The Connection Between Technology And Childhood Obesity
Today, it is hard to imagine life without a computer or television and other electronic gadgets that have become so commonplace since the advent of modern technology that it is leaving us and our children with little time to enjoy nature and the outdoors. Not so long ago, parents derived much pleasure from seeing their kids cavorting in the outdoors beneath the sun or climbing trees and remaining somewhat more active than the kids of today who have found a virtual world in which to remain engrossed. Thus, technology and childhood obesity are closely related because we have now become accustomed to having our eyes glued to the computer screen or television screen and are otherwise taken up with different forms of electronic entertainment.
Boob-Tube And More Boob-Tube
The new lifestyle that has taken over our children’s lives leaves little time for them to exercise, go out and remain otherwise active and it is far removed from the lifestyle our parents enjoyed many years ago. Along with the sedentary life that our children have become accustomed to, technology and childhood obesity have become closely intertwined and our concern for our health has also taken a backseat as the life in front of the boob-tube continues to take up all of our children’s time at the expense of their health.
It is thus imperative to understand the reason why technology and childhood obesity are going hand in hand, and when one considers the fact that child obesity has gone up by more than three times in the recent past, the problem has actually now reached epidemic proportions and it seems that now we are breeding obesity in our homes as we are letting our children spend all of their time in front of the television or other electronic devices.
The fact is that when we and our children sit immobile for hours on end watching television or working on the computer or playing video games, we neglect to exercise and along with a diet consisting of sodas and fast foods are breeding obesity like never before. Thus, technology and childhood obesity are causing our children to eat more, exercise less and live sedentary lifestyles which is a cocktail that only serves up more obese children in our population today.
No doubt, there are a number of other factors too that contribute to obesity, but television is a prime example of how technology and childhood obesity combine to the detriment of our health. Staying glued to the television will mean a lack of exercise, focusing on excessive eating followed by an unhealthy lifestyle and thus contributing to furthering the incidence of obesity in our children.
Television and the computer are prime examples of how technology and childhood obesity are making kids do things that are bad for them and if you want your kid to not become obese, you should discourage him from watching too much television, which is a major reason why children become obese, and to also address obesity as a health problem which needs to be addressed and not to consider obesity as merely being a problem with how the child looks.
What You Must Know About Torch Down Roofing Installation
Getting your home constructed is one of the most fulfilling jobs but it also involves many tedious and exhaustive jobs. One of the most important things that you should keep in mind is that the roof should be done with utmost care. Today with advancement in technology, there are many options for getting your roof done in your desired way and torch down roofing installation is a popular method.
For most of the situations, torch down roofing installation is the most suitable way. The only thing that you need to keep in mind is that it needs to be done carefully and cautiously with a lot of attention to safety precautions. The sure shot way to attain success is to take care of some tips given by remodeling and roofing experts based on their experience and knowledge. If you follow the advices of these professional then you will definitely get your torch down roofing installation done properly.
Let us start with some basic guidelines. First and foremost, you should never make an effort to torch down roofing installation in absence of safety precautions. Being equipped with safety gear is also a must. In absence of the safety gear, torching down the roofing installation can turn into a disaster. Take care to keep the flaming torch away from anything that can catch fire such as wood or even other persons near by. In order to avoid accidents, every one working on the roof should be careful about the location of torch all the time. At the same time, the person handling the torch should take care where other people are working and ensure that they are at a maximum distance from it.
Getting your Torch down Roofing Installation done
In order to ensure safety, one member of the team should be chosen as team leader. This person will be the one who directs all other workers on the roof and co-coordinating and synchronizing all the work. You should make efforts to work in a structured way. For example while some people apply torch to the roof as it is laid, others can position and prepare the next roll that goes down the roof. This will not only reduce the chances of any possible accident but also ensure that your work gets done in minimum time with the best possible results.
Try and divide your work in small steps and assign different jobs to different people. Nothing is more disastrous than a team of people working on a roof and none of them knowing exactly what he or she is supposed to do. Each individual should be given individual responsibilities for better efficiency while torch down roofing installation is going on.
Today torch down roofing installation is a very popular way of getting your roof done in almost every part of the world. Torch down roofing installation is an excellent way for those houses or structures that have either a flat roof. It also works well with roofs that have less that 1 degree slopes. It is far better that conventional method which involves hot tar roofing and then topping it off with gravel.
