Tweet Like an Executive with (maybe) the Twitter business mo

Tweet Like an Executive with (maybe) the Twitter business moTweet Like an Executive with (maybe) the Twitter business moOf potential interest to those obsessed with Twitters business model, or perhaps evenmoreso to Vaults very own CEO (who wonders whether to tweet or not to tweet in a recent blog post), the buzz lately has been all about the launch of ExecTweets, a site that aggregates Tweets from business executives. The site, launched by the advertising networkFederated Media andsponsored by Microsoft, is the latest third-party to experiment with a Twitter business model. However, unlike other zugreifbar publishers and ad agencies like Glam Media and Mashable, Federated is the first to have Twitters support. Wouldnt have anything to do with the fact that FM volunteered to give Twitter a cut of the profits, now would it?Regardless of the inevitability of Twitter stealing whatever monetization idea works best and using it themself when they finallylaunch their own fee-based serviceth is year, ExecTweet provides a great business tool for both executives and their followers. For executives, Twitter allows them to interact with shareholders, users and customers in a less time-consuming fashion than traditional blogging. ExecTweets pulls the voices of the bigwigs(already including Amazon.coms Werner Vogels, Virgins Richard Branson and Facebooks Mark Zuckerberg) out of the mashup that is the Twitterverse and places theminone central, easy to find location, giving them extra exposure. For people trying to interact withexecutives, simply finding them on Twittercan bea bit of a hassle (or at least sorting the wheat from the executive chaff can be), so an aggregated site of the top business execs on Twitter and the best business-related tweets will make it simpler for them to find out what is on the minds of todays top businessmen.Readers will be invited to vote on the top tweets, recommend executives, view Top Links that show whatweb sites execs are referring to, and ch eck outa Hot Topics sectionthat shows the most popular keywords being tweeted by executives.Mr. Sorenson, I believe youve found your answer.Posted by Steven Schiff, Vault News & Commentary

