Army Enlisted Rank Promotion System Breakdown

Army Enlisted Rank Promotion System BreakdownArmy Enlisted Rank Promotion System BreakdownEach year, when Congress passes the Defense Authorization Act, the Army receives instructions on how many people can be on active duty during the year. Under separate legislation, Congress also limits what percentage of the total active duty force can serve in each commissioned officer rank, in each warrant officer rank, and in each enlisted rank above the grade of E-4. There are no statutory limits for E-4 and below. The E stands for enlisted and in the Army an E-4 is the rank of corporal. This is the basis of the Army enlisted versetzung system. The Army takes the number of slots it has for each enlisted rank, above the rank of corporal, and allocates them to the different military occupational specialties (MOS), or enlisted jobs. Army Promotions and Vacancies To promote someone in the U.S. Army, there must be a vacancy. For example, if an E-9 (sergeant major) retires in a certain MOS, suc h as MOS that means that one E-8 can be promoted to E-9, and that opens an E-8 slot, so one E-7 can be promoted to E-8, and so forth. If 200 E-5s get out of the Army in a particular MOS, then 200 E-4s can be promoted to E-5. So, how does the Army decide which enlisted members are going to get promoted? They do this using three systems Decentralized versetzungs for vorrcken to the grades of E-2 through E-4, Semi centralized promotions for promotion to the grades of E-5 and E-6, and centralized boards for promotions to E-7, E-8, and E-9. Decentralized Promotions in the Army In the Army, the unit, or company, is the promotion authority. In theory, the commander decides who gets promoted and who doesnt. However in practice, because there are no quotas for promotion for E-2s through E-4s, commanders pretty much promote anyone who meets the promotion criteria set by the Army to ensure that the promotion flow remains stable. Everyone (regardless of MOS) can expect to be promoted in the saatkorn approximate time frame. There are some exceptions to the rules. First, in the Army, its possible to join an advanced rank(up to E-4) for certain accomplishments, including college credits, Junior ROTC, or even referring other applicationsfor enlistment, while a member of the Delayed Enlistment Program(DEP). Second, soldiers in Special Forces (18X) can be promoted to E-4 with just 12 months of time in service, and no specific time in grade requirement. Semi-Centralized Promotions in the Army A semi-centralized promotion process means that the unit/company plays a part in the promotion selection process, but its the Army that decides who gets promoted. There are two promotion processes known as primary zone and secondary zone. Most enlisted are promoted in the primary zone. The secondary zone gives an opportunity for commanders to give exceptional performers an early shot at promotion. The process for either zone begins with administrative points. A soldier receives prom otion points for various accomplishments, such as military decorations (medals), and PFT (Physical Fitness Test) scores. Administrative Points in Army Promotions Administrative points consist of duty performance, awards and decorations, military education and civilian education. The unit commander awards duty performance points based on recommendations from the soldiers supervisor. The commander may award up to 30 points in each of the following areas Competence Is the soldier proficient and knowledgeable? Does he/she communicate effectively?Military Bearing Is the soldier a role model, in the areas of appearance and self-confidence?Leadership Does the soldier motivate others, set high standards, show proper concern for the mission?Training Does the soldier share knowledge and experience? Does he/she teach others?Responsibility/accountability Some military awards (medals) are given a specific promotion-point value, as are training courses such as ranger school or platoon leaders development course. The Army gives promotion points for off-duty education, such as college courses, or business/trade school courses, and for scores on the Army PFT and test scores on the rifle or pistol range. The next part of the process is the Promotion Board. To convene a promotion board, the commander must be in the grade of Lieutenant Colonel (O-5) or above. That means, if the company commander is an O-5, the board can be conducted by the company. However, if the company commander is an O-3, the member will meet the board conducted by the next level of command (such as Battalion) where the commander is at least an O-5. Some E-4s can be promoted to Sergeant (E-5) without a promotion board, under anew Army promotion policy. The promotion board consists of at least three voting members and one nonvoting member (the recorder). The President of the Board is the senior member. If the board consists of all enlisted members (NCOs), then the President of the Board should be (if possi ble) the Command Sergeant Major. If not possible, then the President can be a Sergeant Major (E-9). All members of the board must be at least one grade senior to those being considered for promotion (For example, for an E-5 promotion board, all of the members must be in the grades of E-6 or above). If available, there must be at least one voting member of the same sex as the soldiers being considered. For example, if