7 Successful People Who Have Failed - The Muse

7 Successful People Who Have Failed - The Muse7 Successful People Who Have FailedIts easy to feel like your failures are bigger and more permanent than everyone elses failures. I would know. As a high school senior, I welches rejected by 10 of the 13 colleges Id applied to- and as I looked around at all my friends, who were heading off to schools like Cornell and Columbia and Yale, I couldnt help but feel like the least impressive, least intelligent, least promising person ever.There welches a lot of crying and wallowing. But after a couple months, I forced myself to move on so I could focus on enjoying my college experience and getting started on establishing my career.Two years later, more than 800 of my articles have been published in places like Forbes, Business Insider, Inc., USA TODAY College, and The Daily Muse, and Ive already gotten a couple job offers for when I graduate next June.My point is that failure isnt permanent. Even if youre at a low point right now, that doesnt s ay anything about your talent or potential. To prove it, Ive rounded up seven stories of super successful people who experienced and overcame failure. 1. Steven SpielbergJaws, Jurassic Park, E.T., Saving Private Ryan- I think its safe to say Spielberg has had lots of hits. Nonetheless, he was rejected from the University of Southern Californias School of Cinema Arts- twice.While he couldve held a grudge, Spielberg instead lent his support to the school, donating money and buildings. He was awarded an honorary degree in 1994 and appointed a trustee in 96.2. Anna WintourWintour is 28 on Forbes Most 100 Powerful Women, but her early career wasnt so promising. After only nine months as a fashion editor for Harpers Bazaar, Winter was fired for not understanding the American market. She moved to Viva, which folded a couple years later. Finally, after a few more stints at various publications, Wintour became editor-in-chief of Vogue.I think everyone should get fired once, she said. Which m eans that if youve ever been let go, dont worry that it will negatively impact your career- instead, think of how it just might help.3. Evan SpiegelSnapchats co-founder is the worlds youngest billionaire. Yet, just five years ago, as an undergraduate at Stanford, Spiegels life hardly seemed momentous. His girlfriend had broken up with him, his fraternity chapter had been kicked off campus, and the only user of his first company was his mom.I really had nothing going on, he later said. Just goes to show that persistence can go a long way- even when it feels like nothing is going right.4. Arianna HuffingtonHuffingtons second book was rejected by 36 publishers. And when she ran for California governor in 2003, she received just 0.55% of the vote. Its pretty clear now that Huffington learned from her failures. In a 2010 interview with SUCCESS magazine, she said raising campaign funds showed her the power of the Internet.The incredible success of The Huffington Post is proof of that. Oh, and shes now published 13 books. 5. Craig NewmarkNewmark, who founded Craigslist, had a potentially career-ruining moment while working at IBM in Detroit. He lost his temper in front of customers and created an instant perception of not playing well with others.After moving to Charles Schwab and eventually taking on direct reports, those direct reports said he wasnt a good manager. He decided to move down to customer service representative.By that point, Id internalized the big lesson that the only way I learned and moved ahead was the right kind of trauma, he said.His ability to recognize his weaknesses and learn from his mistakes is pretty admirable (and explains his later success). 6. Conan OBrienOnly a couple months after OBrien became host of The Tonight Show, NBC announced it was giving the position back to Jay Leno. OBrien cried when he told his staff the news and said he had no idea what he was doing next.After a lot of time hanging out at his house, he decided to go on a n ationwide comedy tour. I went through some stuff. And I got very depressed at times. It was like a marriage breaking up suddenly, violently, quickly. And I was just trying to figure out what happened. When we started putting this tour together, I started to feel better almost immediately. And then there is almost no better antidote to what Ive just been through than to do this every night, he told CBS.The tour was super popular, and less than one year later, OBrien became the host of Conan on TBS.7. Brian Chesky and Joe GebbiaAirbnb is currently valued at $25.5 billion. But its co-founders probably never wouldve predicted their future success back in 2008. Despite launching multiple times (including at SXSW and the Democratic National Convention), the Airbnb site wasnt getting any traction. Chesky and Gebbia were surviving on cereal- and racking up tens of thousands of dollars in credit card debt.Yet refusing to give up paid off roughly a year later, they were accepted into the pres tigious startup incubator Y Combinator, which helped get them to where they are today.Whats your failure story? How did you recover? Tell me on TwitterPhoto of Anna Wintour courtesy of Debby Wong/Shutterstock.

