Monday, December 30, 2019

How to Deal With Someone Who Doesnt Like You -The Muse

How to Deal With Someone Who Doesnt Like You -The MuseHow to Deal With Someone Who Doesnt Like You A couple of years ago, I worked with a co-worker who hated me. She talked negatively about me to other team members and challenged me openly on several occasions. The cherry on top? She told my boss she was better suited to be manager than I was.Just because it stemmed from her frustrations with her own career, it didnt make my experience any easier. I felt like I had to constantly defend myself, and my work had to compete with all of the negative attention. Looking back now, though, I can see a silver lining. Her disdain toward me taught me five things about dealing with people who have it in for you 1. Start With YourselfIts too easy to conclude that people dont like you just because- without taking a look at yourself. Before deciding it has notlagehing to do with you, take a moment and consider if youre doing things that could potentially be offensive or insensitive. It could be some thing youre aware of- like if youre hyper-competitive and willing to step on others to get ahead. But it could also be habits youre not attuned to, like finishing peoples sentences. So, ask for feedback from someone you trust. Your boss or co-worker can provide perspective on how youre coming across to others, and why you may not be received so well. Thisll give you an opportunity to adjust some of those behaviors, and then, revisit the relationships that mayve gotten off to a rocky start. (I know its a tricky conversation to start, so heres a template thatll help you ask for honest feedback.2. Accept Your DifferencesMaybe the people you ask says theres nothing they can identify that would rub others the wrong way. If thats the case, the next step is to accept that not everyone will like you- and thats OK. Your job is not to convince them why they should. Yes, you need to be courteous, but dont stop being true to who you are. Its helpful to remember that people have favorites inside and outside the workplace, I bet you experience it, too There are probably some people that you click with and others you dont. While it may seem personal, its just human nature, and remembering that can make it sting less. If its still getting to me, I also like to remember that no ones perfect and embracing imperfections is what make us unique. 3. Refuse to EngageOf course, accepting doesnt mean you stoop to their level. Theres an old saying that arguing with fools will just prove there are two. No matter how strong you think your clap back game is, just dont do it. One strategy that has always helped me resist the urge to participate is redirecting the conversation. If I must talk to someone who doesnt like me and I believe its headed in a negative direction, I quickly redirect the conversation back to its origin. For example, Steve, Id love to get back to brainstorming the marketing plan, specifically.4. RefocusDealing with such a negative person can be draining, so refocus you r energy on the people who believe in you. Youre in your job for a reason- because you can do it, and the people who hired you know that What others think of your qualifications is not relevant. Believe it or not, I often refocus by pretending that Im on stage in front of a large audience. Lights, camera, action and everyone is watching. It doesnt matter what happened backstage, in the dressing room, or at last nights show. What matters most is my performance right here in this moment. That image helps me shake off any negativity and get back to business.5. ResetWhen youre working with someone who doesnt like you, you have to (repeatedly) hit reset. You cant approach each working opportunity thinking about all the reasons why working with this individuals difficult. Resetting will minimize your frustration and allow you to get more done. One way to do this is to play dumb. Yes, youre wise enough to interpret the true meaning of your co-workers so-called compliments and see them for the digs they are. However, you can pretend not to. You can smile and say, Thanks so much for acknowledging my work. I was pleased to see the positive results as well.If you imagine your interaction going fine, it just might- and you want to do all you can to make that possible.Despite the critics, you must continue to persevere. This was the hardest lesson of them all for me to learn. I stressed about going to work, knowing Id have to deal with this awful co-worker. But I got through it by remembering it was her problem. I didnt dislike this associate. She disliked me. That was her burden alone to carry. Acknowledging that this was not my problem helped me remain resilient and continue doing the job I loved.

