Dont Believe These 8 Job Search Myths

Dont Believe These 8 Job Search MythsDont Believe These 8 Job Search MythsIf you are tired of the job search rat race, then stop doing what you are doing. While you are at it, dismiss all the assumptions youve made about how jobs get filled. People hire people, notlage rsums. Lets debunk your beliefs and myths associated with job searchingMYTH You will find your next job by applying online. You may believe that if you apply to enough jobs, youll eventually beat the odds and land one. While applying to jobs may make you feel productive, a recentCareerXroads survey shows thatonly 15 percent of positions were filled through job boards.Most jobs are either filled internally or through referrals. When you spend all your time and energy scoping out jobs and applying, youre hurting your chances.So what else should you be doing? Try a combination of things. Successful job seekers use a variety of tactics, such as contacting industry-specific recruiting agencies or third-party recruiters, mee ting one-on-one with past colleagues, attending professional association meetings, volunteering and meeting new people every day. If this sounds daunting or almost impossible, remember More than 70 percent of people land jobs through networking. MYTH You should expect to hear a response soon after you apply.After you have taken time to research a company, modify yourrsumand go through the application process, youassume youll hear something. The reality is you may not hear back from the company. Expect this to be the norm and take proactive steps. Plan to follow up with someone in human resources after you have submitted your application. Ask what the time frame is for filling the job, and then ask if your application was received. Always end every conversation by asking when you should follow up next and with whom. The really eager job seekers will make that call the same day the application is submitted. The less assertive job seekers wait about a week. MYTH Your titel letter willa lwaysbe read in full.You cant make someone read your cover letter. In reality, some people will never read a cover letter, and others wont look at yourrsumuntil after reading your cover letter. And there are varying preferences in between. The bottom line is that you should always include a customized cover letter that explains specifically why you are interested in and qualified for the job and shares something about the company to show you are a fit. If you dont take the time to do this, then why should the company take time to review your qualifications for the job?MYTH You should network with human resources.One of the many roles human resources serves is to fill open job requisitions. Often, there are numerous requisitions in the pipeline, and the No. 1 priority is to fill these jobs. Requesting to network with human resources is not in your best interest nor in the best interest of the busy human resources professional. He or she probably doesnt know about future openings or d epartment-level plans. And and even if he or she did, the advice you get would be to wait until you see something posted.Invest your time reaching out to peer-level employees inside a company. Learn how these employees landed the job, what the company culture is like and the skills and responsibilities required in the job. MYTH The best time to network is after the job has been posted.You see the perfect job posted and believe youre a match. With great excitement, you reach out to someone inside the company only to get ignored or brushed off. Youre doing the right thing, so why isnt it working? Youre too late to the party. That job has probably been circulating inside the company for weeks. The person you are contacting may even be in the running for the job.The best time to network is in advance of job opportunities being posted. In fact, networking after a job has been posted really isnt networking its tracking down a job. Thats not badin fact, its recommended butits not truly net working. Startidentifying companies you would like to work for, and begin networking before jobs are posted. MYTH You will be granted an interview for every job you apply to.If youve purposely submitted a vague or generalrsumwith the hope that a recruiter will call for more details, thinkagain. Most of the time, you will not receive a call. Recruiters, human resources staff and the hiring manager only call you if you are a good match for the job. If your application andrsumdont show how you are a perfect match for the job, the recruiter has very little interest in speaking with you. MYTH Your references are contacted before or during the interview process.Every company has a different policy regarding reference checking. Seldom will your references get checked whilersums are being reviewed or during the interview process. It costs time and money to verify references, and if there are multiple candidates applying and interviewing,this can be a costly investment.On the other hand, a q uick Internet search can often reveal information, so some recruiters may be checking you out online. Carefully select the people you want to serve as references, and prepare them to provide the most relevant and important details about you. MYTH Yourrsumis the most important job search tool.It is important to have a well-writtenrsum. However, how many hours do you spend updating, modifying, tweaking andadapting it? Too many. The numerous hours you spend hiding behind a computer screen means you arent spending time on the phone reaching out to people or attending one-on-one networking meetings.Invest your time wisely. How many people will actually take the time to thoroughly review yourrsumand ask you questions about each job you held? Much ofthe detail you obsess over is irrelevant to hiring professionals or will be overlooked in haste.Hannah Morganwrites and speaks on career topics and job search trends on her blogCareer Sherpa. She co-authored Social Networking for Business Succe ss, and has developed and delivered programs to help job seekers understand how to look for work better.

