9 Pieces of Career Advice We Wish Wed Had Sooner

9 Pieces of Career Advice We Wish Wed Had Sooner9 Pieces of Career Advice We Wish Wed Had SoonerEver wished you could go back and talk to your younger, 20-something self? You know, the one who welches just abfluging out and could have used some sound career advice- or at least a bit of reassurance that you were doing the right thing?While you cant go back in a time, you can pay it forward. Hindsight is 20/20- and some of the best insights come from past experiences.Thats why we asked well-established professionals across the country to share their career lessons learned, everything from wishing theyd saved mora of their paychecks to taking the plunge with a riskier job- and, of course, what they didnt know then that theyd pass on to their younger selves now.1. Weigh That Career Growth Opportunity CarefullyI was six months into my first job out of college in the mortgage industry and flourishing. I was making great money while living in Dallas, and before long, I was offered an opport unity to join the New York branch. On paper, it seemed like a great chance for growth and it included a healthy raise. I was so excited that I didnt ask the questions necessary to understand if the opportunity was a fit for me and where I was professionally.By the time I reached New York, that $8,000 raise all but disappeared, and based on the cost of living, I was actually making less money. From a cultural perspective, I traded a nurturing environment full of seasoned professionals who were invested in my professional success for a bottom-line-driven environment full of young sharks trying to make their mark.I learned its important to carefully evaluate every growth opportunity against your skills, values, and personal opportunity cost. Sometimes when opportunity knocks, we have to look through the peephole before we answer.- Brian Lawrence, 32, career counselor, St. Louis2. Start Saving Your Pay as Soon as PossibleLike most young professionals, I heard this message but thought, I m young and still have time, and instead told myself I would start saving consistently when I earned more or finished paying for this or that.In retrospect, I should have saved 10% to 15% of every paycheck. Im actually a very frugal person, but frugality doesnt necessarily equate to money in the bank if youre not actually putting it there. I could have saved thousands upon thousands of dollars by now at age 35- Chaz Pitts-Kyser, 35, author of Careeranista The Womans Guide to Success After College, Alexandria, VA3. Acknowledge When its Not a Good Career MatchWhen I was in my 20s and working at my second job out of college, I realized three months in that it wasnt the right place for me. But when I was offered a great opportunity to move from the Bay Area to Boston for another opportunity that I was excited about, I decided to stay at my current job because I thought leaving would make my resume look flaky or non-committed.My advice to my younger self? If a job really isnt working out , find something new and change. Life is too short. Its the random experiences that make life exciting and will lead to new opportunities.- Jennifer Hill, 38, cofounder of Sixty Vocab, Hoboken, NJ4. Always Dress With Success in MindI started my first geschftlicher umgang, specializing in entertainment for weddings, out of my college dorm. I was setting up meetings with my clients at McDonalds because I didnt have an office, and I also dressed like a typical student- less than professional. I didnt understand why I wasnt getting any business, even though I was one of the best DJs in town.Then a mentor suggested I lose the college attire, and meet clients in a more professional setting. To my surprise, my business started booming I booked over 4,000 events per year before I sold the business. I have since launched nine successful companies- and I am forever grateful to that mentor.- Clay Clark, 33, CEO of Thrive15, Tulsa, OK5. Job-Hop mora ThoughtfullyThe biggest mistake I ever made w as grinding through my 20s thinking that a job would ever make me feel wealthy. Ive worked several horrible jobs, including selling timeshares at a resort and corporate real estate jobs that were absolutely soul-sucking. However, they did serve a purpose in my journey to doing what I ultimately desired to do write books, mentor people, and speak on the topic of personal development.If you feel stuck or are growing resentful of your work situation, the solution isnt to simply quit your job and find another one. Suck it up for a little bit longer, and research what it is you actually want to do. Once youve identified your dream situation, begin working toward that end result- while financing it through your existing job.- Brenden Dilley, 32, self-help author and life coach, Phoenix6. Its Okay to Follow Your GutI started my first successful business when I was a junior in college with my roommate. We were driven and passionate about our idea, but we hadnt finished our undergraduate deg rees, so we were working with advisers who were older and all held MBAs.What I should have known was that no amount of education would replace the insight my friend and I had into our business because it was our business. But I was young and lacked confidence, so I was too often swayed from my common sense by people who I assumed were smarter because of their degrees. Ive since learned to trust my instincts because theyve proven more valuable than an MBA ever could.- Sara Sutton Fell, 40, CEO of FlexJobs, Boulder, CO7. Dont Force Yourself Into a Bad Career MoveOne of the biggest mistakes I made was allowing an employer to decide my career direction. I really liked the company that I worked for, but there were only two possible mid-level positions that I could be promoted to. Instead of taking the leap to look for more fulfilling work elsewhere, I convinced myself to squeeze my talents into one of the positions.After a few months, I realized that I had made the wrong decision- and I had to change jobs almost immediately after the promotion. I could have saved myself and the company time and money if I had been honest with myself.- LaTisha Styles, 31, investment analyst, Atlanta8. Never Sell Yourself ShortI went to a state university and majored in economics, and my GPA wasnt the best. Because of that, none of the major financial companies would take a second look at my resume. When I was just entering the job market, I assumed the candidates with high GPAs who got the high-paying jobs were smarter than me- and I convinced myself that I should be satisfied with getting any job out of college.It was a big career mistake, because I then limited myself to the types of jobs I pursued, effectively accepting lower salaries and doing double the amount of work as those who were making more than me.- Yi Wang, 30, financial consultant, Westchester, NY9. Success Isnt Just Found in the Big PondAs a new college graduate, I chased the money and the title, partially because I thought that it was proof of success- and because my student loans werent going to pay themselves. Over the next 10 years, my income grew, the bonuses were bigger, my title was more superior, and my work was more fulfilling. However, with all of that came a tremendous amount of stress and worry about succeeding at the next level.Then I started a family and my view shifted. I previously commuted over an hour each way, so I could have the better salary and opportunity with a larger company. I was on track for senior-level management, but I saw my family less and less. Earlier this year, I came to the end of my rope.Recently, I accepted a position with a smaller company, just 10 minutes from my home. The salary is less, the company is smaller, and there is no race to the top because I am already there. The stress is less, and I am truly happy with my decision to make this fundamental change. Now I just wish I had done it sooner.- Michelle Brammer, 33, marketing and PR manager for an ad vertising firm, Middletown, DEMore From LearnVestDo You Have What it Takes to Be a Wide Achiever?3 Ways to Tell You Need a Career ChangeHow Much of My Paycheck Should I Save Each Month?Photo of two women in meeting courtesy of Shutterstock.

Quiz Is Your Resume Under-Formatted

Quiz Is Your Resume Under-FormattedQuiz Is Your Resume Under-Formatted10 ways to tell if your resume is lacking the visual cues recruiters look for.Design matters. Yes, even on a resume. And the way to design a Word document is to use formatting cues to guide the readers eyes. Here are some ideas on how to consider (or reconsider) what your resume looks like.1. Where do you place your contact information?A. I departure my resume with it at the top of every page.B. I place it in the footer so its the last thing they remember.C. I only place it in the body of my e -mail to create a layer of privacy.2. How does the resume begin?A. I start the resume with an objective that indicates what I want to do next in my career.B. I start with a headline so readers know what I have to offer - something like Global Sales Manager.C. I just start the resume with information on my most recent job. That is what people want to know about.3. How dense are the paragraphs describing your job duties?A. I o nly use bullets, no paragraphs.B. The work I have done is complicated to describe, so I typically write a paragraph with eight to 10 lines.C. I keep the paragraphs to four to five lines for easy reading.4. Do you have too many bullets?A. I have lots of career accomplishments, and I understand bullets are the best way to highlight these.B. I typically use between four and six bullets under each section.C. I dont like to use bullets because I would rather just include the information in general text.5. How big are your fonts? A. I typically use a 10-point font for the text (or an 11-point font for Times New Roman). I might use a bigger font for my name or section heading.B. I have a lot of information to include, so I use a font that is smaller than 10 points so I can get it all in.C. I use a 12-point font so it is easy to read.6. How wide are your margins for white space?A. One-quarter to one-half inch I have a lot of information to include so I dont have a lot of space for wide marg ins.B. Whatever the default is I dont know how to adjust the margins to properly create a two-page or a three-page resume.C. One-half to one inch I know I need white space, so I make my margins wide.7. How are you using text in bold, underlined or italics?A. I never use these because I think they make the resume look too busy.B. I strategically use all of these to highlight the things I think are most important on the resume.C. I pick one of these formatting designs and use for all of the things I want to highlight.8. How are your technical skills presented?A. I only include technical skills in which I have recent experience and that I can use right away.B. I show all of my skills so it is clear that I have a long history of technical knowledge.C. I put this information at the top of the resume because these are skills I use all the time.9. How is community leadership included?A. I am most active in my church so I include that full information.B. I used to be active, but not recentl y, but I will mucksmuschenstill include the information.C. I will only include activities that show real leadership, commitment or use of business skills.10. How do you format older work that is still pertinent?A. I include full information of my work history so people understand everything I have done.B. I have to include older work because some of my best career accomplishments happened earlier.C. My most recent jobs have the most information, and the details become less important for the older jobs.Answers1 A. The person who is reading your resume is also reading others. Dont take a chance that they will get mixed up.2 B. The reader needs to understand right away what you can do for them. This can be challenging if you have skills and experience in more than one area. An effective resume is focused.3 C. People tune out when there is too much text in a paragraph. The challenge is to get a clear summary of what you have done in just a few sentences. It is called tight writing.4 B. If too many bullets are used, they lose their original purpose to highlight specific facets of your professional background. Dont mix duties and accomplishments with the bullets.5 A. Choose font sizes carefully so the resume looks clean. A 10-point font is standard. If the font is smaller than that, it becomes difficult to read. A larger font does not give a very executive look.6 C. Margins should be tischset up so the format makes optimal use of the space. (For those who answered with B, heres how to adjust margins In Microsoft Word, go to File, then to Page Setup. It will give you options for changing top, bottom, left and right margins. If the top and bottom margins are too small, you take a chance of printed text slipping off the page.)7 C. Design elements can strategically highlight certain words. You might bold and/or italicize your job titles so they stand out, such as Controller. Or it might be better to highlight your industry experience with Citibank, Wells Fargo an d Bank of America. When using these enhancements, less is more.8 A. Your next employer only cares about current technical skills. If you have expert-level skills you can include Advanced Excel or Oracle Financial Module Power User. IT skills typically go to the bottom of the resume. If you are an IT executive, you will be hired because of your management skills, not your IT knowledge.9 C. Many people take on leadership roles such as member of a board of directors for a community organization. Leadership is more important than membership. Include these roles if they are current or recent. Do not include the actual name of your church or temple that information is actually illegal for a recruiter to keep on a resume.10 C. Employers are most interested in your recent work experience. That information should be written in the most detail for your current job, then less detailed for older jobs. Sometimes it is appropriate just to show the company name and job title (without dates) as the foundation of your career. If some of notable career accomplishments occurred earlier in your career, you can include them under Selected Career Accomplishments on the first page.The most important part of developing a resume is to determine a writing strategy that matches how you want to be perceived. Make sure the content of the resume positions you properly, and then take time to focus on the formatting. Its the best way to tie everything together.

