The Dos and Don’ts of Resume Editing

Usually, practice makes perfect, but in the case of resume writing, meticulous editing and fine-tuning are what’ll lead you to the perfect resume. However, keep in mind that refining your resume requires a very unique set of lenses to be able to see its flaws and imperfections. With so many contradictory guidelines and common misconceptions about what makes a job-winning resume, it’s hard to know for sure what to change or where to even begin. To demystify some of the ambiguities surrounding the resume editing process, here’s a hand-picked list of some of the most important dos and don’ts to be aware of during this stage. The Dos Do list your most impressive and relevant achievements first While you might have jotted down the different sections of your resume in whatever order they happened to pop into your mind,this is not always optimal. Instead, you want to move your most impressive accomplishments to the top of your resume. That way, your resume will make a great first impression as soon as the hiring manager begins reading it. Do optimize for applicant tracking systems No matter how good your resume looks to the human eye, it might still have trouble getting past applicant tracking systems. These resume robots are used by large organizations (and sometimes small ones too) to weed out unqualified candidates during the initial hiring process. They work by scoring your resume based on how well it matches the job description and meets the predefined requirements. Some common tactics to get past these robots include incorporating the appropriate keywords, formatting your resume properly, and utilizing standardized resume headers. Do include soft skills You might have forgotten to include them in your initial draft, but they’re important to mention. Soft skills refer to the intangible assets that employers look in candidates, such as communication skills, problem-solving prowess, and teamwork ability. While you shouldn’t list these soft skills in your â€Å"Skills† section, the bullet points on your resume should be written in a manner that implies that you possess them. Do tailor your resume for different jobs Resume editing isn’t a one and done deal. In fact, often times you’ll need more than one resume at your disposal so you can submit the most appropriate one to the job you’re applying for. This is why professional resume writers often craft multiple resumes for a single client. For example, suppose that you’ve had working experience in both finance and accounting, but you’re currently applying for a job that is strictly finance. You’ll definitely make a stronger impression and appear to be a better fit by emphasizing your finance-related accomplishments while downplaying your accounting experience on the resume you submit. Do try getting your resume to fit exactly one page With your initial draft, your resume is usually never exactly one page in length. While you might read from other online sources that this is all fine and dandy, I always suggest that job seekers make the extra effort to get their resume to fit on one full page unless they have over 15 years of work experience. After all, why take the unnecessary risk of irritating a hiring manager who’s fussy about resume length. Admittedly, sometimes it’s hard to get it just right. Maybe you’re having trouble filling the page up because you have little to no work experience. If you haven’t already, consider adding in the names of the most impressive courses you’ve taken in school, or perhaps include a summary or objective statement at the top. The Don’ts Don’t mention the obvious While it’s great to have the mindset of leaving no stone unturned, everyone already assumes you have experience with Microsoft Word and Outlook. There’s also no point in mentioning that you know English if it’s obvious that you’ve worked in an English-speaking country your entire life. Instead, save your precious resume real estate for more technical skills that are far more impressive. If you do know a second language though, be sure to mention it, as it’s currently a very sought-after talent that companies love. Don’t get overly fancy with pictures and colors Unless you’re in an industry like fashion or graphic design that openly encourages resumes with unique and aesthetically pleasing layouts, it’s almost always better to stick with a basic resume template. This is true for a number of reasons. For one, hiring managers are used to seeing standard resume formats. They don’t want to spend extra time getting accustomed to your unique layout. To be quite frank, some hiring managers won’t even bother reading resumes that aren’t formatted according to industry standards. They assume the resume is all style and no substance. On top of that, let’s not forget that resumes need to appease the resume robots. As you might expect, robots are heartless and they don’t care for pretty colors or aesthetics. In fact, they might have trouble processing your resume, and this could severely hurt your chances of moving past the first stage of the hiring process. Don’t use weak action verbs You didn’t â€Å"help lead† a group initiative. You â€Å"spearheaded† one. Always look to use stronger and more impressive power verbs at the beginning of your bullet points, while avoiding weaker ones like â€Å"help† or â€Å"assisted.† Don’t be inconsistent I see this all the time. The resume begins every one of its bullet points with a verb, but then suddenly, out of nowhere, one lone bullet point decides it’s perfectly fine to start itself off with a noun. While it may seem like no big deal, some recruiters can get really ticked off by this inconsistency and conclude that you’re not a detail-oriented job candidate. Just remember to keep things consistent – it’s not hard if you look out for it! Don’t forget to ask someone to proofread It’s great that you took the time to edit and refine your resume. Now let your friends and family members help as well. If even professional writers and authors have editors to proofread and make changes to their works, then you should too. It’s easy at times to think that what you wrote makes perfect sense, because after all, you wrote it! But unfortunately, we’re all prone to making some mistakes or suboptimal writing decisions that we simply can’t catch and fix ourselves. So never skip this final step – it might just be the most important one!

Alex Proyas Dark City - Science Fiction Noir essays

Alex Proya's Dark City - Science Fiction Noir essays Alex Proyas the director of Dark City takes ideas and ambience from many movies and integrates them all neatly in his visually amazing film. A cross between science fiction, film noir, dark comics, classic horror and early German films, Dark City fails to belong to any one category. This mixture is what makes the film creative and different along with its multi-layered symbolism. Mostly a science fiction story, Dark City deals with a man, John Murdock, struggling to overcome a great mystery as aliens interfere with his life. The aliens are known as Strangers, and do not wish to destroy the human race, but learn from it to survive. Proyas has created a very unique movie based on his use of signs to detail scenes. His film is dark physically and psychologically. In this film, Proyas creates a dark city similar to Gotham City in the original "Batman". There is nothing futuristic or imaginary about the city. Everything in it is a mix of different decades. This amazes the audience because we arent use to observing structures seen in the movie. The intentional mixture of culture throughout the different eras really contributed to the mystery and confusion of the movie. Every shot of this movie screams quality because of intense detail. The way the production design achieves a unique look is through its layout of the cityscape, lighting, details and points of view. The most of the movie is dark and shadowy living up to its title. Proyas visual style is dark and eerie. As the film moves along the atmosphere builds up. The scenery and visual effects are fantastic and add to the atmosphere of fear, confusion, and suspense. At one point a man on a balcony gets crushed between two itinerant high-rises. During the final and visually stunning showdown, The Strangers send laser beams and bolts of lightning around. Proyas' direction is so dark that it adds to the mystery and ...

