Taking Your Professional Network from 0 to 60

Taking Your Professional Network from 0 to 60Taking Your Professional Network from 0 to 60Taking Your Professional Network from 0 to 60 in Record TimeNetworking can be a challenge, especially if you dont know where to start.Experts say that networking is good for your career. After all,research shows that 70 percent or more of positions are filled through networking. Those who choose to skip it clearly put themselves at a disadvantage.The problem is that most people dislike networking.Attending conferences and alumni events is often fraught with stress and pressure, especially if youve recently graduated, moved to a new city, or changed industries. Walking into a room where you know no one can be nerve-wracking Professionals like you stumble through the crowd, trying to meet the right people and collect as many geschftlicher umgang cards as possible. Then they use those business cards to send a flurry of nice to meet you emails, most of which go unanswered. As a result, most professi onals are always networking, but never seem to build a functional network.Is there a way out of the never-ending rounds of meet-and-greets, stacks of business cards, and small talk?Actually, there is. Here is your map to building a great professional network from scratch.Start where you areIts tempting to dismiss your existing network as useless or too small to make a difference, but doing so would be a big mistake. The truth is that no one has to build a professional network from scratch. Everyone starts with a certain set of people they already know through family, friends, school, part-time work, hobbies, and volunteering.Even if your current network does not boast anyone with a famous last name, you must begin by treating every single person you know like they are important. Its OK to want to grow your network, but you wont get there by mentally discounting the people you already know. Identify and nurture the connections you have, even if they are few or dont seem immediately r elevant to your job search. Ask for introductions in your area of interest. Be specific, be patient, and be grateful.Leverage alumni organizationsIf youve ever worked for a regional or national company, look for alumni organizations in your area. The same goes for school alumni organizations. Attending events like these is a great way to build your professional network. If you are uncomfortable with the idea of walking into a room full of strangers, consider getting involved instead. You might find that volunteering to help coordinate and run an event is a great way to meet the core group of involved professionals. It also gives you a job that, over time, can allow for direct connection to speakers, executives, and decision-makers across a broad spectrum of companies.RelatedThe 8 Best Practices for Alumni NetworkingAttend trade shows and conferencesTrade shows and conferences can help you stay up to date on industry hot topics and meet new people. Websites like10times.com monitor hu ndreds of conferences across an impressive range of industries and specialty fields. Look for ones in your area of interest, but dont stop there. For example, if you are interested in getting an accounting job in a hospital setting, a conference for medical device manufacturers may be a great source of information and contacts.As you brace yourself for the crowds, be sure to set the right goal for the day. Remember that one honest, deep, meaningful connection is better than 15 business cards collected in a hurry.Brush up on small talk and icebreakers. Resist the urge to pitch your candidacy immediately after making a new acquaintance. Instead of reiterating your resume, focus on having conversations that you can only have in person.Look for professional associations, roundtables, and study groupsThere are many organizations whose primary purpose is to connect like-minded professionals. Professional associations are a great distributionspolitik to start many have local and regional chapters with a full calendar of events. Dont limit your search to your industry, however, as there are broader organizations (such as theEllevate Network for professional women) that transcend technical niches and allow you to broaden your reach. Community and service clubs can also help you form lasting relationships and expand your professional network in a structured environment that isnt about pitching your resume.Finally, dont forget about roundtables and study groups. These may be less-conventional ways to network, as they are harder to find. However, should an opportunity present itself, these could be effective ways to meet a small group of professionals dedicated to self-improvement.Conduct informational interviewsWhether you are exploring a new industry or want to get a foot in the door with a company that doesnt currently have an opening for you,informational interviews are a fantastic opportunity to meet decision makers. Although informational interviews dont come with the same performance pressures as the real thing, you should still approach them seriously. Dress as you would for a formal interview. Spend time researching the company. Show up on time, bring great questions, and close the loop by sending a thank-you note. Remember that an informational interview is not the time to pitch your candidacy (though you should have an updated resume with you just in case).Remember virtual networking, tooLinkedIn is a fantastic resource for connecting with professionals by leapfrogging from the people you already know. Read profiles carefully so that you can tailor your connection requests to be impactful and personal. No one likes to get a boilerplate invitation to connect, so make yours stand out. Keep in mind that many professionals include a direct email address on their profiles, which can make communicating quicker and easier (after all, not everyone checks their LinkedIn profile every day).A less-commonly known way to connect with key players onli ne is to engage with them via their blogs and Twitter. Begin by identifying thought leaders in the industry, regardless of their geographic location. Read their articles, follow them on Twitter, and spend some time observing how they interact with their audiences. A tweet or an interesting article may well provide a launching pad for you to strike up a conversation that can lead to a meaningful connection over time. Many professionals are initially intimidated to interact with prominent voices in their industry. However, you would be amazed at how generous some thought leaders can be with their time and advice.Taking your professional network from zero to 60Whether you relish in meeting new people or dread networking events, growing your professional network is a critical piece of your career puzzle. Remember that there is more than one way to accomplish your goal. From alumni events and conferences to professional associations and informational interviews, try a variety of approach es until you settle on a mix thats both comfortable and effective. Doing outreach will probably feel like a stretch, especially if you are naturally reserved, but the effort is well worth it.Just remember No matter which path you choose, be thoughtful in how you pursue it. Networking doesnt have to have the sleazy feel of one professional using another to get ahead. In fact, the icky factor is often the side effect of professionals being in a hurry to deliver their pitch or value proposition as soon as they have someones attention. Instead of rushing in, choose to focus on getting to know the other person so you can understand how you can be of service to him or her. If there is a meaningful connection, commit to staying in touch by putting a monthly reminder on your calendar to send him or her an email, a note, a book, or perhaps meet for coffee. By doing this consistently, you will develop a professional and personal network thats both powerful and lasting.Click on the following l ink for more networking advice.Get your resume in shape while you build your professional network. Submit for a free resume review and well tell you where you stand.Recommended ReadingHow to Make the Most of Your Next Networking EventSocial Networking Connect With Potential Employers verbunden5 Ways to Network With Your Current Colleagues