10 tips for making your next salary negotiation more productive

10 tips for making your next salary negotiation mora productive10 tips for making your next salary negotiation more productiveNegotiations the worst parte about an otherwise exciting moment- that is, receiving a job offer.It feels like playing professional mind games, with the nerve-wracking reality that your salary and work satisfaction depend on the outcomes. But done well, negotiating can double, triple, orevenquintupleyour income.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreUnfortunately, theres probably no way to make the process enjoyable, but you can at least work on making negotiations run more smoothly. Here are 10 tips for negotiating your salary during a job offer.1. Dont feel guilty about negotiatingFresh graduates and young professionals just entering the workforce may feel uneasy about negotiating for a higher compensation when they have little experience. It can feel awkward a nd uncomfortable, especially when you feel like youre coming across as greedy.However, you should know thatnegotiation is a natural and even expected part of the hiring process. Recruiters and hiring managers wont think less of you for negotiating, and they are by all means prepared for the process- its part of their jobsAnd, as Jorge Mata fromMoney Luchadorsays, At the very worst, employers will say no, but at least you still have a job. At best, youll get what you requested. Theres nothing to lose and everything to gain.2. Ask for time to consider an offerUnfortunately, the first (or even second) offer presented to you after a companys application and interview process may not live up to your expectations.While you may feel pressure to provide an immediate response, know that its okay toask for time to consider it further.Accepting a new full-time role is no small matter- and hiring managers know this. Its not at all unreasonable to request a few more days in order to reflect on a n offer and determine whether a new job is a good fit.Justbe sure not to disrespect the hiring manager or lead them on. If you know youd like to mull over the offer more thoroughly, let them know in advance rather than going radio silent.3. Do your researchTheres no way to better prepare yourself for negotiation than by doing research on the job market. You canleverage this information to make a more logical argumentas to why you deserve the amount you propose.Heres how to go about the research processLook at similar job postings for your role, which tend to list a baseline salary. How do these compare?Or, consult resources likeSalary,Payscale, andGlassdoorfor an idea of the average salary for your role and industry.Calculate the cost of living for the city in which the job is located.Will rent be higher?Is public transportation an option?Consider your current financial standing, including your debt and current income. What can you afford to accept?Remember that more effective count eroffers come with well-based reasoning and support- thats why research is critical to the negotiation process.4. Beware of the anchoring biasHave you heard of the anchoring bias? Its the human tendency to rely a little too much on the first piece of information we get about something- what we consider the anchor.Applied to salary negotiations, this bias has very real consequences for the final number you receive.For instance, its common for recruiters and hiring managers to ask what your current salary is. This number functions as an anchor in that subsequent figures offered will tend to be quite close to it. If you reveal that you currently earn $54,000 a year, an employer might offer $58,000 even though they have room to pay you $65,000.With that in mind, you shouldavoid dropping the first numberduring salary negotiations- that includes sharing the details of your compensation elsewhere. This anchor often serves as the basis for how a company determines your value, and it acts as a reference point for the final number they offer.But how do you get out of saying a number?If an employer asks you for a number first, say you care about the entire benefits package and ask them what the salary band is for the role, Dillon fromDollar Revolutionadvises. If they ask you what you previously/currently make, say the role isnt apples to apples soits not a fair comparison to compare salaries,and youd be more comfortable if they told you a range and the factors that determine where you fall.Speaking from personal experience, Dillon shares, I was asked about my current salary and what I wanted over 15 times. But I kept repeating the same line backand ended up getting over 40% more than my previous job.5. Show what youre worthProspective employers wont be inclined to go along with your ask if they dont recognize your worth.Thats whyyou need to demonstrate your value as an employee.According toauthor and entrepreneurSandy Yong, you can do this by showing your accomplishments and quantifying how you helped your previous employer save money or generate more revenue.Try one or several of the following tactics to make your caseCompile a detailed list of your major work projects and professional contributions.Include quantified results and outcomes for more punch.Provide samples of your work. Just be sure not to include any private information about your current/former employers and clients.Emphasize your personal initiative and willingness to learnby describing any relevant certifications or professional development youve invested in and/or plan on pursuing.Avoid general statements that cant easily be substantiated, e.g., Ill be the best employee youve ever had or Ill work harder than anyone else in this role.6. Dont lie about your current salarySometimes theres just no easy way out of revealing how much you currently make.If this is the case for you,be honest.Lying about your current compensation as leverage for a higher salary offer may seem practical, b ut its dangerous territory. Employers can easily find out the truth through your W-2. Some companies even require filling out a job history form before you can even get to the interview stage.And if youre caught lying, employers wont look at you so favorably. In fact, although its generally rare foremployers to rescind job offers, a fib warrants such a move. Why?If youre willing to lie about your salary, theres no telling what youd lie about as a potential employee. Besides being unethical, lying reflects poorly on your character.7. Use the 10% rule of thumbStumped by how much more you should ask for?Keri Danielski, consumer finance expert and spokesperson forIntuits money management tools Turbo and Mint, advises asking for 10% more than what you are currently making, or what you are offered as a rule of thumb.According to Danielski, This will ensure that you dont come across as too greedy, but are confident in knowing what your work is worth.That said,its okay to ask for more than 10%- but be prepared to back up your counteroffer with a clear argument for why you deserve it. That might be an outline of your research of similar roles or even a competing offer youve received elsewhere.8. Avoid bringing up personal issuesThe negotiation process is not the time or place to bring up issues like medical bills, debt, or relationship drama.Although your personal circumstances may be less than ideal, mentioning them reads negatively as asking for sympathy or pity. Its alsoviewed as unprofessional and may influence how hiring managers see you.Rather than bring up personal issues, focus instead on the value of your professional contributions as a bargaining tool.9. Negotiate on other things besides salaryAlthough we typically think of job negotiations as being salary-specific, the negotiation process encompasses more than your pay alone. In fact, your salarymakes up 70% of your total compensation, with the remaining 30% going towards other benefits.Some ofthe benefits y ou can include in the negotiation processincludePaid time offGym/wellness reimbursementSigning bonusRelocation bonus or incentiveThe ability to work remotely for a few days a week or monthTuition reimbursementParental leave and childcare costsStock optionsMatching contributions to your retirement planEven if you cant get a signing bonus,negotiating for other perks can still pay off financially. For instance, if your employer agrees to let you work from home twice a week, you can reduce your commuting costs by more than 30% a monthIn my last corporate job, I negotiated my salary. They offered a number, I countered, and they said no to my offer,personal finance expertJon Dulin shares.I could have given up, but I decided to try again. This time, I asked for them to pay for my last two graduate degree courses ($5,000)- and they agreed It would have been nice to be earning more money every year, but having those last two classes paid for and not having to deal with a payment plan was gre at.10. Frame negotiation in positive, cooperative termsIn the story of your life, youre the protagonist, but you should know that the HR manager or recruiter youre negotiating with isnotthe antagonist.In other words, be nice. An adversarial outlook during negotiation will bring you unnecessary stress and may even reflect on you poorly.How can you help make the negotiation process as smooth and civil as possible?Be polite and receptive.Choose phrases that deliver your message clearly but not in a hostile manner.My concern is thatI would be more comfortable withOffer acknowledgment,particularly when disagreeing with something.I understand that its not possible to, but I feelExpress gratitude when appropriate.Thank you for taking the time to discuss my concerns further.I appreciate your patience inBesides easing the actual negotiation process, playing nice also helps to build your rapport with your future employer. If its a member of HR youre in talks with, you can get a positive start with a colleague you may need assistance from in the future.ConclusionPersonal finance guides tend to emphasize spending less and saving more to improve your finances- but dont forget that earning more is also a big part of the equation. Thats why you should almost never settle for the first dollar amount handed to you with a job offer.Negotiating for a better paycheck may not be pleasant, but its crucial to living up to your maximum earning potential.Do you have any success stories for salary negotiations? What tips have worked best for you?This article first appeared on Financial Impulse.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

