Here is how you can lose a little control and trust more

Here is how you can lose a little control and trust moreHere is how you can lose a little control and trust moreNot everything that matters can be controlled, and not everything that can be controlled matters.Thats the paradox with life we want things ur way, yet, most of the times, things take on a life of their own. What if we stop trying to control everything? And start trusting our ability to adapt?Letting go of control doesnt mean not caring. But keeping our minds and hearts open - to make room for the unexpected.As Shakespeare wrote, Come what come may. Time and the hour runs through the roughest day. One way or another, whats going to happen is going to happen.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThe illusion ofsafetyHuman beings crave for structure - we fear things can easily fall apart.Thats why most people love routines. They provide a familiar order to our daily lives. W hen everything happens within specific rules and parameters, we experience a sense of control.In times of crisis, people buy tougher dogs, switch to more authoritarian churches, and prefer comics with characters that are powerful and strong. Being in control makes us feel safer.The Seventh-day Adventist Church, for example, gained 68 percent more parishioners during the Depression than it had during good times. The sales of attack dogs - like Doberman, German Shepherds, and similar - dramatically rose during the tense period of 196770 compared to before that.Gaining more control over our behavior makes us feel safer too. Take for example the detonation of gadgets and apps that monitor everything from caffeine intake, mood swing, changes in concentration, quality of sleep or productivity - technology provides the illusion of control.Qualitative data is seductive - we feel we can rule over everything that we can measure.The less we feel in control, the less willing we are to take a risk, said Paul Slovic, professor of psychology at the University of Oregon.Having control allows you to take on risks you might not take otherwise. Before embarking on an extreme activity, you can measure and judge if the risk is acceptable or not.However, what can be measured has its limits. And those limits are narrower than wed like to believe.As professor Roger Martin,wrote, Given the complexity we face on a regular basis, we naturally seek ways to understand and control whatever we can.The dean of the University of Toronto uses the mapping of the human genome as an example. The scientists who predicted it would solve the worlds medical mysteries had to admit that the entire project had raised more questions - about the complicated interaction among genes - than it answered.The illusion of control makes us feel safe because the world seems more predictable, not because we actually control it.The controlling mindLife is to be lived, not controlled and humanity is won by cont inuing to play in face of certain defeat.? RalphEllisonBeing in control might bring you serenity at the expense of driving everyone else crazy.Control is a signal that we dont trust ourselves, others, and the universe. We believe that, if we dont intervene, everything and everyone will collapse. Thats because we think the world revolves around us - which, of course, it doesnt.Controllers suffer from a deceiving arrogance - they think they can outsmart reality.There are two categories of controlling mindsControl FreaksandWorry Warts.Control Freakshave ahigher than average need for control. They believe that, if they can gain control over external events or other people, theywill avoid suffering - control can prevent bad things from happening to them.Worry Warts, on the other hand, worry too much about everything - from natural diseases to random issues. They love to consider the worst-case-scenario as the most probably one.Wanting to control is the same as wanting to be controlle d. We become dependent on what we want to dominate - we end being wrapped around its finger.Control is a defense mechanism to protect our status quo. We are afraid of potential adverse outcomes. By trying to manage how everything works and everyone behaves, we turn our mind into a controlling one.The paradox of control is that the fear of losing something doesnt allow us to enjoy what we are trying to protect. Becoming over-protective usually backfires. Behaving as a control-freak harms your relationships - you increase the chance of losing those you love the most.Letting go requiresintellectual humility - you are not smarter than everyone and everything else.Steve Maraboli said, Incredible change happens in your life when you decide to take control of what you do have power over instead of craving control over what you dont.The fear of a potential loss is natural. But, trying to control our lives limits us. We get stuck in what feels familiar. Thus, we dont benefit from the magi c of life - we cant make space for surprises or unexpected opportunities.I know. We dont do it on purpose. Being a controlling mind feels out of your control, right?Try autonomy, notcontrolGuess what the most important contributor to happiness is?Money? Fame? Beauty? A hot sex life? No, no, no, and no.According toThe Journal of Personality and Social Psychology,the feeling that your habits and activities are self-chosen and self-endorsed matters much more than your looks, wealth or sexual life.Autonomy is the best giftyou can give yourself and others.Additionalresearchvalidates the notion that happiness is linked to a sense of control over ones life - the more you perceive yourself to be in control, the better you feel.Happiness is about being in charge of your life, not about controlling every aspect of it.Epictetus wrote, Freedom is the only worthy goal in life. It is won by disregarding things that lie beyond our control.Traditionally, the assumption was that people wanted a jo b promotion to be in control over others. Power meant to be in charge (of others) - to influence what other people do and how they do it.A recentstudysuggests that people who desire more power are looking to control one thing - themselves.Researchers from various universities evaluated two different notions of power - power asinfluenceand power asautonomy.Poweras influenceis expressed in having control over others. In contrast, poweras autonomyis a form of power that allows people to ignore or resist external influences - they can shape their own destiny.The researchers wanted to address a longtime question Which of those things, influence or autonomy, would satisfy peoples desire for power? The analysis of nine studies across Europe, the United States, and India demonstrated the primacy of autonomy.People desire power not to be a master over others, but to be a master of their own domain - they want to control their own fate.As George Bernard Shaw wrote, To be in hell is to dr ift to be in heaven is to steer.Autonomy - the feeling that you control your choices - is not the same as the need to control everything and everyone in your life.Theres nothing wrong with seeking control in your life if you can do it in a balanced way. Avoid the illusion of control - that you can measure things doesnt mean you can master them.Life is what happens when we are busy making other plans as John Lennon wrote. When you feel the urge to control everything and everyone, ask yourself What am I afraid of? Embrace surprises - not everything unexpected is negative.Learn to improvise. Kenneth Gergen invites us to play with purpose. The American professor and psychologist believes that we must improvise more in all our relationships. When we do it well, it increases our joy, harmony, and vitality.Freedom is the only worthy goal in life.Choose how you live your life, what you want to do, and how you want to do it - without the influence of others. Learn to identify what you c an change from what you cannot. Dont try to control whats beyond your influence - autonomy is about making choices.Do you want to regain control of your life?Set yourself free from the need to control everything - whats going to happen is going to happen.This article originally appeared on Medium.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

