How to stay informed without losing your mind

How to stay informed without losing your mindHow to stay informed without losing your mindAround the election, in a desperate search for answers about our nations future, I found myself scrolling, reading, and watching everything I could.I welches trapped in an endless pull-to-refresh cycle of consuming more nachrichten, tweets, posts, and videos than was good for me. I told myself that I was staying informed, that this was part of my civic duty- and that bedrngnis staying up-to-date 24-7 would leave me politically ignorant and impotent.Ive since changed my mind.In fact, Ive decided to give up consuming news online, and I think you should consider doing the same. Heres whyFollow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreCompeting IncentivesMuch has been written about the incentives driving the news media. One of their missions is to inform. But media companies are also businesses, which means th ey must sustain themselves. By and large, media companies that deliver news online monetize attention through display advertising.They want to keep us clicking and scrolling as much as possible. If a story drives clicks, views, or reads, they have an incentive to publish it- sometimes to sensationalize it. Companies delivering news online have no incentive to encourage moderation of the time we spend on their sites.Furthermore, the purveyors of online news profit most when we feel at our worst. It wasnt until Id wasted a few days scrolling through election news that I started to reflect on what was really driving me. I realized I wasnt reading online news for the reason I told myself- to be informed. Rather, I was spending an inordinate amount of time online because I was scared. I feared what might happen to the country regardless of who won the election.As I wrote in my book,Hooked How to Build Habit-Forming Products, fear is an internal trigger. An internal trigger is a negative emotion that eingabeaufforderungs the habitual use of a product or a service. Companies attach their products to internal triggers to prompt us to perform a behavior with little or no conscious thought. This isnt necessarily a bad thing many products we use habitually enhance our lives.When we feel lonely, we might reach out to a friend over facebook inc or Snapchat. When were uncertain, we reflexively Google a question on our smartphones. When were bored, we might tune in to the big game to check the score. Its important to note that companies dont necessarily create internal triggers- rather, they satiate existing pain points. When the election heightened peoples fears and uncertainties, media organizations leveraged this to their benefit.When were in pain, we look for relief. But in my case, I realized that relying on the news to alleviate my fear wasnt making the matter better- in some ways, it was making things worse. I had lost control over how I was choosing to spend my wakin g hours. Want to gain even more of a mental edge to get ahead of the game? Then download a copy of my simple brain hacks and get more doneThe Critical QuestionTo figure out how to free myself of the bad habit, I asked a critical questionIs this technology serving me, or am I serving it? For online news to serve me, it had to provide information I needed to know while offering a sense of completion so I could move on with my day. All I wanted was to stay up-to-date.But online, the media companies wanted me to keep clicking. The Internet never says, Youve had enough, now go away. Online news is never done. Links from one story to the next supposedly provided context or directed me to yet more information. But for me- the guy with the compulsive scrolling problem- this wasnt a feature, it was a bug.Something needed to change. Luckily, there is a technology that provides plenty of information about the days events and doesnt suck me into a time-wasting hyperlink vortex the newspaper. Ju st because a technology is new doesnt make it better, at least not to all people in all cases. Reading news online left me feeling overwhelmed, exhausted, and anxious.I was afraid I could never be informed enough- I was afraid of missing something. But reading the print edition of a well-regarded daily newspaper satisfied my need to be informed while providing closure. I knew that for the paper, editors had curated only the top stories, saving me from reading the incomplete, incremental, second-rate stuff often published online, where marginal webpages cost virtually nothing.And when I physically turned the last page of the newspaper- such a satisfying moment- I felt as if Id read enough to be informed for the day.Not My NewsfeedIve implemented other changes to my information-consumption routine since the electionI no longer get my news from newsfeeds. I uninstalled the Facebook and Twitter apps from my iPhone and check behauptung sites once per day from my desktop instead of severa l times per day on my phone.I use theDistractOffplugin to block online news sites.I installed theFacebook Newsfeed Eradicator on my browser, which, just as the name implies, completely removes the newsfeed from Facebook. I can still check the pages of people I care about, I just no longer have to wade through the distracting wall of algorithmically curated content designed to suck me in.Though I no longer scroll news sites, I still subscribe to email newsletters from select publications and writers. As a rule, I never read the articles they link to online. Instead, I save articles to thePocket appso I can read or listen to them later. Of course, I get the irony that youre reading this online. To be clear, I love the Internet and all the ways it enhances our lives. Im also not advocating media asceticism. I still consume a ton of news.I just make sure Im getting it from trusted sources, in a way that serves me. As the Greek philosopher, Sophoclesreminds us, Nothing vast enters the li fe of mortals without a curse. Today, many of us struggle with the curse of having access to vast amounts of information through our connected devices. We need to re-examine why we use these technologies and how. Its up to us individually to figure out which and how much news content is good for us by asking the critical question, Is this technology serving me, or am I serving it? Once we know the answer, we can adjust. Sometimes the solution is to adopt new technologies. But other times, as was the case for me and online news, the solution is to go back to the old way of doing things for a while.This article first appeared on Nir Far.