7 Reasons You Arent Getting Promoted

7 Reasons You Arent Getting Promoted7 Reasons You Arent Getting PromotedGetting the news that youve been passed over for promotion can be disheartening. And the follow-up discussion with your babo- the one that should help you understand why youve been passed over- more often than not just leaves you with a bruised ego and no idea what to do next.The fact is, your boss is probably just as uncomfortable delivering bad news as you are with receiving it. (Ive found that most supervisors actually expend a lot of energy actively dreading unterstellung exchanges.) Is it really any mystery, then, why we walk away from being passed up with no clue why the decision didnt go the other way?To get some insight, I interviewed 20 of my favorite executives to find out why so many up-and-comers were finding themselves part-way-and-stuck. Straight from their (anonymous) mouths, heres what bosses are trying to tell us in those less-than-fun meetings.1. You Lack the Skills Necessary to do the JobJulie is very efficient and effective in the completion of her daily tasks. The position she was hoping to get, however, requires strong analytical skills she doesnt have.One of the most common misconceptions employees have about promotion decisions is that theyre based solely on performance in their current role. While thats certainly a consideration, success in one area doesnt always translate to success in another. For instance, someone who excels at data entry may need additional education or training to become a data analyst, a job that requires strategic thinking and schwierigkeit solving abilities.The secret to getting ahead? Become familiar with the requirements of the job you want, and determine what skills you need to improve upon if youre going to succeed in it. Then, talk to your boss. Let her know youre interested in moving up, and ask for her advice on how to get there.2. You Lack the Soft Skills Necessary to do the JobPam is extremely accomplished, technically. Before we ca n promote her, though, wed like for her to spend some time developing her leadership and teamwork skills.Heres something else The Powers That Be (TPTB) dont tell you up front behauptung skills arent always technical. Particularly if youre moving up to management, youll need to have mastered some soft skills- like conflict negotiation, diplomacy, and business communication- and coming up short might very well be a deal breaker.Develop the soft skills youll need to succeed in the job you want, then highlight them through your involvement in programs that are important (and visible) to TBTP. Perhaps you can become an informal mentor to a newer employee, or volunteer to lead a presentation or training. Whichever method you choose, youll be signaling to your boss that youre ready for management.3. You Dont Take FeedbackIve really tried to develop Mary, to get her ready for a promotion. But she gets very defensive when I give her constructive feedback. I feel like she spends more time try ing to prove me wrong than she does trying to improve.I doubt there is a woman among us that hasnt struggled to keep her composure when receiving constructive criticism. But remember- feedback is not always a bad thing. Is it possible that your boss has some valid points? Shes telling you how to improve your performance- and this is good information to have when youre gunning for a promotion.When you receive feedback, whether in your review or in the hallway, resist the urge to defend yourself. Try to take it in and see what you can learn from it, instead.4. You Lack ProfessionalismWhat frustrates me more than anything else is employees who are consistently negative about the company. What they dont understand is, the things they say- they get back to us. Why would we promote anyone who behaves like that?Its not unreasonable to expect that, as you move up the career ladder, youll begin to conduct yourself more professionally- and not just when the boss is looking. This came up sever al times in different contexts- from an inability to maintain confidentiality to participation in office gossip- and was identified by executives as the most difficult challenge for employees to overcome.This may seem obvious, but how you behave in the company of co-workers is just as important, if not more so, as how you behave around management. For example, you can and should identify problems within your department and company, but you should not pontificate about those problems in the break room- which gives the impression that youre looking for an audience, instead of a solution.5. You Dont Take aktionJennifer is quick to recognize areas that could use improvement, but we cant get her to go beyond lodging the complaint. Wed really like to see her take the initiative to come up with solutions, not just expect everything to be fixed by management.Becoming a problem solver shows that you care- not only about your own career, but about the long-term health of the business as well. Dont just document the problems you see, analyze the issues and find ways to get involved in developing the solutions. Collaborating with others to create positive change will identify you as a leader in your organization. Remember, anyone can drop a complaint into the suggestion box.6. You Think Like an Employee- Not a ManagerCraig is good at his job, but it seems like hes more committed to getting on the freeway by 10 til than he is to the success of his department.Remember, TPTB are anointing future leaders here. If youre giving them the impression youre only showing up for a paycheck, its not likely that youll be high on their list of candidates. No, you dont have to become a workaholic or start hanging out long past five or six just to be seen, but its a good idea to express interest in the things that happen when the meter isnt running.7. You Expect ItSean has made it clear that he expects to be promoted. The problem is, I feel like he expects to be promoted based on only his length of service. There are others on his team that are more focused on their career development, and even though theyve not been here as long, its likely that they will be promoted before him.Lastly, recognize that in todays environment, tenure is no longer the primary factor in promotion decisions, and is best left out of any arguments you might make on your own behalf. These days, it doesnt matter whether youve been there six months or six years- its all about your contribution.Being passed over for a promotion doesnt need to be the end of the world. In fact, it can be a huge learning opportunity- and sometimes, it can also be just the kick in the pants you need to get you started down the right path. So take these lessons, learn from the past, and keep that promotion in your sights.Photo of unhappy woman working courtesy of Shutterstock.

7 Questions That Will Help You Find a Fulfilling Career

7 Questions That Will Help You Find a Fulfilling Career7 Questions That Will Help You Find a Fulfilling CareerWhen you are trying to figure out what to do with your life, it makes sense to seek out fulfilling careers. That quest may lead you to do an online search for lists of occupations that fit the bill. The problem with best careers lists is that they dont address the differences among individuals. A profession that fulfills one person wont necessarily fulfill another.If you want a career saving the planet, you will find what youre looking for on one of the lists your search uncovered. That desire isindeed a noble thing and no doubt many people find doing that very satisfying, but not everyone does. Some people love counting beans, and others find great joy in assembling widgets.So, what do you think would be a fulfilling career?Your response depends on who you are and what is important to you.These 7 questions will help you figure out if the profession you want to pursue, regard less of whether it is a job as a bean counter, widget maker, or do-gooder, will satisfy you. 01Whether the Job Fits Well With Who You AreTetra Images / Getty ImagesNothing will make a career less fulfilling than if you are always worried about whether you will be able to find a job and stay employed. Accessing labor market information will allow you to answer this question.You will want to learn how many people work in the occupation you are investigating. Your chances of finding a job if it employs a lot of individuals are considerably better, but you will also need to look at job outlook. That is the United States Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) prediction of employment growth and job prospects for the future.Another thing to learn about is the location of jobs. Jobs in some fields are concentrated in certain regions. If you are willing to relocate, that wont be a problem for you, but if moving isnt in your plans, you should reconsider your options.

