A common problem for many job seekers is that they possess inadequate experience for the jobs they are targeting. In today’s market, with so many educated workers seeking employment or currently underemployed, job seekers can no longer rely on impressive degrees to land their dream jobs. In order to be competitive, relevant experience is critical.
Many job seekers ask, “How can I gain experience in my field, if no one will hire me without experience?” One answer is volunteer work. The current economy has forced many nonprofits and charitable organizations to cut staff and rely more heavily on volunteers. This provides employees who need to strengthen their resumes with a perfect opportunity to gain the necessary experience —and perhaps even contribute to the community at the same time—needed to land the job they really want.
Volunteermatch.org is a fantastic resource for anyone looking to build their skills through volunteer work. This Web site matches volunteers with organizations all over the United States based on specific needs. For those who are currently working but seeking other employment, there are tasks that would require only a small investment of your time, such as distributing fliers for an upcoming event. And many will allow you to set your own schedule. For those with greater availability, some opportunities allow the volunteer to gain significant work experience by dedicating many hours to the organization of their choice.
Volunteer work offers great resume-building opportunities for stay-at-home moms who know they will eventually return to work, students who will be graduating in the next several years, or anyone who is looking to change the direction of their career. Although many view volunteer work as something that experienced professionals do in their free time, there are also many entry-level tasks that allow anyone to gain valuable experience.
Job seekers targeting a specific industry can also seek out volunteer opportunities directly with businesses in the field. Hospitals offer numerous volunteer activities for those looking to go into health care, while animal shelters are often stepping stones for veterinary workers. Museums frequently seek volunteers for retail and event planning tasks. Nursing homes, churches, and schools often use volunteers to update their landscaping or interior design. Any of these volunteer activities offer a concrete example of your abilities to potential employers.
If you’re not getting results from your current resume, consider adding volunteer experience to help you stand out from other applicants. Thousands of organizations need assistance, and you need a forum in which to prove yourself. It’s a perfect match!
How to Improve Your Resume’s Credibility and Gain Relevant Experience » Blog | Great Resumes Fast
Be Heard but don't be a Jerk: Master the Casual Conversation | Brand-Yourself.com Blog
Working on your personal brand should be fun. This should be an ongoing activity, and not a chore to accomplish.
So, as you work each day on making the best impression, networking and building relationships with others, there may be a few things that slip into your conversation that you should really try to avoid.
Three major items to avoid:
1. Don’t name drop – Have you ever spoken with someone who just tosses out names of important figures during the course of a conversation? How does that make you feel when you walk away? You just might walk away thinking about how those names were just thrown out there with no real impact on the conversation. Either you feel inferior, or you lose respect for whomever you were speaking with. You may even experience a “really, they really just dropped 5 names in 3 minutes” sensation. Really? Who does this person think they are?
● Instead – Leaving names out of a conversation isn’t a bad thing if they aren’t necessary or relevant. If someone wants to know they will ask.
2. Don’t be shy – If you have ever gone to a gathering, party or networking event, you will most likely have seen (or not noticed) that person standing off to the side, maybe by themselves, observing all of the other conversations taking place. Don’t be that guy!
● Instead – While people-watching can be entertaining, it does nothing for your network. Take a few deep breaths and find one person you would like to introduce yourself to. The next event you attend, meet two new people and keep growing from there. Public speaking, even one on one with a stranger, is uncomfortable for some, but people who make a first approach are memorable.
3 Don’t Brag – Good things tend to happen to those who do not brag. If you want to share good news with your close friends and family, this is one thing. To share this same news with those you network with has the potential to be misinterpreted to have a negative impression. You may have the most sincere of meanings behind the discussion but the recipient may not share your sentiment.
● Instead – Put the focus on the person you are speaking with at that time. Ask questions about what they do and be absolutely interested during the conversation. Get to know them better. If you in turn are asked questions that lead you to sharing some information, great. Just don’t provide it without prompting if it isn’t relevant or interesting to your conversation partner.