New ASME Press Book Provides Career Advice for Technical Professionals

New ASME Press Book Provides Career Advice for Technical Professionals New ASME Press Book Provides Career Advice for Technical Professionals A unique new book from ASME Press, Thriving in the 21st Century Economy Transformational Skills for Technical Professionals, presents an innovative and entrepreneurial approach to career development forscience, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) professionals.The 212-page book was written by ASME Fellow K. (Subra) Subramanian and U. Srinivasa Rangan. Subramanian is president of the STIMS Institute in Lexington, Mass. Rangan is the Luksic Chair professor of strategy and global studies at Babson College in Wellesley, Mass.According to the authors, self-help is the best help and technical professionals should therefore plan strategically for their future - much in the way that businesses and corporations rely on a strategic approach for long-term survival and success. Throughout the book, Subramanian and Rangan incorporate concepts o f systems thinking, as well as global knowledge, to develop strategic solutions to identified industry needs.We start with the premise that the professionals of the 21st century do not merely respond to the request for services, Subramanian and Rangan write in the introduction for Thriving in the 21st Century Economy. Instead, they identify a need, describe it as an opportunity with a solution, develop the complete solution, implement it, and make sure the impact is fully realized. This book outlines the need for this change in outlook and how to go about that.The books chapters cover a variety of topics relating to the authors belief that successful career development in todays job market involves relying on all of the skills and knowledge you have acquired since high school and using them in a way that makes you seem relevant and valuable to potential employer. Chapters include Workplace Transformation The Impact of Globalization and Business Model Revolution A New Economic Order From Binary Company to Binary Economy Transformational Skills The Tools Necessary for Sustainable Jobs and Careers Common Language and Core Capabilities Skills to Identify and Foster New Solutions Knowledge Integration Skills to Develop New Solutions By Integrating Knowledge From All Available Resources and Achieving the Maximum Impact Across the Globe Transformational Skills to Exploit New Solutions.Thriving in the 21st Century Economy is already receiving high praise from readers. This book is very timely for understanding the link between education and employment in a binary economy, said James C. Spohrer, director, IBM University Programs Worldwide. The authors provide a lucid framework for technical professionals to become T-shaped systems thinkers, who can get in-depth as well as work on a wider bandwidth, as required. In addition, Leonard Schlesinger, president of Babson College, calls the book a practical road map for both professionals and policymakers committed to developi ng a critical skills infrastructure for the 21st Century.Thriving in the 21st Century Economy Transformational Skills for Technical Professionals is available in a hardcover print edition or as an e-book, each priced at $44 for members, and $59 for nonmembers. The book can be purchased through ASME.org, at www.asme.org/shop/books, or by contacting ASME Customer Care at (800) 843-2763 or (973) 882-1170. For more information, contact Mary Grace Stefanchick, ASME Press, at (212) 591-7962 or by e-mail at stefanchikmasme.org.

