Doing too much of this at work may shorten your life

Doing too much of this at work may shorten your lifeDoing too much of this at work may shorten your lifeSitting at your desk might kill you slowly everyone knows that but theres a new risk. Men with physically vigorous jobs have an 18% higher risk of an early death than those with sedentary work, according to a study published in the British Journal of Sports Medicine.Typically, physical activity is linked to positive health. International guidelines, acting on previous research, encourage people to get 30 minutes of moderately intense exercise per day.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreAn international team of researchers led by Dr. Pieter Coenen from the VU University Medical Center in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, wanted to find out the association between people who did high-intensity occupational physical exercise and mortality.They discovered a physical activity paradox, in w hich health benefits add up with working out as a leisure activity, but are a detrimental effect of high physical activity that comes with ones occupation.The study was done with a meta-analysis of 17 peer-reviewed studies which gathered data on 193,696 participants between 1960-2010.It was found that men engaging in high-level occupational physical activity had an 18% increased risk of early death, compared with those whose work required no real active work.The physical activity paradoxOne way to explain the physical activity paradox would be to note the differences between working out in ones leisure time and the strenuous activity of physical work. Occupational physical work includes repetitive motion, standing in one place for a long period of time, working outdoors or in poorly controlled indoor environments, and elevated heart rate and blood pressure over a prolonged period of time, without a proper period for recovery. This can lead to any number of related risks for various cardiovascular diseases.Leisure time workouts take place in moderate or intense bursts of aerobic activity, with ample time to recover.The study also takes into account socioeconomic class, with lifestyle habits like smoking and diet.There was nothing similar found in women in fact, the opposite was slightly true.The results of this review indicate detrimental health consequences associated with high level occupational physical activity in men, even when adjusting for relevant factors (such as leisure time and physical activity, said the researchers in a release. This evidence indicates that physical activity guidelines should differentiate between occupational and leisure time physical activity.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, a ccording to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

How to Validate Your Contributions on Your Resume

How to Validate Your Contributions on Your ResumeHow to Validate Your Contributions on Your ResumeThese 2 Words Are Damaging Your Resumes EffectivenessBeware These two small words could be impacting your resumes success.Every job seeker wants to be thought of as successful and capable of producing results. The problem is, they think that by using these two words on their resumes, (especially in their career summaries) theyve communicated this to potential employers.What two words am I referring to? Success and results. What people fail to realize is that everyone thinks theyre successful or able to produce results. In actuality, not everyone is. By utilizing these words on your resume what youve accomplished is looking like every other job seeker on the market. Exactly the opposite of what your resume is designed to do.Validate your contributionsIn place of these vague choices, focus on providing evidence. Think about how you can validate your contributions with very clear-cut statem ents about what youve accomplished. Originality is what makes you stand out as a candidate, and for your resume to generate interviews (its primary purpose) it needs to articulate why youre a success and what results youre able to produce.Think about your successesWhen youre drawn to use the words success or results on your resume think instead about what successes youve brought to former employers and what results youve delivered. Every time you want to say results-driven or results-oriented, in its place validate the statement with details, facts, figures, or outcomes.For exampleIf you led a team,answer the following questions how many? For how long?If you managed projects ask yourself how many, how much, and to what end?Did your activities help to cut costs, generaterevenue, increase sales, and/or meet or beat quotas or other goals? If so, by how much?Be sure to include the numbers that support your claims wherever possible.Be specificBy being specific and answering how much and how many, youre proving your success and results to the employer And at the same time, you wont look like every other candidate youll look results-driven, successful, accomplished, and confident and will have proven all those things without having had to say so.Want to see how your resume stacks up? Try out our free critique today

