How to Make A Great First Impression

How to Make A Great First Impression In the Concise Oxford Dictionary, bild is described as the character or reputation of a person or thing as generally perceived. Within seconds of meeting you, based on a single observed physical trait or behavior, people will assume to know everything about you (Social Psychology by H. Andrew Michener, John D. Delamater and Daniel J. Myers). Furthermore, according to research by Dr. Albert Mehrabian of UCLA, appearance and body language accounts for fifty-five percent of an invaluable first impression. The Relationship between Image and How You Are PerceivedSince light travels faster than sound, you are seen before you are heard. This is why, before uttering a word your visual image will say a multitude about you as an individual (your perceived level of intelligence, competence, affability, self-esteem, confidence, power, beliefs and success) and about the org anization you represent (its philosophy, culture, and voreingestellt of service).The National Research Council of Canadas Caroline Dunn and Lucette Charette found that, People are affected by your appearance, whether or bedrngnis they realize it, and whether or not they think appearance is important.I work in a field that is devoted to assessing people, states Kathryn Ricker, 30, Statistician, Educational Testing Service, Princeton, New Jersey. One of the concepts we talk about is known as the halo effect. That means that if we know certain positive things about a person, we tend to havea generally positive impression of that person, sometimes even in spite of evidence to the contrary. What Im realizing is that the halo effect also extends to a persons appearance. I think that is why a positive first visualimpression is so important. If someone is nicely dressed and looks well put-together, we have greater confidence in his or her abilities even before he or she has said a word. If that is the case, why not always have your halo looking its shiniest?The Relationship between Appearance and Interview SuccessA recent study, conducted by an employment law firm, Peninsula, asked businesses in the United Kingdom what vorstellungsgesprch habit they found most annoying and found that over a quarter were upset by unsuitable clothing or appearance.Pamela Monticelli, 50, Senior Recruiter for Sovereign Bank in Toms River, New Jersey, believes, Especially in the financial industry, which tends to be a more conservative environment, a lot of young people dont understand that we are looking for someone to represent the company. Your appearance is not just representative of you you will also be representing the company the way we want it to be represented. She adds, I have raised four teenagers and every one of them has, at some point, gotten a piercing or tattoo and said, If I am are going to work for XYZ Company they need to accept me for who I am. My children need to under stand that at some point they might have to modify their appearance to fit into a professional environment.Adds Meghan Meyer, 31, Human Resources Manager for The Mercadien Group in Princeton, New Jersey, A comprehensive and well designed resume will get you to the phone screening process. An articulate person, who speaks confidently about his or her skill sets, will land an interview. But it is how you are perceived during the interview that will leave the lasting impression.The Relationship between Clothing and How You Perceive YourselfClothing is an hausintern cue affecting your self-image. Feeling good about how you look can make you feel good about yourself, thus increasing your personal presence.Karen Dixon, 42, Supervisor, The Mercadien Group, Princeton, New Jersey, indicates, Dressing in a professional yet stylish manner can give you a tremendous feeling of confidence that is exhibited to others through your attitude and actions.The opposite is true when we just dont feel rig ht about how were dressed.The Relationship between Clothing and BehaviorWhen you wear more powerful looking clothing (e.g. professional business attire, a suit, darker colors, etc.) and clothing that is appropriate for your profession, it changes your mindset switching from relaxed mode to professional mode. This positive change in attitude is reflected in body language and behavior (e.g. better posture, firmer handshake, maintaining eye contact, sticking to business, etc.), giving you greater visual power.The converse is true for more insignificant or inappropriate clothing choices, such as washed out colors or informal ensembles where more traditional clothing choices are the order of the day. Without you even knowing it, people will take the liberty of interpreting what you are saying via your body language and will judge and respond toward you accordingly.Jackson Lewis, a law firm that specializes in personnel issues, polled more than 1000 human resource executives who implemen ted a dress down policy. They reported a thirty percent increase in flirtatious behavior, contributing to an increase in sexual harassment lawsuits.The Relationship between How You Dress and Your Professional GoalsAn indifferent professional image can adversely affect your professional goals and your organizations bottom line. However, a well-defined and consistent professional image can improve the perception of your professional abilities.Emily Oswald, 22, Account Manager, TrailGraphix, Washington, D.C., in her first job out of college, states, After three months with my company, I was promoted. Out of 300 people in my company, and 35 who hold the same job, I am the youngest. When I meet with clients, typically fifty-year-old attorneys, I dress professionally. There is nothing comfortable about wearing a suit and heels but it does affect how you carry yourself and how you are perceived. Dressing professionally has definitely helped me move up quickly in my company. The first impre ssion, and the second and the third, are important.The Relationship between Dress and Success for Working WomenWhile appearance for both men and women can be a key to success, a survey by Women Work found that seventy-five percent of respondents believe that appearance affects how women are perceived at work more than their male counterparts. Nearly eighty percent of respondents said that clothes, hairstyle and makeup make a significant difference in ones perception and confidence that a woman has the skills and knowledge to perform her job.The Relationship between Local Corporate Culture and multinational Corporate CultureMarkets differ from country to country, state to state and town to town. Where on paper the same dress code policy applies, employees often find that when they travel within their company, they face dress culture shock. This leads to confusion and awkwardness. However, global, cutting-edge organizations understand that employees are an extension of their corporate brand and that, irrespective of where they set up offices, it is vital that the corporate brand is expressed uniformly.10 Thing Employees Can DoDress Appropriately. In a more conservative environment (banking, accounting, law, etc.) dressing alluringly can be perceived as provocative, sabotaging your chances of attracting the kind of attention that wins you credibility. Likewise, in a more artistic industry, dressing in a dark colored, boxy suit will cause people to doubt your creativity.Dress Consistently. Dressing appropriately one day and inappropriately the next sends mixed messages causing confusion for you and the observer.Dress with Special Attention to Color. Research shows that color is a powerful communicator that has emotional and physiological affects on the wearer and observer. Determine what your best colors are and use this information when putting together your professional wardrobe.Dress for Your Body Type. Find out your body type and the best fit for your shape. C lothes that are cut for somebody elses silhouette can make you look disheveled.Dress in the Best Quality You Can Afford. For the discerning wearer, cheap chic can be felt, making you uncomfortable (itchy fabric, poor fit) for the discerning viewer, it can be spotted a mile off. Aim to build a core wardrobe with quality rather than quantity.Dress with Finesse. Never neglect to cultivate and maintain impeccable grooming habits. Little is more off-putting than body and food odors, greasy hair, overdone makeup, torn pantyhose or socks etc. Your attention to detail will show that you care about all the components that make up the big picture. Dress It up a Notch. The more client-oriented your role, the more professional your appearance needs to be. No one wants their banker to look like they just got out of high school or as if theyre heading out for a day at the beach.Dress into the 21st Century. Throw away neongas colored clothes, platforms and loud prints. You dont have to look like y ou just stepped off the pages of Vogue or GQ, but keeping your wardrobe up-to-date shows that youre current rather than old fashioned.Dress for The Part You Want to Play. If you look content with the position you are at, thats exactly where youll stay. Jeanine Rhonstein, Co-Chair, Princeton Community Works, indicates, Often opportunities present themselves to you, not the other way around. If you dress according to where you want others to see you heading, you may find more doors opening.And David Watson, 39, Vice President, TrainRight Solutions in Louisville, Kentucky, seconds by saying, I live by this motto when it comes to professional dress. You dress for where you want to be, not where you are. This means if you are a manager and you want to move to the executive suite, then you better dress like an executive.If Youre Fresh Out of School Get Help. Transitioning from a school wardrobe and environment to your first job can be a daunting task. Find out from your organization if th ey offer professional dress training. If not, hire a specialist.6 Things Employers Can DoDecide if Casual Dress Is Right for Your Company. The start of causal dress days began on the West Coast to encourage creativity. However, based on a survey of 500 companies, Dr. Jeffrey L. Magee, a consulting psychologist, found that continually relaxed dress leads to relaxed manners, relaxed morals, relaxed productivity and an increase in complaints to Human Resources. Make an informed decision about casual dress based on your culture and business goals.Have Policies. Employees are often confused about dress expectations at work. On the one hand, they may receive compliments from their colleagues, and on the other hand, they are reprimanded for not being professionally dressed. Provide clear dress guidelines and follow through if employees do not follow the policy.Provide Professional Appearance and Etiquette Training. Offer employees a professional image seminar if they lack basic know-how i n this area and provide dress code guidelines during new employee orientation.Provide Sexual Harassment Training. Dressing provocatively can lead to flirtatious behavior and increased sexual harassment complaints. Failure to adopt a proactive and aggressive stance on sexual harassment in the workplace can result in costly lawsuits, loss of employee morale, decline in productivity, and an erosion of a companys public image. It is less expensive to implement sexual harassment policies and training than to be involved in one sexual harassment lawsuit. Provide employees with clear examples of inappropriate behavior and dress and train supervisors to deal with complaints.Provide Global Training Programs. Other than marketing materials, your employees are the first point of contact for customers and clients. Ensure that, irrespective of geographical location, employees are on the same page in terms of expected behaviors and company image.Hold Leaders Accountable toModel Your Company Imag e. When leaders fail to live up to your company image, employees become de-motivated and angry. Provide ongoing training, coaching and review of company leaders.The work world demands making a great first impression and keeping it. To communicate more effectively, start by understanding appearance psychology. Doing so can lead to greater professional and personal success. If you dont believe us, then perhaps you will believe Mark Twain, who said, Clothes make the man. Naked people have little or no influence on society.

