Saturday, December 28, 2019

Recent Major Changes to Application Manager

Recent Major Changes to Application ManagerRecent Major Changes to Application ManagerRecent Major Changes to Application ManagerAs you know, it is nearly impossible to apply for a federal job without using both USAJOBS.gov and ApplicationManager.gov. Application Manager is the most used tool for application questionnaires.Over the past few weeks, Application Manager has quietly undergone some major changes that will affect how you use the system. The site has no dedicated News or Updates page, but they are issuing this standard email via their help deskApplication Manager has been enhanced to improve the application process and will provide the following benefits. Standardizes the application process by directing applicants through their USAJOBS account when applyingEliminates the need for a separate account in Application ManagerProvides a standardized method and centralized location for applicants to verify their status and documents submitted through their USAJOBS account. What d oes this mean for you and/or your clients?You no longer need (or are able to use) a separate username/password for Application Manager.You now only need one username/password to access both USAJOBS and Application Manager. The downside is that you can no longer access Application Manager directly. You must go through USAJOBS.If you close Application Manager in the middle of applying for a job, you will have to sign back in to USAJOBS to access that questionnaire. Then go to My Account Main Page. Select Application Status. Scroll down and click on the job title of the job you were applying to. Then select Update Application on the job announcement. You will be asked to reselect the correct resume and supporting documents. Then you will be forwarded to Application Manager and asked to click Accept and Proceed the terms. You will then find your questionnaire and application.You can no longer track applications using Application Manager directly. The Main page on Application Manager is gone.Application Manager is mucksmuschenstill tracking applications, but applicants must first sign in to USAJobs. Then view My Account Main Page, select Application Status and click More Information next to the job to which you applied. You will then be forwarded to Application Manager.Final TipThis change isnt mentioned on any official websites, but we have noted that some questionnaire questions are no longer followed by a red * (required field) asterisk.That means applicants might mistakenly submit applications without filling out the entire questionnaire.Just a reminder, every question on the questionnaire is a required question- even if a red asterisk does not follow it.You can be in touch with Application Manager directly through their Help Desk email address ApplicationManagerHelpDeskopm.govAs always, we are staying on top of changes as they occur Soon, we will be updating our Jobseekers Guide with these changes and more. Let us know if you see any other changes to the fed eral application process that we should be aware ofThanksKathryn

Monday, December 23, 2019

Drone on the Farm

Drone on the Farm Drone on the Farm Drone on the FarmIn the future, swarms of drones will fly among farm fields, mapping the location of weeds with the help of their onboard vision. These little drones, each about the size of a bee, will help farmers improve crop yields with less herbicide. And theyll be available to farmers at a low cost.A group of Italian researchers at the Italian National Research Council is now developing the drones as part of a project called Swarm Robotics for Agricultural Applications, or SAGA.The drones are actually kitted out with robotic controls that let them fly, map, and stay in touch. This type of robotics, swarm robotics, consists of teams of very small robots built to best suit the environment they move within.Each individual drone weighs around three pounds and flies for 20 to 30 minutes. They generally fly in packs of 20 to 30, says Vito Trianni, who heads the project. Hes part of the Institute of Cognitive Sciences and Technologies, which operates within the research council. This kind of technology is well suited for todays large-scale farms, he adds.For large fields, the drone swarms could operate in relay teams, with drones landing and being replaced by others.Or, farm co-ops could also buy swarms to share. The swarms dont fly over a field daily, despite how fast it feels weeds grow. Smaller farms could adjust the number of drones theyd use depending on the size of their fields, Trianni says.Drones will be attracted to the weediest areas of a farm. reputation SAGARobot swarms can be scaled to exactly fit different farm sizes, he adds.Thanks to their communication capabilities, the drones will attract each other to a particularly weed-infested area. This means that very weedy patches are the first to be mapped and sent to those responsible for working the land, with less weedy areas next on the list, Trianni says.This is similar to swarms of bees that forage the most profitable flower patches, he adds. In this way, the pla nning of weed control activities can be limited to high-priority areas, hence generating savings while increasing productivity.The most common way currently to control weeds is to spray entire fields with herbicide chemicals. Smarter spraying will save farmers money and it will lower the risk of agrichemical resistance.Of course, theres a big environmental benefit from spraying fewer herbicides, Trianni adds.Following the mapping by the bees, a swarm of the quadcopters could be released over a field. Theyd stay in radio contact with each other and use algorithms learned from the bees to cooperate and put together a map of weeds.This will then allow for targeted spraying of weeds or their mechanical removal on organic farms.Quadcopters are small helicopters lifted and propelled by four rotors. Their miniature sizeabout the size of a childs toy dronemakes them relatively inexpensive and allows them to fly in swarms, perfect for applications that Trianni and his team anticipate. The dr ones also avoid soil compaction and can act only where needed, Trianni says.Well be seeing more of these robotic-enabled drone swarms in the future, as the price of robotics hardware lowers and miniaturization and the capabilities of robots increase, Trianni says. Swarm robots, which work in large groups, are an obvious use of these trends, he adds.Swarms of drone robots havent typically been looked at for agricultural applications, though the pairing is a natural, he adds.We will soon be able to automate solutions to the level of the individual plant, he says. This needs to be accompanied by the ability to work in large groups, so as to efficiently cover big fields and work in synergy. Swarm robotics offers solutions to such a problem.Jean Thilmany is an independent writer. For Further Discussion In this way, the planning of weed control activities can be limited to high-priority areas, hence generating savings while increasing productivity.Vito Trianni, Italian National Research C ouncil

