Flash Fiction and the Successful Short-Short Story

Flash Fiction and the Successful Short-Short StoryFlash Fiction and the Successful Short-Short StoryFor a story to be a complete story, we only need one small element within the narrative to be resolved. This element can be tiny. It is often unhappy. It might leave us with millions of questions, but it answers one. What is resolved within a story is elend always something that happens externally, but internally. Often writers are told that their protagonist must change somehow from the beginning of the story to the end, and usually, people take this to mean that something huge must happen (see earlier articles on death, disease, zombies, etc). But this is not true. An emotion can change. The way one sees something can change. A mood can change. A character might simply decide to make themselves tea. Many of my students are relieved when I tell them not to focus on plot and to only aim for one small moment. Similarly, many students are glad when I assign 1-2 page pieces of fiction or flash fiction, as they think that the less they have to write, the easier it will be. However, this is not the case. Writing flash fiction (also referred to as micro fiction, short-short fiction, postcard fiction, and sudden fiction) does not mean you simply write 1-2 pages. The same rules apply to a successful piece of flash fiction as they do in longer stories. This means that the writer has much less time to create a believable world before attempting to resolve something within it. This is often much more difficult. One of the masters of flash fiction is the writer Lydia Davis, author of The Thirteenth Woman andOther Stories, Break It Down, and Varieties of Disturbance among other books. Her stories have been published together in The Collected Stories of Lydia Davis. Her story below is an example of how little has to change in order for the narrative to be complete. FEAR Nearly every morning, a certain woman in our community comes running out of her house with her face whit e and her overcoat flapping wildly. She cries out, Emergency, emergency, and one of us runs to her and holds her until her fears are calmed. We know she is making it up nothing has really happened to her. But we understand, because there is hardly one of us who has not been moved at some time to do just what she has done, and every time, it has taken all our strength, and even the strength of our friends and families too, to quiet us. Davis has chosen a fiction-worthy moment the woman coming out of her house screaming Emergency, emergency, every day. She has acknowledged the truth of this moment, and the relatability surely there are many moments each of us feels that we cannot bear whatever the drain of our life may be. She points this out and shows us something we already know, but in a new way. The idea that the neighbors are helping this woman but that they feel empathetic towards her, that she represents everyones wants and needs, makes the satisfaction emotional. The sadness is admitting that life is too much, but that most of us cant actually say so. The sadness is that someone says so every day, but is no better for it. The sadness is that we all feel this way, but stay quiet in our houses, telling no one.