How to Train your Staff to Deliver Great Customer Service

How to Train your Staff to Deliver Great Customer ServiceHow to Train your Staff to Deliver Great Customer ServiceHow to Train your Staff to Deliver Great Customer Service A. Leonard, author of The Liberated CEO The Nine-Step Program to Running a Better Business so it Doesnt Run You (Wiley, 2014)The biggest threat to customer satisfaction is passive avoidance.In professional tafelgeschirrs firms, retail businesses, and even larger companies, the unplanned questions and concerns of the typical customer often represent a distraction and interruption of a days workflow for many professionals.Customers are people, and when people are treated in a way that makes them feel small or invisible they begin to feel threatened and their satisfaction plummets.In many cases, the customers concern will not align with your urgent priorities but indeed it will be mora important. We embrace disruption for those reasons. By responding to clients concerns whenever they occur, we exceed their expectatio ns. This builds a strong customer bond.Our philosophy is this Nothing you are doing is more important than dealing with that client interruption, ever.We close the loop on the customers request or question with as few pass-arounds and callbacks as possible. Our staff is trained with checklists that teach them a great deal about how we operate, so they can address many types of questions.Heres our process for addressing client calls and queriesWhat Happens when the Phone RingsFirst of all, we do not have a receptionist. In the classic sense, a receptionists job for an incoming phone call is to pass that caller on to someone else.Many times, the caller has to start telling their story to the receptionist so that they can be transferred to the correct extension, only to have to tell the story over again or the client just asks to be transferred to an individual and hopes they do not get voice mail or that they are in fact asking to talk to the correct person.Neither of ansicht scenario s is great for high-touch customer service.When the phone rings in our offices, for the first few rings, it is the job of any and all of the administrative assistants to answer the phone. After a few rings anyone in the office is empowered to answer the call if the caller is a customer, each staffer is given the leverage to answer the question if that question is routine to look up or common knowledge.The goal is twofold1) Get the client the correct answer to their question in as short a period of time as possible, which may mean that the question is noted so that a return caller can have the answer.2) It gets the clients used to looking to the entire organization as being able to address their questions, not a specific employee of the organization.If the client wants to talk to me or a partner, the phone answerer will determine the nature of the request and see if another team member can help immediately (if the principal is not available).Many of these calls are from long-term cli ents who may want to talk to me out of habit by institutionalizing our approach, clients begin to look to the firm as a service brand, not just me or another principal.If the customer has a more complex or more involved request, such as an investment allocation recommendation, a call back may be necessary naturally there are dozens of times a year I stay late at the office to reach out regarding an urgent or delicate customer question.Over time, however, we found that roughly 9 times out of 10 when a customer who initially asked to talk to a principal, another member of the staff could address their concerns without a callback.Great Customer Service is UneconomicalThe best evidence of how this works is anecdotal, but most of the time clients no longer ask to speak with a principal, but rather go directly into their question or request with the person who answers the phone. They have learned to trust our judgment as to who can best address their important issue at hand.Certainly, hav ing almost every phone in the office ring with incoming calls is not the best use of everyones time. It is an interruption and inefficient. That is why many firms hire a receptionist, or worse a computerized system, to route calls.But great customer servicecannot start by welchesting five minutes of a clients time as they figure out with whom they should be talking in an organization, or making them wait for a callback from a voice message they left when others in the company could have provided the answer on the spot.Great customer serviceis many times uneconomical. That is why it is so critical to be as efficient as possible, when appropriate, so that client interruptions are not viewed as interruptions but rather as the opportunity to do what our clients have hired us to do provide great service.Excerpted with permission of the publisher, Wiley, from The Liberated CEO The Nine-Step Program to Running a Better Business so it Doesnt Run You (Wiley, 2014) Copyright (c) 2014 by Scot t A. Leonard. All rights reserved. This book is available at all bookstores and online booksellers. Author BioAuthor BioScott A. Leonard, CFP, is the founding partner of Navigoe, LLC, a leading, full-service wealth management and investment advisory firm. He has a degree in Economics from UCLA. Mr. Leonard has been an instructor at UCLA Extension, teaching courses in the financial planning certificate program. He was the Dean of the School of Investments for NAPFA University, and is a national speaker on topics addressing investments, wealth management and business best practices.Mr. Leonard is a frequently published author, specializing in advanced investment theory, and has been the featured financial planner for the Los Angeles Times weekly Money Makeover column. He is often looked to by the media as an expert in a breadth of financial, business and entrepreneurial topics.Away from the business, Mr. Leonard is busy working with his wife helping to raise their three boys and accli mate to the U.S. after spending 2 years sailing the world with his family.

Cleaning Up Industrial Water

Cleaning Up Industrial Water Cleaning Up Industrial Water Waterclean wateris one of lifes essentials. People need it to live and industry needs it to churn out products ranging from computer chips to electricity. As access to stable supplies of clean, fresh water shrinks, municipalities and industry are looking to other sources and the technologies to cleanse them of salts, minerals, and pollutants. Putting together a successful project requires a host of project participants to maneuver through a range of regulatory, technological, and communication barriers, hopefully following a series of best practices.Identifying and defining those practices, as well as obstacles, is the goal of industry professionals convened by ASME to tackle the development and implementation of industrial demineralization, or desalination, technologies. The group, which met January 28-29 in Washington, D.C., is working along the parameters of an earlier group tasked with investigating best practices and futu re directions of municipal wastewater reuse by electric utilities.There are similarities electric generating stations as well as process plants or other industrial facilities require a water supply treated to specific quality. It is critical that water professionals from the owner define the water chemistry required and communicate that to prospective vendors and engineering-construction firms. The concept seems simple enough but group members agreed it does bedrngnis always occur.What happened to the process engineer? asked Doug Hubbard, manager of generation chemistry standard and controls for American Electric Power, the giant Columbus, OH-based electric utility. Who takes ownership?Forward osmosis desalination plant, located at Al Khaluf in Oman. Image Starsend/Wikimedia CommonsPick and ChooseDesalination, with a long history of producing drinking water from seawater, is not new. But it is energy intensive and expensive. The Middle East is studded with plants, the largest to pro duce 228 million gallons per day, using multi-stage flashing and reverse-osmosis technology. Membrane technology is newer than distallation, with reverse/osmosis being the most widely used ordnungsprinzip for desalination in the U.S. It uses pressure as a force to drive saline water through semipermeable membranes, producing a stream of brine and another of clean product water. It primarily removes sodium and chloride nanofiltration is also a membrane process that removes calcium, magnesium, and sulphates.In the U.S., the most high-profile demineralization project belongs to Carlsbad, CA. The southern California city and San Diego County are being squeezed by higher prices and reduced volume for drinking water brought in from northern California and the Colorado River. The privately owned 50,000-gallon-per-day plant will desalinate seawater for drinking water, meeting about 7% of the regions needs, according to city water officials. But industrial users across the country depend on clean water just as much, and often need their water treated to above federal drinking water standards.Participants also warned of expected zero-liquid-discharge requirements coming in the not-too-distant future. Technically, that can mean building a pond within the industrial plants boundaries but more often it is evaporators, crystalizers, or electrodialysis. All are costly and generally driven by regulatory obligations, often in regions where water is scarce, making reuse cost-effective.At the SourceIdentifying the properties of the source water and defining the quality of the product water are perhaps the first two keys to producing a successful project, agreed workshop members. Ideally, there should be three to five years of data on source water quality to ensure a proper treatment system. Designing and building a system with limited data courts trouble A system designed to greifhandle one type of water could fail, or produce a product that compromises the industrial plants equ ipment.Details are often overlooked because the cost of a water treatment plant is minor compared to overall project costs, said workshop members, who noted that off-the-shelf systems are often recommended by vendors when an engineered system is the better answer.The workshop produced groupings describing characteristics of successful projects and barriers to success. Participants agreed that successful projects have the following characteristics Defensible design basis for inlet water quality and sufficient quality and quantity of inlet and discharge water data, with adequate history. Frequent and meaningful communication among all project participants, including the owner, solution provider, and architecture/engineering firm, potentially written into the contract. The solution provider has proven, successful prior experience. The owner has prioritized cost, performance, reliability, and operability, a thorough cost estimate based on full economic analysis. Performan ce specifications for each piece of equipment are provided.Barriers to success were found to include Unclear project objectives or mid-steam changes in scope. No regulatory drivers to create a sense of urgency. The owners abdication of project management responsibility. Lack of real world experience by design professionals. Anti-innovation bias. Water projects not viewed as a revenue enhancer by owners financial staff, a view that often results in an inadequate final system.The group will review the findings with the goal of producing a report to enhance best practices and future initiatives within the industry.What I need is a document that becomes the industry best practice or standard for desalination system and equipment design, said Hubbard. Something that forces everybodys hand to do this right.What I need is a document that becomes the industry best practice or standard for desalination system and equipment design. Something that forces everybodys hand to do this right.Doug Hubbard, American Electric Power

