Should you search for a job during the holiday season

Should you search for a job during the holiday season As the end of the year approaches, it gets easier to justify not doing things until later. â€Å"I’m awfully busy right now. I’ll start my diet/gym routine/job hunt in the new year, when things are calmer.† Is this reasonable logic? It is. But it may be costing you valuable job opportunities. Here are 7 reasons you should consider making a job search part of your holiday festivities this year.7 reasons to start your job search during the holidaysHiring is year-roundThe end of the year is no different than any other time of year: people leave jobs, and those jobs need to be filled. Or, companies are looking ahead to the new year and want to have staff in place as soon as possible after the ball drops in Times Square. The hiring keeps buzzing along, holidays or not.There’s less competitionWhile others are out waiting in line doing their last-minute shopping or putting stamps on 549 holiday cards, there are fewer people focused on job searches. In the new yea r, there are likely to be hordes of other people seeking out job listings and ads, while openings that pop up in December go under the radar. If you’re keeping an eye out for a new job opportunity while most other people are focusing on other things, you could have an advantage.You can think short-term and long-termMany places hire seasonal staff to get through the holidays. But that temporary gig could turn into a permanent one. You’re already in place, you have the skills they want, and now you have a toe in the door. This makes you a great candidate when a more permanent job opens up.You can look now, but start laterBecause many companies are looking ahead to staffing needs in January and February, it may be that the job you’re applying for now may not even start until after the holidays. But if you wait until January to put those feelers out, it may already be too late to score those upcoming jobs.The holidays have built-in networking opportunitiesWhat bette r time of year is there to say, â€Å"Let’s go out and grab a holiday drink† or write, â€Å"It’s been a while, and I’d love to catch up with you† in a holiday card. The holidays are a time when people get sentimental about relationships and feel a little extra social. You never know what opportunities can pop up if you put a little extra work into networking this time of year.Holiday vacation isn’t necessarily off the tableOne of the biggest concerns about job hunting during the holidays is, â€Å"What if I get it and can’t accommodate my existing holiday plans?† If you have a non-refundable flight over the holidays and your new job offer comes with a non-negotiable start date the day before you’re scheduled to travel†¦ well, that might not be the right opportunity for you. But some companies are willing to negotiate a start date- say, January 2.Extra money comes in handy this time of yearA new job often comes with a bump in pay, and for many people, this is a time of year fraught with extra expenses and indulgences. Sticking with your job search during the holidays could be a bonus if you score a new job and a pay raise right before all those credit card bills come due.The holiday season may feel like a time you should be focusing on the personal over the professional, but if you put in time and effort into the job hunt while others are putting theirs on hold, you could find great opportunities.

