What to Do With Your Free Time - The Muse

What to Do With Your Free Time - The MuseWhat to Do With Your Free Time After weeks of working late, running on little sleep (and a lot of caffeine), and getting through your very long list of to-dos, youve finally stumbled upon some free time.The big question What do you do with it? Catch up on your favorite shows (Veep anyone)? Go out for a nice meal? Take a long, well-deserved nap? Start working on that proposal coming up in a few weeks?Wait, what? Yes, free time implies freedom from work- so why would anyone do mora of it?Doesnt it feel really good sometimes to get ahead when we have an hour or two to spare? Theres really nothing wrong with it, plus it usually means more free time later on (and less work-until-you-fall-asleep weeks). With that said, theres also nothing wrong with turning off your computer and leaving the office at 6 PM sharp. Choices, choices.When faced with the ultimate dilemma of tackling another platzdeckchen of assignments or turning it in for the day, heres what you should considerYou Should Enjoy it if Your Schedule Looks Clear for the Next Few WeeksThe most important thing to do when youve been stressed for a long period of time is to release it. When it comes to making tomorrow slightly more relaxing, Muse Career Coach Dr. Suzanne Gelb says Tonight, after work, make time to do whatever you need to do to release pent-up emotions in a safe way. Run. Journal. Punch a punching bag or a pillow. Hurl paint on a canvas. Sing at the top of your lungs. These little things are worthy of your free time.But Get Ahead if Your Next Weeks Just as PackedConsider what lies ahead of you Is next week better or worse? If you know youre going to be overwhelmed again soon, it could be helpful to take some time (not all of your time) to tackle some upcoming tasks. And yes, picking the easier choices is allowed- such as outlining an upcoming presentation, making a to-do list for a big project you need to tackle, or even just emailing the right people to se t up meeting times. You Should Enjoy it if You Powered Through an Incredible Amount of WorkEvery strong effort comes with a reward- thats something I shouldnt have to tell you. You worked hard, so you deserve to leave the office on time today or start your day on a more leisurely notenzeichen tomorrow.But Get Ahead if You Didnt Accomplish MuchYou completed everything thats due today, so yes, you technically have free time. But truth be told, you didnt work your brain too hard, and when you look at the completed assignments, youre not all that impressed with yourself. Maybe none of your upcoming assignments are urgent, but they may also still be important enough to start tackling now- and because they dont need to be finished immediately, you have the option to take your sweet time.You Should Enjoy it if Youre ExhaustedIts obvious that nothing gets done- or gets done well- when youre tired. So, when the opportunity to relax arises, its best to use it to recharge your battery. Go home , eat a lazy dinner in front of the TV (or a book), and treat yourself to an early bedtime. But Get Ahead if You Have a Lot of EnergyOn the other hand, if you find yourself still buzzing with energy even after everythings complete, you might as well take advantage of the rush and see if theres any upcoming assignments youre interested in working on- at least until you come down from the high.You Should Enjoy it if Youre in Good StandingIf youve accomplished everything that was asked of you (with grace and poise, of course), then sure, you deserve to spend your free time slacking off just a bit.But Get Ahead if You Want to Move UpHowever, this could also be a great opportunity to prove yourself if youre looking to move up. When you have the drive, consider using your free time to help out a fellow employee, or take on an assignment to relieve your boss of extra work, or turn in a project extra early. These little efforts could come in handy when you go to ask for a promotion or a rai se.You Should Enjoy it if You Have PlansFree time is a great thing if you have something youve been meaning to do, whether its go for a much-needed run, grab dinner with a friend you havent seen in a while, or go to the movies. But Get Ahead if Youre BoredThere will be times when you probably have the time to do something and nothing to do. For example, your free time might not coincide with other peoples, so even though youre down for a spontaneous drink, all your friends could be at work, leaving you to entertain yourself. In this case, it might be worth your while to keep yourself busy by getting some work done- even if its more mindless activities such as catching up on emails or setting your calendar for the week.At the end of the day, your free time is yours, meaning you get to make the final call as to whether or not you use it for work or pleasure. Keep in mind when it makes sense for you to get ahead, and when it makes sense to simply relax. No one wants you to become a wor kaholic, most of all your future self.