How to Reach the World Series in Five Years

How to Reach the World Series in Five Years How to Reach the World Series in Five Years For longer than any of you currently reading this have been alive, this year’s World Series teams have been losers - sometimes lovable, legendarily cursed, often achingly close, but nonetheless, losers at the art of winning baseball’s top honor.This year the Cubs, who last won the World Series in 1908, and the Indians, whose last victory was 1948, reached the peak of their sport. What can you learn from their successes to reach the peak of yours?This terrific recap from Jarrett Seidler at Baseball Prospectus walks through Theo Epstein’s step-by-step transformation of the Cubs  from consecutive last-place cellar dwellers to today’s dominant franchise. In just five years, he and his new team reached the World Series.On the other side, the Cleveland Indians were largely pegged to be a mediocrity again this year - ESPN rated them 17th in their season preview.That these two teams are now the greatest in the game is part of the magic of sports. It’s renewal, it’s redemption, it’s failing to remember the setbacks of last year as you pursue the glory of this one.Perhaps that inspires us most about sports. It’s the constant reminder, amidst a tumult of statistics and trivia and rumor and egos, that we can overcome and we can emerge victorious, despite the odds.And that reminds you that you, too, can overcome.Whether you are charting your rocketship to the stars, or contemplating setbacks of your own, this year’s baseball drama is a reminder that five years can change everything. And the best way to change five years from now is to change this year. And the best way to change this year is to change today.For sports team, picking the goal is easy - win the championship, raise your arms in victory, lift the trophy high.For you, picking the goal is part of the freedom, and part of the curse, of having choice in your career.What is your goal, your choice, your desire?Is it getting to the next promotion? Or the promotion after that? Is it getting into a more lucrative, more rewarding, or more fulfilling role in life? Is it changing industries, changing fields, or changing cities? Or is it just change, whatever form it may take? Change that takes you away from the drudgery of today and gets you to a new place in your career?Whatever your goals, whatever your dreams, the best way to become the champion you want to be is to follow the same simple steps that transformed the Cubs and Indians:1. Set your goalWhat’s a thrilling place you’d like to be in five years? While the randomness of life means you probably can’t pick the title, the company, the place and the day - too much is out of your control - you can set simple goals. “Be a VP, Marketing” or “Manage a large team of software engineers” or “Progress my sales career to where I’m carrying a $10 mm book of business” all make sense as simple, easy-to-understand goals to aspire to.2. Make the planKeeping it simple, what are the steps to getting there? The Cubs didn’t do it all in one year and neither can you. Break down your goals into something you can actually achieve each year - getti ng the promotion, or improving your results, or out-performing your boss’ expectations.3. Go to practiceIt’s remarkably simple to be successful, but hard to do. As Silicon Valley star Keith Rabois  tweeted Saturday: “I have never met a single successful person who didn’t get there by outworking other (exempting VCs).”4. Play like a champion todayMixing sports inspiration, this Notre Dame football slogan captures the essence of being a winner. Every day, every meeting, every client call, every code review, every focus group, every industry conference, every slideshow, every day, you need to decide how much you want to be a champion.If the answer comes back “very, very badly”, then your results will predictably follow.So with the Cubs and the Indians in the World Series, Readers, it’s a sure thing that they can’t  both lose.But we can also say that they’ve both won already.And for you too, the choice is yours. I’ll look forward to seeing you hold your championshi p trophy high.I’m rooting for you!

The 1 painfully obvious reason nobody follows you on social media

The 1 painfully obvious reason nobody follows you on social media The 1 painfully obvious reason nobody follows you on social media The social media world  is in need of some serious tough love.I have been immersed in the world of “digital marketing” for a long time. I’ve run social media accounts for both big brands and small brands, as well as individuals and thought leaders. I have guest blogged. I have been a ghostwriter. And I have built a company focused around building industry experts into thought leaders- specifically on the internet.Follow Ladders on Flipboard!Follow Ladders’ magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more!I have been doing this since I was a teenager. Back before Facebook popped, I was one of the most-read gaming bloggers on the internet. More recently, I hit 25,000,000 views on Quora. I have over 50,000 followers on Instagram. I have had articles published in every major digital publication: Time.com, Forbes.com, Fortune.com, The Huffington Post, Business Insider, and more. And I have worked on the growth strategies of several established YouTubers and  social-media influencers.Do you know what I’ve learned through all of this?You either do social media the right way or don’t do it at allIt is astounding to me how casually people say things like  â€œGuys, we need more Instagram followers,” or  â€œWe need to be on Snapchat. Everybody is on Snapchat.”Why? Why do you need to be on Snapchat?Is that where your customers are?Are you going to provide them any value?Do you have the resources to sustain that value for the long term?Let me explain, in plain language, how social media works:Social media is like a fanâ€"the thing you put in your room in the summer when it’s hot outside. The more you post, the more the fan whirs and spins and provides air. If you don’t post, the fan stops. And when the fan stops, it is no longer worthwhile, and you throw it away and go find a new fan.This is issue No. 1. People think of social media as a “campaign.” They think, “We will be really, really active for a while, and then we will eventually get to a point where we no longer need to do it so much.”Wrong.You stop, and your followers leave. And actually, the bigger you get, the harder you have to work to continue raising the bar for yourself.Issue No. 2  (and this is more important), is that what type of content you post determines whether your fan (we’re back to the fan metaphor now) fires out nice, cool, helpful air  or stuffy, annoying air that smells like the inside of an airplane.Think about how much material there is out on the internet to look at. I could go look at sports cars, or I could look at attractive models, or I could go see what Kanye West said on TV that caused some celebrity to freak out, or I could watch Justin Bieber fall on stage, or I could watch Donald Trump bloopers, or I could watch an amputee squat 200 pounds, or I could…. The list goes on and on.Do you really think, then, that anyone cares about your two sales reps standing in front of a poorly designed step-and-repeat event banner, in a photo that is so darkly lit you can’t tell if it’s a guy and a girl, or two girls, or whatâ€"although  it doesn’t even matterâ€"with copy that says  â€œSo proud of our team!”And internally, the company or brand (or agency working on its behalf) that posts this atrocious piece of content  is saying, “This is great. People love to see the people behind the brand.”You’re right, people do love to see the people behind the brand.Just not like that.I eagerly  await  the day the masses start to realize that creating really great content is not easy. And to say, “We need to create great content and post on our social media,” without allocating any budget or any talented resources to those efforts is pretty much the same as saying, “We need to all start playing guitar” without signing anyone up for lessons and expecting that the next day your Facebook page will ring out with high-quality videos of your entire team playing “Stairway to Heaven.”Do you want to know why nobody follows you on social media? Even if you post every day, do you want to know why you aren’t growing at all?Because you are not providing enough value to your followers. Not even close.Let’s take, for example, how to structure an amazing Instagram post:1. PhotographyFirst and foremost, unless the photo is breathtaking, don’t even bother. That needs to be your mentality. Now, will they all be breathtaking? Probably not. But that’s the standard you should hold for yourself and your brand. Every photo matters  and contributes to the larger portrait you are trying to paint. With every photo  you are competing against all the other millions and millions of photos out there. Stage it right. Craft it right. Edit it right. Do it right.2. First ParagraphPeople think Instagram  means short captions. Wrong.Provide. People. Value. Let’s say you’re a window manufacturer. Which is more helpful to a customer, a caption that says, “Another be autiful day!” or a caption that says, “The difference between double-pane and triple-pane windows is the fact that double-pane windows…” and off you go. Teach them something. Show them how to do it on their own. Give them a reason to stop, look at the photo, and actually take away a valuable piece of information.3. Second Paragraphâ€"Added ValueAre you done? No! After you’ve already taught them something valuable, encourage them to go somewhere else to learn even more. Maybe you just posted an amazing blog about how to install your own double-pane windows. Put that link in your Instagram bio  and let people know that if they need more help, they can click that link.4. PromotionAt the end of your post, in a very clean, professional, “signature” sort of way, give yourself and your business a little shameless promotion. Let people know about a sale that is going on  or where they can sign up to receive discounts in the future, etc. It’s best to do this every few posts, instead of every day.5. HashtagsAnd finally, include a handful of relevant hashtags  so that your page can gain a bit of visibility. But be classy about itâ€"there’s no need to go overboard. Just a few are all you need.Imagine this level of detail, every single day, twice a day, for one or two years straight.On one platform.That’s how you build an audience.The problem is that 99 percent of people don’t want to put in this much effort, or they hire agencies that promise “daily posting” but do little more than fulfill that measurable requirement. And yet 100 percent  of people want more followers, want more business, want more engagement, want more likes, want more blah blah blah.Facebook ads, in particular, have done a scary thing. They have led people to believe that all these things can be “bought.” And in a sense, they can.I am a firm believer that if you can’t see growth organically, without an ad spend, then what you  do  end up spending on ads is masking the rea l issue. It’s not your ad spend that’s the problemâ€"it’s your content. And content that performs well without an ad spend  is content that crushes it with an ad spend behind it.So, just like you wouldn’t take a flyer designed in 12 minutes by your half-cousin’s high school senior,  plop it in a magazine, then wonder  why your revenue for the month hasn’t skyrocketed, stop sitting there wondering why nobody is following you on social media without putting the necessary amount of effort into the equation.Social media is hard. I would knowâ€"I’ve been doing it for a long, long time.But in all honesty, social media is just a tool.The real challenge is understanding how to be heard in a noisy market.How do you do that?You provide more VALUE than anyone else.This article originally appeared in Inc Magazine and was republished by Minutes.    You might also enjoy… New neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy Strangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds 10 lessons from Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule that will double your productivity The worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs 10 habits of mentally strong people