Designing a Training Program Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

Designing a Training Program - Research Paper Example ors in varied field shall equally be used in order to give adequate mitigation to the objectives, the use of facilitators will come in handy among others (Stroh, Northcraft & Neale, 2002). Identify the needs of the workers then, process them. Finally tailor them to how they affect the level of self drive among the employees. Carrying out an employee centered training approach; bring out from the them the appropriate solutions to the bottlenecks that confront the organization Lastly, identifying mentors on their relevant field will help them be more enthusiastic as well since; these mentors will act as their coach and bolster their drive towards realizing their utmost best in the organization. In addition, the training should use probing tendencies to find from the employees the best ways to care for the resources of the organization. Through this, the training will not impose into them ideals of best practices but rather, it shall give the workers hindsight on how to become each other’s brothers’ keeper. This shall be realized through and elaborate mode of individual employee participation in the training process and other means of giving responses can be identified at the work places. For example, modes of reporting mal practices in the organization and the urgency of redressing justice and integrity issues. For example, is the administration dictatorial in nature or democratic in orientation, which one would work best for the employees in order to elicit from them the best practices in the realizing the objectives of the firm. Does the organization have the capacity to care for the welfare needs of her employees? The level of concern will dictate the response of the workers to wards realizing the prime objectives of the firm. For example, do they compel worker to work even if their health is under challenge? Does the organization offer security of tenure or are the workers contracted and fired at the whims of the employer and excreta. Whether

Change Management term paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Change Management - Term Paper Example The Aster Group provides homes and housing related services in England. For excellent leadership and performance, it secured the â€Å"Beacon Company† award in 2006. In fact, the company was forced to change and diversify due to a number of factors. First of all, as Green (2007) notes, the company wanted to shift from a local authority culture to an autonomous not-for-profit nature. Also, the Housing Corporation decided to reduce the number of approved organizations from 350 to 70. So, to retain business, the company had to go a long way from its 110th position. The way to achieve the same for Aster was to merge and seek new alliances. Starting at the Top However, one can observe slight differences in the way both of the companies introduced change. In the case of Biogen Idec, the company set up a project team, which looked into the various factors associated with the change. Various heads including â€Å"international business, commercial operations, human resources, and int ernational legal affairs were part of the project team, and every aspect of the change† was identified and analyzed (Green, 2007, p.90). Admittedly, the company was performing well in accordance with the Change Management guideline which indicates that it is necessary to understand the need for change through Diagnosing Change (Change Management, n. d.). On the other hand, in Aster, the change started from the new chief executive of the company, who tried to introduce a culture that just â€Å"keeps moving all the time†. In other words, observing the challenges ahead, the chief executive decided to move away from its local authority structure and develop a group structure. Thus, the company worked with Testway – and both chief executives considered open discussion as an important factor to ensure proper collaboration. As acquisition and merger were a part of the change strategy, a board was developed, which included important leaders of both the firms. And as the re were more mergers and acquisitions, more and more personnel were included in the board according to requirements. Anyway, as Gossas commented, the leadership led the change in both of the cases (Ahiberg & Naucler, 2007). Involving all the Layers In Aster Group, first of all, replacing the previous autocratic management style, the new chief executive introduced the culture of open communication and feedback. This resulted in better cooperation from the part of managers and other staff. Thus, at first, he managed to secure the belief and support of the managers and staff. Then, he encouraged the people to contribute their own opinions and suggestions for the future course of action. Here, as Jones, Aguirre, and Calderone (2004) point out, the leadership was giving adequate attention to the human factor, because, for making all the employees committed to the vision of change, the leadership role was effectively handed over to the managers. According to the writers, after allowing au tonomy in day to day operations, the board focused on long term strategic issues; and anyway, both the companies followed the golden rule that change should start at the top. Also, by enlightening and enabling all the layers, the leadership ensured the involvement of every layer. Increased Autonomy to Units and Affiliates In fact, both the companies changed their management styles to introduce various autonomous or semi-autonomous units. To illustrate, the board of Aster Group decided to hand over

Learning Methods Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Learning Methods - Essay Example A lecture is an exposition of a given subject given out before a class for the main purpose of learning or giving instruction. This is generally a method of teaching by formal discourse with the main purpose of offering an overview of a certain subject and delivering particular information on a specific subject. Lectures are of more importance in providing a synthesis of several researchers and textbooks or give out original or unpublished information. A lecture usually exists in four type’s i.e. participatory lecture, oral essays, problem-solving and textual exegesis. (Nunan, 1992, pg 56) 0728866156,072 However the oral essay, participatory and textual exegesis is more lecturers coordinated, controlled and they are closer to the traditional model in which a lecture is divided into specific topics and sub-topics and orderly covered. As the problem-solving and participatory varieties are conducted with apparently greater flexibility however it requires a tedious planning (Nunan, 1992, pg 57) Lectures being the mostly used methods of learning I found it vital in my learning ability but I was always challenged with a number of factors that would not easily allow me have the appropriate learning ability. For instance the big number of students always needed an early wake up in order to catch up with the population in order to have a front sit where u can easily have clear understanding of the lectures. Nevertheless my hard work to be the first among the front chair students inability to clearly understand the language of he lectures made my learning too harder. I would not clearly get the vital contents due to faster speaking lecturers. The large population greatly hindered the understanding ability due to different noises from every part of the room; with my inability to clearly getting the lecture’s fluency this added another burden on it due to message distortion. The most challenging part is when I came late in class.