The Role and Responsibilities of Senior Managers

The Role and Responsibilities of Senior ManagersThe Role and Responsibilities of Senior ManagersThe title of senior manager is most often used and encountered in large organizations with multiple layers of management. A senior manager has responsibilities and authority that are broader in scope than a front-line manager, and a door is typically open for senior managers to move into a director- or general manager-level role. The flip side is that the position can involve a good many challenges and it almost always brings with it a great deal of responsibility. Being a senior manager is not for the faint of heart and success can depend on your personality and skills. Average Compensation For all the pros and cons inherent in this position, compensation tends to be good. Senior management positions across all industries averaged base pay of more than $150,000 a year as of the close of 2017, with incentives, bonuses, and perks of an additional $10,000 a year or more. The overall sala ry sortiment runs from about $101,000 to as much as $248,000 annually, depending on the industry and the size and scope of the employer. Common Responsibilities Like all managers, the senior manager is responsible for planning and directing the work of a group of individuals. They monitor their work and takes corrective actions when necessary. Senior managers might guide workers directly or they might direct severalsupervisors,who in turn directly manage the workers. The senior manager often supervises the largest or most important group or groups in a company. Core responsibilities of the senior manager include Providing guidance to direct reports, typically comprising first-line managers and supervisorsEnsuring clarity around priorities and goals for the entire functional areaApprovingrequests for investment to a certain level of authorityManaging overall financial budgeting for herfunctionApprovinghiring and firing requests within hergroupGuiding the talent identification and development processes for a group or functionWorkingacross functions with peers in other groups to ensure collaboration for shared goals Interacting with senior management for reportingWorkingwith senior management and other peers for strategy development and execution planningCommunicating financial and goal results and key performance indicators to direct reportsFacilitatinggoal-level creation for the broader function and working with managers to ensure the goals cascade to all workers Other Common Titles for Senior Managers The title tends to follow the managers function. Some examples include senior accounting manager, senior marketing manager, senior engineering manager, and senior customer support manager. Why Employ This Position? Itscommon for larger firms to evaluate their positions by scope, responsibility, size, and budgetary authority, and then to assign a level to these positions. The senior manager level or designation represents a step up from the manager and offers the opportunity for individuals to take on new responsibilities and increase their contributions. Implementing this added and higher level also helps organizations recruit experienced professionals and slot them into roles that fit their capabilities and compensation. Too Many Layers of Management Complexity and inefficiency tendto increase as organizations grow and become more stratified with additional layers of management. Consider a department that includes supervisors, managers who are responsible for supervisors, and senior managers who are responsible for the managers who watch over supervisors. The myriad of layers in the structure can slow decision-making, increase political and communication complexity, and ultimately breed dysfunction. Many organizations cycle through a process of layering followed by flattening through restructuring, only to slowly add layers once again over time. In theory, a flatter organization with fewer layers simplifies decision-making and empowers a broader group of workers to assume responsibility for their actions. The Case for the Senior Manager Role Implementing the role of a senior manager makes good geschftsleben sense under a number of circumstances. The senior manager can serve as the adult in the group at times when the team is growing quickly and chaotically. He caninterface with other functions for needed resources and provide mature guidance to managers and workers during a period of change. This position can represent a tangible target or step up as part of a managers career development plan and responsibilities when theres a clear distinction between the role of manager and senior manager. The senior manager can also support managers and take on responsibility for discrete work teams when the span of control for a groups managers is too broad. Developing As a Senior Manager Thisrole is an expansion of the typical managers role in terms of the breadth of responsibilities and overall accounta bility. A manager who is interested in advancing to this level should focus on personal, professional development for leadership skills, including talent development and coaching. They should prepare astrategy, including understanding how the firm makes money and developing insights into the external market forces, competitors, and customers. They should have a firm understanding of finance, including budgeting, capital budgeting, and overall expense accounting, and should hone the negotiation skills shell need to secure resourcesand gain help from other functions or executives. Communication skills, both written and verbal, are vital, with an emphasis on presentation skills. A good senior manager should also become skilled in team development. Challenges of the Senior Manager Regardless of the term senior in this positions title, a senior manager is still in middle-level management. These important middle-level roles are responsible for their people doing the work of the busine ss, but they often lack the authority to add resources or to make the significant changes that are sometimes necessary to improve efficiency or the quality of the work environment. In spite of the challenges, the role is an excellent training ground for advancing to general manager at some point in the future.

How to Get Security Clearance

How to Get Security ClearanceHow to Get Security ClearanceThere are many jobs that require security clearance. These range from positions with the government to jobs with private companies (notably defense contractors) that perform tasks involving classified information. To an outsiderand especially those without a military hintergrundthe process involved in getting the appropriate clearance can seem opaque, especially as there are a number of organizations that claim to offer security checks for prospective job seekers, but which do not actually provide legitimate security clearance. To clear up some of the issues, we present this excerpt from the Vault Guide to Military Careers, by Dr. John A. Sautter.Security ClearanceMany positionsincluding entry-level onesrequire workers to receive a security clearance and/or take an oath to protect the Constitution. While this sounds exciting, receiving a security clearance is really just the positive result of a hintergrund check, and should n ot be confused with the more intensive top-secret security clearance, which requires a much higher degree of candidate scrutiny. Many individuals that are not employed by the government need a security clearance in order to work for a private employer that performs tasks involving classified information.None of this should be too surprising. The obvious reason for these background checks is to ensure that irresponsible individuals are not given access to information which could harm national interests. The government also looks for information on potential job candidates that might make them more susceptible to bribery or blackmail. Therefore, a background check involves a review of a candidates credit rating, the number of speeding tickets he may have, mental health, substance abuse and whether or not they have been arrested incident to a crime. Part of this check also includes a basic drug urinalysis test.There is a hierarchy of security clearance levels. On the lowest level is a confidential security clearance. Most military officers and enlisted personnel are given this sort of clearance. It means that the information they work with could be reasonably expected to cause some damage to Americas national security if the countrys enemies could get a hold of it. It normally lasts for fifteen years before it needs to be renewed. The next level up is secret security clearance. Essentially, the information protected by this level of clearance could cause grave damage to Americas national security and needs to be renewed every ten years. Finally, the top secret clearance is necessary for those persons who work with information that would cause exceptionally grave damage to Americas national security if it was released without authorization. Some individuals will not be able to get a security clearance. Unfortunately, past behavior, medical history or the fact that they have close relatives living in a foreign country might preclude an individual from qualifying fo r a security clearance. However, dont jump to conclusions about your eligibility. The best thing is to go through the process after you have applied and been accepted for a job. It is always easier to get a job if you have secured a clearance in the past, mostly due to the fact that an employer can be reasonably certain that you will pass the screening. There are some Internet sites that claim they can get you a security clearance before you are even hired for a government job. This is bogus Whatever agency is hiring you will request the background check from the Defense Security Service.