Are Your Career Blinders On

Are Your Career Blinders OnAre Your Career Blinders OnLearn when to wear your blinders to benefit your career.If you lose sight of your goals, youre more likely to go off track. Whether your goal is to get promoted or change careers entirely, take a moment to write it down. Include the reasons why you want to achieve this goal. Also, if you were to successfully complete this goal, how would your life be different? By simply writing down your goal, you are more likely to stay the course and achieve it.Take some time to figure out where you are in your career and where you want to go next. If youre still unsure of your career path, allow yourself the time to explore different options. When you know what you want to achieve, do everything you can to stay focused on that goal. Make it a point to prioritize those activities that will bring you closer to achieving your goal.

The Stella Artois Reassuringly Expensive Campaign

The Stella Artois Reassuringly Expensive CampaignThe Stella Artois Reassuringly Expensive CampaignLets talk about beer, and image. You have no doubt seen Stella Artois offered in your local stores, bars, and clubs. But your perception of it may be vary depending on where you have lived. If you resided in the United Kingdom between the years of 1982 and 2007, you will know the phrase Reassuringly Expensive and will instantly associate it with Stella Artois, the Belgian lager beer. With its clean, white can and ornate crest, it looks at home with the moniker of an expensive lager, and has always tried to live up to that image. A Brief History of Stella Artois Advertising The origins of the campaign lie with Sir Frank Budge Lowe, an advertiser who welches working on Stella Artois at Collett Dickenson Pearce (CDP) in the 1970s. One of his fruchtwein famous ads had the brilliant headline My Shout, He Whispered and the roots of the Reassuringly Expensive campaign can clearly be seen in that execution. Stella is pricey, and you dont want to be dipping your hand in your pocket to buy a round. But you get what you pay for. In this case, real quality. When Frank Lowe left CDP in 1981 to form Lowe Howard-Spink (which would become Lowe and Partners Worldwide) he took the lucrative Stella Artois account with him. A year later, the Reassuringly Expensive campaign was launched, turning a major negative for the brand (high price) into a champion for the product. Now, paying more for the beer was a guarantee of quality, which made it rise above the cheaper competitors. Print ads in the campaign really pushed the idea of luxury worth paying for. One that stands out, from 1984, shows a pint of Stella Artois next to a plate containing a single sausage. The headline - Tut, tut. Another expensive account lunch. Another shows a bar at closing time - Come along gentlemen. Havent you got mansions to go to? The print campaign continued in this vein until 1990. Then came the now lege ndary ads that mirrored European cinema. Stella Artois Creates Ties to the Movie Industry A creative director working at Lowe, on the Stella Artois account, happened to catch a viewing of Jean do Florette. Its a classic of modern French cinema, released in 1986 and featuring Yves Montand and Grard Depardieu. This inspired the creative director to write a script based on a very similar idea, and the result was Jacques de Florette, a TV and cinema ad that spawned an entire series of award-winning ads. This firmly planted the idea of Reassuringly Expensive in the minds of the consumers, and it did it with a delicate touch of wit and some superb cinematography. It was accompanied by a soundtrack that becomes synonymous with the Stella Artois brand. Although the ad was aimed at an English speaking audience, it was filmed entirely in French and had no subtitles. It didnt need them. Watch for yourself, youll get the message. Stella Artois maintained its links with cinema by sponsoring various movie events and festivals, notably with Channel 4. And between 1991 and 2002, seven of the Jacques de Florette styled ads aired, with the last one - Good Doctor - receiving more prestigious advertising awards than any other campaign that year. Shedding the Wife Beater Image Unfortunately, Stella Artois has not always been able to live up to the high-end claims of its advertising. It has nothing to do with the quality of the beer but the association with lager louts who, for some reason, chose Stella Artois as their drink of choice. It became a popular drink amongst soccer hooligans, binge-drinkers, and pub brawlers, earning it the nickname wife beater. In 2007, the Reassuringly Expensive campaign and slogan was dropped for good, and the sie sagen es Stella was avoided in the ads. Ironically, Stella Artois is now one of the cheaper beers in the liquor stores and lager aisles, coming in at the same price as most domestic brews. Stella Artois - Drink From a Chalice, N ot a Glass One recent campaign from Stella Artois revolves not around the drink itself, but how to drink it. And, what to drink it from. In a massive promotion that spanned the web, telephone recordings, print ads and more, Stella Artois encouraged its drinkers to sip the exquisite lager from a Stella Artois Chalice, which they were giving away free. Thousands and thousands of people responded to the 1-800-MY-CHALICE promotion. But it did come with a slight drawback. At the same time, Newcastle Brown Ale went in a very different direction, doing brutally honest ads under the no bollocks campaign (no bollocks is British slang for no bullsh*t). The ad Who Uses The Word Chalice? was brilliant enough, but positioning these ads side by side with the Stella Artois ads was a genius media buy. The Joie de Bire Campaign In 2018, Stella Artois introduced a global marketing campaign referred to as Joie de Bire, or the Joy of Beer. This is a change in direction from previous campaigns and puts a focus on a fictional setting where characters in the advertisements are set free from the stresses of modern technology. The goal for Stella is to remind beer drinkers to remember to socialize and enjoy the good times in life.

