Investment Management Overview

Investment Management OverviewInvestment Management OverviewIntroductionDo you enjoy following the financial markets, whether reading the Financial Times, watching Bloomberg or checking stock prices on the internet? Do you want to earn good money? If so, you may find a career in investment management appealing. Investment management, also known as asplatzset management, is pretty much what it sounds like a client gives money to an asset manager, who then invests it to meet the clients objectives. In other words, investment management seeks to grow capital and generate income for individuals and institutional investors alike. The potential clients of an asset manager can vary widely. While theres no black-and-white distinction between where retail and institutional clients invest, asset managers who manage retail kenntniserlangungs, for example, typically manage money for retail clients, while asset managers at investment banks often invest money for institutional investors like comp anies or municipalities (often for pools of money like pension funds). Asset managers can also work for hedge funds, which combine outside capital with capital contributed by the partners of the fund, and invest the money using complex and sometimes risky techniques, with the goal of receiving extraordinary gains. Asset managers buy their stocks, bonds, and other financial products from salespeople at investment banks, who are on what is called the sell-side. (Asset managers are on the buy-side.) Because they make commissions on every trade they facilitate, salespeople provide information (research, ideas) to asset managers, in an effort to get the asset managers to trade through them. (This is why some salespeople often used to shower asset managers with perks like sports tickets and expensive dinners at fancy restaurants, a practice that has diminished hugely in recent years.) Investment management basically boils down to this researching and analyzing potential investments and d eciding where exactly to allocate funds. These days, many investment banks are looking to grow their investment management businesses. Why? Because investment management is largely protected against the volatility of the market. Asset managers charge clients a fee based on the amount of money they are given, so they are guaranteed to make money as long as they attract investment. (Asset managers are generally paid a percentage of the entire amount they handle, whether they make or lose money for the client.) This guide will serve as an insiders guide for careers in the industry. It will provide you with the knowledge to appropriately target your career search and a framework to handle the fruchtwein challenging interviews. It will also break down the many different career positions that are available to both undergraduate and graduate students.cHistoryThe beginnings of a separate industry The process of managing money has been around for some 200 years. At its outset, investment ma nagement was relationship-based. Assignments to manage assets grew out of relationships that banks and insurance companies already had with institutions primarily companies or municipal organisations with employee pension funds that had funds to invest. These asset managers were chosen in an unstructured way, with assignments growing out of pre-existing relationships rather than through a formal request for proposal and bidding process. The actual practice of investment management was also unstructured. Asset managers might simply pick 50 stocks they thought were good investments as there was nowhere near as much analysis on managing risk or organising a fund around a specific category or style. Historically, managed assets were primarily pension funds. Traditional and alternative asset classes such as retail funds, hedge funds and private equity had yet to mature. The rise of the retail fund Historians cite the closed-end investment companies launched in the Netherlands by King William I during 1822 as the first retail funds, while others point to a Dutch merchant named Adriaan van Ketwich whose investment trust created in 1774 may have inspired the idea. The Boston Personal Property Trust, formed in 1893, was the first closed-end fund in the U.S. The first vermodern retail fund was created in 1924, when three Boston securities executives pooled their money for investment, retail funds were normally used by financially sophisticated investors who paid a lot of attention to their investments. They really came to prominence in the early-to-mid 1980s when retail fund investment hit new highs and investors reaped impressive returns. During this time investor sophistication increased with the advent of modern portfolio theory and investment management firms began heavily absatzwirtschaft retail funds as a safe and smart investment tool, pitching to individual investors the virtues of diversification and other benefits of investing in retail funds. Traditional versus alternative asset managers By the early 1970s, the investment management industry had begun to mature as retail funds and other asset classes gained prominence. The dominant theme over the past decade has been the proliferation of alternative asset managers. It is necessary to make the distinction between traditional asset managers and alternative asset managers. Traditional asset managers, such as retail funds, are highly regulated entities that are governed by strict laws and regulations. The Financial Services Authority (FSA) is the principal governing body, and its rules are designed to protect investors and limit unnecessary risk-taking. Traditional asset managers have defined investment mandates that determine what types of securities and strategies they can pursue in a given portfolio. These strategies are discussed in detail in further chapters. Alternative asset managers include assets classes such as hedge funds, private equity, venture capital and property. They ar e lightly regulated investment vehicles that do not always have defined investment strategies or risk tolerances. These asset classes are designed to be uncorrelated with the broad stock and bond markets and seek to provide returns in a variety of economic situations. Hedge funds, for example, have evolved into high-risk money managers that borrow money to invest in a multitude of stocks, bonds and derivatives. They use a large equity base to borrow mora capital and therefore multiply returns through leveraging. Since alternative investments can be very risky, as well as lucrative, investors need to be deemed acleistungspunkted which is determined by net worth in order to invest. Six figures is a minimum bank balance for any prospective investor. The Industry TodayWhats really going on The industry controls around $64 trillion globally (having grown by roughly 10 per cent annually over the past decade) and charges clients 1.5 per cent to 2 per cent for the privilege. Hedge fund s charge 2 per cent management fees and typically 20 per cent performance fees. No surprise then that operating margins in the investment management industry are mora than 40 per cent, according to the Boston Consulting Group. The beauty of the industry, for its incumbents, is that as markets tend to rise over the long run their fees increase even though the cost of managing money doesnt. Overtime, according to some estimates, fund managers raise their fees by double digits, up to around 15 percent a year. The investment management industry is one of the few that broadly impact households all over the world, particularly now. As the population gets older in the core European Union countries, the old-age dependency rate is set to rise from 21 percent now to 50 percent in 2050 and pension deficits have increased, mora people than ever are planning for their future financial needs. As a result, the industry is increasingly visible. Investment management has become an increasingly i mportant part of the financial services industry in Europe. London, for example, is now one of the leading international centres for investment management. Still growing In Europe assets under management grew by almost 400 billion in 2007 the UK alone now accounts for around 7 percent of global assets under management, the third biggest home for managed assets behind the US and Japan. Retail fund demand has continued to increase nearly 50 million households had $24 trillion invested in retail funds as of June 2007, up from $1 trillion in 1990. Despite the credit crunch investment in alternative asset classes has also shot up. A survey by HedgeFund Intelligence said global hedge fund assets under management reached $2.65 trillion at the beginning of 2008, a massive increase of 27 percent from the same period in 2007. But the credit crunch will bite However, the adverse economic conditions of recent times have caused problems for the industry. The credit crunch will lower returns in t he short-term because there will be less leverage available to fund managers, not to mention the effect of the crunch on global stock markets. Many big investment banks, such as Citigroup and Merrill Lynch, were already selling off their wealth management departments before the economic downturn. As the credit crunch continues to bite and push returns lower, mora big players could downsize their investment management offerings. The crunch may also bring about regulatory changes. In the US, for example, the Federal Reserve bailed out Bear Stearns because, if it failed, its entangled assets would have also brought down the edifice of modern finance. As a result harsher regulatory regimes will be introduced to ensure fund managers cannot topple a financial system that it has taken centuries to create. The heat has also been turned up on fund managers who are making exorbitant sums amid a seriously tightening economy. While more people than ever are using food stamps in the US some ass et managers, particularly hedge fund owners, are making massive profits. Even multi-multi millionaires such as Bill Gates and John McCain have criticised the super-rich for cashing in on other peoples hard-times. John Paulson, a hedge fund manager, made $3.7 billion in 2007 primarily through shorting the risky CDOs that have brought misery to so many. Paulson beat the best-known fund manager, George Soros, into second place with an annual income of $2.9 billion. In the UK alternative assets managers, particularly short-selling hedge funds, have been seriously admonished by the FSA for spreading liquidity scare-stories about UK banks.Pension reform and emergence of property Throughout Western Europe, pension reform has become a politically explosive topic - and one being watched closely by the biggest banks in London, Frankfurt and across the Atlantic on Wall Street. Several European Union countries are facing pension crises, mainly due to an ageing population. Europes state pensio n schemes are based on a pay-as-you-go premise, which means that money paid into the retirement plan by todays workers are passed through immediately to todays retirees. That means much more responsibility is placed on the current crop of workers to pay for a disproportionate amount of pensioners Older workers (aged 55 to 64) in the European Union are set to increase by 24 million between 2005 and 2030. And heres how investment managers might benefit in the years to come the governments plan is to strike a new model that shifts more responsibility to workers and away from state-run pension plans. Nations like France, Germany and Italy are trying to increase the retirement age as a way to encourage workers to look after their own pensions through defined contributions. Meanwhile, requirements for defined benefit contributions are being increased. As pension reforms are passed throughout Europe, those that enter the investment management industry will benefit. It is one of the reason s why investment managers, from Deutsche Bank in Germany to UBS in Switzerland, are touting a variety of investment tailored to younger investors. The show will go on Investors will always desire yields, whether from short-term risky ventures or more secure longer-term investments. As a result, the industry can survive anything. After all, assets are always there to be managed. However, the next couple of years will be a tougher time for the industry as the risks surrounding financial markets and global economic growth remain on the downside. As a result investors, alongside other consumers, are tightening their belts to offset a drastically slowing global economy and a reduction in cheap credit while this continues investors appetite for equity exposure and interest rate risk is likely to remain subdued. This will impact liquidity, meaning managers will have less cash in their funds than they have been used to over the belastung few years. Consolidating There have already been we ll over 150 mergers in the investment management industry in the last 20 years. Recent consolidation activity includes the merger of BlackRock and Merrill Lynch Investment Management, buyouts of Jupiter from Commerzbank and of Gartmore from Nationwide Mutual. A further spate of consolidation is in the offing amid tough economic conditions. Experts believe institutions with low price-to-earnings ratios, or struggling with poor asset quality, will sell-off their investment management businesses to find more capital. The credit market turmoil has already sidelined some private equity deals and could lead to fire sales of distressed assets. Indeed, M&A activity within the investment management industry was at an all time high from January to March 2008 in terms of deal volume. In the first quarter of 2008 53 deals were announced at a cost of around $9.6 billion. The acquired assets under management totalled over $704 billion. By contrast in the same period of 2007 45 deals were announ ced representing $544.9 billion in acquired assets under management. Convergence The European investment management sector is currently experiencing massive convergence between traditional and alternative investment styles. Hedge funds, private equity funds and traditional asset managers are competing increasingly closely as the lines between the asset classes become blurred. Investors increasingly understand how to invest and which investments could generate higher returns in a regulated environment. Regulators have realised this and are now offering traditional asset managers new flexibility as long as investors remain protected. The search for the alpha has aided the process. Traditional asset managers have been buying hedge fund boutiques for some time. But now the difference between these businesses and their core investment strategies are disappearing. Long-only managers are also using regulatory devices such as UCITS III to offer hedge fund products for retail investors and other products to widen the choice for their institutional investors. Meanwhile, alternative asset managers are reaching a wider audience among investors through regulated fund vehicles and eschewing offshore domiciles of the Caribbean and the British Isles for EU member states such as Luxembourg. The Alternative Investment Management Association (AIMA), the international hedge fund industry body, recently suggested Hedge funds are now considered part of the mainstream of the investment management industry. There is even convergence among alternative assets. Private equity houses and hedge funds are frequently adopting similar investment strategies. Cheap credit, low volatility and rising equity markets encouraged hedge funds to enter the private equity market until the middle of last year. More strategically, hedge funds are increasingly ring-fencing capital for illiquid investments, similar to those made by private equity. Recently they have deployed these investments up and dow n the capital structure, including second lien and mezzanine debt products. Private equity houses have acquired undervalued assets and businesses through public market deals. Many experts suggest this could lead to further growth in hybrid alternative investment firms. We will expand upon this in more detail in Chapter 2. The shift from equities to bonds to equities After the dotcom bubble burst at the turn of the millennium, equity markets became erratic as stocks were challenged by a mixture of corporate scandals and weak economic growth. As a result funds moved from equities to bonds. According to some estimates, pension funds moved 40 billion from equities to bonds in 2004. However, strong economic growth and weakening bond yields since then has instigated a shift back to equities. But, experts suggest, investors in stocks lulled by periods of low volatility can be hit hard. As the recent economic crisis has shown, things can change quickly and even the strongest of stocks can plummet. In the UK during the 1970s the last time stagflation hit and editor of The Sun Larry Lamb immortalised 1979 as the Winter of Discontent equities on the whole performed very poorly. Then, as now, investors flocked to more secure bond funds, primarily investing in government debt as opposed to risky junk bonds. Still, bonds arent always a safe-haven in times of strife. The trick for investors, says one fund manager, is to Keep a diversified portfolio comprised of stocks and bonds. Even 100 percent safe products arent always safe, as most managers will tell you. The trick is to spread the risk. The challenge of exchange traded funds Described as the Wal-mart of the business, exchange traded funds (ETF) are increasingly undermining the traditional business model of investment management funds. According to Morgan Stanley, ETFs had $74 billion in assets under management in 2000, but by 2007 this was up to $700 billion. The growth will not stop there, with Morgan Stanley estima ting that $2 trillion will be invested in ETFs by 2011. And it is no surprise. Nearly anything investors believe will perform well in the future can be bought in the form of an ETF, which is a portfolio that can be bought on the stock exchange and costs much less than a traditional investment management firm. The more investors pay in charges, the less money they are likely to make according to experts. As a result, ETFs will remain extremely attractive to investors. More than just investment More than ever investment management companies are focusing on more than just investing. Business decisions such as marketing and distribution, global growth, and technology integration are becoming increasingly important factors in the success of investment management firms. While this Guide will focus mainly on developing a career on the investment side of the investment management industry, we will also spend some time discussing the growing alternative career opportunities relating to the se non-investment business issues.

