6 Benefits of Volunteerism for Your Finance Team

6 Benefits of Volunteerism for Yur Finance Team6 Benefits of Volunteerism for Your Finance TeamTheres nothing like a good gruppe-building exercise to increase trust and enhance collaboration in the workplace. Managers typically plan games, special meals or recreational sports to help build camaraderie among employees in their organization. But as fun as these activities are, many finance leaders seek mora meaningful ways to engage and develop their staff - and create more positive benefits for the business, as well.One reason for this trend is the growing emphasis on corporate social responsibility programs, such as charitable giving or volunteer community service. For many businesses, philanthropy and volunteerism are now integral parts of their organizational culture as well as cornerstones of environmental, social and governance (ESG) initiatives. In a recent Management Resources survey, 80% of finance leaders said that corporate social responsibility programs are important for t heir firms.When well-organized and supported with appropriate resources, corporate social responsibility programs like volunteer community service can create significant benefits for companies and their employees. Here are six examples1. Bonding with colleaguesPlanting trees alongside the companys chief financial officer (CFO) or picking up roadside litter with the payroll director is a great way to break down silos and bring management and employees closer. Collaborating on a worthy cause is often a better way of really getting to know one another than making a minute or two of polite small talk during an all-company picnic or holiday party.2. Skills acquisitionUntangling a human knot or breaking out of an escape room is a fine way to refine soft skills in problem solving, communication and leadership. But wouldnt it be much more rewarding for employees to boost those skills while laboring together on real-life issues and helping people in need? Your team can expand their abilities while building affordable homes in your local community, for example.Volunteerism also enhances your employees sense of empathy and customer service - and adds positivity to your companys reputation in your community.3. A sense of achievementJobs in accounting and finance are rewarding. So, too, are nonprofit projects. They also have a tangible and satisfying end goal, be it to collect a certain number of toys for children in need at the holidays or remove invasive plants from a nearby park.A shared accomplishment outside of day-to-day duties can really help to boost team morale. In the Management Resources survey mentioned earlier in this post, 71% of CFOs said increased employee morale was a key benefit of corporate social responsibility programs, like volunteer community service.See an infographic of the survey results here.4. Health benefitsVolunteerism can have a positive impact on a persons health and well-being. By volunteering, you and your employees can increase your acti vity levels if you opt for physical service projects like cleaning, building or planting. Whats more, when you help others, your brain releases endorphins that create a host of positive feelings, and these natural substances help you de-stress.5. Recruitment and retentionAn organization that embraces corporate social responsibility sends the message that it values compassion, citizenship, integrity and environmentalism - which is the type of company that many professionals today seek to be a part of. Corporate culture can be a make-or-break factor when people choose where to work - and whether they stick around for the long term.6. Enhanced reputationMany consumers consider a companys philanthropic activities when deciding where to spend their money, as they feel better about supporting businesses that reflect their values and give back to the community. By publicizing your corporate social responsibility or ESG initiatives, youre letting your current and future customers know jus t what your brand stands for.Tips for setting up a volunteer programA commitment to volunteerism at your company needs to be supported by appropriate focus and investment to be successful. Dont simply chase trends or leave the effort to interns. So, before signing your finance team up for the next fun run or beach cleanup you hear about, take the following suggestions into accountFind suitable causes. Work on service projects that align with your companys mission and core values. A good partnership, for example, would be between a supermarket chain and an organization that works to reduce food waste. For companies in just about any industry, volunteering at food banks or collecting school supplies for disadvantaged children are rarely the wrong choice.Give time and money. A great way to double your impact is for the business to donate both labor and dollars to the causes you choose to support, such as through a corporate sponsorship of a philanthropic event. You could also give empl oyees the option of contributing money in lieu of - or in addition to - their service.Offer flexibility. The biggest barrier to volunteerism success is finding enough time to devote to giving back. So, if you want your employees to have the chance to get involved, offer a choice of opportunities whenever possible. Also, make sure your team members know how much you would like to see them participate.Make it a group effort. Volunteering is a worthwhile activity on its own. But to reap the most value from it, youll want to get your entire team involved. Holding service projects during workdays is one way to maximize participation. Also, consider giving your employees paid time off to do volunteer work. A recent survey found that nearly half (49%) of U.S. businesses embrace this practice.Think local. There are needs all over the world, to be sure. But to help drive employee involvement in your companys volunteer program, consider aiming for projects that your team members can easily participate in, in person, and which make a difference in the local community.While corporate social responsibility initiatives require time, effort and other resources to be successful, they are a worthwhile investment. They can generate many positives for your business - including a more-connected finance team that works better together. So, if important soft skills can be honed through helping others rather than paying for off-site corporate getaways, the question CFOs should be asking themselves is not Why should our team volunteer? but Why on earth wouldnt we?