Heres a resignation letter sample for when its time to move on

Heres a resignation letter sample for when its time to move onHeres a resignation letter sample for when its time to move onResignation letters often cause confusion in the professional world. While you might think letters should vary based on the quality of your experience at the company or seniority level, that actually isnt the case. Follow this resignation letter sample to avoid legal issues, maintain a solid reputation at the company, and leave a good impression with your manager.Resignation letter sample(Date of letter submission)(Managers name)(Managers position)(Company name)(Company Address)Dear (Managers name),Please accept this letter as formal notification that I will be resigning from my role as (position title) at (Company Name). My last day of employment at (Company Name) will be on (date of last day).I would like to thank you for the opportunity to learn and excel my career. Thank you for your guidance in my role throughout my exciting (time spent at company) at (Comp any Name).Over the next (amount of time left at company), I will ensure as much as I can that my projects are complete. I am happy to aid in any way to help create a smooth transition to my replacement.My time at (company name) has been extremely influential in advancing my career. Please do not hesitate to contact me at (your personal email) or (your personal phone number) if you have any questions after my departure. I would love to stay in touch.Best wishes,(Your signature)(Your printed name)Why you should keep your resignation letter simpleContrary to popular belief, there is, in fact, one perfect resignation letter, according to MichaelSteinitz, the Accountemps Global Executive Director.The letter should clearly state the date of submission and last day of employment, and express thanks to your manager. Additionally, you should offer your help with the transitional period and provide your personal contact information. Its not necessary to include a reason your leaving or your p lans for the future.Many people who sit down to write a resignation letter think its the time to air their grievances with their manager or company. But a resignation is neither the time nor place for anything negative, accordingto Pearlie Oni,the senior manager of employee experience at RedPeg.This hard copy will be the one piece of you that remains at the office after you leave, so positivity is your power move here. Instead, anexit vorstellungsgesprch is the opportunity to provide your manager with an explanation of why youre resigning from your position and include helpful tips for your replacement.