Tips for Selecting Your Storys Narrative Style

Tips for Selecting Your Storys Narrative Style Tips for Selecting Your Story’s Narrative Style Tips for Selecting Your Story’s Narrative Style By Mark Nichol Before writers can share their stories, they have to decide what type of storyteller they’re going to hire for a particular gig. Here are the job candidates: First Person For this narrator, it’s all â€Å"Me,† â€Å"Me,† â€Å"Me.† (Or, more precisely, â€Å"I,† â€Å"I,† â€Å"I.†) But it’s not that simple. The first-person narrator can be integral to the story, in which case they know only what they observe or discover. Alternatively, they can be a minor character, which may actually free them up to know more than the major players. The first person might also be once or twice removed from the story: They heard it from a friend or a friend of a friend (or some other indirect source). But keep in mind before you hire this applicant that it’s a challenge to keep the first-person narrator from telling too much, and that such a person is subjective and therefore unreliable. (Actually, that can be a good thing, dramatically speaking.) First person is an effective device especially for action-oriented genre fiction: detective stories, thrillers, and the like, because this type of narration keeps the reader close to the action and privy to the cogitations of the protagonist, who is usually trying to solve a mystery or foil a plot. Second Person The second person (â€Å"You†) doesn’t get much work. You might think second person is the most engaging type of narrative, because it puts the reader in the thick of the action, but the device gets old quickly. However, it can be used incidentally, in a prologue or in one or more asides, cued by the first-person or third-person narrator. Third Person This narrative device (â€Å"He,† â€Å"She,† â€Å"They†) is the most common, for good reason(s): The third-person narrator is an objective observer who describes and interprets the characters and their actions, thoughts and feelings, and motivations without direct knowledge. (That objectively doesn’t always prevent the narrator from making satirical or otherwise judgmental observations, however.) But before you leap up and cast this role, there’s one more decision to make: Is this narrator omniscient, meaning they know all, or are they, like the characters, limited in their knowledge? Beyond that, is the third person partisan about the proceedings, or neutral? Consider, too, that just like a first-person narrator, the third person might be unreliable: An observer, whether they have limited or unlimited access to knowing what the heck’s going on, may have a mischievous streak and decide to deceive the reader. Tense Regardless of who you hire, one more issue needs to be resolved: tense. Will the narrator describe occurrences in the present (â€Å"I steal over to the sofa and make sure the gun appears to have fallen out of her hand†), or in the past (â€Å"I stole over to the sofa and made sure the gun appeared to have fallen out of her hand.†)? Just as with second person, a little present-tense narration goes a long way, but a short short story can be effective in that form, or you can introduce present tense in digestible morsels in a longer work, such as when a character is recalling an incident. Choose tense and narration form carefully, and may the best person win. Want to improve your English in five minutes a day? Get a subscription and start receiving our writing tips and exercises daily! Keep learning! Browse the Fiction Writing category, check our popular posts, or choose a related post below:Punctuating â€Å"So† at the Beginning of a Sentence36 Poetry TermsRite, Write, Right, Wright

Women in the Ancient Mediterranean Research Paper

Women in the Ancient Mediterranean - Research Paper Example Implicit within the patriarchal ideology was the perception that those outside the hegemonic male were losers and inferior to males. The paper explores the status and role of women in ancient Mediterranean. A review of women’s agency in ancient civilizations such as Greece, Egypt, Mesopotamia, and Rome demonstrates the social, political, and cultural factors that propelled female empowerment. In addition to the powerful images of goddesses and women’s roles within the religious sphere, women’s activities manifested within other social realms including economic, health, war, poetry, governance, and philosophy (Rutland 16). Largely, the sphere of religious practice can be regarded as an opportunity for exceptional women to attain their own value within a culture that concisely defined feminine roles as subservient to masculine models. Hence, historians highlight the Minoan civilization that appeared to manifest several of female deities backing the assumption that women in Knossos benefited from religious gender democratization. In most cases, only exceptional women who are atypical of the mainstream impacted on the politics of the day, mainly through their husbands as was the case of Olympias (Alexander the Great mother). This observation also applies to Cleopatra VII, who was the final Pharaoh of the Ptolemaic dynasty. This was also true of the egalitarian early Christian church that largely relegated women to the home to serve their husbands (Walcot 163). Discussion In ancient Mediterranean, women ranked along property rather than separate legal persona. As a result, the control of women remained a male prerogative; hence, adultery or rape remained sins against the male members of the family (husband, father, and brothers), and only incidentally against the victim (woman). This is well captured in the book of Deuteronomy (22:25-8), whereby if a married woman is raped within the confines of the city and is not heard to cry out, the ordeal i s not considered rape but adultery, and as such, should be castigated accordingly. In the ancient Mediterranean, prostitutes were depicted as dangerous, capable of stripping men their virtue (at worse their masculinity) since they were not within the confines of a dominant male. Women came out as irrational, prone to hysteria, and sex-obsessed. Women, especially virgins formed a section of the limited good of the society as limited resources to be pursued and acquired by men of prestige, power, and wealth. Men epitomized status and honor while women epitomized decorum and purity and lack of these meant the presence of shame. The social stigma heightened the powerlessness of the woman (Walcot 163). For instance, upon registration, a prostitute lost her healthy liberties as a citizen and listed for life and marriage or motherhood could not eliminate her name from the list. This highlights that a prostitutes occupation was the core determinant of her entire life-style and the stigma as sociated with the occupation could not be eliminated. There is ample literature on the social structures of honor and shame and how they affected women within Mediterranean antiquity. Honor and shame acted as coordinates in an intricate matrix of other societal factors such as kinship, economic control, social networking, and social hierarchy. The honor code derived from gender roles linked to sex, whereby honor can be ascribed to men while shame to women. In this model, the honor of the family resides in its women (women embody the possibility for shame via their sexual conduct); however, men carry the responsibility for protecting women (considered as the â€Å"