An Introduction to Military Justice and Its History

An Introduction to Military Justice and Its HistoryAn Introduction to Military Justice and Its HistoryWhen one joins the United States Military, one becomes subject to a completely new justice system. While the primary purpose of the United States justice system is to dispense justice, that is not the primary reason for the creation of a separate justice system for Americas Armed Forces. The primary purpose of the Militarys system is to provide the military commander with the necessary tools to enforce good order and discipline. Thats why, for example, its not considered a crime to be late for work at your civilian job, but it is a crime to be late for work in the Military (violation of Article 86 of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, or UCMJ). The military commander has several methods available to enforce good order and discipline within the unit, ranging from lind administrative measures such as formal or informal counseling to full-blown General Court Martials, in which a pers on can be sentenced to hard labor, or even executed. Part I of this article gives a general background of the United States Military Justice System. Other related topicsinclude Counseling, Reprimands, and Extra TrainingA counseling can be formal or informal. It can also be verbal, or it can be in writing. It can be positive (pat on the back) or it can be corrective. A reprimand or an admonition is a chewing out. They can be verbal, or they can be written. Written reprimands and admonitions can provide a track record, which could later be used to justify punishment under Article 15, or administrative demotions discharges. Extra Training is not the same as extra duties imposed under Article 15. Extra duties are punishment, extra training is not. To be legal, extra training must logically relate to the deficiency to be corrected. Administrative DischargesAdministrative discharges are authorized for a variety of reasons. The characterization for an administrative discharge can be Honor able, General (Under Honorable Conditions), and Other Than Honorable.Article 15Also known as nonjudicial punishment, or Mast (In the Navy/Coast Guard, and Marines). It is sort of a mini-court martial with the commander acting as judge and jury. Its used for relatively minor (misdemeanor) crimes under the UCMJ. The punishment authorized is limited by the rank of the commander and the rank of the accused. In most cases, a person can refuse Article 15 punishment, and demand a trial by court-martial instead. Self-IncriminationCivilians are protected from involuntary self-incrimination by the 5th amendment. Military personnel is also protected, via Article 31 of the UCMJ.Pretrial Confinement and Pretrial InvestigationsThe military has no bail system. But, there are special rules which must be followed if a military member is confined prior to court-martial. Article 32 Pretrial Investigations are the militarys version of Grand Jury hearings.Court MartialsThese are the biggies. There are t hree types of court martials Summary, Special, and General. A conviction by a Special or General Court may be a felony conviction. Court Martials can award fines, reductions, punitive discharges, and prison time (at hard labor). General Court Martials can even impose the death sentence for certain offenses. Article 138 ComplaintsThe UCMJ provides a method for military members to file a complaint if they are wronged by their commanding officer. This is one of the most powerful, yet under-used tools in the military justice system, for members to assert their rights. Military Law Background Military law (military justice) is the branch of the law that regulates a governments military establishment. It is entirely penal or disciplinary in nature and, in the United States, includes and is analogous to civilian criminal law. Its sources are many and varied, some considerably antedating the United States and its Constitution. However, since it is through the Constitution that our Publi c Law began to exist, the Constitution can properly be considered the primary source of the law governing our military establishments. Along with the Constitution, there are other sources, both written and unwritten, that govern the military as wellInternational law contributed the law of war and numerous treaties affecting the military establishment Congress contributed theUniform Code of Military Justice(UCMJ) and other statutes Executive orders, including theManual for Courts-Martial(MCM),tafelgeschirr regulations usages and customs of the Armed Forces and of war and, finally, the court system has contributed its day-to-day decisions to clarify the gray areas. All of these make up our military law. The US ConstitutionThe constitutional source of military law stems from two provisions those vesting certainpowers in the legislative branchand those granting certain authority to theexecutive branch. Also, the fifth amendment recognizes that offenses in the Armed Forces will be deal t with in accordance with military law. Powers Granted to CongressUnderSection 8 of ArticleI,US Constitution, Congress is empowered to define and punish offenses against the law of nationsdeclare war, grant letters of marque and reprisal, and make rules concerning captures on land and waterraise and support armiesprovide and maintain a navymake rules for the government and regulation of theland and naval forcesprovide for calling forth the militiaprovide for organizing, arming, and disciplining the militia and for governing such part of them as may be employed in the tafelgeschirr of the United States andin general, make all laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers and all other powers vested by the Constitution in the government of the United States or any department or officer thereof. Authority Vested in the PresidentUnder the Constitution, the President serves as Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces of the United States, and, w hen called to Federal service, the President also serves as Commander in Chief of various state militias. TheConstitution alsoempowers the President, with the concurrence of the Senate, to appoint the officers of the services. The President commissions all officers and has the duty to see that the laws of this country are faithfully served. The Fifth AmendmentIn the fifth amendment, the framers of the Constitution recognized that cases arisingin the military serviceswould be handled differently from cases arising in civilian life. Thefifth amendmentprovides, in part, that no person shall be held to answer for a capital, or otherwise infamous crime, unless on a presentment or indictment of aGrand Jury, except in cases arising in the land or naval forces, or in the Militia, when in actual service in time of War or public danger. International LawThelaw of armed conflictis the branch of international law that prescribes the rights and obligations of combatants, noncombatants, belligere nts, and prisoners. It consists of those principles and usages that, in time of war, define the status and relations not only with enemiesbut also of persons subject to military control. Acts of CongressThe UCMJ is contained in Chapter 47,Title 10, United States Code, Sections 801 through 940. Although the authority to make rules and regulations for the Armed Forces is in the Constitution, military law is centuries old. The articles of the UCMJ define the offenses that violate the military lawin the Armed Forces of the United States and expose a military member to punishment if found guilty by a proper tribunal. They also set forth the broad procedural requirements implemented by the Presidents Executive order (the Manual for Courts-Martial MCM). For the member, this code is as much a law of the land as a state, or Federal criminal code is for a civilian. Executive Orders and Service RegulationsBy virtue of his powers as Commander in Chief, the President has the power to promulgate Executive ordersandservice regulationsto govern the Armed Forces as long as they do not conflict with any basic constitutional or statutory provisions.Article 36, UCMJ, specifically authorizes the President to prescribe the procedures (including rules of evidence) to be followed before the various military tribunals. Pursuant to theseexecutive powers, the President has established the MCM to implement the UCMJ. The President and Congress have authorized the Service secretaries and military commanders to implement various provisions of the UCMJ and the MCM and to promulgate orders and regulations. Our courts have consistently held that military regulations have the force and effect of the law if they are consistent with the Constitution or statutes. Regulations and orders issued at lower levels of command are enforceable byArticle 92, UCMJ, which prescribes violations of general orders and regulations, andArticles 90, and91, UCMJ, which prohibit disobedience of the commands of super iors. The Evolution of Military Justice Military justiceis as old as the earliest organized forces. An adequate and fair system of military justice has always been essential to the maintenance of discipline and morale in any military command. Thus, the evolution of military justice has necessarily involved the balancing of two basic interests warfighting and the desire for an efficient, but fair, system for maintaining good order and discipline. Uniform Code of Military Justice (UCMJ) (1951)The desire for uniformity amongst the services resulted in the enactment of the UCMJ, effective 31 May 1951. It welches implemented by the Manual for Courts-Martial, 1951. The UCMJ established service courts of military review, composed of appellate military judges, who were, and are, the first level of appeal in the military justice system. The UCMJ also established the US Court of Military Appeals (now known as the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces (CAAF), originally composed of thre e civilian judges, which is the highest level of appellate review within the military system. (The Court added two more civilian judges on 1 December 1991.) The creation of this appellate court structure was perhaps the most revolutionary change in military justice in our countrys history. In this structure providing for appeal and review of courts-martial convictions, the checks and balances of civilian control of the Armed Forces were carried over into the military justice system itself. 