Tips for Asking Your Boss If You Can Work From Home

Tips for Asking Your Boss If You Can Work From HomeTips for Asking Your Boss If You Can Work From HomeNow mora than ever, it is possible for many different types of professionals to work from home. As technology becomes increasingly pervasive and more companies move their operations online, many tasks can become completed remotely. More and more businesses are allowing employees to work from home, even it is only for just a few days a week. While this can increase the efficiency of an individual worker, eliminating commute time and office distractions, for example, it can also save the company valuable resources. If youre thinking about working from home, you should make a strategic plan to approach your employer.Decide on what type of schedule you would be interested in, and what would work best for both you and your company. Be prepared to be flexible when negotiating a work from home arrangement. The more flexibility you suggest to your employer, the better your chances of getting a yes answer. How to Ask Your Boss to Work From Home Here are some tips from Chris Duchesne, Vice President of Global Workplace Solutions for Care.com. Understand your companys HR policies and make sure youre following them as you start on the path to working from home.Define a plan with your manager that demonstrates how youre going to meet your responsibilities and still contribute to the team and the company. Focus on measurable goals that you can point to and make your manager feel comfortable with you working remotely.Dont focus only on your needs and whats going to help you from a personal perspective. You need to look at it from the companys perspective as well. When meeting with your manager, outline how its going to be a win-win for you and the organization. Think through what it means to work remotely before you approach your boss. Make sure you have an effective workspace and the proper technology and materials to work effectively from home.Commit to a trial period a nd regular check-ins and be willing to adjust over time to make it work for you, your team and your employer. Think about how youre going to show your presence in the office, be responsive by phone and email.Be flexible. What will work for your company, or you, might be different in January than it is in July. If summer is your companys busy season, be willing to come into the office more during those months. If you expect your boss to be flexible with you, reciprocate to meet their needs as well. Keep in mind that your boss may not be able to give you permission during your meeting. He may need to check with his supervisor and/or the organizations Human Resources Department. Writing up a plan for how you can effectively work from home can help your supervisor make a case for you. In fact, you may want to put your request in writing prior to your meeting.That way, your boss isnt surprised by your request and youre prepared with a rationale as to why you dont need to spend all your working hours in the office. Sample Work From Home Request Letters Here are sample email messages and letters asking to work remotely. Request to Work From Home LetterRequest to Work From Home - Part TimeRequest to Work From Home Letter - RelocationRequest to Work From Home - Summer

Millennials may be first generation less healthy than their parents

Millennials may be first generation less healthy than their parentsMillennials may be first generation less healthy than their parentsFor Millennials, distress about securing good jobs and housing is causing long-term negative health effects. According to a newreport from The Health Foundation, Millennials in the U.K. may grow up the first generation to be less healthy than their parents by the time they reach middle age.Millennials surveyed said they were anxious about job prospects and finding affordable housing. The report found that one in five adults had experienced issues such as long-term stress, anxiety, and depression due to a housing problem.This matters because these building blocks a place to call home, secure and rewarding work, and supportive relationships with their friends, family, and community are the foundations of a healthy life, the report warned.The gains made as a society in improving the health of previous generations may well be eroded by the precariousness and instability of the lives some young people are facing.Stress about job insecurity leads to unhealthy bodies when youre olderNot only are Millennials having trouble finding an affordable home, they are also having trouble finding a good job. More than half of the Millennials ages 22-26 said that it was difficult for people their age to secure fairly paid work.When you cannot build a secure foundation of a career in your early years of working, you may set yourself up for health failures later on. The report said that a lack of good quality work was likely to trigger distress and lead to more unhealthy behaviors like smoking and alcohol consumption.Overall, the report was a call to action. When a society fails its youth now, it will pay for it later.The long-term health of the population is one of the greatest assets our country holds. The decline of this asset should concern us all, the report concluded. When todays young people enter middle age without the fundamentals needed f or a healthy life, society may regret not having taken action sooner.

