3 Ways Right Now To Fight Age Discrimination

3 Ways Right Now To Fight Age Discrimination3 Ways Right Now To Fight Age DiscriminationIm 54 now and I work in marketing communications. What I dont understand is why Im having such a problem finding a job. But I am positive theyre discriminating against me because of my age.Despite laws protecting people over 40 from age discrimination, ageism remains very real because its difficult to prove. Most times if you hear a reason at all for why they didnt hire you the reason will be that aelendher candidate welches a better fit, or another candidate gels better with the corporate culture. Nebulous excuses like these are disheartening, and when it goes on long enough, it feels depressing.Heres What You Can DoTake care of the low-hanging fruit first remove the dates of your education.Limit your experience to the most recent 15-20 years (there is rarely a job adthat asks for more experience than that), and make sure your resume reflectsnot only the employers key words, but also up-to-date key words. For example, personnelmanagement may be what you did in your job in 2001, but the term is definitelyold school. The term today is, talent management.Assume They Already Know Your AgeOr ThereaboutsA relatively quick Internet search will reveal a lot about you. So, inyour mind, act as if they already know your magic number. What that helps youdo is not be on the defensive during your interview. It helps you to not bethinking the entire time that you have to hide something. Being concerned aboutthat negatively impacts your conversation and dampens your performance. If youranswers are short and stiff, youll leave the decision maker thinking you justwont fit in with the group.Ramp Up The Know, Like & Trust Factor Youve heard that people buy from people they know, like, and trust, right? Age discrimination isnt always about the actual number. It can be about the decision maker wanting to work with a person like themselves. Obviously, thats not going to be stated outright. Its about perception.Right now, youre selling brand Y.O.U. What elements of brand Y.O.U. do you want to emphasize so that you align with the companys corporate culture? The onus is on you to find out what that is. The information is there for you on social media, particularly Twitter. In addition to looking at the company profile, look at the profiles of the individuals who work there, so you can get as much of a feel for the organization as possible before you get there.Increasing the trust factor is also important. That means more than just building rapport, which can feel manufactured and fake. Instead, because youre older and experience, leverage that to your advantage. You know what youre doing in your industry, so shine a light on that. Experienced people time and again raise issues and solve problems that companies didnt even know they had.Come to your interview armed with a theory about the direction the organization is headed. This is based on your research. If youre in operati ons and you know theyre about to open a new facility, in your interview, ask, What have you all been considering in terms of automation solutions for the new logistics division? The interviewer may respond with either no solution or XYZ solution. Thats your opportunity to say, You know, one of the key things Ive found in the last 2 years is that implementing XYZ solution from the start really saves you significant labor hours, not to mention delivery errors as far as what arrives on the customers doorstep. Ive launched that solution before and Im seeing it as a reasonable solution for consideration here. You ramp up the trust factor because youre using all that experience you come with to already solve a problem for them.We go over exact language to say in the instances when they tell you, youre overqualified. Candidates over 45, 50, 55, and even 60 use these words to keep themselves in the running. Find out how to combat this in our job search webinar, How To Get Hired in HALF The Time, Without Getting Ghosted Because Of Age Discrimination. Plus, if you feel like theyre automatically counting your resume out because of age, were going to walk you through the solution to that as well. Register today.3 Ways Right Now To Fight Age DiscriminationIm 54 now and I work in marketing communications. What I dont understand is why Im having such a problem finding a job. But I am positive theyre discriminating against me because of my age.Despite laws protecting people over 40 from age discrimination, ageism remains very real because its difficult to prove. Most times if you hear a reason at all for why they didnt hire you the reason will be that another candidate was a better fit, or another candidate gels better with the corporate culture. Nebulous excuses like these are disheartening, and when it goes on long enough, it feels depressing.Heres What You Can DoTake care of the low-hanging fruit first remove the dates of your education.Limit your experience to the most recent 15-20 years (there is rarely a job adthat asks for more experience than that), and make sure your resume reflectsnot only the employers key words, but also up-to-date key words. For example, personnelmanagement may be what you did in your job in 2001, but the term is definitelyold school. The term today is, talent management.Assume They Already Know Your AgeOr ThereaboutsA relatively quick Internet search will reveal a lot about you. So, inyour mind, act as if they already know your magic number. What that helps youdo is not be on the defensive during your interview. It helps you to not bethinking the entire time that you have to hide something. Being concerned aboutthat negatively impacts your conversation and dampens your performance. If youranswers are short and stiff, youll leave the decision maker thinking you justwont fit in with the group.Ramp Up The Know, Like & Trust Factor Youve heard that people buy from people they know, like, and trust, right? Age discrimination isnt always about the actual number. It can be about the decision maker wanting to work with a person like themselves. Obviously, thats not going to be stated outright. Its about perception.Right now, youre selling brand Y.O.U. What elements of brand Y.O.U. do you want to emphasize so that you align with the companys corporate culture? The onus is on you to find out what that is. The information is there for you on social media, particularly Twitter. In addition to looking at the company profile, look at the profiles of the individuals who work there, so you can get as much of a feel for the organization as possible before you get there.Increasing the trust factor is also important. That means more than just building rapport, which can feel manufactured and fake. Instead, because youre older and experience, leverage that to your advantage. You know what youre doing in your industry, so shine a light on that. Experienced people time and again raise issues and solve problems that comp anies didnt even know they had.Come to your interview armed with a theory about the direction the organization is headed. This is based on your research. If youre in operations and you know theyre about to open a new facility, in your interview, ask, What have you all been considering in terms of automation solutions for the new logistics division? The interviewer may respond with either no solution or XYZ solution. Thats your opportunity to say, You know, one of the key things Ive found in the last 2 years is that implementing XYZ solution from the start really saves you significant labor hours, not to mention delivery errors as far as what arrives on the customers doorstep. Ive launched that solution before and Im seeing it as a reasonable solution for consideration here. You ramp up the trust factor because youre using all that experience you come with to already solve a problem for them.

How to make everyday feel like a Friday

How to make everyday feel like a FridayHow to make everyday feel like a FridayI wish it were FridayThat was the response from the lady I met at the coffee shop on a Monday morning. It is bedrngnislage strange, yet I found this statement alarming this morning as I was getting ready to pay for my coffee. Why is it that many people only live for the weekend, they start preparing and looking forward to Friday right from the beginning of the week? Why cant people just enjoy and be happy every day of the week?Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraIt is true that Fridays signify the end of the work week for most people, but the enthusiasm that people have for Friday shows that most people are bedrngnis happy with their work. I have heard several phrases that people use during conversation to show their anticipation for the end of the week Friday. Some includesTell me when its Friday.Its ano ther week in hell.Im hanging in there.It could be betterHappy Friday eve.I cant wait for the week to be over.Finally, when Friday arrives, the greeting change toThank God its Friday.So, this begs for the questioning, why are people happier of Fridays than any other day in the week? Why cant we people start treating every day like Friday? Why is Friday so much special that many people look forward to it even right from the beginning of the week?Two possible scenarios came to me as I ponder on this event.1.Its just a catchphrase that most people have become accustomed to.2.Most people are genuinely not happy at work.If you fall in the first category of people and you respond to greetings by looking forward to Friday, then you just need to consider a new approach. A different approach that will genuinely express how you feel about each day. For example, you can adopt responses likeMajestic MondayThankful TuesdayWonderful WednesdayTerrific ThursdayFun FridayLearn to inject some dose of confidence and optimism in each day.You can be awesome on Monday, great on Tuesday, fantastic on Wednesday, thrilled on Thursday, and feel even special on Friday. This is because, what you say, and how you express yourself will dictate your outlook in life, as well as your output at work.If you are genuinely not happy with your work and you see Friday as a getaway day to help you relieve tension from the place of work that you detest, then I will encourage you to start looking for something new that will spark your interest. You spend most of your waking hours at work, and life is too short to live waiting for happiness on Friday. Here are five questions that you need to ask to guide you to find meaning at work and live happily every day.1.Passion Are you in any way passionate about your career field or the new job you are looking to start?2.People Are you happy around the people you work with?3.Purpose Have you been able to establish a mission with what you do, other than financial compensation?4.Pleasure Are you happy to get up every morning to do your job?5.Performance Are you capable of delivering the duties stipulated in your job role?If you answered No to one or more questions above, you need to consider a change. When you are no longer happy at your place of work, you should be bold enough to make the necessary change and find something new that you can do.PASSIONIf you have less enthusiasm for what you do, it will be difficult to do a great job or derive any form of satisfaction on the job. Passion provides the energy and interest that will help spark your creativity to do an excellent job. So, if you are in a position that you are not passionate about, dont stay there for too long.You need to have the courage to look for something new that you will be more passionate about such that you will look forward to going to every day of the working week. It is often said that people must follow their passion, I agree with this, in addition to pursuing your pa ssion, I am recommending that you should find more things you are passionate about and do everything you possibly can to have fun with your passion.PEOPLEIt is very possible that your co-workers are not among your close friends, but it is crucial that you work with friendly people in a friendly (non-hostile) environment. If you find yourself among toxic people or environment, you will automatically have the TGIF mentality.Your work has become a place where you go, only because you have to, and that you must earn a living. If you have a difficult babo or obnoxious colleagues, there is a high chance that you will not look forward to going to work every day.You should not be in such a situation for too long. It is not fun working with people you dont like in an environment that you detest, your morale and productivity will be negatively impacted if you find yourself in such a situation.PURPOSEYou will perform at your best if you are able to attach a meaning to what you do. The purpose helps you to find your why in your work.It also helps to motivate you as you will be able to see and focus on the big picture of your job, and not be deterred or discourage by some temporary displeasure that you may encounter on a day to day basis.With your work, you are either developing products or providing services for the benefits of humankind. Having a purpose about your work will not only make you enthusiastic about the job, but it will also help you to grow in the career and contribute your quota towards solving organizational challenges.If you do not have any purpose about your work today, you can check out my podcast episode 16 to guide you as you answer some simple fundamental questions that will help you discover your purpose.PLEASUREWork is indeed a serious business, but it must also be fun. Having a sense of satisfaction with what you do will not only make you enjoy your work, but it will also enable you to look forward to going to work every day.You will stop being so meone that is only happy on Fridays.You will wake up each day, go to work, and be ready to confront the challenges as well as the fun that comes with your job.You will be more fulfilled at work because you know that each day brings its own set of challenges, but you are equipped to work to surmount those challenges, and at the same time you derive satisfaction and a sense of accomplishment for the solution you were able to come up with. Your job will be much more than the paycheck you receive, but a place to develop your career, to improve your knowledge and skill set.If you arent happy at work, other areas of your life will suffer as a result. If you are not having any form of fun with your work, you need to find your happy place, go ahead and quit that job, dont stay in a place that makes you miserable. Make every day like Friday.PERFORMANCEMany people dread going to work because of performance related concerns, especially if they need to work on tasks that are outside their scope or which they are not qualified for.It is also possible that you are working in an environment that is not conducive for you, for example, working in locations that will negatively impact your health, or where the tasks being performed are not done safely can affect your performance or desire to go to work.This will have the tendency to make Friday your favorite working day because you will always look forward to the end of the week when you will be free from the imaginary bondage that your job has placed on you.This is not the best way to live your life. If your job is such that you are unable to perform at the optimum level either due to lack of skills or you find yourself in an environment that you just cannot work efficiently, then it is time to consider a change.Consistently performing below expectations will deprive you of the required interest in the job, effectively making you a fan of TGIF.This article first appeared on Winners Ways.