a board is considering 50 E-5s for promotion to E-6, and 2 of those being considered are female, the board should have at least one female voting member. Additionally, each board should have at least one voting minority member (African American, Hispanic, Asian, etc.). Soldiers physically appear before the promotion board. Each board members ask a series of questions, and scores the candidate in four separate areas Personal appearanceOral expression and conversation skillsKnowledge of world affairsAwareness of military programsKnowledge of basic soldiering (Soldiers Man ual)Soldiers attitude (includes an assessment of the soldiers and potential for promotion, trends in performance, etc.). Each board member rates each of the above areas as follows Average- 1 to 7 pointsAbove Average- 8 to 13 pointsExcellent- 14 to 19 pointsOutstanding- 20 to 25 points The maximum number of points that can be awardedbyeach board member is 150 points, total. The total points for all the voting board members aretotaled and then divided by the number of board members. It results in an average score by the board. That becomes the soldiers promotion board points (maximum of 150). The board takes one final action- they vote on whether or not they recommend the candidate for promotion. If a majority of the members vote no, then the individual will not be promoted, regardless of how many total administrative and board points they have. The board points are then added to the administrative points. The maximum possible combined administrative points and board pointsis850. To b e placed on the promotion recommended list, a soldier eligible for promotion to E-5 must achieve a minimum of 350 combined administrative and board points. A soldier eligible for promotion to E-6 must have at least 450 total promotion points. Soldiers who make it through all of the above are placed on the Recommended List, andthere are only a certain number of vacancies available in each MOS for each enlisted grade. Each month, the Army looks at each MOS and determines how many people within the MOS they need to promote to fill the vacancies (remember, vacancies within each grade are created when someone gets promoted out of that grade, gets out of the Army, or re-trains into a different MOS). Centralized Promotions (E-7, E-8, and E-9) Centralized promotions are conducted Army-wide, at Army Personnel Headquarters. The unit/battalion has nothing (or little) to do with the promotion process. There are no minimum time-in-grade requirements for promotion to E-7, E-8, or E-9, but sol diers must meet the following minimum time-in-service requirements to be eligible for promotion Sergeant First Class(E-7)- 6 yearsMaster Sergeant/First Sergeant(E-8)- 8 yearsSergeant Major(E-9)- 9 years The Centralized Promotion Board consists of at least five members. The board can (and usually is) divided into separate panels, which, in turn, review/score the promotion records for those being considered in different MOSs. If so, each panel must include at least three voting members. The President of the Board must be a General Officer. Board members are commissioned officers and Senior NCOs. Unlike the promotion boards for E-5s and E-6s, soldiers do not personally meet the Centralized Board. The board makes their decisions based on the contents of the soldiers promotion records. Each year, the Army decides how many soldiers within each MOS it plans to promote to the ranks of E-7, E-8, and E-9. For example, if the Army plans to promote 17 E-7 soldiers in MOS 123 to E-8 within the n ext year, they basically say to the board, Here are the promotion records of everyone eligible for promotion to E-8 in MOS 123. Please review these records, discuss them, vote, and select 17 of them to be promoted within the next 12 months. Soldiers eligible for consideration may write to the president of the promotion board to provide documents and information drawing attention to any matter concerning themselves that they feel is important to their consideration. Although written communication is authorized, it is only encouraged when there is something that is not provided in the soldiers records that the soldier feels will have an impact on the boards deliberations. The promotion records consist of pretty much everything that isinthe soldiersmilitary records, including decorations (medals), dates of service, dates of assignments, duty positions (past and present), performance reports, educational accomplishments, military training, official photograph, records of disciplinary ac tion, such asArticle 15, or courts-martial convictions, letters of reprimand, etc. The members of the board discuss and score each record, and then make a determination as to whether or not the individual should be promoted (remember, the board is told in advance exactly how many in each MOS can be promoted that year). The Army then takes all the selectees (without regard to MOS), and assigns them a promotion sequence number, which is assigned according to seniority. For example, if its the E-7 list, the Army will give the lowest sequence number (0001) to the E-7selecteewith the most time-in-grade as an E-6. Each month, for the next 12 months, the Army will then release the sequence numbers of those to be promoted during that month. It ensures a smooth promotion flow for the following 12 months (when the next board will meet and do everything all over again).

