David Sheeks

I'm taking a small deviation from the current series on employment to show you guys a little trick I've recently come across for Windows 7.  By creating one little desktop folder, you can unlock a "god mode" for your Windows 7 PC.  Special thanks to Doug for the tip. Now this tool doesn't give you any extra power than you already had.  Instead it's all about convenience.  It takes every control panel option and variation and puts them in a categorized list.  No need to sit there thinking, "Now where the heck did Microsoft hide the settings for that program in *this* version of windows?"  Simply double click your god mode icon, and save yourself a LOT of time. To activate this feature for windows: Create a new folder. It can be placed anywhere, but we used the desktop for the sake of convenience. Name the folder "GodMode.{ED7BA470-8E54-465E-825C-99712043E01C}" (without quotes) Hit enter. The folder should now look something like th

The next article in my current series on employment is all about organization.  When you want a job in the professional field, you may be applying to a dozen or more positions.  While it may be easy at first, keeping track of all those employers can eventually get overwhelming, especially if your job search drones on in the slow market. To increase productivity and prevent lost time, consider an employment worksheet.  It doesn't have to be anything special, just an organized spreadsheet to keep track of who you applied to, when you applied, what info you sent, and whether or not they have contacted you back. As you can see, it isn't an overly complicated document. But it helps you keep track of the people you have contacted, and can avoid an embarrassing situation (such as you emailing your resume to the same person multiple times because you forgot who you had already contacted).  It only takes a few minutes to set up a job search worksheet, and the benefit can really pa

A vast percentage of laptops produced today are based on the Intel 945 chipset.  If your laptop uses a GMA900 or 950 graphics accelerator (hint: if your laptop says Pentium, Celeron, or Intel anywhere on it, and you didn't shell out an extra $200 or so for upgraded graphics, it probably does), you absolutely need to get the GMA Booster program. What is GMA booster?  Put simply, it changes the clock speed of your graphics processor in your laptop. It isn't "overclocking," it is making it run at the speed it is built for.  The Intel 9xx chipset underclocks its graphics processor to 166mhz, while it is natively built to run at 400mhz.  The general idea is to squeeze every bit of battery life out of your laptop as possible, but this two to three percent power change sucks more than half of your graphics ability. To put it more simply, imagine if you had a brand new Mustang, but could only run it in first gear.  Anyone who saw you would think, "Wow, that isn't

As I will be getting back into the job market in the next couple weeks (after I graduate on May 7th), I decided it would be a good idea to post a few tips and tricks for those wanting to become more relevant in the job market.  Today, I am focusing on certifications. In the IT industry, certifications often require no specific education, and can be obtained by anyone from high-schoolers to college graduates.  Instead of requiring attendance at an institute of higher learning, applicants must generally pass a difficult examination to become certified. Recently I acquired my COMPTIA A+ certification.  This particular certification requires one to take two tests (the 220-701 Essentials and the 220-702 Practical Examination).  A score of 675 or higher on the first test and 700 or higher on the second merits certification through COMPTIA. While being able to pass these tests comes easy for some who have worked in the field for years, not all of us have such an advantage.  I have found a

Have my blogs helped you in the past?  I'm planning a "Feedback" section to go on the side of my Sheeks.net website.  References would be short and to the point, and include your name as you'd like it printed as well as your location if you are okay with that.  For example: David's information was extremely helpful; I'll definitely go to him again for my technology needs. -John Doe, Richmond, KY. Just send me a message via the comment box or on my Facebook (if you are on it) and help me out!