Network virtual servers Research Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Network virtual servers - Research Paper Example Similarly, VMware supplies numerous virtualization systems that are mainly host based. In the hypervisor market, the developer mainly offers two somewhat similar softwares, the ESX and ESXi (Finn & Lownds 23). The ESX is the company’s customary release and it entails the hypervisor and a developed management operation while ESXi is the firm’s latest release, and it is a hypervisor-only version. Both the Hyper-V and ESXi do not demand an OS accompaniment since they connect directly on the hardware; however, their integration structure varies. The VMware has a direct driver structure where the application’s lines install on hardware, hence, linking the hardware and virtual gadgets servicing the server. As such, the structure incorporates the hardware drivers in the hypervisor. Similarly, the Hyper-V installs on the hardware but a structured application that propels the Window Server, directs all functions and hardware’s access. Considering this connection structure, the Hyper-V system is regarded to have an indirect driver structure (Finn & Lownds 134). The simpler the structure of a hypervisor, the easer is its management. Management entails adopting and structuring hardware, installing virtual accompaniments, configuring the network among others. Software that incorporates and adjusts to these demands comfortably is easier to manage. The Hyper-V and the VMware incorporate and associateswith these structures in varying ways. The Hyper-V control entirely depends on a root partition plan done through a central Hyper-V manager. This plan is somewhat similar to other Microsoft management applications and demands little skills to launch. This tool, hence, controls basic virtual functions associated with the hardware. Importantly, an operator can control some hardware setups in the root partition using ordinary OS tools. Indeed, the tool is manageable remotely

Self managed teams Essay Example for Free

Self managed teams Essay Using self-managed teams within the Sandwich Blitz company would help the company grow. This will also allow Dalman to have more time to concentrate on the expansion as well. Self-managed teams empower employees most often in manufacturing, workers are trained to do all most of the jobs in the unit, they have no immediate supervisor, and they make decisions previously made by the first-line supervisors (Bateman Snell, 2012). Self-managed teams can offer several possible advantages that could be used at Sandwich Blitz; including stronger commitment, employee and customer fulfilment, improved quality, improved productivity, and faster product and service development. On the other hand there will be some drawbacks. Self-managed teams are tough to execute, and failure is a risk when used in an unsuitable situations, or lacking appropriate leadership. A number of organizations have been dissatisfied with the results from self-managing teams. In the case of Sandwich Blitz, self-management teams may work to a sure extent, for example, having the team members cross-trained to do various jobs. This will enhance the flexibility of the team in dealing with staff shortages and in addition to help out with Dalman having to help fix every problem managers have. Thus applying Dalman and Lei’s knowledge of work procedures with the teams would help the team members to find a solution to problems and build improvements. It will also help decrease any absences that maybe have occurred in the past which would help free up some of Dalman and Lei’s time. Nonetheless, Dalman would need to choose team members he feels secure enough with the size of issues that would need to be handled, and continued presence of the team. As said above, self-managed teams can be hard to put into effect, and Dalman needs to carefully think it through, as well as, being ready to devote some of his time into creating the team and then removing himself once he feels confident with the team. By creating the self-managed teams within sandwich blitz managers will be able to participate and contribute to productivity. This will alter the distribution of the workload for Dalman. It also allows the managers to feel empowered as power, authority, and responsibility is re-distributed amongst the team. This eventually is beneficial to the company as the people closest to the customer; for example the location managers, have the decision making power and which ultimately effects the outcome. References: Bateman Snell 3rd Edition 2012 Introduction to Management https://www.boundless.com/management/groups-teams-and-teamwork/types-of-teams/self-managing-teams/