1969 Manual for Courts-Martial (MCM)After several years of preparation, a new MCM became effective on 1 January 1969. The primary purpose of the revision was to incorporate changes made necessary by the decisions of the US Court of Military Appeals. Less than a month after the President signed the Executive order promulgating the new 1969 MCM Congress passed the Military Justice Act of 1968, the major portion of which became effective 1 August 1969. The Military Justice Act of 1968Among the subst antive changes made by the Military Justice Act of 1968 was the establishment of a trial judiciary, which consists of circuit-riding judges in each service. The act also allowed an accused the option of being tried by a military judge alone (no court members) if the member so requested in writing and if the military judge approved the request. The Military Justice Act of 1983Effective 1 August 1984, the Military Justice Act of 1983 made several procedural changes, including provisions for government appeals of some rulings by military judges. The government may not, however, appeal findings of not guilty. The act also provides for both defense and government appeals to theUS Supreme Courtfrom the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces. TrendsThe UCMJ today reflects centuries of experience in criminal law and military justice. The military justice system has evolved from one that permitted commanders to impose and carry outthe death penaltyto a system of justice that guarantees ser vice members rights and privileges similar to and in some cases greater than, those enjoyed by their civilian counterparts. Jurisdiction of Military CourtsWhether a civilian court has jurisdiction to decide a particular case depends upon several factors, including the status of the parties (age,legal residence, etc.), the type of legal issue involved (criminal or civil, contract dispute, tax delinquency, marital dispute, etc.), and geographical factors (crime committed in New York, contract dispute regarding Florida real estate, etc.). Courts-martial jurisdiction is concerned primarily with the following two questions Personal jurisdiction that is, is the accused a person subject to the UCMJ?Subject-matter jurisdiction that is, is the conduct prescribed by the UCMJ? If the answers are yes in both instances, then, and only then, does a courts-martial panel have jurisdiction to decide the case. Personal JurisdictionCourts-martial jurisdiction does not exist over a person unless he or she is subject to the UCMJ, as defined by Article 2, UCMJ. Article 2 states the following persons are among those subject to the UCMJ Members of a regular component of the Armed Forces, including those awaiting discharge after expiration of their terms of enlistment volunteers from the time of their dessin or acceptance into the Armed Forces inductees from the time of their actual induction into the Armed Forces and other persons lawfully called or ordered into, or to duty in or for training in, theArmed Forces, from the dates when they are required by the terms of the call or order to obey it.Cadets, aviation cadets, and midshipmen. Members of a Reserve component while on inactive-duty training but, in the case of members of theUS Army National GuardandUS Air National Guard, only when in Federal service.Retired members of a Regular component of the Armed Forces entitled to pay. Since the enactment of the UCMJ, theSupreme Courthas held that the military cannot constitutionally exerc ise jurisdiction over civilian dependents of members of the Armed Forces. Additionally, the US Court of Appeals for the Armed Forces has held that the military lacked jurisdiction over civilian employees of the Armed Forces during the Vietnam Conflict, even though the alleged crimes were committed within the combat zone. The court held that the phrase in time of war contained in Article 2(10), UCMJ, means a war formally declared by Congress. Subject-Matter JurisdictionGenerally, courts-martial have the power to try any offense under the code except when prohibited from so doing by the Constitution. Jurisdiction of courts-martial depends solely on the accuseds status as a person subject to the UCMJ, and not on the service-connection of the offense charged. For example, a person subject to the UCMJ is caught shoplifting from a local merchant. The member could be tried by courts-martial, even though the offense itself is not service-connected in a traditional sense.?

The pros and cons of employees making a salary-transparent database

The pros and cons of employees making a salary-transparent databaseThe pros and cons of employees making a salary-transparent databaseHow much is everyone around you getting paid? This is a question many of us at work privately wonder, and now, a group of TV professionals actually get to find out.On Tuesday, an anonymous Google spreadsheet was being shared widely for entertainment employees, such as writers, assistants, script coordinators, and producers, to share their actual salaries and pilot quotes. The form lets employees see how much their peers could be earning by their gender, race, years of experience, title, and employer, among otzu sich factors. The unnamed author of the document called the initiative a good faith project that would helpful for employees to cross check information they may already have.The pay-transparency initiative follows a report of huge gender pay gaps between actors. According to the Hollywood Reporter, actress Michelle Williams made nearly ten times less than her costar Mark Wahlberg for the movie All the Money in the World - $625,000 for her work to Wahlbergs $5 million. Pay-transparency databases aim to stop these gaps by letting more people know whats a typical standard of pay.Some states, including New York and California, have made their own regulations to address the gender pay gap by making it illegal for a company to prevent its employees from discussing their pay.For employees lacking legal safeguards, however, making an ansprechbar database is one method to discreetly gather information about your salary, so that you can make better informed decisions about your career.Before you decide to make your own pay-transparency database about your workplace, there are pros and cons you should considerPro shared online documents reach more peopleThe medium that hosts the information informs the message. By sharing pay information through collaborative online documents, employees can keep their identities private while spread ing the knowledge publicly and quickly.Reporting on why political activists choose Google spreadsheets to share information over other technologies like blogs, journalist Ann Friedman noted a Google Documents 100-person edit limit, which caps how many people can share information a Google Doc can be technically public while functionally quite private, allowing members of a like-minded community to reach beyond their immediate friends and collaborators while avoiding the abuse and trolling that comes with publishing on other platforms. This makes shared documents an appealing way to pass along information you want to be more open about but dont necessarily want to blast across the internet.Whatever collaboration tool you use, the most important benefit to sharing a spreadsheet online is that it allows people outside of the people you may know to benefit. Whisper networks are known to exclude vulnerable, emerging professionals who lack strong networks informing them whats a good salar y. Public pay databases change that.Pro research-backed improvement in employee work ethicEconomic research is also on the side of making employees pay public. One study found that knowing your coworkers salary drove workers to be more productive. In the study of 2,000 workers, economics professor Emiliano Huet-Vaughn found that when people were given information about how much their colleagues earned, they worked harder to complete tasks.The finding backs up a separate study that found pay secrecy was linked to a decline in employee wertzuwachs and a companys retention rate of high performers.Con publicly doing this can be costly to your careerBeing publicly tied to a pay-transparency database can backfire, however. Erica Joy Baker, a former Google employee who now works at Patreon, conducted a salary transparency experiment in 2015 to spread information about pay gaps at Google. Creating an internal spreadsheet, Baker said she got 5% of the companys employees to participate, and i t led to people getting raises.But even though her actions were not illegal, Baker said she faced pushback from higher-ups in the company, citing meetings with her manager and superiors who were pissed and refused to interact with her.Google, which is currently being investigated for its pay practices by the Labor Department, did not comment specifically on Baker, but noted the company regularly rananalysis of compensation, promotion, and performance to ensure that they are equitable with no pay gap.Many people can be the beneficiaries of a pay-transparency database, but Bakers story shows us that if youre the public creator of one, youll be exposed to blowback and may need to be prepared to face harm to your reputation.