Savio L-Y. Woo Medal Awarded to Dr. B. Barry Lieber

Savio L-Y. Woo Medal Awarded to Dr. B. Barry Lieber Savio L-Y. Woo Medal Awarded to Dr. B. Barry Lieber Savio L-Y. Woo Medal Awarded to Dr. B. Barry LieberASME is pleased to bestow the Savio L-Y. Woo Translational Biomechanics Medal on B. Barry Lieber. Awarded for the first time this year, the medal honors ASME members who have translated meritorious bioengineering science to clinical practice. Dr. Lieber is recognized for significantly advancing brain aneurysm treatment through the engineering and development of flow diversion technology, which has been used to treat more than 50,000 patients worldwide to date.B. Barry Lieber is a professor in the department of neurosurgery at Stony Brook University and the Director of the CerebroVascular Center for Research (CVCR). He has a broad background in engineering, animal models, endovascular methods, and devices, with specific expertise in cerebrovascular disease and stroke. He is the co-inventor of the flow diverter, a device for endovasc ular bypass of brain aneurysms that is considered one of the most innovative technologies in the field of neuro-intervention in the last decade.Learn more about the Savio L-Y. Woo Medal. For Further Discussion

Good Jobs With High Projected Growth and Openings

Good Jobs With High Projected Growth and OpeningsGood Jobs With High Projected Growth and OpeningsWhether youre just starting your career or youre looking for ajob change, it can be helpful to review a list of good jobs. What makes a job a good one? Of course, a good job for one person may not be good for someone else. However, good jobs are simply jobs that allow you to reach your financial goals, come with reasonable employment benefits, bring you personal fulfillment, and benefit your society. To be a good and sustainable job, projected growth in that job must be high, and there needs to bean opening that you can fill. When making a career choice, you should factor in your skills, interests, values, and personality in order to find a job thats a good match. Good Jobs With High Projected Growth and Openings TheBureau of Labor Statistics(BLS) lists jobs in both growth categories an opening and a strong indication that demand for that job will continue to grow. Some jobs require training, and others dont. For example, food service workers, home care aides, and janitors/cleaners are all on the list of jobs with the greatest number of openings and for which short-term, on-the-job training is provided. Those are also examples of jobs wherein you dont need a college education or additional training beyond a high school diploma or GED. At the other end of the spectrum are the jobs that require advanced degrees and certifications. Aphysician assistant, for example, typically has two years of postgraduate training and a masters degree. These are specialized jobs, and while it may take longer to become qualified, it is typically amore fulfilling and financially lucrative line of work. Here are the lists, with projections from theBLSfor the decade of 2016-2026, for jobs where the outlook is strong over the next several years. Largest Number of Projected New Jobs If youre looking for a career in an industry with the highest number of projected new positions, cons ider one of the following jobs. Personal care aidesFood preparation and serving workers, including nahe daran sein foodRegistered nursesHome health aidesSoftware developersJanitors and cleanersGeneral and operations managersLaborers and material moversMedical assistantsWaiters/waitressesNursing aides, orderlies, and attendantsConstruction laborersRestaurant cooksAccountantsand auditorsMarket research analysts and marketing specialistsCustomer service representativesLandscaping and groundskeeping workersMedical secretariesManagement analysts Maintenance and repair workers Jobs With Expected Fastest Growth If you prefer a career in a pioneer, booming industry where you are likely to not be the only new hire, you may want to choose one of the following, newly-created jobs. Solar installersWind turbine service techniciansHome health aidesPersonal care aidesPhysician assistantsNurse practitionersStatisticiansPhysical therapy aidesSoftware developersOccupational therapy assistantsMath ematiciansBicycle repairersGenetic counselorsMedical assistantsPhysical therapist assistantsInformation security analystsPhysical therapistsOperations research analystsForest fire inspectors and prevention specialistsMassage therapists Research Your Job Options While several jobs may sound attractive to you right away, take your time and research the required skills and experience you need for each one you find appealing. Many of the listed careers require additional studies, whether its as simple as a several-week course on learning how to drive a truck or years of schooling to become a veterinarian. How much time youll need to invest in acquiring the necessary skills will likely be an important factor when choosing your new career. Be sure to also check what is entailed in each job. Being a registered nurse, for example, and caring for people may sound appealing, but if you hate math and paperwork, youll likely be disappointed at how much of an R.N.s day is spent calculating m edication doses and keeping charts up to date. If youre just beginning your career or looking for a change, start thecareer planning processto help discover job options that are a goodfit for your personality, your skill set, and your experience to date. Consider Short-Term Training Programs If youre lacking the skills you need, consider ashort-term training programor anapprenticeship programto help you gain the skills you need to get hired quickly. For some positions, atrade school educationorcommunity collegemay be sufficient to start a career. There are plenty of career options that dontrequire a four-year college degree. How to Find Job Listings To locate these job openings, usejob search enginesto search by keyword orjob title, e.g., retail sales and the drehort where you want to work.Searching for jobs by locationis a really good idea if you are unable or unwilling to move to a new career opportunity in another city/state. There are severalgreat sites you can use to search for job listings.

What George Costanza Knows About Job Search

What George Costanza Knows About Job Search What George Costanza Knows About Job Search Skimming through blogs this morning, I came across a startling post on Collegerecruiter.com.The whole post is worth reading but the gist is this34 percent said they found their last job through a job board and when asked where they expect to find their next job, almost 70 percent said a job boardI guess I shouldnt have been quite so surprised. I often hear from potential clients who want to hire Blue Sky to rewrite their resume when their real problem is poor job search strategy. These job seekers have good resumes perhaps not quite as good as we could write but not so much worse that they should be spending hundreds of dollars on a rewrite. In these cases, we ask a few probing questions and soon learn the real issue they are spending most of their job search time applying for jobs online. And of course, so is their competition. Which means that the odds are bad even before you factor in that on ly 34% of them got their last job via an online job board. This week I worked with a senior marketing executive who once worked for a well-known, highly innovative fashion brand. When I asked about their marketing philosophy, she said it was do what everyone else wasnt.In other words, they didnt vie with their competitors for ad space in magazines in fact they never advertised. Instead they carved out new ways to bestattungs attention including promotional events, philanthropic work, and free media coverage.What Does This Have to Do With George Costanza?Do you remember the episode of Seinfeld, where George finally realized that his life was going horribly wrong because he always made bad decisions? He decided he would just do the opposite of whatever his gut told him. Now thankfully, youre not George. but you can take his advice and do the opposite of what everyone else is doing. Just like my clients former company, you can take the path no one else is taking.It starts with droppi ng job boards. Everyone else is there and while theyre spending time 70% of their time doing something with a 34% success rate, you could be spending yours doing something a lot more productive. Not sure what? Check out my recent post on Career Hub Youre Not Applying for a Job, Youre Running a Campaign.