Discriminating Against Employees Is Illegal

Discriminating Against Employees Is IllegalDiscriminating Against Employees Is IllegalQuestion Is Discrimination in Any Aspect of Employment Legal? Answer Short answer? Discrimination is always illegal. Always. Even subconscious discrimination is illegal. So, employers need to keep a close eye on every policy, procedure, and practice. If you deal with prospective employees, current employees, and past employees, you cannot discriminate, More? Discrimination is adverse work treatment of an employee or a prospective employee that is based on a class or category of which the employee is a member. This is differentiated from employment treatment that is based on the employees individual merit which is how employers should make decisions about any situation related to employment. Discrimination in the workplace is the act of treating a particular group or person differently based solely on a protected classification. Discrimination in employment is illegal according to Title VII of the Ci vil Rights Act of 1964, which prohibits employment discrimination based on race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. Types of Employment Discrimination Workplace discrimination is prohibited by law on the basis of the following characteristics. While state laws may differ, the federal laws prohibit discrimination in employment for AgeRace/ColorGender or sexEqual pay/CompensationDisabilityHarassmentReligionNational originColorPregnancyGenetic InformationRetaliationSexual Harassment Growing in popularity in various states and at the Federal level are laws, law suits and opinions that discrimination in the workplace should be prohibited also for sexual orientation and weight. Discrimination Is Obvious or Hidden in Employment Practices Employment practices that are considered to be discrimination involve any biased behavior in employee selection, hiring, job assignment, compensation, promotion,employment termination, setting wages and compensation, testing, training, appre nticeships, internships, retaliation, and various types of harassment that are based on these protected classifications. Discrimination can be obvious or it can be hidden. An example of obvious discrimination is to reject a candidate during your hiring teams debrief meeting because your experience of blacks is that they dont work very hard. All of your coworkers, when they get over their shock, would call you on this obvious discriminatory statement. However, when discrimination is more likely to occur is silently in the beliefs, attitudes, and values that you apply in your mind to the candidates. You may never say out loud that in your experience, blacks dont work as hard as whites. But, if you think this and believe this, youll find another nondiscriminatory way to reject the candidate. This happens everyday in workplaces around the world and I cannot emphasize strongly enough that as managers and HR leaders you need to avoid this practice. It is wrong on so many levels to allow a ny prejudices you hold personally to affect the decisions you make in employment. Additional Protections against Discrimination Additional protections exist against discrimination under Federal laws. Protections from discrimination include the following. Harassment in employment settings of people based on age, race, color, religion, sex, national origin, disability, or genetic information is prohibited.Retaliation against a person for filing a dienstgrad of discrimination, participating in an investigation of alleged discrimination, or opposing discriminatory practices is prohibited.Employment decisions based on stereotypes or assumptions about people who are included in any of the classifications are prohibited.Employment opportunities may not be denied to a person based on their relationship to or association with any individual who is protected under these classifications. Oversight of Employment Discrimination These discrimination laws are enforced by the U.S. Equal Em ployment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). The EEOC also provides oversight, guidelines, and coordination of Federal equal employment opportunity regulations, practices, and policies. In the instance of a lawsuit filed against an employer, for example, an employee who is fired for over using Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) intermittant time off, you will most often experience an EEOC lawsuit at the same time. It is easy for an employee or ex-employee to claim that one of the above mentioned protected classifications was violated in conjunction with another lawsuit. Consequently, you need professional, thorough documentation of any decisions that you make related to job candidates and your current and former employees in the areas listed earlier in this article. See a partial list of Federal laws that address employment discrimination. haftungsausschluss Susan Heathfield makes every effort to offer accurate, common-sense, ethical Human Resources management, employer, and workpla ce advice both on this website, and linked to from this website, but she is not an attorney, and the content on the site, while authoritative, is not guaranteed for accuracy and legality, and is not to be construed as legal advice. The site has a world-wide audience andemployment lawsand regulations vary from state to state and country to country, so the site cannot be definitive on all of them for your workplace. When in doubt, always seek legal counsel or assistance from State, Federal, or International governmental resources, to make certain your legal interpretation and decisions are correct. The information on this site is for guidance, ideas, and assistance only.