Types of Employee Benefits and Perks

Types of Employee Benefits and PerksTypes of Employee Benefits and PerksWhat are employee benefits? What benefits and perks can you expect to receive when youre hired by a company? An employee benefits package includes all the non-wage benefits, like insurance and paid time off, provided by an employer. There are some types of employee benefits that are mandated by law, including minimum wage, overtime, leave under the Family Medical Leave Act, unemployment, and workers compensation and disability. There are other types of employee benefits that companiesare elend required to offer, but choose to provide to their employees. There are some benefits and perks you may be able to negotiate as part of your compensation package when youve been offered a new job. Employee Benefits Employee benefits are non-salary compensation that can vary from company to company. Benefits are indirect and non-cash payments within a compensation package.They are provided by organizations in addition to salary to create a competitive package for the vermgen employee. Mandated Employee Benefits The following are compensation and benefits that employers are required by federal or state law to provide. COBRADisabilityFamily and Medical Leave ActMinimum WageOvertimeUnemployment BenefitsWorkers Compensation Types of Employer-Provided Benefits and Perks In addition to benefits required by law, other benefits are provided by companies because they feel socially responsible to their employees and opt to offer them mora than is required by law. Depending on the company, these benefits may include health insurance (required to be offered by larger companies), dental insurance, vision care, life insurance, paid vacation leave, personal leave,sick leave, child care, fitness, a retirement plan, and other optional benefits offered to employees and their families. These types of employee benefits that are offered are at the discretion of the employer or are covered under a labor agreement , so they will vary from company to company. According to theBureau of Labor Statistics,the average number of annualpaid holidaysis 10. The average amount of vacation days are 9.4 after a year of service. Almost half the (medium and large) employers surveyed offered either a defined benefit or a defined contribution pension plan. About 75% offeredhealth insurance, but almost all required some employee contribution towards the cost. Its not hard to look at the averages and see how your employer or your job offer measures up. In addition, there is an increasing use of bonuses, perks, and incentives by employers to recruit and retain employees. Look at the companies rated thebest places to workand youll discover many offer health club memberships, flexible schedules, daycare, tuition reimbursement, and even on-site dry cleaning. 132 Watch Now 9 Benefits Employees Really Want Employer-Provided Health Insurance Requirements Under thePatient Protection and Affordable Care Act(Obamac are), minimum standards are set for health insurance companies regarding services and coverage. Most employerswith 50 or more employeesare required to offer health care plans, and individuals are required to have coverage.Health care exchanges have been set up for employees who arent covered by employers or who elect to seek coverage outside their employer plans. Health Insurance Options Most employers present staff with group medical insurance plans to assist workers with health care costs.Employers often provide a menu of options for health care plans including Health Maintenance Organizations (HMOs) and Preferred Provider Organizations (PPOs). Deductibles (how much workers must pay before insurance kicks in) co-pays required for specific services and premiums for plans vary. HMOs tend to have lower premiums than PPOs, but more restrictions in terms of the physicians and providers who can be accessed. Plans will differ regarding the maximum out-of-pocket expenses that an emplo yee would need to shoulder during a plan year. Health Insurance Coverage Most plans provide coverage for visits to primary care physicians and specialists, hospitalization, and emergency care. Alternative medical care, wellness, prescription, vision, and dental care coverage will vary by the plan and employer. Employers are required to provide health care to employees who work at least 30 hours per week.Some part-time workers are covered by employer plans, but many are not covered. Some employers provide an incentive for employees to opt out of their plan. Recent trends indicate that employers are asking workers to shoulder an increasing percentage of the premium for plans. Dental Care Plan Coverage Companies with dental care benefits offer insurance that helps pay a portion of the cost for dental treatment and care. Depending on the companys policy for dental care benefits, dental coverage includes a range of treatments and procedures. Most insurance plans cover the basic p rocedures such as routine teeth cleaning every six months. Dental care plans can vary from company to company, but they typically include three categoriesPreventive, Basic, and Major services, which vary from semi-annual cleanings to oral surgeries. Preventative dental benefits include exams, x-rays, sealants, fluoride treatments, and childrens basic care. Basic services would also include fillings, emergency pain relief, root canals, and dental crowns. Finally, Major services can include bridgework, wisdom teeth removal, dentures, and other complex procedures. Some plans cover all practices, like orthodontic work in addition to basic dental care. The actual benefits of dental care plans are calculated in several ways. Some companies base their coverage on usual, customary, and reasonable (UCR) fees, while others consider the inclusions on account of a fixed fee schedule or table of allowances. Knowing the benefits and exclusions of your Dental Plan can allow you to evade unexpected fees and co-pays. If you have to pay for dental coverage through your employer, heres how to determine whether its worth the expense. More Company-Provided Employee Benefits These types of employee benefits that are offered are at the discretion of the employer or are covered under a labor agreement, so they will vary from company to company. Hazard PayMaternity, Paternity, and Adoption LeavePaid HolidaysPay RaiseSeverance PayVacation LeaveWork Breaks and Meal Breaks ?Fringe Benefits and Perks Other benefits can vary between industries and businesses and are sometimes referred to as fringe benefits. These perks, also known as benefits in kind can include bonuses, profit sharing, medical, disability, and life insurance, paid vacations, free meals, use of a company car, pensions, stock options, childcare, gratuity, company holidays, personal days,sick leave, other time off from work, retirement and pension plan contributions, tuition assistance or reimbursement for employees and/or their families, discounts on company products and services, housing, and other benefits and perks that are provided by companies in addition to the employees salary. While these benefits are meaningful and do hold monetary value, the employees salary remains the same, and the employee cannot cash in or trade the offers for a higher salary.Fringe benefits are not required by law and vary from employer to employer. Review Your Employee Benefits Package Whether you are job searching, deciding on a job offer, or happily employed, its important to review what benefit coverage is provided by the company and to decide whether the employee benefits package is one that fully meets your needs. Its also important to take full advantage of what the company provides to employees. Questions to Ask There are employee benefits questions you should ask, to ensure that your overall compensation plan is right for you and for your family. Also, ask specific questions based on your needs and on the criteria that are important to you.