Dr Jack Kevorkian: Disrupting The Universe :: essays research papers

Dr Jack Kevorkian: Disrupting the Universe   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Dr. Jack Kevorkian did something that most people would never even think of doing or think that someone would do such a thing. He really did disrupt the universe by taking the whole world by surprise. Jack Kevorkian was the first person in the United States to assist in suicides in a big way. He started in 1990 by placing a newspaper add for assisted suicide. He then developed a device he called the Suicide Machine, which injected deadly drugs into the bloodstream. Once the shock passed over, the issue was brought up that he did not commit any crimes, or he is a murderer. Most people think very strongly in one way or the other. Myself and many other people believe that Jack Kevorkian has not done anything wrong and he should not be punished.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  He has been present at 46 suicides since 1990. He has been to jail numerous times , but always let off on bail or another technicality. 38 times he has not even gone to court for his assisted suicides. Assisted suicides are still illegal in every state, but he has gotten off on technicalities or some other issue.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  All of the people he assisted in suicides either were terminally ill or they wanted to be killed due to other serious medical problems. There have been reports of a person beating her son in tennis one week before she killed herself with the help of Jack Kevorkian and his suicide machine, but she was terminally ill and Dr. Kevorkian would not help kill people unless their life was in danger or they were not living comfortably. Kevorkian was previously a doctor dealing with terminally ill people and death counseling. From this experience he knew that for some people suicide was the only Solution.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  On the other hand, some people believe that what he started was a terrible thing. Just the other day there was a article in the newspaper that a man who was sick was planning to kill himself, so he had a party with all his friends as sort of a going away celebration.

Berlin Conference

For three long months, 14 countries from Western Europe and the United States attended the Berlin Conference. This important conference is also known as Congo Conference or Berlin West Africa Conference. The countries that attended include Austria-Hungary, Belgium, Denmark, France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Netherlands, Portugal, Russia, Spain, Sweden-Norway, Turkey, and US.Interesting enough, not a single country of Africa attended even though the conference was entirely about the division of land on the African continent. The major players at this conference were the great and mighty countries of France, Germany, Great Britain, and Portugal. This conference that started on November 15, 1884 and ended on February 26, 1885 was called for by Portugal and organized by Otto von Bismarck, chancellor of Germany and minister of Prussia.The original goal of this lengthy conference was to agree that the Congo River and Niger River mouths and basins are neutral and are open to free trade . Before the conference, 80% of Africa remained to be traditionally and locally ruled. The Europeans only controlled the coastal areas. This all changed because King Leopold II wanted glory for Portugal and organized a secret mission to form Congo Free State. King Leopold and other countries wanted to take advantage of its gold, timber, land, timber, and labor power.When France discovered King Leopold II’s scheme, she got mad which eventually resulted in this conference. The final result of this conference culminated in the General Act of BerlinConference. This document prohibited international slave trade, made Congo Free State a private property of Congo Society (although Leopold still uses it as his private property), permit free trade in Congo Basin and Lake Niassa, and allow free ship traffic on the Niger and Congo river.A new map of the African continent was created. It divided the vast continent into 50 geometric countries with no regards for cultural and linguistic bo undaries of the native Africans. The only countries remaining free are Ethiopia and Liberia (US’s country to return slaves to their â€Å"homeland†. All in all, the Berlin Conference caused Africans to lose their autonomy and ushered in heightened colonial activity.