Customize this Outstanding Concessions Worker Resume Sample

Customize this Outstanding Concessions Worker Resume SampleCustomize this Outstanding Concessions Worker Resume SampleCreate Resume Aaron Edwards100 Broadway LaneNew Parkland, CA, 91010Cell (555) 987-1234example-emailexample.comProfessional SummaryResponsible and friendly Concessions Worker with strengths in stocking supplies and greeting customers. Strong math skills and the ability to total figures without a calculator, able to provide customers with the service they need and work with small groups. Knowledge of upselling and suggestive sales techniques.Core QualificationsCustomer ServiceFriendly and Personable DemeanorInventory ManagementRestocking of SuppliesPhysically Fit and StrongSuggestive SellerExperienceConcessions Worker, September 2013 March 2015University of California New Cityland, CAPaid for advertising in the school newspaper to increase food salesDeveloped new two for one specials that nearly doubled hot dog and drink salesCreated a schedule that showed all volunt eers and employees when and where they worked during shiftsResponsible for ordering supplies, including straws and condiments, and perishable and nonperishable foodsConcessions Worker, May 2012 August 2013New Cityland High School New Cityland, CAResponsible for taking and filling orders at the high school stadium during gamesCarried heavy carts and boxes through large crowds to sell products to customersCompleted a nightly inventory to determine the amount of products available and the amount needed for upcoming eventsWore the high school mascot suit to promote games and encourage sales during gamesCreated managers specials to sell hot dogs and other perishable foods at the end of eventsEducation2012 High School Diploma, General StudiesNew Cityland High School New Cityland, CACustomize Resume

Resume Skills and Abilities Examples - Is it a Scam?

Resume Skills and Abilities Examples - Is it a Scam? Resume Skills and Abilities Examples Explained Simply take a close look at what skills can provide you the edge. The skills ought to be modified slightly to ensure it is applicable for the particular job description. Some skills might be relevant while others arent. Functional skills are a particular kind of skill area. Therefore, to be a great receptionist, an individual must possess an amazing amount of organizational skills. Employers will value yur capability to find and leverage efficiencies as a top rated expert skill. The skills section of your resume shows employers youve got the abilities necessary to be successful in the part. Write down what skills you used, and the way they may relate to the job which you desire. Usually, abilities are apparent through functions completed at work. If youre not certain which skills that you want to share, consider your prior experiences. Great communication skills are indispens able in nearly every job. More technical or computer-centric hard skills are occasionally also known as technical skills. Understanding Resume Skills and Abilities Examples Interpersonal skills Having the capacity to interact with people on a one on one basis will help in getting the task done. To give employers a better idea about what youve accomplished, talk about the size of the group and the range of the projects you manage. The aim is to show youre an ideal candidate for the position youre applying for. Quick and beneficial evaluation of a patients present condition and nursing care plan requirements. Hiring managers appreciate using bullet points as it makes it much easier to read through your list of qualifications. Resumes give potential employers a means to learn about applicants quickly and readily, and theyre your very first step toward new job opportunities. Although each resume should be tailored to the requirements of the open role, there are a number of imp ortant skills that employers are seeking. Key skills are work-related skills that you want to do a job. Teamwork skills in the workplace are critical for the overwhelming majority of jobs. Skill is among the most essential sections of a resume. The skills section is one which draws maximum viewing time for those recruiters. A Key Skills section, on the flip side, is listed on top of a resume. If youd prefer a different search for your resume, take a look at our large library of other beautiful templates. The placement of your skills section is also a rather important point to contemplate. There are a couple unique varieties of skill sections and formatting options which you ought to consider when crafting your resume. Ever since your skill section is only a list of the absolute most useful job skills, there isnt any need to write in sentences here. The New Angle On Resume Skills and Abilities Examples Just Released Very good communication is crucial to make certain that i nformation is conveyed to others. Communication and computer handling skills are also rather important in regards to cashier resume. Even if your information is in bullet format, it may still be tough to quickly recognize the pertinent abilities and accomplishments which are important to the prospective employer. Important information is called out and simple to find. Its also wise to check their social networking pages and take note if theyre frequently citing specific hard and soft skills that are desired by the corporation. An interview may also be needed to land the job, but a resume is vital to begin the procedure. Employing an online resume builder is a powerful means of quickly producing professional-looking resumes which you are able to tailor for each application.