How You Can Use Empathy to Improve Your Workplace

How You Can Use Empathy to Improve Your Workplace How You Can Use Empathy to Improve Your Workplace What is empathy? Simply put, it’s the ability to understand the feelings and emotions of other people. Empathy in the workplace is just an application of general empathy. Some people are naturally good at this and can’t imagine any other way to be than empathetic. Other employees aren’t as keyed into the feelings of other people. It’s not a morality issue, so don’t worry if you don’t naturally perceive the emotions of those around you. But empathy is also taught, as evidenced by the fact that college students today are 40 percent less empathetic than college students 30 years ago. So, obviously, something has changed in society. Empathy in the Workplace A 2018 State of Workplace Empathy Study by Businessolver found that 96 percent of employees surveyed believed it was important for their employers to demonstrate empathy. On the other hand, 92 percent thought that empathy remains undervalued. And eight of 10 employees, HR professionals and CEOs agreed that an empathetic workplace has a positive impact on business performance, motivating workers and increasing productivity. Thus, using empathy in the workplace can make life better for everyone. First, here are four ways to develop empathy in yourself. 4 Ways to Build Empathy in Yourself to Improve Your Workplace   Psychologist Marcia Reynolds provides four ways to build empathy: Be quiet, inside and out.Fully watch as well as listen.Ask yourself what you are feeling.Test your instinct. You can also apply these four ways ?in your workplace. Here’s how to apply each one in your workplace. Be Quiet, Inside and Out If your brain is constantly going, going, going, it’s hard to stop and see and feel what is going on around you in the workplace. Often, when things get busy, and you get stressed, you can forget your own feelings, let alone the feelings of others. Most people will agree with the old adage that “no one says on their death bed that they wished they’d spent more time at work.” But, agreeing with the adage doesn’t stop people from working way too many hours. Why is that? Because being busy and having a “loud” brain can drown out your true feelings- that your families and friends and life outside of work are more important than your job. So every day, stop and breathe, or take a walk at lunch, just to clear your head. A bit of quiet helps you figure out what you are really thinking and feeling. (See step three.) Fully Watch as Well as Listen Listening isn’t just hearing words but seeking to understand. Watching is also critical to building your ability to empathize with other people. Body language can often tell you more about what people think and feel than their words can. To build empathy in the workplace, you need to see your coworkers, bosses and direct reports to help you understand their feelings. When you all work in the same place, that is easy. You can tell that Jane is going through a rough time because she’s walking around hunched over and keeping to herself, whereas she normally walks straight and says hi to everyone she passes. You can tell that Steve is on cloud nine because he’s practically skipping down the hall. But how do you build empathy in the workplace if you’re all working from home, or your team is spread out across several sites? This often happens in Human Resources. You may have one HR person per physical location, but you are each other’s coworkers and support system. You not only need empathy towards the people at your site but towards your fellow HR people. Using video conferencing instead of just teleconferencing can help you watch and listen to your colleagues. Some people resist the idea of video conferencing because they don’t feel comfortable on camera. That’s understandable, but that discomfort can help everyone understand each other better. Your tone of voice is also critical and speaking with one another instead of communicating almost exclusively by email, text, Slack, or other messaging services can help you build empathy. This is because you understand what your coworker thinks and feels. Or at least you understand their feelings a bit better. Ask Yourself What You Are Feeling Wait, wasn’t this about building empathy towards others?  Yes, but you need to understand your feelings if you want to understand the feelings of others. Dr. Reynolds recommends using an emotional inventory several times a day to analyze how you are feeling. When you stop and think, “How am I feeling right after I got a new, huge assignment?” and the answer is, “excited and overwhelmed,” then you can apply that to others around you. “Jane just got the new project that will take up every waking moment for the next six months. She must be feeling overwhelmed with all the work, and she might be feeling excited if she thinks this will help her towards a promotion.” When you know that you’ll feel overwhelmed by a new challenge; you can make a good guess that another person is feeling overwhelmed at the same thing. If you have a hard time evaluating your own feelings, using this emotional inventory can help increase your skill in this area. As you become more adept at understanding your own feelings, you’ll get better at understanding the feelings of the people around you. Not everyone experiences the same feelings at the same issues as you do, though, so act carefully, which leads to step four. Test Your Instinct to Become Empathetic There’s a reason this is step four and not step one. You don’t want to just walk up to people and say, “Hey, I bet you’re angry at your low raise.” That remark will not go over well. You need to take care by testing your instinct- but do start. Think back to the earlier example of Jane receiving a new, labor-intensive project. You’ve examined your feelings after getting a similar assignment, and you felt overwhelmed and excited about it. You want to test if Jane is feeling the same way. Consider the following: Why do you need to know how she is feeling? If it’s just nosiness, forget it. But, if you work near Jane or have insights into her project or are already good friends with her, checking with her will help you support her.What will you do with this knowledge? If it’s just a fist pump of “hey, I am totally nailing this empathy thing,” it’s silly. But if you want to do the right thing by Jane, knowing is important. If you’re wrong, finding out early can help you support her. After all, you may see this project as a stepping stone, but Jane may see it as a burden that is keeping her from accomplishing her real goals. With these two things in mind, you can approach Jane, “Wow, Jane, I just heard you got the new Acme project. That’s huge. I would feel overwhelmed by that but also excited about the growth opportunities. How are you feeling?” Note that you are not saying, “Wow. You must be simultaneously excited and overwhelmed!” You are telling her your feelings and waiting for her to tell you hers. She may or may not feel like sharing. She may or may not know exactly how she is feeling. Regardless of her answer, you are there to support your coworker. If she responds that she is excited and overwhelmed, congratulate her on her next step up the career ladder. Offer her any help that you can give. If she says, “Nah, I did a project almost exactly like this at my last job. This will be a piece of cake,” then say, “Wow, awesome. No wonder they gave it to you. You’ll be able to do it with your eyes closed.” If she bursts into tears and says this is the wrong direction for her career. It will take too much time away from her family. If she actually sees it as a punishment for her bad sales figures last quarter, you have to exhibit empathy and stick around to talk with her. You can’t push people to open up about their feelings and run when they do. That behavior makes for a less pleasant, empathetic workplace. Overall, when you use empathy in the workplace, you can understand your coworkers better. This means that you can function more as a team. And that’s great for any business. Suzanne Lucas is a freelance journalist specializing in Human Resources. Suzannes work has been featured on notes publications including Forbes, CBS, Business Insider and Yahoo.