Going the Distance

Going the Distance Going the Distance Going the DistanceAs the engineering profession seeks to develop a robust, diverse workforce, one category of future engineers represents an attractive but at-risk resource.Every year, thousands of students enroll in two-year engineering-related programs at community colleges, technical schools, and vocational programs, many with the intent to transfer into a four-year B.S. program. About half never make it to the finish line, elend because they dont want to, but because they often face higher financial, academic, and social hurdles than their fellow undergrads.When a student who otherwise has the qualifications to be a great engineer abandons hopes of a higher degree, its more than just an individual hard-luck story. Each loss represents a setback to the professions ability to meet societys future needs.Engineering educators are exploring a number of strategies aimed at retaining full- and part-time two-year transfer students. Pilot studies show , if given the right blend of financial and academic support, many of these students not only succeed but outshine peers who have taken a more traditional academic path to a baccalaureate.The NeedCommunity colleges, vocational programs, and occupational schools serve almost half of all the undergraduate students in the U.S., awarding more than a half-million associates degrees annually, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Along with preparing students to move into a four-year college, these institutions offer noncredit courses and train job-seekers in workforce development and key skills.Based on 20052006 government statistics, women represented 63% of new associates degree graduates while students from under-represented minority groups accounted for at least 30%. Nearly 10% of these students expressed an interest in engineering and technology fields. In terms of expanding and diversifying the future engineering pipeline, these students represent some of the lowest-hangin g fruit.Compared to undergraduate population as a whole, transfer students tend to have the greatest financial need. They get less monetary help from their families and are more likely to qualify for federal financial aid. But the cost of college isnt their only barrier to a bachelors degree. Studies show many students face difficulty transferring enough program-specific academic credits from their two-year schools to enter as third-year students. To them, that means a longer path to full-time employment and more time in school re-taking courses theyve often already passed. And, although all engineering students need academic advising and support to thrive, many transfer students require special interventions to build their academic skills and navigate the requirements of their new school.One Bridge to a BachelorsIn 2008, a faculty team at the Rochester Institute of Technology led by Surendra Vinnie Gupta, professor of mechanical engineering, launched a project for retaining two-yea r transfer students that has yielded promising results.RIT students on campus. Image source RIT.eduWith a nearly $600,000 National Science Foundation scholarship grant, Guptas pilot projectnamed the Engineering and Technology Transfer (ET2) Scholars program, has been successful in recruiting, retaining, and graduating promising transfer students. Whats more, they found that with proper support, transfer students can stand toe-to-toe with other students both academically and in real-world work settings.Gupta says the project goals were to graduate 25 additional transfer engineering students per year over the grant period. Participating academic units included 11 ABET-accredited degree programs in RITs departments of civil engineering technology/environmental management and safety, manufacturing and mechanical engineering technology and packaging science, mechanical engineering, electrical and microelectronics engineering, and electrical, computer and telecommunications technology.Gup ta says the group requested $8,000 in NSF scholarship support for each ET2 scholar, to be augmented by other RIT financial aid programs and a $50,000 university commitment of ongoing support after the grant period.The ET2 program addresses a national concern by helping to expand and diversify the engineering/technology workforce of the future, says Gupta. In designing the program for engineering and engineering technology (EET) transfer students, we needed to answer the following three questions Is the financial aid adequate to attract and retain transfers from two-year schools do our programs have curricular flexibility to award transfer credits for most or all of credit-bearing coursework at two-year-schools and do we have the infrastructure and resources to inform, advise and support transfers from two-year schools.Gupta explains the plan combines financial aid with targeted recruitment of transfer students through direct mail, in-person faculty visits to area community colleges and on-campus open houses. Although all qualified students are eligible for NSF scholarship support, a goal of the recruitment effort is to build awareness of the program among women and minority applicants.The issue of transferring academic credits from two-year programs to RIT is addressed through articulation agreements with about 20 two-year schools. unterstellung agreements are reviewed periodically to ensure they are in step with current best practices. Faculty members review transcripts and advise the admissions office after evaluating each students program-specific credits. In general, Gupta says, RIT tries to develop these agreements with the goal of transferring adequate credits so that a student begins at or as near as possible to the third-year level.Once a transfer student is enrolled, RITs challenge is to keep them there. Transfer students are assigned a faculty advisor who can direct them to resources if they need academic help. Conversely, care is taken to applaud st andout scholars through written communications aimed at keeping them on track. Building a sense of community among transfer students is also part of the project, and informal events over lunch bring students with similar interests and backgrounds together with their faculty advisors.Through dedicated faculty advising and intervention, the one-year retention rate for transfer students stacks up favorably against the universitys overall performance. Transfer students are graduating at a higher rate than freshmen students in engineering and engineering technology programs, Gupta says. We are hoping this project will serve as a model for other selective universities to provide transfer students with access to the baccalaureate.Michael MacRae is an independent writer.Transfer students are graduating at a higher rate than freshmen students in engineering and engineering technology programs.Surendra Gupta, professor of mechanical engineering, RIT

The Email Execs Send When Theyre Job Searching

The Email Execs Send When Theyre Job SearchingThe Email Execs Send When Theyre Job SearchingEvery week a few emailles land in my inbox from people I dont know. Most of the time, theyre members of my LinkedIn network asking me for help with their job search. Usually their resume is attached I dont click on it. Do you know why? Because the rolle has, literally, lost me at hello. Heres the latestI am currently job searching and I was hoping you could help. I am qualified engineer with solid experience in developing new products. I think logically and I work methodically. I can work well in a gruppe environment, working together to achieve the same end goal. I am able to solve problems properly and have excellent communication skills. If you have any advice you can offer, I would really appreciate all the help possible.The 1 solid thing I took away from that note was the persons in product development. Other than that, he wants, any advice, and all the help possible.Theres a fine art to approaching people, especially those in your virtual network, and asking them for something. Rambling on bores the reader. Peppering the word help throughout, without saying anything more specific, is ineffectual. And leaving it up to me to figure out what you want is the fastest way to get absolutely nothing at all.I understand it can feel strange to reach out and ask people for help. No one is naturally good at it. So, lets go over an email formula I use for the executive candidates I untersttzungsangebot in their job search. Heres the breakdownStep 1 Be Cordial & QuickHi JoeI hope youre having a great day I am reaching out to my network because after 5 years as Director, Information Systems with Vision Health, Ive decided to leverage my successes into a new Director or VP role with a larger health care organization. Id like to seek your help.We may only know each other in the LinkedIn world, and not the real world on earth, but Id still like to see you take of a second to throw a nicety my way.Then, do you see how quickly this email gets to the specifics of what you do, where youve been, and what you have in mind next? Paint that picture immediately, so the person on the other end doesnt just think to themselves, OK, they want a new job, and I dont know anybody. Delete. Instead, be clear, so the reader can be clear as well, and immediately begin to go through their mental Rolodex.Step 2 Spell Out More SpecificsOne of the 1st questions I ask the executives I support is, When you sit down to the computer and start to search for job openings, what are the job titles youre typing in?(By the way, my question assumes that youve already given this some thought and real effort. Convey that to the reader of your email as well. No one wants to help you do anything if you havent made a single move on your own first. That wouldnt be help. That would be a stranger doing it for you.)List those job titles into your email by saying, Here are a few jobs titles Im seeing t hat mostly describe what Im aiming forExecutive Director, ITVP, InformaticsGlobal Technology Program ManagerAnd some of the health care organizations that look interesting to me areCVS HealthMcKessonUnitedHealth GroupStep 3 Request Whats Real & ReasonableHelp and advice are theoretical I dont know what that means you want. But the following is clear, real, and reasonableDo you have a lead in any of those organizations at their Philadelphia, PA offices? Id appreciate if you could share those or make an introduction.Step 4 Have An Attitude of GratitudeRemember youre asking someone for something and you actually hope they will deliver it. Do yourself a favor and thank the person in advance. Say,Thank you for giving this some thought for me. Please dont hesitate to reach out to me should I be able to help you also.Thats a networking email that works. You can find out more, very specific strategies to reach the right decision makers in our upcoming online program, 3 Simple Steps To Cut Your Job Search Time In Half See the testimonials of executives who used these strategies and guess what? Theyre working now