The Muse Founders on Why They Wrote The New Rules of Work - The Muse

The Muse Founders on Why They Wrote The New Rules of Work - The MuseThe Muse Founders on Why They Wrote The New Rules of Work The following is an excerpt from The Muse founders new book, The New Rules of Work The Modern Playbook for Navigating Your Career, which hits the shelves April 18, 2017.We believe you should love your job. In fact, we believe that you should be thrilled with your job. And more than thrilled- fulfilled by it.We believe that you can find a career that gives you purpose, one that lets you use a set of skills that give you pride, and enjoy a day-to-day that gives you meaning. We believe that your work can- and should- be a part of who you are, what you value, and what you want for the future of the world.And we truly believe that you- yes, you- can achieve all of this.Decades ago, this would have been a revolutionary, even ridiculous, idea. For the majority of workers, a job welches at best a means to a paycheck and at worst total drudgery. Work paid for your real life, the one outside of a 9-to-5 your hobbies and pastimes, your families and friendships, your weekends. Free time was where you anchored your identity. Work itself was never a source of fulfillment.You may still feel very much like this now. But you should also know theres another way.Were not the first to say it, but the world of work is changing. The last 20 years have seen a massive shift both in terms of what work means to us, and in what it demands from us. Gone are the days when your clients or your boss couldnt reach you unless you were in the saatkorn room or at your desk next to a landline phone. Now not only can you take work home with you, but youre often expected to be in constant contact, available around the clock.This dramatic shift is exactly what makes it so crucial that your work is something that inspires and fulfills you. But luckily, these very same shifts also mean there is more opportunity for you to find a perfect fit between the things that fulfill you a nd how you make a living. Thats in large part because the same internet that connects you to work long after 5 PM has also democratized access to information and people, meaning it is easier than ever to explore and pursue new career opportunities, acquire new skills, and connect with an ever-expanding network of individuals across the globe. Today, its more feasible than ever to take control of your future and pave the way for change.It also means that you have options your parents never dreamed of. The traditional paths- go to medical school, become a doctor go to law school, become a lawyer- are giving way to an increasingly broad set of choices a menu of options that actually expands as we gain new experience and new skills and access to new networks over the course of our careers. For example, a med school grad today may be weighing private practice against a consulting opportunity in the healthcare space, a chief medical officer role at a healthcare startup, or a position advi sing hospital staff on safety and reducing medical errors.ur menu of options has expanded in this way largely because of the explosion of new jobs and fields that didnt even exist as recently as a decade ago. Today there are countless jobs that have only recently become viable career paths social media manager, cybersecurity analyst, UX (user experience) designer, to name just a few.With this expanded set of options comes the opportunity to find not just a good on paper job, but a job that is the perfect fit for you. Today youre able to weigh your choices not just in terms of the work itself- though thats important- but also in terms of many other factors. You can (and should) factor in a companys culture and mission, and whether that aligns with your values. You can (and should) take into account workplace culture, flexibility, and opportunities for learning. For you have your own dreams, needs, and motivations, and finding a job or career path that best aligns with them will not o nly make you much happier getting up to go to work, but also help you thrive once you get there.This isnt to say that you will love every job you have, or that you will love your job every day. But we believe that, with the right tools and perspective, you can find a job that fills you with meaning and purpose more days than not, and moves you toward a goal that is resonant and rich.To get there, though, you need to throw out all the old, traditional advice about what it takes to find, land, and thrive in the perfect job. And thats exactly why we wrote our new book, The New Rules of Work The Modern Playbook for Navigating Your Career. The New Rules will help you navigate the changing landscape of work and the unique path you will build, not follow. The New Rules will help you build a career that you truly love. And The New Rules will give you everything you need to succeed at work today. So buckle up for a great ride. Were going to take the future by storm, together.

Want to Know More About Strengths to Put on a Resume?