10 High-Paying Jobs With Tons of Open Positions

10 High-Paying Jobs With Tons of Open Positions10 High-Paying Jobs With Tons of Open Positions Its easy to look at someone with a great salary and think about how lucky they are. But the truth is, high-paying jobs arent as rare as they seem - in fact, theyre often the ones with the most available positions. While you might first need to develop a special set of skills or pursue a particular degree, there are many in-demand jobs with high salaries that are only increasing by the minute as employers struggle to fill them with qualified candidates. So if one of the following positions looks interesting to you, dont wait - apply today before everyone else gets in on themAs a project manager, youll be responsible for leading projects from inception to execution. Common tasks involve managing a budget, setting timelines, delegating tasks and serving as a liaison between teams to ensure that everything is going smoothly. While a college degree is not necessarily requir ed, many Project Managers have bachelors or masters degrees, and possibly a Project Management Professional certification as well.Interested in the medical field and helping others, but dont want to attend medical school? A Physician Assistant position might be perfect for you. Physician Assistants perform many of the same tasks as doctors, such as examining and diagnosing patients, writing prescriptions and performing medical procedures under the supervision of a physician. But unlike doctors, Physician Assistants only need to attend a two-year long graduate program.You hardly ever run into a list of great jobs that doesnt include Software Engineer, and for good reason. With how important smartphones, computers and the Internet have become in our daily lives, companies need plenty of talented people to help them create cutting-edge technology, and truly skilled individuals can be hard to come by. In the future, this field is only expected to get hotter - the Bureau of Labor Statis tics predicts a 24 percent job growth between 2016 and 2026.Part art and part science, Marketing Managers leverage both creative and analytical skills in reservierung to promote their companys products or services. No two marketing manager positions are quite the same, but given the abundance of different fields of marketing out there - digital, social media, inbound, email, etc. - youre sure to find something up your alley.Like Physician Assistants, Nurse Practitioners are medical professionals who take on many of the same tasks as doctors. They can examine patients, order and interpret tests, diagnose illnesses and come up with treatment plans, sometimes without the supervision of a doctor depending on where they practice. In order to be able to perform these additional responsibilities, Nurse Practitioners must attend a two-year graduate program to receive their Master of Science in Nursing.Business Analysts can take on a wide variety of projects in a wide variety of fields, bu t no matter their specialty, they all use data to improve processes. By gathering, examining and synthesizing information to understand patterns and trends, they are able to glean insight into what actions a company should take. As a result, they oftenhelp companies improve profits,increase productivity and promote efficiency.Operations Managers are tasked with ensuring that businesses are running smoothly. They often analyze different functions of the business in order to determinetheir performance, then come up with solutions to improve their efficacy. On a day-to-day basis, this might involve analyzing data, creating reports, planning with teams and more.Occupational Therapists help those with disabilities and injuries build up the strength and skills necessary to perform daily tasks. By assessing patients anddeveloping a treatment plan, they are able to help them regain their agency. In order to become an Occupational Therapist, you must earn both a bachelors degree and enroll i n a two-year masters program where you learn about anatomy, kinesiology, therapeutic technology and patient care and communication.From computers to cell phones to robots and more, Electrical Engineers design and build just about any electrical device you can think of. Because of this, theyre in high demand in many different fields, such as technological hardware, aerospace and defense, green energy and automotives. Electrical Engineers typically have a Bachelor of Science or Bachelor of Engineering in Electrical Engineering, where they learn the fundamental concepts of physics, electromagnetism and electricity.As you might be able to tell by the name, Product Managers are the leads for a particular product. This might involve laying out the product roadmap, doing user research, conducting competitive analysis, working with engineers and product marketers, etc. While Product Managers arent always required to have technical skills, it never hurts to have a solid background in develop ment.

8 Clues an Employee Is Ready for Leadership Training

8 Clues an Employee Is Ready for Leadership Training8 Clues an Employee Is Ready for Leadership TrainingCountless articles and blogs address leadership and executive leadership development plans - and for good reason. Without great leaders, there would be no great organizations.Keeping the leadership pipeline full is one of the keys to creating and maintaining a successful business.Leadership development within your company should always be a high priority. Some companies see a need to create an in-house executive leadership development program. Others turn to an outside program, or they pair employees with an executive coach.No matter which route you choose, its important to select the people with the drive to get on the leadership track. But who are the right candidates? Potential leaders will often display certain traits to tip you off. Lets examine eight of them.1. The influencerA leader can paint a vision of the future and then inspire the action to get there. Influential leade rs demonstrate confidence and make others feel valued.2. The communicatorPeople may know what they want, but if they cant communicate their plan to others, it doesnt stand much chance of succeeding. Nontechnical skills, such as the ability to clearly and succinctly communicate what needs to be done, are key. If a leader cant relate a vision to a team, the result will be muddled.3. The enthusiastPassion can be infectious. It draws others in. Good leaders need to demonstrate enthusiasm in order to get others to follow.4. The optimistPeople with a positive attitude make much better leaders than gloom-and-doomers do. Upbeat leaders know how to keep up morale and steer activities in the right direction.5. The rebounderThe ability to bounce back is a vital leadership trait. Dwelling on mistakes and problems does no one any good. People who can quickly pick themselves up, brush the dust off and learn from their experiences make good leaders.6. The straight talkerHonest leaders help employe es feel like they know where they stand at all times. No one likes to sit around wondering.7. The anpassungseinrichtungThings go wrong. Computers crash, clients complain, and budgets are trimmed. The key is in how people deal with such setbacks. In addition to an ability to adjust strategies based on different circumstances, a sense of humor and poise under pressure are always welcome traits.8. The supporterWhile the bottom line is important, good leaders dont throw their employees under the bus. Talented people want to work for leaders and organizations that truly care about them.Once youve identified your leaders, nurture them. People who display a solid mix of these traits will likely benefit from a leadership training program. And if you dont have the resources to develop one in-house or fear making mistakes, consider turning to an external service to nurture these future leaders full potential. Its a continuous process that requires full commitment, but it can yield bountiful r ewards. Tags