Psychological Theories in Business and Organisations

Psychological Theories in Business and Organisations Leadership and the Multiplier Effect There is strong evidence that leader behavior is related to employee happiness. For example, charismatic leadership is strongly related to subordinate job satisfaction (DeGroot et al. 2000), and leader-member relationships is also strongly related to job satisfaction and organizational commitment (Gerstner and Day 1997). Likewise, trust in the leader is a strong predictor of satisfaction and commitment (Dirks and Ferrin 2002) as is the appropriate level of autonomy displayed by leaders (Baard et al. 2004). According to research by Sy et al (2005) positive managers are more accurate and careful in decision making as well as being more personally effective and imbuing those around them with greater positivity too. Crucially, Kopelman et al (2006) suggest the positive leaders create upward emotional spirals which help colleagues cope better with change. Thus, if there was one thing an organisation could do to foster engagement it would be to have flourishing leaders. Stated in the opposite way, the point seems more stark; if it is the leaders who are disengaged then the organisation is very unlikely to flourish. Flourishing: the source In its simplest form, positive psychology is about accruing a body of knowledge that is useful to people who want to live a good, happy and long life. Reflecting on the entirety of this study, it could be stated that positive psychology comprises much more than ‘positive thinking’ but that it perhaps starts with positive thinking. Further, just as an individual’s personal experience of being at their best reveals their potential, so the study of flourishing in an organisation reveals the highest potential of the whole organisation. Cameron et al (2003) suggest that excellence always exists, even in the most dysfunctional organisations. The ‘secret’ lies in tapping into the source – the positive core, the people resulting in higher levels of engagement, motivation and productivity. This opens up a deeper line of enquiry – how does the organisation tap into this positive core? The debate between the sources of eudemonia and hedonism is, arguably, unnecessary. The research literature is rife with examples of where the two entwine. Indeed, pairing pleasurable emotions in the ‘here and now’ (hedonic) with adaptive activities that will sustain future happiness (eudemonic) is evolution’s way of ensuring that humans engage in the behaviours necessary for our survival (deWall, 1996). Perhaps therefore, the distinction between the two should be about their roots. Flourishing at work is an umbrella concept that includes a large number of constructs ranging from transient moods and emotions at the person level to aggregate attitudes at the unit level. In the workplace, happiness is influenced by both short-lived events and conditions inherent in the task, job and organization. It is further complicated by influences at individual level such as personality and the fit between what the job/organization provides and the individuals expectations, needs and preferences. Understanding these contributors to happiness, together with recent research on volitional actions to improve happiness, offer some potential levers for improving happiness at work. Flourishing People Create Flourishing Organisations Masten (2001) describes flourishing as ‘ordinary magic’, suggesting that it is available to everyone. It is important to note that the benefits of feeling good are not because such feelings allow individuals to play down, ignore of distort negative information. Rather positive affect leads people to be able to consider many aspects of a situation simultaneously, make evaluations and choose behaviours responsive to the situation. Gaffney (2011) suggests there are four elements of flourishing: challenge, connectivity, autonomy and using one’s valued competencies. Further, Gaffney suggests these core components are enhanced by what is termed a ‘mental life’, an alignment of an individual’s thinking and feeling that are on the same wavelength. Gaffney’s point is that it is easy to explain goals, purpose and values in a cognitive way. In many organisations, values posters adorn the walls. In my role as a trainer, I have had rather too many di scussions with exasperated managers, paraphrased along the lines of ‘They [the employees] don’t get it! They are not living by the values on the posters!’ And herein lies the point; to function at one’s best one needs to feel a connection and however positive the organisational environment, however interesting the work and however transformational the leadership style, these will merely increase the odds of engagement. True and long lasting engagement has an internal source which lies within an array of attitudinal choices and mental constructs created by the individual. It is hoped that most staff will have experienced feelings of engagement. For some staff, these feelings arise circumstantially; they are effectively waiting for the right conditions in which to engage. The flourishing employees are less inclined to wait. Instead, they tap into a set of intentional strategies which allow them to take personal responsibility for feeling good. Further, these within person strategies, when written down, appear to be simple and straight-forward. One suspects that the biggest single factor highlighted by this study, that of consciously and deliberately choosing to be positive, stands out as common sense. However this research has uncovered that such strategies are by no means common practice. It may be that one can become psychologically disconnected from one’s best self. The busyness agenda and impediments of modern life (discussed in chapter 1) have resulted in a reactive approach to life rather than an introspective (inside-out) approach that is conducive to flourishing. Just as the key to individual flourishing is to understand and put effort into function at our best, so it is with organisations. The traditional organisational focus has been on deficit management, eliminating weaknesses and solving problems. This is important, but flourishing organisations must go further and, according to Cameron (2013), they must focus on what is ‘positively deviant’, i.e., what is ‘outstanding’, what is already working and what is world class. In line with Cooperrider’s (2005) work on Appreciative Inquiry, this provides a dramatic shift of focus. The Cult of Happiness What exactly is ‘organisational culture’? Cameron (2013) suggests it refers to taken for granted values, expectations, collective memories and implicit meanings that define an organisation’s core identity and behaviour. Thus, ‘culture’ reflects the prevailing ideology that people carry inside their heads. It provides unwritten and usually unspoken guidelines for what is acceptable and what is not. The wider point of creating an organisational culture conducive to flourishing is that an organisation cannot ‘force’ an employee to be engaged. Thus, by implication, the suggestion is that the organisation alone cannot create a culture of engagement because ‘engagement’ is partly an internal concept. Therefore if push motives such as ‘forcing’ are out, it may be that pull motives such as ‘allowing’ or ‘encouraging’ are in. Being religious is associated with elevated happiness. In a survey of 163,000 people in 14 European countries, 84% of church goers rated as ‘very satisfied’ with life compared with 77% of non-church goers (Inglehart, 1990). The suggestion is that religion provides a framework of meaning as well as a collective identity and a reliable social network for people with like-minded views and values. Thus, ultimately, it is the strong social connections that provide happiness in a religious context. The result is the rather powerful effect whereby individuals give up their weekends to attend their place of workshop, for free. While religion was not born out as a major factor in happiness in this study, there exists a wider analogy. It may be that the challenge for organisational designers is to create a similar cohesiveness, akin to a ‘spiritual home’ where, instead of religion, employees are bonded by a common purpose and/or pervading sense of ‘why?’ The organisation creates a sense of community where high quality connections are the norm and where individual employees are playing to their strengths. In short, the challenge is to create a culture in which employees want to be part of something worthwhile and where engagement is not forced, but rather, it flows. Continuing the religious metaphor, it may be that this sense of higher purpose and internal buy-in is, indeed, a more enlightened way to create flourishing organisations. ‘Neuroplasticity’ The relatively stable basic affective state of happiness refers to the momentary level of happiness that an individual typically experiences the individual’s ‘set point’ (Williams Thompson, 1993). The implication is that this component ensures that different individuals may experience different levels of happiness when all other factors are held constant. Although all individuals can experience a range of emotions at different intensities, there is a tendency for these to return to their idiosyncratic ‘set point’ (Diener et al., 2006). Diener et al (2006) argue that one’s happiness set point is determined by the individual’s sense of identity which is in turn determined by their psychology. In short, most people think like the person they perceive themselves to be (e.g., victims get stuck in ‘learned helplessness’, winners have a winning mentality, confident people behave confidently, etc.) The question therefore arises, is it possible to change one’s mental habits and/or one’s sense of personal identity? The concept of neuro-plasticity (Goleman, et al, 2003) suggests the brain is always learning. Siegel (2007) states that â€Å"Where attention goes, neurons fire. And where neurons fire, they can re-wire† (p. 291). This capacity for the brain to be reconfigured opens up the possibility for genuine and permanent personal change If one’s brain has an element of neuroplasticity it may be that the ‘set point’ is nothing more than a ‘familiar point’. It raises the possibility that with some mental dexterity and a little effort, one may be able to alter one’s ‘normal’ or ‘familiar’ level of happiness. In terms of this study, the NonH+ mean happiness is 6.77 (sd = 1.41, std error mean = 0.07) and the H+ mean is 8.29 (sd = 0.51, std error mean = 0.75). Thus, inquiring into the mental strategies of the H+ group and applying them to the NonH+ group could conceivably result in an increase in the ‘set point’ of 22.5%. As argued in earlier chapters, the knock-on behavioural effects of such an increase would achieve significant business results. Beliefs This comment, taken from an H+ respondent, provides a succinct account of the main findings of the difference between the H+ and NonH+ respondents: â€Å"I see the world differently to them.† (male, organisation W) Thus if reality depends, at least in part, on how one views it, it becomes less of a surprise that external circumstances account for only 10% of total happiness (Lyubomirsky, Sheldon Schade 2005). Indeed, Lyubormirsky (2007) prefers the phrase â€Å"creation or construction of happiness† to the more popular â€Å"pursuit of happiness† â€Å"since research shows that it’s in our power to fashion it for ourselves.† (p. 15) Further, if ‘reality’ is linked to mind-set and self-identity, then Dweck’s (2006) work on fixed and growth mind-sets becomes more salient. Dweck purports that those of fixed mind-set believe their capabilities are already set whereas a growth mind-set is conducive to self-improvement through effort. Dweck suggests that a growth mind-set is not dismissive of innate abilities, recognising that â€Å"although people may differ in every which way – in their initial talents and aptitudes, interests or temperaments – everyone can change and grow through application and experience† (p. 12). Further, Dweck purports that those with fixed mind-sets often miss opportunities for improvement and consistently underperform while those with a growth mind-set watch their abilities move ever upward. Cultivating Organisational ‘Games-Makers’ Organisational culture is one of the most important predictors of high levels of performance over time (Cameron et al, 2011) and for ‘culture’ one should read ‘people’. Organisations that flourish