Managing Workforce Diversity Essay

When we say diversity this refers to differences within the organization. This includes gender or sexual orientation, nationality, physical condition, family status, religious orientation and cultural differences or cultural background. An organization or a company may have diversities on their employees as well as the culture itself. Many companies have done so much effort to embrace diversity however; there are still some who are not given equal treatment or being valued because of being different. This is maybe because of the impression that, anyone who is perceived as different is likely to have a difficult time contributing to company goals and experiencing personal growth. Most companies nowadays conduct diversity training to eliminate values, stereotypes and managerial practices that inhibit employees’ personal development and to allow employees to contribute to organizational goals regardless of being diversified. In managing diversity, involves creating an environment that allows all employees to contribute to organizational goals and experience personal growth. This environment includes access to job as well as fair and positive treatment to all employees. This is to provide an environment which allows employees to feel comfortable. This may require the company to change its culture to drive performance and enables employees in becoming a result oriented one. Diversity can enhance the performance of the company when the organization itself has an environment which promotes learning from diversity. Success of an organization through diversity requires it to be viewed as an opportunity for employees to learn from each other how to better accomplish their work, to be provided with a supportive and cooperative organizational culture, and be taught leadership and process skills that can facilitate effective team functioning. Managing Diversity through Adherence to Legislation Diversity can be managed through adhering to legislation. We have laws which protect people from discrimination either because of their diversity. Companies can definitely managed diversity by promoting or creating policies to protect the employees. In such cases, discrimination will be eliminated or abuse to such will be prevented. This will increase the morale of the  employees knowing that they are being cared for. But at some point, if merely adhering to employment laws may result to frustration leading to minorities and women leave the organization. This is due to adhering only and lack of giving more opportunities to these minorities. Managing Diversity through Diversity Training Program Diversity training refers to training designed to change employee attitudes about diversity and/or to help employees develop skills needed to work with a diverse workforce. To successfully manage a diverse workforce, companies need to ensure that Employees understand how their values and stereotypes influence their behavior toward people of a different gender, ethnicity, race or religion Employees gain an appreciation of cultural differences among themselves. Behaviors that isolate or intimidate minority group members improve. Below are some Diversity Training Programs which a company may conduct. Attitude Awareness and Change Programs – focus on increasing employees’ awareness of differences in cultural and ethnic background, physical characteristics that influence behavior towards others. Behavior-Based Programs – focus on changing the organizational policies and individual behaviors that inhibit employees’ personal growth and productivity. Cultural Immersion – refers to the process of sending employees directly into communities where they have to interact with persons from different cultures, races, and/or nationalities. Diversity exists and is very apparent whichever industry one may belong. What is most important is that everyone is given equal opportunities and is not being discriminated because of their minorities or being different. Policies should be observed to encourage and develop the skills of the employees. Diversity will allow company to grow if given importance as it may influence one from the other. For as long as the organization knows the ins and outs of the employees would best benefit the organization allowing personal growth and valuing once role in the organization.