Test Your Cover Letter

Test Your Cover LetterTest Your Cover LetterHow does your titel letter rate? Use this test to score your cover letter before you submit it with your resume and job application.Before you submit your cover letter to recruiters and hiring managers, ansturm through this battery of questions to gauge its readiness.Q How is your cover letter addressed?A. Personally addressed to the person responsible for vetting job candidatesB. Dear Hiring Manager or Dear Sir or Madam or To Whom it May ConcernC. Yo, wassup?Troy Harrison, president of sale training and development company SalesForce Solutions, told Ladders ho-hum cover letters are overly generic. Letters addressed Dear Hiring Manager or that reference the open position, suggest the job seeker isnt taking the time to personalize his application. I hire salespeople, so I assume that how the applicant pursues a job will be the way an applicant pursues a customer. If an applicant doesnt care enough to personalize a cover letter, theyre really better off not even including one.Q How does your cover letter show youre the right fit for a job opening?A. Mentions one or more stated qualifications from the job posting and outlines how you meet them.B. Highlights your accomplishments regardless of whether they correspond to the job postings list of qualifications.C. Its the same letter I send for all job openings. Why tinker?Cheryl E. Palmer, CPRW (Certified Professional Resume Writer) and president of Call to Career, said she counsels her clients to take the guesswork out of the equation. If the vacancy announcement states that the candidate needs to have 10 years of experience in executive sales management in an IT organization, the cover letter needs to be clear that the job seeker meets this qualification.Q How does your cover letter show the employer that youve read the job posting?A. Follows instructions regarding how to apply, specifically mentions qualifications listed in posting, specifically mentions the job listed i n the posting.B. Talks about what a great job you do and why any employer would be lucky to hire you.C. Well duh, of course I read the posting. Im responding to the proper e-mail addressI tire quickly of ?blast letters that are sent out 20 at a throw, just hoping something will stick to the wall, Harrison said. Let me know that youve read and understood the ad, and that youre a real, live candidate for it, and why.Q What job opportunity does your cover letter say youre interested in?A. The specific job mentioned in the job posting.B. The specific job for which your skills and experience have made you a perfect fit.C. Any potential openings.The worst cover letters are the ones that are very specific - to a job that is nothing like the one Im hiring for, Harrison said. Its great that you want to be a top-notch computer programmer why are you telling me this when Im hiring for an industrial salesperson?Q Which most closes matches your writing style?A. Standard geschftlicher umgang Eng lish with correct spelling, punctuation and grammar.B. You totally should have a Facebook page for one, and for two you need to like lighten up, for a window frame company you guys are like a total drag, you have to see through your product, be more transparent, get it?C. Im wrtng 2 u 4 the job.Thanks to Catharine Bramkamp, adjunct professor and Writing Coach, for her example (B) of what college students tend to write and say in correspondence and the inappropriately casual tone they tend to take.SCORINGGive yourself 2 points for all As, 1 point for Bs and 0 point for Cs.10 Congratulations Youre reading job postings carefully, customizing your cover letter to address what you see, and doing your homework to ensure your correspondence doesnt sound like form letters.510 Youre doing a fair job and might be interesting employers enough to interview you. To up the chances of an interview, focus on customizing your cover letters to make sure they fit the position.05 Your cover letters are hitting the slush pile. Do more research on jobs customize your cover letter for openings and acquire a more businesslike, professional tone.