Making a Career Change These Tech Jobs are Growing Fast

Making a Career Change These Tech Jobs are Growing FastMaking a Career Change These Tech Jobs are Growing FastThe American tech industry is continuously evolving. Its pervasive presence in American culture, its dominance in the economy and its seemingly endless potential for invention have enabled it to weather recent economic turbulence with fewer job losses than other industries. By 2020, the Department of Labor projects a 22 percent increase in jobs across all tech fields. President Obamas Techhire Initiative aims to extend access to tech jobs to that end $100 1000000 in grants has been made available to provide training and other assistance. The presidents plan states America has about 5 million open jobs today, more than at any point since 2001. Over half a million of those job openings are in information technology fields like software development, network administration, and cybersecurity many of which did not even exist just a decade ago. The average salary in a job that req uires information technology (IT) skills whether in manufacturing, advertising, retail or banking is 50 percent higher than the average private-sector American job. Helping more Americans train and connect to these jobs is a key element of the Presidents middle-class economics agenda.Clearly, tech jobs are valued, and their prominence is only expected to grow. So what are the top jobs in the field? Simply Hired data shows that the following jobs experienced impressive rates of growth between 2014 and 2015 Data Scientist85% GrowthAverage Salary $107,000A more recent addition to company technical staff, data science titles have doubled, on average, each year since 2013. This fun and fast-paced field gives you the chance to convert raw data into usable strategies. Use your flare for analysis to quantify meaningful conclusions that impact communications and practices. Put your affection for statistics to work as a data scientist. Data Science JobsDev Ops81% GrowthAverage Salary $62,00 0There are a variety of ways to contribute if your interest lies in Dev Ops, and expertise on all ends of the spectrum is in demand. So whether you are just starting out or you are a senior-level manager, your knack for creating infrastructure design and developing and implementing systems and processes will earn you a great job in this field. Dev Ops JobsSite Reliability Engineer57% GrowthAverage Salary $92,000This is a fast-paced job that requires a high level of experience and expertise. Its a vital role that ensures a companys outward facing presence remains safe and user-friendly in the online marketplace. Professionals in the field need to be on their toes, but the work is exciting, rewarding and in-demand. Site Reliability Engineer JobsTesters17% GrowthAverage Salary $60,000This is a great job for a professional who has an analytical mind and who also craves a social outlet. In addition to rigorously analyzing and evaluating products, testers often have the chance to support and train users. Tester jobsNetwork Engineer16% GrowthAverage Salary $70,000Network engineers plan and oversee the various elements that enables daily operations to run smoothly. They make so much possible, and their oversight enables everyone else to get their work done and keep busy moving forward.Network Engineer jobsTech jobs have profoundly impacted American business, and they have changed the way that work gets done. This dynamic field will only continue to grow, which is great news for those already credentialed and those contemplating future training in the tech field.