However for regions experiencing heavy rainfall or snowfall, torch down roofing is not a good choice. This is because the arrangement of a flat roof with overlapping roofing material strips can not stand much heavy rain or snow fall. You can opt for other conventional methods if you live in such a place. Thus torch down roofing installation, if done with proper care and under correct situation is an excellent way for protection of a flat or low sloped rooftop. So study all the options carefully before making any decision regarding torch down roofing installation.
Hostile Workplace? 10 Signs You Work With an Abusive Bully, Boss Or Co-Worker
Did you know that experts estimate more than one in three U.S. workers have been mistreated severely enough at work that their health has been damaged? That’s 54 million people! This is according to a 2007 Zogby International survey.
Many employees privately complain that their company won’t stop bullying bosses or retrain them to treat employees with respect. It may be easier to ignore the problem of abusive supervisors, but in the end the company will lose money from its passive approach to this workplace problem.
Companies that do not address the problem of workplace bullies do pay a price. Such companies suffer higher employee turnover, higher absenteeism, and more frequent workers compensation claims. Furthermore, a severe bully boss will damage a company’s ability to recruit new people and its reputation in the community. Word does get around about who likes their job and who does not, and why.
Many people are painfully aware that they are being bullied by their boss at work. Others, however, do not understand what is happening to them. These people feel confused, scared, and don’t know where to turn for help with their undiagnosed problem. If you think you might be in this latter group, here are ten signs that you are being bullied and abused at work. Read through them and see if you recognize your own work situation in these descriptions.
You Are Being Bullied and Abused At Work If:
You are physically sick the night before the start of every workweek
You have a history of positive appraisals and solid work performance, but if feels like your boss or co-worker never stops criticizing your work and you personally
Your boss or co-worker yells at you, insults you, or otherwise humiliates you in front of other people at work
You are accused of making errors when you did not
A manager or supervisor continually brings up past mistakes as a type of club to hit you with – not in a constructive manner to help you improve
Someone at work quietly tells gossipy lies about you or your job performance
You boss freezes you out of his or her “circle” by moving your desk, not including you on meetings or even social lunches
On your days off work you feel exhausted and lifeless, or you spend time away from work obsessing about work
Your boss tries to make you fail, by not reviewing or signing off on your work, shuffling your schedule or calling meetings when he or she knows you have a conflict
When you succeed at work despite your boss, he or she takes the credit for your success (but always blames you for the failures)
How to Put References in a Resume
Avoid one of the most common resume mistakes and don’t put references in your resume unless requested by the job announcement or employer.
References are a vital part of the hiring process and employers request them for a variety of reasons. Most of the time they are used to validate information found on your resume. Employers generally want at least three references, but it’s a good idea to have a list of 5 to 7 available. A list of references should be compiled before sending out your resume. Take some time to brainstorm and on a blank piece of paper write down the names of family members, friends, co-workers, teachers, supervisors, managers, and former employers. Contact the people on your list and ask them if they would be willing to be a reference.
Once your list of references is compiled take some time to prepare them for the potential employer contact.
Let them know what kind of work you’re looking for.
Provide them with a copy of your resume (take time to talk it over).
Verify their contact information: name, address, phone, position/title, email, etc.
Verify how they would prefer to be contacted: phone, email, or mail.
The types of questions asked usually depend on the relationship you have with your reference. Are they personal or professional? A professional reference like a supervisor or formal employer may be asked more technical questions related to the job announcement and employment history. General questions asked of a reference are:
How do you know or what is your relationship to the applicant? How long?
How do they get along with other people?
How is their job performance? Are they on time?
What else should I know about this person prior to hiring him or her?
Do you recommend anyone else I should speak to about the client?
Remember! The person you list as a reference should be someone who can attest to your abilities and/or confirm your qualifications when contacted by the potential employer.
Again, do not put references in a resume! When requested by the employer or job announcement put your references on a separate page included with your resume. Use this example of a resume reference sample page as a guide.
People Skills: Eight Essential People Skills
Being able to communicate effectively with others requires people skills, and here’s eight essential ones:
1. Understanding people
People not only come in all shapes and sizes, but they come with different personality types as well. You may want to brush up on how to communicate with the four main personality types by reading this article. Indeed, dedicated students of communication could do little better than purchase Bem Allen’s excellent introduction to personality types, ‘Personality Theories’.