The Ultimate Contractor Resume Trick

The Ultimate Contractor Resume Trick Contractor Resume Our resume builder provides you with tips and examples on how best to compose your resume summary. It makes it easy to create a well-written resume in a matter of minutes. Writing a resume can be fraught with lots of little concerns when it has to do with etiquette. Your resume, after all, isnt an autobiography, but instead a summary of your previous experience and qualifications. New Ideas Into Contractor Resume Never Before Revealed Prospective construction workers might not understand how a number of the necessary skills they already have. Contractors have a good deal more autonomy. Contractors with a few years of experience should write a resume expert summary. There are lots of different things the hiring manager doesnt need to understand, either. The regular quantity of time it requires to locate a job is getting longer, so take some time to consider how youll provide for yourself while searching. If you get a legitimate reason behind the short-term jobs, make sure the reason is clear. Obviously, landing any very good job demands an updated, well-written resume. Whether it is wholly new construction or a significant remodeling, youre putting one of your most valuable assets in somebody elses hands. If you list just some of the contracts youve had, it may very well leave holes in your experience time line. As a general contractor, you have lots of marketable skills. Some people may believe that an elaborate layout is better, but in the instance of a thriving construction resume, easy and professional is the best way to go. Again, the character of the job will help define the relationship. You might also search all available projects simultaneously. Provide the facts of your contribution and the way it helped in making the undertaking or program successful. Design and Planning Whether youre designing the project yourself or subsequent somebody elses plan, you will need to understa nd how to read a blueprint. Construction resume templates aid a lot to prepare new resumes in addition to experienced resumes while planning for a work change. The senior programmer who would like to develop into a software architect or a DBA should state an objective. Enable the experts at Monster help you build a brilliant career. Set the name of your business at the peak of the company resume, together with the major contact person, like the CEO. In the present competitive world to stay a step ahead of your competitors you have to have an expert approach, when youre asking for work. When you sense that youre nearing the conclusion of the interview, politely ask the interviewer if you might be provided an opportunity to ask your own set of questions. Concentrate on your accomplishments to demonstrate the hiring manager that youll be a productive team member. In case you have any overall contractor resume writing tips youd like to share with us and the remainder of our reader s, dont hesitate to post them in the comments area. Our crew of experts will position you for skilled success. For instance, if you managed a group of construction workers, say how a lot of people you managed. A contractor resume must demonstrate leadership and interpersonal abilities, and project management and budgeting. Security contractors could possibly be deployed anywhere on the planet and could be employed by military forces, government agencies or corporations. Generally speaking, an independent contractor is hired by a company to work on a short-term project. For instance, some independent contractors may do the job for several distinct organizations throughout the calendar year, but others retain independent contractor status although they work for the exact organization the full calendar year. 1 look in its website and youll observe the businesss commitment to the business. Place your experience with reputed companies at the top portion of the resume so the recrui ters can evaluate your skills. On-line recruiters are continuously searching the internet for competent construction employees. Both resumes and web sites are made to showcase an individual or company in the very best light possible.

Writing a Email with Resume Attached Secrets That No One Else Knows About

Writing a Email with Resume Attached Secrets That No One Else Knows About You may add the overview of technical skills in your CV to provide clear idea about your current skills. Writing a competitive application document demands a whole lot of effort. however, it surely pays off. The main reason why you chose the job ought to be apparent in the very first paragraph. It is extremely easy to track down examples for resumes which are job specific. Job searching can have a quick time as possible or maybe a lengthy time before you receive success. Sending an email is cost-free, it doesnt expect a stamp, check out the post office or a visit to the organization youre applying for. If you dont get the reply immediately, attempt to wait around for a week at least and then attempt to get hold of the prospective client. A totally free titelbild letter is never likely in order to introduce you and why you need to work for the provider. A specialist cover letter should adhere to an o bvious cover letter format. The email will now be an extremely brief version of your complete cover letter. Even in case you craft the ideal email to send a resume, its still true that you require a killer cover letter. A completely free cover letter is never likely to prove that you fully grasp the company needs of the organization. There are steps that you may take to make your resume email stick out from the rest. Such emails are among the fruchtwein helpful ways that youll be able to secure work. Writing a Email with Resume Attached - Is it a Scam? Mentioning you have attached a resume ought to be left until the close of the email. When its by email, you might be advised about what format you need to use for your resume, what things to include in the topic line of the email message, and by once the employer should receive it. Just attempt to create the email really short and easy, so the employer could read the email easily. The Little-Known Secrets to Writing a Emai l with Resume Attached Dont use HTML or other formatting options as you dont know which email client is used by the recruiter. Ensure that your email doesnt have all sorts of virus. Prevent any formatting in the resume email text If you would like your email to be read, a good idea is to remove all of the formatting. Writing a perfect resume email is merely a fraction of all of the situations you must keep in mind before you click send. From there its possible to create your mail in line with the employers instruction. When you send an email to possible employer, make sure its flawless when it regards the spelling and the grammar aspect. Examples of resumes are among the absolute most productive methods to ensure that youre writing one which is good and thats correct for the specific job youre applying for.