Why Emotional Intelligence Is Crucial for Job Seekers, and How to Increase It

Why Emotional Intelligence Is Crucial for Job Seekers, and How to Increase ItWhy Emotional Intelligence Is Crucial for Job Seekers, and How to Increase It1Looking for work? Then you need to prioritize beefing up your emotional intelligence (EI). A CareerBuilder study of more than 2,600 hiring managers and HR professionals showed that over two-thirds- 71%- value EI even more thanIQ in employees. Three-quarters said theyd be more likely to promote someone who had a high EI once theyre in the job, and over half (59%) said theyd pass on a candidate with a high IQ but low EI.In the study, employers noted a number of reasons why they believe EI is more important for job candidates than IQ, which included that they thought employees with high EI are better at staying calm under pressure, knowing how to effectively resolve conflict, and being empathetic to their team members. And when we look at skills demand, not only is EI in the top 10 according to the World Economic Forums The Future of Jobs Report 2018, but its also identified on the list of trending skills for 2022.Knowing that current employers value EI so highly and that future employers are predicted to care about it just as much, its critical that job seekers first understand what emotional intelligence really is, and then take steps to increase their EI, to help them excel both in interview situations and on the job.Psychology Todaydefines EI as the ability to identify and manage your own emotions and the emotions of others, noting that this includes three complementary skillsAwareness of both your emotions and others emotionsBeing able to geschirr emotions and apply them toward specific tasks like problem-solving and thinkingEmotion management (both regulating your own emotions and helping others manage theirs- for example by cheering them up or calming them down)With this in mind, lets look at some simple strategies that job seekers can implement right away to immediately increase their EIStop talking star t listening.A basic tenet of EI involves learning how to be a better listener. While this advice may seem counterintuitive in an interview situation, it can certainly be applied thoughtfully, so that you demonstrate your EI to the hiring committee through your listening skills while also showcasing your background and experiences. How do you balance these two goals, which may seem on the surface to be at odds? As clinical psychologist and cognitive behaviorist Dr. Jennifer Guttmanexplained in a recent blog post, when you listen to others and discard assumptions that their experiences are the same as your own, you build your ability to empathize and improve your emotional intelligence. Thisin turn makes you someone that other people want to be around, which is your goal when being interviewed.Guttman writes When youre learning about emotional intelligence, its essential to avoid telling people about a similar experience youve had. People tend to not like to have tables turned on them and hear about a similar experience that youve had. You may think it will make them feel validated, but what usually happens is that it makes them feel like either youre not listening or that makes them feel like youre diminishing the importance of an experience theyve had.Dont jump to conclusions.Psychology Todaysingles out learning to manage your own negative emotions as key to increasing EI. This technique can be particularly useful during the job search process, where it can be easy to misinterpret a hiring managers reaction (or lack of reaction) to something you say or do during your communications with the employer.As just one example of how you can avoid being overwhelmed by a negative perception that can cloud your judgment, think about the situation of receiving no feedback after an interview. If you find yourself assuming the worst, having thoughts like, Clearly, theyve chosen another candidate, step back and consider other more positive or neutral options that are just a s likely. Perhaps the manager is simply very busy, and plans to respond when all interviews are completed. The point is to avoid personalizing things that other people do during your job search so that you can be more objective and perceptive.Practice stress management and self-care.People with high EI take proactive steps to avoid being emotionally reactive. This can definitely help during a job search, when stresses and tensions often run high, particularly in high-stakes interactions. Have you ever found yourself projecting visible anxiety during a stressful job interview? Perhaps you become so worried that you start losing your train of thought, or jumping in at the wrong time with your answer to a question.To improve your EI in this area, practice stress relief techniques beforestarting the interview- for example, exercising in the morning, or doing some deep breathing or visualization of success before you enter the conference room. If coffee keys you up too much and makes you act nervous, skip it before your interview. Practice self-care to help you stay on an emotionally even keel during your job search.Emotional intelligence isnt just a nice-to-have skill- it has become a necessity for todays and tomorrows workforce. If you dont feel strong enough in this area, take some time to develop your EI as part of your preparation for your job search.Know someone looking for a job? Refer a friend to with this link- youll get a month free service and theyll get 30% off