Why the First Half of Your Resume is So Crucial

Why the First Half of Your Resume is So CrucialWhy the First Half of Your Resume is So CrucialWhy the First Half of Your Resume is So CrucialCourtesy of Green Chameleon from unsplash.comWhat if you could convince an employer to give you an interview before they even get half way down the first page of your resume? Well the truth is, most employers have made their decision by this point. In fact, they will probably discount a resume before they get past the mark of the first page.So by following these few simple techniques, I guarantee you will sky rocket your chances of turning a job application into the excitement (or nervousness) of an interview.For me, it helped me to get 3 interviews in the space of 2 weeks, even after spending 2 months of having zero (yes zero) responses to my resume. So in this article Im telling you EXACTLY why employers are so quick to make their decision about giving you an interview.AND Im giving you some insanely practical tips that you can implement imme diately, to make the first half of your professional resume absolutely perfect. So that your resume is sooo engaging, that YOU get the interview. Not only that, I end by giving you a key takeaway for you to use in every application.Why do I feel so strongly about the first page of your resume?Over the years, Ive been handed A LOT of resumes (or CVs in England). Whether its a resume for me to help someone with, or a resume for me to hire someone with, or even MY resume to get a job with.Its a question that runs through my mind every time I read one, as soon as I get past even the first paragraph.Do I want to know mora about this rolle?And most of the time the answer is maybe, but I wanted to turn the answer into a big fat YES.So what did I do? I created 20 iterations of the first page of my resume, until I welches 110% happy with it and until the response rate had shot up, which is when the interview offers came flooding through.You can get a copy of my resume here to see exactly how to do itBusiness Analyst Resume How to write yours for 90% response rate, but notlage only did this work with my resume, it also worked amazingly with my best friends resume when he got made redundant. And countless others that have followed my advice, so let me explain.Why is the first part of your resume the MOST important?There are a number of mistakes that people might make but sometimes its not the mistakes that lose the interview. So what is it? Its the mindset of the partie reading it. So if you can keep that person engaged from the start, you will have a massive chance of being the chosen interviewee.Here are the reasons1. Employers have loads of resumes to readChances are, the person reading your resume has already read 200 resumes in search of the perfect candidate. So if theyre not happy immediately, yours will go in the bin. Thats it DONE.2. Managers are busy peopleWhile hiring someone for a position in their company, the recruiter is most definitely trying to do one m illion other jobs, all at the same time. So they dont have time, or interest to read any more, of any resumes that they have discounted because of a poor opening page.3. Managers already know who they wantThe recruiter has a vision usually made up of 5 key aspectsWho they want to work withHow they want to work.What they want the person to do.Why they want that person.When they want that person to work.Using the tips in the next section of this article, all of these questions CAN be answered in the first part of your document. But if you dont match their vision, guess what Your resumemightmake it into the archive for later viewing. But the archive is also known to many as The black hole, never to be seen again.4. They wrote the job descriptionSomeone, somewhere has thought long and hard about the job description for this role. Even if the recruiter hasnt personally written it, they have definitely read it and approved it. So they will know as soon as they put their eyes on your resu me, if it matches what theyve put in the job description. And if it doesnt, then you know what will happen No interview, no jobBut if your resume contains most of the keywords from the job spec on the first page, then you can almost guarantee they will keep reading.5. Recruiters get boredWe already know that the managers are busy with lots of resumes to read. So they most definitely dont want to be bored when reading yours, and if they do get bored, they will get bored after the first few paragraphs. And boom the decision is made, they move onto the next resume in the pile. Without contacting you.6. They get distractedFact managers are distracted every minute of every day, by many different things. So you might now be able what Im going to say if your paper hasnt pricked up their eyebrows and they get distracted while reading it, they will just re-start from the next resume in the pile.However, on the other hand, if you do make their eyebrows prick up, they will remember your resu me and come back to it. Then even better, offer you an interview.How do you perfect the front page of your resume?Ill begin by telling you the mistakes or what you should leid do, and then Ill tell you what you SHOULD do.Firstly, there are many criteria (or mistakes) that you need to be aware of. But some mistakes have much more impact if they are made in the first half of your resume. Either that or they are simply visible from the off, i.e. without even reading a word of your background.They areSpelling mistakesWafflingUnprofessional Personal details (email, social media)Writing in third personFontSo whats the formula for keeping the reader engaged? To begin, the formatting is essential and I dont just mean size of titles etc. I mean what sections to begin with on it.Its very simple and its like this1. Personal ProfileStart with your personal profile so that you can give the recruiter a vision of who you are, how you work and why youre qualified for the job. Not only that, you can easily add in some of the key words from the job specification here and sell yourself broadly as its not related to any previous jobs. If thats not enough, you will easily be able to match it to the requirements of the role if the role is right for you.A few rules thoughDO Make your personal profile stand outDO make it punchy.DO sell yourself.DONT make it more than 5 to 7 sentences long or more than 150 words.2. A list of key skillsNext add a list of your 5 or 6 key skills, with one sentence for each skill you mention. This is a perfect opportunity to match your skills to the job spec. If you cant match your skills, then the job might not be right for you, so dont even waste your time applying.Think clearly about the person reading your resume, and map your key skills to what you think they want. Back up each key skill with a sentenceHeres an exampleCommunication Excellent at communicating with people at all levels of the business.Make sure you use strong describing words at the s tart of the sentence but dont add too much wording to each skill. So thats it.These 2 sections SHOULD NOT take up more than of the first page of your resume and if you get this right, you could have the employer picking up the phone immediately to offer you an interview.Key Takeaway from this postAlways write your resume with the person who is going to be reading it at the forefront of your mind. Put yourselves in their shoes and think how they might think. Do what they might do and you will definitely sky rocket yourself into an exciting interview.Good luck.Guest Author BioMatt Adamsis a Business Analyst, trainer and founder of Business Analyst Guru. Matt has experience working on various projects across multibillion pound organisations. His experience has been gained across various sectors including pharmaceuticals, food retail, online retail, pharmacy software and Finance Service Centres. BA Guru is a community website that allows Business Analysts to share their knowledge by of fering insanely actionable techniques that can be implemented immediately.