The Impact of the Flynn Effect on Recruitment

The Impact of the Flynn Effect on Recruitment The Impact of the Flynn Effect on Recruitment It is as if some unseen hand propelled scores upward at an unvarying rate between 1952 and 1982, a rate of 6 IQ points per decade, with individual nations scattering randomly around that value Culture-reduced tests of variabel intelligence show gains of as much as 20 points per generation (30 years) performance tests show 10-20 points and verbal tests sometimes show 10 points or below.- James R. Flynn, in his 20-nation study, IQ Gains Over Time Finding the Causes,1998EYE CLUE/Image Michael MoffaAt present rates of fertility and mortality and in the absence of changes within countries, the average IQ of the young world population would decline by 1.34 points per decade and the average per capita income would decline by 0.79% per year.- Gerhard Meisenberg, Wealth, Intelligence, Politics and Global Fertility Differentials, Journal of Biosocial Science,2009If applicants, clients and recruiters a re all, on average, getting smarter (or dumber) with each passing year and passing generation, what are the implications for the business of recruitment? If is actually the wrong word. It should be when, which, according to the research, may have been as early as the industrial revolution, or as recently as 1918, 1932 or 1950, depending upon which research and criteria of intelligence are tapped.The Flynn EffectIn 1994, American-born psychologist, James R. Flynn, now a professor at University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand, made nachrichten headlines and scored a flood of research citations because of the Flynn Effect, named after him by the authors of the best-selling 1994 book The Bell Curve, Harvard psychologist Richard J. Herrnstein and American Enterprise Institute political scientist Charles Murray. (J. Philippe Rushton, a University of Western Ontario researcherbei whose own research claims about white-black IQ differences have stirred up a hornets nest of controversy, has ar gued that the Flynn Effect should be called the Lynn-Flynn Effect, after researcher Richard Lynn, because of a 1982 article by Lynn (in the respected journal Nature) which identified the trend in Japan.)The Bad News Tolled by The Bell CurveIn a sense, The Bell Curve seemed to break the bad news, while Flynn heralded the good. The- to many, gloomy- central thesis of The Bell Curve is that, more than anything else, IQ is the predictor of your odds, if you are a non-Hispanic white, of being unemployed, living in poverty, getting divorced, being incarcerated, having an illegitimate child, being a chronic welfare recipient, and/or being a high school dropout. IQ even trumped parents socio-economic status (SES, in the research jargon) as a predictor of behauptung outcomes, e.g., 0% of those with IQs over 125- apparently M.A./Ph.D.-level intelligence- surveyed were chronic welfare recipients, high school dropouts or ever incarcerated. Not one. However, critics of The Bell Curve- and there are many- argue that Herrnstein and Murray got it entirely backwards Low SES causes low IQs, not vice versa, the critics insist. To follow that debate, you can read the aptly titled 1995 book, The Bell Curve Debate, a collection of 81 expert essays.What makes this bell-curve hypothesis come across as bad news to many is that The Bell Curve research suggests that even though you cannot easily shape your IQ, it is virtually certain to shape you and your life options and outcomes. Unlike parental SES- which thanks to the socio-economic upward mobility typical of developed countries, can be surpassed- ones, IQ, like a tattoo, is generally both ineradicable and inalterable.The Good News Told by FlynnOn the other hand, the good news, disseminated by Flynns research, is that IQs have risen dramatically in the past two generations, and not only in the U.S. or some select countries, but globally, with estimates of the increases varying between as much as 30% and no less than 5%, depending on which test was administered and re-administered to determine the trend, the age group, the country, the time span, etc.In his 1984 paper, The Mean IQ of Americans Massive Gains 1932 to 1978, Flynn reportedThis study shows that every Stanford-Binet and Wechsler standardization sample from 1932 to 1978 established norms of a higher standard than its predecessor. The obvious interpretation of this pattern is that representative samples of Americans did better and better on IQ tests over a period of 46 years, the total gain amounting to a rise in mean IQ of 13.8 points. (IQ Gains Over Time,Encyclopedia of Human Intelligence,1994). The basic approach used in all of these studies was to administer the most current IQ test of a given type, e.g., Raven Progressive Matrices, Stanford-Binet or Wechsler, and then re-test using the much older tests of previous decades. The results consistently revealed much higher scores on the re-testing- increases not attributable to the mere fact of being r etested (an effect that was carefully controlled for and eliminated in the testing).This result has been interpreted by Flynn and the research community as indicating that a score of 100 on a more recent test actually is equivalent to a much higher score on the earlier tests, the gain depending on the test and the age group. One figure cited is that the average IQ is no longer the nominal 100 of the normalized bell curve, but more like 113.8-115 (depending on the test), which is more than enough for high school graduation and many college diplomas, whereas 100 is 4-5 points short of high school graduation, on average.What is astonishing about the Flynn Effect, is that it is world-wide, dramatic- in terms of the massive increase in average IQ scores and that its cause or causes are still being debated and investigated. Equally dramatic are some of the implications for matters of life-and-death, and, less dramatically, for recruiting.What has continued to mystify and divide researcher s ever since Flynn published his results is the question of what has caused the global increase in IQs- which many of them, including Flynn, have argued is not the same thing as a global increase in the genetic component of intelligence, at least because the time scale is far too short for natural selection or evolution to have bred such a huge jump in intelligence.Why the Surprise Rise?The following have all been cited, debated, dog-eared and/or dismissed by some researcher or otherImproved test preparation and practice, e.g., because of modern cram schools, standardized test guidesThe ongoing modern shift from concrete to abstract thinking (Flynns most recent hypothesis, in his book What Is Intelligence?)The stimulation and information explosion of the 20th-centuryThe rise of computer skills and jobsDramatically increased post-secondary education (necessitating more academic streaming, at the expense of vocational training, and a shift in emphasis to verbal skill cultivation in hi gh school)Longer schooling in general (including cram schools, private tutoring, expansion of public school services, longer school year, e.g., Japan and China)Global urbanizationComplex technology (requiring and engaging high-level cognition, e.g., choosing software settings)Global gains in socio-economic status (with attendant nutritional and motivational gains)Smaller families (only children have, on average, higher IQs- which may partially account for the Chinese whiz-kid phenomenon)Delayed childbirth (e.g., to the extent it correlates with improved SES)Flaws in IQ test design and/or administration (e.g., some of the re-tests were unsupervised)Eradication of various childhood diseasesLamarckian inheritance, viz., genetic transmission of acquired skills to the next generationDecline of farming (and its more concrete, motor-skill oriented intelligence)The Industrial Revolution (at least as a catalyst for the decline of agrarian intelligence)(Educational) TVVideo games (contributin g to certain cognitive skills, such as tracking multiple stimuli, short-term memory and eye-hand coordination, but at the almost certain expense of others, such as thinking)The unique visual characteristics of Chinese written characters (that require visual processing similar to that of visual IQ tests, like the Raven- as a partial explanation of high Chinese scores)Better schools and teachers (rejected by Flynn, noting that gains tend to disappear the more the test content matches that in school curricula)The Lethal Implications of Rising IQ ScoresIn his 2007 book, What is Intelligence?, Flynn cites a potentially lethal consequence