Personal branding is about how you are perceived by others. Just because you think you’re awesome doesn’t mean everyone else will, so choose your topics of conversation wisely. Don’t make things hard on yourself by even giving others the slightest impression that you might be a selfish, arrogant jerk. Take the high road and the positive approach, and your reputation will benefit.
Keith McIlvaine manages the recruiting social media strategy for a Fortune 500 company and is an avid networker. He is a corporate recruiter, social media advisor, coach, speaker, blogger and an all around social networking fanatic. Connect with Keith on LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook or on his blog at the HR farmer. (The statements posted on this site are mine alone and do not necessarily reflect the views of my employer)
How Apple should display iPhone apps on iPad on Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Those apps are all iPhone apps, and when run on an iPad they run small in the center of the screen with black surrounds (or at an ugly 2x scaled).
On the home screen, these iPhone apps are currently represented much the same as iPad apps, except their 57x57 pixel icons are blown up to be an ugly blurry 72x72 next to the higher res iPad icons.
In this mockup, with the black borders they could keep their sharp 57x57 pixel size, and have the added benefit of being easily recognizable as iPhone apps to the user.
Mini Google Calendar Strips GCal Down For iCal-Style Minimalism - Google Calendar - Lifehacker
Truth be told, most Calendar users probably only use a few functions on Google Calendar's page, like the Quick Add function (hit "q"), the full Create Event link ("c"), and switching between detail views (1-5). Mini Google Calendar looks pretty nice in Safari, especially, given the metal look. For another take on a minimalist Calendar view, try the previously mentioned Helvetical.
Mini Google Calendar is a free download, and should work in Firefox with Greasemonkey, as a Chrome extension, or in other browsers that can apply user scripts.
Send an email to Kevin Purdy, the author of this post, at kevin@lifehacker.com.
Alexandra Levit's Water Cooler Wisdom: How to Work with Someone Older
There are currently four generations in the workforce, so chances are you’ve found yourself in the position of having to work closely with someone older. Maybe you’re even in a powerful position in which you are trusted with weighty responsibilities. Good for you!
Now…don’t let it go to your head. In particular, you’ll want to be careful of having an attitude of superiority. In dealing with an older co-worker, show humility and demonstrate respect for her years of experience. After all, she may have been doing her job while you were still in high school, and having a younger colleague with a similar title might be a tough pill for her ego to swallow.
Even if you feel you know exactly what needs to be done, ask your co-worker for input and be open to learning from her. This way, she will want to see you succeed instead of undermining your position.
As soon as you are assigned to work with an older colleague, make sure you are keeping the lines of communication open. Schedule regular project meetings, ensuring that he understands where you are coming from and how you would like to work on an everyday basis. Strengthen the relationship by learning what’s important to him and showing interest in those things even if you can’t relate to them personally.
If you’re going to happy hour with your younger work pals, invite her along. Once you get to talking about things you have in common – like Major League Baseball or overseas travel, the age difference won’t seem quite as significant.
Career Transition Confusion? 7 Types of Psychological Motivation | Career Rocketeer
When considering your career needs, you will need to differentiate between intrinsic and extrinsic motivation. Intrinsic motivation is internally driven and comes from inside an individual rather than from any external or outside rewards. The motivation comes from the pleasure one gets from the task itself or from the sense of satisfaction in completing or even working on a task. Extrinsic motivation refers to the tangible rewards you receive from your work such as salary, compensation etc.
The chart below was created for clinical, counseling work. To see the original chart go to http://www.edpsycinteractive.org/topics/motivation/motivate.html However, I have adapted it for use in a career counseling context. I use this chart in client sessions and together we sort through these motivators. Each of us will have different different balance of variables which can make us happy. There isn’t a right or wrong answer when it comes to career exploration. If you are in career transition, I’d encourage you to explore the relevance and strength of each of these motivators below.
SWOT Analysis of your Competitive Advantage http://tinyurl.com/yzbj8p5
Sources of Motivational Needs
How can each category of needs affect your happiness at work?