Tips for Effective Summer Recruiting

Tips for Effective Summer RecruitingTips for Effective Summer RecruitingRecruiting activities at some companies slow down during the summer. Simply Hired data from 2013 shows that the number of jobs posted during the late spring and summer months dipped under six million starting in April. The number of jobs started increasing in July (and more significantly in August)- conceivably as employers prepared for fall hiring.For some companies, stacking requisitions during the fall isnt a possibility, either because they need to continue securing candidates for their pipeline or because they dont have the resources to handle such a concentrated candidate volume at a single point in time.What many companies dont realize is that there is strategic value to recruiting during the summer. For example, employees often have more relaxed work schedules during this period. They also might be open to discussing new opportunities. Vacation offers workers time for reflection. Also, data shows that int erest in job fairs (and therefore in a new job) peaks in October reaching candidates in the summer enables you to communicate with them before they are overcome with career noise. Though the summer period presents additional recruiting challenges, it can be a valuable (and less-competitive) time to catch great candidates.Tips for maximizing summer recruiting activitiesEstablish a chain of command with hiring managersWhen hiring managers go on vacation, I always ask who can act as their backup so that the interview process moves along.Timing is important, and you dont want to lose a candidate just because an interviewer/hiring manager is out of the office. Its a good practice to keep a list of solid back-up interviewers who can step in doing so prevents a recruiter from scrambling to find replacements who may not serve as effective interviewers. You dont want to subject candidates to pointless interviews that dont yield the necessary insights.Put a hiring manager in charge during a r ecruiters absenceIf I plan to be out of office, I ask the hiring manager to keep candidates warm in my place. Keeping a candidate warm means being responsive to the candidates questions or, in the case of top candidates, keeping them engaged so that they dont think theyve slipped into the recruiting black hole. In the case of less experienced hiring managers, I give them pointers such as online resources for candidates to reference, responses to the most common candidate questions or a list of other members of the team who can answer questions in my absence.Empathy is importantRecognize that candidates take vacation during summer. A top candidate might have a planned trip that could interfere with the interview process. While your goal is to get the right candidate in front of stakeholders as quickly as possible, you should also keep in mind that if the candidate is good enough, its worth the wait. Check with candidates about plans in a respectful manner so that you can work around periods when theyre not available. And work with hiring managers and candidates in light of these revised timelines.Use video conferencing to bridge differences in space and timeA wealth of video conferencing technology is now available, including Skype and Google Hangouts. If a candidate or hiring manager is out of office but there is a desire to maintain recruiting momentum, they can still meet via video conference. Set expectations with both parties so that the interview is useful and as close to an in-person meeting as possible. For example, the participant should expect that the interviewer will be in a quiet space such as a gasthof room or in a reserved conference room if the hotel has a business center. Performing a video interview in an unprofessional setting will not set a respectful tone or offer a fair interview experience.Read Related ArticlesThree simple ways to attract the right candidateand deter all others

Choosing a Career Path

Choosing a Career Path Choosing a Career Path For others choosing a career path is a much more difficult and time consuming process that can feel overwhelming or even downright frightening. There could be a number of people offering what might seem like good advice about which career is best for you, but when you are finding the right career path, youve got to consider personal attributes and values even more than the advice of friends and relatives.To choose the right career for you, take a long look at your individual skill set and how each of those skills might better prepare you for a specific type of career. Truly following your natural abilities and ensuring that you focus on careers that involve elements that you enjoy and that you are good at makes finding the right career path a much easier process.Students who excel in mathematics and thoroughly enjoy working with numbers may find a career in accounting or engineering to be both exciting and rewarding. Those who are more adept in one on one communication or that enjoy focusing on and solving problems may be more suited to a career in human resources or marketing.Once youve clearly defined what you feel are your strongest attributes, consider consulting with a career advisor to discuss different career paths. Career advisors or counselors have the ability to help you examine your personal skill set even further in order to provide more or better options for you when it comes to selecting the most suitable career.A career advisor can also set up an aptitude test or career path testthat could help to match your individual personality with a particular career path. For people who are truly unsure about the next step to take in their hunt for a satisfying career, a career path test may be the perfect option. The right test could possibly even direct you toward a career that you may not have even considered on your own, but that your skill set and personality would make you a very strong fit for. Choosing a career path can be a daunting task, but focusing on finding the right career for your strengths can ensure that youll have the best chance of success on all fronts.Choosing a Career Path That said, the first thing to do when choosing a career path is figure out what things in life are important to you. Meaning, ask yourself some questions that will help lead you to the right career path. Some questions to ask might be what hobbies do I enjoy doing? or what goals do I have for the future? Dont forget to include thoughts of financial goals like retirement goals or goals toward purchasing a home.Knowing such things like what you enjoy doing will help you pick a job that you love doing, (or at the very least one that you can stand) because, lets face it, no one likes showing up day after day to a job that they hate. In addition, knowing what you like to do with your time helps identify which skills that you possess and knowing this is important because most jobs require applicants t o retain certain skills specific to that job.As for knowing future goals, they are important to think about when embarking on a new career path because future goals often depend upon finances and just as certain goals require more money, certain jobs pay more money. Obviously, the amount of salary that your chosen career provides directly effects the kind of lifestyle you can live.However, it is important not to get blinded by the potential amount of money any given career path might provide because choosing a career path is more than the money you can make. After all, if you do not enjoy what you are doing, at least on some level, you will not give it your all and giving it your best is the kind of attitude that will lead to promotions that subsequently lead to more money through promotions. Therefore, when choosing your career, first consider the things you like to do then consider how much money a particular career path might provide.

The 2 types of knowledge (and the application of it)