Management Experience When Youre not a Manager

Management Experience When Youre not a ManagerManagement Experience When Youre not a ManagerManager. Five to ten years of experience required. Proven track record of effective management. Its hard to land a management position when you dont have the title manager on your resume or cant provide specific examples of your management experience. So whats an aspiring manager to do without holding formal management positions? Plenty If you are interested in becoming a manager, here are five ways to get management experience without being a manager Lead a Project The skills required to be an effective project manager are very similar to the skills required to be an effective manager planning, organizing, setting goals, managing budgets, leading people, and juggling multiple priorities. If you have never managed a project before, start by volunteering for project teams. It doesnt have to be a huge project. Start small. Perhaps volunteering to be a part of the office Thanksgiving food bas ket drive. Hopefully, youll get to see what a good project manager does. Or, watch what an ineffective project manager does anddo the opposite. Then, once youve established yourself as a dependable team member, step up and volunteer to lead a project. Take a course in project management, read a good book on the topic, and interview successful project managers. You can evenget certified as a project manager, but that may be overkill unless you are planning to make a career out of project management. Train, Teach, Coach, and Mentor A big part of being an effective manager is developing your team. To do that, a manager needs to know how to onboard and train new employees, coach experienced employees, and eventually, mentor employees. Of course, to be considered for an opportunity to train new employees, its a given that youd need to be very good at your job, or whatever it is that youre teaching. Beyond being good at something, its important to learn and practice the skills of tra ining, coaching, and mentoring. The best way to learn is by doing Volunteer to develop a training program volunteer to mentor underprivileged kids or coach a sports team. Learn the art of coaching learn to ask great questions. Hone Your Interviewing Skills Many organizations use selection committees, hiring teams, or will involve others when interviewing job candidates. Again, volunteer for these opportunities. Dont just wing it when its your turn to interview a candidate. Develop a list ofgreat interview questions, practice active listening and asking probing follow-up questions, and learn how to establish rapport quickly. Being able to screen, interview, and select great employees is an essential management skill and can be learned and practiced For more on how to interview, Id highly recommend Alison DoylesJob Search site its the best there is. Learn to Manage Conflict, Have a Crucial Conversation, and Give Feedback Yes, dealing with those sticky people issues is the mos t challenging part of a managers job. We all face challenging people issues with our co-workers, family members, and friends. Life is target rich when it comes to opportunities to resolve a conflict. Learn to do it in a positive, constructive way. Id recommend reading the bookCrucial Conversationsand look for opportunities to practice and get good at it. Being able to provide specific examples of when you were able to handle conflict, provide difficult feedback, or address a sensitive issue will demonstrate that you have the willingness and capability to handle the people aspect of a management position. And believe me, there are plenty of experienced managers that wont or cant deal with people issues, so it really will set you apart. Create and Manage a Budget As a manager, I would love it if one of my employees volunteered to create and manage a budget for me While some managers enjoythe number crunching aspect of management, its my least favorite part. If youre good at Excel , you can learn to create and manage a budget. A good place to start is with your home budget. If you cant convince your boss to let go of the budgeting responsibility, you can still do what you can do learn finance, budgeting, and accounting. Take a course, learn to do a cost-benefit analysis and ROI, and learn to speak like a bean-counter (A Finance and Accounting Glossary for the Non-Financial Manager.) There are a lot more skills you can learn to prepare for being a manager, including presentation skills, communication skills, leading change, and strategic thinking. Its important to be able to talk about what you havedone, not what youcould do. The suggestions listed above will give you that practical management experience needed to help land your first management position.

The State of Tech Hiring in Houston

The State of Tech Hiring in HoustonThe State of Tech Hiring in HoustonTHE STATE OF TECH HIRING IN HOUSTONQ3 and Q4 2019TOP SKILLS IN IMMEDIATE DEMAND1. Cybersecurity2. wolke security3. Cloud architecture Wireless network management*4. Business intelligence Database management Windows administration*5. Network administration DevOps*OF TECHNOLOGY LEADERS SURVEYED 73% plan to expand their teams.25% plan to fill only vacant positions.86% say its challenging to find IT talent in their area.99% are confident in their companys prospects for growth.96% will bring on project-based IT employees. Below are the top reasonsConsultants are part of our hiring strategy 65%When theres a sudden vacancy 60%For especially busy times 48%For unplanned, time-sensitive projects 45%When a skill does not exist internally 43%Multiple responses allowed.TOP BUSINESS CONCERNS1. Maintaining security of IT systems2. Cloud projects/initiatives3. Innovation or helping grow the business

New Questions About Summary of Qualifications Resume Answered and Why You Must Read Every Word of This Report