Thursday, December 19, 2019

If Opportunities Lead Abroad, Will You Follow

If Opportunities Lead Abroad, Will You Follow If Opportunities Lead Abroad, Will You Follow If Opportunities Lead Abroad, Will You Follow? by Dr. Robert Taylor, University of New South Wale (Sydney, Australia)Early career engineers and scientists now have the opportunity to become in aller herren lnder citizens. Todays communication and video conferencing technology are making international collaboration both instantaneous and free (e.g. Skype, Whatsapp, Google Hangout, etc.). Rapidly advancing communication makes it easy to maintain working relationships and collaborations with people from around the world. Also, a large majority of ASME members have degrees from American universities, which makes them very attractive to highly international employers. In fact, I believe the skills, abilities, and reputation of ASME members positions us perfectly to be integral members of a rapidly globalizing world. I also strongly believe that those who take advantage of these trends will have suc cessful careers and will play central roles in meeting tomorrows engineering challenges.Heres the catch Having cool apps and top engineering training does not build collaboration. Nor do they make a young, competent engineer into a renowned international leader. The most effective way to build contacts and collaboration (international or otherwise) leise involves real-world hand shaking. It usually involves consuming calories (or at least caffeine) with people. One way or another, to get linked In or to get new contacts on LinkedIn you must get out there and meet people. In todays world, it is not enough to just build rapport with your current co-workers. To be successful in a global economy, todays engineers will need to build rapport on a global scale. I will be the first to admit that this may not be an easy thing to do for an early career engineer. Most of us can think of some important people from around the world that we would like to meet, work with, or even work for, but i t is hard to make this happen. The best and (maybe the only) way to ensure this type of success involves travel. If you physically go to places where potential contacts will be present, particularly places where both calories and caffeine are available (such as ASME conferences), there is a very good chance youll build lasting relationships.Working Abroad It Could Happen to YouAt the risk of belabouring the obvious, Ill go a step further. If you are serious about building international collaborations and being successful in a global economy, I would encourage you to study and/or work overseas. This may not be for everyone. Yet, for young, mobile, early career folks, I think it is something you should seriously consider. Aside from many other benefits, looking for work abroad has the following advantagesIt opens up a world of opportunities quite useful in a tight job marketSome international jobs pay better and/or have better benefitsBy taking you out of your comfort zone, it force s you to learn about engineering (and life) in a whole new wayWorking Abroad It Happened to MeTo give you a little background on why I am advocating this, let me tell you about my own (albeit short) career path. First off, I was born, raised and educated in the United States. With the exception of an occasional road trip to Mexico or Canada I rarely travelled. However, I did go to places namely Universities where plenty of hand-shaking, and calorie and caffeine consumption took place with people from around the world. In graduate school, I met people from China, Iran, France, Germany, Indonesia, India, Japan, South Korea, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, Turkey, etc. During many conversations with these people (when I probably should have been working), I realized that the world was both a lot bigger, and paradoxically a lot smaller, than I had previously thought. One thing became clear my fellow students had travelled much mora than me. In talking with fellow students, I also realiz ed that I was not particularly well-connected.Contrary to what I had imagined, many of them were not planning to immigrate to the U.S. A significant number were coming to the United States solely to get advanced degrees and to make professional contacts. Their plan was to then seek employment back home or abroad. In China, for example, a person with a PhD can easily become a CEO or politician. In fact, many of Chinas leaders have been engineers. In India, the average engineer or professor can afford to buy a nice house and a staff to run it. Dont get me wrong, the