Buying First Resume Template

Buying First Resume Template A very good first impression is what it requires to land an interview. With the assistance of the vorlage youre able to develop a flawless resume. Job aspirants ought to be on the lookout for a resume template in the place of a curriculum vitae template. Hence its important to choose a suitable format for an IT professional CV. Unlike mora experienced workers, you dont have too much to provide prospective employers. Many job seekers go overboard and select the incorrect template. Contact between you better your. Career objective statement is the initial part in any application after the contact particulars of the applicant. If it isnt related to the job which you want to know more about, skip it. Importance of Resume in Job Search When you are searching for work, youll need to compose an application and send it to the corporation. There are always creative approaches to address gaps. The target of your resume is to secure you a work interview. To begin with, with a resume your aim is to stand out. Moreover, you know your own shortcomings and things that you ought to avoid stressing on. Details of First Resume Template In case the profile of the advertised job matches your qualification and experience then its safe to submit an application for the exact same. Use the name based on the nation in which youre submitting the application. Search engine optimization is among the vital aspects in a prosperous freebie. A free resume template is a kind of basic sample for a resume that a man or woman might need to develop. If youre trying to obtain a new job thats different from what it is youre accustomed to, you might prefer to look at a totally free printable resume which you are going to be able to adopt and modify to your own info. Most free templates are made to be specific to certain industries, so its well worth browsing through the choices available that suit the work sector you would like to work in. Whatever f ree resume template you select, make certain it can help you set your very best foot forward. There are specific set of skills needed for the customer service jobs. Plan Think how you are going to be in case the business will hire you, what skills you are able to offer, and what type of personality youre going to be. Youll also save your time needed for research. First include the facts of your present-day position together with the whole period of the employment and the workplace. Knowing that resume is the sole method to secure you to the work interview, you want to write it in an outstanding way so that it grabs the interest of the employers and gets you the work prospect. While there are lots of expert CV and resume writing services available on the internet, and theyll certainly do the task for you, it is going to cost you to get it written for you in particular. In addition, acquiring a resume on-hand is extremely useful if youre at an event and meet someone who may suppl y you with a summer job or an internship. You need your resume to stick out among a hundred other resumes so thats a very good means to become noticed.

Dear Career Counsellor, who are you

Dear Career Counsellor, who are you Dear Career Counsellor, who are you?Posted November 19, 2018, by JennySaying its a challenge to navigate life, while at the same time, trying to find some kind of purpose and fulfilment through yur career is an understatement. Figuring out what you will love to do when you are leise young (then making spot-on education and career choices) is no easy feat. Partly because you dont necessarily have a clear picture of what all the options are, partly because there is too much choice, and partly because you dont really know what you love, or you might leid fully appreciate what you are good at. Or if you do know what you love and where your talents lie, you dont know how those passions can translate into a money-making career. These are some of the many the reasons why a lot of us end up part-way down our career path and we realise want to change our direction. Or we end up halfway through our degree deciding we hate our chosen field. People are messy. Careers are messy. We are all individuals with personal tastes, skills, talents, challenges, and circumstances. And those elements dont always seamlessly align with an all-star career.What then? Do we just give in to fate and tumble down the career river powerless, with no control or options along the way? How then, can we pick up a paddle and find a smooth route down the career river?If you want to develop a career but dont really have a clear picture or vision of what your career could look like, actually you are not alone. And this is where a career counsellor can step in.What is a career counsellor?A career counsellor can help you to find clarity in relation to your career goals. They can help you identify and improve areas of weakness. Furthermore, they approach your personal circumstances from a holistic point of view so they can help you address personal characteristics or circumstances which may hold you back on your career path.What does a career counsellor do?Career counse llors for adults can help you navigate a career change or help you to address obstacles you have come up against which are preventing your career from progressing how you want. Career counsellors for students can help you identify a career path for the first time, or help you better understand the opportunities you can expect or hope for when you graduate.Career counsellors dont solely approach your needs from a practical point of view, although of course, there are certain practical elements to what they do. For example, they can help you research and discover jobs and careers you werent aware of, or prepare for an interview. A career counsellor addresses your needs holistically. This means, they could help you identify where you fall down in an interview, perhaps nerves get the better or you or your body language sends invisible messages to the hiring messages. They can do mock interviews with you to help you practice so you can go to the real thing feeling more confident.As anoth er example, if you have had time off work, you might feel nervous about explaining to a hiring manager what youve been doing. Your career counsellor can help you reframe how you think about the time youve been away and understand how you can present it as a strength, not a weakness or something to hide. Anyone who has raised a little rabble of young children can easily handle a fast-paced office environment. In fact, after youve taken care of a child, a fast-paced office will feel like a holiday When youre looking for work its all about framing and a career counsellor can help us to frame our character, skills, and experience in a way that will help us achieve career goals.Whatever your personal circumstances, during your meeting with your career counsellor, they can do a lot to help you find new clarity and purpose.Why get a career counsellor?Going to see a career counsellor isnt a pre-requisite for success. However, if you have some kind of doubts, a question mark in relation to y our career, or lack of direction whatever stage you are at (adult or student) then a career counsellor can help you find answers.A career counsellor doesnt have a magic wand, but they are professionals, and their expertise lies in helping you to identify and resolve whatever it is holding you back.Sometimes we can hold ourselves back, and we may have internal turmoil or fears we need to resolve before we can take the next step forward at work. Your career counsellor can help you identify whats happening internally and help you to resolve those issues. Then, you can begin to move forward again.Do I need a career counsellor?Unless you are one of those annoyingly focused people who know exactly what they want to do and how they are going to do it, I think nearly everyone could benefit from spending time with a career counsellor I mean, in real life how many of us do know what we want to do from day one? We might know we are good at x thing, but even that doesnt narrow career paths dow n because there are so many different ways to apply x talent at work.Whats the worst that could happen if you do go to see a career counsellor?And whats the worst that could happen if you dont go to see a career counsellor? You can continue riding the career river of life and see where the flow takes you, and where you tumble too next.Your call, but dont forget there may be rapids ahead ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in becoming a?Human Resources OfficerGeneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice AdministratorPopular Career Searchesgoing abroad for careerwhat are the techniques for effective time managementeffective oral and written communication skillsattention to detail skillsdefine communication skills CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire OnlineJennyRelated ArticlesBrowse moreWOMENGender inequality still an issue in the workplaceIt may be the 100th anniversary of International Womens Day, but Australian Bureau of Statistics figures show that women still earn only 84 per cent of what men earn and women working part time get an even smaller percentage.EMPLOYER RESOURCESWorkplace cultureGiving back to the community charity in the workplaceWho said charity starts at home? We take a look at just a handful of the ways in which charity in the workplace can benefit employees, businesses and the community alike.Gig EconomyUnusual jobs10 Gig Economy GigsA flexible schedule, setting your own rates and working from home are big benefits of the gig economy. Could it work for you too? Check out these 10 gig economy jobs.