6 Must Haves for Your Next Interview

6 Must Haves for Your Next Interview6 Must Haves for Your Next InterviewBe better prepared for the next time.After many years in the recruiting business, Ive learned that candidates often lack preparation when facing a career transition or job change.Here are six simple steps to take before an interview to help you land the job .1. Prepare Your StoryThroughout your career, you may pursue different directions. Be prepared to discuss the reasons youre taking your career in a certain direction.Organize talking points that help you tell your story. Its important to touch on reasons you may have left a company without bashing your former co-workers or supervisors. Explain with confidence the reason that you are making (or have made) a career change.Remember that a lack of conversation reflects lack of interest. Be prepared to incorporate the story line of your background into their organizational challenges.2. Calculate Your CompensationKnow the difference between your needs, your value t o the company and market trends. Your financial needs are of no importance to the hiring manager or the hiring company. They care about your success, but they are not accountable for your financial responsibilities.Investigate the market trends for the position for which youre interviewing. The dollar amount is usually defined by what the market will bear for your position. This information can be collected from a variety of Web sites and market research. Keep in mind that this will also depend on the companys size, revenues, head count, geographic location, etc.The value that you bring to the company is one that only you can define and present to your prospective employer. This will be based upon your demonstrated experience as determined by contributions youve made in previous roles. Capture and reflect on revenues that you generated, incorporate costs and expenses that you managed and/or numbers of people or clients that you have supported.Understand acronyms and initialisms such as OTE and MBO.OTE = On Target Earnings. This is what your total compensation package is, including annual base salary, bonuses, etc.MBO = Management by Objective. This is typically used to identify a percentage of your annual base and may be paid quarterly or once a year.3. Articulate Your ValueYou must be able to address the value that you bring to the company. Be prepared to share your skills and accomplishments and discuss how they benefit the company. Articulate these accomplishments in a problem-action-results sequence.Problem This will reflect the specific problem, challenge or situation that you are faced with. The way you would describe this is in the form of an overview or summary.Action This represents the steps that you took to address the problem, challenge or situation. Describe the methodology that you followed to drive results and deliverables.Results This is where you define the success or accomplishment of your actions. Use this as an opportunity to share how y ou evaluate the end result.4. Determine Your Commuting ThresholdEstimate how far are you willing to commute to get to work every day. Some candidates will use this threshold to represent miles and some will use it to measure total road time.5. Determine Your Willingness to TravelThis will usually depend on the position for which youre applying. Your previous experiences with work travel will be a true indicator to consider. You should also carefully consider the impact that this will have on your family and personal lifestyle.6. Articulate Your Management StyleBe prepared to share and discuss the environment or culture where you can be the most productive. Are you most effective in a chaotic, fast-paced, high-stress environment? Do you bring a calming influence in a chaotic setting? Are you detail-oriented, driven by reports in a micromanaged structure? Be prepared to describe your typical activity in a normal workday.If you do your homework well, you will be extraordinarily success ful in your interview. It will become easy for you to open new doors of opportunity toward landing the job of your dreams.

The Pain of Resune

The Pain of Resune The Chronicles of Resune Upbeat Employees that are energetic and enthusiastic about their work are the individuals who perform well. Recruiters read plenty of resumes, so they dont wish to need to devote a bunch of time looking over yurs. While all resumes should offer information on your work and education experience, together with your abilities and accomplishments, there are various ways to present this info. However much or what kind of work experience youve got, theres a resume format that is likely to make your qualifications shine. Confident Confidence in your work produces good outcomes. It also often contains an objective or career summary in addition to education, certifications, and unique skills. This internet tool helps figure out what kinds of jobs are a great match for you. Then have a look at the following resume writing tips to learn to compose a resume optimizing each section for greatest success. Our resume builder is the quickest app roach to create a resume that will allow you to get your fantasy job. The resume summary is simply a bridge to have the hiring manager in your experience. The issue is, each job differs and what each hiring manager is searching for is different. Accounting and finance managers may wish to see your technical understanding. If youre able to strategically place an appropriate keyword in place of a current word choice great These micro-posts ensure it is challenging to learn what keywords you ought to use. Our resume examples can ensure youre prepared in the event you receive a referral. Follow the hyperlink to work out a multitude of resume examples in a range of fashions. Job seekers deserve to discover decent content quickly. Transportation jobs involve a great deal of responsibility and your resume will want to reflect you can take care of that. Resumes might be organized in various ways. They can be used for a variety of reasons, but fruchtwein often they are used to se cure new employment. You should first evaluate your degree of proficiency so you may accurately present it in your resume. You should include it in your resume because it is going to propel you ahead of others who dont have language proficiency for a competence. Learn about the three kinds of skills it is possible to highlight and the way it is possible to incorporate them into your resume. Those skills go HERE within this section. Autonomous Its always preferable to seek the services of employees who can receive the work done without extensive hand-holding or with minimal supervision. Possessing a crystal clear and professional resume is vital in the medical field. You should spend time into each application and be certain that your resume is tailored to every employer and the job that youre applying to. Transitioning out of uniform can be difficult. You may use our resume building software to create your own from scratch. Distinct kinds of work in the food service industr y require resumes with a number of the exact skills. You also need to be cautious about any business or role-specific jargon you use. The health care industry can be quite competitive. The One Thing to Do for Resune Lets look at a favorite work-from-home job advertisement from U-Haul. Actually, you ought to know that a great deal of companies nowadays are using Applicant Tracking Systems to help them screen resumes and get the best candidates. Well, regardless of what stage youre in your career, youre likely to should understand how to make a resume for a job interview and we will explain to you how Your job (while youre attempting to find a job) is to be certain you fit what theyre searching for. The Nuiances of Resune Have a look at our sample to find out what a good construction resume looks like. Click our sample to learn to compose the ideal transportation resume. You should have the ability to create a column of dates and locations for each job by developing a suitable tab. The simplest approach to make certain you remember all this is to keep track utilizing the fantastic Resume Checklist we made for you. The Unexposed Secret of Resune Of course you desire your resume to be noticed, but for the correct reasonsand youve got to realize that it starts with the very first second someone looks at it. The truth is that there are lots of strategies to mention that youve sent your resume together with a work application or cover letter. For almost whatever you want to include on a resume, theres a category to help organize it. If you dont want to use a resume objective, you can merely use a heading below your name that indicates the form of job that you want to apply for. While you wish to include relevant key terms, you dont wish to overstuff your resume either. Naturally, you would like to make sure the most crucial information stands out and is simple to skim. Take a look at the list below, and get prepared to make your resume way more excit ing. Start by creating a list of all your background info, then organize it into categories. Things You Should Know About Resune Based on the essence of the job, it may be any variety of words or word combinations that indicate you might have the abilities and experience required for the job. You will never send your master resume to anybody, therefore it isnt important how much time it is. The speed by which youre in a position to comprehend sentences remains measured and theres still uncertainty in your selection of words. binnensee the word professional. An objective is a brief statement that clarifies your goals about the kind of employment desired and the way in which your skills make you a nice fit. Its also a fantastic approach to explain gaps in work history along with career changes. Understanding how to tailor your resume will obviously offer you an advantage. Your goal in constructing your resume is to make an effective advertising tool.

Ten Reasons to Move Your Training Online

Ten Reasons to Move Yur Training Online In todays knowledge based economy, geschftsleben skills and knowledge are the pillars of career success. In order for businesses and individuals to stay afloat it is vital that professionals continuously update these skills. However, finding the time and the resources necessary to do so can be challenging. Not sure if erreichbar learning is right for you? Here are the top ten reasons why professionals are choosing to move their training onlineLearn at your convenience. Online courses are 100% web based, and are available 24 hours per day, 7 days per week, and 365 days per year. Which means you can fit training into your schedule whenever it is convenient for you. Often in classroom based learning, students miss key concepts because of distractions, tiredness, or boredom online learning can help you to get the most out of your training experience by allowing for greater flexibility. You can schedule your learning when you are the most awake or in incremental time blocks, whether it is in between business meetings, on weekends, or after you put the kids to bed our courses are always at your fingertips.Get the individualized support you need. Unlike in large classroom based training programs which are burdened by time constraints and in which some learners are intimidated to raise their hands and ask questions or participate in classroom discussions, our courses ensure that learners are receiving the support they need. Many online courses include an Ask the Expert feature which gives learners a chance to ask a subject matter expert all course related questions and receive feedback within 24 hours.Customize your training to your needs. Self-paced online training programs allow you to customize your training to your unique needs and goals. You can learn at your own pace, which means you dont need wait for an instructor or class to move on w ith material you are already familiar with, and, you can linger for as long as you want to fully comprehend a concept new to you. Online courses often include internet resources that let you further explore knowledge areas that are relevant to your particular career.Learning is fun and interesting. Online training combine readings, graphics, audio/video, interactive exercises, and case studies to keep the learner engaged and interested in course material and meet the needs of multiple learning styles.Eliminate travel time. Training online means that you dont have to spend any of your valuable time traveling to a classroom or training location, nor do you have to take any time off of work to obtain training. Courses are 100% web-based which means courses can be accessed anytime and anywhere with internet access. This also eliminates the cost of traveling, and with the rising price of gas prices, that should be music to anyones earsAccess to high quality courses. E-learning is typical ly developed by business school professors, industry professionals, and subject matter experts and are based on content used by world class companies and leading universities.Real Time Reporting. Learners can monitor their progress and learning outcomes as they receive feedback about their performance on self-assessments and course quizzes.HR professionals can monitor their learners progress. Oftentimes it can be difficult to measure the effectiveness of traditional classroom based training programs, just because a student attends a class does not mean they have absorbed any of the learning objectives. The body may be in the seat, but is the mind engaged? Online training offers HR professionals the unique opportunity to view learners participation levels and to monitor their learning outcomes with a powerful Learning Management System.Eliminates geographical boundaries. Online learning allows learners to participate from around the globe. Individuals and companies no longer have to worry about their geographical location when considering what resources are available.Effective learning at an affordable price. Online learning is an extremely affordable alternative to many traditional training programs. It eliminates the cost of printed materials, physical classroom, course instructors, as well as the cost of traveling to a training location.