4 things every college graduate must do

4 things every college graduate must do4 things every college graduate must doGraduation is the prime time to think about your future- about the things you want to accomplish and the kind of person you want to become. After reflecting back to when I was 22, here are a few things I have learned over the years that would have helped me then, and might help you now.Think bigAs you make your future plans, many people will tell you to think big. Well, I want to tell you that however big youre thinking right now, its probably too small. Theres always a bigger big. Success can be defined in many ways, and Im elend telling you how to define it. Im simply saying to take your definition of success and raise the bar on it. Ask yourself, What is even bigger than what Im thinking, because thats what I really want to do? If you cant imagine it, you will never achieve it.Choose to be extraordinaryYouve read about or seen extraordinary people. It could be a world leader working for a global cause, o r just the person down the street helping to make life better for community members. When we hear of these extraordinary people, we often think, I could never do that because Im just an average person.In reality, there is no such thing as an average person there is only average thinking. You can be extraordinary The key is to realize that being extraordinary is a personal choice you make every day.For example, if youre furthering your education and will be enrolled in a graduate or doctorial program, ask yourself each morning, What would an extraordinary student do today given the subject were discussing in class? Entering the job market? Before you apply to a position, ask yourself, What would an extraordinary candidate do or say to get the job? Do some research.Take a few minutes each day to think about what an extraordinary person in your situation would do. Then do that, rather than what you were going to do. Soon, people will look at you and think, Wow That person is extraordin aryDirect your talents to support your unique giftThe secret ingredient to making the daily choice to be extraordinary easier is to identify and leverage your talents and your gifts. You have to tap into that inner magic that comes from deep inside of you.You have multiple talents, but the key is to understand that you also have a unique gift. Some people drift into various positions using their talents, and they usually end up struggling because there are others who are equally talented and who can do the saatkorn thing. This is because talent relates to competency, not your unique inner magic, and it can only take you so far. When you identify your true gift, you can then direct your talents to support the gift. Thats when your creativity, innovation, and career really soar.So whats your unique gift? What makes you different from all the others who have the same talents as you? When you focus on your unique gift as you create your future, you become a true innovator- one that othe rs try to emulate.Discover whats inside of youKnowing all your many talents and your unique gift takes time and some trial and error. To really uncover what makes you unique, explore what is inside of you by learning new things every year. Most people will find one activity they like, such as golf or painting, and thats all they do all their entire life. While thats good, they arent discovering all that is hidden inside of them and all they can be. And the thing they havent discovered might be what theyre truly great at.For example, maybe you learned to play the piano when you were young but didnt enjoy it, so you gave up music completely and never picked up another instrument. However, you might be the worlds best violin player, but if you never pick one up, youll never know. So make it an annual journey to learn one new thing every year. The more variety and learning you add to your life, no matter how old you get, the more deeply youll discover whats really inside you.Its all up to youThis is an exciting time in your life, because you really can shape your future. By thinking bigger, choosing to be extraordinary, leveraging your unique gifts and committing to learning new things every year, you will have the keys to creating a very successful life- one filled with amazing opportunities and unforgettable memories that are worthy of a life well-lived.

Warner Music Group Music Internships

Warner Music Group Music pro domoshipsWarner Music Group Music InternshipsWarner Music Group (WMG) is a global music company operating in more than 50 countries around the world. The corporate headquarters for Warner Music Group is located in New York, NY. WMG is home to many well-known artists, and record labels and an internship with WMG will make a valuable addition to any resume. Types of Internships The Warner Music Group offers a variety of different types of internships for students majoring in many disciplines but who also possess a strong interest in the music industry. An internship with WMG is an excellent opportunity to gain the relevant experience required in the field as well as a chance to develop the professional connections needed to land a job. During an internship, students can shadow professionals in the field as well as work on real projects for the company. absatzwirtschaft Your Skills The competitiveness that exists in the music industry makes this inte rnship an exceptional opportunity. Bridging the gap between college and the professional world provides real-world knowledge and skills to an already strong base of classroom learning and personal interests and development. An internship in the field is a great learning experience and can even be helpful in identifying additional strengths and skills. WMG offers interns important assignments that will ultimately make them more marketable upon graduation. Available Internships A RITPromotionsHuman ResourcesPublicity Marketing Warner Music Group offers fall, spring, and summer internships and students must do all internships for credit. Qualifications WMG seeks applicants with skills in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, Outlook), basic administrative skills (copying, faxing, answering phones), strong written and verbal communication skills and an interest in the music/entertainment field. Students must be able to work a minimum of 15 hours per week and must be eligible to recei ve credit (letter of proof from the students college is required). Benefits Even though this internship is unpaid, students do get an opportunity to gain real world experience at one of the top music companies in the industry. Intern events are held each semester offering students a chance to socialize andnetwork with professionals in the field, meet other interns, and attend resume building workshops. Many previous interns go on to gain full-time employment with the organization. In fact, all interested seniors are given a chance to meet with an on-site recruiter upon graduation to be considered for any full-time positions that exist. To Apply For internship opportunities, all applicants must submit a cover letter and resume.