Introducing Sign Me up Genius

Introducing Sign Me up Genius Our Genius travel rewards are simple to get, easy to locate and simple to keep. The BMO CashBack Mastercard is an excellent card for anybody who only wants a very simple cash back card with no yearly fee and no minimum revenue requirement. When you use a class access code to make an account, youre automatically enrolled in the training course. Everyone had to observe precisely the same paper announcements. The templates are offered in Microsoft Word so that you do not have to be concerned about the fassonats. Locate the links to all the sessions here. To join extra courses in Schoology, click the Join link in the Courses dropdown menu on top of the webpage. Gold members may use the chat option, whereas Platinum members have access to each one of the different techniques of communication. The Avanti form is about that huge button. With the fundamental plan, youre restricted to filling in the info in a form online, then waiting for an answer to b e emailed to you. Besides gathering information, sign up forms may also be used to collect payments and donations in addition to reserve slots for volunteers. Messy folks are undeniably adaptable. Youre going to be notified as people sign up, and youll be able to specify a reminder for everyone who signs up. And it isnt only the vigilantes wearing masks. Click Register to finish. The Live Online Draft feature lets you pick a complete fantasy group, LIVE, round-by-round in an interactive atmosphere. The draft order thats established in the very first round is going to be the order that picks are selected throughout the full draft. If youd like football, then visit the NFL. Be aware that when youre entering your Offline Draft, all roster spots have to be filled on each individual team before you can initiate the season. You have the capacity to look for players or filter the available players by position so that you are able to make fast, easy and informed decisions to comple te your roster. Hearsay, Lies and Sign Me up Genius Administrators may also configure security settings. Advanced reporting and tracking permits you to find out who has opened their emails together with their click-throughs. Intelligence tests are made to measure an individuals problem-solving and reasoning abilities. Oddly enough, some bodily characteristics make a difference in regards to your intelligence. Maybe you wonder at your own forms of intelligence and the many ways which you could be a genius. Following that, you must conduct your goods research systematically. Locate the correct settings to fit your interests and get started building your winning franchise todayWere not accustomed to pressing square buttons on the internet so you need to be cautious with implementing something similar to this, but I like what theyve done here. The tool is extremely straightforward to use from the get go. A few of these features may have additional possibilities, based on the su bscription plan you select. Our templates arrive in many of unique designs as a way to suite your requirements.