Thursday, December 26, 2019

What Trends in Mobile Advertising Mean to the Industry

What Trends in Mobile Advertising Mean to the IndustryWhat Trends in Mobile Advertising Mean to the IndustryCell phones are as much a part of our everyday lives as televisions were thirty years ago, and radios thirty years before that. We dont go anywhere without them. We can use them to buy products, connect with friends, check the news, the weather, play games, and so much more. Mobile Ads Were Slow to Start, Quick to Catch Up Now, when the Internet first started to take hold of the mass-market consumer, it changed advertising in a big way. Unlike most forms of advertising in the past, the Internet offered instant gratification and fulfillment. Click a banner, go to a website, buy your product. PayPal even made the whole process seamless. With mobile advertising, just like the Internet, the uptake was slow. And the ads were more intrusive than effective. Quite often, creatives in ad agencies had no idea what to do with those phone message ads. But times are once again changing. The impact of ads on cell phones could be as big as the impact that the Internet had on newspapers and magazines, despite the brave front they are putting up. The Impact of Mobility on Advertising Cell phones travel with you. And with most phones having GPS (global positioning system) technology, your phone can be served with geographically relevant ads. All of a sudden, youre getting lunch deals and coupons from a restaurant thats 30 seconds away. You could even be sent those ads 15 minutes before lunch. Now that is not just targeted advertising, its coming from a sharp-shooter. Here are just a few of the places that advertising can impact you, immediately, via your cell phone In the aisles of the grocery storeOutside of a movie theaterAt the food court of a mallIn a book or music storeAt a car dealershipAt the DMV or any other government officeA toy store (especially around the holidays) To keep up, the traditional advertising methods are going to have to stay on top of trend s like that. You may see more and more ads that contain QR barcodes (a barcode that consists of squares instead of vertical lines). An ad in a magazine could contain a code that, when scanned, will send a relevant, local ad to your phone. It could be the directions to a local dealership if the ad is for a new car or a coupon for a sandwich at a local deli. In Mobile Advertising, Instant Purchasing Power Makes All the Difference Theres also instant purchasing power to take into consideration. Just like the Internet, mobile advertising can give you the power to see and buy, on the spot. A great example of this recently emerged using QR codes on bus-shelter ads for the fashion chain HM. In it, ads showed actual products that could be purchased, with a QR code next to the outfit. Taking a shot of that code led the nutzer to a store on their cell phone that asked for a size and color and took them straight to the checkout. Mobile is The Perfect Partnership of Technology and Advert ising A recent TV ad also showed a guy changing his train ticket via his phone, instantly, to sit next to his future wife on the train. Great, but imagine the possibilities. Technology could detect where you are at any given time and deliver discount tickets to you, be they for rock concerts or vacations. You may have just been walking past that concert hall, but your phone is linked to you and your likes and dislikes. Now, advertisers can marketers can tap into your personal life, find out what music you have listed on your Facebook page, link it to the city youre in, your current location, and get you a ticket to a show starting on one hour. Its not fiction, its all quite possible. How Mobile Advertising Is Changing the Future of Traditional TV and Radio Spots Will the industry have to change the way they look at them? Well, yes, and no. The big Superbowl spots of the past few decades will still have their place. Branding is branding, and a captive audience of that scale is n ever going to be passed up. But what they feature could very well change. Ads that interact with cell phones could shift the conversation away from a pure branding exercise to one that has a trackable ROI (return on investment). Imagine a $2 million beer commercial that asks everyone to take a snapshot of the screen and, in return, gets a free beer credited to their phone one that can be used at a liquor store or sports bar. Now that would have a serious impact on the advertising community. The Bottom Line for Mobile Ads Is Adapt or Die Traditional advertising always has to make this call. And when money is calling the shots, adaptation is essential. Mobile phones in places like Japan are everything to people. They are going in that direction in most other countries as I write this article. A regular TV spot that doesnt include mobile phone promotions or linkage will take a back seat to ads that incorporate the lifeline of every consumer. The mobile phone is king. The industry w ill bow down to it, or problem behind quickly.