The 2 types of knowledge (and the application of it)The 2 types of knowledge (and the application of it)Although the paper that introduced the theory of evolution to the world was published in 1858, Charles Darwin first conceived of the idea in 1838.He had spent five years on the HMS Beagle as a geologist when he noticed something peculiar in his records the geological distribution of fossils and wildlife showed a pattern of change between different species.At the time, the controversial predecessor to Darwins theory was transmutation, which rightly suggested that one species changes into another, but which wrongly assumed that this occurs due to some spontaneous life-force, or laws that kick into play at different predetermined times by God, or some other mysterious but unidentified process.Critics saw it as a feeble attempt at the materialization of life, an idea that had taken hold of the world ever since the Enlightenment, without any compelling evidence to support its radical cl aim.That initial paper published by Darwin (along with Alfred Russel Wallace, who had come to similar conclusions), however, was strong where transmutation was weak it gave a specific process for this change.In any population of a species, we have variation in phenotype (observable characteristics), arising from mutations that occurs in the genome and from the epigenetic changes that occur during life, and the result is that different individuals in a group of organisms show differences in their ability to adapt to their environment - some do well and survive others dont.This simple process of variation and selection explains how a common ancestor produces the diversity of life we observe in the biosphere.In this way, life is - as Jonas Salk, the famed medical researcher put it - an error-making and error-correcting process. It gives us many attempts at overcoming the challenges of any environment by introducing variation, and it then selects the correct answer by eliminating wha t doesnt work.Useful knowledge survives and gets passed down to newer generations, who can then use this knowledge to enhance their effectiveness. But this, however, isnt the only kind of knowledge available to us.Experimentation and refinementThe actual process of learning (or getting smarter) extends beyond our predetermined genome, but evolution has set a precedent in form.Even the learning we do in the world follows a variation and selection (via elimination) pattern. We try lots of different things, we see what works, and then based on the results, we eliminate the competing options, selecting for the skills that will be most useful in the future, too.Cognitive neuroscience has a theory of mind (called predictive processing) that suggests that the human brain is a prediction engine, which consistently creates our perception of the world based on our past interactions within similar environments.In the beginning, when you are young, there isnt much information to go off of, so y ou get mostly unconstrained inputs from the external world into your brain, but as you get older, you abflug to filter through this variety for usefulness, making better distinctions.You create mental concepts in your mind about what is important and what is not, and then these concepts shape your future perceptions by using the already-selected knowledge to further select knowledge.This entire process is mostly intuitive, and what keeps it updating is pain/pleasure, which tells your body that a certain perception and your corresponding reaction should either be reinforced or not. But some forms of experience on the pain/pleasure axis like surprise and awe can be used to intentionally tell your mind that something unexpected was experienced, too, encouraging you to consciously readjust the conceptual model.Whether you are learning to play a sport or simply trying to create a mora accurate mental model of reality in your mind, you are working with a variety of experiences, and within those experiences, you have to choose and reinforce the ones that are the most useful to you.In this way, everything that you do is essentially an experiment that gets refined and corrected with experience and practice.The difference between you and, say, a professional tennis player is almost certainly that they have a genome that makes them more suitable to play their sport, but more importantly, they have intuitive knowledge embedded in their brain from all of the predictive processing they have done, in a very specific environment, to refine their sense for what works and what doesnt.The same can be said for great artists and scientists, entrepreneurs and investors, and other everyday folks who do what they do well.Our brain is a prediction engine that builds knowledge and gets smarter as it better aligns what it needs to do with the demands of the environment.Conjectures and their refutationPredictive processing alone likely isnt what makes humans unique. If it really is the p rocess by which we make sense of the world, the chances are that some form of it appears in other animals in nature, too.What takes humans one step beyond this simple empirical knowledge-building is that we can think in abstract concepts, with a complex language, and then share this knowledge between us within culture.The best formal system that we have ever devised for this is the scientific method, which operates based on a combination of asking questions, formulating hypotheses, and then testing those hypotheses based on the data collected from our experiments and observations.In the same way that we have variation and selection in evolution (and in our empirical mental modeling), the philosopher of science Karl Popper suggested that we have it in scientific inquiry, too, where we start by formulating a conjecture based on incomplete information (a theory), and we improve on our conjectures by refuting them.Science, in this way, can never be completely certain of anything but it can only get more and more correct as we refute bad conjectures and replace them with better ones and so on. And in order for something to be considered a scientific theory, it has to be capable of being proven wrong.We dont need to just rely on our mind updating itself by putting it in different environments to gain knowledge we can also make use of the abstract knowledge we collectively build in culture.Whereas personal experimentation and refinement can improve a brain by directly building its intuitive understanding, abstract theories (based on evidence) can do the same thing without us needing to go through the same process that someone else did to collect that knowledge.There is, of course, some important practical knowledge that is lost in the translation from the abstract to the concrete, just like empirical knowledge (from predictive processing) lacks the rigor that comes with having a scientific community constantly challenging you, but both are capable of adapting our min ds in a way that is more useful to us.By updating our mental model, good conjectures, based on strong collective evidence, can make our predictions of reality more accurate.The takeawayKnowledge, whether implicit or explicit, underlies everything that we do.By virtue of evolution, much of this knowledge is encoded in our genome, which programs us before we are born. It has been selected based on generations and generations of efforts to survive, implanting us with a general template of a phenotype that is best suited for our environment.In the 21st century, however, as our environment continues to change at an exponential rate, the knowledge encoded in our genome is becoming less and less sufficient for our attempts at making sense of the world.Fortunately, evolution has also programmed us with the ability to learn. With a mind that experiments, predicts, and corrects, we can build empirical knowledge to adapt us to other relevant environments.We can use our pain/pleasure axis and t he affect that we experience as surprise/awe to self-correct into building an intuitive understanding of the world that allows us to master our surroundings and their demands.To further augment this intuitive understanding, we can also stand on the shoulders of the giants that have come before us in culture by using their theories and evidence to further sharpen our mental model of reality.There are many ways to define intelligence, and different definitions cater to different expectations, but ultimately, its about how effectively an agent can make sense of and navigate its environment.Knowledge and its application is the process that we build everything else on, and it starts with what we do to feed it.Want to think and live smarter? Zat Rana publishes a free weekly newsletter for 30,000+ readers atentwurf Luck.Thisarticlewas originally published onDesign Luck.