Ten Steps Certification Program Summer and Fall

Ten Steps Certification Program Summer and FallTen Steps Certification Program Summer and FallTen Steps Certification Program Summer and Fall Coach and train your clients to successfully apply forfederal positions via USAJOBSNew Curriculum based on the Jobseeker Guide 8th EditionBy Kathryn Troutman, RP President The Resume Place, Inc., andCreator and Program Director, Ten Steps to a Federal Job Certification ProgramPublished June 9, 2017Webinar series starting June 26, 2017This is a 7-part, 90 minute webinarTen Steps to a Federal Job, Federal Resumes and Non-Competitive Hiring/Veterans Preference and Federal Employment Information.Live 3-day program at University of California, San Diego, CAThis will be live 3-day class with Kathryn Troutman,830 to 400 each dayTen Steps to a Federal Job, Federal Resumes and Non-Competitive Hiring/Veterans Preference and Federal Employment Information.Now in its 8th edition, we are excited to announce that we are publishing the best Jobseekers Guide a nd studienordnung we have ever created for the Ten Steps Certification Programby Kathryn Troutmanwith Paulina Chen, Developmental EditorOrder 8th Edition Now$8.00 per book for 50 or moreNEW CERTIFICATION OR RECERTIFYING?You dont even have to leave your office to join the programWe are using Adobe Connect.Adobe Connect technology is highly interactive and easy to attend2017 Ten Steps Curriculum AdditionsKathryn Troutman author and publisher, decided that 2017 is theyear to add more emphasis on non-competitive hiring techniquesfor VRA, Schedule A, 30% or more Disabled and Military SpousePreference into the Ten StepsNon-competitive hiring Veterans and military spouses can take advantage of opportunities to find federal jobs without competingfor them We have added more information in the Jobseekers Guideabout what the opportunities are and how to network for them.Job Offer Negotiation Brand new You wont will find this information anywhere else about how to negotiate a federal job off er.Real techniques that can work.Updated USAJOBS information USAJOBS went through some major changes in Aug 2016. The Jobseekers Guide is fully updated with the tips and techniques of navigating the new USAJOBS interface.New federal resume samples, keyword analysis examples, and cover letter samples.Get licensed to teach The Stars are Lined Up for Military Spouses Based on the first-ever federal job search guide for military spouses, focusing in PPP-S.The Stars Are Lined Up for Military Spouses, a training tool to assist military spouses with navigating the Department of Defenses Priority Placement Program for DOD jobs in the US. ALSO The book covers four ways to land the four major kinds of federal positions for military spouses USAJOBS, Program S, NAF, and Excepted Service.Available Aug. 15, 2017Join other certified trainers that help their clients aspire and achieve their goals of landing a federal careerLoyola College, Columbia, Md., Sept. 2016 Click Here For More Information , Dates, and RegistrationOr call (888) 480-8265.New Certification Fees saatkorn as 2016 Government Funded (Government and military employees)Individual registration $2,735 per partie2 attendees from the same office $2,050 per person3+ attendees from the same office $1,823 per person (Save 33%)Non-profit, University, Private Practice, and Self-PayIndividual registration $2,435 per person2 attendees from the same office $1,950 per person3+ attendees from the same office $1,623 per person (Save 33%)REGISTER NOW FOR 2017TEN STEPS CERTIFICATION TRAININGClick here to find out more information about recertification.QUESTIONS?Zoey Troutman, Ten Steps Accounting and Book Orderszoeytroutmanresume-place.comKathryn Troutman, Program Director, kathrynresume-place.com