Behavioral
• Push vs Pull. Is it your goal to obtain desired, pleasant consequences (rewards, salary, bonus’)? Is it your goal to escape/avoid undesired, unpleasant consequences (angry boss, unhappy customers, failed projects)?
• Are you just running away from your current profession or are you genuinely attracted to a new profession?
Social
• Are there positive role models or people who you can emulate?
• How important is it for you to be a part of a group or a valued member of the work team?
Biological
• How important is your actual work environment: do you prefer a lively or sedate work environment?
• What do you like in your office? Does your décor impact the senses (taste, touch, smell, etc. decrease hunger, thirst, discomfort)?
Cognitive
• In your work tasks, do you like a low key or high stress environment? (ie: book-keeper versus air traffic controller)
• Is it important for you to do meaningful work or to understand why your contribution is important?
• How comfortable are you with uncertainty, changes and/or cognitive disequilibrium?
• Do you enjoy solving problems or making decisions, or would you prefer others do this for you?
• Do you like calculations or figuring something out?
• Do you prefer to eliminate threat or risks?
Affective
• How comfortable are you with conflict (increase/decrease affective dissonance)?
• Are you drawn to activities which increase good feelings?
• Are you drawn to activities which decrease bad feelings?
• Do you need a high level of work security? Do you attempt to decrease any threats to your self-esteem?
• Can you typically, maintain high levels of optimism and enthusiasm?
Conative
• Do you like to choose your own performance goals? Do you like to strive towards company-selected goals?
• Is your career choice related to your dream job?
• Do you strive to develop or maintain self-efficacy at work?
• Do you prefer to take control of your work life?
• Do you prefer to eliminate threats which impede attainment of your dream job?
• How much control would you like others’ to have over your career?
Spiritual
• How does your work relate to your life’s purpose?
• How does your work connect you to your spiritual or religious self?
If you are in a career transition, I'd encourage you to spend some time on accessing your career needs, before diving into a job search. Your career happiness is at stake...
Author:
© 2010 - All Rights Reserved - Sharon B. Cohen, MA, Counseling Psychology, CPRP. Licensed Counselor. Career Counselor and Career Transition Specialist. Atlanta, GA. "Helping business professionals, reach their career potential!"
Complete Archive of my articles My Career Manager http://www.mycareermanager.blogspot.com/
On LinkedIn: "Sharon B. Cohen"
On Twitter: "Mycareermanager"
The Definitive Guide to Sugar | Mark's Daily Apple
You’d think this post would come with a blaring alarm, flashing strobe light or at least an ominous gong. Sugar, after all, gets little welcome around these parts. It’s on one hand a dastardly devil, shameless snare for many a man, woman and child. Beyond this luring, ignoble reputation, however, you’ll find (as is so often the case in life and biology) the story is a bit more complicated – and compelling – than the proverbial black hat. Sugar comes in many forms of course, and each of these leaves a certain amount of damage and destruction in its path. Yet, what do we do when sugar naturally accompanies some of the healthiest fare out there? Do we forgo it altogether when a touch ties an otherwise good Primal recipe together? Are the typical substitutions any better when we choose to use a sweetener? We’ve covered the artificial options in the past, but today I’ll give several natural varieties of sugar their due – the obligatory facts, the practical details and a final Primal analysis.
Why Avoid Sugar?
How could I possibly talk sugar without the warning? If you’ve spent any time around MDA, you likely know the drill. Despite its beloved place (not to mention omnipresence) in our culinary culture, sugar offers the following gifts that keep on giving:
- Sugar stimulates a physiological stressor-reaction cascade that provokes adrenaline and cortisol release and thickens the blood.
- Sugar effectively disables your immune system by impairing white blood cells’ functioning.
- Sugar decreases your body’s production of leptin, a hormone critical for appetite regulation.
- Sugar induces significant oxidative stress in the body.
- Sugar appears to fuel cancer cells. (Check out Free the Animal for much more on the cancer connection.)
- Sugar promotes fat storage and weight gain.
- Sugar disrupts the effective transfer of amino acids to muscle tissue.