6 Ways to Make the Skills Section Shine on a Resume

6 Ways to Make the Skills Section Shine on a Resume6 Ways to Make the Skills Section Shine on a Resume For many resume writers, the skills section presents a unique quagmire. On the one hand, you want to showcase as many skills as you can to show your competence. On the other hand, you dont want to make it look like youre padding your resume, and you definitely dont want to list skills that youre only half-competent at. Resume writer Anish Majumdar recommends building your skills section by writing out the skills you need at your current job, and then reviewing your list and circling skills that correlate with your target position. Finally, underline those circled skills which can be proven on your resume. unterstellung are the ones you need to focus on, writes Majumdar. Once youve done that, here are a few more tips on how to make the skills section on your resume truly shine Dont be shy about layering on your skills both hard and soft skills . Just because you re a software engineer doesnt mean you dont need to showcase your communication, cross-sector collaboration, and time management abilities. In fact, listing those skills alongside your competency with Java and Python will make you stand out from the crowd. Layering your resume with skills can serve to give recruiters a well-rounded, multi-faceted image of you.That being said, you need to make sure youre not putting skills on your resume merely to bulk it up. Certain skills, like knowing how to use Microsoft Word or email, are too basic to distinguish you from other candidates. These competencies are obvious to recruiters, and should not be placed on your resume. If the answer to the question can every other applicant to the job write that they have this skill? is yes, you might want to reconsider taking up precious resume real estate with the skill. No, this doesnt mean by padding your resume with skills you dont have If there are certain skills that you find would be helpful to have for the jobs youre applying to, but you dont currently have, it might be time to take a class or do a training on ansicht skills. It also might be a question of brushing up certain skills, so that you can show them off, like upgrading your intermediate proficiency in Spanish to professional working proficiency. Investing time and money in these skills now can have big payoffs in the future.The skills section of your resume is not the place to sugarcoat. What you see as a rose-colored picture of a certain skill might simply be seen as a fib by a recruiter. Lets take the Spanish example again. Suppose you say you have professional working proficiency, when you really just spent a semester abroad in Spain when you were in college 10 years ago, and havent practiced the language since. A portion of your job interview is conducted in Spanish yikes Or even worse, you get the job, and your first assignment is to interface with an Argentinian client completely in Spanish. Chances are you wont be at the job for much longer. Even little resume fibs can cause big trouble. Especially if youre transitioning careers, showing off your transferable skills is critical to fleshing out the skills section of your resume. Transferable skills include things like leadership, analytics, communication through writing, public speaking, mathematical reasoning, or organizing meetings. These type of skills can give you the boost you need in showcasing your experience.Soft skills like coordination with sub-contractors can sound intangible and airy which is why you shouldnt be afraid to back yourself up with a few examples and numbers. Coordinated weekly with 12 subcontractors to drive a project slated to take 6 months to a 3-month completion time packs more of a punch, and lets whoevers reading your resume visualize better your abilities.

Ruthless Social Worker Resume Strategies Exploited

Ruthless Social Worker Resume Strategies Exploited You dont require experience to get achievements. Mentioning volunteerism-related skills that are connected to the expert world is just one of the greatest methods to position yourself for a new career field. Continuing education is the very best approach to stay current on the best practices in your favorite career. Mention your abilities and experiences. The 5-Minute Rule for Social Worker Resume So, social workers help them move on with their regular lives in the greatest possible way, otherwise they will likely go in the state of depression or get started taking drugs or distitelbild other outlets to deal with their problems. Child welfare caseworkers are usually social workers working with kids and families to market and watch over the welfare of children. They need to have excellent communication skills in order to effectively advocate for their clients. Take a look at the table below to find out more about child welfa re caseworker careers. The Unexposed Secret of Social Worker Resume If, however, you desire a cover letter professionally written only for you, then try our cover letter builder. If so, then youre on the correct page. 1 A resume summary is a brief, snappy introduction paragraph that offers a summary of your very best work. At length, avoid resume padding as a way to impress. Case Managers are extremely busy men and women. They must be able to effectively plan, assist, evaluate, and coordinate care to carry out a clients needs. For example, they have to be able to work autonomously and make quick decisions. Case and attention managers should be multitalented to be successful in their challenging roles. The staff ought to know in addition to have a responsibility once it has to do with fire answer. Some folks prefer seeing their firms name in the target statement too. Youre going to compose a resume summary which gets far more interviews. You ought to have the ability t o appraise and analyze all of the case studies and report to produce recommendations about how to mitigate the circumstances that resulted in the patients condition. Keep in mind that youre responding to a work post so that your objective, skills, education and work experience should match the needs of the employer. Be Detailed In Your work Description Its quite important to give us much details on your range of work. Because some of your skills might notlage be relevant to the position youre applying for, its helpful to keep the information pertinent to the work opening. If youre aiming for advancement or a specialized region of Social Work make koranvers to find the acceptable Certifications before applying. Heres What I Know About Social Worker Resume Nurse case managers monitor the development of a patient to create necessary adjustments on a treatment program and case management strategy. Finding easier approaches to receive your job carried out whether this usually mea ns utilizing new systems or software or only creating an improved procedure is certainly an outstanding means to lower the workload along with promote your own self-esteemboth excellent practices to lessen anxiety. Revised procedures to guarantee a more efficient and powerful operational plan. Recommended and at times made decisions concerning the ideal path of action for a specific service user. Choosing Social Worker Resume Is Simple Lets look at the skills thought to be essential to the success of the hospital case manager. If youre considering work with either title, read the description carefully and ask questions regarding the possible responsibilities. You can be human It isnt a lot of location for neckties and working in the manner of a robot. Social Worker Resume - the Story A case manager serves to supply options and services which are readily available to fulfill the distinctive needs of individuals and families. You need to think critically and clearly about t heir situations to come across solutions. In spite of no experience, you still ought to show experience. Case management workers also have to be in a position to communicate and work with patients and their physicians to attain an optimal wellness care plan to help in their well-being, along with conducting a review of the medical record to facilitate proper therapy and solutions. If this Social Worker resume example was not sufficient for you, youre absolutely free to review various other samples and templates from our website. Employers become tired of seeing the exact template again and again in social work resumes. With the aforementioned samples of objectives for the social worker position readily available to utilize in crafting yours, you will certainly have the ability to think of an extremely effective one for your resume. Scan the work description. The Dirty Facts on Social Worker Resume There is an assortment of levels of certification. In some instances, ACM cer tification can enhance an RN case managers professional standing because it reflects her or his competence. It is most beneficial to the employee to understand a health professional will be present to help them throughout the employees comp process. Some jobs require a certain sum of travel on a normal basis. Lies Youve Been Told About Social Worker Resume In addition, the organizations resume scanning software may be programmed for a specific keyword, which means you are going to want to include synonyms of the keywords. You will discover a number of the very same keywords listed which you ought to use on your resume. For instance, if you concentrate on a couple of your skills within the body of your letter, be sure that your abilities and the keywords match the keywords and description from the work listing. Also, review the businesss website for possible keyword phrases. Social Worker Resume - the Conspiracy The more information you are able to provide, the easier it becom es for the company to find out whether youre right-fit or not. Use keywords that the business uses to describe itself to demonstrate that youre a very good fit for the business. Most programs need you to finish a fixed number of work hours before youre able to choose the training course. To compose a resume for the little business owner it is possible to decide the format you wish to use.