U.S. is a land of great opportunity, but there are also a surprising number of excellent opportunities outside the U.S.Moving to the Land Down UnderThus, when I started thinking about what job I wanted after finishing my degree at Arizona State in 2011, I knew I had some catching up to do as far as developing real international connectivity. At the time, I knew I wanted an academic research/teaching job, but the job market was pretty tough with big budget cuts going on in state schools around the country. At that point, I essentially looked for jobs in my field without any restrictions on schauplatz. I applied for, and ended up getting, a job at the University of New South Wales in Sydney, Australia. Note at the time of applying I did not know anyone in, nor had I ever thought about even visiting, Australia. All I knew was that it would be an ideal place to build international collaborations. The process involved an emailed application, a phone interview, a Skype interview, and a high-speed teleconference (i.e. no visit). When offered the job, I simply took it sight unseen, and promptly applied for a visa. Needless to say, making this kind of big, life decision is unnerving, but it has been an extremely good choice.The Australian academic system is very encouraging and supportive for early career people. There are lots of scholarships, exchange programs and research funding for both resident and inte rnational students. In addition, for a country with a population of 22.6 million (15% more than New York State), Australian Universities are quite good six made the top 100 in the 2012 Times Higher Education world ranking. Australias cultural and physical positioning has allowed it to hit well-above its economic weight class. In addition, Australian cities consistently place highly in terms of quality of life and liveability. The only drawback Ive experienced is that I have to sit on planes longer to visit my family, friends, and colleagues in the United States it is at least a full day to travel home. I also found out jet lag is a real thing Otherwise, as mentioned above, staying connected with family and colleagues is not a problem with (free) voice, video, and chat through the internet.Just Do ItAt Least TemporarilySimilar arguments can be made for moving to other countries. I am not suggesting that you have to move internationally forever, but a few months or a few years abroa d could serve to really accelerate your career. According to a report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, people change jobs around 11 times between the ages of 18-46 . This means that by temporarily working abroad youd actually be following a similar career path as your peerswhile gaining much more international exposure. Overall, my advice to early career engineers is dont think too hard about where you want to study or work, but to look for the best opportunities available. I would also suggest that you think long and hard on those opportunities which allow you to make professional contacts internationally. If you do this, my guess is that the best option may lead you over oceans. If living overseas is too big a move, Id at least suggest that you put a high priority on jobs which allow you to do one or more of the followingAttend international meetings, workshops, conferences (e.g. ASME events)Work with people from companies and research organizations from around the worldActive ly seek new connections with key people regardless of locationTake any and all opportunities to travel early in your careerLastly, dont just take my word for it. If this article does not convince you to pick up and move, or if you need more information, there are several resources that can helpU.S. Department of State International Jobs - Working OverseasThe Grown-Ups Guide to Running Away from Home Making a New Life Abroad by Rosanne KnorrFirst Steps To Living and Working Abroad by Phil ByrneSurvival Kit for Overseas Living For Americans Planning to Live and Work Abroad by L. Robert KohlsGenXpat The Young Professionals Guide to Making a Successful Life Abroad by Margaret MalewskiThe Expert Expat Your Guide to Successful Relocation Abroad by Melissa Brayer Hess and Patricia Linderman CNNs Cost of Living SiteBio Dr. Robert Taylorsmain research interest is in the development of next generation solar thermal collectors. Drawing on the fields of heat transfer and nanotechnology, he is researching new working fluids, materials and system architectures for solar energy. More information on Taylors work abroad -visit Solar and Nanotechnology Research Group at UNSW.Reference 1bls.gov/news.release/pdf/nlsoy.pdf