Being Too Good at Your Job Can Be Bad - The Muse

Being Too Good at Your Job Can Be Bad - The Muse Being Too Good at Your Job Can Be Bad You know the term rock star is an annoying, overused hiring cliché. But, lets be real: That’s just the kind of employee you are. Your interviewer told you- on the spot- that you were the perfect candidate. You got the salary and perks you wanted, and your boss has yet to give you a project you couldn’t handle. And yet, you’ve recently started to notice some strange things happening. For example, you’re no longer the first choice to spearhead projects. Or, when you share brilliant ideas with your supervisor, he’s started pushing back that he’d really like things done a different way. When did he stop seeing your genius? There’s no easy way to say this, but it could be that your success has gone to your head- and you’re behaving as if you’re the best thing to ever happen to your company. And that’s one of the worst things for your career growth. Not only are you no longer learning (because you know everything), but you’re putting yourself in precarious waters with your boss. Concerned this might be you? Here’s how to diagnose if you’re on this path- and what you can do about it: Is This You? Everything’s a Negotiation You imagine a workflow where your boss assigns you a project, you share your ideas for moving forward, and- with no more than some minor tweaks- he tells you to go for it. But that couldn’t be further from reality. The assignments you do get don’t allow much room for interpretation. And when you share an idea, you have to fight for it every step of the way. Every email becomes a back-and-forth chain, and the more ardently you tell your boss you know what you’re doing, the more he pushes back that he’d really like you to follow his directions. Other Colleagues Aren’t Having the Same Problems Your boss is a hard-to-please nightmare, and you can’t wait for drinks with your work BFF, so you can swap stories about just how awful he is. Except, your co-worker’s experience is totally different. For the most part, she’s really vibing with your supervisor. In fact, it seems like you’re the only teammate in the doghouse. You’re always picked last and you’re routinely being passed over for projects you want. You’ve mentioned it, but nothing’s changing. You’re No Longer Getting Good Feedback- From Anyone Chatting with a few colleagues you trust is beneficial in more ways than one. Along with hearing if they too think your boss is on a rampage, you can get some feedback from a third party. Let’s say your manager never has anything nice to say about your ideas. What about your co-workers? Are they all over your latest suggestion, because, yes, it is life-changing, or are they politely thanking you for your input- and sticking to the original plan? If no one is praising your suggestions, odds are it’s not just your boss. No matter how smart you are, you’re kinda out of sync with the general direction of your department. What Now? OK, so you read the above and nodded nonstop. But, you’re not sure what to do next. It’s not your fault you’re good at your job (like really good). Unfortunately, believing you’re supremely talented can be an obstacle in the workplace (even if it’s true). Not only does it isolate you from the rest of your team, but it can also lead you to thinking- and acting on the idea- that you don’t need a boss. In fact, you may start to assume your current one’s just a figurehead, even a nuisance. You might think getting along with her is perfunctory- but it’s not. She’s (usually) in charge for a reason. And she’s typically not thrilled when someone starts reacting to her feedback like it’s just unnecessary suggestions. The scary news is: To stay relevant, you need to make a change. But the good news is: You can- starting today. Because you can alter how you interact with her and how you go about your day-to-day in the office. Let’s start with the constant back-and-forth. If your response is to keep hammering away at why you’re right, odds are you aren’t listening. Rather, you’re focused on winning the conversation. (Which, for the record, isn’t how conversations with your boss work.) So, treat the next few weeks like an experiment. Complete projects as they’re assigned without pushing back. Make a promise to yourself to only ask questions for clarification (not to prove a point). If you find the praise ramping back up again, take that as a sign that you’re back on the right path. And if she seems to have it in for you? Take a step back from the situation and know this: Making her suddenly see why her way sucks is going to be really hard- especially when her approach doesn’t seem to be bothering anyone else. Yes, you can decide she’s threatened by your brilliance and that this isn’t worth your time (along with a host of other excuses). Or, you can choose to go all in on demonstrating you want your job. Along with following your boss’ directions, seek out more feedback, not less (and not just from your supervisor, but also from your teammates). For example: When you turn projects in, ask what you can do to make them even better, and seek to incorporate those pointers in future work. And, when you’re tempted to push back- ask “Why?” instead. Not like a petulant child, but because you’re genuinely curious as to why something should be done a certain way. Either you’ll get some useful insight into your boss’ quirks and pet peeves, or better yet, you’ll learn that her way’s truly better for sound and valid reasons. If you’re worried that your once rising star is falling because of your boss, you’ll lose nothing by trying the strategies above. At worst, you’ll have learned a new approach to dealing with someone you don’t understand- a vital workplace skill. At best, you’ll see improvements to your workload and your relationship with your manager, which will help you feel more confident about your career path and your future at the company. Photo of winner courtesy of Shutterstock.

How to Prep Your References for HRs Potential Call

How to Prep Your References for HR's Potential Call How to Prep Your References for HR's Potential Call Prepping your references can make all the difference in whether you get the job you want - or not. A positive reference check, especially with a former manager or supervisor, is a priority in the hiring decisions of many employers. A reference check is their only opportunity to receive, hopefully frank, direct feedback about you and your history of job performance. This information is essential as your prospective Human Resources department makes the determination that your skills and experience will be a good fit for the job. They also need to know whether your professionalism and work style are a good fit for their company culture. Both of these pieces of information should be readily available to them if you have properly prepared your references for HRs call. How to Properly Prepare Your References Several steps can significantly help you prepare your potential references to truly reinforce your professionalism and competence when they are contacted by prospective HR departments or bosses. Make sure that you take these actions to ensure that you are selected when you find your dream job. To prepare your references properly, ask to make sure that the individual wants to serve as a reference for you. If the person agrees, tell them what areas of your strengths and contributions youd like them to emphasize when they are called by prospective employers. This will help them know what to say so that they can help you land your dream job.Ask your references what they will say about you when the call comes from HR. You will appreciate knowing what your reference believes positively about you. Their thoughts also tell you what the background checker will find. Do make sure that your references are prepared to respond favorably when the potential employer calls to do a reference check. Ask your references if theyd like a heads up from you when you expect HR will call them. Some will so that they feel adequately prepared; others are comfortable talking off the cuff when called to support your candidacy.  Most wont, but asking your potential references is smart. Your call to your references to discuss these three matters gives you the opportunity to emphasize how important their timely response is to your job search. It also gives you the opportunity to describe the job, why you want the job, and how they can help you obtain the job. Reference Checking Gone Awry A midwestern manufacturing company had eliminated the competition and settled upon two candidates for their open job. Both candidates were superficially well-qualified. However, reference checks and background checks are a critical component before making any job offer. They started with a reference check of their preferred candidate. She had the field to herself until it took the company three weeks to check her references. A second qualified candidate had also come to their attention during this extended reference check time period. What did the primary candidate do wrong? She included no reference phone numbers on her application nor on her resume. Her listed references were coworkers, not bosses, so HR had to dig for the numbers of her former supervisors. Indeed, HR had to dig for the phone numbers of her listed references. Several references never returned the companys phone calls for over two weeks. HR finally had to loop in the candidate to get her help to contact the references. She should have been on this before HR started calling to check the references, and her references should have known that they would receive calls. They should have been informed about how important their participation was in the decision about whether the candidate would receive a job offer. The reference checks and their preparation should have been a priority for the candidate. Instead, she let another candidate get her foot in the door and she lost her stated dream job. The primary candidate truly blew it. The second candidate, who was identified during the reference checking delay, was hired for the position. Final Thoughts on Prepping References In a nutshell, make sure your references know that you expect the potential employer will call them. According to Alison Doyle, Job Search Expert: According to a Society for Human Resource Management  (SHRM) survey more than eight of ten human resource professionals said that they regularly conduct reference checks for professional (89 percent), executive (85 percent), administrative (84 percent) and technical (81 percent) positions. Regular reference checks were less likely, but still probable, for skilled-labor, part-time, temporary and seasonal positions. Information routinely provided to references checkers by surveyed employers included dates of employment, eligibility for rehire, salary history, and employability. There are specific types of questions the potential employer will ask  when they call your references. Make sure that your references are ready to answer these questions in a timely, optimistic, positive, honest, open manner. Ask your references to please chat up your strengths, as they can make all of the difference in whether you are hired for your dream job.

How to Make a Successful Cold Call in a Job Search

How to Make a Successful Cold Call in a Job Search How to Make a Successful Cold Call in a Job Search Making an unsolicited call to an employer to schedule a meeting or job interview is challenging. It can be nerve-wracking to pick up the phone to call someone you don’t know and ask them about job openings, but it works. If you can get to the right person, you’ll have an opportunity to pitch your skills and start the process of being considered for a job. How to Use a Cold Call to Connect With Employers A careful approach and some persistence will enhance your chances of success.  Providing the employer with a preview of your qualifications prior to your call and referencing a referral can help you get access to company insiders.   Are you ready to give cold calling a try? Review these tips for connecting with employers by cold calling and give them a try. You have nothing to lose, and a lot to gain, by spending some time cold calling. 11 Tips for Making a Successful Job Search Cold Call 1. Send your resume and cover letter ahead of time and mention that you will call to explore opportunities. Your contact will be more likely to take your call if you have sparked some interest with your documents.  Also, if your call is screened by a gatekeeper, you will be able to say that you are calling to follow-up on a communication.  Here’s an example of a cold call cover letter you can edit to fit your own circumstances. 2. Cold calls will be more likely to get results when you connect with department managers than with human resources staff. Try to identify the person who would supervise the type of job you’re interested in and reach out to that person. 3. Offer to schedule a time to talk. Recognize whether your contact seems too busy to talk. If so, ask for a better time at a later date to discuss opportunities. If you can achieve this, you have converted a cold call into an appointment.   4. Reach out to your LinkedIn contacts, family, friends, college alumni, and other professional associates to identify contacts at your target organization. Ask for a referral to the hiring manager who you plan to call.  If you source a referral, then you can open your call with a statement like John Brown suggested I reach out to you. 5. Prepare a concise and compelling opening statement that summarizes your reason for calling. Emphasize your high level of interest in exploring options at the organization and how you can add value.  A brief elevator pitch will help you get the conversation started. 6. Share your qualifications. Be ready to support your case with examples of how you have successfully applied your skills in the past.   7. Be prepared for resistance. Anticipate objections like lack of experience or skills on your part and prepare counter points proving that you could excel if hired. 8. Ask for the next step. Close the conversation with a specific request such as an in-person meeting or referral to another individual involved in hiring. If the employer states that no jobs are available, ask about the possibility of an informational meeting to explore future opportunities.   9. Follow up with a communication thanking the individual for their time. Reaffirm your interest and briefly reiterate how you might make a contribution. Provide a link (such as your LinkedIn URL) to your portfolio and recommendations to provide further evidence of your viability as a candidate. Forward another copy of your resume in case they havent seen or saved your document.  Here is a list of thank you letter examples for a variety of circumstances. 10. Don’t give up if you can’t get through. Many calls will be routed to voicemail. Be ready to leave a short message highlighting the basis of your interest and the key assets that you would bring to the employer. Request a call back to explore options but also mention that you will reach out to them again, so you dont lose control of the initiative. There is a fine line between admirable persistence and pestering an employer. Wait a week between calls and limit yourself to three total calls in most cases.   11. Keep trying. Cold calling is a numbers game, so be prepared to make many unsuccessful calls before experiencing success. Try setting a goal of making ten calls a day to stay fresh and spread out the frustration. Do your best to keep it positive to maintain an enthusiastic tone for each call despite the tedium of repetition. After all, each call is a new opportunity to connect with a company you’d like to work for. Try Cold Calling Networking Contacts Too Reaching out to networking contacts who can help your job search is another effective use of cold calling. People who you can talk to on the phone, and perhaps meet in person, are more likely to help than those who receive a random email or message from a connection. Take the time to try a few networking cold calls, and if it works for you, add cold calling to your list of job hunting and career building strategies.