of rising IQ scores the use of outdated IQ tests and norms could lead to the execution of someone convicted of a capital crime who, by todays standards, would be legally adjudged mentally disabled, although normal as measured by his test taken decades earlier.Before considering the implications of this massive shift in IQ scores, trying to fathom the cau ses seems a reasonable prior task, to the extent that identification of the causes can reveal the implications. For example, if the gains are attributable to the quick visual judgments required in playing globally-marketed computer games- a skill more germane to fluid visual tests like the Raven Progressive Matrices test than to crystallized Stanford-Binet and Wechler tests, the observed largest Raven Progressive Matrices-based increase in IQ scores will matter only in recruitment of those kinds of skills.On the other hand, if improvements in nutrition and elimination of toxins, such as air- or water-borne lead, are key factors, the gains will, once again, not translate into anything relevant to high-level recruiting. Thats because the improved nutrition and elimination of lead will overwhelmingly affect those whose low scores were caused by their under-exposure to nourishing food and overexposure to lead. Hence, despite the increase in their IQs, they still wont be competitive with the highest scorers, who are precisely those who are overwhelmingly most likely to apply for high-powered jobs.Otherwise, if the gains are to a significant extent attributable to ECE- early childhood education or to watching TV, surfing the Net or reading owners manuals for hi-tech gizmos, the score increases are more likely to show up in applicant traffic.(Non-)Implications for RecruitmentWhat are the implications- even if not so gravefor recruitment? Does it mean that a 25-year-old job applicant is likely to have an IQ substantially higher than a 50-year-old applicant, even if that younger applicant cant stop saying Im like.? No.First, some of the data indicate that the older the test subject, the greater the gains have been over the years, when compared to the performances of same-age older and younger test takers decades ago. Flynn cites British Raven test data that show gains of 20 points for 18-32-year-olds between 1942 and 1992, but gains of 30 points in the 33-67 age groupS econd, according to some studies and some tests, the greatest gains have been among the low-scorers on IQ tests- people unlikely to end up in your recruiter office, causing a skewing, rather than a simple and uniform shifting of the scores.These results indicate that even though the average IQ score has dramatically increased, the increases have not been uniformly distributed across the bell curve. What this means is that the mental picture of an IQ bell curve being rigidly shifted as a whole to the right, with the mean shifting from 100 to, e.g., 113.8, is the wrong image. Instead, the far left, lower scores have disproportionately shifted to the right, while the highest scores have hardly budged. The genius boom has not happened.(On the other hand, in one paper, Flynn maintains that the increase is uniform and across the board. However, this seems to be a minority report in the research corpus.)Flynn Non-Effect on Short-ListingGiven that the average applicant a recruiter will be s hort-listing is very likely to come from the high end of the scale, where scores have risen very little, if at all, the Flynn Effect is not so likely to manifest itself in the screening.This null observation is of critical importance in offsetting any age bias that might be based on any misconception that the Flynn Effect suggests that younger applicants, on average will have higher IQs, and therefore be smarter, on average, than older applicants.Credit the Schools?It also merits emphasizing, as Flynn noted, that the most dramatic gains in scores have not been on tests like the Stanford-Binet that involve reading, vocabulary and other school-influenced skills. The Stanford-Binet and the Wechsler IQ tests measure crystallized intelligence that includes verbal skills and general knowledge-influenced dimensions of intelligence, unlike the Raven Progressive Matrices, which is a purely visual IQ test involving row and column information processing.Its the latter kind of test, across many cultures, that has had the biggest jumps in scores- suggesting that teachers and schools cant take much credit for the gains and that verbal fluency in an interview is an unsound basis for concluding that the applicant, of any age, must be one of the highest-gain IQ test-takers, e.g., someone who took the Raven Progressive Matrices test.Moreover, there is clear and paradoxical evidence that the younger applicant may be drawn from a pool that, on average, had substantially lower S.A.T. scores than the older applicants age cohort. In The Mean IQ of Americans Massive Gains 1932 to 1978, Flynn, addressing the precipitous drop in S.A.T. scores between 1963 and 1981, states..these values entail a decline in non-IQ personal traits, motivation, self-discipline, and so forth, from 1963 to 1981 of such magnitude as to constitute a national disaster. The first step is to calculate how much a one-if both IQ gains and SAT losses are taken to be real, rather than artifacts of sampling error, the n the deterioration of non-IQ personal traits among young Americans must have been very great.But 1984, except perhaps politically, is a long time ago. To what extent that deterioration has continued up until today is hard to gauge, given that the S.A.T. was replaced in 2005 by the S.A.T. Reasoning Test, which has a drastically different format and contents.The Need for CautionStill, Flynns data and observations are still quite relevant to the recruiting process, for the inverse correlation between IQ and S.A.T. trends can manifest itself even in the formation of informal judgments of an applicants skills and aptitudes. As a recruiter, you are not very likely to ask for or get IQ, S.A.T or other applicant scores. You are far more likely to not even care. But, like everyone else, you cant help getting impressions, having hunches and forming opinions about how smart an applicant is and in what ways.Like a former president of Mensa, who identified intelligent people by a certain sensit ivity around the mouth and eyes, you will, of necessity, if your processing does not include aptitude testing, use your intuition. Hence, given the inverse IQ-S.A.T. correlation or the latest equivalent inverse relationship, you may get a confused impression of an applicants abilities, or worse, mistakenly take the higher/lower of the two indicators as the only indicator.For example, an applicant caught up as a statistic in the precipitous decline in written and oral fluency may nonetheless have high-order intelligence. If you cant see that, imagine Stephen Hawking. On the other hand, a highly articulate candidate possessed of a phenomenal memory may be unable to reload his stapler or follow your corporate structure flow chart.That caveat offered and given that you probably cannot help speculating on or estimating an applicants intelligence, what workable concept of intelligence can you adopt? Thats a challenge, especially since IQ scores have increased much more rapidly than the ge nes that determine intelligence could have, suggesting, as Flynns research does, that the gains are due to changes in what is learned, how it is learned, how soon and how fast, not in innate capacity.Duking It OutMy advice about how to approach applicant intelligence is implicit in what, in retrospect, I regard as one of the most entertaining moments in my entire education In a psychology seminar I audited for fun during my graduate studies in philosophy at Duke University, the professor- visiting from Princeton, as I recall- asked the group, What is intelligence? just as Flynn did, more recently, in the title of his 2007 book.A very eager graduate student rattled off a pedagogical mantra Its what we measure utilizing a Stanford-Binet test, cross-correlated or supplemented with a Wechsler, based on test items that are valid and reliableThe professor interrupted her and said, No, no.What we do is look at someone and say, Hmmmlooks intelligent. We then administer all sorts of tests un til we find the one that best confirms our intuition.Not ready to give up, the student shot back, But what happens if you look at someone and say, intelligent, but I look at him and say, not intelligent?Clearly prepared for this and/or very intelligent, the prof, faster than lightning, shot back, Well, in that case..we take a second look at you.