Becoming the Best Employee Ever Is Actually Pretty Simple

Becoming the Best Employee Ever Is Actually Pretty Simple Becoming the Best Employee Ever Is Actually Pretty Simple I dont have any employees, leidhave Ibeen an employee myself in years. However, I am a consultant. And as a consultant, I hear a lot.Not too long ago, in a seminar on human resources management, the discussion turned to what makes an employee valuable. The topic intrigued mebecause the managers in that room were from two generations baby boomers and Gen. X-ers. Thecomplaints of managers from both generations seemed to focusa lot on the way in which millennials approach work. The word that kept popping up was entitlement According to many people,millennials seem to feel entitled to great benefits and flexible work hours, but they lack any dedication to their jobs and companies.I leftthat seminar with a goal in mind to survey all of the organizations with whom I have worked over the past several years and ask them to list the most important qualities of their best empl oyees. I had hoped there would be common threads that united great employees across industries and organizations and, indeed, there were.Here are the topeight qualities that respondents to my survey listed as characteristics of their best employees. I hope that job seekers will have a look at this listandreflect on how these traitswill help them find success in their careers1. CharacterTo say someone has character can mean a lot of things, but here is how the managers with whom I spoke defined it First and foremost, characteris honesty.A number of the respondents added sub-traitslike trustworthiness and upstanding.Managers want employees who stick by their ethical principles and never discarding them for the sake of expediency.2. DependabilityDependability boils down to trust. Employers want to be able to trust their employees to fulfill theirresponsibilities without lots of hand-holding, coddling, orcontinual monitoring.One of the complaints Ive often heard isthat millennials seem to want to work on their own schedules, but they dont realizetheir schedulesimpact the schedules of their fellow team members.Employers wantemployees who understand thatdeadlines exist for a reason and that they haveresponsibilities to their colleagues.3. BroadSkill SetsThis was the only trait among the top eight that related to hard skills. Of course, employees who have the skills needed for a specific position are good candidates for that position. Employees who keep learning and broadening their skill sets are even more valuable.One respondent used a real estate analogy to explain the importance of employee skill setsWhen we buy a home, we do things over the years that will increase the value of that home. We make improvements. Managers want employees who work to increase their own value to an organization by adding to their skill sets and bringing mini-skills to the table as well.4. Self-DisciplineThis trait is of extreme value. When an employee can be given a long-term task an d has the ability to tackle it on their own and meet all the deadlines with no prodding, a manager has one less thing on to worry about.Managers want to see employees who can manage their time well and who will stick with something, no matter how tedious or how challenging it may be. They want people who, when facing a task, will not give in to distractions or find excuses.5. AttentivenessThis one was a bit of a surprise. I did not think that it would be among the top eight,but sure enough, it is.Employers like employees who are attentive listeners, especially during meetings and conversations. Many employees are so benton making themselves positions heard that they fail to listen. Miscommunication and misunderstandings are the result, and these are never good.6. InitiativeThis was high on everyones list and also a cause for complaint during the seminar. The employee who fulfills the responsibilities outlined in their job description brings value to an organization, but the employe e who goes above and beyond to improve the organization overall is absolutely invaluable.These employees are continually engaged at work and are busier than most of their colleagues because they think outside the box.7. DedicationEmployees who are dedicated to their own success tend also to be dedicated to the success of the organization provided that they are not unethical in their pursuit of personal success, of course.8. DiligenceThis last trait relates to many others on this list, and that is why it is bringing up the rear. Diligence, according to respondents to my survey, means seeing things through and not giving up when things see insurmountable.Employees who exhibit diligence do not have thatsense of entitlementthatmany of the managers in the seminar complained about. Instead, these employees feel that they owe their diligence to the companies that their diligence is what earns themthe benefitsthey desire.Anumber of other traits popped up duringmy survey, but these top eig ht encapsulate all the most important aspects of what it means to be a great employee. Think of this as a checklist the more value you can bring to an organization through these traits, themore career success you will see.

A Military Robot Has Fallen and It Better Get Up

A Military Robot Has Fallen and It Better Get Up A Military Robot Has Fallen and It Better Get Up A Military Robot Has Fallen and It Better Get UpWhen a robot falls and cant get up again, it becomes pretty much useless. If a robot designed to help soldiers in the field finds itself in that situation, the dicke bretter bohren mssen can become dangerous. Soldiers often feel the need to help their robotic companions if something goes wrong, putting them at even greater risk in serious situations.Chad Kessens, a robotic manipulation research engineer for the Army Research Laboratory, working in conjunction with the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, has created software that can tell if a robot has the ability to right itself when it becomes immobilized due to a specific environmental or operational condition. Designers can then look at where the robots would fail and tweak them to so they can get back to work after a fall in almost any situation.Dr. Chad Kessens, a rob oticist with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, comes up with innovative ideas for future military robots. Image U.S. Army Research LaboratoryKessens began work on the project after he took a training course where soldiers were using robots to find IUDs.They dont typically have line-of-sight to the robot. Theyre reliant on information from the operational control unit. When a robot flips over, the camera is looking at the sky or the ground, he said, adding that whoever is controlling the robot has no way of knowing which arm or leg might help the robot up. These robots need to self-right on their own.For You The Moral Beauty of a Disobedient RobotTo determine if a robot could re-right in a specific scenario, Kessens looked beyond links and mass and the mechanics of robots to the world of the living, specifically the cockroach. If you have an organism that cant right itself, its probably not going to last very long, he said.Before looking at the cockroach, the analysis that Kessens u sed on a robot assumed its joints moved slowly. Roaches taught him otherwise. In many situations, a roach on its back needs to move its wings quickly to right itself. Slow movements wont do the job. If you have joints that can move quickly, that can move mass quickly, you can use dynamics and kinetic energy to get yourself to right in more situations, Kessens said.Through his research, Kessens knew the various tricks that designers have used to get robots to right themselves. These included egg shaped chassis that allowed robots to passively roll into the correct orientation, special righting mechanisms such as flaps, extending links, or otherwise altering existing elements of the robot. My goal was to take all these different methods, analyze a specific ordnungsprinzip to see if any of these methods would work and generalize that.Kessens had to overcome several hurdles while developing his software. One of the biggest shows just how important it is for engineers to learn in-demand skills and new technologies. The biggest challenge for me was learning to code better, he said. Im a mechanical engineer.Another was analyzing every joint in a robot. You can think of a five-degree system as ten times harder than a four-degree system, said Kessens. A six-degree system is like 100 degrees harder.The analysis grew even more complex when Kessler took into account all of the different shapes that make up a robots design. This is where the collaboration with Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory (APL), specifically Galen Mullins, a robotics engineer at the APL, paid off. Instead of looking at every possible configuration, as Kessens had been doing, Johns Hopkins researchers had techniques for sampling that space in an intelligent way and understanding what the space looked like using far fewer samples, Kessens said. Because of that we were able to handle higher degrees of freedom.The software that Kessens and his colleagues ultimately came up with has alrea dy proved its mettle. The U.S. Navy needed to know that a lightweight backpackable bomb-defusing robot slated to hit the field this year was capable of righting itself. We analyzed that platform and determined it was able to right itself 100 percent of the time, Kessens said.His analysis can be applied to large, human-sized robots down to those the size of tiny insects. But it assumes the robot can sense its configuration (the angle of its joints at any moment) as well as the direction of gravity.When the Army sets out to buy robots, theyll now have a tool for gauging their self-right-ability. And the companies selling the robots can meet those needs in the design phase. At the moment, when a weakness has been revealed for a certain situation, its up to the robot creator to find a way to fix it. In the future, the software may be able to suggest new designs as well. As a designer you have to say Oh, I see the robot can only right itself 90 percent, Kessens said. Then the software le ts the designer understand the 10 percent it cant right itself.Michael Abrams is an independent writer.Listen to ASME TechCast How Engineers Close Communication Gaps with Non-engineers For Further Discussion If you have joints that can move quickly, that can move mass quickly, you can use dynamics and kinetic energy to get yourself to right in more situations.Chad Kessens, the Army Research Laboratory

Inside the Hiring Managers Head at the Job Interview

Inside the Hiring Manager's Head at the Job Interview Inside the Hiring Manager's Head at the Job Interview Inside the Hiring Manager's Head at the Job Interview Do you tend to be nervoussometimes to the point of panic or paranoiawhen you're about to be interviewed for a job? Do you wonder if you'll emerge as the candidate of choice or if you'll blow your chances because your nervousness might get the better of you? To help ease those nerves, it's best to know what the hiring manager is looking for in a job interview. Here are three questions that typical hiring managers have in their minds that they want clear answers to by the time the interview is over. I know this person has the skills to do the job, but will she fit in with my team and our company culture? If you make it to the interview, chances are you presented your skills and experience so effectively on your resume that the hiring manager is quite sureyou can do the job. But in the interview, the hiring manager wants to gauge your personality and see how it fits in with the company and your would-be coworkers, as well as the hiring manager. How well does this guy know himself?Before you get to the interview, look at the chief requirements for the job and match them up with your specificskills and experience. Then, prepare to answer behavioral interview questions, which try to get at more of the how behind your skills and experience. Let's say you have this on your resume: Convinced management to agree to a deal with XYZ Company to buy $1 million in computer hardware. Be ready to answer a question on how you accomplished that. Can I trust this person to get the job done without a lot of supervision? Managers have enough on their plates to worry about their direct reports, so they like to hire people they can trust to get the job done, and done right. Convince them of that in the interview and you've gone a long way toward easing the hiring manager's pain. Focusing on what the hiring manager is looking for isthe best way to succeed in an interview. If you aim your job interview preparation at the hiring manager's needs and how you can meet them, you can shine in the interview and improve your chances at landing the job offer.