- Sugar intake over time spurs insulin resistance, subsequent Type II diabetes and the entire host of related health issues like nerve damage and cardiovascular disease.
Yes, sugar is one insanely powerful drug. Addictive, to boot.
Different Types of Sugar
Public service message aside, let’s get into the nitty-gritty now. Chemically speaking, there are different kinds of sugar. The natural sweeteners and sugary foods we eat contain varying proportions of these. Let’s look at a few of the most common forms.
Glucose
Glucose is the cornerstone of most carbohydrates. It’s a monosaccharide that often combines with and creates other forms of sugar (e.g. sucrose, lactose). In plants, glucose is formed through photosynthesis and stored as starch. In our own bodies, glucose is a precursor for (and product of) glycogen. It’s the common currency of carb-based fuels. In fact, our bodies manufacture glucose (through gluconeogenesis) when our blood levels get too low. Dextrose, a common isomer (same formula, different structure) of glucose, is also referred to as dextroglucose or glucose. Insulin directs glucose processing in the body when blood glucose is already sufficient or high. Glucose supply can be routed to cells throughout the body (e.g. brain cells, red blood cells, etc.) and used right away for energy, or it can be condensed and stored in both the liver and muscle as glycogen for later use. Maltose is a disaccharide joining two glucose molecules. Although it is significantly less sweet (about half of glucose’s sweetness), it is metabolized in the same way glucose is.
Fructose
Then there’s fructose, which is an isomer of glucose. It’s also called crystalline fructose, laevulose/levulose, or fruit sugar. (Crystalline fructose isn’t the same as the manufactured concoction called high fructose corn syrup. We’ll get to that one shortly.)
Some people have a harder time digesting fructose than others. Fructose (in the form of certain fruits, corn syrup, etc.) can cause everything from bloating to diarrhea in these folks. Some experts argue that fructose is a better choice for those with diabetes/insulin resistance because it’s more densely sweet, which encourages people to use less. It also has a lower glycemic value than glucose or sucrose. Indeed, fructose raises insulin less than glucose; however, fructose results in higher ghrelin levels, which boost rather than suppress appetite like insulin does. It also appears to throw off mineral levels (PDF) in the body. Finally, fructose is processed almost solely by the liver. There is some evidence that this concentrated burden on the liver over time can contribute to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The liver’s metabolism of fructose also produces uric acid, a predictor of cardiovascular disease. Fructose appears to be some pretty nasty stuff. For more information on fructose see Dr. Lustig’s video presentation, Sugar: The Bitter Truth, and then follow it up with a counter-perspective from Don Matesz: Paleo Basics: Fact vs. Fiction.
Sucrose
Sucrose is a disaccharide sugar comprised of fructose and glucose in a 1:1 ratio. It’s perhaps the most familiar of the sugars, since sucrose is also known as table sugar. Although it’s found in fruit and other plants (often with varying amounts of free fructose), sugar cane and sugar beets are the most popular sources for commercial production. Given that sucrose contains a large amount of fructose, it shows similar metabolic patterns to the monosaccharide fructose and particularly to high fructose corn syrup, which is commonly blended to an approximate 55% fructose: 45% glucose mixture.
Common Sugar Sweeteners
Now that we’ve covered the basics on the most common sugars, there’s the question of how all this plays out in our everyday choices. Clearly, we want to avoid sugar as a whole, but few of us achieve full sugar abstinence 100% of the time. Consider this run-through a quick and dirty snapshot of common sweeteners that can inform your decision-making.
Glucose Syrup/Corn Syrup
Glucose syrup in this country is usually made from corn, but it can be produced from other starches like potatoes and rice. Chemically speaking, true glucose syrup/corn syrup consists mainly of glucose sugar; however, some companies like Karo add fructose to their products. It’s commonly used as a sweetener plus emulsifier for food items that require a smooth texture like hard candy. Although glucose itself rates a 100 on the glycemic scale, corn syrup generally falls around 75.