How to recover when you fumble an interview

How to recover when you fumble an bewerberinterviewHow to recover when you fumble an interviewYou didnt think it was possible, but you found it - your dream job. According to the description of the position, the role plays to all of your skills and gives you the chance to make a real difference in an industry that matters to you. It will open opportunities for you tolearn new things to advance your career. And the salary and benefits dont look bad, either Now, your only challenge is making the jobyours. Nailing the interview is obviously a key part of landing any new role, but what happens when things dont go perfectly? Is there room to recover? After an interview fumble, is the dream job still within your reach? According todata from LinkedIn, 55 percent of working professionals admit to making a mistake that affected an interview or their career, so its clear that perfection is far from the norm.LinkedIn career expert Blair Decembrele tells us that it can be tricky to distinguish m istakes that are bound to be interview killers from slip-ups that can be mora easily forgotten. After all, every interview and interviewer is different, so its hard to say once and for all which fumbles are actually recoverable. Still, relationships are everything when on the job search.Having a strong professional community built on real relationships will always be helpful when trying to turn things around, asserts Decembrele.Be sure to contact colleagues and friends working at the company when youre interviewing.Before you even set foot in the amtsstube for the interview, do everything you can to establish positive vibes with people who already work for the organization. If you dont have personal friends who work there, do some homework to find out if there are friends of friends who do - or if there might be some other connection you can leverage in the application process. Even without those connections, you can ensure that the existing team has a positive view of you as a cand idate with friendly, well-written emails and cover letters that may help tip the scales back in your direction if you mess up come interview time.Beyond that, your best bet in recovering from an interview fumble is to simply apologize in the moment. If your interviewer corrects a statement youve made about the company or if you forget their name (yikes), its best to acknowledge the error ASAP. Per LinkedIn, just over half of working professionals think that apologizing privately and in person is the best way to recover from a fumble, and nearly as many feel that handling it right then is the way to go. If you cant come up with a good answer to a more challenging question during the interview, you may want to follow up that stumble with an email as well.Take an opportunity to thank the interviewer for the excellent question, request some time to consider your answer, and come back with a response later in the day, Decembrele suggests.You can send a more well-considered response with your thank-you note.If youre in the midst of an interview and feel like your nerves are going to get the best of you or make you lose your train of thought, the best way to get things back on track is simply to relax. Yes, we know this is easier said than done, but its a great approach if you want your interviewer to forget any weirdness from earlier in the conversation so they can simply be impressed by the brilliant responses that are still to come out of your mouth. Take a deep breath, look at your resume to help you refocus, and forge ahead. Its okay to jot down a few notes if it helps keep your mind from wandering as well.You can write down a one- or two-word prompt for each question as its asked, so you can refer back to it should you lose your train of thought, says Decembrele.Or, if youve been distracted, acknowledge the distraction, ask the interviewer to repeat the question, and get yourself back on track.An interview mistake doesnt have to mean the end of your journey to nab your dream job - its all in how you take charge in handling it.This article first appeared on Brit+Co.

Short Article Reveals the Undeniable Facts About Resume Templates Doc and How It Can Affect You

Short Article Reveals the Undeniable Facts About Resume Templates Doc and How It Can Affect You Lets look at a mixture of free Google Docs and Microsoft Word schablones. If youre looking for Google Cv Templates Free youve come to the correct spot. Google Docs letter templates supply you with a coordinated look to coincide with the fashion of your resume. Project Manager Blank Resume Templates do not will need to seem stylish but they need to appear professional. So if you decide to go the Resume Builder route, be mindful that you will have to cover the last product. Based on your industry or whether youre an academic, you might actually have to use a CV template. Youll observe each one of the accessible resume templates, and you may examination them to acquisition the one which works best for you. If you choose to try out one of our absolutely free creative templates, we have a couple ideas to create your work search as fruitful as possible. A Secret Weapon for Resume Temp lates Doc Creative resume templates can allow you to build a document that shows your creativity whilst leise keeping up the professionalism you should be taken seriously to get past the gatekeepers. Producing your resume is essential. There are variety of examples and unique forms of Free Resume Templates which can be found which could be downloaded free. Developing a newsletter template by yourself is time consuming. In place of creating the document from scratch, however, youre want to begin with a blank template you can customize. A template provides you with a suggested structure for your documents, and that means you can quickly begin writing. Cv templates absolutely free download word document. Each template includes a screenshot, an in depth description, and a license. If youd prefer a different search for your resume, take a look at our tremendous library of other beautiful templates. Resumunks resume templates consist of free resume layouts in addition to 17 pre mium templates out there for a yearly subscription of $19. In some cases what you will need isnt a resume template whatsoever. A timeless style resume template is also simple to customize. If youre confused because of the numerous fabulous designs you are able to download, dont worry Our resume templates are designed utilizing an overall style to help avoid this dilemma. Our creative templates permit you to stick out from the crowd. Each one of our creative style templates offer you a perfectly balanced mixture of personality, professionalism and some style. The Hidden Treasure of Resume Templates Doc The result is fantastic to stunning To learn more about picking out the ideal template for your application, its important to observe the differences between the kinds of resumes and what their strengths are the subsequent. Youre able to discover a sample cv for use in the industry world academic settings or one that lets you concentrate on your specific abilities and abiliti es. You CV ought to be made depending on the kind of job which you are applying. Color is an excellent method to produce your modern resume shine. In any event, its as simple as one two three. Simplicity is just about the very best approach to impress. Even in the smallest project, templates are able to make your life simpler and save substantial moment. Resume Templates Doc Can Be Fun for Everyone Everyone hopes to put on an opportunity to impress eignung new employer at a job interview, but theres no denying that interviews can be quite stressful Instead you might want to incorporate an expert summary that states what you need to offer you the employer for a candidate, instead of what youre searching for. Professionally, our resumes are often the very first impression a prospective employer gets of us. The Basics of Resume Templates Doc A basic resume is also simpler to read. Notably, many arent any good. It isnt difficult to edit and user-friendly. Separate resumes are obtainable for assorted disciplines. Opportunely, google docs has a solution for it If youre on the lookout for a fast means to begin your resume, google docs resume templates are among the handiest solutions around. Google supplies a resume-builder tool which youre able to utilize to create a professional resume. Google will automatically index your resume to get included in its search outcome, allowing potential employers to locate your information.

Skillroads Review Resume Writing Tips

Skillroads Review Resume Writing Tips The History of Skillroads Review Resume Writing Refuted All you need to do is to provide total information which should be in your resume. Its also important to review what kinds of services are provided by the provider. Neither does this draw any offers. The author features motivation and inspiration for people who dont know where to begin with their job applications. The writer is likely to make contact and start to work with you straight away Your own personal writer can help you create a modern resume, dependent on your career story and meeting all of the high standards of your industry. Picking a resume writer is bedrngnis a simple endeavor. Your comments also signify a good deal. Put simply, you might receive expert advice, not paying for it. Still, there are numerous other aspects to take into account when writing our ResumeWritingGroup review. Job searching may be depressing and enduring procedure, especially if one wants t o have a government job. You might rather not find work thats basically the very same as your final position, especially if you disliked it. During the procedure, you will work one-on-one with a certified, experienced professional till you have a resume youre pleased with. The procedure is split into several components. What Is So Fascinating About Skillroads Review Resume Writing? First impressions matter, which is the reason why the best resume writing services might be substantial asset for you. Basically, writing skills really make a difference in the way you run into. Resume writing is the most crucial step in presenting your abilities and receiving the job that you desire. Simply enumerating your abilities and experiences isnt enough. Skillroads Review Resume Writing Explained As somebody who has sent many job applications, you should be having ideas on the best way to compose a great Resume. Irrespective of whether youre just beginning to look for your very first j ob or youve been involved in a lengthy job search for a number of months, its very critical to make yourself as hire-able as possible. When you are attempting to pick the best resume writing service to boost your resume, its simple to be overwhelmed with options. Therefore, if youre prepared to kick your job search into high gear, here are a few strategies to consider abflug Your Own Blog One approach to make yourself hire-able in the view of recruiters is to begin your own blog. Skillroads Review Resume Writing Explained 1 special feature offered by Resume Writers Service is that if youre a returning customer, you can find any services for half off the normal price. Bottom Line If youre looking for top rated resume writing services, Careers Booster is surely an institution to look at. Everything considered, Resume Writers appear to provide an outstanding provider, with guaranteesthat youre going to be satisfied. One other great thing which makes Resume Writing Service one o f the very best rated resume writing services is they frequently offer discounts.