How to conquer the great empty tomb

How to conquer the great empty tombHow to conquer the great empty tombIllustrations by John P. Weiss.Have you ever felt empty? Like whatever magic elixir that used to fuel yur creative life just sort of evaporated? Thats exactly how Jennifer felt.She worked at a great design firm in San Francisco. Had a decent apartment and a close circle of friends. But herbei artistic and creative soul felt all used up.The other day Jennifer welches reading an art magazine in a cafe when she encountered this quote from Gustave FlaubertFor a long time now my heart has had its shutters closed, its steps deserted, formerly a tumultuous hotel, but now empty and echoing like a great empty tomb.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreJennifer could relate to Flaubert. Like him, her creative heart felt like a great empty tomb. Where once she had been full of ideas and artistic yearning, now her energy and en thusiasm for work had waned. She felt adrift.On her way home from work recently, Jennifer bumped into Sid. He was a local homeless man with kind eyes and a knack for charming birds. Some said he was a mystic of sorts, but Jennifer never went for such silliness.He could often be found in Washington Park communing with the parrots of telegraph hill. Or feeding the local pigeons.Im so sorry, Jennifer said to Sid. I didnt see you there when I came around the corner. Thats what I get for always rushingNo worries, Sid said. Maybe you should make some time for birds.Make some time for birds? Jennifer asked.I see a lot of people in this city. Always racing to appointments, in a rush. They think theyre busy and getting ahead but really they havent learned how to do hard things.Sid reached down to a small cardboard box and opened it. Inside was a juvenile, white-crowned sparrow.Why do you have a little bird in a box? Jennifer asked as she gazed down at her wristwatch.Oh, I found him sick in t he park, but Ive been feeding him and taking care of him. Hes alfruchtwein ready to be on his own again. Sid smiled. I guess we all have times when we fall down and need to rest before we figure out where were going next.Sid, you said something about learning how to do hard things. What do you mean? Jennifer wanted to get home, but she was intrigued by this enigmatic bird whisperer.Oh, I just mean that people take the easy route. The path of least resistance. Not that they dont work. I mean, sometimes they even kill themselves at work. But theyre not doing the hard thing. Theyre not listening to their heart and pursuing that.I guess we all have to make a living before we go find ourselves, Jennifer said.Maybe, Sid said, adding But our hearts always know when were living a lie. Do you know what true hell is? It happens when, on the day you die, you meet the part you could have become. If we are to conjure our true selves and our creative best, we need to do hard things. We need to ma ke the changes. Have the courage to walk our true path.Sid pointed at the MacBook laptop protruding from Jennifers business satchel and said, In another life, I worked in the tech industry. I remember Steve Jobs. He said something that I never forgot. And with that, Sid recited the following Steve Jobs quoteYour time is limited, so dont waste it living someone elses life. Dont be trapped by dogma - which is living with the results of other peoples thinking. Dont let the noise of others opinions drown out your own inner voice. And most important, have the courage to follow your heart and intuition.Jennifer stared into Sids eyes and nodded. His words struck a deep chord. She realized in that instant that she didnt want to grow old, die and never become her best self. Her truest self.She realized that much of her life, she made decisions to please other people. Her parents. Boyfriends. Bosses at work. She needed to take a break, and reevaluate her future life path.The following month Jennifer took a long vacation. She had an MFA in painting and wanted to spend more time at the easel. She wondered what happened to her dreams of becoming a fine artist?She drove to Lake Tahoe to visit friends, do some skiing and a little outdoor painting.One afternoon she drove into the mountains and found a clearing to paint. The air was crisp as she platzset up her easel.Everything seemed to be falling into place. The small oil studies she produced were loose, colorful and exciting. She started to feel that old sense of excitement and possibilities.The last several years at the design firm had denied her the time to paint. Her dreams of becoming a fine artist had faded.Until now.Her fortuitous conversation with Sid sparked some serious introspection. Its not always easy to dive deep into your heart of hearts, but doing so can uncover painful truths and exciting new possibilities.Jennifer figured out why she was feeling so empty inside. She had lost her way. She had abfallen down, just like Sids sick sparrow. And like the sparrow, Sid had found a way to help Jennifer, too.She knew now that she would have to do some hard things. Make some changes, so that she could pursue the fine arts that fueled her passions so many years ago.Just then she felt a flutter of movement beside her. A small bird landed on her easel. He was eyeing some of the trail mix Jennifer had in a bag beside her palette.Are you one of Sids friends? Jennifer said.She slowly pinched a bit of the mix and held it out in her palm. The small bird hopped on her hand and gently began pecking at the food.If only Sid could see this, Jennifer thought to herself.For the first time in several years, a sense of self-assurance and calm washed over her. She realized that her career and painting passion were not mutually exclusive.It was possible to change aspects of her schedule and carve out more time for her fine art. It was possible to become a pragmatic juggler and craft a more balanced and fulfilling life.When the little bird took flight from her easel, it was like he was carrying away the unhappiness that had been in her heart. She felt a renewed sense of joy and hope.Weeks later, as Jennifer was on her way to a figure painting class, she bumped into Sid.There she is, said Sid with a smile. A little friend of mine said you were back in front of your easel, painting.Jennifer laughed. Yes, its true. In fact, I have to thank you. Our past conversation got me thinking about my priorities. But I have to ask, how did you know I was painting again?I see the canvas panels and brushes poking out of your satchel, he said.Oh, yeah, of course, Jennifer said.But my little bird friend also told me about it, Sid added.Oh, did he now, Jennifer said, figuring Sid was joking around.Yes, Sid added, He told me you painted a beautiful vista in the mountains, and he appreciated the snack, too.What about you?Is there a dream in your heart that fell victim to the passage of time and responsibilities o f life? Has your heart fallen victim to Flauberts great empty tomb? If so, youre not alone.Many of us set aside our creative passions in order to face the hard realities of making a living. Car payments, mortgages, children and health care all demand our attention.Who has time to paint, write poetry, make music or pursue creative activities? After all, there are bills to pay and demands on our time.So, we soldier on and bury our passions. The years click by. Then, one day, when the kids are grown and our careers are over, we try to rekindle our creative passions.We dive into those watercolor classes or pottery workshops, but a little part of our soul weeps. Why did I put this off my whole life? we ask ourselves.If you wait too long, it might be too lateThe good news is that you dont have to abandon your creative pursuits. You just have to learn how to design your life, instead of reacting to it. And, you dont need a mystical homeless man to inspire changes.Take some time to closely study your schedule. Search for pockets of time. You might think there are none, but there are.Swap out television time for your creative passion. Get up earlier. Learn to politely but firmly say no to commitments, clubs, and obligations that arent necessary. Stop worrying about disappointing others. If they truly care about you, they will understand.Learn to become a pragmatic juggler of your time. Youd be surprised how creative you can get with your schedule.Bit by bit, these pockets of time you claw back will allow you to pursue your creative passion. Doing so will inspire and reenergize your creativity.Before you know it, youll have crafted new routines. The creative passion and artful work you long neglected will come back to life, and like one of Sids birds, youll find yourself flying high again.Before you goIm John P. Weiss. I draw cartoons, paint landscapes and write about life. Get my free newsletter here.

How to use a productive mood anchor to transform your entire day

How to use a productive mood anchor to transform your entire dayHow to use a productive mood anchor to transform your entire dayRoutines are the foundation of a successful day.You do bedrngnislage only eat, brush your teeth or sleep routinely, you also work within a schedule that works for you and makes you perform at your best.Routines can improve your overall health, wealth, and productivity.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreWithout them, you are likely to be distracted by everything that wants your attention every day.When you are running a work routine, your brain is on automatic pilot and rests. And guess what, you save energy and get more done without getting trapped in the afternoon productivity slump.An automatic morning routine changes everythingThe first few minutes of your work morning can make or break your entire day. If you use it right. you will set yourself up for peak productivity.How you wake up each day and your morning routine (or lack thereof) dramatically affects your levels of success in every single area of your life, says Hal Elrod, author ofThe Miracle Morning.Some people have perfect routines that guide their actions the minute they wake up. They pretty much know their triggers to get stuff done without getting distracted.Others struggle to start the day and tend to waste a lot of time before they finally get into flow. If you are not so good at making the most of your mornings when you have the most energy, starting today you can start using the productive mood anchor to get more stuff done before midday.Reduce moments of micro-stress first thing in themorningIf you are having a difficult morning, or you cant seem to find your flow, change the first thing you do that tells your brain you are ready for work.Here is a better approach Every morning when you are getting ready for your daily tasks, dont dive straight into things you ha ve to/must/should do, indulge in activities you love first.It can be a side project, or an interesting book you are enjoying or a motivational podcast.You can also try sitting on the side of your bed and spend a few minutes to connect your mind and body to appreciate your surroundings or think about the accomplishments from yesterday.Dont reach for your phone to check email or social media.Take care of your own well-being first. The world can wait.Be present.You can also take a minute to think of all the things in your life you are happy and grateful for family or important connections is a great start.You could do mindful stretches to get your body moving.To increase the chances of making it stick, get up 30 minutes before your usual time to make time for it.Your mood will thank you for it.This starts your morning on an optimistic and happy note, putting you in the right frame of mind for tackling the day.That way, you are in charge. You are chosen to do what brings out the best in you first. What makes you come alive.Its calming, and not stressful. And strategic.Everyone has to catch up with something related to work. And if you dont particularly enjoy what you do, your body will begin to release stress hormones the moment you wake up.You dont want that. If you can give yourself a better start, everything changes for the rest of the day.Brief moments of anxiety, or micro-stresses, add up throughout the day. Do something meaningful to prepare your mind for the rest of the day.Find your productive mood anchor (actiontrigger)Good habits, which bring our lower passions and appetites under automatic control, leave our natures free to explore the larger experiences of life. Too many of us divide and dissipate our energies in debating actions which should be taken for granted.Ralph W. SockmanOnce you are in the best mode possible, use a personal anchor that tells your brain you are ready to tackle your MITs (most important things ) for the day.The most popular prod uctivity mode anchors (action triggers) are coffee, tea, and get-things-done soundtracks.According to psychologists,action triggersare the best ways to create new habits.A trigger an action that automatically sets off a reaction.If you establish the right and healthy trigger, you are bound to execute the new habit every time such trigger is produced.A trigger that tells your body and mind you are ready for work.For many people, the mere association of coffee and getting on with work becomes so strong that they dont need to force the situation anymore.A trigger an action that automatically sets off a reaction.If you establish the right and healthy trigger, you are bound to execute the new habit every time such trigger is produced.A trigger that tells your body and mind you are ready for work.For many people, the mere association of coffee and getting on with work becomes so strong that they dont need to force the situation anymore.Get yourself in a productive mood by finding your pro ductive mood anchor.Most people have something that serves as a good anchor for their productive moods. Weve found that it is usually something like coffee or green tea. Personally, I only drink English Breakfast Tea when Im really focused on a creative task, so for me it serves as an anchor for being in a productive flow,writesAaron Lynn of Asian Efficiency.Your anchor doesnt have to be a beverage.It can be anything that makes gets you in that work routine.For me, its a combination of things.I switch between tea and coffee every morning and then immediately put my headphones on and listen to non-interruptive concentration music or movie soundtracks for tasks that require deep focus.It has become part of my morning ritual, and it always makes me feel like its time to start getting things done.You probably have a good idea of what your productive mood anchor is. Use that and do more of what works for you.Closing thoughtsMornings - love em or hate em, every day has one.And a good day starts with a great morning ritual.If you are not a morning person, you can still make your mornings productive.Try these simple techniques - or find your own productive mood anchors that work for you - and youll be ready to find your flow and get real stuff done.Productivity flow can show up anytime for you, provided certain initial conditions/triggers are met.Never give in to a defeated morning.This article first 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