A Secret Weapon for Theatrical Resume Template

A Secret Weapon for Theatrical Resume Template The usage of templates can help you make a document by simply filling in the info thats asked for. Should you need a resume template which allows you to discuss your abilities and creative talents from a deep perspective, you will enjoy exactly what this template offers. Templates might not be distributed or sold. Unique templates are supplied for different purposes. Anyone who would like to set you in charge of children are going to want to see evidence that youre trustworthy and dependable. Do not add whatever you dont possess. Therefore, its important to talk mora about the situations youve achieved not only the list of organizations you have worked with before. You want to select a resume template which will help you make a terrific first impression, even before people start reading. You might have pursued the arts thinking youre exempt from the nitty-gritty of the company world. For example, if youre requesting a self-emp loyed article writer job then you have to not simply have adequate understanding of the English language, nevertheless, you must likewise have the capacity to apply it and writing an excellent job application is 1 method of demonstrate your potential companies or maybe clients youre good on paper. Building a resume can appear to be a sizable undertaking, though its something that might be exceedingly rewarding in the end whenever you have the job. Quite often, people creating resumes make the error of documenting their whole history which may lead to issues. Or you can just download our templates that have the necessary format and just fillA them up. This template is appropriate for general use. It is available in different formats. Then click a timestamp in the ideal panel to find a preceding version of your resume. When youre happy with the final solution, VisualCV Resume Builder lets you quickly share it in PDF format simply by pushing a few buttons. Google supplies a resum e-builder tool which you are able to utilize to create a professional resume. Using Microsoft resume templates can offer you with some quite professional looking documents. Different format of resumes utilize these sections in variety of means. You are ready to apply to the job which you dream about. For making positive influence on the recruiter, its important to get a unique resume portraying your job certain particulars. Saves Time whenever youre looking for an excellent job, its always fantastic to have a separate resume for each job. If youre looking for a professional job, you will need to have a work application. The company provides a 30-day money-back guarantee on VisualCV Pro. How it is possible to fill the vacancy of the firm. As soon as you have completed the exact first job continue, be sure to save it. Why Almost Everything Youve Learned About Theatrical Resume Template Is Wrong Google will automatically index your resume to get included in its search outcom e, allowing potential employers to discover your information. As a consequence, no 2 resumes will look the exact same. Curriculum vitae Advice for Keeping That Up-To-Date Once you complete an application for a work these days, its probably that you ought to be proficient in some type of technology or software program. For example, in CV, if youre applying for work in education, youre ready to want to set your coaching experience along with the CV. Templates may be used for making CV, resume to be able to apply for jobs. Resumes are made to emphasize the best side of somebody. You are able to also see Proofreader Resume. Depending on the sort of application process youre addressing, it might be appropriate to include samples of your work inside your CV. Its important whenever youre working on this sort of document which you are contemplating the application youre submitting. No matter the sort of career youre seeking, theres a work application writing sample that could unt ersttzungsangebot you in producing your unique continue. These templates will be able to help you create a long-lasting impression in the minds of the possible employer. Its simple to think that adding the additional work will bulk up the resume and thus, make you seem like a professional however the specific opposite is true. Each bullet point ought to be relevant to the job which youre applying for. Any kind of job would request that you submit a resume to sustain a posture to be evaluated for a particular position. By example, you might have only had a few speaking roles and a large number of additional work. Though some work application writers could be slightly more high priced than others, it doesnt signify youll require in order to avoid them. When applying for employment in a factory, you have to show more of your physical abilities and abilities that fit the job. This specific template is apt for you whether youve got vast acting experience.