GDI Graphics in Visual Basic .NET Tutorial

GDI Graphics in Visual Basic .NET Tutorial GDI is the way to draw shapes, fonts, images or generally anything graphic in Visual Basic .NET. This article is the first part of a complete introduction to using GDI in Visual Basic .NET. GDI is an unusual part of .NET. It was here before .NET (GDI was released with Windows XP) and it doesnt share the same update cycles as the .NET Framework. Microsofts documentation usually states that Microsoft Windows GDI is an API for C/C programmers into the Windows OS. But GDI also includes the namespaces used in VB.NET for software-based graphics programming. WPF But its not the only graphics software provided by Microsoft, especially since Framework 3.0. When Vista and 3.0 were introduced, the totally new WPF was introduced with it. WPF is a high-level, hardware accelerated approach to graphics. As Tim Cahill, Microsoft WPF software team member, puts it, with WPF you describe your scene using high-level constructs, and we’ll worry about the rest. And the fact that its hardware accelerated means that you dont have to drag down the operation of your PC processor drawing shapes on the screen. Much of the real work is done by your graphics card. Weve been here before, however. Every great leap forward is usually accompanied by a few stumbles backward, and besides, it will take years for WPF to work its way through the zillions of bytes of GDI code. Thats especially true since WPF just about assumes that youre working with a high-powered system with lots of memory and a hot graphics card. Thats why many PCs couldnt run Vista (or at least, use the Vista Aero graphics) when it was first introduced. So this series continues to be available on the site for any and all who continue to need to use it. Good Ol Code GDI isnt something that you can drag onto a form like other components in VB.NET. Instead, GDI objects generally have to be added the old way by coding them from scratch! (Although, VB .NET does include a number of very handy code snippets that can really help you.) To code GDI, you use objects and their members from a number of .NET namespaces. (At the present time, these are actually just wrapper code for Windows OS objects which actually do the work.) Namespaces The namespaces in GDI are: System.Drawing This is the core GDI namespace. It defines objects for basic rendering (fonts, pens, basic brushes, etc.) and the most important object: Graphics. Well see more of this in just a few paragraphs. System.Drawing.Drawing2D This gives you objects for more advanced two-dimensional vector graphics. Some of them are gradient brushes, pen caps, and geometric transforms. System.Drawing.Imaging If you want to change graphical images - that is, change the palette, extract image metadata, manipulate metafiles, and so forth - this is the one you need. System.Drawing.Printing To render images to the printed page, interact with the printer itself, and format the overall appearance of a print job, use the objects here. System.Drawing.Text You can use collections of fonts with this namespace. Graphics Object The place to start with GDI is the  Graphics  object. Although the things you draw show up on your monitor or a printer, the Graphics object is the canvas that you draw on. But the Graphics object is also one of the first sources of confusion when using GDI. The Graphics object is always associated with a particular  device context. So the first problem that virtually every new student of GDI confronts is, How do I  get a Graphics object? There are basically two ways: You can use the  e  event parameter that is passed to the  OnPaint  event with the  PaintEventArgs  object. Several events pass the  PaintEventArgs  and you can use the to refer to the Graphics object that is already being used by the device context.You can use the  CreateGraphics  method for a device context to create a Graphics object. Heres an example of the first method: Protected Overrides Sub OnPaint( _   Ã‚  Ã‚  ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.PaintEventArgs)   Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim g As Graphics e.Graphics   Ã‚  Ã‚  g.DrawString(About Visual Basic vbCrLf _   Ã‚  Ã‚   and GDI vbCrLf A Great Team, _   Ã‚  Ã‚  New Font(Times New Roman, 20), _   Ã‚  Ã‚  Brushes.Firebrick, 0, 0)   Ã‚  Ã‚  MyBase.OnPaint(e) End Sub Click Here to display the illustration Add this into the Form1 class for a standard Windows Application to code it yourself. In this example, a Graphics object is already created for the form  Form1. All your code has to do is create a local instance of that object and use it to draw on the same form. Notice that your code  Overrides  the  OnPaint  method. Thats why  MyBase.OnPaint(e)  is executed at the end. You need to make sure that if the base object (the one youre overriding) is doing something else, it gets a chance to do it. Often, your code works without this, but its a good idea. PaintEventArgs You can also get a Graphics object using the  PaintEventArgs  object handed to your code in the  OnPaint  and  OnPaintBackground methods  of a Form. The  PrintPageEventArgs  passed in a  PrintPage  event will contain a Graphics object for printing. Its even possible to get a Graphics object for some images. This can let you paint right on the image the same way you would paint on a Form or component. Event Handler Another variation of method one is to add an event handler for the  Paint  event for the form. Heres what that code looks like: Private Sub Form1_Paint( _   Ã‚  Ã‚  ByVal sender As Object, _   Ã‚  Ã‚  ByVal e As System.Windows.Forms.PaintEventArgs) _   Ã‚  Ã‚  Handles Me.Paint   Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim g As Graphics e.Graphics   Ã‚  Ã‚  g.DrawString(About Visual Basic vbCrLf _   Ã‚  Ã‚   and GDI vbCrLf A Great Team, _   Ã‚  Ã‚  New Font(Times New Roman, 20), _   Ã‚  Ã‚  Brushes.Firebrick, 0, 0) End Sub CreateGraphics The second method to get a Graphics object for your code uses a  CreateGraphics  method that is available with many components. The code looks like this: Private Sub Button1_Click( _   Ã‚  Ã‚  ByVal sender As System.Object, _   Ã‚  Ã‚  ByVal e As System.EventArgs) _   Ã‚  Ã‚  Handles Button1.Click   Ã‚  Ã‚  Dim g Me.CreateGraphics   Ã‚  Ã‚  g.DrawString(About Visual Basic vbCrLf _   Ã‚  Ã‚   and GDI vbCrLf A Great Team, _   Ã‚  Ã‚  New Font(Times New Roman, 20), _   Ã‚  Ã‚  Brushes.Firebrick, 0, 0) End Sub There are a couple of differences here. This is in the  Button1.Click  event because when  Form1  repaints itself in the  Load  event, our graphics are lost. So we have to add them in a later event. If you code this, youll notice that the graphics are lost when  Form1  has to be redrawn. (Mimimize and maximize again to see this.) Thats a big advantage to using the first method. Most references recommend using the first method since your graphics will be repainted automatically. GDI can be tricky!