The one question we should all ask ourselves at the end of the day

The one question we should all ask urselves at the end of the dayThe one question we should all ask ourselves at the end of the dayJosh Davis, Ph.D. is the author of the international bestseller, Two Awesome Hours Science-Based Strategies to Harness Your Best Time and Get Your Most Important Work Done, and he serves on the faculty of the Department of Psychology at Barnard College of Columbia University. He recently spoke with Caroline Webb, CEO of Sevenshift and author of How to Have a Good Day, about how to use small amounts of time for large advances in productivity.Caroline Were here to talk about our how to be at our best, and specifically, how to be at our best in small amounts of time. I wrote a book, How to Have a Good Day. You wrote a book that welches even mora focused on a smaller amount of time - two hours. Why is it that you were so attracted to such a small amount of time?Josh We can be amazingly productive for a half hour, two hours, three hours - where youre just hi tting everything out of the park, figuring out exactly who needs to be on your team, how youre going to get this project done and so on. And then, because youve been so productive, you can be worthless for three days in a row.I have that issue. If that can happen, there must be things that we can learn about platzdeckchenting up those brief times when we can really be at our best. The reason why I focus on two hours is because most people, upon recognizing a few of these different ways of thinking or operating, can have two awesome hours in a day. Its a reasonable and achievable thing that can make a very big difference.The way we spend our days is the way we spend our livesCaroline Its interesting that we both chose small amounts of time where there are so many books out there about a broader span of things as they relate to your career. The first few years of my work as a management consultant, I was focusing on large-scale change huge changes in the company level, organizational level, cultural transformation or in-performance turnaround. Often the goals were very lofty, they would try and fix morale in this whole organization and boost collaboration or innovation, things like that.And so often, my work ended up coming down to the small stuff, the everyday things. In order to make these big goals happen for real, you needed to think about how you set up meetings, how you handle it when things go wrong, what you do when someone makes a mistake.Over time, I found I was getting to a smaller and smaller scale, and thats what made me interested. And then, as I departureed to think about the idea of a day being a building block of life, there was this quiet book that came into my field of vision, Annie Dillards The Writing Life. She said, The way we spend our days is the way we spend our lives.You need to think about how you set up meetingsJosh When you do work with an organization or an individual, youre thinking about long-term - in order to innovate, we need to have these kinds of priorities, think in these ways, these are going to be the challenges, etc. People understand it. They get behind it and then it doesnt happen.If you start looking at your behaviors every day, thats where you can find a lot of ways in which we get diverted or fall back into the old way of doing things.Caroline You talk about these decision points in your day and that theyre often when things go wrong. Could you say a bit mora about that?Josh One of the things thats really core is focusing on whats important, leid whats urgent. Its not so much a challenge, really, to know whats important. But when I sit down to work, Ive got a million things where Im just being reactive. Were on autopilot most of the time.Autopilot is very complex - its not just about breathing, or lifting up a fork. Its being an expert at running a meeting, at thinking up branding strategies. Over time, expertise means it becomes more automatic. We dont have to think as deeply. We can recogni ze patterns and just go with those. Once you get into that, were not as aware of all the other things that are going on. Time slips by, and you start checking email or reading the paper. As you get into those autopilot modes, its very hard to just willfully stop yourself.There are a few moments in the day, though, when autopilot turns off and we can learn to capture these moments and make them decision points. So autopilot turns off, essentially, when we come to a crossroads. Some researchers believe that the purpose of consciousness is to make a decision when autopilot cant handle it.Caroline The master idea behind that is that the currency of your days is where you choose to put your attention. We can be absolutely on autopilot the whole time on that front, if were not careful.One thing that you write about, and that I care about deeply as well, is the idea of being intentional. Thinking, What is it that really deserves most of my attention today? And then within a conversation, o r a meeting, What is it that I want to most look out for? Knowing that if you dont contemplate that, your attention will go wherever your autopilot decides you should go, and thats not necessarily where you want it to go.Stating of intentions is such an interesting thing, because it can take only a few seconds but it can really change the way that you are making decisions in the moment. What are your tricks for making sure that when you come to those decision points, your attention is top of line?There are moments where autopilot turns offJosh An in-the-moment trick, when you just find yourself all of a sudden with a decision point, is to literally stand up. If you physically step back until youre able to remember what is really important, you can choose to start. When you start on the right thing, you can finish the day doing the right thing.Caroline I love the idea of standing up because when I do that, it does really help to refocus your attention on what you really care about. I t is a reset, a physical reset. I also find it helpful to ask the question, when I get to the end of day, What will I be delighted that Ive achieved or annoyed with myself that Ive not achieved?I often have a single Post-it note. Yesterday, my mind was getting distracted in exactly the way you just described, and I was getting annoyed with it. So I wrote on a Post-it note, in huge capital letters, the thing that I needed to do next and I put it in the middle of my screen so that I couldnt look around it. I had to stay focused on it. Weve only got a small amount of conscious attention, and we need to spend that wisely.The currency of your days is where you choose to put your attentionJosh Another thing I like to do during these decision points is to check in with myself. To ask not whats most important, but evaluate my mental energy. Am I depleted or not? I know thats something youve written about quite a bit as well.Caroline A lot of what were talking about here is self-awareness an d starting to notice where your mind and body are when youre really, really busy. To actually notice, Im finding it harder to concentrate than I was an hour ago. My mind is scattered, or Im having decision fatigue. And then the same physically - start to be more aware of the fact that you havent moved in a while or had a glass of water.Josh I think one of the important findings from research is that we are not at our best all the time. Thats actually something useful that you can take advantage of. It means that strategically, it would make a lot of sense to think about whats most important, what do I really want to show up for? How can I be at my best for that? Because were not at our best at all times, we can learn to be more at our best more often.You mentioned being aware of decision fatigue - I find, at least for myself, that when Im on autopilot, its actually hard for me to know that. If Im just sitting there, Im feeling like I can keep going. But if I actually get interrupt ed, and then step out and go get a glass of water, I realize, I am actually not thinking that clearly and am not at my best. Or Yeah, Im really good right now.We can learn to be more at our best more oftenCaroline I often set myself a timer to make sure that I dont get lost in what Im doing, and that I do stand up and stretch or go for a walk. Sometimes I set it for short periods of time if I notice that its really hard for me to concentrate and I just to need to figure out a way to single-task, rather than multi-task.The other thing that Im a fan of is zoning and batching. For zoning, there is some time in the day that you know that you are intellectually at your peak. Its really great if, over time, you can start to chisel away at your calendar. It doesnt work initially if youve got a lot of other people determining what happens in your day. But over time you can start to get a little bolder about protecting that time, if you know that that is the time that you do your best thinki ng.For me, that has always been the late afternoon. The evidence on average, will tend to say you should do it in the morning. For me, thats not the case. But the point is to know what your self-limit is. And then to collect together different chunks of time, so youre not asking your brain to switch modes too much. Gather email together a couple of times a day, as you say. Be clear when you want to push through a bunch of calls. I have a particular time of day when I tend to meet people for coffee if Im going to have networking chats.Josh For me, it was a much more sudden transformation that came about as a result of doing the research for the book. I shifted the order of things and noticed I was able to be present for the things that mattered and ended up spending a lot less time working overall.You mentioned connecting networking energizes you. Now, some people find that energizing, some people find that draining. Everyone is different - I love being on stage and presenting. Know ing which things are going to give you energy and which things are going to drain you is also useful for that planning.Sometimes we have freedom to choose when we do things, but sometimes we dont. When you dont, there is a reset button, which is simply 20 minutes of moderate exercise.End the day by looking back and saying, What was good about the day?Caroline Absolutely. Its the reliable boost in focus and mood, and it happens so quickly. The other thing - which I was really skeptical of initially - was the nap, the 20-minute nap. Not everybody has the opportunity to take one in the middle of the day, but naps help particularly with the attentional piece of things.If you think about your own day, what is the one thing that you do every day to help keep you at your best?Josh Im really fighting between two things, both of which I have mentioned already. One of them is exercise as a strategic tool. It is so powerful and so reliable that it would just be crazy not to use it.The other one is to think about, What is important for me today or this week? and then to really build around that. What about for you?Caroline One thing that has really made a difference for me is to end the day by looking back and saying, What was good about the day? Its a question of deciding where you put your attention. We have some choice on what we choose to remember. Deciding to end the day by directing attention to what was good will set off the next day positively. I think its made me a happier creature.This article originally appeared on Heleo.