Why it pays to be social

Why it pays to be social OPINION Why it pays to be socialPosted July 3, 2013, by Julia WattersEveryone loves social media, right? I mean, whats not to love? Whether its keeping in touch with your school friends, posting holiday pics or checking in at the gym so your workout still counts, staying connected is just a click away. But social media is so much more than just a socialising tool. In a world where the social and the professional is becoming increasingly blurred, personal branding is becoming the catchcry on everyones lips or it should be. And this is where social media really comes into its own. So what is personal branding? Think of the way companies spend millions of dollars each year developing their brand image well individuals are increasingly adopting the same approach to building up a consistent image or persona. How do you want people to see you, both personally and professionally? Once youve figured this out, you can become your own brand manager, using social media as one of your primary outlets and the best part of all is it wont cost you a cent. Social media can act as a platform to be heard as a professional voice without needing to get your name on a conference speakers list. If youve seen some good articles lately, then share them. If youve had some ideas of your own, then blog them. Start following some of your industry idols and they might even start following you back. But dont just take my word for it. There are plenty of success stories out there that prove how social media can go from pastime to profession in no time at all. Ever heard of a guy called Justin Bieber? Regardless of whether you have Bieber fever or not, what you might not know is that the Canadian pop singer and teen heartthrob welches discovered in 2008 after talent manager, Scooter Braun, came across a YouTube videoof Bieber singing in his living room. Scooter then set up a meeting with renowned recording artist Usher and the rest is history. Just thin k if Justin had never posted those videos on YouTube then he would never have been named Forbes magazines third-most powerful celebrity in the world in 2012 Or lets say you need to look for a new job. Instead of putting on your smart person outfit and hitting the pavement, you can just fire up your computer and knock on some digital doors via the wonderful world of social networking. You may already be using some great professional networking sites without even realising it like Facebook. With over a billion active users, Facebook is the most talked about social network in the world, and you can be aya that potential employers will be checking you out too. Take, for example, Noelle Federico, chief financial officer at Dreamstime.com, who looks up every potential employee on social media. I do an extensive research project on everybodys social media pages, says Federico. She visits LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook, as well as doing a Google search of their name to see what comes up so if youve built up your personal brand across different platforms, it will really work in your favour and could nab you the job. Youll need to do a stocktake of any inappropriate photos in your Facebook albums, but you can also make use of a few applications out there to help sepatarif your social and professional identities like BeKnown, BranchOutand Jobvite. Its worthwhile branching out from the good old faithful Facebook too. There are plenty of opportunities for virtual schmoozing and you should take advantage. LinkedInis where its at in terms of work-related networking. Being the professional network of choice for many, you should definitely jump on this bandwagon if you havent already. mora and more people are being head-hunted, even when theyre not looking for a job, just by keeping their LinkedIn profile up-to-date. Why would you deny your dream company the chance to check out your page by not creating one? So if youre not already linked in to social medias car eer benefits, then its time to face the facts. Youd be a twit not toIts clear that Julia feels theres a lot to like about social media for personal branding, but dont forget to take a look as Marni argues the darker side of all that tweeting and sharing. 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 Searchesgovernment funded digital media courses onlinebest digital marketing courses melbournedigital marketing courses tafegovernment funded digital media courses melbournebest digital media courses 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 OnlineJulia WattersRelated ArticlesBrowse moreW ORKFORCE TRENDSJob market may not be so dire after allThe news has just hit that Australias unemployment rate has reached 5.7 per cent. This figure is expected to climb further, to an expected peak of 9 per cent.CoworkersWork etiquetteIs Your Office Infected? How To Handle 3 Types Of Annoying Co-workersAre you suffering from an undiagnosed condition at work? Maybe youve contracted something that has made you that person in the office and you dont even know it. Marni investigates the worst of the office diseases.CAREER ADVICECAREER INSPIRATIONInspirational Quotes to Power Your CareerDoesnt matter where youre at in your career journey, these quotes from some of the worlds most successful and wise people will give you the inspiration and motivation to power your career.