have developed a ‘culture of abundance’ (Cameron 2013) which builds the collective capabilities of all members. It is characterized by the presence of numerous positive energisers throughout the system, including embedded virtuous practices, adaptive learning, meaningfulness, profound purpose, engaged members and positive leadership. Various studies point to abundance culture and organisational success (Cameron, Mora, Leutscher Calaro 2011; Cameron Plews 2012) Achor (2013) uses the term ‘franchising success’; identify something that is simple and easy to copy. Achor uses the example of the ‘10/5 principle’, supplanted from the Ritz-Carlton hotel chain to an American hospital. This simple notion of smiling at anyone who comes within 10 feet and making eye contact and giving a positive greeting to anyone within 5 feet is cited as an example of ‘franchising success’. And while sceptics might point to the 10/5 principle is cosmetic, false or, indeed, overly American in tone, Achor reports a different reality. When the behaviour becomes contagious it changes the reality and the feeling of the hospital. Achor reports that staff were smiling and this was ‘franchised’ to patients and visitors. Crucially, this new behaviour became normalised, embedded in the hospital’s culture. It is difficult to find British examples. Although not examined academically, anecdotal evidence exists within the London 2012 Olympic games-makers. Volunteering to give up their own time, with a clear vision to make London 2012 the best ever games, they are perhaps the outstanding British example of franchising positive affect. Positive Psychology: The right science for the wrong reasons? Reflecting on 5 years of study and taking the learning in the round, it is difficult not to have a nagging doubt about the upsurge of interest in the science of positive psychology. The business imperative is strong and this may be the source of my doubt. It could be that positive psychology is the right philosophy but for the wrong reasons. Organisational behaviourists are using the science of happiness and well-being to create workplaces that are engaging and fun, where people can experience a sense of meaning and value. The underlying public sector mantra that lies behind the science is that by creating these conditions, employees will therefore work harder. In austere times, maintaining levels of service with fewer staff is the cost-efficient Utopia of squeezing ‘more from less’. And while this makes perfect sense at one level, treating people well because it is good for the bottom line is, perhaps, the wrong reason for treating them well. In the recommendations, I spoke of a more enlightened way of conducting organisational behaviour. Enlightened organisations may be the ones who take a leap of faith and conspire to treat employees well because that is absolutely the right thing to do. This research points to happiness being a conflux of genetics, circumstances and internal strategies. According to Lyubormirsky (2007), the ‘circumstances’ element of the happiness pie is a rather insignificant 10%. Therefore, tweaking the structure, altering the appraisal system, or providing gym membership and a dress-down Friday, are all having a tiny effect on individual happiness. Much more salient are the mental habits that employees choose (or do not choose) to bring to work. This points to organisational culture spreading in a more viral way, because happiness and its contagion is about sustaining new thinking and behaviours, rather than processes. Rather than command and control, this is more about influencing people to want to change. Statistical analysis suggests the data for this study is reliable. Thus, I can confidently state that a sense of personal choice stands as a central tenet of flourishing. The organisation may well engender this sense of personal choice if it is seen to be doing things for the right reasons. Therefore, the focus naturally shifts towards ‘meaning’. The H+ community feels a very strong sense of meaning and purpose which is reflected in flourishing behaviours. The hyper-dyadic nature of affective contagion means that other employees will ‘catch’ the new feelings and behaviours. This points towards a paradigm shift away from culture change being a ‘top down’ or even a ‘bottom up’ process, towards an ‘inside-out’ phenomenon. Trying Times There is a dichotomy at the heart of positive psychology. The science is both supremely complex and effortlessly simple. The pig iron quotation that heralded the start of this chapter seems somewhat disingenuous towards the pig-iron worker. It is perfectly possible to couch the subject in such academic terms so as to lose the average worker. Yet, at its heart, the constituent parts of happiness remain simple enough for everyone to understand. The concept of ‘consciously choosing a positive attitude’ and ‘making an effort to do so’ seem simple enough. It may be the lack of cognisance that a choice is available or the subsequent effort involved in sustaining an H+ attitude that is more problematic. It may well be that some occupations are inherently more purposeful and carry greater meaning. However, this report suggests that if the aforementioned pig iron worker chooses to be positive and engages in positive mental strategies, if s/he can find meaning in their work and have challenging tasks, stretching personal goals and, moreover, if handling pig iron plays to their strengths, then engagement is more likely. In terms of context, this research project was almost cancelled on the grounds of ‘right research, wrong time’. The head of organisation B1, who turned out to be a strong champion of this research, stated somewhat sardonically, in a meeting prior to phase 1; â€Å"This is an interesting time to be measuring motivation.† Her point was that the challenges of the 2008 banking crisis and the subsequent knock-on effects of austerity would make happiness and engagement more challenging than ever. Bearing in mind the finding that H+ employees deploy more strategies and work those strategies harder it could be that conducting this research in such challenging circumstances was exactly the right time. It could be that in trying times the key to flourishing is to try even harder.