Great Bosses and Great Advice

Great Bosses and Great Advice Josh Bersin, principal and founder of Bersin by Deloitte and LinkedIn Influencer, recently wrote a post entitled, 9 Reasons I Loved My First Boss Advice for Young Professionals. He talked about how important it is for people to have a great boss early in their careers. Bersins great boss welches his manager at IBM, Bob. Bersin writes, Ive had a bunch of bosses but my very first one welches by far the best. He welches an old-fashioned IBM manager (I only remember him taking his jacket off once in ten years). He played golf, shmoozed with clients, and was generally a formal but very nice guy.This article inspired me to think about all the bosses Ive had over the years and what helpful career advice Ive received from each one. So below are a few takeaways Ive received from some great bosses in the pasthopefully their words of wisdom will help you in your job search and c areer pursuits as much as they continue to help me.Carrie Experience is the best teacherbeiCarrie was my editor at the states largest newspaper. She was great at helping me craft my news stories and focus on timely information when reporting. But the greatest thing Carrie taught me is that experience truly is the best teacher.When I first began working with her, I was impressed by her knowledge of the industry and her skills as an editor. Like any good editor, she took my rough drafts and turned them into newsworthy pieces. And I was even more impressed (and surprised) when Carrie told me one day that shed never gone to journalism school she didnt even have a degree in the fieldHere was this sharp, talented woman who had worked her way up to being an editor for the states largest newspaper (and one of 2013s top 25 newspapers in terms of circulation), and she hadnt gone the traditional route as far as education. Carries college background wasnt in journalism, but she had ample experi ence in the field. This taught me that the degree isnt what always matters, but your hands-on experience in a field or industry. When pursuing my goals, I can rack up degree after degree, but without any real-world experience to show Ive mastered the skills that go hand-in-hand with the field, they will only get me so far.Justin Doing what you love helps you love what you doNow Justin was my manager when I interned for Make-A-Wish America. He was the most creative, relaxed and free-spirited boss Ive ever had. Justin was a creative at heart with a passion for helping others. Every day youd see him smilingno matter if the day was hectic or if something went wrong.Plus, Justin lived life to the fullest by taking every opportunity to travel. He had so many exciting stories to tell about the places hed been, and each one helped fuel his creative drive and energy.Justin was (and still is) extremely invested in making a difference that his job truly wasnt a job at all because he loved what he did. This taught me the importance of working in a field that allows me to express my creativity and that falls in line with my passions.Stephen People should be the main focus of any jobStephen was one of my absolute greatest bosses. He was the managing editor of a small town newspaper in North Carolina, and even in my short time working with him, he taught me so much.Stephen was all about business and ensuring the paper ran smoothly and efficiently, but at the root, he was all about people. As a new manager, he created a comfortable atmosphere for his employees, having humor-filled weekly meetings. Hed sit down with me at lunch and just talk about life, and every day before leaving hed stop in my schreibstube to talk with me just to make sure things were going smoothly. He was a manager that was truly invested in my success, not only in those moments, but in the future.People are at the heart of journalism, and Stephen taught me this in many ways. Every story I wrote he ensure d had an appealing angle for the community. He challenged me to go out into the town, report and meet new people. He also pushed me to interact with the other team members so I would understand the importance of working on and as a team.People were the focus of our stories and business, but Stephen taught me that people are really the focus of our lives. Every interaction and connection makes an impact on usand working with Stephen and the team of other reporters left a long-lasting impact on me and my career.Al Work hard, but enjoy lifeAl was another one of my absolute greatest bosses. He was a part of the C-suite at a Fortune 500 companybut youd never know it. He was a very cool, laid back kind of guy. Hailing from Chicago, Al was a mix of old-fashioned manageras he stayed late and came in earlywith a touch of new school charmas he blogged and worked his way into tweeting.One day, Al said to me, If you work for a company and dont enjoy it, leave. Give it a year, and if youre not e njoying the work, leave. Life is too short not to enjoy it and have fun with the work youre doing. These words of wisdom have stuck with me.You see, Al worked very, very hard. Yet, he still enjoyed life and the work he was doing. He came in the office before everyone else, but he hosted an annual golf outing. And he traveled for business often, but he put on an annual charity event to support his toy foundation. He had a knack for infusing his role for the company and his personal ventures, which allowed him to be about business while simultaneously being about pleasure. Al taught me that work can be funeven with the demands of a C-suite role.Have you had received great advice from great bosses over the years? Share their insights in the comments section below