The Insider Secret on Format for a Resume Discovered

The Insider Secret on Format for a Resume Discovered Up in Arms About Format for a Resume? Though the candidate never been employed in the software field, he might have completed classes or was required to program as a portion of his previous unrelated employment. Your resume should be formatted in an easy, professional method. Your objective statement, on the flip side, must be targeted to coincide with the employment youre applying. If youre not certain what format to use, get in touch with the Career Development Center. You can choose an established format for your resume that will present your data in a manner that makes it simple to read. Every format has a certain intent. Appropriate format is the fruchtwein important for practically any work application. Therefore, you must design a separate resume based on the profile of the company for each application. So because you can see, PDF can be quite a valuable way to make your resume and even offers alternatives that may appease the ATS systems that lots of large businesses use. Employing PDF software, you have the capability to do much mora with your work history and the way you present it to a prospective employer. Developing a PDF version of your resume permit you to prevent the problems of layout shifting. Who Else Wants to Learn About Format for a Resume? For instance, be sure the cover letter mentions the specific name of the particular position youre applying for, and the competition number, if applicable. Youre able to purchase resume paper at OfficeMax, Staples, or another office supply shop. Paired with a cover letter, youre guaranteed to land at the peak of the interview pile Its important to format your resume in a suitable way rather than simply including the job related information. Get the Scoop on Format for a Resume Before Youre Too Late Such mistakes will degrade the standard of your CV and earn employer think that youre an irresponsible person and arent ideal for th e job 4. Getting accepted for the proper post for you however isnt always as easy as you would hope as any great position will have a number of others chasing it. Its a key to acquire your preferred job, you definitely dont wish to have a chance of committing any silly mistake. Perhaps you made a suggestion that saved your prior boss a whole lot of money. Candidate should have thorough understanding of industry where he or she would like to generate a career. You would rather not lose out on a job since you didnt follow minor administrative requirements. So youre interested in turning in an application for a government job great Customer service representative jobs call for a person who has excellent communication abilities and other relevant skills. Compiling a resume can be a challenging activity but doing so is generally crucial for obtaining nearly any sort of job. The search phrases or action words linked to the area of engineering also needs to be included. Usually , its not wise to include high school details on your resume if you arent a first-year or sophomore student. Students are facing several challenges and will need to come out of their shell so as to take part in the race. You might not know whether the employer demands a cover letter or not. When it doesnt work nicely. Format for a Resume No Longer a Mystery Proofreading is of extreme importance when you need to land that coveted teaching job. So if its a paid site, the danger of spam or plagiarism is reduced. If you comprehend the different kinds of resumes and the way theyre written, it is possible to quickly pinpoint the details you have to pick the applicants you wish to interview. Make sure you list your relevant abilities and any certifications you might have, including your format for a resume cover letter Handlers card. Most cover letters who are more than 1 page will wind up being sent right to the trash. As soon as your information is all in youre in a position to assess your formatting. When youre writing the resume, it is necessary to present the details in an attractive way. Perhaps the most important part of your page is the resume objective. Going through the resume samples, you will receive an idea on what are the vital things for a perfect resume and exactly what you may include in your application. If you would begin writing the resume directly, you can miss out any essential details that could force you to stick out from the crowd of applicants. On contrary, the chronological format is ideal for a seasoned candidate to underline the work history. Its also less probable theyll lose this, or get your materials confused with somebody elses. The Number One Question You Must Ask for Format for a Resume Interview questions are usually created to deduce how advised youre regarding the company enterprise and position available. Show What You Can Do Today Focus, first of all, on your latest experience thats most relevant to the po sition accessible. Things that can be not strongly related the work really shouldnt be mentioned. Because if