New Questions About Summary of Qualifications Resume Answered and Why You Must Read Every Word of This Report The New Fuss About Summary of Qualifications Resume The skills section of your resume is the ideal place to list the particular skills that make you a prime candidate for those jobs you desire. Key skills are work-related skills that you will need to do a job. You are able to incorporate your skills inside your profile, or place them underneath in an individual important skills section, split into technical abilities and business skills, such as management, communication, etc. Try to remember, the majority of the special skills that you set on your resume needs to be job-related skills taken from the work description and your best transferable skills. Summary of Qualifications Resume - What Is It? Read resume articles focused on specific elements of job searching and the way to use your resume. The qualifications summary is put close to the top of the resume. It ca n be a powerful tool to get you the interview. Placing an overview of qualifications on top of the resume makes it simpler for a recruiter or hiring manager to discover whether your resume meets first round requirements. Summary of Qualifications Resume - the Story The overview of qualifications resume section, also called a skills summary, is an optional section you are able to put at the peak of your resume. Youll observe examples of job-winning summaries of qualifications within the next section. Resume summaries are a breeze to write. Qualifications summaries likewise dont necessarily consist of quantifiable data, which is voreingestellt for the expert summary. Youre going to compose a resume summary which gets far more interviews. If youre fluent in more than 1 language, list them as a last statement. You ought to have five objective statements. A summary statement is a brief expert introduction which you can increase the peak of your resume. Summary of Qualification s Resume Secrets That No One Else Knows About A career aim is the conventional opener to a resume. An overview of qualifications is utilised to highlight the range of work experiences youve built up with time. Or you might demonstrate your skills concerning public speaking or giving presentations. Alternately, you can say youre offering career-long history of succeeding in roles related to the position. If youre making a more general personal summary with a certain job title in mind, remember to highlight achievements that will make you standout in the area. You will possibly need to title it with your very own personal headline. Some of the crucial elements of a summary statement can consist of indicating your career direction (instead of objective), highlighting the quantity of relevant experience which you have, and mentioning the qualifications that will separate you from different candidates. As a consequence, youre a lot more likely to land that interview and get hire d. Employers often have to make quick decisions about candidates. In the saatkorn way, graduates may use the summary to their benefit. Resume objectives are occasionally thought to be the old schooltype of resume. Resume is a kind of document employed by individuals that are seeking for employment. It is essential that all the qualifications are related to the job that the person is applying for. Therefore if you prefer to go noticed immediately, you should incorporate an overview of qualifications on your resume. It is essential for applicants to get in touch with the company they are applying to as a way to establish the particular tasks the position will require. The applicant managed to mention important qualifications in just a few sentences. You want to be sure you match each component of your qualifications summary to the job which youre seeking. In spite of no experience, you still ought to show experience. Before you even consider applying for employment, you mu st realize you will be among the interested and qualified candidates fro the position. It is essential for job candidates to bear in mind that a resume is the exact first impression made on an expected employer. With the aid of our operations manager resume sample and expertly designed writing tips, you will be in a position to prove youve got what it requires to get the task done. If you need assistance putting together your qualifications summary, ResumeCoach also provides an online resume maker which offers you professional suggestions and clear, practical examples to follow to ensure you receive the absolute most out of your resume. Overview of qualifications resume example Contact local company proprietors who have been your clients and procure contacts of folks who may be searching for a house loan. After a couple job applications, you are going to be custom-fitting qualifications summaries in a couple of minutes.

Top Michigan Works Resume Reviews!

Top Michigan Works Resume Reviews In case you have some strong certificate, make certain that is highly visible. If you dont possess the skills necessary for the applied position, you can frame your present skills to consent the prerequisites of the employer. MILogin will prompt the work seeker to modify their password one time a year. Creating your resume is essential. Possible employers will probably be scrutinizing the resume and might notify the kind of person you may be by what you involve and exactly how arranged it seems to be. Then you likely may end up excluding some important locations and which include other individuals that are not that essential. Following that, you will read some guidelines for writing one that is going to impress your preferred employer. To prove that challenging work and fun can occasionally co-exist. As you wish to demonstrate that youre professional, you should write your entire name with no nicknames offered to you by your pals. Still , bear in mind that you ought to only write relevant information. It could be rather tedious attempting to make the resume by yourself. Helps adults with developmental disorders learn to produce a budget and total standard household tasks. If you dont possess a specific skill, avoid writing it. Soft abilities, also referred to as interpersonal abilities or people skills, are difficult to quantify. Oversees any necessary rehabilitation exercises. You may incorporate the appropriate coursework the attended courses that are in accord with the desired internship. Business opportunities arent considered immediate openings. Internships are quite important if youre a student. Students have the option to learn at their own speed in a supportive atmosphere.