The Mystery of College Student Resume Summary That No One Is Talking About

The Mystery of College Student Resume Summary That No One Is Talking About Its possible to also have the city and state where the organization is located in case youd like. The last standard college budgeting idea is to knock out the desire to shell out money whenever possible. If you worked during the summertime, ensure you have that too. There are variety of examples and distinct varieties of Free Resume Templates which can be found which may be downloaded free. Top Choices of College Student Resume Summary If you follow the advice above you are going to have an interesting, compelling resume summary that is likely to make the reader want to find out more about you even regardless of your lack of work experience Each guide is based on another amount of skilled experience, so locate the one most appropriate to your specific circumstance. A very clear statement about how youll utilize your strongest relevant abilities and professional experiences to satisfy the specific role youre applying for 3. Resume objectives are from time to time regarded as the old schooltype of resume. As a consequence, though your job application objective should consist of home elevators the profession which you would like, additionally you will need to spell out why you are the very best prospect for the work. The absolute most efficient objective is the one which is customized to the job that youre applying for. Want to Know More About College Student Resume Summary? Make your resume expert summary from the very best few bits. There are many other matters you may choose to add to your resume. If youre unsure what to write, highlight your skills employing a couple of bullet points. Should you need additional help creating, editing, or writing the remainder of your resume, you can landsee LiveCareer for more suggestions. How to Get Started with College Student Resume Summary? Writing a winning college student career objective is a rather simple approach to bolster yo ur application for this internship or job youve got in sight. Since youll discover, even in the event you dont have any prior professional experiences, you are able to still draw on your school experiences. Creative resumes have better odds of being selected. The resumes for college students should be shown in a well written format with the appropriate use of words and grammar. When you first graduated from school or started searching for work, odds are someone advised you to incorporate an objective statement near the top of your resume. A good option for high school resumes. In any case, there are two or three good reasons why you might want one when in college anyway. When it has to do with college, the exact same market things do the job. Without such a section, the possible hiring manager may be left wondering why he or shes reading your resume in any respect. For an entry-level job at a financial institution, cash handling skills will be required. Or you might be jus t new to the work market and you will need to compose your first resume. Taking into consideration the degree of competition in the jobs market, its extremely crucial for students to receive some internship experience. You might use the work application objective when youre concentrating on any sort of specific job. If you havent had any sort of job, its possible to still develop a compelling resume. You may also leave off any jobs that are entirely unrelated to the job which you desire. Scan the work description. The 30-Second Trick for College Student Resume Summary To create the entry level resume summary conventional, youll need to create use of common format for business letter. Resume is a type of document employed by individuals that are seeking for employment. 11 Another one on the list is a totally free student resume template made by Paul Jansen. College Student Resume Summary Help Companies are going to have the impression your task performance might be the exa ct same. In other words, employing a College Student Resume Job Objective speeds up the practice of producing a winning resume and ensures that its going to stick out in the application approach. Lets walk through three unique resumes for different sorts of post-college jobs.

What Is Excellent Communication Skills

What Is Excellent Communication Skills Excellent Communication Skills What Does It Really Mean?Posted October 13, 2011, by Mike KermodeSo you think youve got good communication skills? Well, you wouldnt be alone.Alfruchtwein everyone lays claim to having excellent communication skills, and every job requires them but what does it really mean? And what does it mean to have these skills when it comes to your job?Most jobs need good communicators, people who can express themselves clearly and positively, both verbally and in writing. Its one of the key ingredients of success, so it pays to understand whats involved and theres more to good communication than the obvious.The problem is that good communication skills is a stichwort so overused, and so broad, that its hard to know what its really saying.Having good communication skills in the workplace is all about being able to convey information to people clearly and simply, in a way that means things are understood and get done. Its ab out transmitting and receiving messages clearly, and being able to read your audience. It means you can do things like give and understand instructions, learn new things, make requests, ask questions and convey information with ease.It also means that you can adapt yourself to new and different situations, read the behaviour of other people, compromise to reach agreement, have difficult conversations with ease, and avoid and resolve conflict. In fact, a large part of good communication is about being empathic, so you can understand how others will interpret your words and behaviour. And dont forget that communication is a two-way street, so being a good listener is vital. Good communication skills are some of the simplest, most essential and most useful tools for success you can possess. In fact, they are probably the number one ability sought by employers. So if youre lacking in this department, you might like to keep the following in mind.Keep your head upOpen hands, good eye co ntact, plenty of smiling, good posture, respect for others personal space these are all part and parcel of good communication. They all display your positive attitude and help present you as reliable and open. Having good body language establishes trust and rapport and means people will not only have more confidence in you, but will want to listen to and work with you.The gift of the gabGood language doesnt necessarily mean that you need the oratorical skills of Winston Churchill, and doesnt just mean being proficient in English (although it helps a lot). It also means that your diction is clear and audible, your sentences are concise, your thought processes are logical and your delivery is flowing. Being a confident and amiable speaker establishes trust with your audience and helps you elicit information and make introductions. This helps to maintain strong relationships at work with co-workers and clients. Speaking well also requires you to adapt your speech to suit your audien ce, involving changing your word choice and tone for different scenarios. You have to be flexible to communicate effectively and use lingo thats appropriate and understandable to your listeners.Be a wordsmithEver received a text that was over-abbreviated, or an email that just didnt make sense? Communicating well also means being able to write well, or well enough to get your message across clearly. This doesnt just mean spelling, grammar, sentence structure and punctuation, but also being able to read quickly, use email, attach documents, and send and respond to messages in an appropriate timeframe. And, like speaking, choosing those words that are just right for the situation.Mind your milieuThe appropriateness of your language in different contexts is crucial. Your effectiveness as a communicator is entirely contingent on how you adapt your messages for different situations, different environments, different audiences and different purposes. How you communicate at work also dep ends on the job. If youre a teacher, for example, you need the whole gamut of communication skills written, spoken, body language because youll be talking to a multitude of individuals and groups. You need to be empathic, but also commanding. Morphing these signals to match the scenario is partly what will make you a good teacher. These skills would be balanced differently for, say, a corporate lawyer or a retail salesperson.On paper and in personYour resumeand cover letter are the first glimpse an employer has of who you are. And while it doesnt take much to write I possess excellent communication skills in your cover letter, the truth of the claim quickly becomes evident when youre face-to-face with the interviewer. With a cover letter, a prospective employer can immediately assess your writing skills your ability to spell, construct a coherent sentence and proofread your own work. If you want to be taken seriously as a contender, you have to ensure that both your resume and cover letter are grammatically sound and devoid of spelling errors.Your application also gives the employer the mglichkeit to assess your ability to read accurately and carefully, based on how well you address the job requirements, and how well you expand on and illustrate specific points. Because so much is revealed by your resume and cover letter as the first step in your communication, arming yourself with a top-notch package should be your top priority. Once you make the cut and make it to the interview, the employer is privy to all your communicative quirks, and this will have a large bearing on your suitability and prospects. They will check out your body language, speaking skills, your confidence, your word choice, your tone the whole shebang. Good communication skills here will be hard to fake, so its worth practising answering potential interview questions and doing as much preparation as possible. In the interview, you could be asked to give an example of when you have exercised good communication skills in the past. You could pick from a host of situations a time when you deftly avoided conflict, or resolved a conflict or the time you sold a product to a hesitant customer or pitched an idea to your boss. In all cases, you can approach it from several angles at once, highlighting your capacity for empathy, understanding and diplomacy, your ability to adapt to the situation, and how your direct approach saw something resolved sooner rather than later. Regardless of what field youre in and despite the apparent hollowness of the term, honing your communication skills will pay you back many times over. If you get it right, youre guaranteed to have a much smoother path through life and your career.Whats the most undervalued job skill?Top courses in 2017Administration coursesAnimal Care coursesBuilding and Construction coursesCounselling coursesCommunity Services coursesNatural Therapy coursesNursing coursesNutrition coursesProject Management courses Real Estate coursesSocial Work coursesTravel and Tourism courses ResourcesMy first resumeCover letter for my first jobCareer Insider StoriesShelley Lask - Body Positive Health & FitnessInterested in becoming a?Human Resources OfficerGeneral ManagerBusiness ManagerAccountantOffice AdministratorPopular Career Searchesexcellent communications skillseffective oral and written communication skillswell developed written and verbal communication skillsexcellent oral and written communication skills and interpersonal skillscommunication skills definition CoursesBachelor of Social WorkEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Health AdministrationEnquire Online Enquire OnlineBachelor of Criminal JusticeEnquire Online Enquire OnlineCertificate III in Allied Health AssistanceEnquire Online Enquire OnlineMike KermodeRelated ArticlesBrowse moreChristmasVolunteeringGive a little why you should volunteer this ChristmasWhats more fashionable than giving a knitted elektrische brcke with a snow man on it this Christmas? Giving your time through volunteering Heres how you can get involved.Education trendsOnline studySome things get better with age infographicWe kick off Adult Learners Week with a fun look at the state of play for adult learning in Australia, as well as what adult learners expect from their learning experiences.CAREER ADVICECreative careersHow To Become A Writer 10 Modern Writing CareersAlways wanted to be a professional writer? From copywriting to screenwriting, we list 10 day-jobs for the modern wordsmith.