Wind Turbines Get Bigger and Smarter

Wind Turbines Get Bigger and Smarter Wind Turbines Get Bigger and Smarter Early explorers were probably the first to exploit the power of the wind, sailing their ships across unknown seas to explore new lands. Centuries later windmills were used across Europe, the Middle East, and Asia to process grain and pump water. This same technology was used in America to pull water from wells to transform vast acres of arid ground into rich farmland. The basics of wind power havent changed much over the centuries. The force of the wind turns propeller-like blades around a rotor, which is connected to the main shaft. The shaft then spins a generator to generate electricity. A wind turbine seems easy enough to build, but its actually very complicated, says Paul Veers, chief engineer at the National Renewable Energy Laboratorys National Wind Technology Center. Engineers must integrate aerodynamics, structural dynamics, and material fatigue with gear boxes, electric generators, and other component s, and connect it all to the grid. Wind turbines are the largest rotating structures in the world. The entire processfrom design to installation to operation and maintenancedeals with very large components. Wind turbines are immense machines, says Douglas Adams, prof of mechanical engineering at Purdue University and director of the Purdue Center for Systems Integrity. Onshore, utility-scale wind turbines stand nearly 300 feet off the ground and have rotor durchmessers approaching 300 feet. It is fascinating that the operation of such immense machines depends critically on very small things, such as the lubricating layer between the 1-micron-thick gear teeth in the gear box. Enercon E-126 is the worlds tallest wind turbine. Image Armin Kbelbeck / Wikimedia Commons. Bigger Is Better Bigger rotors continue to be the most dominant trend in wind energy in recent years. This is especially true for the offshore market. We havent hit the barrier yet for how large these machines can be, say s Veers. The only restriction for size on land is the difficulty in transporting parts. Offshore, wind turbines continue to get larger because components can be brought in by barge. Rotors have increased in size from about 150 feet in diameter 20 years ago to about 400 feet in diameter today, with towers over 300 feet in height. A bigger turbine diameter means a larger area can be swept a taller tower allows turbines to catch faster-blowing winds at greater distances from the ground. When combined, these trends enable the turbine toextractmore power from the wind. Smart Wind Turbines Smart wind turbines are one of the most important developments in wind energy technology. With their embedded sensors and data processing algorithms, smart wind turbines can recognize when wind conditions have changed (wind direction, speed, etc.), so the turbine control system can quickly adapt to those changes. This adaptive capability is a game-changer because it allows the turbine to maximize the po wer it produces, while simultaneously ensuring the reliability of the turbine is maintained, says Adams. Research has shown that the performance of the downstream wind turbines is significantly degraded when operating in the wakes of the upstream turbines. Understanding the evolution of the wind turbine wakes within the wind plant, and its dependence on the atmospheric stability and turbulence, are keys to improving performance and reducing the cost of energy in the coming years, says Shreyas Ananthan, wind program aerodynamicist for the Department of Energy. Wind turbines on a wind farm actually interact with one another through these wake effects, which occur when wind passes through the rotor of a wind turbine and passes downstream. The wake consists of a volume of lower velocity air that creates fluctuations downstream which then encounter the next rotors, and so on. Detailed computer modeling shows how turbulence in the atmosphere and complex topography impact the energy-captur e ability of wind turbines, as well as impact structural loads on the turbine blades. Moving Forward Turbines keep getting bigger, especially for offshore deployment. Turbines with rated power as large as 10MW to 20MW and rotor diameters as great as 500 feet are now being developed. Research areas that are critical for the future success of the wind industry include aerodynamicdesign of blades, advanced approaches to control the turbulent flow around the blades, lighter and structurally moreresilientmaterials for blades, gear box technology and power transmission systems,and energy storagetechnologies. The integration of advanced computational approaches with laboratory and field-scale experimentationis helping researchers understand the very complex interaction between turbulence in the atmosphere and the machine. Such knowledge, which was not available to theengineerswho designed the current generation wind turbines, will revolutionize wind turbine design, says Fotis Sotiropoulos , a civil engineer and director of St. Anthony Falls Laboratory and the EOLOS Wind Consortium at the University of Minnesota in Minneapolis. Most importantly, this knowledge and advanced research tools will enable engineers to tackle in the near future the problem of wind plant scale optimization, something that has never been possible in the past. Mark Crawford is an independent writer. Register here for a free webinar on waste-to-energy technology. For Further Discussion It is fascinating that the operation of such immense machines depends critically on very small things- such as the lubricating layer between the 1-micron-thick gear teeth in the gear box.Prof. Douglas Adams, Purdue University