Dr. King

In 1963, after a protest in Birmingham calling attention to the need for equal rights for African Americans, the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. wrote an open letter to the coalition of Christian ministers in the American South.   Dr. King found himself the subject of extreme criticism from his fellow clergymen for his protest, specifically the illegality of the   protest. In his essay, Dr. King attempts to appeal to the ethical, emotional and logical sides of countrymen to show them that the laws that he was breaking were unfair and unjust in and of themselves. This paper will critically examine the appeals that Dr. King made and the effectiveness of those appeals.Dr. King begins his argument in favor of his actions with an appeal to the ethical considerations of his audience. â€Å"Since I feel that you are men of genuine good will and that your criticisms are sincerely set forth, I want to try to answer your statement in what I hope will be patient and reasonable terms,â €  (King 1963).   He begins by telling his audience that he respects their motives and hopes that they will respect his.This is an important part of the ethical argument in that King wants immediately to establish that this was not a rash action and that he is not defending himself lightly. Next, he seeks to establish his own credentials and his right to be in Birmingham. King mentions that people in Birmingham have complained of his coming in as an outsider and he immediately wants to clarify that he was invited in.â€Å"I have the honor of serving as president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference, an organization operating in every southern state, with headquarters in Atlanta, Georgia. We have some eighty five affiliated organizations across the South, and one of them is the Alabama Christian Movement for Human Rights. Frequently we share staff, educational and financial resources with our affiliates.Several months ago the affiliate here in Birmingham asked us to be on call to engage in a nonviolent direct action program if such were deemed necessary. We readily consented, and when the hour came we lived up to our promise. So I, along with several members of my staff, am here because I was invited here. I am here because I have organizational ties here† (King 1963)By first establishing that his organization has ties in Birmingham and that he was invited, King dismisses the idea that he is just an outside rebel rouser. After establishing his right to be there, king establishes the authority under which his ethical decisions will be made. â€Å"Just as the prophets of the eighth century B.C. left their villages and carried their â€Å"thus saith the Lord† far beyond the boundaries of their home towns, and just as the Apostle Paul left his village of Tarsus and carried the gospel of Jesus Christ to the far corners of the Greco Roman world, so am I compelled to carry the gospel of freedom beyond my own home town,† (King 1963) . King calls to mind the ethical standard by which he wants to be judged: the Bible and his faith. Finally, King argues why his action is ethically justified.â€Å"Moreover, I am cognizant of the interrelatedness of all communities and states. I cannot sit idly by in Atlanta and not be concerned about what happens in Birmingham. Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere,† (King 1963). With this argument he points out the ethical concern that most directly led to the Birmingham protest, injustice.King also appeals to the emotions of his audience. â€Å"Then, last September, came the opportunity to talk with leaders of Birmingham's economic community. In the course of the negotiations, certain promises were made by the merchants–for example, to remove the stores' humiliating racial signs.† (King 1963). He begins by gently reminding them of the racial humiliation that was an integral part of the South at the time. Next, he moves onto the violence that th e average African American in the South had witness or heard.   And finally, he moves on to the emotional appeal of children, before turning the emotionally-charged words filled with hatred and familiar to all Southern â€Å"Negroes†.â€Å"But when you have seen vicious mobs lynch your mothers and fathers at will and drown your sisters and brothers at whim; when you have seen hate filled policemen curse, kick and even kill your black brothers and sisters†¦when you suddenly find your tongue twisted and your speech stammering as you seek to explain to your six year old daughter why she can't go to the public amusement park that has just been advertised on television, and see tears welling up in her eyes when she is told that Funtown is closed to colored children, and see ominous clouds of inferiority beginning to form in her little mental sky, and see her beginning to distort her personality by developing an unconscious bitterness toward white people; when you have to c oncoct an answer for a five year old son who is asking: â€Å"Daddy, why do white people treat colored people so mean?†; †¦when your first name becomes â€Å"nigger,† your middle name becomes â€Å"boy† (however old you are) and your last name becomes â€Å"John,† and your wife and mother are never given the respected title â€Å"Mrs.†; (King 1963)Throughout the essay, king also appeals to the logic of his audience. First, he points out that Southern blacks had attempted to sue the system, but that the system excluded them from it and therefore they could not change the system from within. Then, King begins to use statistics to back up his arguments, beginning first with the sheer lack of black voters in the South. â€Å"An unjust law is a code that a numerical or power majority group compels a minority group to obey but does not make binding on itself. This is difference made legal. By the same token, a just law is a code that a majority com pels a minority to follow and that it is willing to follow itself. This is sameness made legal. Let me give another explanation.A law is unjust if it is inflicted on a minority that, as a result of being denied the right to vote, had no part in enacting or devising the law. Who can say that the legislature of Alabama which set up that state's segregation laws was democratically elected? Throughout Alabama all sorts of devious methods are used to prevent Negroes from becoming registered voters, and there are some counties in which, even though Negroes constitute a majority of the population, not a single Negro is registered.† (King 1963). King also argues that unjust laws or just laws which are unjustly enforced must be changed and that people should take whatever action is reasonable to change them. By providing specific examples, he makes it hard for any logical person to disagree.Though King’s â€Å"I have a dream† speech is more famous than his â€Å"Letter F rom a Birmingham Jail†, it is in this essay that he sets the tone for the entire civil rights movement. In his use of emotional appeal, he moves beyond sheer anger to the disappointment and pain caused by segregation. His logical arguments are made soundly so that opponents cannot argue that he is simply hot-headed or breaking the law for the sake of personal gain. However, perhaps the most important and effective of his arguments come in his ethical arguments. When King illustrates gently, but with great strength, the unethical behavior that has led to the crisis in the South, he is non-accusatory and simply states how things ought to be. This above all else is what marks the greatness of this essay.

“The Secrets of Haiti’s Living Dead” by Del Guárico

â€Å"The Secrets of Haiti’s living dead† by Del Guarico was a very interesting story o read. It shows how people of different places will believe something if they want or expect it to be true. This is especially true if it is deeply a part of their culture. In the story, this idea is illustrated through the examination of zombies in Haitian voodoo culture. The article describes a search by a Harvard student named Wade Davis for a drug causing zombie-like effects. Zombies are a fact of Haitian culture. When most people hear this they get their own perception about zombies and the culture. People in America tend to think of zombies as otherworldly and a source for tales of Horror and we are not more or less scared of the actually zombie, but the fact that we think that they can turn us into one. Davis soon finds this drug and discovers that zombies are faked in a material sense. They use the poison from the Japanese Fugu fish and other chemicals. He also found out that there is a secret society that is responsible for policing the society and the treat of zombification is a threat to keep everyone in line. He was not able to discover how common it was in Haiti He give credit for finding his answer on his approach. Some people might wonder why he wouldn't just make a general announcement and attempt to enlighten the Haitian people as to this fact. If he did that he would only be insulting they people and trying to take away the belief that they have had for hundreds of years.