People are individuals, with as many similarities from one person to the next as differences. To communicate most effectively, each will require you to communicate with them in their own individual preference style, using their language, their body gestures, and their pace and intonation.
So how do you find out how best to communicate with someone? Spend time with them! Don’t expect to meet someone off the street and talk intimately with them within a minute. Understanding a subject takes time — whether that subject is an academic one or another human being.
2. Expressing your thoughts and feelings clearly
Our brains can only take so much information in at any one time. We are bombarded with messages every second of the day, so to compete with the barrage of ‘noise’ a person faces, your message needs to be clear, succinct and to the point.
It is very worthwhile taking time to plan your communication — no matter by what method it is delivered — to ensure that you are taking the least amount of time to express the right level of thought in the most receptively simple manner.
3. Speaking up when your needs are not being met
Just as important in business relationships as in domestic ones, speaking up to ensure that your needs are met is a fundamental part of any relationship.
You may wish to read this article on assertive, not aggressive, communication, but in a nutshell there are six different ways you can be assertive and not aggressive in your communication: by rehearsing your behaviour prior to the communication; by repeating your communication (the ‘broken record’ technique); fogging; asking for negative feedback; tentative agreement with negative feedback; and creating a workable compromise.
Assertiveness is a useful communication tool. It’s application is contextual and it’s not appropriate to be assertive in all situations. Remember, your sudden use of assertiveness may be perceived as an act of aggression by others.
4. Asking for feedback from others and giving quality feedback in return
Alongside assertiveness techniques, the giving and receiving of feedback is a key communication skill that must be learnt if you want to have any hope of developing long-term business relationships..
Toastmasters International teach a useful feedback and critical review technique — first give a sincere compliment, follow this with any practical suggestions for improvement, then wrap up with further sincere praise. It is known as ‘CRC’, or ‘Commend, Recommend, Commend’, a three-step model for excellence in giving quality feedback.
Remember, too, that truthfulness is a subjective view. What you may find distasteful in someone may be equally desirable from another’s point of view. As I learnt, by living through a series of IRA attrocities in England and watching the US political and media reactions, one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.
5. Influencing how others think and act
We all have the opportunity to influence how others think and act. All the way from Cialdini’s Persuasion principles down to simple violence (of a verbal or physical nature), we are daily able to shape the thoughts and actions of those around us.
From something as simple as smiling and saying, “Hello!” as a way of influencing someone’s mood, to leading by example during an intense period of change, there are many ways of either leading to or drawing out of others required behaviours and attitudes.
Remember that an attitude leads to an emotion, which in turn leads to an action. Shape the attitudes and you have a more reliable way of predicting actions.
6. Bringing conflicts to the surface and getting them resolved
I confess: I’m not a ‘natural’ at handling conflict. It’s taken marrying into an existing family of three children to help this only child come to terms with conflict.
It’s taken me three years of living in my family to realise it’s possible to co-exist in conflict and not get personally involved. But it wasn’t an easy lesson to learn, I can tell you!
But being a step-father to teenage children has helped me learn the importance of bringing conflicts and resentments to the surface where they can be more easily managed.
Your employees might be harbouring secret resentments of you, and unless you find out what they are, bring these ‘dark secrets’ out into the light of day, you are never going to be able to successfully deal with them.
It’s embarassing, potentially humiliating and requires a strong level of patience not to launch straight into a defensive mode, but giving people the opportunity to express their concerns, disappointments and anger, face-to-face, gives you tremendous opportunity to put things right, or help them see where their thoughts and feelings are misplaced.
7. Collaborating with others instead of doing things by yourself
I’m a shocker at this, but learning to delegate and share has been instrumental in growing my own business.
The quickest way of burying yourself in excess detail and workload is to try and do everything yourself. Yet sharing the workload can be the smartest thing you will ever do. Here’s why:
‘Leverage’.
Leverage is taking your skills and abilities and allowing others to magnify your work capacity. You train them to do what you do and you do something else.
One bricklayer can only lay a certain number of bricks in an hour, but that same bricklayer can train 15 mates to lay bricks and suddenly those 15 bricklayers are building monuments while the first bricklayer is out securing more work for them.
While the 15 are laying bricks, the original bricklayer can be learning how to perform advanced bricklaying, or learn sales strategies, or learn supervision skills.
The lesson is simple: try and do it all yourself and the ‘all’ will bury you; teach others to do what you do and you build a monument.