Customs and Border Protection Officer Job Information

Customs and Border Protection Officer Job InformationCustoms and Border Protection Officer Job InformationAs trade and travel continue to increase, more and more people and goods make their way to the United States each year. Unfortunately, not everyone who visits has good intentions, which is why you can earn a good salary working as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer.The specialized officers guard ports of entry in and around the United States. What Customs Officers Do A customs agent or officer is responsible for enforcing laws, duties and taxes regarding the import and export of goods, people and materials. Especially since the terror attacks of September 11, 2001, one of the most important roles that U.S. customs officers play is to keep dangerous materials from entering or leaving theUnited States. Customs and Border Protection officers are assigned to the Customs and Border Protections Field Operations Division, one of three uniformed divisions within the U.S. Cu stoms and Border Protection agency of the Department of Homeland Security. The other two uniformed divisions are the U.S. Border Patrol and the Customs and Border Protection Air and Marine division. While both customs officers and border patrol agents are focused on keeping national borders safe and secure, customs officers primary focus is on the import and export of goods and materials as opposed to immigration. Customs officers work at grenzberschreitend airports, seaports, and land ports around the United States and at key locations around the world. They inspect cargo, passengers, and luggage to help keep illegal drugs and other contraband from making its way into the U.S. They also enforce laws with regards to the movement of intellectual property and make sure potentially invasive animals and plants are not brought to into the country illegally. Customs officers help ensure the collection of import taxes and duties, which in turn help local commerce and the U.S. economy. T he Salary for Range U.S. Customs Officers Customs officers are hired at either the GS-5 or GS-7 pay grade within the federal governments pay system, depending on experience and education. Starting salary at the GS-5 level is about $32,000 - not including overtime, benefits or federal locality pay - and requires either three years of experience dealing with people or a bachelors degree. The GS-7 salary starts at about $40,000 before overtime and locality pay and requires any combination of specialized experience, graduate-level education, and superior academic performance. Requirements to Be a U.S. Customs and Border Protection Officer According to the U.S. Federal Governments job site, USAJOBS, to be considered for a job as a customs officer you need to be a United States citizen between the ages of 21 and 37. You must also have been living in the United States for the past 3 years and hold a valid driver license. After you apply for the job, youll have to go through a thorough background check, a medical screening, and a physical fitness assessment. If youre hired, youll receive a 30-day orientation training at your home port before going through a 19-week training program at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia. Benefits of Working as a U.S. Customs Officer A job as a U.S. Customs and Border Protection officer offers a good salary, great federal benefits, and job stability. More importantly, though, working in customs and border protection offers a great opportunity to serve others and help keep your country safe and secure.