The Unexposed Secret of Fitness Resume

The Unexposed Secret of Fitness Resume What You Need to Know About Fitness Resume The prospect of working at Sunnyvale Clinic is thrilling, and I want to schedule an opportunity to interview once possible. Irrespective of if youre an employee at a gym or an unaffiliated trainer youre primarily accountable for the increase and success of your company. You dont need to look as a bodybuilder to be a fitness trainer, but you need to lead a wholesome lifestyle to be a fantastic role model for your clientele. Construct your dream physical fitness enterprise. A Personal Trainer doesnt just train people. Writing a fitness trainer resume isnt difficult whatsoever. Fitness trainers and instructors must evaluate each customers degree of fitness and produce an appropriate exercise plan to satisfy the customers individual needs. They need to be physically fit because their job requires a considerable amount of exercise. Fitness Resume - the Conspiracy Employers prefer to employ fitness trainers and instructors that are certified. Instruction is supplied to the client so the exercises are performed properly to prevent physical injury. Personal trainers need to be on the very edge of rising trends in fitness and nutrition. Fitness trainers and instructors have to be in a position to communicate well since they will need to have the ability to explain exercises and movements to clients, in addition to motivate them verbally during exercises. Top Fitness Resume Secrets For example, you will need to concentrate on your qualifications and work experience mora than your educational specifics. Its not acceptable to list your present work phone number for a contact number, even if your employer knows youre looking. If youve got additional details to supply the employer, please contact them directly. Educational details and employment history does not need to be elaborated. The Fitness Resume Cover Up Its possible for you to look at the resume format templates me ntioned above since they have arrived with pre-structured trainer resume samples so you dont need to create the entire thing from start. You may also think about employing a resume builder. One of the greatest regions to get resume examples is online, since there are lots of websites offering templates an individual may download and use. More frequently than not, customizing your resume does not indicate a major rewrite, but instead just a couple of tweaks. The success of your company hinges on you selling your services. Dont forget that the fitness business is service oriented. The fitness coach Resume Templates here can be utilized in lots of various ways. As an expert, your organization will instruct and consult to aid the customer avoid physical injury. Personal Trainer is just one of the absolute most in-demand work in the health and physical fitness market. ur Personal Trainer resume sample will direct you on the best way to create one that is going to catch the int erest of the Training Manager. To find out mora on what it requires to be a Zumba Instructor, have a look at our complete Zumba Instructor Job Description. Fitness Instructors play an essential part in the physical health of their students. The Upside to Fitness Resume Another large reason your clients may not stick around is that, in other words, routine is boring. If you lack experience youll be able to mention your educational background as a good alternative, but experience is the thing to do in case you have it. It is simpler than you might think to compose a superb administrative resume that may allow you to find the job of your dreams. The individual interviewing youll realize that the work experience isnt there and might ask you when you have any experience. The resume objective is here to provide help. Possessing real world experience in just about any field may be an asset to you. Mediocre resumes are never acknowledged by hiring managers who are seeking the ide al candidate that the world has to offer you. Granted utilizing an expert service is somewhat more expensive, however once you consider it can get you into your dream job, the price is minimal. Other times, you might need to rewrite no more than the personal overview to coordinate with the work description. If you cant demonstrate your communication skills on paper you might not obtain the opportunity to impress in person. DO make certain that the remainder of your resume is completely machine readable. Not to mention, youre one workout closer to reaching your objective. Meditation restores electricity and can help you visualize your success. A fitness resume is a valuable promotional tool that will help you realize the success you would like. The aim of a Fitness Instructor is to give high excellent exercise plans to clients trying to increase their degree of fitness. Gyms have a harsh revenue ceiling and can restrict your general growth for a trainer. Fitness is really c rucial to make sure a wholesome life and hence people are receiving increasingly conscious about their exercise levels.

3 Key Ways to Promote Your TV Newscast

3 Key Ways to Promote Your TV Newscast3 Key Ways to Promote Your TV NewscastTV journalists work around the clock to craft a perfect nachrichtencast. The news anchors, news reporters, and news producers all have familiar roles in getting the product put together. Without effective promotion, even the best TV newscast doesnt fully reach its potential news audience, which today can get news and information in countless ways.Topical promotion is one common way TV stations try to build their audience. However, simply telling viewers about what types of stories theyll landsee on an upcoming broadcast isnt the only way a station should promote its news programming. How to Back-Tease Your Coverage Topical promotion tells people what theyll see in the future. Back-teasing reminds viewers of what youve already shown them. You may wonder why this is important, especially since people cant go back in time to watch a story thats already aired. This remains an important way to help build your media brand. If a news anchor says, Heres an update to the Exclusive story we were the first to tell you about last night..., she is telling you three key komponentes her station had an Exclusive story, it aired last night, and (possibly) you missed getting to see it. The message is that you should have been watching because youd have been the first to know. This type of writing is usually delivered casually, but that doesnt mean it isnt critically important. Because many viewers believe all TV newscasts are the same, except for the people delivering them, this is a way to differentiate your coverage versus your competition. It also says youre following up on a story with new information. Cross-Promotion Across Your Programs and Platforms Cross-promotion is another key component. Years ago, that meant telling people when they could see your stations next newscast. Ideally, there would be a topical element included, such as, Our next newscast is tonight at 11 when youll see why a local high school cheerleading squad needs your help in hopes of winning a state title. That remains important. You are telling people who are already watching your news why they should keep watching when your next broadcast airs. This only takes into account your television audience. Today, you need to promote across your web and social media platforms. Youre likely already using Facebook to build your media brand. Same with Twitter. You must consistently use those tools to drive people to your newscast. The opposite path is true, too. You can send your viewers to social media and your website for additional information or updates between your on-air broadcasts. Ideally, youd create a circle, with people going round-and-round between the various products you offer to get information. Proof-of-Performance Advertising Reminds People of Your Coverage A proof of performance advertisement, or p.o.p., is the final way to cement your news brand with viewers. It tells people what youv e done for them. This is how a typical p.o.p. is written Last week, Action News was the only news team allowed inside the governors mansion for an exclusive bewerbungsgesprch with the states top leader. We also showed you why some local families say their tap water smells. And we introduced you to the 5-year-old girl who already knows how to spell words better than many grownups. To get stories that no one else has, make sure youre watching Action News at 5, 6 and 11. Because even heavy local news viewers still only watch a handful of newscasts in a week, they dont know about all of the great stories youve produced. Viewers who may watch another station will see these ads and reconsider which station they prefer for news. Its important that your p.o.p. script not sound braggy, arrogant or mean-spirited. You wouldnt want to say something like, At 3 a.m. Monday morning, the lazy Channel 12 news team was asleep. But we, the dedicated news professionals at Channel 6, were hard at work, on the scene of the fire that killed three people Telling people you were the first to gleefully report news of death is also not good for your image. More than ever, delivering a successful TV newscast requires more than good content and a commitment to serve your community. You also have to be good at selling your product in every place you can in order to command the largest possible audience.

Are You LinkedIn® or LockedOut

Are You LinkedIn or LockedOutAre You LinkedIn or LockedOutAre You LinkedIn or LockedOut?If you havent yet created a LinkedIn Profile, youre missing out on a valuable digital tool in yur job search process. Social media sites such as LinkedIn provide great networking opportunity to boost your career and connect with other professionals. A 2012 survey by Jobvite indicated that social recruiting is on the rise over 90% of surveyed companies used or planned to use this approach when landseeking qualified candidates. So, take advantage of this trend by optimizing your Profile The Resume Place has experts who are skilled in helping you do so.Lets review a few of the effective strategies to constructing an effective LinkedIn Profile.MATCH YOUR PROFILE TO YOUR RESUME It is essential that your online presence is consistent. Make sure that your Profile and resume align.PHOTO Add an appropriate, professional headshot to your Profile. Use a photo that projects the image appropriate to the market.PROFESSIONAL HEADLINE The first thing about you (other than your photo) that most people will see is your headline, so make sure that it is descriptive and clearly represents what you do. Incorporate all the titles that a perspective employer is likely to search use keywords. LinkedIn automatically transfers your current position to your professional headline, but you can edit it. So, instead of Graduate Student, you can edit your headline to read Recent Program Management Graduate, specializing in Information Security. Interested in career opportunities with government contractors.PROFESSIONAL SUMMARY The summary contains your work history its the section where you can add the most content to your Profile. Remember that your successes are more important than your job description, so focus on your career accomplishments. Distinguish yourself by what it unique about you. To optimize your summary for search purposes, filter keywords throughout this section that you wan t to be searched. Its likely that more perspective employers will find you through the keywords you use than by typing in your name And, only include relevant employment if you are interested in program management positions, dont mention of your work as a retail salesperson during school.SKILLS AND EXPERTISE You can add up to 50 skills to your Profile. This section is extremely important to your LinkedIn Profile. Recruiters often search for a specific set of skills as opposed to a specific job title. Those skills for which you receive the most endorsements (see below) will be listed first.ENDORSEMENTS People who are connected via LinkedIn can endorse your skills. As you receive more endorsements for specific skills, it increases the likelihood that youll come up in the search results when someone is searching that skill. For example Our President/Founder, Kathryn Troutman, has 99+ connections (thats the highest number you can receive) who endorsed her for Resume Writing, Care er Development, Career Counseling, Interviews, Job Coaching, Training, and Job Search. Wow So when someone searches for people with those skills, it is likely that Kathryn will come up somewhere on the first few pages of the search results.NAME RECOGNITION Its helpful to customize your URL by personalizing it. Place your name in your URL, e.g., http//linkedin.com/in/firstnamelastname. If someone else has the same name, consider adding your middle initial or some other character.SETTINGS Adjust your public profile settings to select which sections are visible on your public Profile. We recommend having the summary, current position, education, and skills sections visible.KEEP UPDATING your profile as you update your resume Add your latest accomplishments and projects. Its fine to brag about your achievements if you are truthful.Todays blog focused some of the highlights associated with building your Profile. In the future, we will discuss other LinkedIn tips. So, make sure you are LinkedIn and not LockedOutEllen Lazarus is a Resume Place Certified Federal Job Search Trainer, Federal Resume Writer, and Career Coach. As a former Legislative Branch senior executive and bar association leader, Ellen has a keen understanding of the networking process. She often assists clients in utilizing social media sites to further their careers. If you need help creating or updating your LinkedIn profile, contact us for an absolutely free estimate. The Resume Place may offer special rates when you combine LinkedIn profile writing with the purchase of other services. Email *Sign up to be notified by email when our newsletters are posted