Study This makes Americans just as happy as higher economic status

Study This makes Americans just as happy as higher economic statusStudy This makes Americans just as happy as higher economic statusThe important role exercise plays in overall wellness cannot be overstated.Recent reports have established a link between physical activity and a sharp boost tocognitionand memory. In another independent study, data showed that individuals that exercised as little as 150 minutes a week (ten minutes a day), were less likely to become disabled later in life. The long-established principle that maintaining weight was for the fruchtwein part aboutdietary intake was recently repudiated. According to the journal Obesity, individuals that are regularly active have a much better chance of keeping excess weight off, irrespective of their diets-within reason.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraA lot of this information is known by many on some level, but most of us make the mistake of associating working out with inconvenience. Making time to go to the gym is a chore a physical exchange for emotional happiness. Or is it?Exercising makes us look and feel better,According to the researchers at Yale and Oxford, exercise contributes just as much to mental and emotional wellness as economic status. The study, which was published in the journal Lancet, observed 1.2 million participants and began with a simple question How many times have you felt mentally unwell in the past 30 days, for example, due to stress, depression, or emotional problems?As it turns out those that were not physically active were depressed 18 more days a year than those that maintained some degree of physical activity. The study defined physical activity in a myriad of different ways, from mowing the lawn, to playing sports, to bicycling. Additionally, physically active respondents reported being just as happy as non-active respondents that made $25,000 or more a year.The id eal amount of exercise varies based on a number of factors, primarily age and preexistinghealth conditions. The lead authors of this study, in particular, recommends three to five training sessions, all lastingbetween 30 to 60 minutes a week.This is important because the participants that reported exercising more than three hours a day were actually less happy than individuals that didnt exercise very much at all. Moreover, achieving the weekly recommendedamount of exercise through activities that emphasizesociality was shown to boosts wellness considerably.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