How to Remake your LinkedIn Profile for Job Search

How to Remake your LinkedIn Profile for Job Search How to Remake your LinkedIn Profile for Job Search According to recent research, more than 85% of employers use LinkedIn to find new hires.   How can you make your LinkedIn profile stand out from the millions of others so that recruiters and hiring managers will find you? (And perhaps more importantly, want to follow up with you after they find you.) Here are some tips for remaking your LinkedIn profile so that you can land that job of your dreams. Or, if youre not that picky, just a job. Youre not looking for job. Thats right, even though you are looking for job, youre not just looking for any job. It seems counter-intuitive, but employers want what they cant have, not whats easily available. Remove that blaring IM LOOKING FOR A JOB text on your LinkedIn profile. Tone all job search references down concentrate on making yourself look more desirable and less desperate. Your profile should reflect an accomplished professional in the exact field and industry in which you want to get a new position. Youre not looking for a job. Repeat that to yourself again. Youre instead a professional open to opportunities in ABC. You want to make your career with a company that ABC. Make your headline clear and concise. Your headline is what recruiters will see first about you. Many people try to use certain buzzwords that are cliché and are used over and over again. Try to clearly state what you can offer to an employer, using keywords that they will search for. You will also want to make sure that you are not limiting yourself in your headline. If you are currently a vice president or higher up, but are willing to start in a job that is not senior management, it might be wise to leave the vice president off of your job title in your headline. You want to leave the possibilities as open as possible while conveying what you have most experience in. Remember that youre designing your headline after what employers want to search for, not to brag to other professionals in your industry. If youre a Project Manager, write that, not A Seasoned Executive Consultant with Project Experience. In other words, dont try to make yourself something youre not make it easy for people to figure out what you do. Stay simple, specific, and positive when writing about your skills and experience. Write a direct, informative summary and experience section. Your summary and experience section should tell a clear and concise story about your work history. Most managers will scan this section fairly quickly, so make sure that the most important information is at the beginning of the summary to catch their interest and draw them in. Use specific examples and clearly point out your results in past jobs. The specialties section is a great place to put keywords for search, but do not overstuff. Just put a few of the most important words that describe you to make your profile easy to be found in searches by managers. Remember that the summary and experience section, as well as the specialties area, is the place to show what you are made of and to really sell yourself to employers who have found your profile. Put most of your effort and focus into these vital sections. Feature a few solid recommendations. Only feature a couple of recommendations, as more than that can be overkill and can jumble your profile. Any old or outdated postings should be removed when you are starting your job search so that recruiters can see the most up to date and relevant referrals.   This way, they can contact people who have most recently recommended you. With recommendations, pay more attention to who is recommending you than what they are saying about you. A management level reference from your current or recent employer is fantastic. Shoot for senior people in the industry in which you are most likely to find work. You can also use strategy here want to work at a particular company? If you have a friend or know an employee there, have them recommend your work. You can easily remake your LinkedIn profile for job search with a few key changes. Do not exaggerate or build yourself up with adjectives, but use examples of quantifiable results to show a manager what you can bring to their company. After your profile is shaped up, stay present on LinkedIn by joining industry groups and posting interesting news about your field. Connect to as many relevant people in your field as you can. Note that the people you connect will then see your activity on their homepage this is your change to keep yourself top of mind. When jobs open up, consistent activity could make the difference between getting the call and not. Good luck out there!Master the art of closing deals and making placements. Take our Recruiter Certification Program today. We're SHRM certified. Learn at your own pace during this 12-week program. Access over 20 courses. Great for those who want to break into recruiting, or recruiters who want to further their career.

Medical Records Technician Job Description

Medical Records Technician Job Description Medical Records Technician Job Description Medical Records Technician Job Description This medical records technician sample job description can assist in your creating a job application that will attract job candidates who are qualified for the job. Feel free to revise this job description to meet your specific job duties and job requirements. Medical Records Technician Job Responsibilities: Maintains record of patient care by compiling, reviewing, and filing documentation of patients condition, treatment, and health outcome. Medical Records Technician Job Duties: Maintains medical records operations by following policies and procedures; reporting needed changes. Initiates medical record by searching master patient index; identifying existing patient records or need to assign a new number; interacting with registration areas and physicians offices for information verification; processing or creating the record folder. Ensures medical record availability by routing records to admissions and emergency departments, physicians, and other authorized hospital staff; maintaining chart location systems. Completes medical record by reviewing information; notifying health care providers of record deficiencies; tracking outstanding records; notifying medical director of physicians in jeopardy of losing admitting privileges. Resolves medical record discrepancies by collecting and analyzing information. Maintains historical reference by abstracting and coding clinical data, such as diseases, operations, procedures, and therapies, using standard classification systems; filing documents. Prepares statistical reports by collecting and summarizing medical care and census information, such as types of diseases treated, surgery performed, and use of hospital beds. Provides medical record information by answering questions and requests of patients, hospital staff, law firms, insurance companies, and government agencies. Maintains patient confidence and protects hospital operations by keeping information confidential; following release-of-information protocols. Maintains the stability and reputation of the hospital by complying with legal requirements. Keeps equipment operational by following manufacturers instructions and established procedures. Conserves resources by using equipment and supplies as needed to accomplish job results. Contributes to team effort by accomplishing related results as needed. Medical Records Technician Skills and Qualifications: Time Management, Organization, Attention to Detail, Quality Focus, Professionalism, Productivity, Documentation Skills, Written Communication, Data Entry Management, Equipment Maintenance, Supply Management Employers: Post a job in minutes to reach candidates everywhere. Job Seekers: Search Medical Records Technician Jobs and apply on now. Learn more abouthow the hiring process: Video: Make yourRecruiting Stand Out Is Perfectionism Hijacking your Hirin Process? How to Interview to Uncover a Candidates Ethical Standards

When is it Time to Use a Resume Writing Service

When is it Time to Use a Resume Writing Service When is it Time to Use a Resume Writing Service Most job seekers know that their resume is the most important part of their application packet. Having a subpar resume can easily land you in the discard pile, so it’s important to get it right the first time. But, with the plethora of information available on how to write a resume, do you really need a resume writing service to handle the work for you? Some people feel confident handling the formation of their resume alone, while others would prefer the help of a professional. However, in many cases, you dont know what you dont know. Theres a tremendous amount of advice online, but how much of it accurate information that you should be a following? A true resume expert can put you on the right path with techniques that actually work. However, there are certain circumstances where choosing a resume writing service is a very smart move. Here are a few to consider. When You’ve Been Off the Job Market If it has been a while since you were a job seeker, it could be wise to work with a resume writing service. Why? Because the standards used to judge resumes have changed significantly over recent years and it can be hard to restructure your last resume based on current trends. A professional resume writer understands the idiosyncrasies associated with these documents as well as how to make your information stand out from the crowd. They have often spent years studying the form and function of resumes, effectively giving them insider knowledge that you don’t possess. When You Need Personalized Advice Even if you have a general understanding about constructing resumes, that doesn’t mean you wouldn’t benefit from professional advice. If you have your dream job in your sights, working with a resume writing service can ensure the document is properly tailored to the position, upping your chances of scoring an interview. Personalized advice can also be helpful if you are about to take a big step in your career. If you’ve recently finished a degree or gathered enough experience to make a leap forward, working with a resume writing service helps ensure you don’t miss any key details simply because you aren’t as familiar with what the upper-level hiring managers want to see. Another instance when you can benefit from professional advice is in dealing with a gap in your career. Resume writing services understand how to minimize these deficiencies, allowing your resume to be viewed more favorably when it is reviewed. When You’re Not Getting Results If you’ve been sending your resume out for months and you haven’t landed an interview, then this could also be a sign you need a professional resume writer on your side. Sometimes, it’s hard to spot issues in your own writing, and having another set of eyes on your resume might allow issues to be more easily identified. Resume writing services can make important modifications to your resume, ensuring it makes the best impression possible and helping you score more interviews. If you think you could benefit from some resume help, the team at Resume Spice wants to hear from you. Contact us today and see how our professional services and skilled consultants can provide the assistance you need to succeed.