5 Times Being Fired Counts as Wrongful Termination- The Muse

5 Times Being Fired Counts as Wrongful Termination- The Muse 5 Times Being Fired Counts as Wrongful Termination- The Muse You landed the job, you’ve worked hard, and you’re living the dream- and then, seemingly out of the blue, you receive notice that your employment is being terminated. Whether you’re given time to transition out of your job or you’re immediately walked to the parking garage with a box of your belongings, losing a job ranks as one of life’s most stressful experiences. It can feel even worse if you have questions about why you were let go. Was it something you said or did? Or was your termination unfair, or perhaps even an unlawful dismissal? Can you sue your ex-employer? Although employment laws vary from state to state, here are five times when your termination might’ve been illegal: 1. Your Contract Required “Cause” for Termination In most states, employees are presumed to be “at will”- meaning that employers don’t need a reason to fire them (so long as the reason is not an illegal one, which I’ll get to). But if you signed an employment contract, read it. It might state that your employment can only be terminated “for cause.” That “cause” may be defined by the contract or state law and could include things like willful misconduct, continued failure to perform job duties, or disclosing company secrets. Even if you do not have a formal employment agreement, statements on an employment policy or procedure can be enough to create a “for cause” employment contract in some situations. The meaning of “cause” and the enforceability of these contracts will vary from case to case and from state to state, so it is important to talk to an attorney about your rights. 2. You Were Discussing Workplace or Labor Issues With Colleagues Under the National Labor Relations Act, employees cannot be fired for engaging in “protected concerted activity” (translation: Things like talking with co-workers about ways to improve wages or working conditions). You don’t have to be a member of a union to be protected under this federal law. If you believe your boss fired you in response to protected concerted activity, you might have a claim. But be warned: The law protects employees who are working together to change working conditions. The law will not necessarily protect individual complaints, so you probably can be fired for “venting” to a colleague about your impossible boss. 3. Your Employer Retaliated Against You If you witnessed wrongful activities at work and reported them, and if you were fired in response, then you might have a claim for wrongful termination based on unlawful retaliation. Employment laws are generally written to protect employees who report criminal activity or other illegal conduct. (In other words, generally speaking, employers cannot fire “whistle blowers.”) Similarly, a person cannot lawfully be fired solely because he or she filed a workers’ compensation claim. Someone making this kind of claim will need to prove that it was retaliation and not based on poor performance or another lawful basis for termination. 4. Your Employer Discriminated Against You Although it seems obvious and archaic, employees in the 21st century are still sometimes fired based on their race, gender, or citizenship status- and that’s illegal. Other classes are protected as well. Some states protect LGBT employees, and pregnant women are generally protected, too. Unlawful discrimination can give rise to a private lawsuit or a discrimination charge by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. As with retaliation claims, an employee making a claim must prove that the termination was based on illegal discrimination. 5. You Were Fired Based on Your Medical History As technology develops, so do employees’ rights, and now, even your genes are protected in the workplace. In 2008, Congress passed the Genetic Information Nondiscrimination Act (“GINA”), which prohibits employers from using genetic information when making employment decisions. (Genetic information includes family medical history and tests that detect whether an individual has a higher risk of developing certain diseases.) An employer who fires an employee based on that information, however it was obtained, faces penalties from the federal government. In other words, a genetic mutation that increases your chance for breast cancer cannot lawfully be the basis for your termination. So, Should You Sue? If you believe that your termination was illegal, talk to an employment attorney in your state. (No matter how much you remember from that business law class in undergrad, it’s usually not wise to file a complaint without the assistance of an attorney.) Different deadlines apply to claims in different states, so move quickly. Many attorneys will provide a free consultations and may be able to offer quick insight on the merits of your case and the potential recovery (or lack thereof), which can help you make an informed decision about how best to proceed. Be sure to ask this person about his or her experience, fees, and the timeline for how the case might move forward. Also, once you officially hire him or her, be exceedingly honest. Surprises are great for birthday parties, but not for legal cases. Your attorney needs to know everything that might be relevant to your case. The reality is that in many cases, the termination was lawful, and you might never receive a satisfactory answer as to why you were fired. Personalities may differ, working styles may be incompatible, or your skill set might not be as strong as what the employer requires. Focusing on the positive can help you personally and professionally, so use this opportunity to evaluate your strengths and skills and find a position that is a better fit for your abilities, style, and personality. Get started right now by checking out the five things you can do today to find that new job and start moving forward. Note: This article has been prepared for general information purposes only. The information presented is not legal advice and is not to be acted on as such. If you need legal advice, you should consult an attorney.

Magnetic Nanofluid Improves Cooling

Magnetic Nanofluid Improves Cooling Magnetic Nanofluid Improves Cooling Most cooling systems remove excess heat by using water pumped through pipes. Some pipes are designed to include fins or grooves on the pipe surfaces to increase surface area for greater heat transfer, but these design features increase manufacturing costs. Water can also be pumped through the system at a faster speed to enhance heat transfer, but drawbacks include higher energy costs and a greater pressure drop in the system. To find a better way to reduce heat in cooling systems, especially for nuclear power facilities, researchers at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) investigated how magnetic nanofluids affect heat-transfer rates in a flowing system. In a recent paper in the International Journal of Heat and Mass Transfer, Lin-Wen Hu, associate director of MITs Nuclear Reactor Laboratory, Jacopo Buongiorno, associate professor of nuclear science and engineering at MIT, Reza Azizian, postdoctoral associate at MIT, and others described a successful experiment where they demonstrated heat transfer coefficients of magnetite nanofluids were increased up to 300% when a local magnetic field was applied. These impressive results indicate this type of approach could be a highly effective, low-cost way to eliminate hotspots in cooling pipes, which can sometimes lead to system failures. The MIT team's experimental setup. Image: MIT.edu Experimental Design Magnetite nanofluids consist of colloidal magnetite nanoparticles suspended in a base fluid. The main interest in using nanofluids in thermal engineering systems is that their enhanced thermophysical properties (such as thermal conductivity), relative to the base fluid, can improve thermal management in the system. In a typical nanofluid, the nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed. In a solution of magnetic nanoparticles, however, the particles can be controlled using an external magnetic field, which enhances their thermal conductivity. In absence of an external magnetic field, the heat transfer characteristics of the flowing magnetite nanofluid can be predicted by classical correlations, says Azizian. We wanted to know if an external magnetic field could be exploited to increase heat transfer in flowing systems. The experimental setup consisted of a closed-loop flow system equipped with a pump, flow meter, heat exchanger, thermocouples, and pressure transducer. The test section in the flow system was fabricated from stainless steel tube. Eleven K-type thermocouples were evenly distributed and connected to the outer wall of the tubing along the test section. A constant heat flux was provided across the test section, which was well insulated to minimize heat loss. The fluid (either de-ionized water or nanofluid) was pumped through the system and heated up by a constant heat flux as it passed through the test section. The fluid then returned to an accumulator, where a heat exchanger maintained the fluid at a constant temperature. NdFeB, grade 42 block permanent magnets were used to generate magnetic fields along the test section. Measurements showed that the local heat transfer coefficient of magnetite nanofluids increased up to 300% when a magnetic field was applied locally. The amount of increase was found to be a function of flow rate, magnetic field strength, and gradient. Hu indicates the magnets attract the particles closer to the heated surface of the tube, greatly enhancing the transfer of heat from the fluid. Without the magnets in place, the low-concentration magnetite nanofluid behaves just like water, with no change in its cooling properties. Moving Forward Hu indicates this work is one of the first studies to demonstrate experimentally how heat transfer can be enhanced using a magnetite nanofluid. Imagine electromagnets placed at strategic locations along a pipe, which can be switched on and off when cooling needs to be increased, says Buongiorno. For example, take any system where hotspots occur on the surface of cooling pipes. Magnets and a magnetic field could be activated on the outside the pipe next to the hotspot, to increase heat transfer at that spot. Magnetic particles suspended in cooling water could prevent hotspots in nuclear plant cooling systems, as well as electronic systems and components that experience high heat flow. Although the initial results are very promising, Azizian cautions that much more work needs to be done to understand the exact physical mechanisms that cause improved heat transfer. Ultimately, he says, being able to increase localized heat transfer 300% or more will significantly reduce the capital costs of cooling system design. Mark Crawford is an independent writer. For Further Discussion Measurements show that the local heat transfer coefficient of magnetite nanofluids increased up to 300 percent when a magnetic field was applied locally.Reza Azizian, Postdoctoral Associate, MIT