4 Tricks to Stretch Hiring Budgets While Hiring Top Talent

4 Tricks to Stretch Hiring Budgets While Hiring Top TalentYou work diligently to attract, hire, and retain top talent in spite of the restraints of your thin or exhausted hiring budget. And youre not alone. Only 21 percent of hiring professionals in our How to Make the Most of Your Hiring Budget report say they are able to stay on budget. And to make matters worse, they make tremendous sacrifices to do so.Generally speaking, sacrifices in the hiring process lead to corners cut, which means the quality of talent in your pipeline declines. As a result, productivity, retention, and overall employee satisfaction also drop.Unfortunately, HR and talent acquisition pros on your team must now stretch their hiring budgets even further. Not only are we heading into the final quarter of 2019, experts predict a recession to hit in 2020. This means, your hiring team may have to find ways to fill open roles on a maxed-out budget, and brace for an even tighter budget next year.For this reason, weve pulled together a few tips to help you stretch your hiring budget without letting the quality of talent schlpfer in your hiring process1. Optimize free social media recruitingBack in 2017, 44 percent of hiring pros revealed they considered adding social media to their hiring strategies in our 2018 Growth Hiring Trends In the United States report.It turns out, their instincts were right. Social media continues to grow in popularity on the job search front. Actually, 35 percent of candidates in Jobvites Job Seeker Nation report say they learn about job openings on social platforms.Social media is an effective way to reach a wide variety of candidates through networking, branding, and making job applications easily accessible. The trick, however, is cutting through the noise to find the right potential candidates in a sea of 3.48 billion social media users.Join niche social media groups where candidates with the necessary qualifications spend their time. For example, if youre looking for a social media manager, join LinkedIns SocialMediaopolis to find experts.While researching and joining niche groups, look to popular hashtags. This ensures your posts arent hidden in busy feeds and reach the potential candidates you want in your pipeline.35% of candidates learn about job openings on social media platforms. talentacquisition jobviteClick To Tweet2. Turn to employee referralsYour employees are a trusted resource for finding top talent. In fact, nearly half of respondents in Jobvites Job Seeker Nation report hear about jobs by word of mouth via friends.Encourage and incentivize employees to share job openings as employer brand ambassadors. Offer non-financial related incentives when hiring budgets are tight, such as an extra PTO day or the ability to leave early every Friday for a month.To earn quality employee referrals, go beyond incentives and make referrals a valued part of the company culture. Instill the value of attracting and hiring new talent early on by m aking it part of everyones job description. Continue to celebrate their contributions to helping the company move into a bright new future as successful new talent is brought to the table.3. Spend time in your talent libraryYour talent library is always accessible. But in the constant, demanding cycle of attracting, hiring, and onboarding talent, its sometimes challenging to remember to stop and reassess this talent pool. Instead, you move right into sourcing to fill the next job opening almost as if on auto-pilot.platzset time aside each month to assess and reorganize your talent library. Create a list of silver medalist candidates who didnt quite make the cut for past roles. As you reassess, begin to network with those who were most promising to understand where they are at this stage of their careers and what type of employment theyre interested in now.Reassess your talent library every month to increase the quality of talent and decrease sourcing costs. hiringprocess hiringbudge tClick To Tweet4. Decrease the total number of in-person vorstellungsgesprchs per candidateIn-person interviews are a crucial part of your hiring process. However, theyre more cost-effective when used strategically and at just the right moment. When an excessive number of in-person interviews are required, your hiring team gets wrapped-up in time-consuming and costly procedures.Its especially important to tighten your in-person interview budget if your hiring data reveals candidates frequently exit during this stage. Unfortunately, 15 percent of job seekers are most likely to give up on the hiring process during in-person interviews, according to Jobvites findings. There is a magic number according to LinkedIns Inside the Mind of Todays Candidatereport. On average, their research revealed candidates that are satisfied with their interview experience (84 percent) come in for a total of three interviews.Determine the number of in-person interviews that are necessary and cost-effective for your hiring team to reach the most informed decisions. Then structure your interview process to include live video interviews to increase the value and decrease the cost of in-person interviews. This is a great way to streamline the early stages of the interview process. You can ask candidates soft skill, cultural-fit, and goal-related questions to determine if they should move further into the hiring process, saving your team valuable resources by filtering through only the best-fit candidates.