What have you missed out on because you have let fear win

What have you missed out on because you have let fear win What have you missed out on because you have let fear win “Remembering you are going to die is the best way I know to avoid the trap of thinking you have something to lose. You are already naked. There is no reason not to follow your heart.” -  Steve JobsI’m a present-moment kind of coach. Many of my clients talk about what they are “going to do.” Some even talk about what they’re going to do as if they already did it. But then a strange thing happens. They never . . . quite . . . do it.They put off leaving the job or relationship they feel stuck in. They say they’ll start a health and wellness program tomorrow. They say they will start their business in three months. They have a million reasons why now is not the right time. Something else has to happen first. To bring certainty. To make it safer.My question for you is: How quickly do you want your transformation to come? One day I prayed for patience, and I thought that would speed things up, when it actually slowed things down. But I can also say that the speed at which yo ur transformation occurs depends on your courage. When I’ve been courageous, things have happened quickly. I’ve also delayed transformation.The hard part is coming to terms with the little voice in your head that says, You should be further along by now. When that thought pops up, I respond, “Based on what?” We can’t hold ourselves accountable to anyone else’s timeline.How fast your life changes will also be determined by your belief system (more on your beliefs later). You can easily plug into the belief that you need to wait for X, Y, or Z reasons. Or you could plug into the belief that now is the time, and you must begin immediately.I was recently with a client who shared with me all the benefits of not ling her divorce papers. One of the reasons was because her husband was still paying her each month, so we got clear about the fact that she was staying for the money. She was honest about it, and I respect honesty. But then she said something that I need to share with you. She said that if she led the papers, she would be missing out on the certainty of money coming in regularly for her and her children. When I heard that, I asked her a question that made her pause: “What are you missing out on by not ling?”You see, The Universe hates a vacuum. When you make a change, you create a vacuum. And when you create a vacuum, something new will come along to fill it. This is law. You can only create something new with space.We are scared of creating a vacuum because that space, or momentary sense of not having safety, triggers our SPs. That’s why we resist change. Change triggers our fear of possible or impending death, so we put it off, and put it off, and put it off.All the while, however, your Soul is watching. When you lack courage, life tends to get messy, and you get closer and closer to a Divine Storm. The crises in your life, the stuckness, the frustration, the powerlessness, these things are Divinely sent. They happen because you won’t make a move until you’re in too much pain not to make a move.Most humans learn through pain. We can also learn through joy, but learning through joy requires us to be spontaneous and take risks no matter what’s at stake. That’s much harder to do.Why change now? Because if you don’t, the intensity of your Divine Storms will only get worse. I’m not saying this to scare you. I’m saying it because it’s true.So I ask you: When would now be a good time to begin?That’s right- right now.It’s your time. You can’t wait another year, another month, another week, day, hour, or minute. It’s come down to right here, right now. It’s time to commit to change.But why?Creating clarityWe need to get clear about why now is the right time to change. Each day our work together will require absolute honesty, so let’s take some time to really think about this. Think about all you’ve missed out on by playing small, trying to be perfect, procrastinating until your next life, or by putting others first. Think about all the times your Soul has nudged you to leave a relationship, start a business, let the right one in, to truly trust yourself, to take care of your body, to quit your job, to do what you love even though you have kids, and to let yourself truly live.The truth is, you have missed out. You’ve missed out on love. On passion. On joy. On excitement. On adventure. You know this deep in your Heart.I don’t say this to shame you. I say this because truth creates the emotion needed to inspire change. So don’t fret. After our time together, you will be set free, and you will experience more than enough love, passion, joy, excitement, and adventure. But right now it’s time to get real about what you’ve been missing out on.What am I missing?Be honest with yourself and spend some time writing in your journal about what you’ve missed out on because you have let fear win- until now. When it comes to romance, I’ve missed out on: When it comes to my work, career, or business, I’ve missed out on: When it comes to my health and well-being, I’ve missed out on: When it comes to my connection with my Creator, I’ve missed out on: When it comes to my connection with my family and friends, I’ve missed out on: When it comes to my finances, I’ve missed out on: When it comes to contributing to others, I’ve missed out on: The good I’ve prevented from entering my life is: Awesome.I know that writing out these answers can be challenging, but trust the process. If you feel you weren’t entirely honest, please go back and try again. You can’t transform without first being real with yourself.Life has a tendency to slip by you. You can’t always feel it, but a day can turn into a week, a week into a month, and a month into a year. The next thing you know, a year has turned into a decade, and you never quite got around to transforming your life.No more. You will no longer allow even one more moment to pass without taking courageous action toward your Purpose. Now is your time. Not tomorrow. Not next week. Now. Right here. Right now.So much has been missed already in this life. You can’t wait one more day to change. You don’t want to miss one more moment of joy, connection, excitement, love, or adventure. You have no idea what wonderful things your Creator has in store for you once you commit to trusting your true Purpose.Why is now the right and onl y time for you to change? Declare to yourself, to me, to your Soul, and to your Creator why you won’t wait one more moment to change.Mastin Kipp is the creator of Functional Life Coaching(TM), best-selling author of Claim Your Power and “up and coming thought leader of the next generation of spiritual thinkers,” according to Oprah.This article first appeared on Thrive Global.

How Engineers Close Communication Gaps with Non-engineers

How Engineers Close Communication Gaps with Non-engineers How Engineers Close Communication Gaps with Non-engineers How Engineers Close Communication Gaps with Non-engineers Entrepreneurial engineer Robert Giasolli, founder, CTO, and vice president of RD for Cagent Vascular, has worked with in many industries to design a variety of products, including medical devices and a new type of bullet for U.S. Army. He recently spoke with Jeff OHeir, ASMEs senior content manager, about the challenges he faces while working with non-engineers and how he overcomes those to create successful products. Clear communication, he says, is key. Robert Giasolli, founder, CTO, and vice president of RD for Cagent Vascular To hear Giasolli speak more about solving the communication gap and other engineering issues, listen to him on our new podcast, ASME TechCast. JO: When you talk about the communication and language gap that exists between research and industry, particularly in the biomedical field, exactly what types of problems are there? RG: If you think of the biomedical field, surgeons are taught to control the operating suite so they come at problems with a control mindset. Theyre the only person in the room that is supposed to be in charge. In addition, theres the concept that most people think they can design. Its not uncommon that we all think of building better mousetraps, better designs in our daily lives. So if youre taught that youre in control and you think you can design, you start projecting exactly what youre user needs are to an engineer. What is a researcher or engineer taught? Were taught to explore the problem and figure out what the boundaries are. Thats a different term [for an engineer and a surgeon or clinician]Thats a design input term. When a physician provides structure around what they need, they dont tend to talk in design input terms; they [say]this is what I need. They think the image of what theyre describing is what they want. Its not necessarily the same. JO: So, in a nutshell, one side doesnt always know what the other is talking about? RG: Thats right. The researcher is seeking what the boundaries are within the design space. In my experience, what you need to do is to go through a series of questions and ask more than one user; not just one physician but a series of physicians so you get a really structural picture of the boundaries. The Serranator, an angioplasty device for the treatment of peripheral artery disease. Image: Cagent Vascular JO: Youve designed a variety of products and have worked with many different types of teams. Can you provide a real-world example of a communication gap that you experienced and how you got around it? RG: So the first medical device worked on was with a physician [who]wanted to create a series of staples inside the artery to keep it open. What he drew on the napkin was a ring, just like the one youd on your finger, and he said he wanted to place a series of rings inside the artery to keep it open. Well, first of all, you cant get a ring into the body without doing major surgery. What youd need to do is to some way collapse the [device]structure in a very small foot print and then allow it to expand. Through a series of investigation and self-discovery I came to realize rings wouldnt at all be possible. So the design we came up with is incredibly versatile and it has unique features that werent originally conceived of that allow forthe device to be used in much broader applications than the original concept called for. JO: What did you actually design in the end? RG: It has it a wavy pattern with long foot prints. Its designed to come out of the end of a catheterin stages so it stays stable during its delivery. That was key because what we made was one of the shortest stent-like structures ever made; 6mm long. For this to come out and not be shot out of end of the catheter like youd spit a watermelon seed out of your mouth we had to have a way of producing a footprint against the artery wall at different stages of the delivery. It worked incredibly well. JO: He wanted a ring, you gave him a stent-like device. How did you convince him that this was the proper design or device to use? RG: Through a series of events. We started with something very simple, and we proved that rings wouldnt work. Out of that exploration of rings not working, there was a feature within the ring design that I thought needed to go forward in every design iteration. It was like a jaw, a piece of the metal that stuck out of the circle and bit into the artery. Designing that was tricky. How I achieved that was to realize and visualize that the artery wasnt going to be smooth, it was going to be a rocky, hilly domain because its diseased. So as the structure goes around a hill, the teeth stick into a piece of the artery to keep it stable JO: Youve also worked as a consultant for so many different entities and in so many different environments. How pervasive or common is this communications gap and what types of problems does it bring the design and development process? Does it impact time to market, budgets, or other types of resources? RG: Absolutely. It doesnt matter what the field is. You have to identify what the user needs are; they can come from anywhere. Design inputs are sometimes wrongly associated. I was working with the army and their engineers. They had already structurally designed this safety and arming switch. The problem was that they had designed this switch they wanted to put it in all their bullets. To build this switch would cost them $20. Thats not possible if youre going to war where youre going to be burning through bullets really fast. They asked me if there was a way to modify the design to reduce the costs. Through some very simple changes through the design input, I was able to create an alternate way of making the device with much less expensive process steps, chemical etch, bulk process, and things like that. We got the price down to 20 cents. JO: What needs to be done to solve these types of communications problems, these gaps? RG: One of the problems is actually on the researchers side.We come out of engineering school with the concept that youll be given certain parameters, and youll design within those parameters, and youll be able to optimize your design as you go along. In reality, what Ive found is youre coming into the project with preconceived ideas; we all have them. Some of them come from what youve done previously. But its also in the dialog that youll have with the physician. So the physician is giving you preconceived ideas. For instance, if someone told you make a pen you might immediately think it has a wick to the end and a ball thing that rolls. You know how theyre made. But if you have never touched a pen, youd be much wider open: OK, so what do you mean by a pen? That kind of needs to be where you start with a physician because sometimes theyre telling you things because they have preconceived ideas of how to solve it, which will never work. Listen to Episode 1 of ASME TechCast: Building the Case for a Diversified Workforce For Further Discussion It doesnt matter what the field is, you have to identify what the user needs are.Robert Giasolli, co-founder Cagent Vascular