Saturday, December 21, 2019

Breakthrough Makes Graphene Easier to 3D Print

Breakthrough Makes Graphene Easier to 3D Print Breakthrough Makes Graphene Easier to 3D Print Breakthrough Makes Graphene Easier to 3D PrintGraphene is one of earths strongest materials. Because of its high electric and thermal conductivity, it is sought by a variety of industries, from aerospace to battery manufacturing. But printing objects with graphene is limited because it can only be printed in basic structures or in 2D sheets. That is now changing as researchers at Virginia Tech and Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory have developed a process to 3D print complex objects of graphene at a resolution much greater than before.The breakthrough will allow a designer to produce 3D topology made of interconnected graphene sheets, notes Xiaoyu Zheng, an assistant professor of mechanical engineering and director of the Advanced Manufacturing and Metamaterials Lab. In turn, that will lead to an optimization of strength, conductivity and weight density not previously achievable.Zoomed- in scanning electron microscope picture of a graphene octet-truss at a resolution of 10 micrometers. leumund Virginia TechRegular graphene consists of a single layer of carbon atoms arranged in a honeycombed hexagonal pattern. When layered, it becomes graphite commonly used in lead pencils. But the layering also makes the substance brittle. Zhengs team solved that problem by separating the layers with air-filled pores, maintaining its original integrity.For You How Additive Manufacturing Will Transform the Supply ChainThe result is something called graphene aerogels, porous graphene structures fitted with air-filled pores, and they provide better mechanical properties. Ryan Hensleigh, a macromolecular science and engineering Ph.D. student, began working with Zheng on the project three years ago when he interned at Lawrence Livermore under Zheng. When Zheng moved to Virginia Tech, so did Hensleigh.Its a pretty significant breakthrough, Hensleigh says. When we started, we didnt have a great idea about how to go about it.Pristine graphene is one of the stiffest materials ever measured, but graphene foams experience such massive degradation in mechanical properties that they are worse than polymer foams at low densities, notes Hensleigh and other authors of a paper explaining the technique published in the journal Material Horizons. 3D-printed mechanical metamaterials have shown the unprecedented ability to alleviate such degradation, but all current graphene foam 3D printing techniques are unable to produce such complex metamaterial architectures due to insufficient resolution and toolpath limitations.When work on the project began, graphene was generally printed through an extruder that produced log pile structures. The type of structures created are limited because resolution is limited, along with erleichterung. They just simply could not support their own weight, Hensleigh says.The breakthrough allows graphene to be designed into any shape with a very high re solution. The new technique is compatible with a desktop SLA printer and achieves an order-of-magnitude finer resolution and far more intricate structures than any previous method, according to the paper. This technique opens new possibilities not only to enhance graphene foam mechanical properties, but to explore complex architectures and mesoscale effects for other graphene applications including energy storage and conversion, separations, and catalysis, the authors wrote.We really did this through trial and error, Hensleigh says.He began by working with graphene oxide, a precursor to graphene, and crosslinked sheets of the material to form a foam, or hydrogel. Then he broke that into small pieces with ultrasound and added light-sensitive acrylate polymers. The graphene oxide became trapped within the rigid chains of the polymer, allowing a solid 3D structure to be created through projection micro-stereolithography.The structures polymers were then burned off in a furnace, fusing the object together and producing a pure, lightweight aerogel. Using this technique, designers can print an object to 10 microns in resolution compared to others that print to 100 microns, Hensleigh says. Ten-micron resolution approaches the actual size of graphene sheets.It now takes a week to two weeks to make the material, but the actual printing is finished within two hours. Remember, the parts are pretty small, a few millimeters on each side, he says.More work is needed before printing graphene at home becomes feasible but the researchers are excited about the possibilities. The high-resolution, intricate structures not only allow the fabrication of arbitrary form factors for a plethora of applications but can improve graphene foam properties at increasingly low densities, according to the paper. Micro-architected graphenes essentially unlimited design space, high surface area and electrical conductivity paves the way for exploring mesoscale architectures for advanced 3D graphe ne applications including catalysis and separation platforms, tunable thermal conductivity, and wandelbar flow among others, the authors wrote.Theres a lot of interest in ultra-low thermally conductive material, and even bone tissue engineering, says Hensleigh, adding that he wants to pursue applications in battery electrodes. Energy storage and conversion is one of the areas where graphene applications shows the most promise.Read MoreHear Episode One of Our New Podcast Building the Case for a Diversified WorkforceRaspberry Pis Eben Upton on Design and InnovationSmart Bandage Does It All For Further DiscussionIts a pretty significant breakthrough. When we started, we didnt have a great idea of how to go about it.Ryan Hensleigh, Virginia Tech