The Writing a Resume for Graduate School Diaries

The Writing a Resume for Graduate School Diaries Life, Death and Writing a Resume for Graduate School Some schools will have specific questions, while others are going to request an overall biography and expect you to understand what things to include. You may be pursuing a masters degree to modify careers and worried you dont have sufficient experience for the program, but there are most likely similarities in the 2 careers youve overlooked. As stated above, you need to highlight yur accomplishments in your resume, and that should assume the large part of the space. Some programs would like you to include only experience applicable to the program, others wish to list all of your work experiences. What the In-Crowd Wont Tell You About Writing a Resume for Graduate School Depending on the kind of job, youll need to create a studienordnung Vitae (CV) or a resume. Moreover, when you have not already composed an academic CV, nows the ideal time in your career to achieve that. Tailor your CV to the particular program and department to which youre applying. If you wish to be a teacher, youre write a CV, and should you need work professionally, you will write a resume. Also, compare your resume to the writing instructions (should you have any) to be sure you included everything which is required. Begin brainstorming and outlining your own personal statement before you dive in the writing process. Great writing skills are always valued so that your language has to be on point. The very first sentence of your own personal statement is critical, as its the hook that will continue to keep the reader interested and engaged throughout your essay. If theres a length requirement, do what you can to stay within the limit. Also, any extra entries ought to be added in the reverse-chronological purchase. You dont have to fret about your personal details that may be viewed, as we handle the matter on a safe network. Employing a student resume template can hel p you save you time and effort and offer you ideas on which sections to include and the way to complete them as a way to pull in the appropriate employers. It is simpler to edit than write so your goal as you start your admissions essay is to just write as much as possible. Once you get a rough draft of your admissions essay, remember that its a rough draft. At our essay assistance, essays are always delivered in a brief moment. Your admissions essay is like any other essay youve written. Be certain to have a peer or skilled editor check your work to be certain there are no glaring errors or significant room for improvement. On the flip side, perhaps you have little in the manner of paid job experience but lots of volunteer work on your CV. Keep reading to learn our top few strategies for writing a winning high school resume. Some graduate schools might request your complete work experience, though others could suggest that you concentrate on the things closely regarding th e program. New Step by Step Roadmap for Writing a Resume for Graduate School Graduate admissions faculty members will discover that its simpler to scan. Essay requirements will change from school to school, but youre going to probably be requested to write 250750 words. Students often find it useful to review resumes from graduate students who got their very first job beyond academe. On occasion a grad school cover letter may be compulsory exactly like a graduate school resume. Take into consideration the time spent outside of work or school. Your grad school resume is among the vital facets in your grad school application approach. Before you commence writing your graduate school resume, you should go through the prerequisites of the program youre applying to.