How to Build a High-Performance Project Team

How to Build a High-Performance Project Team How to Build a High-Performance Project Team Project teams do not spontaneously emerge as productive, high-performance groups. Rather, they are the output of the deliberate actions of the leaders and team members to create and reinforce an environment where the right behaviors flourish, and the wrong behaviors die of oxygen deprivation. In this article, we explore the challenges of poor performing project teams as well as the approaches that top team leaders and project managers employ to move beyond Tuckman’s forming and storming stages to one that emphasizes performing. Fair warning: there is no magical list of “do these things, and a great team will emerge.” It is hard work that requires the application of both the science behind group performance and the art of leading others.   Five Common Misfires of Project Teams That Struggle Spend time observing and working with project teams that struggle and you will notice many areas where communication breaks down and performance suffers. Dig beneath the surface in search of root causes of underperformance, and these five common issues invariably emerge. There Is No Clear and Galvanizing PurposeTeam participants are unaware of the importance of the project and its connection to the customer or organization. To project team members, this is “just another project.” The Customer Does Not Have a Seat at the Table The lack of clarity surrounding the customer results in a foggy project environment where team members grope and flail their way through everything from requirements to timing and costs. Project Management Is Present, but Project Leadership Is Missing in Action Values are vague or nonexistent. Responsibility and accountability are not well established. The tools and templates are there, but the soft skills are nowhere to be found. Poorly Defined and Unclear Roles Performance suffers when people do not understand their own roles or the roles being played by team members. Too Many Projects Chasing Too Few Resources In today’s matrix management style organizations, team members are often distributed across multiple initiatives. When projects proliferate like rabbits reproducing, overtaxed team members struggle to focus and do their best work. Eight Actions You Must Take to Create a High-Performance Project Team: While it would be nice to believe that there is a simple checklist to follow for building a high-performance team, life, projects, and people are not that easy. The suggestions below are more “minimum conditions required for success” than they are “do this and everything will work.” Remember, building great teams is a blend of the science of human psychology and neuroscience and the art of leadership. Use the ideas in good health as a foundation for your own high-performance team development! Turn the Project Into an Epic Quest! Take a management lesson from the world of video gaming and make certain that team members are hyper-aware of the nature of their mission and its importance to the customer(s), the organization and to their development as professionals. Every project should be viewed by the team members as an opportunity to level-up by both applying their skills and developing and learning new skills. With creativity, even the smallest of initiatives can be positioned as part of a larger quest. Recognize and Leverage the S.C.A.R.F. Model From the World of Neuroscience This acronym stands for: status, certainty, autonomy, relatedness, and fairness. Everything about the team structure and management must reinforce these critical personal issues for each team member. The effective project leader pays careful attention to these attributes and structures her behaviors to reinforce the positives for each  individual on the project team. Take an Important Leadership Lesson From the Research Into Leading in Dangerous Situations Team members must trust that the team leader cares for each team member and is critically focused on ensuring their safety and success. As the team leader, ask and answer: “Why will my team members trust me to lead them to safety and success?” And then define the behaviors you must showcase daily to reinforce your commitment to them. Make Certain the Customer Is Present From Day One and in Every Subsequent Meeting You cannot start the project if the view to the customer is unclear. Whether your initiative is focused on a very specific audience or a more general set of target groups, there are techniques you can employ to create clarity. For new product development initiatives aimed at capturing new customers, create detailed customer personas for each type. For large construction or development efforts, ensure a customer representative is part of project scoping and approval. In situations where the customer cannot be physically present, some teams create a proxy- a cutout or a stuffed animal- that occupies a seat in every meeting. The group is required to ask and attempt to answer for every decision: “What will the customer say to this issue.” Have Your Team Members Define a Role Charter Everyone on the team should ask and answer: “At the end of this project, what will my team members say that I did?” Share and discuss and define a role description that corresponds to the answers. Teach Your Team These Two Critical Skill Sets: How to Talk and How to Decide Early in the team formation process, set expectations for interpersonal communication and ensure that you reinforce accountability. For group settings, teach the team to explore issues through facilitation approaches that focus the group’s gray matter on one topic at a time. Teach them to parse out the emotions, risks, ideas and information issues and tackle each one separately before rushing to judgment. For decision-making, help teams understand every big choice from multiple viewpoints (frames) and teach them to evaluate multiple options for each decision. These skills are not taught in project management programs and are not required as part of their professional certification, yet they are essential for helping a team learn to work together. Leverage Team Coaching Coaching is a powerful tool for supporting team performance, and it is often underutilized. You can use external or internal resources for this role, although the coach must be an objective outsider capable of observing and offering frank, behavioral feedback on team performance and effectiveness. The coach is an invaluable resource in helping observe and identify breakdowns in the discussion and decision-making processes outlined in number six above. Leverage the coach to challenge assumptions and be on the lookout for various group biases including groupthink. Fight Hard for the Time and Attention of Your Team Members Great project leaders work hard on behalf of their team members to ensure that they can focus and do their best work. As a project leader, this means you will have to engage in organizational politics with other project and functional leaders and negotiate on behalf of your team members. Your advocacy and your ability to offer reciprocal support to other project leaders for their own resource needs will prove critical in short-term team performance and your long-term success. The Bottom Line If you leave project team performance to chance, it is unlikely that high performance will emerge. Given the importance of projects in our workplace, everyone from the executives approving and sponsoring projects to the team leaders, project managers, and team members have a stake in the outcomes. Work hard from your position as project manager or team member to ensure the presence of the tools and ideas outlined above, and your odds of creating a high-performance team improve considerably.

18 punishments for people who dont update their calendars

18 punishments for people who don’t update their calendars 18 punishments for people who don’t update their calendars Congratulations! You found that one-hour block in the next two weeks when everyone’s calendar is open. You send the meeting invite only to have Ben decline.“I’m actually out of the office that day,” he says. “Could you find another time?”But Ben, you wonder, how will I find another time if your calendar bears no relation to your actual availability? Here are some appropriate ways to punish Ben and colleagues like him who don’t keep their calendar up to date.1. Removal from the office food email listAre there leftover bagels from the Accounting staff meeting? Yes, but Ben will never know.2. Switch the regular and decaf coffee potsEveryone else reaches for the orange pot this week while Ben yawns his way through his caffeine headaches.3. Adjust Ben’s calendar from Eastern Standard to Yakutsk TimeHe’ll arrive promptly to any meetings in central Russia!4. Switch to past tense whenever discussing him, especially if he’s in earshot“Oh yeah, Ben, he worked in Marketing didn’t he? Never really saw him in the office much though.”5. Change the language for his keyboardSwitching to  French  is classic, but the Turkish keyboard is just similar enough to confuse him for days.6. Move Ben’s desk photos to other areas of the officeHis wife’s portrait now lives on the CEO’s desk and his snapshot of Sir-Barks-A-Lot is above the copier. It’ll be a great icebreaker at the holiday party!7. Sign Ben up for every newsletter you can findHe’ll get updates on everything from the local bakery’s daily scone selection to the tour dates of a hard core punk band he’s never heard of.8. Invite him to a conference call that’s just hold musicIdeally it will be Chumbawamba’s “Tubthumping” on loop.9. Add new family photos to his desk“What do you mean these aren’t your kids? You’ve been talking about Kimmy’s game-winning home run all month!”10. Unscrew the light above his cubicle just a littleBen will have to check the Facilities Team’s ca lendar to see when they’re available to stop the flickering.11. Host remote control helicopter races around his cubicleIt just happens to be the area with the most open air. Management did say they wanted you to embrace your creativity!12. Re-label his lunch in the office fridgeNo, this isn’t Ben’s Low-fat Mango Greek yogurt. It’s Benita’s.13. Hold his coffee mug hostageSend ransom notes scrawled on printouts of Ben’s Outlook calendar.14. Add spoilers for his favorite TV shows to your meeting invitationsLocation: Conference Room also Tyrion Lannister dies by ice dragon15. Start a rumor that his cubicle is hauntedFollow up by shivering every time you walk by and asking about the old woman who works on his computer during his lunch breaks. Bonus points if you leave messages from her on his voicemail.16. Relegation to the worst seat in the conference roomYou know the one, where you can’t pull your chair in all the way and have to crane your neck to see the  presentation s lides. Make sure it’s the only open seat when Ben walks in.17. Respond to all his emails with “New phone, who dis?”At a certain point he’ll have to respect your commitment to the bit.18. Everyone meets without himNo matter what his ego says, Ben isn’t that important.This post was originally published on TheCooperReview.com.