Tell Me About a Time You Did Something Wrong

Tell Me About a Time You Did Something WrongTell Me About a Time You Did Something WrongOften we go into an interview prepared to sell ourselves to the interviewer. Thats definitely something that you will want to do, but you also need to prepare for the worst.It can be a shocking surprise when you walk into an interview expecting to talk about how great you are, and someone asks you to tell them about a time you did something wrong.There is a reason you are being asked this question, so its important that you take some time to familiarize yourself with the main points to emphasize, and some common mistakes to avoid, especially for the50 Top Job Interview Questions and Answers.Main points to emphasizeFocus on how you handled the situation.Instead of giving a ton of information on what you did wrong, give just enough insight to go into detail on how you positively handled the situation.Stay PositiveExpress self-development and growth. Just because you did something wrong in the past d oes not mean that you have not grown and learned from your mistakes.Common mistakesAvoid being negative Although this is a negative question, you want to focus on the positive.Dont claim to be perfect. Saying that you have never done something wrong is just ridiculous and a sure way to eliminate yourself.Avoid dragging a coworker into the situation. Try to focus on something that YOU did wrong, and how YOU handled it.Sample answerA couple years ago, my manager came into my office and asked me why she had not received my fruchtwein recent report. I explained that I had sent the report over, and had absolutely no idea why she had not received it. She then asked me to resend it as soon as possible. The next day, she asked me why I had still not sent the report over. Again, I said that I did.Finally, after doing some digging, I had realized that I was sending the report via my personal email address, instead of my work email address. This was causing my report to go directly to my manag ers spam box. As soon as I found out, I informed my manager of the problem and resent the report on my work email. Since then, I have been extremely careful about what email account I use.Check out Find My Professionfor all of the latest career advice. If you need help finding a job, look no further than our professional career finder