Monday, December 16, 2019

See Examples of Integrity in Action in the Workplace

See Examples of Integrity in Action in the WorkplaceSee Examples of Integrity in Action in the WorkplaceIntegrity is one of the fundamental values that employers landseek in the employees that they hire. It is the hallmark of a person who demonstrates sound moral and ethical principles at work. Integrity is the foundation on which coworkers build relationships, trust, and effective interpersonal relationships. Any definition of integrity you may find valuable and illustrative will emphasize these factors. A person who has integrity lives his or herbei values in relationships with coworkers, customers, and stakeholders. Honesty and trust are central to integrity. Acting with honor and truthfulness are also basic tenets in a person with integrity. People who demonstrate integrity draw others to them because they are trustworthy and dependable. They are principled and you can count on them to behave in honorable ways even when no one is watching or even knows about their performance. Th ey form the core of the people who you want to hire if you seek a superior workforce. Examples of Integrity in the Workplace in Action Integrity is another fundamental value that you immediately recognize when you see it in the behavior of a coworker. But, its hard to describe adequately to provide a picture that produces shared meaning. So, the following are examples of integrity as it plays out- or should play out- every single day in the workplace. 1.The CEO of the company kept the employees up-to-date on the struggles the business welches experiencing with clear and frequent communication at team meetings. Employees felt as if they knew exactly what welches happening. They were not blindsided by the CEOs request that they all take a 10 percent pay cut so that the company could avoid layoffs or furloughs for the time being. The employees also felt confident in the turnaround plan they were following as they had helped develop it and they trusted their CEO. 2John welches a dev eloper who had taken a path, that was not working out, to optimize the process the code was supposed to create. Rather than patching together a solution that was not optimum, but that would allow him to save his work, he went to his team. He explained the dead ends he had run into and that he thought that they could create problems for the continual development of advanced features for the software product in the future. The team discussed and worked through the problem. John scrapped all of his code and started from scratch with the teams input. His new solution gave the team the ability to expand the products capabilities easily in the future. 3.Barbara went to the womens restroom and used up the last bit of toilet paper in her stall. Rather than leave the dosierpumpe empty for the next employee, she tracked down the location of the toilet paper and replaced the empty roll. Sure, it took her five minutes, but she didnt leave the next employee in a bind. 4.Ellen missed a deadline f or an important deliverable her team was supposed to have developed. Rather than throwing her team members under the bus, even though they hadnt delivered as promised, she took responsibility for the missed deadline. She addressed the problems with her team and they put in place safeguards that would keep them from underperforming again. Team members recognized their contribution to the failure but there were no repercussions because Ellen took responsibility as the team leader. (They also recognized that a repeat failure was not allowed.) 5.Two team members were discussing another team members failure to perform. They talked critically about the individuals lack of skill and imagination. They criticized his follow-through efforts and his production. Paul entered the room in the midst of the gossip and discussion, listened for a minute, and then, interrupted. He asked the two team members if they had discussed their issues with the employee who they were criticizing? 6.Mary, the HR manager, was approached by an employee who wanted to formally complain that her boss, a senior manager, was bullying her. Mary immediately investigated the situation and discovered that indeed, the manager was acting in ways that could be considered bullying. Other employees had experienced the same behavior. Several employees had brought to his attention how his actions made them feel (Brave souls.) Mary asked the complaining employee how she wanted the situation handled. The employee asked Mary to mediate a conversation because she was afraid to talk to him on her own. Mary set up a meeting and was able to facilitate the conversation. She also warned the manager that he could not retaliate against the employee. It would be a positive outcome to say that the manager stopped the behavior. But, unfortunately, he did not. This required the next step in followup. Mary finally went to his boss, a Senior VP, who intervened- powerfully and immediately. Then, the persons behavior changed. This story is an example of employees doing the right things, having professional courage, and demonstrating personal and professional integrity at each step of the journey. 7.A customer asked Mark, a customer service rep, whether a software product would perform certain functions that she needed. These capabilities were the deciding factors in whether she would purchase the product. Mark thought that the software would perform the needed tasks and told her so. However, he also indicated that he was not positiveand that he would talk with the other reps and the developers and get back to her that day with an answer. After talking with the others, he discovered that one capability was missing.He called the customer who decided to purchase the product anyway as she had been unable to find one that did a better job. 8.Marsha was responsible for producing a report once a week that was used on Friday by two other departments to plan their workflow for the next week. Knowing that she plan ned to take advantage of her vacation time in the near future, Marsha ensured that the report would be produced as needed in her absence. She completely prepared another employee to create the report. Additionally, she wrote out the appropriate procedures so that the coworker had a guide in her absence. She supervised the trainee for two weeks so that her replacement had a chance to do the actual task. Finally, she touched base with the other two departments to let them know that a rather inexperienced person would be creating their report in case the coworker needed help. In big ways and small ways, in visible or invisible situations, employees have the opportunity to demonstrate their integrity- or lack of it- every single day. If youve hired the right people, their integrity should shine forth. Examples of a Lack of Integrity Now that you have had a chance to consider stories of employees who were ethical and demonstrated integrity in the dealings with customers and coworkers , youll want to take a look at the opposite. The number of acts that you may see in your workplace daily that indicate an employees lack of integrity are breathtakingly simple and complex- and noteworthy. See examples of a lack of business ethics and integrity.