Jesus taught 11 men how to do what he did. Then he left them to carry on while he moved on to other things. From the simple act of one man teaching 11 others, a church and the largest, most influential religious movement the world has ever known was born.
8. Shifting gears when relationships are unproductive
Sometimes you need to walk away. Sometimes you need to jettison unhealthy cargo. And sometimes you need to take drastic steps to regain balance and momentum.
‘Shifting gears’ can be as simple as changing the venue of your supervision meeting from a dark office to a nearby cafe. Sometimes it can be moving the meeting from straight after lunch to first thing next morning, when clearer heads might prevail.
Sometimes it can mean increasing the level of assertiveness in order to ensure the point you are making is being received. Sometimes it might mean bringing others into the meeting so that the other person understands the implications of their attitudes or actions.
And sometimes it can mean helping them find a more meaningful and satisfying role outside of your sphere of influence.
As a management psychologist I clearly remember one organisation I consulted to: the only way out of a staff impasse was to remove the impediments to progress. Which meant helping key protagonists find new work outside of the organisation. Sometimes culture change can only be effected in a quick way by bringing in an entire new team and throwing away the dead wood. But only as a last resort.
Conclusion
The whole idea of being people skilled is knowing or finding how to bring out the best in others in any situation, rather than their worst. By mastering these eight essential people skills you dramatically increase your chances of achieving the best outcomes out of your interactions and business challenges.
Offshore Drilling Companies – 50 Offshore Drilling Companies To Get You Started
Are you looking for a list of offshore drilling companies because you are looking for a job in an offshore oil rig? Have you tried the big boys like Shell and BP, etc? No results, or don’t want to try them for some reason?
Besides the obvious list of big boys like Shell and BP, you can also look for offshore drilling companies which do wildcatting or provide sub-contracting offshore oil drilling services to the major players. There are potentially hundreds of smaller companies which do this. Rather than cover the whole spectrum of finding oil, drilling for it and then refining and distributing the oil, these relatively small companies (for the oil and gas industry) concentrate on providing offshore drilling services. Some of them were formed during the last slump in oil prices by far-sighted investors with deep pockets, buying up equipment for pennies on the dollar. Many more were popped up just before the current boom in oil prices, or just recently to cater for the spike in demand for oil drilling services.
Here is a list of 50 offshore drilling companies to get you started:
Nabors Industries
Transocean
Diamond Offshore
Rowan Companies
Schlumberger
Stena Drilling
Tesco Drilling
Transocean Sedco
Prosafe ASA
Abbot Group
Acteon
Akita Drilling
Altinex
Atwood Oceanics
Baker Hughes
China Oilfield Services
Crosco Drilling
Dolphin Drilling
Egyptian Drilling Company
Franklin Howard International
Fred. Olsen Energy
Geoservices
Global Marine Drilling
GlobalSantaFe
IKM Subsea Design
Japan Drilling Co
KCA Deutag Drilling
Maersk Contractors
Metzke Engineering
Noble Drilling
Pajak Engineering
Parker Drilling
PetroMena
Reamco
Seadrill
Smedvig
Smith International
ENSCO International
BLAKE Offshore
CDIS
Coastal Drilling Company
Crosco
Extended Reach Drilling
Frigstad Offshore
Jindal Drilling & Industries
KCA DEUTAG Drilling
Marine Drilling Companies
National Drilling Services
Neptune Drilling
Ocean Rig
Do note that these are just 50 out of hundreds, with many more new companies formed each month to cater for the growing demand of the oil rush. As the entire oil and gas industry is very fast-moving right now, there is no guarantee that all the companies will still be around. After all, the major players like Shell will almost certainly try to buy them up to secure their own supply of oil rigs and crew. Some of these companies provide both onshore and offshore services and may even provide pipelining services, so be sure to make it clear in your cover letter and resume/cv.
Not all of the companies have websites or email. You may need to do some digging to find their snail mail or off-line address so that you can send them you cover letter and resume through the post office.
To get an offshore drilling job, you can go to the major players, or you can try the smaller specialist offshore drilling companies. The major players are of course more stable (at least during the oil boom). The smaller companies, on the other hand, provide more opportunity for advancement if you are bright and hardworking.