4 Career Change Resume Mistakes to Avoid

4 Career Change Resume Mistakes to Avoid4 Career Change Resume Mistakes to Avoid18If youre a seasoned professional, your resume may have served you well so far. But if youre changing careers, then its time to change your resume too. Your updated resume should have a forward-looking focus, but with some caveats. Tout your past achievements, of course, but in a way that demonstrates how they will matter to the company youre hoping will hire you.Here are four career change resume mistakes to avoidNot speaking the language.As much as a potential employer may appreciate all that youve accomplished in your past career, what theyre really looking to landsee on your resume is an articulation of what you can do for them moving forward. If youre taking a whole new turn in your career, its up to you to re-vamp your resume with a career switch in mind. Make clear that you understand your targeted new industry, and spell out how youll be a real performer if youre hired.Appearing unfocused.If its been a while since you made changes to your resume, dont hesitate to take a red pencil to your CV to make it sharper, more focused, and individually tailored to each job opening. As you shift your sights from one career to another, keep in minda few resume tips and tricks that may help you freshen up your presentation and make it shine. Edit fearlessly, proofread, and dont be too wordy- thats a big turn-off for time-challenged recruiters.Looking outdated.If youve always had a paper-only resume, its probably time to craft an online resumeto demonstrate your technological know-how and to showcase your experience in a more immediately accessible way. Try to keep the tone of your resume from feeling too stilted and formal, and offer details that demonstrate a familiarity with social media, computer skills (beyond the basics), and other modes of technology.Overloading with details.Be selective- dont stuff your resume with every single accomplishment of your career. If you have many years of experience, youll likely need to omit some past achievements- especially those that are more than 15 years old. Unless it was an achievement of some consequence like, say, winning a major award, its to your benefit to leave old or insignificant information on the cutting-room floor.Career changers, use the comments section below to share your tips on how youve updated your resume and avoided career change resume mistakes

Cover Page for Resume Example Guide

Cover Page for Resume Example Guide Each one has the power to use a little help with their resume, especially if theyre interested in a career within a really technical industry. There are those who have already done a numerous quantity of work that is the reason why their portfolio can already be considered a book. Then, you should have lots of college-related experience for a complete page resume. Great work, you finally have a titel prepared to be sent to the printers Cover Page for Resume Example Fundamentals Explained Taking a photo of a web site on your monitor isnt acceptable. fruchtwein significantly, the document must be shown in the appropriate format. If youre planning to create a DVD cover, you can seek the advice of DVD cover template options since they come up with a prestructured DVD cover which it is simple to customize depending on your DVD data. As stated before, you wish to visit find a restart format thats worthy of your personal account. Cover Page f or Resume Example at a Glance The contents of the cover letter might also be dependent on the prerequisites of the recipient. If you dont understand what a cover letter appears like and what text ought to be in there, you can benefit from readymade cover letter templates. A strong cover letter is able to make your application stick out from the crowd. A prosperous cover letter will cause an interview for the position. Cover Page for Resume Example - the Conspiracy Below you will observe some of the best nursing ePortfolio profiles from throughout the nation. Careers in the health care industry take a wide variety of expertise and education. Whether you wish to receive a job in nursing, dentistry, or pharmaceuticals, weve got a sample that is relevant to your career path. One is for authors within the identical institution and the other one is for authors with unique affiliations. The Number One Question You Must Ask for Cover Page for Resume Example If youve got the design in your thoughts, adding it to the readymade template is extremely handy. A free resume psd template that include simple and tasteful style. You can depend on binder cover templates here and they are available in a wide variety of designs which range from girly to romantic to nautical to abstract. No matter that you want to download a cover page template for private use or your enterprise, theres always a special style for you to use. Top Choices of Cover Page for Resume Example You may decide to get hired able thats exactly like the one that you left, or you could zupflmmel a job in a new career which uses your top skills. Be certain to tailor any samples you use to coordinate with your own background and the job for which youre applying. There are lots of standard kinds of cover pages for resumes yelomdigitalsiteco utilized to make an application for job openings. Dont litter your private career portfolio with each piece youve ever done. The 5-Minute Rule for Cover Page for Resume Example Take under account the main portions of someones qualificationsthe things you would want to have an employer to learn off the bat. For instance, a cover letter is a fantastic place to speak about a career shift or maybe to explain a long gap in employment. Whenever possible, utilize a brief story or anecdote to spell out how you have accomplished something before and after that relate it to the employers specific requirements and the way you can fill them. It is crucial to have an all-inclusive portfolio as its the document being shown to prospective clients which will give them with the concept of the type of work that somebody can offer. The important thing here is to understand this is a procedure. It is influence. It is to understand that as your portfolio becomes more diverse, youll need to be more and more conscious of keeping your portfolio on task and organized. Youre able to use unterstellung cover pages for company or educational documents. I f you presently have a web site, then including a Portfolio section is an obvious option. In the skilled and academic arenas, many projects ask that you create a cover page. The function of the portfolio cover page is to supply the reviewer with information concerning the contents. Cover Page for Resume Example for Dummies After reading through a thorough case study, the prospective client ought to have a firm grasp of your capabilities and will probably be prepared to either begin discussions with you or earn a purchase. You may feel like the document is unnecessary since youre already providing a resume with tons of information. The information and elements you include will be contingent on the kind of document youre creating and other specifics of the undertaking. If youre asking for work in marketing or sales, you will need to highlight key performance metrics. As your work evolves, or in case you should emphasize a specific style of artwork for a particular interview, youll easily have the ability to expand and tailor your portfolio as needed. The portfolio book cover design might also be personal if youre to use an icon or an image that represents you as an individual or the product that has made you known by men and women in the business. A complete portfolio cover will give a hint about the topic of the portfolio, your name and a few of them even includes a welcome message. In reality, you might want to research some magnificent portfolio websites for inspiration toward the plan on your own portfolio website. While it might appear tedious, you must always customize each letter to fit the particular job for which youre applying. When applying for an IT job, you will probably must get through an HR representative who may not be well-versed in the technical details of the position. If youre interested in more than 1 job, fill out more than 1 application. It supplies the hiring manager a summary of the qualifications youve got for the job for which youre applying.