If your job feels like work, you may want to rethink your life

If your job feels like work, you may want to rethink your life If your job feels like work, you may want to rethink your life Rob Goodman and I spent the last five years  studying the life  of one of the world’s great geniuses: Claude Shannon, who is known as “the father of information theory.”Part of the reason we were drawn to him was that, of the geniuses we studied, he seemed to be the one we could learn the most from. Einstein and Turing seemed to us to be a bit distant and otherworldly; Shannon, on the other hand, always seemed like a guy who you could spend time with.We did  as close a look  at his habits as two biographers could. While not all of us will do high-level mathematical research or build ground-breaking machines, many of us can benefit from the lessons and habits that stood behind Shannon’s work. Here are just a few:1.  If it feels like work, you may want to rethink what you’re doingWe called our book  A Mind At Play  because that’s what Shannon was: a mind playing. He saw everything he did - from theoretical mathematics to building robots, to playing chess, to writing about artificial intelligence - as a vast and interesting game.He had tough moments, of course, but there are remarkably few of them for a life in which he achieved so much. Part of that is that he was rigorous about pursuing projects that he felt would bring him joy.He saw his work as a series of games and puzzles; he wanted to figure out “what made things tick.” That spirit of curious play drove him to extraordinary achievement, an example that all of us could benefit from.2. Know when to stopShannon had an attic stuffed with half-finished papers. There were contraptions all over his house that he never got around to completing. He was invited to give lectures that he never gave and he won awards he never formally accepted.Shannon wasn’t a “finisher” of everything he touched - and while that might run counter to a lot of modern advice on productivity, we actually think there’s real wisdom in it. Not everything you make needs to ship. Some things you do for you.Shannon woul d work until he felt satisfied - and then move on to other things. Where some people see a dilettante, we see a fertile mind that knew exactly how far to take a project before moving on.3. Don’t worry about external recognitionFor someone who won so many awards, Shannon seemed not to care about them at all. He collected so many honorary university degrees, for instance, that he hung them all from a sort of rotating tie rack he built himself. He never chased prizes, or tenure, or awards, at least not in the way that a lot of people of his caliber do.When he won something, he was always surprised that he won - and in some cases, surprised that he was considered at all. Even in college, he won a big award for his Master’s thesis. It turned out that his mentor put him up for it.As Shannon wrote to his mentor in a letter, “I have a sneaking suspicion that you have not only heard about it but had something to do with my getting it. If so, thanks a lot.”Shannon’s indifference t o external recognition ran bone deep: When he said “I don’t really care about prizes,” he meant every word.Why does this matter? Because it gave him tremendous flexibility in what to work on and how to work on it. He didn’t walk around caring about what proper professors did or did not do. He just went about his work, pursued his passions, and managed to wring remarkable breakthroughs out of his research.4. Work with your handsFrom the time he was a boy, Shannon was building things. In his childhood, it was a barbed wire network that allowed him to talk to a neighbor a half mile away. He and a friend built a makeshift elevator in a barn. This hobby stuck. All his life, he was making real objects, often to answer questions that seemed to him to require a physical representation.We think there’s something to that. How many of us would feel comfortable these days taking apart our cell phones or laptops, or fixing our cars, or getting into the guts of an appliance?There’s be en some decent writing on this topic (Matthew Crawford’s  Shopclass as Soulcraft  comes to mind), but the general idea is that we’re impoverishing ourselves by not understanding the objects all around us and trying to make sense of how they work.Maybe it’s too much to ask that we crack open our iPhones (and of course, we’d violate Apple’s terms of service if we did), but we can’t help but think that Shannon’s hands-on tinkering helped to contribute to his genius. We could probably all benefit from something like that in our lives.This article originally appeared on Quora.

How to Write a Perfect About Me Page With Examples

How to Write a Perfect About Me Page With Examples How to Write a Perfect About Me Page With Examples Do you need to write an ‘About Me’ page? It’s one of the most important components of your  portfolio,  website, or blog. It’s where prospective employers, potential clients, website users, and other professional and personal connections go to learn about who you are and what you do. And its an ideal resource for promoting your professional brand. Writing an ‘About Me’ page or section for yourself  is never easy. However, the good news is if you follow the formula and tips below, you should be able to generate an engaging ‘About Me’ statement without too much of a struggle. Here’s how to write an ‘About Me’ page you can be proud of. Should you or shouldnt you put the effort into crafting your perfect About Me page? Here are a few reasons why you should, (and maybe shouldnt) put the extra effort in. Why? Its an ideal resource to promote your professional brand and yourself as an authority. Potential clients, employers, and others can go to your About Me page to find out more about you. Why Not? Could lose traffic if your About Me page is focused too much on you and not on what you can offer your reader. Can turn people away if you dont respond quickly to comments or contact requests. Getting Started Your ‘About Me’ page should convey who you are and what you’re doing, how you got there, and where you’re looking to go next. Use it to describe your credentials, expertise, and goals. What’s the best way to start? The following exercises can be helpful in figuring all of that out, and will help you determine what to include based on your target audience. Spend about five minutes on each question. You can use the ‘example’ answers to give you an idea of what that answer might sound like in its final form but be sure to use your own words.   1. What are you currently doing (in regard to your career) and how did you get there? How does your background make you unique? Madison is a director of brand marketing, with experience managing global teams and multi-million-dollar campaigns. Her background in brand strategy, visual design, and account management inform her mindful but competitive approach. Expand 2. In terms of the work you do, what aspects are you most passionate about and why? Madison is fueled by her passion for understanding the nuances of cross-cultural advertising. She considers herself a ‘forever student,’ eager to both build on her academic foundations in psychology and sociology and stay  in tune with the latest digital marketing strategies through continued coursework and professional development. Expand 3. What do you consider some of your biggest professional and personal accomplishments? How did your attributes contribute to those accomplishments? Be as specific as you can. Her hunger for knowledge and determination to turn information into action has contributed to her most recent success at Rockwell Group. There, she led international award-winning campaigns for heavy-hitting brands such as Puma, Gucci, and Rolex.Meanwhile, she vastly improved the productivity of her department by implementing strategic project management methods and ensuring a work-life balance for her team. Madison believes mindfulness in the workplace is key to success, a tenet she lives out through her interests in yoga, meditation, gardening, and painting.   Expand 4. What are you looking for right now? If you’re  job seeking, considering a career  change or looking to take on  projects or gigs, mention it in your statement. (Include your email address in the last sentence, so it’s easy to get in touch with you.) Madison is currently working as a freelance marketing director and is always interested in a challenge. Reach out to madisonblackstonegmail.com to connect! Expand About Me Page Example Once you’ve completed the exercises above, you’ll have some material to work into your ‘About Me’ page. Ideally, each answer should flow into the next. Again, you want the finished product to convey who you are and what you’re doing, how you got there, and where you’re looking to go next. Once you have put the pieces together and your answers are organized into paragraphs, they would read something like this: Madison is a director of brand marketing, with experience managing global teams and multi-million-dollar campaigns. Her background in brand strategy, visual design, and account management inform her mindful but competitive approach. Madison is fueled by her passion for understanding the nuances of cross-cultural advertising. She considers herself a ‘forever student,’ eager to both build on her academic foundations in psychology and sociology and stay in tune with the latest digital marketing strategies through continued coursework.Her hunger for knowledge and determination to turn information into action has contributed to her most recent success at Rockwell Group, where she led international, award-winning campaigns for heavy-hitting brands, such as Puma, Gucci, and Rolex. Meanwhile, she vastly improved the productivity of her team by implementing strategic project management methods and ensuring a work-life balance for her department.Madison believes mindfulness in the workplac e is key to success - a tenet she lives out through her interests in yoga, meditation, gardening, and painting. Madison is currently working as a freelance marketing director and is always interested in a challenge. Reach out to madisonblackstonegmail.com to connect! Expand Tips for Writing a Great ‘About Me’ Page Decide if you want to use first  or  third person. Should you use first or third person, what’s the difference, and why does it matter? First person involves the use of I  statements as in, “I manage  teams...  â€ whereas third person (as exemplified above) uses “he/him” or “she/her  as  in  She  manages  teams  ... You will find “About Me” statements written both ways. Most important is that you choose  one  and  remain  consistent, rather than alternating between the two. If you’re writing the ‘About’ statement on a business website, it’s generally advised to use third person  (She  supervises  ...). However, if your website is a personal portfolio or blog, it’s best to use first person  (I  have  ten  years  of  experience  ...). Don’t ramble.  Most likely, your reader’s attention span isn’t going to be very long. Try to keep your statement to  less  than 250 words. Include an image. If you’re promoting your expertise, consider adding a photo to your page. A  professional headshot, like you use on LinkedIn, will work perfectly. Website and blog visitors like to connect a name with a face, and it will be more personable if your page isn’t all plain text. If your website or blog is about a product or service, include a related image. Stay humble. Although it’s important to include your accomplishments and your experience, do so in a reasonable manner, avoiding outlandish statements. Declarations like, “I’m the best marketing professional there is” or “Any company that brings me on board is lucky to have me” will certainly hurt you more than it will help you get hired. Use your own voice.  Don’t use words plucked  from the thesaurus or a business book. Use your natural voice, aiming to strike a balance between conversational and professional. You won’t be introducing yourself in the same way you would be to,  say, someone you’ve just met in a bar, but you also shouldn’t sound like a politician running for president. Use a tone  pitch you  should use for networking. Also, be honest about your interests and goals. Go  for  humor  rather  than  trying  to  be  funny.  In some ‘About Me’ pages, you’ll see that humor can be effective. However, avoid joke  telling,  especially if it doesnt come naturally.  Don’t feel pressure to sound clever and entertaining. Instead,  focus on coming across as approachable, friendly, and engaging. Be honest.  Your ‘About Me’ page should reflect your genuine interests, whether they’re personal or work-related. You never know when someone might use material in your statement to strike up a conversation. For example, if you’re not really into yoga, don’t write you’re into yoga, or if you hate the account management aspect of your job, don’t write that you’re passionate about client experience. Proofread, print, and read aloud.  Typos make you look careless and reduce the professionalism of your page. Carefully  proofread your statement when it’s complete and ask a friend to do the same. Then, print it out and read it aloud. Not only will this help you catch typos or grammatical mistakes, but  it is the best way to ensure the statement reads naturally and sounds like you. If anything comes across as  awkward, funny, or simply doesn’t seem like something you would say, rework it until it sounds more like  you. Include links when possible and relevant. Make sure your email address is a link. If you use the word ‘experience’ you can link that to your  LinkedIn profile. If you mention any specific projects you’ve worked on, add links when you can, whether that’s a link to your portfolio, a positive news article, or even a blog post on your own site that discusses the experience. Update Your Page Regularly Remember that your ‘About Me’ page is a living document. Whenever inspiration strikes, you can (and should) come back and update the page to ensure it accurately reflects where you’re at in work and in life.