Human Resource Management and Organizational Effectiveness
1. Introduction
Organizational effectiveness depends on having the right people in the right jobs at the right time to meet rapidly changing organizational requirements. Right people can be obtained by performing the role of Human Resource (HR) function. Below is an outline and explanation of how to assess the HR functions of an organization by using HR activities in an architectural firm as an example. Human resource management (HRM), as defined by Bratton, J. & Gold, J. (2003), is
“A strategic approach to managing employment relations which emphasizes that leveraging people’s capabilities is critical to achieving sustainable competitive advantage, this being achieved through a distinctive set of integrated employment policies, programmes and practices.”
According to this definition, we can see that human resource management should not merely handle recruitment, pay, and discharging, but also should maximize the use of an organization’s human resources in a more strategic level. To describe what the HRM does in the organization, Ulrich, D. & Brocklebank, W. (2005) have outlined some of the HRM roles such as employee advocate, human capital developer, functional expert, strategic partner and HR leader etc.
An important aspect of an organization’s business focus and direction towards achieving high levels of competency and competitiveness would depend very much upon their human resource management practices to contribute effectively towards profitability, quality, and other goals in line with the mission and vision of the company.
Staffing, training, compensation and performance management are basically important tools in the human resources practices that shape the organization’s role in satisfying the needs of its stakeholders. Stakeholders of an organization comprise mainly of stockholders who will want to reap on their investments, customers whose wants and desires for high quality products or services are met, employees who want their jobs in the organization to be interesting with reasonable compensation and reward system and lastly, the community who would want the company to contribute and participate in activities and projects relating to the environmental issues. Common rules and procedures of human resource management must be adhered to by the organization which forms basic guidelines on its practices. Teamwork among lower levels of staff and the management should be created and maintained to assist in various angles that would deem necessary in eliminating communication breakdowns and foster better relationship among workers. The management should emphasize on good corporate culture in order to develop employees and create a positive and conducive work environment
Performance appraisal (PA) is one of the important components in the rational and systemic process of human resource management. The information obtained through performance appraisal provides foundations for recruiting and selecting new hires, training and development of existing staff, and motivating and maintaining a quality work force by adequately and properly rewarding their performance. Without a reliable performance appraisal system, a human resource management system falls apart, resulting in the total waste of the valuable human assets a company has.
There are two primary purposes of performance appraisal: evaluative and developmental. The evaluative purpose is intended to inform people of their performance standing. The collected performance data are frequently used to reward high performance and to punish poor performance. The developmental purpose is intended to identify problems in employees performing the assigned task. The collected performance data are used to provide necessary skill training or professional development.
2. Affirmative action has assisted many members of minority groups in creating equal opportunities in education and employment. Who could object to assisting these minorities, who suffered years of discrimination, in getting the equal opportunity they deserve? The problem is, affirmative action promotes racial preferences and quotas which cause mixed emotions. One time supporters of affirmative action are now calling out “reverse discrimination”. If we want a stronger support for affirmative action we need to get rid of the preferential treatments.
The back bone of affirmative action began with the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment. The amendment abolished slavery and any involuntary labor, is showed there was a calling for equal opportunity for all South Africans.
A comprehensive Human Resource Strategy plays a vital role in the achievement of an organisation’s overall strategic objectives and visibly illustrates that the human resources function fully understands and supports the direction in which the organisation is moving. A comprehensive HR Strategy will also support other specific strategic objectives undertaken by the marketing, financial, operational and technology departments.
In essence, an HR strategy should aim to capture “the people element” of what an organisation is hoping to achieve in the medium to long term, ensuring that:-
o it has the right people in place
o it has the right mix of skills
o employees display the right attitudes and behaviours, and
o employees are developed in the right way.
If, as is sometimes the case, organisation strategies and plans have been developed without any human resource input, the justification for the HR strategy may be more about teasing out the implicit people factors which are inherent in the plans, rather than simply summarising their explicit “people” content.
An HR strategy will add value to the organisation if it:
o articulates more clearly some of the common themes which lie behind the achievement of other plans and strategies, which have not been fully identified before; and
o identifies fundamental underlying issues which must be addressed by any organisation or business if its people are to be motivated, committed and operate effectively.
The first of these areas will entail a careful consideration of existing or developing plans and strategies to identify and draw attention to common themes and implications, which have not been made explicit previously.