6 things the most organized people do every day

6 things the most organized people do every day6 things the most organized people do every dayYur life is busy. Work-life balance is a challenge. You feel like youre spreading yourself so thin that youre starting to disappear.Most of us feel that way. Butleid all of us. The most organized people dont.As NYT bestselling author and neuroscientist Daniel J. Levitin explains, the VIPs hes met dont seemscattered and frantic.Theyre calm, cool and in the moment, leid juggling nine things and worried about being done by 7 p.m.Its not hard to figure out why they have help - aides and assistants to take care of these things so the VIPcan be in the moment.Via The Organized Mind Thinking Straight in the Age of Information OverloadIn the course of my work as a scientific researcher, Ive had the chance to meet governors, cabinet members, music celebrities, and the heads of Fortune 500 companies. Their skills and accomplishments vary, but as a group, one thing is remarkably constant. Ive repeatedl y been struck by how liberating it is for them not to have to worry about whether there is someplace else they need to be, or someone else they need to be talking to. They take their time, make eye contact, relax, and are really there with whomever theyre talking to. They dont have to worry if there is someone more important they should be talking to at that moment because their staff- their external attentional filters- have already determined for them that this is the best way they should be using their time.Must be nicesinceyou and I have to multitask and cut things short to try and get everything done, stressing the whole time.But heres the thing You can be like that, too. And it doesnt require a staff of 10.So who is your assistant? You are. Then whos the VIP? You are. (Yes, I am actively encouraging you to develop a split personality.)With enough planning ahead of time, you can make sure youre as calm and organized as the President of the United States.(For more on what the most productive people do, click here.)We just need to get a few systems in place ahead of time. Whats the first step?1. The VIPs brain is empty. And thats agood thingThe President of the United Statesis not desperately trying to remember his to-do list.He has outsourced to his staffall the things that come next so he can focus 100% on whats in front of him.No, you dont have a group of aides but theres mucksmuschenstill a key principle you can use Get it out of your head.ViaThe Organized Mind Thinking Straight in the Age of Information OverloadShift the burden of organizing from our brains to the external worldWriting them down gets them out of your head, clearing your brain of the clutter that is interfering with being able to focus on what you want to focus on.Everything youre worried about, every to-do, every concern gets written down in one place.One. Not scattered across a notepad at home, your i-pad in the office, yourschmelzglas inbox, sticky notes on your monitor, andyour un reliable memory.That scattering makes you wonder if youve forgotten something - and research shows it produces anxiety.So get it out of your head and on one list. Afterwards,Getting Things DoneauthorDavid Allen says break itup into 4 categoriesDo itDelegate itDefer itDrop itOnce you have those 4 lists you know what you actually need to do and its all in one place. Just having that list is a big step toward VIP cool.Why does this work? Theres some neuroscience behind it. Writing things down deactivates rehearsal loops.ViaThe Organized Mind Thinking Straight in the Age of Information OverloadWhen we have something on our minds that is important- especially a To Do item- were afraid well forget it, so our brain rehearses it, tossing it around and around in circles in something that cognitive psychologists actually refer to as the rehearsal loop, a network of brain regions that ties together the frontal cortex just behind your eyeballs and the hippocampus in the center of your brain The problem is that it works too well, keeping items in rehearsal until we attend to them. Writing them down gives both implicit and explicit permission to the rehearsal loop to let them go, to relax its nerven betreffend circuits so that we can focus on something else.Research shows that when youleave things unfinished and worry, it actuallymakes you stupid.Solution? Write it all down.(For more on how the great geniuses of history leverage notebooks, click here.)So you got all the to-dos out of your brain and onto a list. You know what can be delegated, deferred and dropped - and what you actually need to do.Now how do you get through the day like a calm VIP?2.Mr. President, your next meeting is about to beginThe President of the United States doesnt check his watch. Hes scheduled down to the minute and aides tell him when its time togo.You may not have assistants but any smartphone has alarms and reminders.ViaThe Organized Mind Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overload Time management also requires structuring your future with reminders. That is, one of the secrets to managing time in the present is to anticipate future needs so that youre not left scrambling and playing catch-up all the time.Ironically, yourphone probably interrupts you with unimportant texts, emails, and status updates - but not about the key priorities for yourday.Few of us have our calendar so organized ahead of time that we can let it dictate all our actionsmoment to moment.Whats the key?Alarms dont work with to-do lists.As Cal Newport recommends, assign every to-do a block of time on your calendar. Then you can gauge how much you can actually get doneScheduling forces you to confront the reality of how much time you actually have and how long things will take. Now that you look at the whole picture youre able to get something productive out of every free hour you have in your workday. You not only squeeze more work in but youre able to put work into places where you can do it best.Youre less likely to procrastinate when an activity has an assigned block of time, because the decision was already made.And once it has a time block, you can bethe VIP. Alarmsallow your mind to becalm knowingyoull be reminded about the next thing.(For more on the schedule successful people follow every day, click here.)I know what some of you are thinking But I get interrupted. I get distracted.But theres a way to verstndigung im strafverfahren with interruptions - even if you dont have a Secret Service detail to keep people out of your office.3. Set up filtersEvery morning the President gets a top secret document with everything he needs to know from the agencies beneath him.Whats key isnt what the document contains, its what it doesnt contain 50 status updates, 100 tweets, 10 cat pictures and 1000 unimportant emails.He can focus on what matters because he isnt distracted by what doesnt. Meanwhile, you probably feel overwhelmed by information.ViaThe Organized Mind Thinking Straight in the Age of Information OverloadToday, our attentional filters easily become overwhelmed. Successful people- or people who can afford it- employ layers of people whose job it is to narrow the attentional filter. That is, corporate heads, political leaders, spoiled movie stars, and others whose time and attention are especially valuable have a staff of people around them who are effectively extensions of their own brains, replicating and refining the functions of the prefrontal cortexs attentional filter.I have information overload, you scream. But as technology visionary Clay Shirkysays, Its not information overload its filter failure.Your attention is limited and valuable. You need less information. You need good filters.ViaThe Organized Mind Thinking Straight in the Age of Information OverloadOur brains do have the ability to process the information we take in, but at a cost We can have trouble separating the trivial from the important, and all this information proce ssing makes us tired. Neurons are living cells with a metabolism they need oxygen and dextrose to survive and when theyve been working hard, we experience fatigueA good low-tech solution is to hide for part of the day. Im as serious as a heart attack. Go where people cannot reach you and get solid work done.Thats not an option for everyone. I get it. No problem. But people who feel technology has left themoverloaded with information are using it wrong.Use technology like a DVRtotime-shift yourcommunications.People should reach you when you want them to, not when they want to.Handle all communications in specified batches a set timewhen you check email, voicemail, etc.Some people say, I cant do that. But you probably can do it more than you think, especially early and late in the day.Maybe your anfhrer wants you ridiculously responsive. Fine. Set up an email filter so only the bosss emails get through immediately.ViaThe Organized Mind Thinking Straight in the Age of Information Overl oadyou can set up e-mail filters in most e-mail programs and phones, designating certain people whose mail you want to get through to you right away, while other mail just accumulates in your inbox until you have time to deal with it. And for people who really cant be away from e-mail, another effective trick is to set up a special, private e-mail account and give that address only to those few people who need to be able to reach you right away, and check your other accounts only at designated times.