This is how to execute an idea better than anyone else

This is how to execute an idea better than anyone elseThis is how to execute an idea better than anyone elseGoogle, Amazon, and Apple have become iconic because each of these companies completely disrupted an entire industry. And then they dominated it. And now Amazon and Apple will soon be the first companies on the planet ever valued at a trillion dollars.Before there welches Google, there was search. Before the iPod, there were plenty of MP3 players on the market. And elektronischer geschftsverkehr existed before Amazon. But each of these companies took an existing idea to the next level by doing it better through the hard work of execution.Thats because true neuerung is hard. You cant just start creating things and then hope yur widget will solve a market-moving problem. Sure, Steve Jobs had a knack for knowing what customers needed even before they did- but hes the exception, not the rule.More often than not, you need to hold your idea up to critique and make sure its durable. Y ou have to be relentless in search of data to disprove your hypothesis and if your idea survives, you may be onto something.Too often, we fall in love with our ideas and take shortcuts in our path to market. For example, perhaps we do some, but not all, of the data collection and essential planning needed before diving head first into pitching our idea to others. Or, worse, maybe we just decide to go to market quickly in the service of failing fast or creating buzz. This is definitely one path. But the risks of these shortcuts are obvious- and there are ways to minimize these risks before jumping in.Regardless of the industry, converting an idea into a successful product depends on four thingsReally understand your customers pain pointsHold your idea up to critique, early and oftenConceptualize the simplest solution possible to eliminate the pain pointsEat the Frog FirstIf your idea emerges from this gauntlet with strength, youve probably saved yourself (and your investors) A LOT of time and money.But identifying a worthy problem and relentlessly refining it is more of a challenge than most people think. Its hard to know how many failed business ideas could have prospered with more work on the front end to get it right, or to better understand their customer.Why did Facebook beat out MySpace when MySpace was there first? How did Amazon turn e-commerce into something no one else could envision, despite the same raw materials available to others back in 1994? How did Netflix come out of nowhere to unseat Blockbuster? The winners in each category better understood their customers needs, were open to rethinking the original market solution, could envision how technology would evolve to support their vision, and then executed against a plan that took them to the next level.In order to do the same, here are the steps you need to take as an innovator1. Look for the pain points, and youll find the opportunitiesIve always been interested in industries that have a direc t, positive and enduring impact on health.At Good Start Genetics, we wanted to bring new delivery methods to genetic testing. At the time, online tests in most categories were transactional in nature need a test, order a test, pay for it- and the company moves onto the next customer. We wanted to do more and do it in a way that best approximated the kind of care and support youd receive at the doctor in a traditional environment.Our main business was genetic testing services for fertility clinic patients. We helped couples understand whether they were carriers of certain genetic mutations that might be passed onto offspring. Our services were sold in the traditional way, with salespeople visiting clinicians and setting up accounts that we would service through orders from brick-and-mortar clients.The questions we asked ourselves, and the pain points we searched for, ranged from wondering how many couples were not getting screened, to how many werent aware of their genetic testing op tions to begin with. From there, we asked how many could actually afford these services, and if there was a way for us to help democratize this kind of testing, and do so in a way that went beyond the transactional nature of other testing services on the market at the time.2. Hold your idea up to critique, early and oftenIn order to ensure our ideas had merit, we discussed them often with clinical advisors, fertility doctors, investors, and market research analysts.We presented our hypotheses to everyone who would listen and asked about the flaws in our thinking where could we go wrong, how do we best ensure patient care, how might our online consumer business fit with our clinical business and whether one might cannibalize the other? Throughout