Heres What Happened When My Team Worked Remotely for a Week

Heres What Happened When My Team Worked Remotely for a WeekHeres What Happened When My Team Worked Remotely for a Week Think about the last time you were on a conference call with someone in a different location. Did you run into any communication challenges- technical, or otherwise? Did you find yurself trying to speak up but failing to get a word in? If there were multiple people on that call, did you find that everyone was able to participate?Remote meetings are becoming increasingly commonplace. Not everyone you work with is able to sit down in the saatkorn room with you. For many of us, most of ur meetings now include remote employees or team members from across the globe.Thats the trend we started to see at HubSpot. As we expand globally, mora and more of our meetings and teams are spread out across our different offices. That doesnt just mean waking up early or staying up late to have a call with colleagues in Sydney. It means learning to work with our colle agues in a completely different (and potentially challenging) way.After talking to other companies with growing numbers of remote employees (including Zapier CEO Wade Foster), our absatzwirtschaft team decided to do Remote Week.We had three goals for Remote WeekAfter a week, we gathered feedback from everyone who participated, and discovered some common trends that will help us more effectively manage our remote employees moving forward.1. For larger meetings, you need a facilitator.For meetings on the larger side, it can be a real challenge to enaya everyones voice gets heard. Everyone is talking, side conversations happen between people in different locations and before you know it, the meeting is over and you didnt get the chance to weigh in on the discussion.This is where the team facilitator comes in. The job of the facilitator is twofold 1) Make sure everyone gets a chance to talk. 2) Recognize when side conversations happen so you can make sure these are shared with the ful l group.To make sure everyone gets a chance to talk, its important to notice when someone is trying to get a word in and keeps getting overlooked. A good way to spot this is to have the facilitator keep a lookout for the goldfish face the face someone makes when they keep opening and closing their mouth before they get the chance to actually say anything. By having a facilitator picking up on this and prompting participants to speak in turn, the issue can be eliminated.Another issue with large remote meetings is that side conversations that happen with people in the saatkorn location. For example, my team is spread out across Cambridge and Dublin. There are often side conversations that go on between the teams in Cambridge and Dublin by muting the call to say something to their colleague sitting next to them.One effective way that we learned to solve this is making everyone go in a different room (even if they are in the same location) to give everyone a fair chance to speak and t o make sure these side conversations dont derail the main discussion.When you are physically in the same location as your colleagues, you have the opportunity for spontaneous conversations throughout the day. Whether its a morning recap of the latest Game of Thrones episode, or a quick chat to hash out the details of a problem that couldnt be solved over email, these unplanned face-to-face meetings bring us closer to our colleagues and help us discover new perspectives.During our remote week, we knew we needed a way to recreate the beauty of these spontaneous conversations. In practice, it takes a bit of effort. It means you have to be open to hopping on a quick, unplanned video call to answer a question or clarify the details of an email .We also are big proponents of recording a quick video over Loom to communicate something when your team isnt all available for a live call. In fact, I have woken up to many Loom recordings from my team in Dublin to explain a detailed analysis or the latest experiment they wanted to run.Having regular, open communication like this is key to avoiding any miscommunications and making sure your team still feels like a unit even if they do not see each other face to face.In the morning I wake up, shower, get dressed, walk my dog and catch the bus. I get to work, make my tea, do some morning reading, respond to emails and start my day. I have my morning sicherheit , and I have another routine at the end of the day to wrap up.We are creatures of habit - having a clear routine gives us structure and enables us to be productive. And thats doubly true for remote workers.At the beginning of Remote Week, a lot of us found that our routine was just off. We woke up and then were unsure what to do next. Do we start responding to emails? Do we work on that next experiment? Do we make breakfast? Work out? What do we do first? At the end of the day, we had the same conundrum. When do we stop working? Should we have dinner, and then go back to work?Even when you work remotely and dont have to get into the office by a certain time, its still important to have a routine. Though it took us all a couple of days to figure out how to structure our time during Remote Week, we eventually all figured out our own individual rhythms to ensure we were getting our work done without burning out .If you are one of the only remote workers on your team, it can be easy to get heads-down on your work and lose out on the regular communication that goes on with the rest of the team. Something that our team became very aware of during Remote Week was finding a way to remain available and visible to our colleagues even when we werent directly in touch.There are a couple of keys to staying on your teams radar, even when youre not in sight. One of them is through participation in team meetings. When youre remote, its extremely important to speak up and share your thoughts during big discussions.Another way to remain visibleis to participat e in group discussions over chat. At HubSpot, we use Slack for our communications, and have cross-team channels devoted to everything from work-related projects to out-of-office interests, like yoga and dogs. Its easy to not participate in those discussions, but its way more rewarding and valuable to share your ideas, the latest interesting article you read, or even what you did that weekend.Even if you cant be physically visible in the office, its important to stay visible within the organization.I saved the best, and arguably most important, for last. Ensuring you have the proper technology to do your job and stay in touch with colleagues is absolutelyessential. It can be frustrating for everyone involved if all of a sudden your computer freezes, or your internet crashes and your call is disconnected. And you know that always happens when its least convenient.Before you plan to work remotely (even if its just for a day), test out the locations you plan to call in from. If you are working from home , make sure that you have a strong WiFiconnection. Test it out with a friend or colleague ahead of time to make sure youll be able to get your job done effectively and stay in touch with the necessary people.If you think you might want to journey to an alternative location during your remote work week, test that out as well. I encourage my team to test out new coffee shops they want to work from during lower-stakes meetings - like 11s with their manager - instead of waiting until a larger team meeting. This reduces the danger of your technical difficulties impacting more people.As youre getting your remote setup ready, figure out if you need other tech besides WiFi. Having a second monitor at home, for example, can help increase your efficiency. Having a standing desk is another way to make sure you get to move around during the day.Remote Week was a fantastic experience for the team. It gave us a unique opportunity to put ourselves in our teammates shoes and tr uly understand the pros and cons of remote work.Since this experience, weve learned to be more collaborative with our remote counterparts, make sure everyone has a voice in team meetings and be more flexible when hopping on a quick video chat with a remote colleague. The next time you interact with a remote colleague, remember these lessons to ensure you build a productive and collaborative environment for your team and co-workers, no matter where they work.This article was originally published on HubSpot . It is reprinted with permission.