The Use of Tasers in Law Enforcement

The Use of Tasers in Law EnforcementThe Use of Tasers in Law EnforcementIn nearly every industry, technology continues to change the way people do their jobs. Whether youre a journalist, a soldier, or an accountant, your counterparts from even a few years ago may have a hard time recognizing the world in which you work today because of the incredible advancements in technology. Police officers are no different. The tools law enforcement officers carry today are in many ways a far cry from those they used in the notlage-so-distant past- with wearable cameras, computers in patrol cars, and algorithms that can predict crime. Few tools, however, have had quite the impact or come with as much controversy as the electronic control device (ECD), more commonly known as the Taser. The concept of the electronic control device is centered on the idea that potentially violent confrontations can be brought to a relatively safe conclusion without the use of deadly force whenever possible. The ECD is not intended to replace a firearm, but to provide a safer means of dealing with non-deadly force situations. The best-known and most successful ECD to date is the Taser, manufactured and distributed by Taser grenzberschreitend. The Invention of the Taser Science Fiction Comes to Life Developed in the 1960s by John Cover, the Taser gun is the embodiment of science fiction becoming science fact. It differed from other stun guns and electroshock weapons in that it could be fired and deployed at a distance. The weapon was directly influenced by the popular Tom Swift science fiction stories, namely Tom Swift and His Electric Rifle. The word Taser is, in fact, an acronym for Thomas A. Swifts Electric Rifle. Unlike the fictional model, the actual Taser doesnt fire bolts of electricity or shoot through walls without leaving holes. It does, however, provide police and private citizens with a means of self-defense that can mitigate or eliminate the chances of serious injury or death, b oth to themselves and their assailants. Not Quite Ready For Prime Time The first model, invented directly by Cover, used gun powder to launch electrified darts. Because of this, it was classified as a firearm and did not see widespread use. Police agencies and private citizens looking for non-lethal or less-lethal alternatives to guns were understandably not interested in what they perceived to be just another gun and potential liability. TASERS Change the Game In the early 1990s, brothers Tom and Rick Smith approached Cover, looking to develop a means to reduce deaths resulting from violent confrontation. The group created the Air Taser, a weapon that fired darts using air rather than gun powder and thus shed its firearm classification. The new deployment method allowed it to stand on its own as a non-lethal intermediate weapon. A newer, more effective and versatile device was soon developed, and the law enforcement community began to see potential benefits to the device. B y 1999, agencies across the country began to purchase the weapons for their officers. As it began to see widespread use among police agencies, the Taser was quickly heralded as a revolutionary new way to protect both officers and suspects. Many hoped that line-of-duty officer deaths and injuries from violent encounters would significantly decrease and police shootings would be reduced. Tasers, Controversy, and Confusion It was not long after, however, that controversy quickly arose as law enforcement officers, the news media and the public at large all seemed to be confused at the role, purpose, and function of this futuristic stun gun. Reports of excessive force, over-zealous cops and even deaths by Taser soon began to make their way into the public forum. Stories of children, vulnerable adults and the elderly being shocked by stun guns that shot 50,000 volts through their bodies began to give Taser a schwimmbad name. Policies, Standards, and Statistics Save the Day Police departments across the country quickly responded by creating more restrictive policies that governed the use of electronic control devices. State legislatures passed laws requiring training and certification in their use, and Taser International continued to encourage the collection of data on the use of the Taser. These measures ultimately lead to wider acceptance of the device among law enforcement agencies and have cemented the ECDs place as an indispensable law enforcement tool. How the Taser Works The Taser serves two distinct functions during a use of force encounter. Its primary and preferred use is as an incapacitation device that allows officers to maintain a safe distance while rendering a threat incapable of fighting back. Though the technology is advanced, the concept is simple. When fired, the Taser projects two metal darts, called probes, by electrically charging a cartridge of compressed gas. The probes remain connected to the device through thin copper wires that carry an electric charge to the target. The probes often enter the targets skin, though they can be just as effective if they become lodged in clothing as long as they remain close to the body. Contact is far less important than probe spread. The wider the spread, the more effective the incapacitation. Electro-Muscular Incapacitation As the probes travel toward a subject, they spread. When the probes reach their target, they send electric pulses between each other, which disrupt neuron communications between the subjects muscles and the brain. When this happens, most subjects muscles become incredibly tense. The net effect is that the target subjects become incapable of engaging muscle groups for the duration of the charge cycle. This effect is known as neuromuscular incapacitation. As soon as the cycle is ended, however, the effect goes away. ECD Charging Cycles A single cycle is typically timed to brde 5 seconds, though an officer can stop it sooner by turning off the dev ice.Once the probes are in place in the target, the officer can deliver multiple cycles as he deems necessary and appropriate. Major Pain Compliance The second use of the Taser is to gain what is known as pain compliance. If incapacitation is a simple concept, the use of pain compliance is even simpler. In the event an officer finds herself in close quarters with a non-compliant subject, the Taser can be used without a cartridge to deliver a localized electric shock in order to deliver pain. The intended purpose of the pain is to entice the resistant subject to comply with the officers attempts to control him. Taser-Related Deaths According to the human rights organization Amnesty International, more than 1,000 people have died in the United States after having been exposed to a Taser or other ECD since 2001. Amnesty International has recognized that ECDs may not be directly responsible for these deaths, but theyve expressed concerns that ECDs may encourage more aggressive u ses of force by officers. Few, if any, of the so-called Taser-related deaths have been directly attributed to the effects of the devices themselves, and instead are the result of specific officer and subject factors. Most commonly, deaths have occurred from a condition known as excited delirium, a state most often seen in subjects who are high on certain stimulants and who have been fighting with officers. Other deaths and injuries occurred as a result of where and how the weapons were deployed in relation to the subject, such as on a ledge or on top of a staircase. In such cases, the subjects received injuries from falls as opposed to the effect of the electricity from the weapon. To reduce these instances, ECD manufacturers recommend, and agencies have adopted, policies governing their use. Saving Lives and Preventing Injury Taser International and other ECD manufacturers insist that correlation does not necessarily equal causation. To counter accusations of ECD-related deaths , excessive force and other issues surrounding the use of ECDs, Taser claims that the use of electronic control devices has saved 75,000 lives, reduced injuries to suspects by 60 percent and prevents thousands of injuries and deaths to law enforcement officers each year. Electronic Control Devices Effective Tools of the Trade Regardless of where you may come down on the debate as to whether electronic control devices are an appropriate useof force, it is hard to deny that they are an effective tool for todays law enforcement officers. Tasers and other similar devices, along with other less lethal and non-lethal weapons, continue to change how officers approach and deal with aggressive and violent subjects. These ingenious devices are but one example of how technology is used in law enforcement, as well as how technology has continued to change the landscape of other careers in criminal justice and criminology.