Want to Know More About Strengths to Put on a Resume? For instance, our Project Manager might have a whole lot of volunteer work that shes completed. Our resume builder will provide you with tips and examples on the best way to compose your resume summary. An accountant or engineer will want to get an extremely classic and conservative presentation. Dont hesitate to constantly refer to the Warehouse Worker resume sample to be sure your resume is all up to the undertaking of landing you the work interview. The Argument About Strengths to Put on a Resume If youre applying to a sttte in a financial institution and youve got experience with corporate security, youd absolutely want to highlight that. You are able to also have any medical training youve got, as security personnel can wind up in the function of acting as a first responder. A Warehouse worker can be assigned lots of tasks and obligations. Last, dont neglect to emphasize the fact that youve got a security guard lice nse, especially if its an armed security guard license. Going through the procedure of producing a financial plan with a customer is a good way to grow an advisors comprehension of the customers current financial situation and goals for the future. Advisors need to work to construct trust and nurture their relationship with their customers. Employers will also need to realize that you can effectively engage with people. As a result, they are always looking for people who can analyze data, says Isaacs. All About Strengths to Put on a Resume For Excel specifically, having the capability to demonstrate that youve got an advanced degree of expertise is critical, states Gelbard. Before its possible to detail your strengths, you first have to be in a position to identify them. You may probably think of a slew of strengths and individual qualities that you believe would help, but you should be concise, and that means selecting which ones to concentrate on. When selecting which sk ills-based strengths to concentrate on, it may be handy to start with concrete examples and work backwards. Becoming in a position to list more than 1 suite is a fantastic advantage. In just a couple of minutes, our resume builder will guarantee that youve got a well-written, attractive resume prepared to go. A good deal of security guard jobs need a drivers license, and that means you certainly want to include that in the event that you have one. To do that goal, you must effectively convey your key strengths in a manner that convinces the hiring manager that you have the essential tools necessary to fill the firms open position. For instance, you might have a natural affinity for technology that translates well in a wide selection of work settings. Rather than a typewriter, you will have to know your way around a range of software applications. The formatting is going to be a bit different. You will need to choose a single excellent answer and expand with examples. The capacity to coordinate with your co-workers is a vital strength that might help to land work. An effective communicator is frequently a fantastic motivator, which means that you can get other people to do their jobs. The particular tech knowledge you will need is dependent on the job. Known for a strong work ethic, superb communication abilities and the capability to deliver a top quality service. Leadership is among the very first skills hiring managers start looking for in new graduates. Leadership skills ought to be included only in the event you have sound work experience to prove them. Running training programs shows youve got a high degree of understanding of your industry in plus-rechnen to leadership abilities. Though a human hiring manager might appreciate a small flair, the resume robot will just incinerate your resume without another thought. Warehouse work involves lots of unique kinds of skills based on the sort of industry. Back in the old times of the web, o nly someone with big-time tech skills could update a site. Nearly all jobs require you to be in a position to do a selection of distinct things during your employ, which means you need to have the ability to adapt to carry out those tasks. Its possible to look back at the work listing to find a feeling of the job requirements. A resume is the very first impression of you to a prospective employer when applying for employment. Your best strategy is to tailor your resume to every particular job which youre applying to. For instance, if youre asking for work in accountancy, saying youre a terrific athlete is not likely to improve your application.