Cowgirl Chocolates Essays

Cowgirl Chocolates Essays Cowgirl Chocolates Paper Cowgirl Chocolates Paper Essay Topic: Like Water for Chocolate Cowgirl Chocolates first ever advertisement was of a beautiful woman wearing a cowboy hot, immersed in a watering trough filled with hot and spicy Cowgirl Chocolate truffles. This ad cost Marilyn $3,000 to run and she wondered if it would help her money-losing business. In 2002, despite not paying herself a salary and occasionally her art for services (she was an internationally renowned ceramicist), her small business generated revenues of only $30,000, while her expenses were over $50,000. Her product had won many awards from the two main fiery food competitions in the US and had also won awards for the packaging, but she still couldnt turn her business into a profitable one. Company History Cowgirl Chocolates was founded in Moscow, Idaho in 1997 by Marilyn Lysohir and Ross Coates. Marilyn and Ross created Cowgirl Chocolates to help fund their once-a-year arts magazine called High Ground. Marilyn got the idea from her love for chocolates and hot and spicy food, and found a local candy company to produce the chocolates in quantity. The Product Cowgirl Chocolates had three basic forms of products: individually wrapped truffles, chocolate bars, and a hot caramel dessert sauce. The individually wrapped truffles were available in a variety of packaging options. The truffles were sold in gift boxes, drawstring muslin bags, a collectible tin, or in a plain plastic bag. The first three packaging options were considered to provide value in their containers, more than just a candy, while chocolates sold in plain plastic bags were for customers who bought them online, just wanted the chocolate and didnt care about the fancy packaging. The chocolate bars were available in either orange espresso or line tequila crunch flavors, and the truffles were available in plain chocolate, mint, orange, lime tequila, and espresso flavors. Different flavors were wrapped in different colors to suggest their tastes or to differentiate among them. Mild-mannered truffles were also considered for introduction, which were the same find German chocolate without the spice. Marilyn thought that this product might allow her to get her product placed in retail locations that had rejected her chocolates before for being too spicy. Also, Marilyn knew that many people didnt enjoy spicy chocolates, or found at least some of her varieties to be too hot. She was also considering introducing calcium-added chocolate. Marilyn used Seattle Chocolates, a company specializing in producing European-style chocolate confections, as the source for all her chocolate products. Seattle Chocolates took Cowgirl Chocolates on as a private label customer because they liked and were captivated by the companys product and owners. They provided Cowgirl Chocolates with a small amount of its table space at several important trade shows and produced in half batches for them. Marilyn hoped that one day Seattle Chocolates would wholesale Cowgirl Chocolates, but before she could, Marilyn knew she had to increase sales significantly. Marilyn made the caramel sauce herself with help from a commercial kitchen in Sandpoint, Idaho. As with the chocolates, she used only the best ingredients. She considered dropping the caramel sauce because it was a lot of work to produce but not profitable enough. If not dropping it, she considered making it a Christmas product only, or hiring a sauce company to make it for her. But the latter option was costly, as she not only had to pay for the caramel, but also for the jar and delivery. She would also have to provide the labels, for which she would need to have new label designs made to match the jar style the company used. Distribution and Pricing Cowgirl Chocolates was most successive in Marilyns hometown, at the Moscow Food Co-op, her single best wholesale customer, accounting for 10%-15% of her annual sales. The product was also available at Wild Women Traders, a high-end womens clothing and antiques store, Northwest Showcase, an arts and crafts store, and at Bookpeople, an independent bookstore. Outside of Moscow, Marilyn had more difficulty placing her products. Other places included museums, gift shops, a restaurant, gourmet markets, and specialty food stores focused on hot and spicy foods. Sales were not great, and especially at the specialty food stores. She concluded that if her product was located with similarly priced goods, it would sell, but if it stood out in priced, then it did not sell as well. Several online retailers also carried her products, although sales were insignificant. Marilyn also had her own website, through which sales accounted for about one-third. Web-based sales captured both the wholesale and retail profits associated with the sale, and most of her sales growth from 1999 to 2000 had come from her website. Marilyn had also tried to get her product into a number of bigger name, upscale retailers, like Dean Delucca and Coldwater Creek, but they all thought her products were too spicy. Hence, Marilyn hoped that introducing the mild-mannered chocolates will help capture these retailers. Promotion Promotion wasnt big for Cowgirl Chocolates as Marilyn didnt know how to best promote he product given her limited resources. Her first ad would appear in Chile Pepper magazine. Other than the upcoming ad, promotional efforts were focused on trade shows and creating publicity opportunities. Trade shows focused on either the hot and spicy food market or the gourmet food market. At these trade shows, she gave out many samples, and occasionally led to placement of her products in retail locations on a trial basis. However, none really turned into high volume wholesale accounts. Generating publicity included efforts to include her company in article stories, which if it did occur, boosted sales temporarily. She was also thinking about how to capitalize on the interest the movie, Chocolat, was creating in spicy chocolates. She also thought about hiring a public relations firm, but found them too costly, and did not expect that any publicity a public relations firm could create would generate sufficient sales to offset the cost. She also considered writing a cookbook as a way to generate greater publicity. In addition, Marliyn wasnt sure how to best promote her product to potential customers. She wondered about seasonal opportunities, including Valentines Day and Christmas. What Next? Marilyns financial records showed that her business was not doing well. She had lost more than $6,000 on operations before taxes and had an inventory buildup of $16,848, much more than she had originally expected. If her ad failed, she decided not to use another one in the near future, and was pretty wary of working with distributors; she could not afford to take another gamble on a distributor. She questioned whether she should focus more attention on her online retail sales or on expanding her wholesale business to include more retailers. She had numerous questions about what to do next and how to improve her money-losing company, which was originally created to raise money to publish her arts magazine. Discussion Questions 1. What are some of the critical strengths and weaknesses of Cowgirl Chocolates that determine the success of this small business? Can the weaknesses be overcome by the strengths of the business? I do not think that the strengths can overcome the weaknesses significantly, unless Marilyn makes considerable changes to the companys strategies. While Cowgirl Chocolates indeed has a point of difference, the biggest reason why it is difficult to succeed is because there is too little market attractiveness. The potential for high growth is low and the need for spicy chocolates is not really present. Furthermore, tastes of people are relatively constant in terms of food. While tastes can change, combining chocolate, a product sought for its sweetness, with spice, somewhat seems to defeat the purpose of chocolates being sweet. It is a unique, but weird mix of tastes, and may not appeal to many. 2. Using the total product view, describe the hot and spicy chocolate truffle offered by Cowgirl Chocolates. Based on this product view, do you think this product will be readily accepted by consumers? Why or why not? Core Product: design, an experience, gift, multiple uses with the containers, uniqueness Actual Product: package, design, chocolate, quality, taste, additional nutrients Augmented product: free samples, bonus products when bought online, service I dont think that this product will be readily accepted by consumers because there isnt much core benefit customers may want from this product. There also isnt much additional service or product that assists to purchase and use this product as well. Furthermore, the actual product, while unique in itself, doesnt have much benefit. 3. Construct a table consisting of the generic marketing mix strategies based on what you know about Cowgirl Chocolates, what marketing mix plan would you recommend to Marilyn and why? I think that Cowgirl needs to promote its product more and increase brand awareness first to help increase sales. Her current brand is unknown, and only a few people know about it. If the idea of spicy chocolates was more known and promoted, people might try it out more. Also, I think that she should use a kiosk or some of kind of stand near high-traffic areas and give out samples to promote her product because people need to know first what they taste like, and that they are actually enjoyable before deciding to buy them, since most of the people have never tasted spicy chocolate before. Since it may be a completely new product for many people, Marilyn needs to take steps to not only increase brand awareness, but also increase product awareness without having to make people pay for them just to taste. Also, I think she should take advantage of Valentines Day and Christmas to promote her products, buy providing a new experience for people who always purchase the same kind of chocolates every year, and they are the times of year when chocolate sales increase the most. Furthermore, I think that she needs to redo her ad to appeal more to a younger crowd, since the ad seems kind of racy, and might not appeal to youngsters or parents of youngsters, and they are the age group that tend to eat chocolates most.