Wednesday, December 11, 2019

How to Avoid Work-from-Home Job Scams 6 Tips

How to Avoid Work-from-Home Job Scams 6 Tips How to Avoid Work-from-Home Job Scams 6 Tips When it comes to finding an online job, many people are concerned about being scammed. And for good reason- for every one legitimate work-from-home job, there are approximately 60-70 job scams.Its for this reason that avoiding work-from-home job scams can binnenseem like a tall task.One of the reasons was created was to provide a safe, trusted way for people to find legitimate remote and flexible jobs, without having to worry about the junk and scams.If you use for yur job search, you can be assured that all of the opportunities on our site have been screened by a real human and are completely scam-free.Listings can be ripe with scams and savvy scammers know how much people desire to work from home. They impersonate potential bosses, recruiters, and hiring managers in order to scam job seekers out of personal financial information- and in the worst-case scenario, their life savings.If youre not using for your job search, or youre supplementing with other sites, use these tips to avoid job scams and keep yourself safe on other job boards.Trust your gut if a job feels scammy.As with most situations in life, one of the single best ways to avoid a job scam is to listen to your instincts.That can be hard if youve been out of work for a while and a plum position seems to fall smack dab into your lap. But think about the job and how you were approached about it in an objective light.If something just feels off, or you feel uncomfortable for any reason (e.g., the job recruiter is pushy or demanding, or you dont have a clear understanding of the job responsibilities), dont think twice about walking away from it.mora than likely, your instincts are right. And remember, there areplenty of real online jobs out thereto choose from. This wont be your one and only opportunity to work remotely, so dont feel intimidated or pressured into doing something you dont feel comfortable with.Know thesigns of a work-from-home job scam.While job scammers have adapted their tactics over time, there are still some hard-and-fast warnings that a job is a scam. Here are some basic signs of a work-from-home job scamYoure asked for personal financial information- such as your social security number, your bank account, your home address and phone number, your date of birth, etc.- early on in the job interview process.The job pays a lot of money for little work. After all, if it sounds too good to be true, it almost always is.The company boasts several rags-to-riches stories that showcase high-flying lifestyles.The job posting mentions quick money, drastic income changes overnight, etc.The job posting has glaring grammatical or spelling errors.The product is supposedly endorsed by countless celebrities or public figures.The contact schmelzglas address is personal (e.g., johnsmith3843gmail.com) or one that mimics a real companys email address (e.g., johnsmithdellcomputercompany.com).The job requires several up-front expenses from candidates.Compensation is based on how many people you recruit.A recruiter offers you the job immediately without verifying your work experience or doesnt ask for references.Consider your keywords.In general, be careful of the keywords you use to search for online jobs. The following options (and variations) can be indicative of a work-from-home job scamFree work from home jobsQuick moneyUnlimited earning potentialMulti-level marketingEnvelope stuffingInvestment opportunities and seminarsResearch the companies.Lets say a recruiter contacts you and wants you to apply for a job. They say that based on your skills and work experience, youd be perfect for an open position.That doesnt mean the job is legitimate (or the recruiter is who they claim to be). You should always do your due diligence on both the recruiter and the job. Conduct research to see if you can find out any info on the recruiter/hiring manager to determine if they are indeed a real person.The Better Business Bureau and the Federal Trade Commission can be great resources to find and report online job scams. You should be able to find a trail verifying the person and company, and, if not, you may want to reconsider moving forward with the job process.Connect with the company directly.A hiring manager might reach out to you with a potential job. They might offer all the details about the job but not the biggest one of all- the company hiring for the job. Although they might say theycant disclose the company or theylllose the potential commission associated with placing you in the position, you should know for certain the name of the company youre interviewing for.If the hiring manager wont tell you, it could be a sign that youre in the middle of a scam. So contact the company that you might be working for to verify that a) the job recruiter is working for them, and b) the job youre applying for exists.Question the communication.The job interview process h as evolved quite a bit over the years to keep up with changes in technology.Almost everything is done online, from job applications to interviews, which are happening more frequently via video conferencing, particularly for remote positions.That being said, there are still a few red flags when it comes to using technology for hire, and those are email or instant messaging. Any hiring manager or boss worth their salt is not going to conduct a job interview via instant messageor email. Most often, you might be initially contacted by email, but after that, you should still have a phone or video interview- or both.Dodging Work-from-Home Job ScamsIts unlikely that job scammers will ever go away, but there are ways to protect yourself and avoid job scams. Using a reputable job search service like can help you find a real online job faster, easier, and, most importantly, safer.We pre-screen every job and company before posting them to our site. Our trained research team weeds out both the obvious scams and the more sophisticated ones, along with commission-only jobs, low-quality positions, geschftlicher umgang opportunities, and other junk so our members are guaranteed a quality job search experience.Wherever else you might be searching, use caution and always consider the signs of a work-from-home job scam and stay safe and find legitimate, real online jobsStart Your Search for a Legitimate Online Job SIGN UP FOR TODAY This is a version of a post that was