Saturday, December 14, 2019

Good and Bad Deals in the Music Industry

Good and Bad Deals in the Music IndustryGood and Bad Deals in the Music IndustryIs that music verstndigung im strafverfahren on the table a good one or should you run the other way? Sometimes it can be hard to tell. Check out these common music industry scenarios and binnenlandsee if you can spot the good music deals from the unfair music deals. Scenario One Youre trying to land your first gig, and the booking agent at your chosen venue says that theyre willing to give you a shot. Theres no money in it, but youll be playing on a pretty busy night at the club and you can sell some CDs. Good deal or bad deal? Good Deal. You may feel like youre getting hustled if you get asked to play a show for free (or next to free), but try looking at it from the venues perspective. You havent built up a following yet. Youre not going to be bringing many people into the venue. If venues paid every up and coming musician over the odds for a show, there would be no more venues. What you really have here is a great opportunity. Granted, its not a financial opportunity, but what you are being handed is the chance to earn some fans and build up that following that will eventually allow you to demand some good money for your shows. Impress the venue, and theyll want to have you back. Start pulling a crowd, and theyll want to pay you - its not in a venues interest to refuse to play musicians who draw a crowd, and accepting the low paying/no paying shows as you start out lets them know youre willing to do the work required to be successful. It doesnt set you up for being the sap that always plays free shows. Lots of musicians price themselves right out of the market in which they belong, and thats cutting off your nose to spite your face. Pavement once sang, youve got to pay your dues before you pay the rent and that REALLY holds true when it comes to playing shows. Scenario Two Tambourine player wanted Must have rehearsal space, guitar, bass, drum kit, mics, amps, a refrigera tor keg and the ability to make a mean fried chicken. *SERIOUS MUSICIANS ONLY.* Good Deal or Bad Deal? Bad Deal - I almost feel embarrassed for asking this one. You may want to play music, but that doesnt mean you want to play with just anyone. These musicians needyou to deliver the goods to allow them to play - theyre not looking for your collaboration. Read between the lines when youre reading ads for musicians to make sure your music skills are really what theyre interested in. Scenario Three Youve found a physical distribution deal with a company that says they can get your CDs into a certain chain store. There is a pretty large upfront fee, and the fees are graduated - the more you pay, the more copies you can get into the stores, and the more store locations your CDs will be stocked in. You get to pick which stores your CDs go into. Good deal or bad deal? Bad Deal - Now, its true that some people dont have a problem with this kind of deal, and they do happen. Im not a fan for a few reasons. First of all, theres already a fee structure built into distribution. Distributors get a cut when your music is sold. An upfront fee is double dipping. Plus, getting your CDs into the store is only a tiny part of the battle. Putting some CDs on a shelf with thousands of other CDs doesnt really do much to increase the chance of selling some music unless there is some good promotion behind it all. Although some distributors work with any label that comes along, a lot of physical distributors are selective. That means that they will be actively involved in marketing your music (after all, thats how they make their money). When you pay for distribution up front, where is the motivation to sell your music? There are plenty of free distribution options out there that dont get involved in promoting your music but that at least dont ask for cash upfront. Theyre a better choice. Scenario Four An indie label is interested in putting out your album. They cant afford to pay you a large advance because their budget is tight and they need the money for pressing and promotion. Youve already paid for recording. Good deal or bad deal? Good Deal - The idea of a big advance might be appealing, but in the long run, its not as valuable as someone spending time and money working hard to promote your music. Recouping your recording cost would be great, but the cold, hard fact of the matter is that you may not do that right out of the gate. An indie label that really believes in your music and is willing to work hard for you can do a lot to take your career to the next level, even if they cant put much cash on the table up front. Of course, in exchange for your flexibility on the advance thing, the deal you sign with the label should be nice and easy, too. Theres no need to sign a five album deal with a small label. The future is too uncertain for all parties involved, so take it one thing at a time. Scenario Five Youve stumbled across a company online tha t claims they can make you a music biz star in seven days. All you have to do is pay $500, and youll get personalized information and a special phone session with a music industry expert who knows all the tricks for overnight success. You know that theyre at the top of their game - after all, a great deal of the space on their website is devoted to testimonials from musicians just like you who took the course. It seems like a small price to pay to finally make your music dreams come true. Besides, youll be a star in a week - youll make that $500 back in an hour Good Deal or Bad Deal? Bad Deal - This bears repeating - BAD DEAL. Making it in the music industry is hard, hard work. It takes dedication, patience, perseverance, humility and not a little bit of luck. Anyone who tells you anything different either doesnt know what theyre talking about or is lying to you. Anyone who wants to charge you money for a cheerleading session and some meaningless and/or bad advice is taking advantag e of you. Oh, theyll yell loudly, stomp their feet, be over-opinionated, and tell you that anyone who doesnt use their service or see things their way lacks vision/doesnt know what theyre talking about/doesnt really want to make in the music industry. Kind of trying to sell you a timeshare. The bottom line is that it is oh-so-easy to prey on peoples dreams, like becoming a successful musician, and a lot of people are willing to exploit that to make a quick buck. Be careful out there. These five scenarios are just a few examples of some common deals you might encounter, but you have probably detected a theme that will help you judge other deals that come your way. Deals that arent necessarily financially rewarding may have other benefits that can be very helpful when youre trying to build your music career. On the flipside, paying for something that is usually offered for free or under a different fee structure is a red flag. In other words - common sense. Your best tool in making r eal progress in your music career is judging your opportunities with a clear, realistic head and making good decisions.