How to Find a Summer Camp Job

How to Find a Summer Camp JobHow to Find a Summer Camp JobSo you enjoy working with kids, like to be outdoors and are wondering what you can do this summer for work? Well, maybe a camp job is worth considering since summer camps hire thousands of teens and older students each summer to work as counselors, staff-in-training, activity specialists, kitchen staff, office workers, and groundskeepers. Although jobs are abundant, an effective job search campaign is essential to find the right position. Here are some tips to help you land a fun camp job this summer. Tips for Finding a Summer Camp Job Start your search as early as possible when most jobs are still available. Camps normally begin hiring during the winter months but dont dismay if you get a late start since there are often some positions still available in May and June.For counselor and activity specialist positions get some experience working with children. Babysitting, tutoring, volunteering with after-school programs, as sisting coaches for kids teams, helping drama/dance/music teachers, assisting scout leaders or acting as a Big Brother/Big Sister are all examples of viable experience. Ask guidance counselors, clergy, coaches, teachers or college volunteer coordinators for suggestions. Camps are often zulauf by teachers and coaches so ask your favorites for ideas about jobs. If you have impressed them, they may hire you or refer you for a job.If you have attended a camp or recreation program as a younger kid, consider contacting the director as one of their own.If you are under 17, inquire about counselor-in-training positions or support jobs in the kitchen, landscaping, or the office. Most camps require counselors to be 17 or 18 years old. However, some camp jobs may be available for 16-year-olds or younger (depending on hiring policy and state labor laws). Check the camps? job application and hiring information for details. For those targeting specialist positions, make koranvers you gain certifi cations or secure references which attest to your competence in swimming/aquatics, art, drama, sports, technology, horseback riding, climbing, etc.Define the types of camps you would like to target including overnight or day, special needs or special focus like environmental, adventure, art, music, sports, academic, etc.Some camps are specialized. For psychology, social work, education or health-related majors consider working at a camp for those with special needs like weight loss, asthma, learning disabilities, cancer or emotional challenges. Search a variety of websites which list summer camp jobs like CampJobs, CampChannel, CampPage, and CampDepot. Also, review some of the summer jobs sites like Cool Works for interesting listings.Use the same sites to identify camps and then apply online or contact camp directors to inquire about jobs. Not all camps will post jobs on the sites referenced above but all will hire young people for summer jobs so you will want to reach out directly to any camps where you would really like to work.Contact local YMCAs and other youth organizations since many will run summer day and/or overnight camps. If you prefer a local day job, contact your town and/or county recreation department to ask about positions with their summer programs. Make sure that you are well prepared for interviews and follow some of the tips above and you will be well on your way to a satisfying summer camp job.