Top 5 Trends in Materials Engineering

Top 5 Trends in Materials Engineering Top 5 Trends in Materials Engineering Assembled marvels abound and astound. But the fundamental elements that make up any engineered piece of technology, be it a mobile gizmo or an arm on a Mars rover, are often just as marvelous as the whole of which they are a part. Here, we examine five areas that are likely to have a radical impact on the products of the future. 1. Atom Thick Graphites nice. You can write with it, or make squash rackets. But its even cooler when its wickedly thin. In 2004, researchers used Scotch tape to pull up layer after layer until there was only a single-atom layer left. Since then, others have come up with more efficientand more advancedmethods for making atom-thick sheets, called graphene. The honeycomb lattice of carbon-to-carbon bonds has some pretty remarkable properties. Its flawless, light, and strong. Its flexible, can be bent into any shape, can carry a charge, and it wont oxidize. The potential applications are many. People are putting graphene in polymers, ceramics, and metals, says Nikhil A. Koratkar, professor of mechanical, aerospace, and nuclear engineeringand materials science and engineering at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute. Researchers are trying to make gas sensors that can sense down to very low concentrationsat the parts per trillion level. Theyre also using graphene to create coatings that would make any metal rust-free, windows that would darken themselves when the sun is at its strongest, anodes for lithium-ion batteries, flexible solar cells, membranes for fuel cells, and membranes that would remove salt from water. 2. Electric Ink 3-D printing is upending many a field with the speed at which a single part can be dreamed up and created. But right now, the things that come out of a 3-D printer are largely inert. There is vast interest in 3-D printing, but most of the commercial printers developed to date are used to produce plastic prototypes, says Jennifer Lewis, a profe ssorat the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at the Wyss Institute of Biologically Inspired Engineering. Conductive inks would enable the integration of electrical circuits not only on planar substrates, but within 3-D printed objects. One can imagine wiring up 3-D objects to create an internet of things. The ink would allow the masses to print their own circuit boards. Antennas, solar cells, LEDs, and other electronics could come hot from the printer when and where they are wanted.MIT chemists designed a pencil lead consisting of carbon nanotubes, allowing them to draw carbon nanotube sensors onto sheets of paper. Image Jan Schnorr / Mit.edu 3. The Heroics of Multiferroics Magnetism and ferroelectricity usually dont show up in the same material at the same time. Certain materials, though, particularly metal oxides, can exhibit both. An electric field will kollege the magnetic state, and a magnetic field can alter the electrical polarization. This allows us to store data us ing an electric field, which is much easier to generate than a magnetic field, says Caroline Ross, a professor in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering at MIT. But with the magnetic state still present, data can still be stored magnetically. Additionally, the discovery that electric currents can flip the magnetization of small structures, or translate magnetic domain walls, is exciting for data storage and there are already spin-torque switching magnetic memory cells being manufactured. says Ross. 4. The Nano Anode A major challenge in improving the energy density of lithium-ion batteries is the development of electrode materials increased lithium capacity, says Jeffrey Fergus, professor at the Materials Research and Education Center, Auburn University. The search has long been on for a better anode that will maintain that high capacity during cycling and in a wide range of environmental conditions. Silicon has been a contender for some time, thanks to the fact that it s cheap and highly conductivethey have a much larger capacity than the standard carbon ones in use today. Unfortunately, silicon expands when lithium hits it. This expansion can generate large stresses, so creative geometries or combinations of materials are needed to accommodate these large strains, says Fergus. Researchers at the University of Southern California may have found both. They used silicon spheres mixed with boron and etched pores onto them. The result is a battery that holds three times the energy and can be charged in ten minutes. So whats holding them back from getting into electric cars? So far, the batteries are good for only 200 or so cycles. 5. Spinning Smoke Talk of nanotubes has been batted about for years. The promise of an incredibly strong, light thread was always just around the corner but never realized. But last year researchers at MIT came out with their nanotube pencil. With a tip of compressed nanotubes, it allows the user to sketch nanotubes wherever he might want them. Great for making sensors, but not quite what we need to lift things into, say, space. Now researchers at Rice University have finally managed to make a nanotube thread. Its long enoughand flexible enoughthat theyve wrapped fifty meters of it around a spool. The trick was putting nanotubes in chlorosulfonic acid and drawing them out through tiny holes. The resulting thread is ten times as strong as steel. And its as conductive as copper. Spinning smoke is what David Burleigh, a professor in the Materials and Metallurgical department at New Mexico Tech, calls it. In theory we should be able to build the space elevator, an elevator to a geosynchronous space station. Michael Abrams is an independent writer.Researchers are trying to make gas sensors that can sense down to very low concentrations- at the parts per trillion level.Nikhil A. Koratkar, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute

3 Steps to Be Your Own Job Search Assistant

3 Steps to Be Your Own Job Search Assistant3 Steps to Be Your Own Job Search AssistantNow youre your own assistant.When youre working in an executive capacity, your company provides a clear support ordnungsprinzip to take care of day-to-day tasks Administrative assistants and other players within your organization free you up to focus on the critical tasks that drive revenue or reduce costs.You cant do a high-level job without a support system, and dont fool yourself You cant conduct an executive job search without one, either.A job seeker accustomed to a position atop a team of many often falls into disarray when she finds herself a team of one.Even after I was laid off and having an outplacement program provider, it was still my responsibility and challenge to come up with a system to organize myself and my search, said Allen Cantnor (well call him), an executive health care administrator, who asked that we not use his real name. Creating a clear system to organize your search can be the key advantage you have over your competition. Online resources, spreadsheets, e-mail records, LinkedIn and an inventory of business cards can be helpful. But so many tools can become chaotic. You need a system to organize them, whether you purchase it or create it out of a raw Excel spreadsheet.Then prioritize your activities as if your full-time job is now your search. Isnt that what it is, anyway?Follow these steps to help get organized about your job-search tasks.1 Remove Obstacles.In todays job market, it sure feels like you have to marshal and maneuver forces in combat. Barriers to your goal can slow or stop your proper job-search maneuvers.According to Cantnor, I found myself in a sea of clutter at home. I had an office, a nook and a kind of man cave where I put all my little awards, papers and files. I had a computer and a pretty nice arrangement where my loving wife and two kids would even give me some space. But the truth is, I stumbled over everything. I had no fili ng system and the acoustics when I talked on the phone made it sound mora like an old phone booth than an office.If you have the means to do it, you need to optimize your work space.Create a place where you feel comfortable working. If you have access to an outside-of-the-home office, take advantage of it.I know many executives in transition who can adapt easily. They have adapted for years by working on spreadsheets while theyre on the road. They can work in hotel rooms, lobbies (of all kinds) or just about anywhere. But others need a kind of quiet to hone resumes, cover letters, applications and other paperwork for an intensive search.2 Be More Prepared Than Your Competition.While you organize your work space, get your thinking in order, too. Prepare yourself to outmaneuver the competition.On a job hunt, how do you prepare for a competitor you havent seen?Assume your competition has your skills and better.To be more prepared than her, become more prepared than you are.Anticipate t he toughest bewerbungsgesprch questions you will receive on the phone or in person and prepare to answer them. I had the wrong thinking about practicing the interview, said Ron Caufey, a combined technical and sales executive in transition from a major software firm, who also asked that we not use his real name. I really thought that I had the gift of gab and could pretty articulately brag about my performance.WhatI did not have organized is a carefully thought-out and practiced interviewing plan, he said. In actually doing or being part of the executive interview process at my last job, I found out that we sometimes hired people who were the most prepared in the interview process vs. the most qualified on paper, so to speak. So pulling off the live interview to me was another way for me to win and have an advantage over my competition. I knew my competition was not putting themselves through such pain3 Have a Backup Plan.Especially when times are tight and ideal jobs are scarce, yo ur goals need to be multilayered and realistic. Develop goals associated with salary, bonuses, time and more. You may need help with making these goals reasonable and obtainable. If you do not have a goal, then all your organized plans wont matter, Cantnor said. I had to set up a plan for contract and consulting work if my full-time work didnt happen. I had to set up a separate plan for a local job search and a distance search if I could not transition in my local geographic area of 50 miles. Lastly, I had to get real about salaries and income expectations. I had to be willing to take less or give up more.I was aware of what I needed from a job and income perspective, Cantnor said. I was realistic but aggressive. I think thats the right frame of mind.