Monday, December 9, 2019

Up in Arms About Resume Presentation?

Up in Arms About Resume Presentation? A scarcity of dates will read as an effort to hide something. If youre asking for work in which youre be expected to speak publicly on behalf of the business, adding information about conference presentations are sometimes a fantastic thing. Whats more, you should have a firm grasp of the data you are going to communicate to others. By then, youll have used Big Interview to prepare and practice so which you can talk about your reasons in a constructive and professional way. Resume Presentation for Dummies You have to promote your executive candidacy beyond qualifications if you would like to conduct a highly prosperous executive job search campaign. Too many candidates make the error of including a comprehensive job description rather than emphasizing individual contributions. Your resume ought to be focused, concise and emphasize achievements and abilities that fit the job that youre applying for. Infographic-style resumes have gotten p opular, and they are sometimes effective when done well. Video CVs are becoming more and more popular with joblandseekers wanting to stick out from the crowd. The CV format will change based on the job youre applying for and where youre in your career up to now. Try to remember, you merely have a couple seconds to either make a decent first impression or maybe to make a really bad one. Leave comfortable margins on the webpage and make certain that everything is neatly aligned. For instance, if an example resume lacks a skills section, but you need to include one, you ought to do so. Written Communication Writing well is a big element of your professional presentation. Even in the event the progress is small and updates minimal, its still important to be receiving the updates. Projects will fail and failure needs to be expected rather than feared. It isnt possible to have a whole CV that hasnt got a personal information section at the very top. Your introduction prior to you r presentation is among the main facets of a presentation, and shouldnt be left to chance. The second slide may be used for presenting an overview of yourself, followed by means of a slide for presenting your objectives. There are 3 slides that may be used for producing timeline for presenting your experience. The initial three are relatively simpler to do. Presentation skills refer to all the qualities you should make and deliver a crystal clear and powerful oral presentation. Your resume or CV may be among the most important projects you ever design. Having been responsible for HR for a CFO doesnt mean that you should list HR Executive in the roles youll be able to step into. Moreover, you can list volunteer work or community service if you werent actually employed throughout that time frame. It is normal to list out all the functional areas you have played an executive part in as potential opportunities you are able to fill. You ought to be including communication skil ls on your resume but it ought to be accomplished indirectly. Only skills related to the lage should be listed. Just dont forget that every career objective needs to be tailored to react to that particular position. Detailing the duties you performed, however, is perhaps the most significant part the Work Experience Section. Communication skills are important for nearly every position. Therefore, portfolios can be utilized in school, work or for hobbies. Have a look at our expansive cover letter collection for those suggestions you need to create a winning cover letter. You also ought to think about whether including an objective statement is truly the ideal use of that prime real estate on top of your resume. Youll find my contact information near the top of my enclosed resume. If you opt to create a bulleted list, be conscious that every bullet has to be in parallel form (which means that every item has to be grammatically formatted the same). Why