The Meaning of Resume for Customer Service

The Meaning of Resume for Customer Service The Birth of Resume for Customer Service Resume objectives are occasionally taken lightly, but theyre an extremely important part of a resume. If you trained other employees, it indicates you have management ability, and a lot of experience. Special skills would be a section to spell out the sort of skills thats been developed through the years. Our customer tafelgeschirr representative-specific resume examples will allow you to focus your resume on the abilities and experience employers want. Ensure you first put the main info and the most recent information less relevant. Providing superior high quality customer support is only one portion of the game. Some customer tafelgeschirr resume samples are offered on the net, and they could have the ability to give additional helpful tips regarding inclusions, but they might not always have the most optimum structure. A premium quality sample customer tafelgeschirr resume will incorpora te quite a few suitable key terms and phrases that could comprise phrases like customer satisfaction, customer retention, processes or efficiency, based on the particular job. Life After Resume for Customer Service When youre asking for a customer service position, consider the work description to find out what kinds of skills and go through the business wants. This advice will be able to help you land your next position in the present job industry. You have to tailor your resume to the work offer. The War Against Resume for Customer Service Once an employee, co-worker or expert acquaintance has done a wonderful job, dont be afraid to recommend that person should they seek your assistance. To compose the objection section of a customer service resume, you will need to discover the big tasks to be done at work. Print off a couple customer service resume samples that are appealing to you. Being a real customer service rep involves a whole lot of skills and it may be really ha rd to fit everything in. If youve ever worked in customer support, you are aware that it is a job which might not be glamorous, but is totally crucial. A customer service resume should showcase any appropriate experience youve got in handling customers. As youre going to learn how to earn a kickass customer service resume. Great customer services are essential at each degree of the hospitality industry since you just cant permit a guest possibly be angry. The 5-Minute Rule for Resume for Customer Service To begin with, you must start your Customer Service Representative Resume with an expert summary so you can highlight your years of experience in the specialty. Customer Support is a critical department in all organizations. Customer service takes in several of distinct jobs. It is a crucial aspect of any business. What Resume for Customer Service Is - and What it Is Not There are a whole lot of soft skills you should cultivate if you intend on working in customer servi ces. At times the customer service world will throw you a curveball. For those who have lots of experience in customer assistance, you might want to use a combination format to highlight both your years of knowledge and accolades. Be certain to mention just how many years experience you have in customer assistance, as well what type of training youve received.

Best Practices for Employers With Interns

Best Practices for Employers With InternsBest Practices for Employers With InternsWorking with an in eigener sache is both a privilege and a responsibility for an employer. Interns can be a boon to your business and give you the extra pair of hands, current educational thinking, and enthusiasm and stab und sttze your business needs. An employer can gain assistance and support at a time when your company is growing, but notlage yet ready to add full or part-time regular staff. You can supplement full-time staff and accomplish projects and assignments that you might not otherwise have had the resources to pursue. You can use an interns fresh knowledge of your field to look at possibilities for expanding and improving your offerings for customers. An intern brings a fresh perspective, the vibrancy of a young person, or even an older person, who is learning about or starting out in their field of dreams. An intern can bring needed diversity to an employer. Interns are accustomed to learn ing, writing, researching, and producing work on a schedule. An employer and your employees can gain a lot from the contributions of an intern if you manage the internship effectively. How Employers Can Magnify the Intern Experience In turn, an employer owes interns certain monetary and experiential factors. Interns should receive payment for services The most frequent disagreement around utilizing interns revolves around whether an employer needs to pay interns. In my part of the country, interns make $10 to $12 an hour the best-paid interns make around $20. Regardless of the experience, an employer is providing for an intern, the intern deserves payment for services rendered.This is a small price to pay to attract the best and brightest