(For more on how to achieve work/life balance, click here.)So youve gotreminders and filters and youre not running around worried anymore.But when you sit down to work you realize there is still just too much to do. How can you keep calm when there are somany decisions to make?4. The incredible power of good enoughThe President doesnt make little decisions. The thousands of people working under him handle thoseso only the big stuff bubbles up to his agenda.But given you dont have thousan ds of people working under you (or maybe any for that matter) you handle every decision, business and personal.As Ive said before, You can do anything once you stop trying to do everything. Be a perfectionist about it all and youll have a nervous breakdown.Save your limited decision-making power for the things that matter. Everything else should be satisficed.What is satisficing? Its the art of quickly picking the option that is good enough. And research shows its the path to productivity - and happiness.ViaThe Organized Mind Thinking Straight in the Age of Information OverloadRecent research in social psychology has shown that happy people are not people who have more rather, they are people who are happy with what they already have. Happy people engage in satisficing all of the time, even if they dont know it. Warren Buffett can be seen as embracing satisficing to an extreme- one of the richest men in the world, he lives in Omaha, a block from the highway, in the same modest hom e he has lived in for fifty yearsBut Buffett does not satisfice with his investment strategies satisficing is a tool for not wasting time on things that are not your highest priority. For your high-priority endeavors, the old-fashioned pursuit of excellence remains the right strategy.Will this decision result in you losing your job? No? Then opt for the good enough solution and focus on what matters most.(For more on what the most successful people all have in common, click here.)Yourbosss priorities change midday. mora stuff keeps getting added to your list. How can this not throw a monkeywrench into your well-laid plan?5. Mr. President, theres been achange. . .When changes come up for the Commander-in-Chief he shifts seamlessly because his aides have already revised the days plans. So he stays calm.You can stay cool too, but it requires a little bit more effort. New things will come in, priorities will change and you need to process and adapt.Always have your notebook ready to cap ture new ideas and to-dos.And throughout the day you need moments of triage and active sorting where you restructure the list from your big brain dump.ViaThe Organized Mind Thinking Straight in the Age of Information OverloadYour brain needs to engage on some consistent basis with all of your commitments and activities, Allen says. You mustbe assured that you are doing what you need to be doing, and that its OK to be not doing what youre not doing. If its on your mind, then your mind isnt clear. Anything you consider unfinished in any way must be captured in a trusted system outside your mind That trusted system is to write it down.Once youupdate your list, apply the Eisenhower Matrix.ViaThe Decision Book 50 Models for Strategic ThinkingWhenyou know which category everything fits into, you can attack the list in a prioritized way.(For more on how Navy SEALs, Astronauts and Samurai make good decisions, click here.)Okay, you are master of your schedule, your mind is empty and youre re ady to focusNow what?6. Have awar roomEver seen a picture of the Presidents desk? Does it have piles of papers and 1000 random post-its? No.Research shows a desk that looks like the aftermath of a natural disaster saps your ability to concentrate.You dont need to be a neat-freak but when its time for you to stop planning and be the VIP, have a separate work area designed for focus.ViaThe Organized Mind Thinking Straight in the Age of Information OverloadOne way to exploit the hippocampuss natural style of memory storage is to create different work spaces for the different kinds of work we do. But we use the same computer screen for balancing our checkbook, responding to e-mails from our boss, making online purchases, watching videos of cats playing the piano, storing photos of our loved ones, listening to our favorite music, paying bills, and reading the daily news. Its no wonder we cant remember everything- the brain simply wasnt designed to have so much information in one placeTh e neurologist and writer Oliver Sacks goes one further If youre working on two completely separate projects, dedicate one desk or table or section of the house for each. Just stepping into a different space hits the reset button on your brain and allows for more productive and creative thinking.According to productivity guru Tim Ferriss, focus is just the product of removing distractions.So you want your VIP work area to have what the VIP needs. And nothing else.ViaThe Organized Mind Thinking Straight in the Age of Information OverloadA germane finding in cognitive psychology for gaining that control is to make visible the things you need regularly, and hide things that you dont.I can hear the whining already But I dont have two offices I barely have oneThis isnt about real estate, its about mental space. Your desk can be where you plan, but the VIP works on the couch.Or your desktop computer is for preparation, but the VIP works on your iPad (which deliberately lacks apps for Faceb ook, Twitter, etc.)When its time for VIP work you want everything you need to get the job done - and nothing else.Your immediate environment should make what you need to do easy and what you dont need to do hard.(For more tricks successful people use to make themselves great, click here.)So how do we pull all this together?Sum UpThe steps to being as organized and calm as the Commander-in-ChiefGetyour to-dos out of your head and onto one document.Lock in your calendar and setalarms so you dont need to think about whats next.Use batchingandfilters so you only get the info you need when you need it.Opt for good enough on the little decisions so you can focus on the big ones.Regularly capture, triage and prioritize new items.Havea War Room that contains what you need - and nothing else.You used to need a secretary vigilantly monitoringthe phone all day then came answering machines and voicemail.Technology has come a long way since thenand with some planningyou can use it to keep your cool andaccomplish great things.Its hard at first. And, yes, youll stumble. Youll need to tweak and customize. But with time youll evolve a personal system that works.And youll learn the lesson that every VIP knowsThe trickiest thing to learn to manage is yourself. But once you can handle that, you can handle anything.Join over 100,000 readers.Get a free weekly update via emailhere.Related posts6 Things The Most Productive People Do Every Day8 Things The Worlds Most Successful People All Have In CommonHow To Achieve Work-Life Balance In 5 StepsThis article originally appeared at Barking Up the Wrong Tree.