Almost Everything Youv e Learned About Resume Presentation Is Wrong All the slides can be found in 6 colors from the box. With three distinct panels in every single folder, youve got three times the quantity of room to put away brochures, documents, pamphlets and more. Together with helping with your layout, document examples are able to help you see what sort of content you should put in your document. When you own a presentation on career-related theme, you will certainly require related visuals. There are around a dozen sample slides with unique layouts that may help you produce a comprehensive resume presentation, together with a timeline for what you mean to achieve after joining the new organization, in addition to slides for presenting your ideas in fantastic detail. It isnt that difficult to create a custom PowerPoint presentation your audience will remember. If you select any layout that has too much colour, youre expressing incompetence. The template provides individual slides illustratin g different facets of a good resume.

Wednesday, December 4, 2019

Resume Formats 2018 - the Conspiracy

Resume Formats 2018 - the Conspiracy Job Resume enables you to create your very own personal brand logo in just a couple minutes. Employers want to find concrete skills. They are most likely to be interested in your current accomplishments. They care far more about your successes, and how you can mirror them at their company. If youre asking whats the ideal format to utilize in 2018, then the chronological format is the solution. You may also download completely free templates from our Resume Library to get going on your best resume. Our templates may also be downloaded if you would like to have something to work with. Be specific, and offer relevant statistics wherever its possible. Even though you can observe some relevance from various other formats, it has to maintain a particular order to accomplish the aim. You should stick to the finest and latest resume. Zetys resume templates are made with the aid of recruiters and stick to the best practices in HR. So your r esume has got to be in a ort to swiftly and efficiently communicate the appropriate info to the recruiter in only a fast glance. Resume formats do change over time and it is necessary that you stay informed about the latest so your resume will have an opportunity to become noticed. Tons of job seekers even dont understand where to get started. Our resumes are well-crafted and timeless, you can readily adjust them depending on your requirements and use for ages. After youve proofread your resume, youre going to be prepared to apply for jobs. As youve already understood writing an outstanding resume isnt an effortless job that you can do. A Startling Fact about Resume Formats 2018 Uncovered Creative While its important to get a professional resume, sometimes just a little creativity and innovation is suitable. Look carefully at the posting, and in case you have the necessary skills be certain to list them. Based on the essence of the job which you want to know more about, y ou want to customize your resume accordingly. The best resume skills summary should present your expertise within the field. The Battle Over Resume Formats 2018 and How to Win It The Ping utility script opens another browser tab and displays the outcome of the ping. It is possible to read more about the procedure for creating your value known inside my latest article. When you format your resume you wish to be sure your leave enough margin space to permit for printing. Instead, youve got two options. Resume Formats 2018 at a Glance Remembering that the recruiter will be only scanning your resume and spending a few seconds to check at what you need to provide you really do not wish to be writing war and peace. Once youve reviewed resumes in your field, peruse resumes across fields to learn how to vary the usage of action verbs and receive a feel for what makes a zeugungsfhig accomplishment statement.