, commutes, etc. It is also important to work with someone that share the same interests and ethics, so it can build more strength to reach the same goal together.