This Entrepreneur Has a Lesson About Career Growth for All of Us

This Entrepreneur Has a Lesson About Career Growth for All of UsThis Entrepreneur Has a Lesson About Career Growth for All of UsHard work. Determination. A willingness to take feedback. A desire to keep learning and improving. These are career-boosting traits we talk about all the time at The Muse. And sometimes, were lucky enough to see them in action. Last month, I visited Soweto, a township in Johannesburg, South Africa, and met women who had started businesses in their community. Its one of the poorest parts of the country, with unemployment rates of more than 30%. One of those women was Gape, the 28-year-old owner of a fast food stand. She wakes up at 2 AM, seven days a week, to bake 150 loaves of bread and prepare the days food for her regular customers, mainly men who work at a nearby steel plant during the week. Their wives are at home, and I like feeding them so they dont go out and find new wives, she tells me with a smile.Her recipe for success is continuing to learn and g row. In the spare time she does have, shes taken business classes through Coca-Colas 5by20 program to improve her skills in inventory management, accounting, and marketing. Theyve helped her business so much that shes hired three employees and is contemplating a second location. She also makes a point to listen to her customers. Shes not afraid of hearing their feedback- instead, she uses it to become a better cook and a smarter business owner. Its a lesson for anyone who wants to grow Be humble enough to seek advice from those around you. Even if youre the woman with the best bread in town, theres always more to learn. (It really was the best bread. But that recipe, she wouldnt give me.)

5 Ways to Prevent Interview Scheduling Snags

5 Ways to Prevent Interview Scheduling Snags5 Ways to Prevent Interview Scheduling SnagsTheres no nice way to put this youre not superhuman. Dont get us wrong. Youre probably an awesome recruiter or in house HR professional with a ton of experience and skills under your belt. Youve got the knowledge it takes to hunt down the best talent and weed out improbably candidates to save everyone time and to help make the hiring process smooth and efficient. But in todays hectic and time crunched day and age, recruiting professionals are often up against the clock and a myriad of ever filling schedules when it comes to finding the right time to bring in candidates for an vorstellungsgesprch. All is not hopeless however. If youve been feeling the crunch lately, weve put together this useful list of 5 ways to prevent interview scheduling snags. Hiring manager traveling? Ask for a backup. Travel today is easier than ever before. Via plane, train or automobile, professionals are often on the go g iven the ease of working remotely and the need for more connected workplaces. Whether for personal or business, travel schedules can be a major roadblock to a smooth interview scheduling process. If youre aware the hiring manager for the position will be away or unavailable, ask them to designate a backup to take their place. This is especially viable in early round interviews as the candidate can always meet with the hiring manager later in the process if the designee feels its a good fit. In-person interview not possible? Offer alternative interview methods.In-person interviews are always helpful for getting the best insight into a candidates experience and abilities. If an in person interview isnt possible because of zeiteinteilung or geographical concerns, however, technology is here to help out. Web based meeting host applications and even video conferencing features are readily available. Set up a video interview via the internet and keep the hiring process rolling, despite th e parties not being in the same room. Interviewer back out at the last minute? Pull from your all-star list. Despite your best laid plans there are always going to be last minute snagged in even the smoothest of interview schedules. If youre the internal HR contact and an interviewer is forced to pull out at the last minute help yourself by having a list of quality backup options. IDentify three to four well-rounded individuals within the company that may be willing to step into the interviewers time slot. The company will still benefit from invaluable experience while eliminating gaps and maximizing everyones use of time. Going on vacation? Collaborate with hiring managers to keep top candidates engaged. We appreciate that youre dedicated to your recruiting job but even the best and brightest cant keep working 24/7. If youre in the middle of guiding the recruiting process for a new position but have personal plans, keep in touch with the hiring manager and delegate some of the duti es directly to them. Alternatively, items such as questionnaires can be great gap fillers to keep candidates engaged in the interview process while learning more about their skillset. Whatever you day, keep the lines of communication open to avoid losing out on quality interviewees. Amazing candidate not available soon? Be patient. Sure, we all have grand plans for immediately and efficiently staffing each open position with the best talent possible. Sometimes, however, that talent may be otherwise engaged or their schedule may be less than flexible. Remember that as a recruiter your focus should be on quality over quantity. Have patience with top shelf candidates and consider alternative interviewing methods discussed above in order to get them in the door and in front of the decision makers for the position.If youre a recruiter and have additional tips and tricks for dealing with interview scheduling snags wed love to hear your expert advice in the comments.Read Related ArticlesS elf-Audit For A Candidate-Friendly Job Application ProcessHow to Avoid the Pitfalls of a Cumbersome Hiring ProcessBalancing Act Ethical Interviewing That Works