Friday, December 6, 2019

Top Choices of Free Resume Writer

Top Choices of Free Resume Writer How to Choose Free Resume Writer Youve got a sample essay which you are able to analyze and from which youll be able to learn something new. The point is to let you can boost your CV as much as you desire. Theres almost always a new story to tell whether its a fictional or factual, it is going to be a famous one to read and produce the writer known. More experienced people who may rather not advertise what a very long job history they have had. After 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 are going to be suitable. It is very important that anything that you set on your job application is critical to the work that youre applying. There are lots of basic kinds of resumes used to make an application for job openings. If you need assistance figuring out the way to do so, have a look at our amtsstube worker resume samples and expert writi ng tips. Your presentation facing the recruiter is by the resources of your resume. Resumes should be simple for the reader to follow. Situation certain resumes generally indicate they are especially formatted to suit people in a given situation, for instance, entry level resumes, inter-company transfer resumes, etc.. New Step by Step Roadmap for Free Resume Writer The curriculum is a vorlage that youre able to download for free Free simple resume template to help you to get the job. There are a lot of sites offering free resume template with no watermarks or logos inside them. There are several free resume samples or templates readily available on the web, which make it simple and convenient for someone to modify one according to their very own requirements. Cost-free visual resume template that include cover letter. A fundamental text editor at no cost, providing you a printable resume template. Cost-free printable resume template with creative and easy design. Completely free creative clean resume template for virtually any job Opportunity. Notice how the name is the largest and the other formatting is actually straightforward. The advantages of working with a template The obvious reason behind using a template is the way quickly and easily youre able to put your resume together. The template is quite oganized and named layers also simple to customize. If it is not in a suitable format there is no value of using it. Implementing agile means refining your goods in numerous iterations until its precisely what the client wants and fits within budget and other constraints. The sales and marketing business is one predicated on your capacity to sell goods or services to the general public. To compose a compelling, effective executive resume, you have to start by not even considering the format youre going to be using. Creating your resume has never been simpler Free Resume Writer for Dummies Writing a resume doesnt have to be an issue but it isn t something that ought to be taken lightly either since your resumes could signify the difference between being ignored and being granted an interview by a specific firm. In other words, resume templates can provide you that professional look which will help to boost your likelihood of winning an interview to land that dream job youre applying for. The website will inform you exactly how many views your resume has. Yes, theres a whole lot of choice but not all them are likely to be appropriate for your demands. Grow that article it can let you find information people provide. A lot of people dont like their present job or career. You may find a number of great resume templates, but youll have to decide if theyre likely to help or hurt your likelihood of landing an interview.

Monday, December 2, 2019

The FTI Team Gives Back

The FTI Team Gives Back FTI Consultings Denver office recently volunteered with Girls on the Run of the Rockies, a national nonprofit that offers a physical activity-based positive youth development program designed to develop and enhance girls social, psychological and physical competence to successfully navigate life experiences. The program combines training for a 5k with an interactive curriculum targeting competence, confidence, connection, character, caring and contribution. After viewing a presentation about Girls on the Run, FTI Consulting professionals input pre-run and post-run data from program participants into a system, and made encouraging marker sticks to hand out to runners after they complete each lap of their course.Do you want to join a team of hardworking individuals who also care about their community? Click here to apply to FTIs open roles, and dont forget to press Follow. One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achievin g gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When was the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 mio construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. He re are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel neuschpfung/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe construction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors o f America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentierung technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I h elped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.