Muslim Amazon contractors finally allowed to use company prayer rooms

Muslim Amazon contractors finally allowed to use company prayer rooms Muslim Amazon contractors finally allowed to use company prayer rooms After months of pray-ins and protests, workers for an Amazon contractor finally got what full-time Muslim employees at Amazon already had: the right to pray during the day.Like many, Amazon contracts Security Industry Specialists (SIS) to get security officers  to patrol its large Seattle campus. 500 of 800 of those security employees are Muslim, according to SIS workers, but they had to pray in garages and other out-of-the-way places on campus and managers reportedly threatened them if they took 15 to 30 minutes off the clock to worship.Now that’s changed. SIS told Seattle Globalist that its management released a list  of available prayer rooms on the Amazon campus, which are the same rooms that were available to full-time employees.“Amazon began establishing dedicated Prayer Rooms earlier this year and was kind enough to let us know that SIS employees can use them,” the President of SIS  told the publication.That’s a rosy picture that ignores the complaints filed with the N ational Labor Relations Board  that went into getting access to these rooms.Time off for religious worship at workThe labor victory follows multiple  allegations of religious discrimination by Muslim contract workers at the tech giant. Security officers said they were repeatedly denied spaces to pray, were reprimanded for taking time to do their daily prayers  and faced intimidation for union activities.SIS worker  Abdinasir Elmi said that one manager  told other employees  to “blame the Muslims” who took time off during Ramadan for their increased workload.Federal law requires that employers must make “reasonable accommodations” for people’s faiths “unless it would be an undue hardship on the employer’s operation of its business.” Undue hardship can  means it’s too much money or it “decreases workplace inefficiency.”According to the Pew Research Center, Islam is the fastest-growing religion in the world. There are 3.3 million Muslims living in America, which a ccount for 1% of the U.S. population. But although Muslims are a growing part of the workforce, their religious practices - which can include praying five times a day and fasting for a month during Ramadan - have frequently clashed with a company’s bottom-line.In 2016, a Cargill plant in Colorado fired about 150 of its Muslim workers in a prayer dispute. The Council on American-Islamic Relations, which publicized the case, alleged that workers were told to “go home” if they wanted to pray. The plant retorted that workers were given the reasonable accommodation of prayer rooms. That same year, Ariens, a Wisconsin manufacturing company, fired seven of its Muslim workers for taking unscheduled breaks, which they were using to pray. Muslim employees said that the company’s scheduled break times did not align with their needed prayer time.As part of their faith, Muslims must pray five times each day: at sunrise, noon, mid-afternoon, sunset and evening. Ariens initially allowed M uslim workers to have a brief third break needed to accommodate prayers but ultimately concluded  that this disrupted production. 14 other Muslim employees resigned over the break policy.Ladders reached out to Amazon about the allegations of its contractors’ conditions and we will update when we get a response.‘A different class’Contract workers like Amazon’s security officers are the unsavory underbelly of the tech industry’s approach to employment. They are too often seen but not heard. They work at the company, but as one SIS security officer noted, “we’re in a different class than the rest of Amazon.”SIS worker  Eden Medhane noted that Amazon security officers are not allowed to park in the employee parking garage, even though their job is to patrol it.Medhane has been one of the leading voices among irate contractors unimpressed with the proportion of the divide separating them from managers and full-time workers in terms of wages, benefits and treatment.In his blistering April op-ed, SIS Amazon worker  Medhane wrote that “if easing economic inequality could be as important to [Amazon CEO] Jeff Bezos as developing a private space program, he could turn his attention to the lives of his workers - all of his workers - in the city that helped make him the second-richest person in the world.”Crowdsourced work with no financial netThe divide between full-time workers and contractors is not unique to Amazon’s security workforce.Amazon also uses contractors for Amazon Mechanical Turk, a crowdsourced digital marketplace that exists largely for data processing tasks that cannot be automated. It is repetitive and often mind-numbing work.Employers using Amazon Mechanical Turk decide what they wish to pay crowdsourced contractors. AMT contract workers have no minimum wage.Google chose full-time hires instead of contractorsMany tech companies hardly balk at paying engineers richly, but they save costs on contract workers, which work alongside f ull-time staff on many similar tasks but receive fewer benefits.A former Google employee critiqued Google’s decision to hide its  subcontracted workforce of service workers, content moderators and laborers: they “didn’t ride the Google shuttle, eat the Google food, or attend beer-filled all-hands Friday meetings.  In fact, Google’s abundantly productive, nonhierarchical, and playful workplace seemed to rely on hidden layers of human data work: subcontractors who were off the books.”Google made changes. In 2014, it parted ways with SIS and hired about 200 security officers full-time

4 Tips for Turning Your Passion into a Career

4 Tips for Turning Your Passion into a Career 4 Tips for Turning Your Passion into a Career Turning your passion into a career can make for the perfect marriage. People who’ve been savvy enough- or lucky enough- to strike that balance often reach this goal through a combination of hard work, smarts, and serendipity. Granted, it may be an uphill battle to find that sweet spot in your career where you’re being paid to do something you truly enjoy. The most challenging issue for many, especially at the beginning, can be figuring out how to earn enough money to pay the bills. You may need to hold on to your day job (if you have one), before you dive full-time into turning a hobby or side interest into a full-fledged career. To fire up your imagination and your inspiration, here are a few suggested approaches that may help you earn a paycheck while doing what you truly enjoy: Blend left brain and right brain If you’re someone who enjoys gourmet cooking or fine wine, but also has a head for business, finding a way to bring those talents together can offer tantalizing career possibilities. Take the case of Wineflite, a company that ships wine worldwide for global travelers. The founder combined his knowledge of freight and shipping logistics with his appreciation for fine wine to establish a successful business. Teach what you know Are you an amateur artist whose skills impress your family and friends? Do you enjoy practicing yoga daily? Is music your thing- singing or perhaps playing an instrument? Consider getting some formal training that will allow you to teach what you love to do. Your experience as a hobbyist can reap practical, as well as financial, benefits. Save the world “Green” companies with environmental missions, and nonprofit organizations are among the best opportunities for people looking for second, or encore careers. Other job possibilities include the healthcare sector, education, and government work. Get creative Working in creative fields can provide some of the most fulfilling work for people looking to set off on a new path. Whats more, being creative in your job search can mean going beyond the fields typically thought of as creative. Are you a whiz in science, technology, engineering, or math- the so-called STEM career field? Look for hot jobs that may land you in cities that top the list of places where your skills are most in demand. Readers, tell us your ideas about how to combine doing what you love with your career!

The Most Important Classes Had Nothing to Do with Engineering

The Most Important Classes Had Nothing to Do with Engineering The Most Important Classes Had Nothing to Do with Engineering Why would a website dedicated to promoting mechanical engineering make the claim stated in the title? Dont all engineers spend hours in the classroom to obtain that hard earned degree in order to get a good job and start a good career? While we as engineers have put long hours into learning engineering concepts and laws, the most important things well learn arent from classes contained within specific engineering curriculums, but within the core curriculums that all engineers take but often dont place much importance in. This claim, of course, is not being made to downplay the importance of our mechanical engineering classes. These lessons enable us to be the designers and manufacturers in todays society that provide millions of people with the needs and desires of life, such as energy, transportation, and entertainment. Engineering schools provide thousand of graduates each year with the technical background and problem-solving skills that allow each one of us to make a positive contribution to the culture around us. These are classes we all know and took as students. If you were anything like me, you trudged through them knowing that these classes were a necessary part of the checklist to complete on your way to a degree and a sidelight to real engineering classes. Yet, a few months into any job and youll realize those classes and the skills they teach are as necessary to your job success as that degree was in getting your first interview. A Dose of the Real World When I first started interviewing, I found that the interviewers were not especially interested in my technical knowledge. A few of the interviewers even told me that. They assumed that since I was graduating with a decent GPA, that I had the technical background necessary to be a successful mechanical engineer. What they wanted to know was what type of person I was. Could I communicate plainly? Could I write my thoughts in a clear and concise manner? Was I a team player? Was I a hard worker? These are the skills that make an organizations team successful. English 101. Ill never forget that at the conclusion of one job interview, the interviewer asked me to write in memo form why I wanted the position. Through the interview process, he knew the reasons why I was interested in the position by the type of questions he asked and my subsequent response. The reason for the assignment was to see if I could communicate by writing what I had just communicated to him verbally. English wasnt my favorite class. Most math-minded engineers wouldnt claim writing to be their favorite past time either, but yet even in reading this article youve formed opinions about this author, based upon my ability to communicate through what youre reading. In our careers, well spend countless hours documenting processes, writing reports, and communicating via email, instant messaging, or other written forms. If you dont have a good understanding of the language and grammar, how can you hope to succeed? Writing is one of those skills that will get better with practice. Similar to learning to ride a bike where you only get better by hopping on the bike and pedaling, you can only get better at writing by putting yourself in situations where you have to write. If youre a student, volunteer to start the rough drafts for the technical reports due for project/design classes. If youre already in the work place, do the same for project status reports. If youre thinking about going to graduate school, you might even deliberately choose to go into a program with a thesis so that you can gain that extra experience researching and writing. Speech 101. Job interviews can be one of the most nerve-wracking experiences one will ever have. You have a specified amount of time (sometimes even less than thirty minutes) to make a first impression that will hopefully affect the interviewer enough so that they will consider you in the future. The only way to do this is to make an effective presentation of yourself and your abilities. That is what most speech or public speaking classes are all about. Speech classes teach you how to organize and present your thoughts coherently, whether it be presenting facts or trying to persuade your audience to your point of view. This doesnt stop with the final test in class, but will continue past presenting your senior design project, defending your thesis, or making a presentation to your future manager or a potential customer. Want a pay raise? Youll have to be persuasive to get it and good presentation skills will help your cause. Use the skills taught in speech classes. Begin with the end in mind and clearly state the points you want to get across in a clear, logical manner. Stay focused on what you want to say. Dont forget your physical presentation when focusing on your subject presentation. Showing confidence by your posture, demeanor, and even dress can show an audience how important the subject matter is to you and persuade them to think likewise. Extra Curricular 101. While this isnt a class that will show up on any transcript, it is a classroom in and of itself. Every interviewer will look at extra curricular activities with a keen eye because of what it shows. Participating in extra activities shows an interest in different things, shows that youll go the extra mile by taking responsibility above and beyond the classroom, and even provides leadership experience. Diversified interests develop a well-rounded employee, the responsibility showed in extra activities portrays one who will get the job done, and leadership skills developed in extra-curricular activities can be applied to specific projects. All these are very attractive to an employer. Even after youve landed your first job, participating in teams outside of your normal scope of work (such as planning the Christmas party) show that you are a contributor to the success of the company and the culture within. Mechanical engineering can be one of the most rewarding career fields in the job market. However, a well-rounded engineer will enjoy his or her work more and will most likely excel in this environment because of the many skills brought to the workplace. Placing emphasis on all class work, not just the engineering classes, can help nurture and grow a well-rounded engineer. When I first started interviewing, I found that the interviewers were not especially interested in my technical knowledge.