Here are 5 signs of a toxic workplace and what to do

Here are 5 signs of a toxic workplace and what to doHere are 5 signs of a toxic workplace and what to doFrom negative communication patterns to low morale, five indicators that your workplace is sapping your energy and mental health. Plus a new resource to help.The 2018 Oxford Dictionarys Word of the Year TOXIC. leid surprisingly, recent results from an anonymous survey found 52% of employees report they believe their work environment to be toxic.Is your workplace toxic? All workplaces have some challenges and negative characteristics, so it can be difficult to determine if your workplace has a normal amount of challenges, is seriously dysfunctional, or possibly really toxic. Here are five signs that will help you determine the degree to which your work environment may be dangerous to your mental health.Unhealthy communication patternsAn initial sign of a dysfunctional, toxic workplace is that there are significant problems in communication, and often across multiple areasbetween emp loyees and their supervisors, from management to supervisors, across departments, with suppliers, and even with customersLack of communication where employees actually find out about decisions made after they have been implementedIndirect communication sending messages through othersWithholding informationGiving misleading informationWhy is communication so key to a healthy organization? Because without effective communication, working together to accomplish the tasks of the organization is virtually impossible.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraPolicies and procedures are non-existent or poorly implementedHave you ever been a customer in a business where no one really seems to know what they are doing, or you get different answers to questions depending on who you ask, and eventually the employee just seems to say whatever and does what they want? Then youve experienced a company that has major problems with their policies and procedures being implemented.When a companys policies and procedures are bedrngnis followed, chaos, inconsistency, and poor quality follow. Customers, vendors, and employees wind up hating having to deal with the company and its staff because of the frustration experienced.The organization is led by one (or mora) toxic leadersWhether toxic leaders create toxic workplaces or toxic workplaces are a magnet for toxic leaders is not completely clearin either case, the two usually go together. The hallmark characteristic of a toxic leader is their narcissism. They are all about themselves. They view themselves as categorically brighter and more talented than anyone else around. As a result, they believe they are deserving of special treatmentthe rules that apply to everyone else really are beneath them.Toxic leaders consistently relate to others in a condescending manner, they take credit for others successes, and they manipulate others to ensure that they look good. Trust and teamwork deteriorate in their areas they have a high turnover rate in their department, and they will eventually destroy the health of the organization.Negative communication patternsA toxic work environment exudes negative communication across the organization and in multiple forms in fact, negativity becomes a defining characteristic of the organization.Grumbling and complaining by employees are ubiquitousstaff can find something to complain about almost anytime. Next, sarcasm and cynicism show up, demonstrating an increasing lack of trust of the management and leadership, and turns into a low-level seething disgruntlement. Finally, making excuses and blaming others becomes widespread and commonplace no one seems to be willing to accept responsibility for their decisions or actions.Eventually, team members either start to withdraw, stop interacting with others, or leave the organization.Your personal life is affected negatively on many frontsW hen a workplace is toxic, by definition, it is unhealthy and damaging to those who work there. Individuals who work in toxic work environments begin to see problems with their own personal health. This can include physical symptoms such as not being able to sleep, gaining weight, and having increased medical problems.Emotionally, they become more discouraged, which eventually can lead to depression. For some, they are more irritable, touchy, and demonstrate problems managing their anger. Others experience anxiety and a general sense of dread when they think about work.Finally, you know your work is affecting you negatively when your friends and family start to make comments on how youve changed, or you seem stressed and maybe you need to talk to someone. When your personal relationships are impacted, it is time to take a serious look at what is going on.The bad news is that many, many workplace cultures continue to be seriously unhealthy (toxic?) - with seemingly little understandi ng from top level leaders why this is the case and what to do to improve their culture. One reason, I believe, is the presuppositions they approach the question what is work? with. Work is not just getting tasks done, and it is clearly not just making money. These views lead to a commoditization of employees - that they are just resources to be used to attain goals.The good news is that many, many workplaces - including large multinational corporations, large government agencies, and all kinds of businesses and organizations - are finding and starting to use our resources. They are being challenged to think about the people on their teams - and understand that we all have value, and are learning how to affirm employees through authentic appreciation. Good news indeedThis article was originally published on Appreciation at Work.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study fi nds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong peopleHere are 5 signs of a toxic workplace and what to doFrom negative communication patterns to low morale, five indicators that your workplace is sapping your energy and mental health. Plus a new resource to help.The 2018 Oxford Dictionarys Word of the Year TOXIC. Not surprisingly, recent results from an anonymous survey found 52% of employees report they believe their work environment to be toxic.Is your workplace toxic? All workplaces have some challenges and negative characteristics, so it can be difficult to determine if your workplace has a normal amount of challenges, is seriously dysfunctional, or possibly really toxic. Here are five signs that will help you determine the degree to which your work environment may be dangerous to your mental health.Unhealthy communication patternsAn initial s ign of a dysfunctional, toxic workplace is that there are significant problems in communication, and often across multiple areasbetween employees and their supervisors, from management to supervisors, across departments, with suppliers, and even with customersLack of communication where employees actually find out about decisions made after they have been implementedIndirect communication sending messages through othersWithholding informationGiving misleading informationWhy is communication so key to a healthy organization? Because without effective communication, working together to accomplish the tasks of the organization is virtually impossible.Policies and procedures are non-existent or poorly implementedHave you ever been a customer in a business where no one really seems to know what they are doing, or you get different answers to questions depending on who you ask, and eventually the employee just seems to say whatever and does what they want? Then youve experienced a company that has major problems with their policies and procedures being implemented.When a companys policies and procedures are not followed, chaos, inconsistency, and poor quality follow. Customers, vendors, and employees wind up hating having to deal with the company and its staff because of the frustration experienced.The organization is led by one (or more) toxic leadersWhether toxic leaders create toxic workplaces or toxic workplaces are a magnet for toxic leaders is not completely clearin either case, the two usually go together. The hallmark characteristic of a toxic leader is their narcissism. They are all about themselves. They view themselves as categorically brighter and more talented than anyone else around. As a result, they believe they are deserving of special treatmentthe rules that apply to everyone else really are beneath them.Toxic leaders consistently relate to others in a condescending manner, they take credit for others successes, and they manipulate others to ensure that they look good. Trust and teamwork deteriorate in their areas they have a high turnover rate in their department, and they will eventually destroy the health of the organization.Negative communication patternsA toxic work environment exudes negative communication across the organization and in multiple forms in fact, negativity becomes a defining characteristic of the organization.Grumbling and complaining by employees are ubiquitousstaff can find something to complain about almost anytime. Next, sarcasm and cynicism show up, demonstrating an increasing lack of trust of the management and leadership, and turns into a low-level seething disgruntlement. Finally, making excuses and blaming others becomes widespread and commonplace no one seems to be willing to accept responsibility for their decisions or actions.Eventually, team members either start to withdraw, stop interacting with others, or leave the organization.Your personal life is affected negatively on many frontsWhen a workplace is toxic, by definition, it is unhealthy and damaging to those who work there. Individuals who work in toxic work environments begin to see problems with their own personal health. This can include physical symptoms such as not being able to sleep, gaining weight, and having increased medical problems.Emotionally, they become more discouraged, which eventually can lead to depression. For some, they are more irritable, touchy, and demonstrate problems managing their anger. Others experience anxiety and a general sense of dread when they think about work.Finally, you know your work is affecting you negatively when your friends and family start to make comments on how youve changed, or you seem stressed and maybe you need to talk to someone. When your personal relationships are impacted, it is time to take a serious look at what is going on.The bad news is that many, many workplace cultures continue to be seriously unhealthy (toxic?) - with seemingly little understanding fro m top level leaders why this is the case and what to do to improve their culture. One reason, I believe, is the presuppositions they approach the question what is work? with. Work is not just getting tasks done, and it is clearly not just making money. These views lead to a commoditization of employees - that they are just resources to be used to attain goals.The good news is that many, many workplaces - including large multinational corporations, large government agencies, and all kinds of businesses and organizations - are finding and starting to use our resources. They are being challenged to think about the people on their teams - and understand that we all have value, and are learning how to affirm employees through authentic appreciation. Good news indeedThis article was originally published on Appreciation at Work.