you would like to attend an interview. Top Format for a Resume Secrets Every person would like to a portion of the cooperate world. ur on-line tool is extremely easy to use and can help you to craft an outstanding resume quickly that is likely to get you noticed. Grow a filing system on your computer to keep a tab on the different versions of your resume, in place of using the file name for this purpose, and be sure that proofed, ready-to-go resumes are kept in a distinct area from drafts. If youre writing the CV all on your own, you can design it depending on your need but you must be careful if youre using the on-line design resume templates. There are lots of sites which delivers a Resume builder facility. When you are constructing your first resume, attempt to prevent utilizing a template. Template for resume is a normal layout which can be used for any work po sition.

On Being Excellent Seinfeld, Bad Advice and Best Practices

On Being Excellent Seinfeld, Bad Advice and Best Practices Theres something in the air, I think. Ive noticed many conversations around the term excellence and what it really means in the last few weeks and its got me thinking. Perhaps its the coming of a New Year, and everyone getting back to work after a prolonged state of suspension between multiple holidays or maybe were all holding ourselves to a higher voreingestellt, but whatever it is, it has people in our industry talking. People like Jeff Wiener, who wrote a piece called From Seinfeld to Sushi How to Master Your Domain. Its a great read and offers some interesting insights from both Jerry Seinfeld himself and from a profile on the worlds greatest sushi chef. In both cases, the men offer (and seem to practice) sound advice like practicing consistently, working clean and being detail oriented. While notable, ansicht traits are not impressiv e in your average career simply because both of the men profiled in the piece have made it, yet they each still insist on working within the parameters they set for their careers early on.For Seinfeld, whose worth Forbes estimated in 2010 to be $800 million, his touring regimen is a function not of financial necessity but rather of borderline monomania a creative itch he cant scratch. I like money, he says, but its never been about the money.Contrast this with a piece written by Tim Sackett, on his irritation with the term best practices. From Sacketts point of view, the term is a lazy mans barometer, speaking less to excellence within a firm or HR shop and more to the point that being okay or on the level with your fellow organizations is enough for you. While he makes a valid point, its possible that the term best practices didnt start out with this generic and blase definition, but instead was hijacked by a thousand marketing departments until it became difficult to really deriv e any meaning from it.While you can argue the finer points of whether or not Sackett is right in his assumption (and I did) his bottom line rings of scary truthIm not saying that many HR/Talent shops cant improve by using a best practice from another organization. That actually might be true. But, again, youll only improve, at best, to the level that other organization has achieved. Youll never be industry leading youll be industry following. I always assume when I hear a best practice that it was something that worked really well for that organization, at a specific time, and then ask what are you doing now? Almost always, Ill get a response of something new they are actually working on but its not, yet, a best practice in their eyes Thats what I want to hear the new stuff not what theyve been doing for 5 yearsIt falls to actual recruiting practitioners to decide for themselves what dictates a best practice within their industry/organization/department/function. But how can on e do that without some guidance? I brought up the question to Sackett but was answered from a different source, RJ Morris wrote a withering piece about the kind of HR advice that makes news but is relatively value-less in real life. In it, he discusses what might (or will probably happen) when real people take ridiculous suggestions to heart like following up relentlessly (you look like a stalker) or making grand gestures before or during an interview (you seem deranged) or wearing a sign on the street (see grand gestures).Hey, HR professional, heres an idea. If someone comes to you for generalized career advice (not asking for a job, but really looking for advice), how about maybe acting like a professional? Take your responsibility seriously. Listen to their needs, give good counsel, give a resource or be quiet.Morris vents his frustration with these tactics because they are of no help, and may even hinder the standard job seeker. And this same principle applies to conference spea kers, editorial writers, bloggers and consultants who make big, splashy claims or who play it safe with something that masquerades as a best practice but is actually rote and increasingly expected in the life of a talent acquisition professional.