students as interns or the young people who may not have deep pockets supporting them in college. Paying interns gives you the opportunity to attract young people whom you may eventually hire, regardless of their financial situation.Paying int erns ensures diversity, as any student can apply for the paid internship. Additionally, paying interns allows the interns to work more hours in your business, rather than holding down a part-time job or two. Why not enable the interns to spend their time learning and contributing to your business? Employers should select interns as you would an employee. Use a systematic hiring process to hire your interns. The interns will appreciate the experience you provide when they hit the real world job market. Your employees will select the intern from a variety of candidates and experience more ownership and commitment to the interns experience, as a result. Employers with a tried and true hiring process will attract and hire their best candidate interns.Interns deserve a well-rounded intern experience No, interns are not working in your business to make copies, file paperwork, and sit at your reception desk greeting visitors and answering phones. Can this schrift of task be part of an inte rnship? Absolutely. In business, employees help out with whatever the business needs, but you are short-changing the interns and your business - if this encompasses the experience you provide for or the services you utilize from your interns. Interns need a developmental plan. Interns deserve a true introduction to your business that gives them experience in a number of areas related to their interests and potential degree. Employers should require departments to produce a written developmental plan for the interns experience before a department is allowed to hire an intern. Similar to a job description, the plan lays out a developmental path with specific outcomes. The best internship plans also provide an onboarding component so that interns quickly assimilate within your company.This gives the interns you really want, and may potentially hire, a good picture of what their experience will encompass in your organization. This is a competitive advantage if you are in a market in wh ich employers compete for the most desirable interns. The written plan also provides a guide path for how your department will utilize the intern. The written plan lays out the responsibilities of the employer to provide developmental opportunities for the interns including meetings to attend, projects to work on, time spent with various staff members, and job tasks to learn. A specific boss or ratgeber who is committed to the interns learning is essential. An internship is an opportunity to develop that first, and possibly a career-long relationship, with an individual, or mentor, who cares about and is committed to an interns success. Regular meetings, goals, and guidance are critical in this relationship. Monitoring progress, encouraging the interns growth, and ensuring that the employer is benefitting from the interns time and contribution are components of the mentors job. Assisting the intern to follow the developmental plan is a critical component, too. Include the intern in regular organization events. You want your interns to experience the totality of working for your organization. Holiday parties, community, and professional meetings, TGIF meet-ups at your local tavern, and departmental lunches make the internship experience real. Plus, they add to your potential to attract the best interns to your company after graduation. The interns have had the opportunity to experience your companys extended culture and events for employees. This helps both the intern and the employer assess cultural fit and the potential success of the intern as an employee. Hire the desirable interns for serial internships. If an intern has worked out well in your company, fits your culture, works well with your employees, and offers skills and experience you need, why not offer a return engagement? I have known interns who worked for the same company from high school through college graduation and then, accepted a job offer.Yes, its fine if the intern wants to experience dif ferent internships in different company settings. Encourage your interns to explore other possibilities. But, it is not your responsibility, as the employer, to decree that the interns must work elsewhere for the experience. The decision to work at multiple internships is up to the intern and his or her program counselors not the employer. Make your offer the intern will decide. Hire your best interns. Nothing is more important to an intern who has come to love and value your company, and who is valued and appreciated by you, than to join your company, as a regular employee, upon graduation. Better to hire the person that you know than a stranger whose trial period is on your dime in your job. Note that, in particularly sought after majors and skill sets, interns are accepting job offers as early as fall for a job that starts after their spring graduation. Be prepared to act before you lose your best prospects.