How to Overcome Your Inexperience at a New Job - The Muse

How to Overcome Your Inexperience at a New Job - The MuseHow to Overcome Your Inexperience at a New Job There are few things more exciting than landing the job of your dreams. There are also few things more heart-stopping than leaving at the end of your first day only to realize youre probably the least experienced person on your team. First things first, lets do a quick pep talk Youre there because youre qualified- dont feel any differently. Now that we got that out of the way, here are some things you can do to catch on quickly and make everyone forget that youre the newbie.1. Always Run Ahead of ScheduleWhen it comes to proving yourself in the workplace, you cant go wrong with always being early (unless you show up, say, two hours before a meeting). By giving yourself this extra time, youre bedrngnis only making a very physical statement- Im here, Im present, and Im ready to work- but youre also giving yourself time to play catch up if needed. So, get to the office 10 minutes earl ier than youre asked to in the morning and stay 10 minutes later in the evening to get a head start on the next day. Whenever possible, show up to meetings in advance and give yourself some time to grab a seat and look over any related notes before everyone else gets there. Along those preparation lines, turn in projects a day (or more) before theyre due- so that if changes are needed, you wont be behind schedule, and your boss wont look at you like youve very possibly ruined everything. 2. Ask the Right Questions at the Right TimeYour manager and your teammates know that you wont walk in on day one knowing everything. So, youre not only encouraged to ask questions, but in most offices, its expected that you will. (Fun fact Doing this is an easy way to sound smarter) Following up on anything youre unsure about shows that youre proactive and doing your best to get the hang of things as fast as possible. By inquiring throughout your training (and not after a week of trying to figure o ut how to access the shared drive), youll not only learn faster and waste less time, but youll show that youre actively listening. Pro tip Why? is a completely valid question (assuming you dont ask it like, But whyyyyyyy?). Unlike other ones that pertain to your specific duties, this one shows youre curious about the entire process, and not just your part of it. Right off the bat, it proves youre a big picture thinker whos interested in putting all the pieces together. 3. Ask the Right part (or Search Engine)When looking for certain answers, try doing the research yourself first (Google is your best friend)- that way, youll be able to approach your manager with as much information as possible. Now, obviously, you shouldnt be searching the internet high and low for in-office processes, but rather industry acronyms youre unfamiliar with that keep getting brought up or people or companies mentioned as major influencers. And if its time to ask a live human being for assistance, think ab out whom youre approaching Is your boss the right person to be asking about your healthcare policy, or would HR be a better choice? Does your co-worker really understand the project youre designing for another department, or should you contact someone on that team? In general, you always want to gauge your audience. If the person looks busy, keep your questions short- or choose another peer whos more available. And, if he or she seems excited to talk to you, take advantage of the opportunity to ask even more4. Make Yourself as Available as Possible (in the Beginning)Lets start this one with a haftungsausschluss You do not need to be answering emails at 2 AM. Burning out before your first months over is a bad idea. But rather, you should expect to work longer hours in your first few weeks as you get the swing of things. Not only will you pick up more information, but youll show from the start that youre reliable (even if youre not the most experienced). If a project sounds up your al ley (and you can do it without learning an entirely new skill), volunteer to take it on or help out. Overall, be willing to volunteer for a number of responsibilities, no matter how big or small. For example, be the one to step up and take on more of the busy work- your boss will notice your work ethic and flexibility, and youll be soon be considered for more significant assignments.5. Dont Remind People of Your Age or InexperienceAfter all your hard work, youd hate to ruin your reputation with a joke about how funny it is that you still dont know how to use Excel, or that youre not used to waking up before noon, or how back when you started in marketing, the Twitter founder wasnt even born yet. These comments rarely make people laugh, but rather remind them that you are in fact the new amateur in town.So, rather than kidding around about what you dont know, talk with others about what you recently learned about your job, your company, or even about the industry. Rather than highli ghting areas youre not strong in, this instead points out how eager you are to soak up knowledge. Even when youre speaking more casually, make sure theyre highlighting your competencies, rather than the areas in which youre still lacking.Just because youre inexperienced doesnt mean you cant make a good impression. Use these tips to prove right away that youre a key member of the team- and someone with a lot of qualifikation to do really big and impressive things.How do you overcome your inexperience in a new job? Let me know on Twitter