Attracting Women to Engineering

Attracting Women to Engineering Attracting Women to Engineering Attracting Women to EngineeringAs the mechanical engineering field works hard to fill an increasing shortage in the workplace with women, two areas are proving the fruchtwein alluring the application of mechanical engineering in the medical and energy fields.Thats because of the obvious direct impact on people, many experts say. The societal tie is so clear, comments Margaret Bailey, professor of mechanical engineering at Rochester Institute of Technology in Rochester (RIT), NY.Women tend to want careers that help society, helping people and the world around them, says Dr. Bailey, who is also founding executive director for a nationally recognized women-in-engineering program called WERIT. From her experience in academia, she says that women seem to have a stronger affinity with societal issues than males and that academic research also bears this out. I dont know why that is, but Ive seen it over the years.Making a Diff erenceWhile other areas of mechanical engineering do have an impact on society, the industry recognizes that mora education is needed not only to get out the word about what mechanical engineering is all about but also to demonstrate how important other areas are to society whether aerospace, automotive, computers, electronics, or even traditional manufacturing as it goes from low-tech to high-tech.Fresh out of graduate school, Whitney Domigan, who chose to focus on the energy field, speaks for many women when she says, I find the energy field rewarding and really like that the work Im doing because its for a good cause and because there are so many different aspects technical, social, environmental.As a technical analyst in the evaluation group of National Grid, an international energy delivery company operating in the northeastern U.S., she is helping customers save money and furthermore appreciates the environmental benefits of being involved with energy conservation. Her group acts as an internal audit group for National Grid, verifying the savings to customers for a required government report.Domigan earned an M.S. in mechanical engineering from RIT after receiving a B.S. in the same major and a minor in creative writing, also from RIT. For her masters thesis, she examined some of the social and energy aspects of a unique power plant in Pennsylvania, and while her current work is quite different, she says many of the ideas and concerns from her thesis work relate.Diversity = CreativityDr. Bailey adds that in the biomedical area, some of the jobs that are most appealing to women are device design, robotics, new delivery systems for pharmaceuticals, and designing experimental setups to test new advances in medicines.Diversity, whether gender, ethnicity, or geography, brings more creativity and innovation to a team, she says. When you bring together people who have grown up in different areas and have different experiences, they bring different ideas. So w hen you have gender diversity on a team rather than a single gender, most likely you are going to see different kinds of outcomes.Very often in engineering schools, where there is a big effort to get more diversity, the level of creativity and innovation is greater, and these teams often come up with different types of solutions, she says.Despite these efforts, however, the industry knows it needs to do more to attract more women. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, the percentage of women employed as mechanical engineers has remained relatively static over the past five years, rising to just 5.9% of the total mechanical engineering workforce in 2009 from 5.8%.The National Science Foundation found that between 2000 and 2008, the total number of four-year engineering degrees awarded in the U.S. increased by about 10,000 to 69,895, with almost all of the increase going to males. This reduced the percentage of women receiving undergraduate engineering degrees to 18.5% fro m 20.5%. However, women receiving graduate engineering degrees increased by about 2,300 during the same period to 22.5% from 20.5%.Nancy S. Giges, Brookdale Associates.Between 2000 and 2008, the total number of four-year engineering degrees awarded in the U.S. increased by about 10,000 to 69,895, with almost all of the increase going to males.