this process, we learned that key areas of our plan would need to be reworked before launch, and we took the time to rethink and restructure accordingly.For example, we learned that offering genetic counseling online to only those patients w ho were positive on a test was not going to be received well by the medical community. Instead, we built a model where we offered genetic counseling to everyone who received a test. We learned that complete transparency of offering and simplicity of pricing were what consumers craved. Their in-clinic experience with insurance payments, co-pays and deductibles was often confusing and created barriers to adoption and consumer excellence. So, we worked to simplify these steps at every turn.Ease-of-use and customer convenience became our ethos.In addition, we sought out a relationship with Amazon to be the first genetic carrier screening testing company online with a complete care environment of the kind we were envisioning. We sent our test kits to brand managers at Amazon in Seattle to gain feedback on our process from beginning to end. We didnt want to just put test kits online. We wanted to get Amazons feedback on what they liked and what they didnt- and they were brutally honest wi th us (which is exactly what we needed).They liked that we offered testing in a care environment with physician ordering, counseling, and clear, understandable pricing. But they also told us that our reports to patients were too complicated. We were used to reporting to fertility clinics and physicians. To succeed in the online world to consumers, Amazon told us we had to completely overhaul our reports to make them consumer-friendly. And overhaul we did.It took time and a lot of effort but was essential to our success. In other words, we held ourselves up to critique in every way we could think of BEFORE we started the path to broad execution.3. Once youve surveyed the landscape, start looking for the simplest solutionYou dont have to reinvent the wheel in order to be disruptive.Once we took a hard look at the other offerings for testing online, we knew we could do better and go far beyond transactional online health. We knew our best shot at achieving this goal was to see the worl d through the eyes of our customer- not through the eyes of our technology platform alone.In our case, the opportunity to deliver better health online meant going beyond just the genetic testing piece. For those who dont know, the online testing world is a bit of the Wild West. Many companies offer broad panels of tests in a lot of areas of human health in a one-size-fits-all approach, regardless of what medical guidelines may recommend. Many do this without the care of a physician and without pre- and post-test counseling. In other words, consumers are left to figure things out for themselves, in a digital environment of transactional care.But why should consumers receive a different standard of care online than they get at the doctors office? The opportunity for disruption here was obvious and long overdue.Unfortunately, finding the simplest solution to your customers problems is actually the hardest part of creating a successful disruption.Steve Jobs once said, Simple can be hard er than complex You have to work hard to get your thinking clean to make it simple. But its worth it in the end because once you get there, you can move mountains.Once you get the simple solution defined, then you then have to do the hard work of converting your plans into a successful path in order to move those mountains- and fifty different management teams will approach the same set of facts in fifty different ways.Which teams get things right depends on the depth of planning on the front end. And it also depends on which teams understand their customers best and deliver on the tough execution needed to succeed.4. We have a saying among our management team at Atlas Genetics Eat the Frog FirstWe didnt invent the phrase, but we love it and we live it.It means doing the hardest thing that needs to be done in the day, first. If youre willing to eat a frog first thing in the morning, everything after that is going to be easier.It means sitting down and creating a business plan before booking the flight for your next conference. It means doing the things that may take the hardest introspection and detailed work, but are essential to getting your idea to one day become disruptive.Unfortunately, a lot of people avoid the frogs in business. They start with, I think I have a great idea. How do I get this to market quickly before someone does it first? Ask the founders of MySpace, Blockbuster, or Nokia if being first was the most important thing. Planning is everything.Success is 99% execution.This post was originally published on Quora.com.