Skipping Work After the Big Game

Skipping Work After the Big Game Skipping Work After the Big Game SKIPPING WORK AFTER THE BIG GAME 54% of professionals know someone who’s called in sick or made an excuse for skipping work the day after a sporting event, such as the Super Bowl TOTAL AGE 18-34 AGE 35-54 AGE 55+ GENDER MALE GENDER FEMALE Yes 54% 65% 52% 36% 63% 44% No 46% 35% 48% 64% 37% 56% The most distracting or annoying employee behavior when it comes to major sporting events, according to senior managers: 42% Calling in sick/making an excuse for skipping work the day after 18% Spending too much time talking sports 17% Showing up the day after tired/under the weather 15% Being a poor sport/overly competitive 8% Overdoing it with team decorations/attire Cities with the most managers annoyed by workers playing hooky: #1: Cleveland #2: Denver #3: Chicago

Enrollment Currently Open for Virtuali#8217;s Go!, International Immersion Program for Emerging Leaders

Enrollment Currently Open for Virtuali#8217;s Go!, International Immersion Program for Emerging Leaders Enrollment Currently Open for Virtuali#8217;s Go!, International Immersion Program for Emerging Leaders “We developed Go! to bridge the gap between companies and the next generation of business leaders,” states Sean Graber, CEO and Co-founder. “We understand the capabilities that companies want their high performers to develop, and we know the types of experiences that engage and motivate emerging leaders.” How it Works Go! participants travel to Virtualis campus in Buenos Aires for 30 days where they undergo a rigorous curriculum, which combines MBA classes, business simulations, language and culture courses, and philanthropy. Participants are able to work remotely in their current job throughout the duration of the program. Open Enrollment Enrollment for the program is currently open for August and October 2014. The tuition cost of $7,500 includes a full-suite of relocation services, such as: Housing; Workspace; Supplemental health insurance; and 24/7 local support. All expenses are included except airfare and per diem costs (food and incidentals). Virtuali said it currently has plans to expand to additional cities in Europe, Asia, and Africa in 2015 and beyond. Aside from developing future leaders, the company says Go! is an effective tool that employers can use not only to attract high-potential employees but to increase engagement and retention among top performers.

Why smart (and successful) people dont multitask

Why smart (and successful) people don't multitask Why smart (and successful) people don't multitask You may have heard that multitasking is bad for you, but new studies show that it kills your performance and may even damage your brain.Every time you multitask you aren’t just harming your performance in the moment; you may very well be damaging an area of your brain that’s critical to your future success at work.Follow Ladders on Flipboard!Follow Ladders’ magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more!Research conducted at Stanford University found that multitasking is less productive than doing a single thing at a time. The researchers found that people who are regularly bombarded with several streams of electronic information cannot pay attention, recall information, or switch from one job to another as well as those who complete one task at a time.A special skill?But what if some people have a special gift for multitasking? The Stanford researchers compared groups of people based on their tendency to multitask and their be lief that it helps their performance.They found that heavy multitaskers- those who multitask a lot and feel that it boosts their performance- were actually worse at multitasking than those who like to do a single thing at a time.The frequent multitaskers performed worse because they had more trouble organizing their thoughts and filtering out irrelevant information, and they were slower at switching from one task to another.Ouch.Multitasking reduces your efficiency and performance because your brain can only focus on one thing at a time. When you try to do two things at once, your brain lacks the capacity to perform both tasks successfully.Multitasking lowers IQResearch also shows that, in addition to slowing you down, multitasking lowers your IQ. A study at the University of London found that participants who multitasked during cognitive tasks experienced IQ score declines that were similar to what they’d expect if they had smoked marijuana or stayed up all night. IQ drops of 15 points for multitasking men lowered their scores to the average range of an 8-year-old child.So the next time you’re writing your boss an email during a meeting, remember that your cognitive capacity is being diminished to the point that you might as well let an 8-year-old write it for you.Brain damage from multitasking?It was long believed that cognitive impairment from multitasking was temporary, but new research suggests otherwise. Researchers at the University of Sussex in the UK compared the amount of time people spend on multiple devices (such as texting while watching TV) to MRI scans of their brains.They found that high multitaskers had less brain density in the anterior cingulate cortex, a region responsible for empathy as well as cognitive and emotional control.While more research is needed to determine if multitasking is physically damaging the brain (versus existing brain damage that predisposes people to multitask), it’s clear that multitasking has negative effects. Neuroscientist Kep Kee Loh, the study’s lead author, explained the implications:“I feel that it is important to create an awareness that the way we are interacting with the devices might be changing the way we think and these changes might be occurring at the level of brain structure.”The EQ connectionNothing turns people off quite like fiddling with your phone or tablet during a conversation. Multitasking in meetings and other social settings indicates low Self- and Social Awareness, two emotional intelligence (EQ) skills that are critical to success at work.TalentSmart has tested more than a million people and found that 90% of top performers have high EQs. If multitasking does indeed damage the anterior cingulate cortex (a key brain region for EQ) as current research suggests, doing so will lower your EQ while it alienates your coworkers.Bringing it all togetherIf you’re prone to multitasking, this is not a habit you’ll want to indulge - it clearly slows you down and d ecreases the quality of your work. Even if it doesn’t cause brain damage, allowing yourself to multitask will fuel any existing difficulties you have with concentration, organization, and attention to detail.This article originally appeared on  LinkedIn.You might also enjoy… New neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy Strangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds 10 lessons from Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule that will double your productivity The worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs 10 habits of mentally strong people

Understand Mutual Funds Accounting

Understand Mutual Funds Accounting Understand Mutual Funds Accounting Mutual funds accounting is a critical matter for the financial system, given the increasing preference for mutual funds over direct holdings of securities such as stocks and bonds by the investing public. In particular, many, if not most, individual investors and retail clients  have the majority of their savings in employer-sponsored 401(k) plans, which typically offer a selection of mutual funds as the investment choices. The end product of mutual funds accounting is the accurate pricing of these investment vehicles  and the correct assignment of investment income to holders thereof. These are thus, the major concerns for the chief financial officers (CFOs), controllers, and operations managers of mutual fund companies.   Aspects of Mutual Funds Accounting   Mutual fund accounting encompasses a variety of basic tasks, which may be performed by in-house staff or outsourced to other providers, such as custodian banks. These processes include: Calculating the value of its investment portfolio on a daily basis- known as the net asset value (NAV).Anticipating and recording all income, such as dividends and interest.Recording accruing interest on bonds and other similar fixed income securities held in the investment portfolio.Properly amortizing the discount or premium on bond purchases. See the detailed explanation below.Recording all securities transactions, such as buys and sells of portfolio investments.Recording all realized capital gains, both short-term, and long-term, that result from securities transactions in the fund. Recording all inflows and outflows of funds due to purchases and redemptions of shares by investors.Maintaining records of the shares owned, and transactions made, by each shareholder in the fund.Tracking distributions of income and capital gains made to shareholders in the fund. In the best mutual funds accounting departments, these activities will be highly automated. However, some manual input, reviews, and adjustments may still be necessary. Net Asset Value Often abbreviated NAV, it is the aggregate value of a mutual funds investment portfolio divided by the number of its shares outstanding. The standard convention is to calculate NAV at the end of each trading day, based on the closing prices of all securities held therein. NAV also takes account of other activities listed above. Orders to purchase or sell shares of a mutual fund are executed at the closing NAV for the day  if they are received before the market close. If not, they are executed at the closing NAV for the next trading day. Bond Amortization When bonds are purchased at a discount or premium to their par value (that is, at a price lower or higher than the principal value that will be returned to the investor holding it when the bond matures), the difference between the purchase price and par value is recorded over time as an adjustment to the interest income generated by the bond. The interest income recognized on a bond bought at a discount will be higher than the actual interest payments received. On a bond bought at a premium, it will be lower. The net effect is that any discount or premium on the purchase of a bond held to maturity will not be recognized as a capital gain or loss, but rather as an adjustment to interest income. Bond amortization is calculated on a daily basis by mutual funds. Case Study It is also a prime example of the sorts of engagements  that are encountered in the field of  operations consulting.  A leading custodian bank offered mutual funds accounting services to mutual fund companies that already utilized it for the safekeeping of securities. Mutual funds accounting, in this context, primarily was involved with the daily computation of net asset value (NAV). The bank and its mutual fund clients were dissatisfied with the timeliness and accuracy of the NAV calculations being done. The bank engaged a team of consultants from a Big Four public accounting firm to study the processes within the mutual funds accounting department and to recommend changes to improve it. The consulting team from the Big Four firm spent several days observing how the mutual funds accounting department worked, by shadowing its employees as they performed their daily tasks. The consultants also interviewed employees and their managers, to get a better understanding of how they viewed their responsibilities, as well as to assess how knowledgeable they were about the mutual funds accounting field. Information Gathering The consulting team developed detailed flowcharts of processes in the department and discussed these with management, pointing out where work processes could be improved. The consultants also suggested improved automation. After getting approval from bank management, the consultants searched for software vendors that had packages appropriate to the banks situation. They then identified one that was willing to customize its existing system to meet the specifications needed for the banks unique situation and its  mix of clients. Process Planning Next, the consultants drew up these specifications in detail, and conducted extensive testing of the software as each module was completed, to be sure that calculations were done properly, and the system was durable and reliable. The user acceptance testing phase took a number of months  and required extreme attention to detail. When the system was finally completed to specifications, the consulting team oversaw its installation and implementation, and led the training of employees, remaining on-site until the bank was comfortable that the new procedures were working well. In all, the project lasted almost precisely one year, with a team of three consultants on-site at the bank daily.