What is H.R. 5050 - The Womens Business Ownership Act

What is H.R. 5050 - The Womens geschftlicher umgang Ownership ActWhat is H.R. 5050 - The Womens geschftliches miteinander Ownership ActH.R. 5050 - The Womens Business Ownership Act welches passed in 1988 with the help of the National Association Women Business Owners (NAWBO). H.R. 5050 addressed the needs of womenin geschftlicher umgang by giving women entrepreneurs recognition, resources, and by eliminating discriminatory lending practices by banks that favored male business owners. What is H.R. 5050 Womens Business Ownership Act? The Womens Business Ownership Act welches passed in 1988 with the help of the National Association Women Business Owners (NAWBO). The Act was created to address the needs of women in business by giving women entrepreneurs better recognition, additional resources, and by eliminating discriminatory lending practices by banks that favored male business owners over female. The bill was signed into law by President Ronald Reagan. Key Legislative Changes From H.R. 5050 Womens Business Ownership Act Many significant and positive changes were brought about in the enactment of H.R. 5050. Here are just a few highlights of some of the major changes that we can see had a direct, measurable impact on the number and success of women business owners in the United States Established the Womens Business Center program.H.R. 5050 required that the U.S. Census Bureau include C corporations when presenting data on women-owned firms. Prior to the inclusion of this data, statistics for women business owners were not accurate and diminished the vital contribution women were making in the business world.According to the NAWBO, by including women-owned C corporations, new data showed more than double the number of people employed by women-owned businesses and one and half times the dollars in revenue. H.R. 5050 eliminated all individual state laws that required women to have a male relative sign a business loan.H.R. 5050 required the creation of the Natio nal Womens Business Council (NWBC). This bi-partisan council consists of women entrepreneurs and womens organizations that advise the president, Congress, and the Small Business Association (SBA) on policy and program recommendations. How H.R. 5050 The Women Business Owners Act improved things for women in business In 1992, the number of women business owners was only 26%. By 2002, that number increased to 57%. Although more women choose to start their businesses with their own private finances, having equal access to business loans has enabled scores of women to start and grow their businesses without having a man co-sign In 1989, there were only four Womens Business Centers in the U.S. Today, there are more than 100 throughout the nation. Congress, however, voted to decrease funding to womens development centers and in 2009 no new centers are being funded. H.R. 5050 helped empower women with impressive women-owned business statistical results to prove it Although some of these legislative changes may seem small, they have had a huge and dramatic impact on the number of women starting and successfully maintaining their own businesses. Over the past twenty years, since the implementation of H.R. 5050 The Women Business Owners Act has helped women to start and grow privately-held businessesatnearly twice the rate of all other businesses. Additionally, 10.4 million women now own their own business a number that has not only increased, but thanks to H.R. 5050, women who own C corporations are also now being counted. According to a press release, NAWBO has been at the heart of this rising success for over 30 years. By connecting women business owners across all industries and business sizes, NAWBO continues to increase the influence of women entrepreneurs at the local level, in our nations broader business community, and around the globe.

Infographic Successful Job Interview Tips

Infographic Successful Job Interview Tips Infographic Successful Job Interview Tips 17job interview. After all, its one BIG step closer to landing a new job! But job interviews are also one of the most stressful parts of the job search process, and many job seekers fail to prepare themselves well enough to succeed.   This infographic by InterviewSuccessFormula.com illustrates how job seekers can read the most common types of interviews and interviewers and how to succeed in the process, including in-person interviews, phone interviews, video interviews, and group interviews. Heres the infographic containing successful job interview tips!