The most important element in creative work

The most important element in creative work The most important element in creative work Kate walks on the beach in front of me, her father to her right.I don’t know what, exactly, I am looking for. Something, anything, which shows they share a gene pool- a 6th toe maybe? A flair on the right pinky which had been passed down through generations of Thompson feet?Follow Ladders on Flipboard!Follow Ladders’ magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more!Flesh squished into sand as the ocean splashed up on our ankles.With each step, I became more and more disappointed. Their footprints looked the same.In fact,  all  of our footprints looked the same.In fact,  all  of our footprints looked the same.It is this upsetting same-ness which I have been fighting lately.I wake up and there is water and then there is walking the dog and then there is pulling the dog away from someone’s old food. I get back to the house and there is coffee and then some work and then Kate is awake and it’s time to make her tea. Inevitably we d o some chores for the day and work on a house which is somehow always in need of work and then probably do some laundry which is always in need of watching. Then there is food and then there is bed.Movies and books aren’t making it better.Protagonists are predictably tragic, then triumphant. Antagonists are evil until they are misunderstood. Monsters aren’t different or more scary, just bigger. Boy meets girl and then girl hates him and then later they fall in love. The faces and names and actors are interchangeable. And after studying how money works in the creative space, I am all too aware why producers are drawn to these safe projects.I was ready to begin writing about the death of art, prepared to proclaim how far our species has fallen.BUT THEN.I watched a movie. It was not a groundbreaking movie. It was not an original movie. It was not a special movie. It is not a movie I ever want to watch again.In the middle of this safe, studio produced, orange-and-teal colored Blockb uster - all the things I thought I hated - I found hope.The movie was Creed II.In the final scene, Creed is nearly knocked out cold. Swaying as he stands, the official asks him a question to make sure brain cells are still firing:“What is your name?”Creed looks right at the camera, a mountain of testosterone in the middle of the frame, and says:“Creed.”The referee - once more:“What is your name?” “CREED!”I get goosebumps just thinking about it now. All the buildup of these Rocky movies, including the ones with the original Creed, paid off in a single line. Without this line, Creed II is just a movie about boxing. The finale meaningless spectacle.I won’t talk about why that line specifically matters, I’ll just say this:Details matter most.It’s Eleven’s costume change in season 3 of Stranger Things. It’s the yellow towel hanging in the background of Annie. It’s a Dixie Chicks picture on the wall of a Taylor Swift video. It’s Christian Bale 150 pounds heavier than he should be, bowing his head to his chest in a scene where he is Dick Cheney pondering whether he should be Vice President.Zoom in closer, and you don’t see my wife’s sandy footprint. You see the history of her DNA, a maze of lines telling the story of her ancestry. Her father shares some of the same lines, as does her grandfather, and his father. Scan every face in our species and you will almos t always find two eyes, two ears, two nostrils, one mouth. And a footprint without details is identical to the one next to it. People are either brown or white or dark brown or bright white.Calling all of life the same is a cynic’s exit.Soak in the details instead.Much love as always ??- Todd BThis article first appeared on Medium.

Federal Hiring of Clinicians Continues Strong

Federal Hiring of Clinicians Continues Strong Federal Hiring of Clinicians Continues Strong Federal Hiring of Clinicians Continues Strong Even as the healthcare industry struggles to restructure, the VHA continues hiring clinicians at a steady pace. These desirable jobs go to candidates who have the resources to work effectively with federal HR specialists and hiring managers. Yes, healthcare employment continues to grow overall, even as the staged implementation of the Affordable Care Act (also known as Obamacare) pressures providers to control costs, including payroll. But healthcare reform does cause disruptions in hiring. In May, even as total employment in the industry continued to grow, hospitals cut 6,000 positions, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There are huge hospital mergers going on for the ACA, so we can anticipate a surplus among some clinical specialties, says Russ Peal, associate director for healthcare recruitment with the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) in Dallas. There are a wide range of federal clinical job opportunities. Meanwhile, there are job vacancies in federal healthcare and mental health in all 50 states and DC and they are not mainly concentrated inside the beltway. Healthcare jobs are available with federal entities such as the Department of Health and Human Services, the National Institutes of Health and the National Institute of Mental Health but most of all with Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). We recruit for a wide range of medical occupations, says Peal. Were looking for physicians, nurses and pharmacists, and particularly for mental-health nurses and psychiatrists. With many clinical occupations still in high demand, the VHA works hard to bring in qualified candidates. We try to accommodate both the geographic preferences of candidates and of course the needs of the VA, says Peel. In addition to its more than 150 medical centers across the country, the VHA operates 700 community-based outpatient clinics and provides telehealth services to veterans in rural areas. VA healthcare job postings are listed at vacareers.va.gov. When both salary and benefits are considered, compensation for many federal medical jobs is competitive. Federal nursing jobs range from certified nursing assistant to nurse educator to certified registered nurse anesthetist, paying up to $146,300 at the VHA. The department is also looking for specialists ranging from physical therapists to supervisory pharmacists, who may earn up to $114,517. Federal vacancy announcements also include psychiatrists, family therapists and an associate chief of staff for mental health service, which pays as much as $235,000. What does the future hold for VHA? There are more than 20 million American armed forces veterans potentially needing healthcare services from the VA. Although the total number of veterans is decreasing, medical expenditures continue to increase with the aging of veterans of World War II and the Korean and Vietnam wars. The proportions of women and minorities among veterans are steadily increasing, providing diverse challenges for clinicians. Weve averaged about 16,000 healthcare hires per year over the past 5 years,” says Peal. Many practitioners will find that the Veterans Health Administration provides its own brand of professional rewards. You couldn’t ask for a more appreciative and compliant patient population than clinicians find at the VA, says Peal. The federal hiring system is demanding. Doctors, nurses and other practitioners, accustomed to the private healthcare labor market where they are often in great demand, may underestimate how much tightly crafted information they must put into their response to a federal vacancy announcement. Clinicians who dont understand and follow the application process meticulously could lose out on opportunities, even ones theyre well qualified for. You may think its obvious that you have all of the requisite qualifications if you have years of experience as a nurse anesthetist,” says Kathryn Troutman, president of The Resume Place in Washington, D.C. “Government Human Resources Specialists need to see all of your certifications, work experience, dates, specializations and training on paper in your federal resume. They will not make any assumptions about your training or work experience duties.” Most clinicians arent accustomed to creating a resume with this degree of detail, so it may pay to get professional help to land one of these excellent clinical healthcare opportunities.