4 Motivating Reminders for a Long Job Search - The Muse

4 Motivating Reminders for a Long Job Search - The Muse4 Motivating Reminders for a Long Job SearchWe know. The idea of job searching doesnt really do it for you. It can be tedious, agonizing, and sometimes really discouraging. After spending hours upon hours perfecting resumes, customizing cover letters, and receiving Thanks, but no thanks emails, you probably feel like throwing in the towel. Look, Ive been there. Suddenly the job I welches so desperate to leave seemed appealing after a few weeks of hearing nada. Well, thats leid true, the thought of coming home after a long day of work and doing nothing felt appealing. So, even though I was tempted to give up my dream of finding a career I loved, I kept at it. Remember Theres a reason why you started searching for a job- probably multiple reasons- and if you stop now, those reasons will all still be there. Every. Single. Day.So, rather than settling for what you have now- push yourself a little bit further. I know your next amazing gig is just around the corner. And if you dont believe me that itll all be worth it, read a few reminders below.1. You Cant Compare Yourself to Anyone ElseIts really easy to feel discouraged when you see someone around you land an awesome new gig while your search has been, well, fruitless. But the reality is, you dont know what his job search was like. All youre seeing is the end result- he got a new job and he took it. You probably have no clue how much time he spent looking, who he knew at the company, how long he spent crafting cover letters, or how many informational interview coffee dates he endured. But even if you do know all of the above, the fact remains that, just as you and he are different people, your job searches will be different, too. So, rather than beat yourself up when you think people are moving faster than you- focus on your own career goals. And if you dont have those literally written out, do that now. Seeing them clearly will help you remember that youre on a personal mission here- and it cant be completed by accepting any old position.2. You Cant Lose Confidence in Your AbilitiesWhen your efforts continue to be met with silence and rejections, its easy to start doubting yourself and your skills. But once you start believing youre not qualified for the positions youre going after, the search will only get harder.Give yourself leistungspunkt for the experience you do have, the things you know, all your past accomplishments, and your shining strengths. And if youre struggling to remember these as the no emails pile up, make a list. Not only do you know so much more than you realize, but youve also accomplished so much since you walked out of college however many years ago.Its easy to get lost in the daily grind and forget just how much youre able to do now that would seem inconceivable back then. From completing complicated reports to using industry tools to knowing the difference between CC and BCC, youve come a long way. 3. You Cant T ake Your Eyes Off the GoalI bet youve heard the saying You miss 100% of the shots you dont take more than enough times. And yes, Wayne Gretzky may have been talking about hockey when he said this, but little did he know he was giving career advice, too.Yes, there are times a recruiter or professional contact will reach out to someone with a job opportunity and just place it on the persons (lucky, lucky) lap. That does happen. But you certainly cant count on it. If you quit applying for jobs, youre not going to get one. And then youll be right back where you started when you decided you wanted to look for a new job in the first place. So keep that personal mission in mind every time you think about quitting this process. Youve got this4. You Cant Let This Process Consume YouWe hear a lot about work-life balance these days- and while this means different things for everyone, the same principles apply to your search, too. Looking for a new gig is work in itself, and you shouldnt let it take up all of your free time. Sure, you may have to spend some of your weekend hours submitting applications, but if you spend every waking minute working at this, youll drive yourself crazy. Remember that your job doesnt need to be your life- so neither does your job search. Next time you find yourself growing frustrated or antsy, take a deep breath, and move onto a new activity. Treat yourself to a good meal, a good movie, or even a good splurge. Its unlikely that the job of your dreams will be posted and snatched up within the 24 hours you took a break. Trust me- your email will all still be there when youre ready to get going again.So, if you are really ready to go somewhere new, keep at it. When you land the next job, youll be glad you didnt quit. And while these four reminders wont make the hunt for a job fun, per se, they will hopefully make it a little less painful. Photo of sunset runner courtesy of Shutterstock.