Heating Things Up, Safely

Heating Things Up, Safely Heating Things Up, Safely There are few things more comforting than the smell of something good cooking on the stovethe Food Network has even built a network on it. A whiff of ingredients creates images of tastes, sharing the experiences of the day around the table, and, of course, going for seconds.But Garrett Allawatt, a Ph.D. student in mechanical engineering at the University of Washington, is part of a team trying to stop cooking from becoming deadly, as it can be in certain areas of the world. Cookstoves in many developing countries emit particles that can ruin human health, particularly that of women and children.One of the parameters of the project Ive been a part of was a target market in eastern Africa, more specifically Kenya, Allawatt explains. The World Health Organization has put cookstoves as a top ten killer in the world. The lower respiratory situation is extremely deadly, and it even disproportionately affects women and children because the y are, on average, spending more of the time in the household.Developing a perfect cookstove. Image University of WashingtonThey first wanted to reduce soot coming out of the stove using the Edisonian technique of applying heat to the wood, Allawatt says. You deprive wood in hydrolysis of oxygen and need secondary air for a secondary flame combustion, he says. We started with taking a normal stove mad box, then poked holes in it and blocked air coming through a speed tunnel and just allowed air coming from underneath the stove. From doing this, we saw a drastic reduction in particulate. We would even have blue flames, which you dont associate with wood fire and advanced this technique into the stove, which has air enter through two places. One is under the fire, and being below air, this air is restricted to maybe 10% of the amount of air that enters the stove. This is a primary flame without igniting everything in one place.They also invested in a continuously monitoring particulat e measuring device, a tempered elect-operating microbalance. Its pretty much a cantilever that is migrating when youre talking about certain frequencies and you can actually figure how much mass is on the end of it, he explains.Among other features of the model, named the G1, is a stainless steel combustion chamber where wood is combusted. Wood extends out of the stove and goes out of the chamber into a combustion chamber and then flame goes through the riser and then goes through the convergent nozzle, he says.The stove has reached Tier 4 safety metrics in all categories, he says. Thats a level to be proud of and were using much, much less particulate matter than the average stove theyre using, he says. Its a world of difference. People should be able to cook their food and consider it contributing to their health instead of destroying it. We hope to provide some important relief.Eric Butterman is an independent writer. For Further Discussion People should be able to cook their foo d and consider it contributing to their health instead of destroying it. We hope to provide some important relief.Garrett Allawatt, University of Washington

Pro Tips on Writing a LinkedIn Summary

Pro Tips on Writing a LinkedIn SummaryPro Tips on Writing a LinkedIn SummaryIn todays world, you need a LinkedIn profile to get hired. Some parts of it, like Education and Experience, are straightforward. Others, though, especially the Summary section, are a bit more challenging to get right. What do you include? How long should it be? And how can you stand out in a sea of other candidates online on LinkedIn?Thats where ResumeSpice comes in. As professional LinkedIn profile writers, we have the tips and advice you need on nailing your SummaryTip 1 Focus on the lede.This is the first sentence in your Summary and is critically important. Its going to dictate whether or not a recruiter or hiring manager moves on to the next sentence or simply moves on to another candidate. The most effective way to write yours is like youre telling a story.Tip 2 Get personal.Many candidates believe their Summary should read just like their resume. But this is actually the place to show some personality. That doesnt mean talking about controversial topics. It does, however, mean being authentic and sharing what, for instance, you love about your industry talking about how you got your foot in the door or discussing the accomplishment that means the most to you and why.Tip 3 Talk about your value.At the end of the day, employers want to know whats in it for them if they hire you. Thats why its important to discuss the problems youve solved, the areas where youre an expert, and the level of experience you have. Offering details on these will give companies more insight into whether youre a good match for their needs and where you could potentially fit within their organization.Tip 4 Keep it clear and concise.Your summary shouldnt be more than a few paragraphs. To get there it might take many rounds of revisions. However, the end product should clearly demonstrate your enthusiasm, the value you offer, your personality, and why hiring managers and recruiters should consider you.Tip 5 A sk for help from a friend.Its tough to be objective when youre writing about yourself. Its therefore always a good idea to ask a friend or colleague to review your Summary and provide you with feedback on improving it.Interested in getting professional help with your LinkedIn profile?Call ResumeSpice at 832.930.7378. Our LinkedIn profile writers can work with you to build a powerful profile that gets noticed by recruiters and hiring managers, all so you can find the new job you want faster.