HFCS
Like corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is produced from corn starch; however, the manufacturing process deliberately converts a certain percentage of initial glucose into fructose. The two most common HFCS mixtures are HFCS-55 (containing 55% fructose) and HFCS-42, the former typically added to sodas and the latter added to other processed foods. The presence of fructose in HFCS appears to be key behind its myriad of negative health effects. Fructose content not only contributes to liver disease but lowers HDL levels while increasing small, dense (and more dangerous) LDL particles. As mentioned earlier, fructose also doesn’t flip the hormonal satiation switch as glucose does. Finally, the HFCS industry has been haunted by evidence of mercury contamination related to its production techniques.
Table Sugar/Sucrose
As mentioned, table sugar is actually a 1:1 combination of glucose and fructose and is metabolized in much the same way as HFCS. It’s GI measures around 64. One potential advantage of table sugar over HFCS is the absence of risk for mercury contamination.
Fruit Sugar
Even if you’ve sworn off adding sweetener of any kind to any food ever, there’s the question of fruit. Although the PB advises moderation and selectivity for most nutritional bang for the sugar buck, the best Primal fruits offer some of the highest ORAC values you can get from anything. Is it really necessary to swear off even nutritional powerhouses like berries and cherries to avoid their natural sugar content? The picture gets further complicated by the fact that “fruit sugar” doesn’t exist as a consistent chemical formula. Different fruits contain varying ratios of fructose, glucose and sucrose. Higher fructose-containing fruits include apples and pears, mangos and papaya, while relatively lower fructose fruits include cherries, figs, plums, kiwi, fresh and dried apricots, dried prunes and bananas. Keep in mind, however, that lower fructose ratio fruits can be higher in total sugar.
Raw Honey
Honey consists of dextrose and fructose (broken down from sucrose through honey bee’s digestion) in a nearly 1:1 ratio (with other components such as water, wax, nutrients, etc.). Raw honey has a glycemic index of about 30, but processed honey clocks in around 75. Those who have a harder time digesting fructose can often tolerate honey. Although conventional processing destroys much of honey’s natural benefits, raw honey serves up a (many claim therapeutic) dose of antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, and enzymes.
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is boiled and refined sap from maple trees. It has a GI of 54 and is low in free fructose but high in the fructose-glucose disaccharide sucrose. Nutritionally speaking, it contains manganese, iron and calcium.
Molasses
Although molasses has a fairly equal fructose-glucose ratio (half in free fructose/free glucose and half in disaccharide sucrose), it offers the nutrients extracted in table sugar production: iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, phosphorus, copper and zinc.
Agave Nectar
The last few year have marked agave nectar’s time in the sun, so to speak. The sweetener has enjoyed growing popularity for some time, but experts are beginning to question whether agave nectar lives up to its reputation. Agave nectar is often heralded as low on the glycemic index (15), however, processing techniques result in a 75% or more fructose content. Given the increasing strikes against fructose, it’s harder to justify use of a higher fructose sweetener without significant nutritional benefit.
Palm Sugar/Coconut Sugar
An up and coming (in this country) sweetener is coconut sugar. The sugar is actually made from a variety of palm sources, but the palm and coconut labels are used (albeit mistakenly) interchangeably. It’s largely sucrose-based and registers in the 30s/40s on the GI. The taste is relatively light from what I understand, and the nutritional profile is worth noting.
There you go, folks. Information is power when it comes to your health, and I hope this list offered good food for thought. Here’s my analysis. When you are choosing whether/how to include sugars in your Primal diet, I’d suggest paying closest attention to the total sugar content first, then to any nutritional benefits, and finally to the fructose content. Blueberries might have a relatively equal fructose/glucose ratio, but they offer huge antioxidant benefit. On the other hand, dried apricots have a lower fructose ratio, but their overall sugar content dwarfs many fruits ounce for ounce. Raw honey and coconut sugar likewise offer solid nutritional benefit for their sugar content compared to other sweeteners. Of course, any sugar should be used in strict moderation, but it’s clear not all sweeteners are Primally equal.