Wednesday, November 27, 2019

The Role of Pre-Employment Assessment in Hiring

The Role of Pre-Employment Assessment in HiringThe Role of Pre-Employment Assessment in HiringYou dont want to hire an employee who will give presentations to clients, eitherbei internal or external and then find out that she is so nervous presenting that she cant get a coherent sentence out of her mouth when standing in front of a group. You dont want to hire a programmer who doesnt know the programming languages listed on her resume. How do you ensure that the people you hire arent just making stuff up in the interview? The formalbackground check helps, for sure. But, in another great way to determine appropriate background skills, many companies check the candidates actual skills through pre-employment assessments. You want to do any pre-employment assessment correctly, so keep in mind the following issues Only ask your most qualified couple of candidates to participate in a pre-employment assessment. Its not ritterlich to ask marginal candidates to spend the hours necessary for t he pre-employment assessment unless they are a finalist for the position.Set a time limit for any pre-assessment you request. Any work that you ask a candidate to do is taking time out of their busy schedule. Never ask your candidate for anything that requires more than an hour or two of preparation and testing unless you are willing to pay consulting fees for their time. The pre-assessment test selected should not become your work product. Dont ask a graphic design candidate to design a new logo, then not hire that partie, and use the logo. Dont ask an analyst candidate to write a report, and then use that report. Thats called stealing work. And remember, your job candidate owns the copyright on whatever they produce. Their product is not work for hire because you didnt pay for it.The pre-employment assessment should relate directly to the job. A basic math test is a must for grocery store cashiers, but not for the people who collect the carts. Asking an administrative assistant ca ndidate to do a sales presentation makes no more sense than asking a sales candidate to do a python coding test. Pre-Employment Assessments While many companies test for technical skills (appropriately for software developers) or do personality assessments which are always open to interpretation, the following pre-employment assessments may provide more useful information. Presentation Skills Does the candidate know how to handle herself in a presentation? Can she create engaging PowerPoint slides? Can she answer questions mid-presentation without being caught off guard and losing her place? Can she speak clearly and coherently? Remember, when you request your candidate to make a presentation as a pre-employment assessment, you need only a short time, 10-15 minutes, to assess your candidates skills in presenting. Internal Technical Skills Technical skills are easy to spot on a resume, and likely your applicant tracking system returned this resume because the keywords ma tched. But it is one thing for a candidate to say, I can do X, and another thing for her to demonstrate the actual skill. While your applicants resume may look impressive, the person may not be able to effectively demonstrate the actual skill you need. Why is that? The possibility that the candidate exaggerated her skills always exists, but you also need to consider the possibility that you and the candidate think about the skill differently. When you ask a candidate, can you work with Excel? the person may think, yes, I can make graphs, and I can add columns of numbers, so yes. But, you, the employer, are thinking, We create macros that communicate between datakusines and generate automated reports. Often, a person who is doing the job right now is the best person to assess whether the candidate has the needed technical skills. Analysis Skill Assessment Many people have analyst roles in the workplace, but what the job title, analyst, means varies widely from job to job and comp any to company. Just what will you need your new employee to analyze? Give her a pre-employment assessment that is a sample analysis assignment with a report to write. Her output will demonstrate whether she understands what is going on, or not. Customer Service Just how do you assess a candidates customer service skills? Give her a customer, an employee playing the role of a customer, of course. How would she handle an irate person? Or, what does she do to make a customer feel listened to and heard out? Remember that you havent trained the candidate on your company protocols, so dont grade her based on following your three steps for conflict resolution. Look at the candidates overall performance and interaction and ask yourself whether you believe you could train her to your performance standards. You need to determine if she has the base that you can build on. Feedback How does the candidate react when you give her feedback on your pre-employment test? Does she balk and be come defensive? Does she calmly explain why she did what she did and ask you for additional information on why you made the suggestions you did? This isnt an opportunity to verbally assault your candidate but an opportunity to assess how she reacts when she is under pressure. Its just normal feedback, I agree with your analysis on X and Y, but I disagree with Z. Can you explain a little bit more about how you drew that conclusion? Dont Forget Your Goals in Using Pre-Employment Assessment The goal of pre-employment assessment is to determine if the person is capable of doing the job, with the amount of training you are willing and able to provide. You should never expect perfection on a pre-employment assessment because each company has its own standards and protocols. Keep this in mind when youre evaluating pre-employment assessments to use with potential new employees. This understanding will help you find the best person for the job. Remember, business is always changing, so h iring the candidate who can learn new skills is more important than hiring the person who does the job perfectly today.

Friday, November 22, 2019

What New Grads Need to Know About Getting an Engineering Job

What New Grads Need to Know About Getting an Engineering JobWhat New Grads Need to Know About Getting an Engineering Job Attention classes of 2019 and 2020 If you are looking to snag an engineering job when you graduate, weve gathered everything you need to know- from whether you need to add an internship to your resume to what skills you need to highlight- from Philips top recruiters.While some companies may welcome candidates with majors outside of their chosen fields, that is not always the case with engineering, says Amy McNair, a Philips campus recruiter. When it comes to supply chain management and design engineers, its best to have a major in those areas, she says. You really need to have specific experience, McNair explains. For example, if you really want to work in supply chain management , You really cannot climb the corporate ladder without specific training, McNair says. However, we are hiring right now for our quality team, which is not tied to a specific major, she adds.According to Becky Abrahams, a campus recruiter at Philips, those seeking an engineering job should have an internship under their belts. At Philips specifically, recruiters often look for candidates with relevant technical skills- such as CAD or Solidworks- or programming experience. People who have previous software experience including coding and software programming, through an internship or a past position, will have a leg up, Abrahams says.And zeroing in on a role-specific internship is also a smart move Our hiring managers are often looking for role-specific internship experience, Abrahams says. While some hiring managers are more open-minded than others, Abrahams says, specific engineering or software candidates need to come to an interview/company with specific experience. If youd like to work at Philips, recruiters there will look for passion , they say. Abrahams says recruiters specifically will ask (and hope to answer) these questions about ap plicantsThese are great questions to consider- regardless of where you aspire to work. If you do aspire to work at Philips as an engineer, really research the company, and dont be afraid to share your excitement to work at Philips, advises McNair. Show your interest, do you your research. And be prepared to share your why. Philips will also look for someone who is ready to jump right in and contribute to the team from the start, she says.