Liquid Biopsy Matches Medicine to the Cancer

Liquid Biopsy Matches Medicine to the Cancer Liquid Biopsy Matches Medicine to the Cancer Liquid Biopsy Matches Medicine to the CancerWhile Mayo Clinic physicians have about 30 different drugs available to them to slow prostate cancers progression, matching patient to therapy is far from a one-size-fits-all solution. But Mayo physicians hope that will soon change.Right now, doctors determine the medication that will work the best against a particular patients prostate cancer, administer the drug, and continue to test to landsee if its working. Even when a therapy works, ongoing tests are still needed to ensure tumors havent mutated and to make the medicine ineffective.Clinicians wanted an easy test patients take every day, with min pain, and get quick results. Based on the biomarkers tumors shed in the blood, patients could tell if their current medical regime was working, if they needed to try another medication and, if so, which one would work best against their particular prostate cancer biomarkers.So Mayo researchers are collaborating on research that would use biomarkers shed in blood along with nanotechnology to characterize tumors and monitor how they grow.In response, researchers are developing noninvasive genomic liquid biopsies.The patient would use a finger stick to collect a drop of blood into a cartridge that would be mailed to the laboratory, says Brian Cunningham, professor of electrical and computer engineering, bioengineering at the University of Illinois.Assistant Professor Andrew Smith, left, and post-doctoral student Sung Jun Lim at work on cancer-detection technology. Image University of IllinoisThe schools Macro and Nanotechnology Laboratory, which Cunningham directs, and its Carl R. Woese Institute for Genomic Biology are collaborating with the Mayo Clinic on the project.Perhaps the greatest advantage is that monitoring could be done daily via a simple blood test that could be done at health clinics or diagnostics labs or even at home, Cu nningham says.Doctors usually take MRIs or other imaging tests several months after a drug therapy has started, to see if tumors or growing or shrinking in response.Why wait six months after patients start a drug to take an MRI image to measure tumors, when you could find out if a drug is working so much sooner? Cunningham says.Doctors would like to draw a sample from the patient every day when they start undergoing chemo to watch biomarker levels and see how they change from one day to the next, he adds. If the treatment is being successful, theyll see biomarker levels go down.Testing could be done inexpensively on a desktop-sized instrument that might cost several thousand dollars, he adds. The equipment would be used to look for biomarker molecules known as micro and messenger RNA that tumors shed in the blood of cancer patients. Scientists have only recently been able to test for RNA in the blood, and the accuracy has been poor, Cunningham says.The University of Illinois techniq ue improves that accuracy with nanoparticles, he adds.There may be only 500 to 1,000 of these molecules present in a drop of blood, so being able to identify them requires ultra-sensitive detection approaches, Cunningham says.If we have 30 different messenger RNA sequences were looking to detect, we can see the molecules weve collected and count and differentiate them all within a single test, he adds.But how to identify those molecules?Another university researcher, Andrew Smith, is at work on methods to call out the molecules by binding them with the surfaces of nanoparticles, specifically semiconductor quantum dots that are extremely bright and thus highlight the messenger RNA. A photonic crystal attached to the dot amplifies the RNA signal. Smith is assistant professor of bioengineering at the universitys Micro and Nanotechnology Lab.With the dots, we can see the molecules we collect, he says. The nanoparticles used are so bright they act as tiny little flashlights.After the pat ients messenger RNA is separated from other components of their blood sample, technicians use an enzymatic method to place biotin on that messenger RNA. The quantum dot is attached to the biotin. Then images are taken.If you look in a microscope you can literally see individual molecules, Cunningham says. You see them on a cell phone camera if you have the microscope lens attached.The nanoparticle-tagged molecules would be counted and separated via signal-to-noise ratio, which compares the level of a desired signalfrom the semiconductorto the level of background noise.The number of amount of a particular sequence within the sample would let doctors know whether tumors are sloughing off more materiali.e. growingor lessshrinking. They can then choose to maintain the current medical regime or choose another one.Currently the liquid biopsy method is under trial at the Mayo Clinic. At the same time, the researchers are creating a simple microfluidics device that would allow the method to be used for quick, accurate diagnosis.The device could be available to physicians within five years, depending on FDA trials and tests, he says.Jean Thilmany is an independent writer For Further Discussion With the dots, we can see the molecules we collect, he says. The nanoparticles used are so bright they act as tiny little flashlights.Prof. Andrew Smith, University of Illinois

VLF insights from the Twitter CEO

VLF insights from the Twitter CEOVLF insights from the Twitter CEOThis week, Umair Haque interviewed Twitter CEO Evan Williams at the keynote at this years SXSW Interactive Conference. By many accounts, the interview bombed. But as Haque gently suggests the exchange contained some interesting observations on building a 21st Century businessobservations that resonate with many of themes of the recent mhvt discussion Value Tweet on the emerging virtual law firm model.Here are some excerpts of Haques takeaways which may be relevant to lawyers and new model law firmsOpenness as a survival strategy. New ideas, new concepts, new applications all flow to open organizations. Thats a great way to express the point that for next-gen organizations, openness is now table stakes fail at it, and youre not even in the game. Organizing for experimentation. Though many organizations want to experiment, they cant because theyre not built to Twitter organizes for experimentation, by creating modular teams that rapidly iterate to solve tough problems. Thats what 21st century organizations look like networks, not pyramids. Win/wins. Another theme of our conversation welches focusing on win/wins a term thats become cheapened to the point of jargon, but try looking at it anew Twitter cuts deals with partners only when they think everyone wins including end-users. Par for the course? Think again. Thats pretty radical. Wall St, Detroit, Big Food, Big Software and HMOs are just a few for whom win/wins have mattered little, if at all. Its a simple, powerful way to frame next-gen strategy in a nutshell.On that last point, I think we can safely add BigLaw to the list. It seems to me that the (non-cheapened) concept of win/win is a natural complement to the mhvt theme of results, e.g., ShatterboxVox The issue for client is not VLF vs. trad firm, it is how do I get the results looking for w/ the resources I have? -posted by brian