You know, given the current state of the job market in several countries around the world, particularly the United States, Canada and Australia, it seems a little odd that people keep touting ways to put others out of work. Yes, working with others can be trying at times, but there are just some things that people can do that technology can’t.
Still, if you can’t afford to hire a personal assistant or keep the one you have already, here are some helpful apps for you to consider:
Evernote: Now, this is a cool app. It’s free, so it’s definitely a money saver. Even if you choose to create a premium account, it’s only $5 a month or $45 for a whole year. What makes Evernote so cool is what you can do with it. You can use it to organize and track the progress of any project. If you need to work with Word or Excel, you’ll need to have a premium account. You can store photos and scanned documents and even add information that you copied from websites into your project file.
ReQall: This free app is available on iTunes. With it you can schedule meetings, lunch dates, whatever, then setup alerts so that you never forget where you’re supposed to be or when you’re supposed to be there. You’ll never forget your anniversary, children’s birthdays or friends’ weddings. If you have a great idea and want to jot it down before you have a chance to forget, you can save your idea in ReQall via either voice or text. If you’re one of those people who can’t live without a to-do list, you can save that in ReQall, too, and check off each task as you complete it.
CardMunch: Created by LinkedIn, this free app is great for people who collect business cards the way kids used to collect baseball cards. Available in Apples app store, CardMunch allows you to save screen shots of business cards and organize them into an address book of sorts. I guess this eliminates the need to call a personal assistant and have her look up a name for you in the Rolodex. On the other hand, you can more easily gather contact information from the people you meet at conferences or trade shows and never have to worry about losing anyone’s business card because it’s already stored in your phone.
Remember the Milk: Similar to ReQall, this free app allows you to create and complete to-do lists while you’re out and about. It also helps you keep track of appointments and important events. With Remember the Milk, you’ll never have to worry about forgetting an important meeting with a client or a special night out with your significant other. You can sync with the online service, which ensures that your tasks are safely backed up, in case your smart phone should get lost or stolen.
For busy professionals who need but can’t afford to hire a personal assistant, these apps are great. But no matter how efficiently they help you organize your life, there’s much to be said for human social interaction.