Lose the Eyebrow-Raising Accomplishments From Your Resume

Lose the Eyebrow-Raising Accomplishments From Your Resume Lose the Eyebrow-Raising Accomplishments From Your Resume Some career results are so over-the-top or irrelevant, they can skew your job chances.She moved through several rounds of interviews at a large financial institution, but the process eventually broke down.Was she unqualified? No. Lacking quantifiable achievements? Quite the contrary.In fact, she had insisted on listing on her resume her involvement with electing a controversial political figure with extreme religious views. Sure, it was an achievement - just not one that the financial institution interviewing her wanted to touch with a 10-foot pole.“She was told - off the record - that if her political involvement had been handled more discreetly, the job would have been hers,” said the woman’s career counselor, Roy Cohen, author of ” The Wall Street Professional’s Survival Guide.”There are some career achievements that we’re so proud of we feel we have to put them on every resume, even if they’re not directly relevant to a given position. Then there are achievemen ts that are so overblown they sound made-up - a sales rep sells $10 million worth of product from a $2 million company? Um, OK. Sure. These are just two examples of accomplishments you want to handle with kid gloves, if not omit from your resume entirely.Omit the IrrelevantLaura Rose, a career coach and certified efficiency coach, had a client with a chronological resume that wasn’t getting her any hits in her quest to get a job at a company that creates training materials. Her two most recent jobs were in retail, though her education and work experience were as a teacher’s assistant for eight years.“The first thing you saw on her resume was her last two jobs as retail clerk,” Rose said.Yes, those jobs were accomplishments, but they were irrelevant to the position the woman was really after. So Rose switched things around, going for a hybrid resume format that started with a professional skills summary up front. In that section, Rose included only things that supported the woman’s having developed training materials, lesson plans, presentations, etc.Next came the teaching assistant jobs. At the end, Rose included only one retail job but stressed client satisfaction, customer interaction, attention to client needs and other attributes that supported the people skills required in the training position.By the next week, the woman had received three hits on her new resume. Two weeks later she was working at a graphics shop, creating training materials.“I encourage future-focused resumes, versus a resume that just maps where the client has been,” Rose said. “Hiring managers don’t have time to be distracted by accomplishments that do not have anything to do with the position they are hiring for. Oftentimes, HR or others will pre-scan the resume. If their eyes scan something irrelevant, you’ve increased your chances of being tossed aside.“In these tough times, your recent job(s) may not be in the field that you really desire,” she said. “If you write a chronological resume, the hiring manager is first hit with a job history that doesn’t match what he is looking for. If you lead off with your professional skills section first - and list all the attributes and skills that are directly in line with what the hiring manager has in mind - you have his attention.”Omit the AncientCohen recommends omitting accomplishments that are old, suggest you’re old and offer no insight into what you can contribute now. One example of an old accomplishment that still might bear relevance would be if you played varsity sports in college and continue to compete on a nonprofessional basis, Cohen said. In such a case, “you convey a dynamic energy regardless as to the graduation date.”

Customize this Outstanding Sample Government Resume 1 Sample

Customize this Outstanding Sample Government Resume 1 Sample Customize this Outstanding Sample Government Resume 1 Sample Sample Government ResumeCreate Resume EDUCATIONXYZ University, Hopedale, NY Candidate for Bachelor of Arts, May 2000 Major: Government 3.83 GPA Minor: Business 3.87 GPA The Williams School, New London, CT High School Degree, June 1995 WORK EXPERIENCEMerrill Lynch And Co. Inc., New Haven CT, Summer 1999 Completed a rigorous internship working closely with retail and institutional brokers examining US markets and industries. Researched and analyzed equities, derivatives, and bonds utilizing Merrill Lynch computer systems.Hartford Superior Court, Hartford CT, Summer 1998 Conducted in-depth project studying daily flow within the courthouse including data collection and analysis utilizing Microsoft Excel. Participated in data correction and filing in both criminal and civil case flow offices.ACTIVITIES/SERVICESocial Integrity Board Chairman, XYZ University, Fall 1999 Present Appointed by Student Government Association Executive Committee and confirmed by Student Senate as member of Soci al Integrity Board. Adjudicate and sanction students in violation of the XXX Student Codes of Conduct. Lead board members in delivering opinions and sanctions to students in hearings and written form. Conduct cases in close collaboration with Head of Residential Life and examine XXXs social policies and honor code.Student Speakers Bureau Member, XYZ University, Fall 1998 Present Allocate funds to various organizations throughout the XXX community to bring speakers to campus.COMPUTER SKILLSMicrosoft Office 2000Microsoft ExcelMicrosoft AccessPowerPointWordPerfectLotus 1-2-3I.E. 4.0 and Netscape 4.6Adobe PhotoShop 5.0HTML/Web PublishingCustomize Resume

Legal Profession Job Titles and Descriptions

Legal Profession Job Titles and Descriptions Legal Profession Job Titles and Descriptions The  Bureau of Labor Statistics  (BLS)  reports in its Occupational Outlook Handbook that competition for jobs in the legal field will remain strong as more students graduate from law school than there are jobs available. However, BLS also projects that employment of lawyers will grow 8 percent from 2016 to 2026, with 65,000 new jobs created. Other jobs within the legal field are also growing. The BLS projects employment of paralegals and legal assistants to grow 15 percent from 2016 to 2026, which is must faster than average. Mediator and conciliator jobs are projected to grow at a rate of 10 percent  during the same time frame.   Demand for people in the lawyers is expected to rise in upcoming years. The salary for people in the legal industry, from paralegals to lawyers to court reports, is an average of $80,000 per year according to the BLS.   Legal Industry Jobs When you think of the legal industry, its probably judges and lawyers that pop into your head. But there are far more roles available in the industry than those. There are many people involved in the court system, for instance, from advocates to clerks to transcriptionists.   Heres a list of positions in the legal industry along with some job descriptions. General Arbitrator: If both parties agree, an arbitrator can help settle a legal disagreement instead of going through the court system.  Attorney: Also known as a lawyers, attorneys are advocates for their clients rights. It can involve everything from offering advice to creating or reviewing contracts to representing clients in court.  Case ManagerJury Consultant: Jury consultants, also known as trial consultants, help lawyers choose a jury likely to return a verdict in their favor. They also prep witnesses, evaluate deposition transcripts and organize mock trials. Law Firm Administrator: The person in this role oversees day-to-day operations for a firm.  Legal AnalystLegal Services DirectorParalegal: The American Association for Paralegal Education defines a paralegal work as substantive and procedural legal work which would otherwise be performed by an attorney. In other words, a paralegal is far more than a lawyers assistant. Their work includes legal research and presentations, interviewing clients, drafting legal documents, and law office administration. Administrative Administrative AssistantClerkCopy Center ProfessionalDocument CoderFile ClerkLegal Aide/AssistantLegal SecretaryMailroom PersonnelLegal Records Manager Court Positions Bailiff: Bailiffs are officers of the court, responsible for keeping the courtroom safe. They escort people, including jurors and defendants, to and from the courtroom.  Court Advocate: A court advocate, or victims advocate, is trained to support crime victims. They provide the victim with information, emotional support, help locating resources such as social service agencies, completing paperwork, and sometimes go to court with them. Some victims advocates run crisis hotlines and support groups or provide counseling. Court Messenger: As you might expect, people in this role are responsible for getting files, documents, and evidence where it needs to go.  Court Reporter: You have these professionals to thank for transcripts of various legal proceedings.  Court RepresentativeCourt Transcriptionist: A court transcriptionist listens to oral testimony and turns it into an accurate written record. Court transcriptionists are usually stenographers who use a special machine to produce a transcript of the proceedings. However, they may also use a voice recorder which is a special mask allowing for narration into a computer which uses speech recognition software to create a transcript. JudgeLitigation Docket Manager: A litigation docket manager manages an organizations litigation docket file and records and makes sure the calendar is regularly updated. He may also oversee the docketing database or train staff to manage it.Litigation Support DirectorMagistrateTrial Consultant Contracts Contract AdministratorContract AnalystContract Drafting Legal Specialist Mediation ConciliatorMediator: Unlike a lawyer, a mediator is a neutral third party and doesnt represent any one person involved in a legal matter. Mediators are non-biased negotiators for all parties involved in the dispute, and they work to resolve everyones issues and come to a mutual understanding and agreement without a judge or jury. They can work in legal administration, labor unions, and the arts, for instance. They can also specialize in a particular area, like divorce mediation.Conflict Resolution Specialist Other ConsultantRegulatory Affairs DirectorRight of Way AgentSoftware Consultant