Making That Great First Impression

Making That Great First Impression Making That Great First Impression The first step to nailing an interview is making a great first impression.When you go to an interview, your first impression will have a lasting impact on whether you get the job or not. In many cases, your candidacy is decided long before the interview ends. That is why first impressions are incredibly important. You want to come off as confident, knowledgeable, polite, and eager. But you don’t want to seem cocky, over-eager or nervous. It can be hard to make sure that your first impression is not only a lasting one, but a good one. This is why it’s always a good idea to study and prepare before the interview.Dress appropriately.The first thing you want to make sure of is that your clothing is on par. You should be dressing for the job you want- which should be the job you are interviewing for. If you are unsure of how to dress, business-wear is always the go-to answer. Wear nice pants, not jeans. Wear a button up shirt with a tie. If you’re a woman, a pant suit or appropria te skirt would work nicely. Make sure that you are hygienic, your hair is brushed or combed, you don’t have bad breath, your nails are clean, etc. These are all things that will be taken into consideration when it comes to a first impression.Be timely.You want to show up to your interview on time. However, on time does not mean the exact time the interview is supposed to start. This may seem like you are rushing or do not understand proper interview protocol. You want to arrive to your interview around fifteen minutes early. This way you can seem punctual and prepared for the interview, as well as give yourself a few minutes to sit down and relax. You also don’t want to arrive to an interview too early. If you arrive too early, the company may feel like they have to cater to you or keep you occupied. In turn, this could lead to annoyance that will negatively affect your chances.Shake hands.You always want to acknowledge the interviewer in some way. The most common, as well as mo st appropriate, way to do this, is to shake hands. Offer a firm grasp, as well as exchange those first greetings. Ask the interviewer how his day is going, or introduce yourself. If the interviewer doesn’t extend his hand first for a handshake, don’t worry! Just extend your arm anyway, and let him follow.Be prepared.There is no impression quite as bad as showing up frazzled and unprepared. Prove that you can put in time to do the research. Show up with a basic understanding of the company and what they do. Prepare questions that you’d like answered. Not only does this make an amazing first impression, but it is also likely to help show your interest in the company and in the position.Be kind to everyone.When you are going to an interview, you are not just trying to impress the person conducting the interview. You should be on your very best behavior with all company employees. This could mean everyone from the parking attendant, secretary, security officers, or anyone else you may encounter. You never know who is watching, or who might report your behavior back to the hiring manager.Draw connections.A good way to start off on a good foot is to find common ground with the interviewer. This is a very simple version of small talk that will start the interview off on a positive note. When you are taken to the interviewer’s office, take a look around. Notice a degree on the wall? You could talk about how you or a family member attended that school, as well. Or a simple, “Oh, I see you like the Yankees, too!” It doesn’t have to be a major connection- just something small to put you both in the right frame of mind.Speak confidently.When you are talking during the interview, be very conscious of what you are saying. You want to avoid filler words as much as possible. Filler words are: “um”, “like”, “uh”. If you are having trouble responding to something that’s been asking of you, there are tactics you can utilize to buy some time. Repeat th e question to yourself, as if you are contemplating the answer. Ask for a glass of water. Ask a question of your own.Know the interviewer.A lot of times, pre-interview, you are told who will be conducting the interview. Use this knowledge to your advantage! Coming in to the interview right off the bat and knowing your interviews name will win you points in the first impression stage. If the interviewer has articles published, read up on them. Something as simple as knowing how to pronounce the interviewers name could lead to them being impressed.