How to Dress Interview Appropriate on a Tight Budget

How to Dress Interview Appropriate on a Tight BudgetHow to Dress Interview Appropriate on a Tight BudgetHow to Dress Interview Appropriate on a Tight Budgetno

Skills Physical Therapist Assistants Need for Success

Skills Physical Therapist Assistants Need for SuccessSkills Physical Therapist Assistants Need for SuccessPhysical therapist assistants (PTAs) provide therapeutic care to patients under the supervision of aphysical therapist. They help patients regain mobility or manage pain if they have sustained injuries in accidents, had surgery, or are ill. PTAs also may supervise physical therapist aides. Some quick facts about the profession include In 2016, physical therapist assistants earned amedian annual salaryof $56,610 or $27.21 hourly, according to O*NET.Approximately88,000 people worked in this occupation in 2016.Most work in physical therapists offices, hospitals, or other healthcare facilities.Hours typically are full time and often include evenings and weekends.The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics classifies physical therapist assistant as a bright outlook occupation because it expects employment to grow much faster than the average for all occupations through 2026. How to Become a Physical Therapist Assistant To work in this profession, you must earn an associate degree from a physical therapist assistant training program that has been accredited by the Commission on Accreditation in Physical Therapy Education (CAPTE). For a list of CAPTE-accredited programs, visit the American Physical Therapy Association (APTA) website. There you will also find a wealth of information about this occupation. In every state in the United States, physical therapist assistants must have a license to practice. This includes Hawaii, which until December 2014 did not require one. All candidates for licensure must take the National Physical Therapy Exam, administered by theFederation of State Boards of Physical Therapy (FSBPT). Each states physical therapy board may have additional requirements. You can find their contact informationon the FSBPT website. The Soft Skills You Need to Succeed as a Physical Therapist Assistant As with most careers, there are general skills not specific to the field that will help you succeed as a physical therapist assistant. Some of these include Active Listening You must be able to listen carefully to your patients questions and concerns about their treatment.Verbal Communication Your patients must be able to understand your instructions for their treatment to be successful.Interpersonal Skills In addition to listening and speaking skills, you need other communication skills that will facilitate your interactions with your patients and colleagues. You need to be able to coordinate your actions with others, and you must be aware of peoples reactions even if they dont verbalize them. Service Orientation To be successful in any healthcare career, you need a strong desire to help people.Reading Comprehension You must be able to understand doctors and other healthcare professionals written instructions.Critical Thinking When you have to solve problems, you need the ability to weigh the potential success of possible solutions before choosing one. Challenges of Being a Physical Therapist Assistant To accommodate patients busy schedules, physical therapist assistants often have to work nights and weekends. You also will be on your feet a lot and will need to lift and move patients who have mobility problems. Job Responsibilities ofa Physical Therapist Assistant These job responsibilities from actual postings found onIndeed.comcan help summarize expectations Assistas necessary in patient evaluation under the direction and assistance of a Registered Therapist.You will keep the treatment area clean and organized.Provide follow-up treatment and feedback to the staff therapist to effectively plan for discharge.Assist in the development of treatment plans.Documentpatient progress toward meeting established goals.Instruct residentsfamilies or nursing staff in follow-through programs. Related Occupations DescriptionMedian Annual Wage (2016)Minimum Required Education/TrainingPhysical Therapist AideWork s in a physical therapy office tending to tasks that arent directly related to patient care$25,680HS or equivalency diplomaVeterinary AssistantProvides basic care to animals in an animal hospital or clinic$25,250HS or equivalency diplomaOccupational Therapy AssistantAssists occupational therapists in teaching patients who must relearn how to perform tasks of daily living$59,010Associate degree from an accredited programNursing AssistantProvides basic patient care under a registered nurses direction$26,590Completion of a state-approved education program Sources Bureau of Labor Statistics, U.S. Department of Labor,Occupational Outlook Handbook, 2016Employment, and Training Administration, U.S. Department of Labor,O*NET Online.