The Honest to Goodness Truth on Data Analyst Resume Examples

The Honest to Goodness Truth on Data Analyst Resume Examples The New Angle On Data Analyst Resume Examples Just Released Data analytics (DA) is the procedure of examining data sets so as to draw conclusions about the information that they contain, increasingly with the help of specialized systems and software. You might not necessarily incorporate each of the above things in your data analysis, though it's probable you're going to want to include no less than a few. You must know just what data analysis is before you may comprehend the procedure. The expression data analysis can be utilized as a synonym for data modeling. There are several different ways of collecting data. Distinct kinds of graphs are suitable for different experiments. There are various data analysis strategies, based on the kind of research. Therefore, prior to starting your data collection, you understand that you've got a lot to learn about the respective techniques and techniques of gathering data. Choosing Data Analyst Resume Examples Effective analysts are normally adept with a number of numerical methods. Data analysis is part of a bigger process of deriving business intelligence. The benefits of information analysis are almost too numerous to count, and a few of the most rewarding benefits include things like getting the correct information for your company, getting more value out of IT departments, creating more effective advertising and marketing campaigns, gaining a better comprehension of consumers, etc. Receiving professional assistance from an experienced statistical consultant is among the successful ways to g et your chapter 4 done exemplary on time. You are now in a position to see if what has been collected is useful in answering your initial question. There are many kinds of data cleaning that depend on the kind of data like phone numbers, email addresses, employers etc.. You will also have to find a manner of combining all of the info you've got. It's possible to contact our information desk for guidance if you become stuck somewhere in the practice. Data is information, usually in the shape of facts or statistics which can be analysed. The data thus obtained, might not be structured and might contain irrelevant info. Maybe you've resolved to collect employee information with a survey. There's so much strategic info to be found in the data a business accumulates. Data analysts collect, process and execute statistical analyses of information. The Process of Data Analysis Once a researcher has decided to run a study, they need to go through a procedure to complete it. Exploratory data analysis needs to be interpreted carefully. Companies that aren't leveraging data analytic instruments and techniques are falling apart. It's possible to merge a couple of tables to create a single visualization that includes sets of information. The truth of the analysis depends upon the caliber of data. Students are requested to figure out which graph is the ideal representation of the data and why. Data visualization might also be utilized to analyze the data in graphical format, to get extra insight about the messages within the data. Data visualization is utilized in the subsequent applications. Such data problems may also be identified through various analytical practices. Since you can appreciate, the kind of data you will be collecting will differ hugely based on what questions you have to be answered. For example, because data has arrived in from many distinct sources like surveys and interviews, there's often no consistent format. The raw data might also be included in the shape of an appendix so people can look up specifics for themselves. The only remaining step is to use the outcomes of your data analysis procedure to decide your very best plan of action. The data set contains over two million incidents annually. If you wish to understand data in actual time, ta bleau can secure the task done. 90% of the world's data has been made in just the last few decades. The maturity of your data organization isn't something that may be solved by throwing people at the issue. Ultimately, remember the data scrubbing isn't a substitute for getting very good high quality data in the very first location. The procedure for organizing and thinking about data is essential to understanding what the data does and doesn't contain. Working with data takes a whole lot more than simply being detail-oriented. The Secret to Data Analyst Resume Examples Additionally, it's crucial to be a consumer of statistical analysis. Quite simply, the principal aim of data analysis is to take a look at what the data is attempting to tell us. Weak analysis produces inaccurate results which not only hamper the credibility of the research but in addition make the findings unusable. The data analysis portion of the general procedure is very labor intensive.

The Meaning of Windows Resume Loader

The Meaning of Windows Resume Loader I believe BCD is somehow screwed up, but I don't understand how to repair it. Auslogics File Recovery comes with the quality that makes it possible for you to preview images videos documents and PDF so that you can be sure that you have located the ideal file before it is possible to recover them. It is one of the most powerful tools. At times you can recover these files from recycle bin but mostly once you find the deleted by accident it's really difficult to discover these files. This loader provides you with the resized expanded display with full-screen. Furthermore, this option also permits select the installations that you would like to improve the Boot Configuration Data store. Windows Resume Loader: the Ultimate Convenience! The thing to do is simply download the specific file from the hyperlink and download it. As everyone probably knows, there's a good deal of sites with lots of of pictures, music and movies. It's fun, dependable, and safe, and it provides high-quality work for the lowest prices on the industry. You came to the correct location, your search is over. The SIM card for 3G can be placed into place by taking away the battery. Manual Java installation isn't required. If you notice any such problems, attempt to turn Fast Startup off. The keyboard ought to be working. Jharna Sanyal As a very first step, switch off the laptop, remove the battery and set it back. Problem is there isn't any keyboard response so that I can't select either option. Taking away the flash drive was no issue. Finding the Best Windows Resume Loader Naturally, you will notice more impressive results if you're able to disable more startup programs. So it is going to give you the ideal enjoyment and enjoyable atmosphere. Even though the program gives an alternate to repair things but still it's fantastic to have your own recovery media. Auslogics file recovery is among the best to that can cover almost anything you attempt to find on your computer. Things You Should Know About Windows Resume Loader You may also opt to create a persistence file, which will enable you to save settings between sessions. This BCD WMI interface is the very best method to programmatically alter the boot alternatives. Configure every one of these settings and click Next. Select your langugae settings, then click next 3. It is accompanied by an initiative interface. It's different from one installations to a different installation. Wait until its installation process needs to be completed. It's possible to access this feature utilizing Control Panel. Lies You've Been Told About Windows Resume Loader Furthermore, it's more efficient and successful in performance. I've repeatedly turned power off and back on and the outcome is always the exact same. A number of other features will boost the general operation of your computer system. I've completed a complete system scan, and no other activity was detected. Choosing Good Windows Resume Loader BitLocker encryption offers you, as a result, the advanced algorithm strategies. You may search file by making use of the search filter. Its interface isn't hard to comprehend. Besides recovering feature there's also shredder which will certainly delete confidential files so that nobody else can have the ability to recover them. Bear in mind which e ach boot differs. Among the symptoms when you want to get this done, is when you have the BOOTMGR is missing error on a try to start Windows. The Windows Resume Loader Chronicles The Free Resume Builder helps prepare resumes even when you don't possess the slightest idea on how best to do so utilizing a seven step procedure. A.K. Basu If you don't wish to find the photographs on the opposite phones, you'll need to open separate Google accounts. As a consequence, users may not have the ability to bring a printer working with the Citrix Print Manager support. Speak to your network administrator for aid. LoaderDroid was created to be smart. A physically bigger capacity battery is not actually an option, given the aesthetics. Let's see what your alternatives are.

A Simple Trick for Chronological Resume Format Exposed

A Simple Trick for Chronological Resume Format Exposed The Rise of Chronological Resume Format A number of the info is subjective. There are several resume formats you may use to present info to employers. It is very important to offer a cell number. For your telephone number, a cell number is preferable. Ok, I Think I Understand Chronological Resume Format, Now Tell Me About Chronological Resume Format! The general guideline is to continue to keep your resume to a single page for each decade of experience you possess but to incorporate no more than twenty years of experience. So, there's just ONE and SIMPLE rule to prevent situation above. At the close of the day, you wish to be sure you are likely to find the job. When you're working at your present job you aren't stressed, seems like everything goes smooth and with no troubles. There's no need to bring a subheading. When considering whether to add extra content to your resume, a fantastic guideline to follow is that in the event the info isn't related to the job which you want to know more about then it shouldn't be in your resume. You can select the layout that is most suitable for your personality when keeping up a professional appearance. For instance, you can select a text-based layout with a professional look that will allow you to highlight your work experience. The Importance of Chronological Resume Format Chronological resume format isn't good for candidates that are unemployed as of now. Chronological resume samples may be used for all levels of professional, in a multitude of sectors and adapted to the requirements of each candidate as the applicant must simply finish the sections that are suitable for them using their private information. The samples are a breeze to personalize and hence save a great deal of time of the user. Resume templates often include example sections and data for you to receive a better knowledge of the way to finish your personalized resume. The resume template isn't just easy, it's also readily available for free download. Utilizing exactly the same keywords will help you create clear that you have what the provider is on the lookout for when you make your resume. You would not have to keep altering the format when applying for different nations. Part of creating an effective resume is deciding on the most appropriate format to inform your private story. In general, the best method to choose which kind of resume format you should use is dependent on your experiences and the period of time you're prepared to put into each resume. There are sure items you shouldn't include in your resume. Also, because there are lots of examples of a chronological resume template available on the internet, it would never be difficult that you really authenticate the final resume. A chronological resume is among the most common resume formats. A chronological resume is among the 3 main resume formats. What to Expect From Chronological Resume Format? You're able to add Willing to relocate whether the position requires moving to a different city. There is an abundance of resources available to you once you embark on writing a resume. Educational information is included together with certifications and distinctive skills. 1 advantage for employers to internet resumes is the considerable cost saving in contrast to traditional hiring methods. All you include in your resume should deal with the necessities of the job which you are applying for. The Chronological Resume Examples are an essential document for folks who would like to land in with work. Resumes may be used for a number of reasons, but most often they're utilized to secure new employment. Since chronological resumes are an essential document, it's essential to compose a nice and appropriate chronological resume that could assist the applicant to acquire the job they've applied for.

Top Executive Resume Templates Tips!