Albert Einstein Humor, happiness and everything in between

Albert Einstein Humor, happiness and everything in between Albert Einstein Humor, happiness and everything in between True brilliance is rarely inspiring.There are the prolific larger than life figures that teach us the power of consideration and precision. And then there are the wholly incomprehensible giants that leave behind legacies at once momentous and beyond our grasp.Follow Ladders on Flipboard!Follow Ladders’ magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more!Anyone, with the time and drive no doubt, could learn to turn a phrase well enough, but no amount of study or dedication could fund the skill quite as electrically as it was expressed in the late Christopher Hitchens. You can’t learn to be funny the way Groucho was funny and you can’t teach yourself to get away with dense, long-winded prose the way Virginia Woolf did.Albert Einstein (the most ubiquitous shorthand for genius) however, happens to be a perfect amalgam of both descriptions; a singular, imaginative oddball dedicated to research and persistence.Mileva Maric Einstein and hu sband, 1912. Credit: ETH Zurich Archives (CC BY-SA 4.0)“A calm and modest life”It’s unfortunate that Einstein’s legacy is so frequently companioned with that corny anecdote reveling in his inability to speak as a child. Never-mind the fact that experts can’t seem to make up their mind about whether or not it’s true, even it was, the intended implication is a little misguided.His inability to speak, his mediocre career as a student, the volume of academic rejections that preluded his revolutionary miracle year, all belie the impression that the kind of progress he achieved is anything resembling mimicable.  Einstein’s early failures owe themselves principally to errors of focus rather than aptitude.More importantly (and less cynically), we shouldn’t be so quick to abandon the gifts possessed by the physicist, outside the realm of academia. Charismatic intellectuals, like Bertrand Russell, Voltaire, and Sam Harris are answers to one of the most persistent attacks on r eason. This idea that adhering to science and mathematics, as a rule, sacks one of relatable, human qualities. While it is true that Einstein’s mind was the prologue to lasers, automated vehicles, and the atomic bomb, it was also the nucleus of a charming funny guy.A comical illusion is reported to have occurred to him when he became overwhelmed by inquiries regarding the most famous equation in the world: “When you sit with a nice girl for two hours you think it’s only a minute, but when you sit on a hot stove for a minute you think it’s two hours. That’s relativity.” A quote that concurrently recommends his humor and his reputation as a witty Casanova.    It’s often said that the mathematician could’ve been an accomplished musician in another life by reason of his mastery of the violin. My appreciation for Einstein is informed by a similar awe that informs my love of Van Gogh.  I’m not an academician, nor I’m a gifted painter, yet the sheer force of their imag inative brilliance makes their work observable through the eyes of a layman like me.Theories on everythingOccasionally, the human, behind the germinal impacts on physics and technology, peaks from beneath their shadow, in the form of letters and endearing  anecdotes.Einstein’s theory of happiness  reminds us of the value of self-love and cautions against the unyielding demands of external validation. His  letters to Mileva  Maric, disguise his pension for a considered approach, in the sweet, at times clumsy, admiration for an intellectual equal. The physics boffin wasn’t above putting his foot in his mouth, though cogency seemed to come easier to him than most. Even the occasional insensitive remark is animated by a poet’s heart.Credit: Copyright The Hebrew University of JerusalemA year before his death in 1953, Einstein was offered the Presidency of Israel. He ultimately declined, saying,  â€œI am deeply moved by the offer from our State of Israel, and at once saddened and as hamed that I cannot accept it.”Words of a man that was certainly spiritually complex. His $2.9 million dollar missive, the one alternatively known as the “God letter” famously denounced the Bible as “a collection of primitive legends.”  Although Einstein was said to have been disenchanted by ecclesiastical affairs pretty early in childhood, he wasn’t an atheist. He subscribed to pantheism; a quasi-scientific discipline that aims to bridge the gap between logic and divinity. It denounces superstition and the idea that the virtuous are rewarded with immortality.“One life is enough for me,” Einstein once said.  It’s compelling to know that his well-regarded empathy wasn’t fired by the imagined wraith of some celestial autocrat, but an intimate-sober understanding of the human condition.In order to avoid conscription, Einstein became a Swiss citizen in 1901.  His concerns regarding burgeoning Nazi sentiments was again evidenced in a letter to his son Hans that was recently uncovered by The Hebrew University of Jerusalem:“I read with some apprehension that there is quite a movement in Switzerland, instigated by the German bandits. But I believe that even in Germany things are slowly starting to change. Let’s just hope we won’t have a Europe war first … the rest of Europe is now starting to finally take the thing seriously, especially the British. If they would have come down hard a year and a half ago, it would have been better and easier.”Many of the lost hand-written documents have yet to be available to the public. They’re composed of notes on the theory of everything, various mathematical calculations and personal letters to family and friends. The 101-page manuscript the University acquired, additionally features a humbling admission. After five decades of consideration Einstein concedes that he doesn’t really understand the quantum nature of light. A flicker that further illuminates the fundamental difference between theolo gy and schools of reason. The humility of ignorance energizes the road to discovery.Notations jotted down by Einstein would go on to influence fiber optics and speculations that aim to unify all the physical aspects of the universe.For any aspiring physicists that might feel dispirited by achievements so crucial and far-reaching, remember the parietal lobe in Einstein’s brain was significantly larger than that of an average brain.  Post-mortem research has revealed this abnormality to grant the German-born genius a biological license to mathematical prowess; a license he eagerly employed. His continued influence on physics and advancements in technology serves as a proud affirmation of a mind radically unparalleled.“Talent hits a target no one else can hit; Genius hits a target no one else can see.” â€" Arthur SchopenhauerYou might also enjoy… New neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy Strangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds 10 lessons from Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule that will double your productivity The worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs 10 habits of mentally strong people