How Innovators Choose Their Next Career Move Take Notes

How Innovators Choose Their Next Career Move Take NotesHow Innovators Choose Their Next Career Move - Take Notes What do online financial services, commercial spacecraft, and mass-market electric cars all have in common? Other than being industries shaped by serial entrepreneur Elon Musk , not a whole lot.What prompted Musk to choose to veer from PayPal to SpaceX, to Tesla? For that matter, what makes anybody choose the next move in their career?Dashun Wang , an associate professor of management and organizations at the Kellogg School, wondered if such seemingly mercurial choices could be modeled scientifically. Musk, whom Wang considers his personal hero, may be an extreme case. But every serial entrepreneur, artist, or scientist- that is, anyone whose job involves discovery, experimentation, and deciding what to work on next- thrives on seeking out new challenges.And understanding how professional innovators move from project to project has implications beyond th e merely philosophical.If we know individually how these people tend to change direction, then that determines collectively where things are going, Wang says.So how do innovative people choose their next career move? Is it really as random as it often seems?Wang, who is also a faculty member at the Northwestern Institute on Complex Systems , is used to tackling questions that might seem too ambiguous to yield to quantitative analysis. Were the unreasonable optimists, Wang says. We figured that theres got to be some pattern that we can document.Lets first understand how ur interests change during the course of our careers- then we can debate about what the best strategy is for making those changes.Wang and his coauthors Tao Jia of Southwest University in China and Boleslaw K. Szymanski of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute began by narrowing their investigation to one particular domain of innovators physicists.This scientific community uses a detailed set of numerical codes- the Physic s and Astronomy Classification Scheme (PACS)- to define research topics, much like the Dewey Decimal System uses numbers to categorize the subject matter of library books. The researchers used these codes to analyze how the work of the approximately 10,000 physicists in the database changed from project to project.We realized that theres a remarkable amount of regularity in what we choose to do next in our careers, Wang says.Several trends emerged from their analysis. The first is that most physicists research stayed relatively constrained within particular disciplines or domains.What this means is that most people- even innovators- dont change as much as they conceivably could, explains Wang, who holds a PhD in physics himself.When researchers did shift to a new project, it tended to be one that was very close to a previous project in terms of what Wang calls knowledge space.But which previous project? Somewhat unexpectedly, according to the data, the physicists most recent project s exerted the most dominant influence on what project they chose next.According to Wang, the physicists decisions go against a common intuition about innovators decision-making. That idea posits that the more time is spent moving in one direction, the further one gets ahead of the competition, and the more incentive there is to choose new projects that align with that initial direction. If physicists were trying to maximize their hard-won knowledge about that topic, they would double down on projects in similar domains as their earliest efforts.So your fourth project should more likely be similar to your first project than your third, Wang says.Instead, he says, what we find in the data is the other way around. If you study something, the next topic you study is predominantly determined by what you studied last- not what you studied first.This recency effect likely applies even to apparent outliers like Musk. Take his latest venture a startup called Neuralink , specializing in brai ncomputer interface technology with the goal of allowing menschenwrdig brains to keep up with artificial intelligence. It seems wholly unrelated to Musks prior successes with online payments, electric cars, and rocketry. However, one of Musks lesser-known projects- a nonprofit research company called OpenAI , focusing on artificial intelligence- does share clear similarities with Neuralink. Musks involvement in OpenAI began just two years before he launched Neuralink.Still, while Wangs model sheds new light on how innovators choose their next projects, it doesnt speak to how they should choose- both to move forward an entire field and their own careers.Lets first understand how our interests change during the course of our careers- then we can debate about what the best strategy is for making those changes, says Wang.Previously published in Kellogg Insight . Reprinted with permission of the Kellogg School of Management.

Network Administrator Job and Salary

Network Administrator Job and SalaryNetwork Administrator Job and SalaryIf you like working with both hardware and software, and enjoy managing others, becoming a network administrator is a great career choice.CIOs in a Robert Half Technology survey said network administration was one of the top three skill sets in greatest demand.And the Bureau of Labor Statistics projects employment of network administrators will increase through 2024, with demand for those working in computer systems design and related services projected to grow as much as 31 percent.Why? Systems and networks are the backbone of any company. As companies grow, their networks get larger and more complex, which raises the demand for people to support them.You can use our Salary Calculator to find out what network administrator salaries are in your city.Network administrator job descriptionHere are the essential qualifications for network administratorsSolid technical skills and experience with a variety of network p rotocols, software and hardware involved in LAN and WAN operations.Strong troubleshooting analytic and diagnostic skills, along with good communication abilities.Often requires individuals to be on call 24/7 in case of network failures or emergencies.A bachelors degree in computer science or information systems some companies will accept candidates with five or more years of work experience, as well as IT certifications offered by Cisco, Microsoft and others.Strong attention to detail and customer-service orientation, as well as the ability to work on a team.A typical network administrator job description includesAdministering the operation of LAN/WAN-related network services according to company policies and proceduresCoordinating and implementing network software and hardware upgradesTroubleshooting and resolving LAN/WAN performance, connectivity and related network problemsAdministering LAN/WAN security, antivirus and spam control measuresWanted great communicator whos calm under pressureIn addition to the skills listed above, the best network administrators have excellent written and verbal communication skills They need the ability to clearly articulate issues to other team members, and they should also have the ability to multi-task and have a calm demeanor in high-stress environments.While those looking to break into the field will need the technical and educational qualifications mentioned above, as well as relevant IT certifications, there are other options. Programs such as Year Up work to provide young adults with the training and experience they need to break into fields like this one.In addition to information on a starting network administrator salary and job description, youll find starting compensation for 70 IT jobs in 150 North American cities in our Salary Guide.This post has been updated to reflect more current information.