Online Recruitment and Online Dating Can They Work the Same - Spark Hire

Online Recruitment and Online Dating Can They Work the Same - Spark HireIn a recent article in Management Today, Tomas Chamorro-Premuzic, a professor at University College London, posited a world in which ansprechbar recruitment was much like online dating. Rather than conducting a Google search or scuring company websites and social media networks to find open positions, job seekers would complete a personality assessment that determines not only the kind of worker they are but which industries and open jobs would best fit them.From there, job seekers would be matched to open opportunities. If a hiring recruiter or gruppe manager were in the same physical vicinity as the job candidate, each would get an email or a ping, at which point they could conduct an interview right then and there or over the phone. Afterwards, an offer could be made, feedback on the candidate and the company could be left on a virtual site and a new partnership could begin.Unfortunately, thats not the world w e live in. And why not?For one, can we really depend on a sophisticated algorithm to be the sole resource or outlet in finding a job? Just like online dating, you cant. While hopeful romantics may indulge themselves with several dating profiles, there is still the hope that theyll meet the one at a coffee shop or in the classic run-in on the street, where piles of books and paper are scattered only to reveal a look of true love.Job seekers are no different. While it would be ideal if finding a job were so simple, candidates and companies need a little more than an online profile and a brief interview. Networking, references and follow-up interviews are crucial to getting to know one another more. After all, this is a relationship too, and unlike online dating, job seekers and companies dont have multiple dates to figure out compatibility. There needs to be quality cultivation before there is real commitment.At the same time, online dating techniques shouldnt be completely dismissed when it comes to the job search. In fact, this type of social platform could provide job seekers and companies with excellent networking opportunities. Rather than matching to open job opportunities and conducting an interview, hiring recruiters, managers and job candidates could meet to talk about company mission and values, professional growth and eventual opportunities.Essentially, this type of networking can be the first step in establishing that eventual relationship. It adds yet another component that hiring recruiters and managers can assess to ensure that job candidates are the right fit for the job and the company. And if its meant to be, job seekers and companies alike can begin to work happily ever after.Do you think online recruitment could function the same as online dating why or why not? Share your opinion in our comments