Massachusetts Team Wins the 2014 ASME Innovation Showcase

Massachusetts Team Wins the 2014 ASME Innovation Showcase Massachusetts Team Wins the 2014 ASME Innovation Showcase Massachusetts Team Wins the 2014 ASME Innovation ShowcaseASME President Madiha El Mehelmy Kotb (center) presents the $25,000 first prize to the team from the University of Massachusetts Lowell at the 2014 ASME Innovation Showcase (IShow) in Washington, D.C. A low-cost, mass-producible prosthetic limb that was developed by a team of students from the University of Massachusetts Lowell received the top prize at the ASME Innovation Showcase (IShow) belastung month. UMass Lowell was one of 9 teams taking part in the competition, which was held April 28 at the Newseum in Washington, D.C.Now in its eighth year, the annual event, which is sponsored by the ASME Foundation, provides teams of graduate and undergraduate students with the chance to present products they have developed to a panel of judges consisting of successful innovators, industry experts, tech start-up l eaders, and intellectual property specialists. The judges then select the most innovative and practical ideas, awarding the top three winners $50,000 in seed funds as well as industry recognition. A section of the adaptable prosthetic limb designed by the UMass Lowell team. The students from UMass Lowell - Jonathan Perez de Alderete, Erin Keaney, Brendan Donoghue, Catherine Caine, Tucker Holladay and Olivia Keane- were awarded the IShows $25,000 top prize for inventing an affordable prosthetic limb for use in developing countries. The team, named Nonspec, designed the limb so that it could quickly adjust to meet the needs of each patient. For instance, in pediatric patients, the limb can mechanically grow as the child ages, so the child would require fewer replacement devices as he or she matures. The $15,000 second place prize went to the team from Rice University, Team BiliQant, for its two-component approach to determine bilirubin concentration that employs optics and microfluidics to inexpensively and accurately diagnose cases of jaundice. Team members Jacinta Leyden, Monica Barrera, Rohan Shan, Melody Tan and Stephanie Tzouanas designed a paper-based cuvette for plasma isolation from whole blood samples as well as a spectrophotometric device to read the absorbance of bilirubin within the acquired plasma. Their approach avoids the use of lab equipment and reagents that make implementation difficult in developing nations, resulting in test that costs less than once cent to administer. Larry Martin of the University of Hawaii presents his product SmartTummy to the panel of judges at the 2014 IShow. He went on to win the competitions $10,000 third-place prize. Larry Martin of the University of Hawaii claimed the IShows $10,000 third prize with his entry SmartTummy, a unique abdominal training mannequin that can promptly mimic the look, sound, and feel of a variety of abdominal ailments using its proprietary technology and a user-friendly computer interface. The device is intended to help train healthcare students in abdominal palpation exams. A fourth team, from Johns Hopkins University, won the Dr. Abdi Zaltash Champion Award for its entry Accuspine, which is a low-cost, smart pedicle probe for the accurate placement of pedicle screws in spinal fusion surgeries. This special $1,000 award was established to recognize a new technology or concept that is not ready for market, but shows promise and deserves further recognition and development. The judges for this years IShow were Evan Burfield, co-founder of the incubator platform 1776 Jen Consalvo, chief operating officer and co-founder of new media and events company Tech Cocktail ASME Fellow Lynden F. Davis, vice-chair of the ASME Foundation Steve Davis, director of advanced projects at Space Exploration Technologies (SpaceX) and Paul Scott, Senior Program Manager, Engineering for in aller welt Development, ASME. The event was hosted by Julie Kantor, chief partnership officer at STEMconnector. For more information on the ASME Innovation Showcase, visit www.asme.org/events/competitions/asme-ishow.