Making Suturing Simpler

Making Suturing Simpler Making Suturing Simpler Making Suturing Simpler Working on the eye can be sensitive business for doctors, right down to the suturing. And thats where an invention that started at the University of Iowa could make a difference. Wanting to work with existing technology, they hoped to deal with the delicate nature of sutures and the difficulties that arise when they are wet, making them hard to remove with forceps, explains Alex Brown. Brown graduated with a degree in biomedical engineering from Iowa and is now pursuing a masters degree there in cellular engineering. There is a forceps and a cutting device and, to operate both of them, you have to use them individually. You have to put your tool down, grab the other tool, refocus your lens, getting closer to the eye, Brown says. We wanted to integrate both of these tools together so that the ophthalmologist would be able to stay in one place and use the same movements rapidly over about a 45-second period and be able to remove all the sutures. But to make this into a product that could be viable when it comes to manufacturing was a clear challenge, says Jena Edwards, an undergraduate at the school majoring in biomedical engineering. We had the idea of what we wanted to do but then youre also talking about actually putting that into something that is producible and that is able to work on the scale of something that can be done in the eye without damaging the surrounding tissue, says Edwards. Alex Brown shows Iowa Lt. Gov. Kim Reynolds his invention, which combines two surgical steps in one. Image: Tom Jorgensen / The University of Iowa In the design for their teams ophthalmology suture extractor, theres a rivet between two peaks and that allows for the grabbing and cutting of suture leaves, explains Edwards. We wanted to go with the idea of using the forceps but having like a blade, says Brown. By pronation of your wrist, you were having a blade that is sticking out flush to the bottom face of a forceps or a tweezer. Brown believes this tool can lead to better accuracy but improve the psychological component as well. When youre talking about having a sharp object come to your eye, he says, Especially with kids, it can prolong the procedure because they have a knee-jerk reaction to move their head away and you constantly have to refocus and align. It could now possibly be easier for the patient and clinician as well. Theyre also considering using the invention for other applications such as ocular prostheses and are even looking into the effect it could have on surgeries in the cranial facial area. Another goal is to make a push for it to be used in other countries. Brown mentions his hope that it could possibly be used in a healthcare facility in India that the University of Iowa has ties with. Eric Butterman is an independent writer. Learn about the latest trends in bioengineering at ASMEs Global Congress onNanoEngineering for Medicine and Biology. For Further Discussion We wanted to go with the idea of using the forceps but having like a blade. Alex Brown, University of Iowa