Invest Time If You Dont Have Money to Start a Business

Invest Time If You Dont Have Money to Start a BusinessInvest Time If You Dont Have Money to Start a BusinessStarting a new business often takes a lot mora time than it does money.If you are short on cash (or even have no money at all) to start a business, it should not stop you from taking the initial steps now that wont cost you anything but time. Write a Mission stellungnahme Your mission statement is a great daily reminder to yourself about what it is you want to accomplish.A good mission statement is short, clear, and should embrace your core values.It should state who you are serving (your market), how you are serving them (your services or products), and what makes your business unique. Write a Business Plan It is the most basic of all steps, and it is one that many people skip.A business plan can help you map out your ideas and strategies and goals in a way that you can see the big picture and other people can understand your business.It is particularly crucial because lenders often want to see two thingsa business plan and a feasibility study. Conduct a Feasibility Study Feasibility studies are a great way to answer your own questions, and questions investors will have about your business.For example, a marketing feasibility study looks at the market to assess competition, find niches, and will help you identify who might buy your products or services. A technical feasibility study addresses how you will get your product to market (i.e., how your business will produce, store, deliver, and track its products or services.)A financial feasibility study projects how much start-up capital is needed, sources of capital, returns on investment, and other financial considerations. It looks at how much cash is required, where it will come from, and how it will be spent. The more you know about your own business needs upfront, the fewer problems you will have in raising capital and getting started when you are ready to launch. If You Have a Small Am ount of Cash Buy a Website Domain - Cost $10 Even if you dont have the funds to develop a website just yet, grab a domain with your business name.You dont even have to pay for hosting to register a domain until you decide to build a website.If you are planning to build a site right away, budget about $10 per month for web hosting (Dreamhost.com and GoDaddy.com are two reputable shared hosting companies to consider.) Get Business Cards - Cost $25 Vistaprint.com is one of many online printing companies that offer cheap rates for custom business cards. Need a logo? Need Help Writing a Mission Statement? - Cost $5 Try fiverr.com.This is a free website that allows people to offer a wide array of services for only five bucks.Writers, web designers, social networkers, graphic artists, and many other creative professionals offer services here hoping to gain exposure and new business.It is a great place to get affordable help with many basic business needs or to try out other companies serv ices before spending more money with them. Buy Self-Help Books - Cost$50 If you dont have money to talk to a business lawyer, buy self-help books.Nolo and For Dummies books are a great way to get step-by-step instructions on how to set up gemeinwohlorientiert organizations, corporations, social networks, your website and help you understand just about everything there is to know about starting a business. Find a Mentor - CostFree If you are new to the business, rely on the expertise of a business mentor.A mentor wont tell you what to do but will help you think through your problems and offer guidance to help you avoid future problems. The Small Business Administrationis a great place to find a free business mentor. Register Your Business Name - CostVaries No matter where you plan to do business you will need to register or license your business with your state, county, and/or local municipality.If you are going to use a fictitious business name (sometimes referred to as Doing Busin ess As or DBA) you may need to run an ad in a newspaper for a certain number of weeks before you can use the name. Educate Yourself About Business - CostFree Take online courses to help you learn about business.Edx.org offers free business courses from MIT, Harvard, Berklee, and many other higher institutions. Start Building Social Networks Immediately Facebook, Google, Twitter, and Pinterest are the staples of most business owners today. Open a Business Bank Account - CostVaries It may cost more than $100 depending on how much your bank requires for an initial deposit.Connect the account to PayPal or a payment gateway if you are starting an e-store or collecting money online.If you operate as a sole proprietorship, you can collect funds into your personal bank account, but that lends the appearance your business is small or even unstable.Whenever possible, it is always better to have a separate business account for checking and savings.

Dust Off Your Résumé This Spring

Dust Off Your Rsum This SpringDust Off Your Rsum This SpringEvery night you go home from your lesss are excellent written and oral communication skills, demonstrated time management skills and team leader and player with the ability to get the job done. Its fantastic that you possess those skills, but it doesnt make you stand out from a crowd. Candidates write those things all the time, so you want to go a step further andshow these characteristics by providing specific examples of how youve demonstrated those great qualities on the job. 5. Are there mistakes in the text?Are there a consistent number of spaces between aber sichers and after periods? Did you misspell a word?If you have even a slight mistake, it is a huge distraction because the reader will stop paying attention to you and will be looking for other mistakes. Managers are likely to weed outrsums with only a few mistakes or withminuscule or distracting font to whittle down the pile.The best way to rid yourrsumof mistakes is to review it on paper. Review it once, twice or even up to five times. Ask three additionalpeople, family members or friends, to look at it for you after youve done multiple reviews of it yourself. Then you need to review it again after youve received their edits. This is so important, and yet, so many people send inrsums withmistakes.If you follow this advice, it will take several weeks to get a goodrsumclear of mistakes, but it is worth it. Yourrsumisyouronly way in. If you dont clean it up, you may not get that call.