Super-Fast Lasers Detect Poisonous Air

Super-Fast Lasers Detect Poisonous Air Super-Fast Lasers Detect Poisonous Air Super-Fast Lasers Detect Poisonous Air Lasers have been a centerpiece of the lifes work of Konstantin Vodopyanov, professor in the College of Optics and Photonics at the University of Central Florida. His commitment and years of work have led to the development of a new way to use infrared lasers to detect tiny amounts of chemicals in the air that could have a wide variety of practical applications. They range from scanning the atmosphere for pollutants, poisons and other toxic agents in order to alert communities to a biological or chemical attack to doing medical breath analysis for detecting biomarkers to diagnose diseases including cancers and even for searching for traces of life during missions to other planets. The technique is super-fast, obtaining information in seconds. Its also accurate. The device is so sensitive that it can determine if there is a molecule of any chemical present at concentrations as low as one part per billion. When youre doing research, you dont think about compactness. You are trying to demonstrate the principle. Prof. Konstantin Vodopyanov, University of Central Florida Professor Konstantin Vodopyanov focuses on laser technologies in his lab at the University of Central Florida. In an article recently published in Nature Photonics, Vodopyanov and his collaborators describe how they were able to simultaneously obtain 350,000 data points over an entire spectral range of 3.1 to 5.5 micrometers in about 7 milliseconds. This demonstrated the simultaneous detection of numerous and various molecules in a mixture of gases in the air. For You: Blockchains Link to Manufacturing Vodopyanovs method is an advancement of the work of John Hall and Theodor W.Hnsch, who won a Nobel Prize in physics in 2005 for developing what is called the frequency comb technique that allows the measurement of different colors of light and thus a broad range of atoms and molecules simultaneously. Hnschs technique is also very fast and extremely precise, enabling exact identification of the chemical. At first lasers were monochromatic but with the frequency comb [Hall and Hnsch developed], its like one million lasers in a single device, Vodopyanov says. A few years later, Vodopyanov became interested in pushing the frequency comb beyond the visible range into the challenging infrared range because most molecules in the air have resonances in that range. Eventually we succeeded, and now we have shown that we can send a laser beam and detect dozens of molecules simultaneously, he says. Identification is possible because every chemical is made up of individual molecules that vibrate at their own unique frequencies. They are the same everywhere - here, on a different continent, on a different planet, he says. Think of it as a molecular fingerprint. So when we use the laser we can detect these fingerprints with great precision. He likes to explain by comparing the outcome to a bar code on a grocery product, which actually involved the first everyday use of lasers back in the mid-1970s. Since every product has a unique bar code, when the code is scanned, it is never mistaken for something else. The same is true for molecules, lets say carbon monoxide, he says. You see all the same lines without exception, the same as for a bar code. When his team took a sample of room air and scanned it, they saw many molecules in addition to oxygen, carbon dioxide and nitrogen, even poisonous ones such as methane and carbon monoxide, but in concentrations too small to be dangerous. While the prospects are very promising, the work is far from ready for real-world applications, which Vodopyanov believes could be anywhere from five to 20 years. The biggest challenge, he says, is cost. The prototype machine costs around $500,000. The researchers are now working to reduce that cost, while continuing to broaden the range of the laser frequencies and making the equipment more compact and mobile. We need to find a compromise between the cost and the application, Vodopyanov says. We can get in one second of information that is more than 100 megabytes. Some applications dont need nearly that level of sophistication. He is confident that the cost and size will decrease with subsequent development, much like the green laser pointers now available for as little as five dollars, which first sold for thousands of dollars and were the size of a dining room table. When youre doing research, you dont think about compactness. You are trying to demonstrate the principle, Vodopayanov says. He is optimistic about timing as well. Everything is moving fast actually, he says. If you compare our system to a small car, our system is simpler. Nancy S. Giges is an independent writer. Read More on Design and Manufacturing: Waste Heat Recovery Revolutionizes Diesel Engines Protecting a New World of 3D-Printed Products How to Drill a Square Hole