Top Executive Resume Templates Tips! When applying for employment in a big business you may find they use specialized software to help weed out candidates. Based on any industry there are several sorts of executives. If you're retired, and looking for part-time job which may earn you extra money, you might want to appear in to building your own company through Online advertising. If you've taken part in internships and volunteering which is quite related to your position, it's also wise to state it. There are many advantages in referring and reviewing the previous templates. So many of the work search websites and resume sites incorporate free resume templates for your usage. There are lots of free resume templates readily available on the web but sometimes it can be very hard to select the best one that is most suited to you. Some superior templates are available for free, but the best ones will require that you pay a little fee so as to acquire access to them. When you have added your details and work experience, it's possible to also save your resume as PDF if you desire. You can select from the 1 page or the 2 pages, which also has a cover letter and a portfolio. Zety's resume templates are made with the aid of recruiters and adhere to the best practices in HR. Have a peek at these examples to choose which format is right for you. Executive Resume Templates Features Resume templates are one method to guarantee structure behind your resume. Resume templates may also help you format your information whilst providing unique visual flair that will assist your resume stand out. The templates are made in such a way they make the resume stand out. Some templates also give advice of what type of lingo to be used and the kind of jargon which should be avoided. You may change almost every facet of your preferred template. An elegant resume template is comparable to good packaging as it ought to be attractive and inviting. Resume templates exist to create your life simpler. Once you have selected your perfect resume template from our selection, follow our completely free expert guidance about ways to craft the ideal modern resume. A basic resume is also simpler to read. Resumes don't need to take so much of your time but still shouldn't be neglected. Our Student Resume Template can help you land the best internships and positions that are available to you. But What About Executive Resume Templates? When you have prepared and submitted your resume to an employer the hope is you will be requested to attend work interview to go over further whether you're going to be suitable. The executive resume template includes a double colored bar at the exact top that will highlight your contact info and keep it rather handy for the recruiter to get in touch with you. The letter must be tailored to a specific job and employer. The ideal cover letter needs to be necessary for students. Executive Resume Templates and Executive Resume Templates - The Perfect Combination Hiring managers are busy people and should they scan your resume and can't locate some information or skills fast you aren't the one, who'd secure a call today! Hence, its importance can't be stressed more to an individual searching for a job or individuals that are actively watching out for this dream job. It's cool that you're searching for a job to have some money, but you need some difficulties with resume. Simply because you've got zero experience or it's your very first job. Double check to ensure that everything on the last version of the resume is about you. So in case you haven't made up your mind about which format you want to use, now's the moment. However much or what type of work experience you've got, there's a resume format that is likely to make your qualifications shine. Each resume format was made to improve your odds to find the job in 2018.

The Pain of Federal Resume

The Pain of Federal Resume The Tried and True Method for Federal Resume in Step by Step Detail The writers utilize the appropriate buzzwords for federal hiring. A powerful resume written by federal resume specialists provides you a huge advantage over your competition. You are going to have to read further into the announcement to figure out if it's what you were actually researching. Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for Federal Resume Therefore, it's essential to review the particular job announcement for those abilities and knowledge required. Character matters as soon as it comes to federal job opportunities. If you are searching for a position at which you might be training individuals, then you are going to want to concentrate on the training skills that you learned while you were a military mechanic, not necessarily all the info you know about military vehicles. For instance, if you're interested in an engineering position, take a look at your abilities and define the s kills that you believe can help you land the job. Our occupation is to supply you with the most effective possible likelihood of locating the job which you desire. Although it searching costs a bundle and time, therefore it turns into a sense of shame for the candidate who gets rejected as a result of poor resume. How you summarize your experience can impact the way the employer interprets the remainder of your resume, so select your words carefully! The important thing to remember while developing your resume is that you would like it to be simple to comprehend. Top Choices of Federal Resume As the amount of applicants for federal jobs continue growing, so do the variety of resume companies appearing to make the most of them. Make certain you select jobs you're qualified for. Federal jobs have become ever more popular. When it is government jobs or not it's important to boost your resume by including numerical outcomes. The One Thing to Do for Federal Resume If you're k een on submitting an application for a federal job, you want to adhere to a different set or norms and techniques. You have to make sure the critical words and the core competencies are written in the document. Writing a federal resume means following federal resume guidelines to ensure hiring managers are in a position to obtain the precise details they are seeking with only a quick glance. One of the absolute most important federal resume tips is that you want to follow along with every detail of the guidelines, including character counts, for each and every section. The military has devised a communication system which may do the job well for them, but it doesn't necessarily do the job well for individuals which are looking for a location in the civilian job industry. You have to use some discretion whenever there is too much info. Eliminate all the military jargon that you may be tempted to use while writing your Air Force resume. Everything in a Federal resume needs to be first individual. Federal Resume Fundamentals Explained You are able to seek the advice of a federal resume writing service to boost your federal resume. The motive is to impress whoever is reading it. Things You Won't Like About Federal Resume and Things You Will Find out more about the occupation which you're interested in and develop your resume accordingly. Federal employers would like to know what in your experience is related to the position, even supposing it isn't recent. For instance, a position as an Agricultural Lawyer may require KSAs concerning the applicants SPECIFIC abilities, wisdom and abilities as to Agricultural Law. Creatively written Federal Resumesthat will make you distinguish yourself from the remainder of the candidates. When an applicant is not pertinent by the essential closing date, the application will typically be rejected. Whether there are vacancy announcements of the national government then there are certain rules that need to be follow ed. The documents linked to federal resume has a huge part in landing work outside from the results of your interview. During the procedure, you will work one-on-one with a certified, experienced professional till you have a resume you're pleased with. Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for Federal Resume The pricing for federal resume services varies based on several important things. There are customer services that could cater your demands and queries about their expert services. From that point you will discover information on jobs which are available and requirements. While the info necessary for a resume for federal job opportunities may appear to be long and detailed, it's imperative that you make certain that you quickly get to the point. A federal cover letter could be a necessary portion of a federal job application package or it might not. Furthermore, the job descriptions are more detailed and in paragraph form. The margins of the document ought to be no less than one inch. Don't neglect to compose a compelling piece so that you will get high grade. The Federal Resume Chronicles Your academic record should be put in your resume in chorological purchase. Other transferable skills might include the ability to work nicely with numbers, sales skills, or an ability to fix problems by considering the huge picture. Any service that's going to be capable of offering you a good federal resume, which will then let you be considered for the greater federal jobs, are going to have superior history and readily provide strong examples of their work. Military resumes also generally have a good deal of white space.

The Advantages of How to Put Freelance Work on Resume

The Advantages of How to Put Freelance Work on Resume The client is responsible for outlining everything about the project prior to any variety of the millions of designers from all around the world decide to participate in the content. You will likewise be able to realize how much a company has spent using Guru's freelancer poolhelping to produce a determination about whether the customer is going to be a fantastic match to your work. If you're thinking about attempting to locate work on 99Designs, then you have to start with submitting an application. You may also utilize Turelancerthrough an app to make certain you never miss any job postings, even if you're on the go. Freelancing is among the regions where the site is growing strong with time. There are several freelance websites and I believe that could be confusing. Freelancer websites are like job boards, but they work in various ways. There are over 3 million freelancers and the website permits you to showcase your preceding work and safeguards your funds with the assistance of Guru's SafePay service. How to Put Freelance Work on Resume for Dummies There are a lot of offline contract jobs you'll be able to take on to get started earning extra money. As an entrepreneur, you've got to consider about a self-employed business as a means to move up in the hourly revenue chain. With over 1 million clients, you can have the ability to employ a freelancer to do your work at a rather favorable sum of money. Based on the straightforward bidding system, you can hire efficient freelancers here and delight in the on-demand flexibility whilst saving money at the exact moment. Hub staff Talent makes it simple for freelancers to locate superior work, just Create a Profile and await businesses to begin contacting you. Freelancers are going to have access to great resources like webinars, to learn to land much better clients. Many freelancers work for equal set of clients over a long time. Furthermore, most freelancer sites have a messaging platform so that you're able to communicate easily with your clients without needing to give out your private information. Freelancer websites are a handy resource for allowing you to find work and manage client relationships, but there are a lot out there to select from, a few of which aren't as great as they may seem. You can pick from all types of photography jobs on the website and earn up to $125 per photo. The website gives a totally free CV portfolio that enables you to get opportunities based on your prior work. The site operates the Guru Work Room permitting the users the convenience to control each of their projects. Moreover, the freelance website collects jobs from all over the world. At the conclusion of a week, the customer chooses the very best design, and that designer becomes paid. The freelance market has gone online. As you probably know, joining a new freelancing platform may also bring you a lot of adva ntages in a lot of ways. A cloud-deployed worldwide freelance platform, Upwork boasts of the greatest job finders pool thus far. Surely, you may be one of them should you work hard enough in building your abilities. With a totally free trial, you can construct a creative portfolio and discover jobs. It's possible for you to discover a work based on where you are, skills, and other qualifications. It is possible to expect over 400 engineering jobs at any particular time. It's possible to live chat with your freelancers to find constant updates on the advancement of your work. When compared to other freelance sites, finding work is comparatively simple here. It's possible to start with a couple of websites and once you become acquainted you can move further bidding on other freelance sites. If you're just starting out as a freelancer, there are a few things that you could wish to consider before diving into the fray. Geared towards lean entrepreneurs that are searching to e mploy talent for short-term projects, Fiverr is a great spot for freelancers looking for interesting work with fair damages. On the opposing side, freelancers are hired by a great deal of little and medium enterprises (SMEs) who wish to cultivate their company without taking the load of hiring permanent employees. In the period of international recession, freelance jobs is the ideal method of making that additional income by from house by working on top freelance sites. A few of the jobs listed are location-based, but you may also hunt for remote positions. You only pay for work when it's been completed and you're 100% satisfied. As a consequence, to find work, you want to either offer a highly specific skill or an excellent speed, or you should obtain a means to advertise yourself outside of Fiverr. It's possible to work on practically any project there is, all you need to do is have the correct skill set and the system does the rest. There are a couple of different working options including both hourly work together with contests.