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Finding Meaning in Your Role as a Manager

Finding Meaning in Your Role as a ManagerFinding Meaning in Your Role as a ManagerDo you need to find a new purpose for your job? Would you like to make your work as a manager more rewarding? Use these tips to rethink your role. Its Teaching and Guiding, Not Supervising The notion of the manager as a supervisor, observing every aspect of work and stepping in to correct or discipline when people are out of compliance with work standards or pace is a leftover vestige from the latter stages of the industrial revolution. Todays manager must serve more as a guide and teacher for the following issues Helping everyone on the gruppe understand how their role connects to the group and organizational objectives.Translating senior managements strategic objectives into programs and approaches that bring them to life.Exposing colleagues to new ideas and approaches for strengthening pergestaltance at the individual and group level.Helping the team navigate challenging issues and ethical dilemm as when choices are not clear, and the decisions come with implications. Developing, Not Disciplining Todays effective manager is more of a talent scout and developer of talent than someone preoccupied with the minutia of what everyone is doing on an hourly basis. Key focal points for this work include Scouting for individuals who display the potential to succeed and grow in the firms working environment and culture.Helping individuals recognize their strengths and designing opportunities for them to develop further and leverage those skills and abilities.Providing clear, timely feedback and coaching guidance on resolving or eliminating behaviors that detract from top performance.Mentoring individuals as they consider their longer-range career paths and plans. Creating an Environment for Success to Flourish When wewrite or talk about the working environment, many people immediately assume we are referencing the physical characteristics of the working space. While physical at tributes do play a part in hilfeing collaboration and creativity, the working environment we are describing is much more about the culture on the team. It includes How people perceive they are treated. Are they valued as individuals and treated with respect and fairness?Whether people are free from fear in their jobs. Are they comfortable suggesting new ideas or experimenting with new approaches?Do team members recognize the need to be accountable for their contributions and commitments?Do they have confidence their manager will support and when needed, defend them? Forming and framing a positive working environment based on shared values for respect, trust and accountability is a critical part of the managers role in todays world. Finding Meaning in Purpose as a Manager An early mentor of mine regularly referenced the phrase, Remember, its all about the journey, when listening to my latest frustrations and challenges. I recall not completely understanding the meaning of her wor ds. I was looking for help in the middle of a workplace tornado, and here this individual was sharing philosophy. It turns out she was right. Years from now as you reflect on your career experience you will remember the people and teamwork and camaraderie and the experience of working together. What you will not remember or care about are the quarterly numbers, the budgets or the headaches. The journey of working and sharing and learning together will reign supreme in your memory. The challenge for many of us is how to keep that in context in the here-and-now and find purpose in our daily job activities as a manager. 5 Ideas to Find Meaning and Purpose in Your Work Recognize the Opportunity You Have to Positively Impact Someones Life Through Your Efforts as a Manager Taking a chance on someone or showing support for them after a failure can have long-lasting ripple effects in the lives of our coworkers. The manager who believed in my abilities as a young professional, to do a jo b at a much higher level in spite of my lack of experience gave me the gift of self-confidence. An individual I had no choice but to terminate looped back a decade later and offered that the respect I showed him in the process forced him to reevaluate where he had gone wrong. It was during that difficult situation that he decided to turn his career and life around. Look in the Rear-View Mirror Once per Year and Marvel at the Distance You and You Have kollektiv Members Traveled and What You Created Along the Way Often, work feels like a never-ending rush to put out fires and resolve crises. Nonetheless, good teams led by active managers learn to strengthen their performance, improve their quality, innovate to try new things and slowly, day by day, reinvent themselves. One manager used the new fiscal year kick-off not to talk so much about goals looking forward, but to ask the team to look backward at the prior year and identify all of those things that worked and that they wanted to do more of in this upcoming period. The goals seemed easy to digest when considered through the filter of so many positive achievements and behaviors. Strengthen Your Coaching Skills and Help Individuals Push Through to New Levels of Performance Walking in the door in the morning with the recognition that the most important work you can do all day is to offer coaching support through the delivery of constructive and positive feedback sets the tone for a positive day. Good people want feedback. They appreciate help in developing their strengths and overcoming or bypassing their weaknesses. And your work to help people develop through a series of unique and challenging experiences is a form of showing high respect for your coworkers. Remember, todays team members are tomorrows senior managers, executives, and even CEOs. Your coaching can make a difference in the trajectory of their careers and lives. Focus on Strengthening the Working Environment Every Day A positive working environ ment is the outcome of the nearly endless interactions we have as managers every single day. Every encounter and every meeting is an opportunity to show individuals and the larger team that the values of respect, trust and accountability are real and meaningful. Take the Bad Days in Stride and Remember That You Get to Start Fresh Tomorrow Navigating and learning from the struggles is a part of the journey. You will have bad days- we all do. The great news is that you get a do-over tomorrow. And problems that seem challenging one day are always just a bit easier to solve after a nights sleep. The Bottom Line The life of a manager is much about numbers and productivity and deadlines and dealing with challenging people issues. The daily work and stressors are always present. However, by focusing on the opportunities you have to support and develop others while building an environment that draws out the best in your coworkers, you develop an appreciation for your real purpose as a m anager. Long after you forget the numbers and results, you will remember the people who impacted you and the people you were able to have an impact along the way positively. Remember to enjoy the journey