4 steps to help you get anything you want in life

4 steps to help you get anything you want in life 4 steps to help you get anything you want in life “Don’t wish it was easier wish you were better. Don’t wish for less problems wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge wish for more wisdom.” -  Jim Rohn1. Develop rare and valuable skillsIn the book, SO GOOD THEY CAN’T IGNORE YOU: Why Skills Trump Passion in the Quest for Work You Love, Cal Newport debunks the myth of “pursuing your passion.”Can you have passion in your life? Absolutely.Follow Ladders on Flipboard!Follow Ladders’ magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more!But healthy passion is just like confidence - you have to earn it. It is never compulsive.Passion and confidence are both byproducts of living a good life, of making good choices, and accomplishing personal goals.Most people are seeking the wrong emotional experiences.It’s not “passion” you want. Passion just brings the whole experience to a higher level.What you really want is satisfaction with what you’ve done. You want t o look back and be proud of what you’ve done. You want to watch yourself expand as a person. You want to watch yourself do incredible things. Put simply, you want freedom and you want connection.How can you not experience passion through this process? How can you not experience confidence?Most people are self-absorbed. They want work that makes THEM happy - and most never get success or happiness as a result.Instead of seeking you’re own success - develop a “craftsman mentality” where you develop rare and valuable skills through deliberate practice. Develop true mastery at what you do. Become world-class.The craftsman is focused on what they can give to the world. It’s so much better to give. Getting outside of your own head is where you find true clarity. Helping other people along their path furthers you along your own.Once you’ve developed rare and valuable skills, you’re now in a rare position to chart your own path.You don’t need to apply for jobs.You don’t need to worry about “gate-keepers.”You’re your own gate-keeper.Your “security” is not in anything external - like a job, a paycheck, a college degree, societal expectations. Your “security” is internal. You trust yourself. You have confidence. You’re in alignment with your core values. You are connected to your higher power. You’ve developed your routines and practices for making magic happen in your life. You collaborate with your environment to further your progress. You’ve developed emotional and social intelligence, and thus, can connect quickly and deeply with anyone - Because it’s not about you, but them and you. You’re not trying to escape, but connect.2. Invest in yourself, your relationships, and your dreamsHow do you go from dreamer to doer? You start putting your money where your mouth is.It’s seriously that simple.When you start putting money toward your skill development, your skills begin to increase 10X.You probably won’t develop “rare skills and abilities” without investing large amounts into yourself.People don’t become Olympians on their own. They have coaches, mentors, and a host of other people helping them. As the brilliant entrepreneur Michael Fishman has said, “Self-made is an illusion. There are many people who played divine roles in you having the life that you have today. Be sure to let them know how grateful you are.”There is a lot of time, money, and attention into developing mastery. Not everyone has a lot of money in the beginning. But as Seth Godin has said, “Money is a story.” If you don’t believe you can have money, you’ll continue to live low-level principles that bring about poverty in mind and money.Dr. David Hawkins has said “The unconscious will allow us to have only what we believe we deserve. If we have a small view of ourselves, then what we deserve is poverty. And our unconscious will see to it that we have that actuality … ”What are the fastest ways to change your subconscious story about money? Start giving more of your money away - even if it’s small in the beginning Invest your money in your own personal development (even if that just starts with books) Invest money in other people - key relationships (even if this starts small) Some of the best “mentorships” you’ll have in the beginning are not in-person. They’ll be books you read and courses you take. You may spend a few hundred dollars over a few years. Although not a lot of money - you’ll begin to see huge benefits in that investment. You’ll begin to yield a 10X transformation in your mindset.Eventually, you’ll start paying for live mentoring. That will also start small. You may invest a few hundred dollars for a 30â€"60 minute phone call. Although it may seem inconsequential, this act will change your mindset 10X.You’ll be seeking access.You’ll be seeking direct information.And that seeking will begin to make a huge difference, because as Rumi said, “What you seek is seeking you.”Are you catching this?What once were thoughts in your head are now you spending money are bringing the world you want to you. You’re bringing your key mentors to you. You’re bringing your key information and skills to you.You’re bringing it to you.I n the amazing book, WRITE IT DOWN MAKE IT HAPPEN: Knowing What You Want And Getting It, Dr. Henriette Anne Klauser explains the magic of writing down your goals and dreams.When you write stuff down - especially in the PAST TENSE, as though it already happened, something happens inside of you.You live far more in alignment with your dreams.On nights where I write down: I woke up and wrote an amazing article (speaking in PAST TENSE about TOMORROW MORNING) … I wake up and write an article.On days I don’t do that, I’m far less likely to write.You can live your life with confidence.You can come to expect amazing things to happen for you.The combination of investing more and more money into yourself, your relationships, and your dreams, as well as writing down in DETAIL the completion of your dreams is hard to beat.When you start investing money in yourself and your relationships … money will come to you. The money story in your head will change.You’ll start writing in your jou rnal with confidence: I’M WEALTHY.You won’t be afraid to write down specific and BIG amounts of money that you’ll earn. And you’ll continually watch as more and more money comes your way. Because you’re developing better and rarer skills, investing in the right relationships, and making important stuff happen.For you, it’s not even about the money.Money is a vehicle.You’re not working for money, you’re making money so you can do more and better work.In the book, THE ONE MINUTE MILLIONAIRE, Mark Victor Hansen and Robert G. Allen say:“Giving as you get acknowledges the Universe as truly abundant. Giving taps into the spiritual dimension that multiplies us, our thinking, and our results. The Enlightened Millionaire knows this: There is an ocean of abundance and one can tap into it with a teaspoon, a bucket, or a tractor trailer. The ocean doesn’t care.”When you invest in yourself, your money story changes. You realize that money isn’t a finite thing. You realize that there isn’t just one pie that we are all fighting for. You realize that you can make more pies. You become an innovator.Which brings me to:3. Be a giver, not a taker, once you’ve invested yourself in the right relationships“You can have everything in life you want, if you will just help other people get what they want.” -  Zig ZiglarI’ve been part of several high-level masterminds. At this point, I’ve spent hundreds of thousands of dollars to be part of select groups, or to get specific mentorships. I didn’t come from money - none of my parents have much. I just invested nearly everything I’ve made back into myself - even when I was making less than $1,000 per month. And those investments 10X’d in money back to me very quickly. From small amounts to big ones. It’s having a vision for your future and knowing you’ll get it. Again, security is internal. Faith is power.Unfortunately, I see the same things from most people, even at this level. They’re try ing to get an immediate return on their investment.That’s not how you go 10X.This is the equivalent of buying a book for $25 and saying to yourself the whole time you’re reading the book - “Alright, where’s my $25 back?”That’s not how you take an investment and make it much, much bigger.What you do when you invest yourself in relationships is: Seek to be in a specific environment with certain types of people where ideas can pollinate and collaborate Give your rare skills and abilities in service to the right people (ideally the people who you want to MENTOR YOU) Yes, the best way to advance yourself quickly is to GIVE YOUR BEST WORK to your ideal mentors - usually for free! Actually, you often PAY THEM to help them.This logic doesn’t make sense to most people.Pay someone to work for them? Yes!When you pay someone AND THEN HELP THEM, crazy stuff starts happening. When you start being more giving with your money, your skills, and your time - to the right people - the money story in your head changes completely.You realize you can have what you want.The world will continually give you what you need.Whoever you need access to, you can get access to. And not just “access,” but an intimate and deep mentorship and connection. You’ll quickly see that those you were helping become your biggest advocates. All of a sudden, you have a world-class network and limitless opportunities.It’s at this point that you really need to gut-check your values. The reason you succeeded this much isn’t because you were seeking “success” directly. You believe in what you’re doing. You’re a convert to your own method. You’re not just looking for a quick win or trying to be “successful.”Keep things in perspective.4. Make the right asks - and get above the line of “super credibility”“Rainmakers generate revenue by making asks. They ask for donations. They ask for contracts. They ask for deals. They ask for opportunities. They ask to meet with leaders or speak to them over the phone. They ask for publicity. They come up with ideas and ask for a few minutes of your time to pitch it. They ask for help. Don’t let rainmaking deter you from your dream. It’s one of the barriers to entry, and you can overcome it. Once you taste the sweet victory of a positive response, you’ll not only become comfortable with it, you might even enjoy it. But making asks is the only way to bring your dream to life.” -  Ben ArmentMost people ask for help way too soon.You want to make your asks ABOVE THE LINE OF SUPER CREDIBILITY.In t he book, BOLD: How to Go Big, Create Wealth and Impact the World, Peter Diamandis and Steven Kotler explain that if you want to do something big, you need credibility.You need to be believable.If you want to get on a big podcast, you can’t just pitch yourself. You need someone whose already been on the podcast to pitch you.Peter Diamandis wanted to start XPRIZE to revolution the space industry. He spent several years getting billionaires and astronauts on board with his plan, so that when he presented his plan, it was believable.It wasn’t only credible. It was SUPER CREDIBLE.When you develop rare and valuable skills, and have invested big in the right relationships - you’ll be able to make big asks. Then, the people you’ve invested in will actually make the asks for you, and it will be so much more powerful coming from them.This  article  originally appeared on Medium.You might also enjoy… New neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy Strangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds 10 lessons from Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule that will double your productivity The worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs 10 habits of mentally strong people

How to protect your brand on Twitter

How to protect your brand on Twitter How to protect your brand on Twitter Creating a Twitter account is easy as 1-2-3.  Alas, you hit a major snag almost immediately: the username CompanyXYZ has already been claimed by someone else! Worse, the owner of that account has been sending out tweets relevant to your line of business, creating a point of ambiguity for your customers. What do you do? Do nothing, and just get another username variant? If your company name is a generic word or name (e.g., Monster, Apple, etc.), then youre out of luck. Someone beat you to the punch, and your only choice is to find an alternate username. Sure, you can always approach the current owner, and propose a deal although, be aware that buying and/or selling a Twitter username is prohibited and is a violation of Twitters Terms of Service. It is not worth the risk in my opinion but this isnt to say that buying/selling Twitter usernames doesnt happen If your company name is fairly unique, then you may have a claim unless, of course, the current owner has an equal right to the name (whether its an individual, or a business), and there are no blatant copyright/trademark infringements (e.g., use of your company logo/image, links to download your copyrighted materials, etc.). But what if somebody is clearly squatting on your companys brand? That person is not using your copyrighted materials in any way, shape, or form, but is simply sending out tweets from the CompanyXYZ name for whatever reason. This is exactly what happened to RecruiterDotCom, our companys Twitter name. How to get your companys Twitter name back You can file one of the following violations with Twitter: copyright, trademark, impersonation or name squatting. However, even though username squatting is prohibited by the Twitter rules, this route is often a dead end especially if the account in question is inactive, doesnt use any copyrighted images (e.g., your company logo), or Twitter deems that there is no intent to mislead. Its subjective at best and Twitter will inevitably ask you for your trademark registration number to back up your claim. As puzzling as it sounds, we couldnt even make a username squatting case for Recruiter Dot Com! So if your company does not have a trademark registration number for CompanyXYZ (chances are, you dont), and if you cant readily point to any copyrighted materials (images, links to materials for which you can prove ownership), and if making a case for username squatting gets you nowhere (which it will) then your only recourse is to go via the impersonation route. What is Impersonation? According to Twitter: Impersonation is pretending to be another person or entity in order to deceive. While its against Twitter rules to impersonate, Twitter users are allowed to create parody, commentary, or fan accounts. Its fair to say that Twitters rules for usernames are quite liberal to say the least. Usernames are provided on a first-come, first-serve basis, and Twitter does not have a reservation policy for usernames. Twitter does not mediate content either users are allowed to post content, including potentially offensive content!  This means that if youre the first person to reserve the Monster username on Twitter, you could conceivably tweet away at twitter.com/monster provided that you operate within Twitters very lax rules and theres nothing that Monster.com can do about it. Fortunately for Recruiter.com, the previous owner of the RecruiterDotCom username on Twitter was actually sending tweets related to the recruiting industry. We found our angle for impersonation. But this was far from a slam dunk. The first step is to file a report at http://support.twitter.com/forms/impersonation. Then you wait. Forever. Dealing with the Twitter robots Twitter created a support ticket for my claim and it left me feeling like I was dealing with a robot every time I communicated back and forth with them. I got my fair share of canned responses most of which were exact reprints of their terms/policies, as found on the Twitter website. Emails were addressed to me as Hello, and signed by Th or sometimes by phantasm. Phantasm? So I started sending the same email justifying our claim for the RecruiterDotCom username over and over again. In between waiting forever, I sent a few more emails. Success at last! Forever later, I got a reply from TheCaptain. This was immediately more promising than Phantasm or Th. Or was it? Hello, Weve reviewed the reported account, @recruiterdotcom, and determined that it is not in violation of Twitter’s Impersonation Policy. The account is not being used in a way that is misleading or confusing with regard to its brand or business affiliation. Twitter does not have a username reservation policy. Users are free to select any name for their account, provided they do not violate Twitter’s Terms of Service or Rules. In general, adding numbers, underscores, or abbreviations can help you claim a great username. Thanks, TheCaptain Twitter Trust Safety What??? Have they been reading any of my emails? I was barely done counting to 10 when another email came from TheCaptain again. Hello, The previous response was sent incorrectly, correct response below. I apologize for the inconvenience. Thank you for providing this information. We have removed the reported profile from circulation due to violation of our Terms of Service regarding impersonation. Thanks, TheCaptain Twitter Trust Safety Moral of the Story 1) Twitter is run by robots with cool nicknames. 2) Dont wait until 200 million people use a service before you decide to create an account. 3) Persistence is key. If someone is damaging your brand in any way, you shouldnt give up until its fixed.