Effects of Economics, Race and Class on Social Standing essays

Effects of Economics, Race and Class on Social Standing essays One of the great things about America is that we are supposed to have a class-less society. Some countries have a class structure that is impossible to break. If you are born poor, you will die poor. There is no hope to break the cycle. That should not be the case in America. We like to believe that anyone can find fame and fortune in this country. The promise is that you can work hard and make it big. With this egalitarian outlook, America sounds like a great place to live. The theory is that we are all equal, and have an equal chance of achieving the American Dream. The Dream itself has many definitions, but for my purpose, I am going to assume it means that we can be upwardly mobile concerning social standing. Americans can be born poor and die rich. Of course, there are many subtle levels in between. That is where we will find popular culture. You see, although we have a class-less society, that does not mean we are totally without classes in our country. It really means we are able to transcend those classes and move up or down. We most certainly do have classes amongst ourselves. Primarily, our class is designated by what material possessions we have at this given moment. Not even what we own or how much money we have. It is the perception of affluence, not the accumulation of wealth, which most Americans value. In America, how others perceive you is what determines your social standing. Popular culture is out there for the masses. It is to give the lower and middle class people something to strive for. It tells us that, to be successful, we must drive a car costing more than the average annual salary of most Americans. It tells us what clothes to wear, what music we should listen to or where to live. It is through popular culture that our economy is driven. If it were not for credit and leasing, most Americans would never own a home or have a car to drive. This vici...

Poem Similarities and differences Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Poem Similarities and differences - Essay Example he first similarity which comes to the reader is the genre of literature since they are both part of the rich African American heritage that has been given to us. While the poems may be separated by time, they are certainly not separated in terms of the cultural background which is seen in the poems. For example, the role of the father as the supporter of the house despite his anger or frustration at the difficult situation he is placed in and the idea of having little but making do with what you have is obvious in both poems. A further similarity is the idea of love between family members even if that love is not expressed or experienced as it should be in ideal circumstances. However, that becomes another similarity of the poems since neither of the writers is presenting ideal circumstances and in fact, the circumstances are quite hard for the narrators in both poems. Hayden’s narrator has to deal with not understanding the love his father had for him while Giovanni’s narrator has difficulties in understanding why her family fights a lot. The last similarity is that both poems are written from the viewpoint of an adult looking back at childhood but strangely enough, they present a perfectly realistic view of their childhoods without sugar coating the facts. Instead of the idealized image of childhood as being a carefree and happy time, they recognize that they had little to go on and perhaps were not as good to their parents or to their family as they should have been. This also leads us to the differences between the poems as one is more forthright than the other. Giovanni’s poem not only describes a difficult childhood, the poem also describes how others in the future can take a distorted look at her early life. She notes that others coming after her to study her life may say that she had a poor childhood but she herself notes that her childhood was not as bad as future historians may think it to be. On the other hand, Hayden is more concerned about

Strategic Planning Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Strategic Planning - Essay Example Strategic planning may be one individual’s job, but it gets very risky when it is so. To make strategic planning practicable, it is imperative that teamwork is involved in this process. Strategic planning is based on cooperation among the team members that make it. Different people have specific skills and expertise in different fields. Strategic planning, particularly in the contemporary age, is based on the cooperation of experts having specific skills in distinct fields including technology, planning, and management. Coordination is fundamental to the success of strategic planning. Planning is made strategic when a team of experts from different origins and backgrounds and having association with different organizations, cultures, or subcultures are united at one platform and are told the objective that needs to be achieved. â€Å"†¦engaged leadership in the whole process of strategic planning including the implementation, particularly with regard to the three Cs is t he key to success† (Zomorrodian, 2011, p. 1130). Hence, the role and importance of the three C’s in the process of strategic planning cannot be overemphasized. Strategic planning can be understood as assessment of an organization’s needs for the advancement of its goals and missions in a particular time period. When collaboration is integrated into this process, it provides the organization with a way to exchange knowledge, skills, and competencies with different people participating in the process so that the goals can be modified and development can be ensued. This imparts the need to have enough resources as well as a culture that appreciates and encourages cooperation and teamwork. Cooperation plays the role of a catalyst when integrated in the process of strategic planning as it counteracts competition among the team members. Cooperation means development of