The second area should be about identifying which of these plans and strategies are so fundamental that there must be clear plans to address them before the organisation can achieve on any of its goals. These are likely to include:
o workforce planning issues
o succession planning
o workforce skills plans
o employment equity plans
o black economic empowerment initiatives
o motivation and fair treatment issues
o pay levels designed to recruit, retain and motivate people
o the co-ordination of approaches to pay and grading across the organisation to create alignment and potential unequal pay claims
o a grading and remuneration system which is seen as fair and giving proper reward for contributions made
o wider employment issues which impact on staff recruitment, retention, motivation etc.
o a consistent performance management framework which is designed to meet the needs of all sectors of the organisation including its people
o career development frameworks which look at development within the organisation at equipping employees with “employability” so that they can cope with increasingly frequent changes in employer and employment patterns
o policies and frameworks to ensure that people development issues are addressed systematically: competence frameworks, self-managed learning etc.
The HR strategy will need to show that careful planning of the people issues will make it substantially easier for the organisation to achieve its wider strategic and operational goals.
In addition, the HR strategy can add value is by ensuring that, in all its other plans, the organisation takes account of and plans for changes in the wider environment, which are likely to have a major impact on the organisation, such as:
o changes in the overall employment market – demographic or remuneration levels
o cultural changes which will impact on future employment patterns
o changes in the employee relations climate
o changes in the legal framework surrounding employment
o HR and employment practice being developed in other organisations, such as new flexible work practices.
Finding the right opportunity to present a case for developing an HR Strategy is critical to ensuring that there will be support for the initiative, and that its initial value will be recognised by the organisation.
Giving a strong practical slant to the proposed strategy may help gain acceptance for the idea, such as focusing on good management practice. It is also important to build “early or quick wins” into any new strategy.
Other opportunities may present the ideal moment to encourage the development of an HR Strategy:-
o a major new internal initiative could present the right opportunity to push for an accompanying HR strategy, such as a restructuring exercise, a corporate acquisition, joint venture or merger exercise.
o a new externally generated initiative could similarly generate the right climate for a new HR strategy – e.g. Black economic empowerment initiatives.
o In some instances, even negative news may provide the “right moment”, for example, recent industrial action or employee dissatisfaction expressed through a climate survey.
Promote Yourself To A Better Job
Promoting your own image is simply a question of letting your friends, colleagues and acquaintances know what sort of person you are. Their impression of you helps them to form an opinion of you and so influence their idea of your personality. Once you realise this fact, it becomes obvious that you can begin to work at promoting your image. If people perceive you as off-hand, distant and aloof you will not make much of an impression on people with whom you work. If, on the other hand, you are viewed as being cheerful, friendly, helpful and knowledgeable, your status and value increase immediately and you are see as someone worth knowing. From that point on it is easy to develop skills which will help you enormously in your career.
Analysing this skill from an employment point of view, it is not difficult to realise that if your colleagues accept you and find you responsive you will soon become trusted by them and earn their respect and approval at all stages on the management ladder. If you work at it you will find it easy and the benefits you receive will far outweigh the effort you make. Being helpful to and interested in your colleagues, helping them to solve problems and offering advice when requested will quickly be noticed by your immediate superiors. The next step should consist of letting your immediate superior know you are quite prepared to help in putting forward any new ideas or procedures with which they may need assistance.
Build a rapport with your boss so that he appreciates your help and co-operation and you will find that you become more valuable to him. By taking these steps you have promoted your image to staff and management as a trusted, helpful, respected, flexible and co-operative employee. You can now begin to promote your own image even further. The next objective is to sell yourself as somebody who has the qualifications, skills and personality to be seriously considered for promotion. If people come to you for advice and your advice is trustworthy, taken and followed, you are now considered as a respected and trusted adviser. This is important because from that point you can quite easily build your reputation into a valuable asset which can now be used in promoting and planning your career.
One of the most important tools at your disposal is the ability to communicate. This is a skill that needs developing with constant practise, as the most important feature of all is CLARITY. If you can express yourself clearly no matter how complex the subject and your listener can understand and follow your dialogue, this will give you a huge advantage over other people. This skill is extremely important and needs to be used constantly until it becomes second nature. People will then be in no doubt as to what you are saying.
Planning a strategy for self promotion is not the same as planning a career path, although it is unlikely that you will be able to do one without the other. As previously mentioned in the Introduction it is absolutely necessary to fully understand yourself. Only then can you identify your weak points and remedy them so that you can eliminate them totally or at the very least improve them so that they’re no longer a handicap.