Why Election Day Should Be a Paid Day Off

Why Election Day Should Be a Paid Day Off Why Election Day Should Be a Paid Day Off Four score and a bunch of years ago, the U.S. was an agrarian society (full of farmers) and so it made sense that Election Day would fall on a Tuesday in early November. The thinking back in the 1800s was November fell after the harvest and before the harsh cold of winter, and Tuesday gave farmers enough fair-weather travel time to get to their nearest voting booths via horse-drawn carriage; they couldn't/wouldn't travel on the Sabbath and some needed nearly two days to carriage to the booths. Now, of course, things are a bit different. We've gone from agrarian to manufacturing to postindustrial to information society. We have something called the car as well as not-too-terrible public transportation systems. And millions of us have bosses and companies and shareholders that demand nearly all of our time on the first (and second and third and fourth) Tuesday In November. All of which is why many companies, organizations, and individuals, including certain Presidents of the United States named Barack and former presidential candidates named Bernie, believe  Election Day should be a national holiday and thus a paid day off. Some (though surely not Barack and Bernie) also argue that national holidays like Presidents' Day and Columbus Day and New Year's Day seem like dubious holy days at best, and could very well be replaced by an Election Day holiday on which we actually have to do something- that is, vote. Proponents of Election Day as a national holiday say making it easier to vote will increase voter turnout, thus improving the democratic process. And it's hard to argue against that. Speaking of which, one company making a rather loud argument about turning Election Day into a paid day off is Casper, the friendly mattress startup (which is also killing it, having become a company worth half a billion dollars in just two years, and so I'd recommend listening closely to what it has to say). “It’s hard to get out and vote,” said Neil Parikh, the co-founder of Casper, which will close its two retail stores and offices in the U.S., giving roughly 180 of its 200 global employees the day off. “Everything that you can do to make someone’s life a little bit easier so they can contribute is worth it.” Mr. Parikh said Casper executives ran “back-of-the-envelope numbers” to estimate how much sales could drop without employees on hand to answer customer questions. Normally, customers can access live help via text, phone and online chat seven days a week. The company will ask some engineers and customer-service representatives to be on call on Nov. 8. A startup that identifies itself as a tech company, New York City-based Casper considers the voting holiday a workplace perk, “a natural next step” after free meals and generous benefits, Mr. Parikh said. Another retailer giving its staff more time to rock the vote is Tory Burch. And although Burch isn't giving employees a full day off, the firm is generously offering several hours of paid leave for employees to get their preppy but  non-obnoxious  selves out to the polling stations. Tory Burch, the co-CEO of a retail business bearing her name, has been outspoken about employers giving workers time off to vote, writing in a Wall Street Journal opinion piece that the country’s voter turnout rates are “embarrassing” and “dangerous.” Ms. Burch’s nearly 3,000 person firm will give its U.S. corporate employees four paid hours off, and store employees up to two paid hours off on Nov. 8. On the other side of the argument, opponents of the idea of giving employees the day off on Election Day say already citizens can vote well in advance of Election Day, already the polling stations are open before and after normal working hours, and already many employers allow employees a little leeway to come in late or leave early on Election Day to cast their votes. However, what these benefits don't promote is employees getting more involved in the election process. That is, a couple hours here and there on Election Day doesn't allow employees, in addition to casting their votes, to volunteer their time, say, helping out at a polling station, or helping those vote who have a hard time getting to a polling station, or helping in some other way on one of the most important days in a democratic society's calendar year. Speaking of which, here's the editor-in-chief of the Northwestern University Law Review in a CNBC.com op-ed that was published this past spring. Northwestern Law has cancelled all classes on Election Day, not only to encourage students and faculty to cast their ballots but also to connect them with volunteer organizations throughout Chicago, groups that work tirelessly to ensure that the election is free and fair. More than seven hundred lawyers and lawyers-in-training will be freed from one day's work to leave their mark on the 2016 election. Northwestern Law students and faculty will be an active part of our democratic process, not just ivory tower observers or participants of convenience. Other colleges and universities, especially law schools, in Chicago and nationwide should follow and end the absurd hypocrisy of researching and dissecting the law and championing the importance of democracy while forcing students and faculty to sit on the sidelines on the most important day of the year. Another idea, if we can't agree on giving employees the day off, is to move Election Day to the weekend. And why not, as many have proposed, have it fall over two days, over a Saturday and a Sunday. This would allow more time to vote, wouldn't interfere with most employees' workweeks, and would seem to follow the voting format that a majority of the Western world now follows. In any case, it seems clear that sticking to Election Day on a Tuesday just because that's the way we've been doing things for years and years  is very last-century thinking. An update, an Election Day 2.0, is long overdue. Follow me  Twitter. Follow Vault on  Instagram.

Choosing What Does Objective Mean on a Resume Is Simple

Choosing What Does Objective Mean on a Resume Is Simple If you're trying for one specific field, nonetheless, your objective doesn't need to be much different. An objective can be a rather effective means to present yourselfyou just will need to be certain that you're writing a great one that deserves to take that space. Don't believe that an objective statement is essential for all resumes they are usually employed for certain situations rather than as a normal boilerplate resume requirement. The issue with objective statements is they focus on what you want instead of how you're able to satisfy the requirements of the employer. For that reason, it is a price of the work hunt process worth paying. When re-entering the workforce, it can be difficult to understand what information to include, but you can want to keep off detailed information about the reason behind the gap in your work history, especially if it is a lengthy gap. You are earning a career change. You're stating that you desire a job like the one that you're applying for. Make certain it's tailored to not merely the position, but the business too. If you decide not to include things like an objective, that's fine, but you need to give thought about whether it might support you in receiving the hiring manager's interest. By highlighting a couple of essential abilities and your existing objectives, you give the recruiter or hiring manager a taste of what's to come in the remainder of your resume. Before you even begin creating or fixing your resume, search for the jobs you're qualified for and could see yourself doing, then get to know the so rt of candidate the business is searching for. One of the risks of a resume objective is that it is possible to focus too much on what you would like in your career, and not enough on how you'll add value to the organization. A resume objective can explain why you're qualified for the job, even should you not own a lot of related experience. As a result, while your resume objective should consist of information on the career you want, you also wish to spell out why you are the perfect candidate for the job. The current objective was geared toward the actual job they originally desired. An objective is a brief statement that clarifies your goals about the kind of employment desired and the way in which your skills make you a nice fit. When you're asking for work, your very first aim is to let employers know your abilities and talents align with the demands of their open position. You must have good people skills. If you're just beginning, you will probably list more general skills instead of specific ones. If you choose to include an objective on your resume, just make certain it's related to the job which you are applying for. Whenever you would like to emphasize that you're ambitious, that you understand what you want in a career, or you have the skills for the particular job, you could benefit from a resume objective. If you opt to include an objective statement, make sure you've got a targeted job, you know what skills you need to mention or you're applying for a specific position. You've got to construct the best one to find the job. Using What Does Objective Mean on a Resume Employers wouldn't waste time interviewing him only to discover he wouldn't relocate. What The Welder Resume Objective Should Tell Prospective Employers In order to develop into a successful Welder, you want to have experience addressing the production processes and raw materials utilized for the creation and distribution of products. Recruiters would just like to understand how you are able to assist t he employer get the job finished. Construction jobs could possibly be similar. Your qualifications and expertise to date alone might not be enough. The aim of your document is to become brought in for an interview. You need to have five objective statements. In most instances, a resume objective is simply a couple of sentences long.

The Foolproof Look What You Made Me Do Genius Strategy

The Foolproof Look What You Made Me Do Genius Strategy As Swift gets from the vehicle, things are symbolically obvious. Fans are always likely to locate a reason to grumble. Some fans are extremely tough to please. When you truly feel like it's never likely to generate a difference or whenever you don't feel as though you're completely misunderstood. I ran into many issues that I will need to devote some additional time to address. That said I think that it's time to quit forcing him into games. So for quite a long time, I did nothing and simply drifted. You're playing it from dwelling or everywhere else isn't a huge bargain. At such close proximity, he wouldn't have any opportunity to dodge. It may not be better, but it's at the very least a distraction. There's this type of gothic, even surrealistic aesthetic that goes across all them. Everything a part of the exact same thing, he states. In a nutshell, we're witnessing puppets insulting different puppets. But individuals differ, and may not enjoy the exact sort of on-line casino which they do. In 1 instance, she's evaluated as 74% female. People today understand how to switch priority. Many students were having a rough time remembering passwords. The second level was called Enemy Resistance because it might absorb all sorts of poisons that threatened the operator! The main aim of Monarch is to program slaves to have several personas that could be triggered at will. It ought to be a item that enables you to genuinely feel someone and understand what's happening with them and truly feel present with them. You're not likely to find that from the system. Finding the Best Look What You Made Me Do Genius I wished to demonstrate the versatility of cornbread and the way it's employed in many distinct manners and ways, Richards told me over the telephone. It takes quite a bit of hard work, Jobs said, to earn something simple, to genuinely understand the underlying challenges and produce elegant solutions. Apple has just made the procedure of earning a Genius Bar appointment much harder. Make certain you read our whole Geniux review and also have a look at our nootropic purchaser's guide to ensure you receive the appropriate supplement stack for you. He's a superb physician. Because this is the way the small steps which you take gradually become your powerful habits. I truly enjoyed the the alternative of taking this seminar from my house. You must be prepared to start fresh. So, it is a little discouraging. On the contrary, it toggles back and forth between both. Messed-up it is, but it's still surprisingly pleasurable to check at. It is really quite linear and coherent. We support one another's company. Hathaway is also embezzling the CIA provided funds meant for research so he can upgrade his residence. Kenny Omega has a substantial part in the women's division,'' Baker states. He makes every individual on the roster feel appreciated. Understanding Look What You Made Me Do Genius Doug chose to rethink the plan of the MRI scanners. People today unde rstand how to manage a desktop intuitively. All that you want to realize is the information and tips for playing these games within the web. However, as a way to understand the narrative accessible, one wants to a thing or two about Monarch programming. Otherwise, you may use a jigsaw. At this phase, altering the design of the machine would be too costly, so they created an alternate solution. Once you finish this procedure, you can taken to your casino atmosphere. Gumbo where you don't need to stir the roux for one hour. It's the previous time Delton would observe the field against his previous team. But maybe there's just one tag team match, too. I reminded them that if they could answer the question within a couple of minutes, that the project was not going to get legs and they would have to make another selection. We've linked to our research on each one of the ingredients. But they simply offer you 8 minutes to determine if you are interested in getting the offer or it will expire.