The one quality you need to reach your most important goals

The one quality you need to reach yur most important goalsThe one quality you need to reach your most important goalsResearcher Angela Lee Duckworth studied West Point cadets, National Spelling Bee contestants, teachers in tough schools, and sales peoples, asking who would succeed and why.In all those very different contexts one characteristic emerged as a significant predictor of success, shesaid in a popular TED Talk. And it wasnt the usual suspects. What was it? It was grit.Duckworth defines grit as passion and perseverance for very long-term goals . . . sticking with your future, day in day out. . . . I call thatpersistence.Weve all had dreams about the future that havent come true. Weve probably let some of those dreams die. But what if we could develop the grit and persistence required to revive those dreams and achieve them?We can. And its simpler than you might think. Here are six techniques proven by research and practical experience that can help you break through to have y our best year ever.1. Find yourwhyNo one perseveres unless they care. To maximize our persistence, we have to pursue goals that really matter to us.That doesnt mean we always find these goals fun or even that theyre our idea. They just have to be personally rewarding. Researchers sometimes call these autonomous motives.Think about parenting or getting fit or hitting a major professional goal. All of these challenges will test our perseverance. The trick is to connect with whats at stake. Why does it matter?If we dont stay connected to your why, asone study put it, the infusion of goals with energy may be distressingly temporary. In other words, chances are good well burn out and bail.But, asanother study found,Autonomous goal motives will result in greater objectively assessed persistence toward an increasingly difficult goal. If individuals strive with more autonomous motives, they will be better equipped to overcome challenges in goal pursuit.Finding our why is the first step to developing the persistence we need to attain our goals. This forms one whole section of my new bookYour Best Year Ever A 5-Step Plan for Achieving Your Most Important Goals.2. Believe the possibilityTo accomplish anything, we have to believe were up to the challenge. That doesnt mean it will be easy or that even know how were going to accomplish it. Usually we dont know. It just means we believe were capable.Every goal has obstacles. When some people have trouble getting over obstacles, they doubt they have what it takes.Others just work harder. Whats the difference?According toHeidi Grant Halvorson, researchers label the first group entity theorists. They think their abilities are set in stone. Youve heard people say this Im just no good atx,y, orz.The second group are called incremental theorists. behauptung are the possibility thinkers. When they cant seem to get over an obstacle, they dont blame it on themselves. Since they believe theyve got what it takes, they just look for ne w approaches to the problem.This gritty attitude pays off in a big way, says Halvorson, leading to far greater long-term accomplishments.So whats your mindset? Developing persistence requires possibility thinking.What if thats not you? The good news is that we can become possibility thinkers by gaining confidence in our abilities. One way to do that is to get some wins under our belt.3. Set your targetsSo lets say weve found our why and believe weve got what it takes. Its time to address the goals were pursuing.Ive always recommended going after goals that push us into the discomfort zone. Why?Research shows a direct link between the difficulty of a goal and our enthusiasm and performance. And the emotional payoff of attaining big goals rewards our persistence. It becomes self-perpetuating.The trick is setting milestones that are squarelyinsideyour comfort zone. Big, risky goals can also feel daunting. If we chunk them up, we can get some wins under our belt. And those wins can keep our energy up for the big goals. How?According toChristopher Bergland, when we accomplish small tasks and hit deadlines, our brains give us a hit of dopamine and we feel good.The more we train our minds toward accomplishing the small goals, the more persistence well display for major long-term accomplishments.4. Measure your gainsWhen we set big, challenging goals its easy to see how far we have to go and lose enthusiasm. We can start criticizing ourselves and get dispirited, cant we?Something I learned from Dan Sullivan has helped me rethink this problem. Dan talks about measuring the gain and not the gap.If your goal is to write a book, pay off your mortgage, build up your retirement - whatever - it can be daunting to look up and realize how far you still have to go.Thats the gap. But look at the gain. binnensee how far youve already come and let your progress inspire your perseverance.This another reason setting milestone is helpful. Not only do they help break up the big goal into manageable chunks, they give us something to measure - forward or backward.And heres a plus If we get good at measuring the gains, well not only cultivate persistence. We can also sustain momentum.5. Build your teamWe have a very powerful myth in our culture - the myth of the self-made individual. Ive got news for you. Theres no such thing.Success requires help, usually lots of it. After the surprise success ofThe Hobbit, J. R. R. Tolkien was asked to write a sequel. But when he began writingThe Lord of the Ringshe couldnt make any progress.So how did he finish what became one of the best-selling books of the twentieth century? The constant encouragement of his friends - especially C. S. Lewis, who kept him focused and energized.There are two kinds of relationships that we need to develop to help us persist in the face of adversityMentors. Everyone needs a guide, preferably many. These are people with experience and maturity who can counsel, inspire, and challenge us. These relationships can be personal or virtual. They can even been literary through biographies, histories, and great novels.Peers. We also need a circle of co-travelers, people who are at our level struggling with their own goals. Facing the world with friends and colleagues gives us confidence. It also provides us insights and solutions we wouldnt have considered on our own.Building a team of mentors and peers will help us persist toward even the most daunting of goals. We all need community, especially when the going gets tough.6. Celebrate your wins (especially the small ones)In the Genesis story, it says that God looked at everything he created and called it good. But he didnt wait until the whole creation was finished. He did it at each stage. Its a good model for us too.I firmly believe in celebrating our wins. I recently took my whole company on aCaribbean cruiseto acknowledge a major win. But its important to pause and celebrate the small wins too.When we celebrate reaching our milestones, we stay emotionally engaged for the long haul. Bergland says its about harnessing your reward circuitry and tapping your dopamine pipeline.All I know is thats exciting. And I want more after every win.Winning helps keep us in the game. That means we need to be serious about celebrating our wins. And the bigger our goals, the more important it becomes to celebrate small victories.So forget about talent, brains, and all the rest. The real question is are you tenacious? Do you have grit? Because when the dust clears, only the persistent are still around to claim the prize.This article first appeared on Goins, Writer.