Creating a Telecommuting Strategy

Creating a Telecommuting StrategyCreating a Telecommuting StrategyCreating a Telecommuting StrategyTelecommuting. Employees long for it, but many employers still have their doubts. For some employers, the obstacle to embracing telecommuting stems from a lack of trust in employees about flexible work arrangements.For others, trust isnt the issue, but a lack of experience in how to approach this arrangement is creating the roadblock. However, with the right strategy in distributions-mix, implementing a telecommuting program for your company can be a step in the right direction for all parties and can helpimprove employee engagement.Where Should You Start?First, outline a document with the reasons for the companys decision to consider telecommuting as an employee option. Create a list of the benefits associated with telecommuting. This is the easy part. Among the many employer/employee benefits are the potential for reduced commuting, improved staff morale, etc.Next, create a list of e ach change that is necessary for the company to launch its telecommuting program, i.e., what policies are necessary, what equipment will have to be purchased, which management issues need to be addressed, etc. Set guidelines regarding acceptable investments in equipment and office supplies as well. Its Policy TimeYes, even something as progressive as a telecommuting strategy requires policy and procedural guidelines. Your first step should be to define what telecommuting means for your organization. This isnt as easy as it sounds, since the definition of telecommuting will vary (at least slightly) for each company.Next, create a Telecommuting Request Form that you can use to consistently evaluate each employees fit (and cost) as a telecommuting candidate.Its also important to create a Telecommuting Agreement that eligible employees should review and sign. This agreement will include the followingA definition of the telecommuters work scheduleAn outline of the probationary period, if applicableA list of all work-related items provided by the companyYour Telecommuting Agreement should also include acknowledgement that the employeeWill take precautions to protect company items from damage or theftWill return all company property upon termination or resignation of employmentIsresponsible for addressing legal or tax-related issues that arise from his or her use of the home as a place of businessWho Gets to Telecommute?Once youve determined that telecommuting will work for your organization, how will you decide which employees are good candidates for telecommuting? Begin by establishing a series of standards that you will apply to every telecommuting request you receive.First and foremost, the type of position the employee has will be the primary factor in determining whether telecommuting is a viable option for them. Many positions will quickly be eliminated from consideration because they require too much supervision or daily involvement at the office to be practi cal for telecommuting. However, other positions may be ideal for telecommuting.Each job description should be analyzed to determine the feasibility of an off-site work arrangement. The suitability of a home working environment should also be assessed. In buchung to work effectively, the telecommuting employee will need a home-based office area with proper lighting and office furniture.Next, an employees tenure with the company can be used as a criterion in your decision-making process. Many companies require a minimum number of months of consecutive employment in order for employees to be eligible for telecommuting. By doing so, employers reward loyal staff and feel mora confident that these employees will succeed in this type of arrangement.Finally, employers place a great deal of trust in employees who work off-site. For this reason, employees with disciplinary problems should not qualify for telecommuting privileges. Establish a time period during which an employees discipline re cord must be clear prior to telecommuting eligibility.Similarly, employees with an above-average job performance history should be considered strong candidates for telecommuting. And, generally speaking, the most successful telecommuters are those who can utilize phone, email, and in-person communication with colleagues for support and guidance.Workplace SafetyAs the trend for shrinking office space andtelecommuting increases, and more workers dream of trading suits for bathrobes and sensible shoes for fuzzy slippers, the need for best practices in this area is clear.Taking the time to carefully craft a telecommuting strategy that meets the needs of both employee and employer will lay a strong foundation for shared telecommuting success.Typical elements of a telecommuting policyProcedure to request a telecommuting arrangementStatement that telecommuting is an employee privilege, and is not appropriate for all employeesStatement of compliance with existing and future OSHA and workers compensation regulationsTimekeeping and compensation guidelinesGuidelines for required communication by phone and email with supervisors and managersStatement of employers ability to discontinue telecommuting arrangement with notice