One of the most critical areas is your self-assessment and the action you take as a result of that assessment. Self promotion entails being able to sell yourself to others, thus gaining their confidence, particularly to those people who can influence and further your career. This requires effort, knowledge and personality, as opposed to obsequiousness, toadying or any other undesirable forms of attracting attention. Consequently you will be less likely to alienate people around you and so retain their respect and trust and possibly generate another positive attribute, ‘Admiration’.
To summarise ‘How To Promote Your Own Image’, firstly you must be able to see yourself as others see you. You then need to work on eliminating your problem areas and make every effort to become friendly, trusted, flexible and respected by your colleagues. Learn to be articulate, factual and positive in your approach to problems. A smart appearance and confident ‘body language’ are tremendous assets. Developing a clear strategy to organise these skills, not only at work but in your social life, will quickly become second nature to you. Finally, never overlook an opportunity to sell yourself as a person who wishes to be considered for promotion.
How To Get A Disney Channel Acting Audition
Kids all over the country dream of making it big in show business. While acting jobs can be hard to land, it is possible to break into this difficult field by answering a call for a Disney Channel acting audition. Many of today’s hottest young entertainers got their start from a Disney Channel acting audition. Though there are sometimes hundreds, or even thousands of people competing for just a few spots, this has been the big break that boosted the career of many performers.
The easiest way to land a Disney Channel acting audition is through an agent. They are made aware of current calls and will have the specifics of the open roles available. It is much easier for inexperienced actors and actresses to get themselves noticed by using an agent than attempting to land these highly sought after roles on their own. While there are ways of getting a Disney Channel acting audition on your own, this is the simplest route.
A great resource that will allow you an inside look at a Disney Channel acting audition listing is the Disney website at http://corporate.disney.go.com/auditions/. Their corporate section has a special page that will let the public know about any open auditions, casting calls, or extras opportunities. While this may not get you the scoop on every Disney Channel acting audition, it can be a foot in the door if you do not have an agent. Check this page regularly to see what auditions are being offered nearest you.
Though winning a part through a Disney Channel acting audition can be difficult, with hard work it is possible. Just take a look at all of the big name celebrities who have become hugely successful after a start on the Disney Channel. Who knows, maybe you could be the next huge success!
Write An Effective Job Proposal
I am simply amazed at the problems some of my colleagues are experiencing regarding writing job proposals for customers. So often I hear that there has been some sort of disagreement between client and service provider, something that can and should be avoided before a project is started. Here are four tips to help you write an effective job proposal letter.
Assume Nothing My junior high English teacher gave his students the real meaning of assume: if you assume something it makes an ass out of you and me: ass-u-me. Leave nothing to chance. When you speak with a client do not assume they understand much of what you have to offer. For instance, I sell website packages. I have learned to spell out everything that I will offer to my customers for a very specific price. If there are any “gray areas” I protect myself by telling customers that certain other expenses will be billed separately. Do not box yourself into a corner and do not pull surprises on your customers as they may think you are trying to cheat them. Keep the lines of communication wide open.
Get It In Writing Save all of your email correspondence with clients including emails you send and emails you receive. Sometimes what is not said verbally is articulated in writing. For example, I write much better than I speak, therefore I am more likely to put my ideas forth via “ink” or “type” than I am to verbalize them. In either case follow up your contact by placing everything in writing. You will need that paper trail in case something goes wrong e.g., a refusal to pay for services rendered.
Make Changes, If Necessary Sometimes projects change as the work goes forward. If it is a minor change, such as cropping a few extra photographs, you can probably “eat” the additional labor. However, if your project increases in size, let’s say your clients now want a 12 page website instead of an 8 page site, they need to know that you need to be compensated for the extra work. Specify in your proposal letter that any changes to the project will incur additional charges; remind them of this “clause” should any major change be proposed. Your customer may decide not to go with the larger project after counting the additional costs.
Write a Contract I have done fairly well without contracts. Many of my customers know me quite well, therefore the proposal letter serves as a contract of sorts. I also require my customers to pay me 50% as an advancement; if they walk away from the contract upon completion of my work their website does not get uploaded to the internet. At the very least I have partial compensation for my hard work. Your experience or risk factors may be much different than mine; certainly use contracts if your customers are not well known to you or you do not have a previous business relationship.
In summation, every satisfied customer is a potential referral for new business. Keep those communication lines open and understood and you will garner additional projects because of your sound business practices.
(c)2005; Matthew C Keegan, LLC