How to Manage Freelance Writers A Stress-Free Guide

How to Manage Freelance Writers A Stress-Free Guide The position of â€Å"managing editor†Ã‚  has evolved in a crazy way since the advent of digital publications and blogs. And whether you consider yourself an editor or not, the chances that you do some  managing editor tasks as a content marketer are high. Every marketer is working with content creators. Every marketer is making sure the words and images make sense. You may not consider yourself an editor, but if you manage other content creators, publish content using specific guidelines, or even proofread on a regular basis, you are  an editor †¦ at least in part. But even though many of us are editors in our own ways, we still get questions like, â€Å"What does an editor really do these days?† For me, these kinds of questions bring up irrational feelings of frustration as I think to myself, â€Å"What don’t  I do† But it’s a valid point- we are no longer in the days of traditional print media, where spelling errors are corrected with a big red pen and paragraphs are picked up and put down like weights in the gym. Instead, our jobs are digital and they’re evolving. The myriad tools we have at our fingertips  are at once saviors and curses as we attempt to navigate all the tasks and words competing for our attention. Being an editor comes with a lot of responsibilities, and requires a pretty wide range of skills. Not only do editors need to understand advanced writing techniques, they also need to be a superb manager of people and projects. The writers that create the content for our publications to thrive need leading! Being an editor comes with a lot of responsibilities, and requires a pretty wide range of skills.Now, this can prove to be extremely challenging, especially because most writerly folks tend to be introverted and prefer to work alone. When you’re an editor, and especially when you’re an editor of a digital publication and managing multiple writers, you must learn and master four specific foundational elements to be successful: Business Strategy (notice I didn’t just say marketing strategy!) Project Management Editing Writing Techniques Leadership Relationship Management As you can see, editing writing are only one part of being a successful managing editor. In fact, managing freelance writers starts way before we even hire the writers. Recommended Listening: How to Implement a Guest Blogging Process With Jess Ostroff from Don't Panic Management [PODCAST] Connect Marketing Strategy to  Business Strategy I could spend all day talking about why every piece of marketing needs to be rooted in your overall business strategy, but the short version is this: If you can’t attach your content marketing activities to the bottom line, you’re not going to have any content marketing activities. That means no writers, no editors, no graphic designers, no programmers, and certainly no social media managers to share your content. I’m not trying to scare you, but it’s important to see the forest for the trees here, especially if you want to take your editorial duties to the next level. So, how can you put bottom-line growth in the forefront of your content marketing activities? Start here: Understand Your Audience When working with and speaking to marketers, I often pose a question that looks something like this: â€Å"Are you a fiction writer? Or are you a marketer?† Fiction writers write for themselves. They’re novelists, and they get to pick the subjects and the characters that make them happy. Not the case for marketers! We have to write for our audiences, not ourselves. So, the first thing to be crystal clear about is who is your audience?  What do they need to know? What problems are they looking to solve? How are they getting their information? What format of content do they prefer to consume? Marketers have to write for our audiences, not ourselves.Now, you may need to do some serious digging to develop a clear picture of who your audience is. And I always recommend creating an avatar or persona so that you can put a face and name to the audience, even if it’s fictional. Creating several personas is fine, too. I know many companies target different audiences along the way. But the important thing is to KNOW. And I can’t tell you how many clients and colleagues I come across who really don’t have any idea who their audience is and what they care about. This is a huge problem. Having a deep understanding of your audience allows you to craft your message and hone your story to reach your goals. After all, it’s the audience that ultimately determines your destiny. A little scary when you think about it, right? But more importantly, why does this matter? Why am I talking about audience in a post about managing writers? Tip: If you need help creating personas, try using Xtensio's Free Persona Creator Tool. Because when you deeply understand your audience’s needs, you can clearly communicate that with your writers, who can then create content specifically for your audience, who then, through their behavior, help you reach your goals. It’s a win for everyone, and it’s where every managing editor must begin. Set Measurable Goals Goals come from the top down. They’re determined by the manager, the c-level executive, or even the owner of the business. That’s because they’re related to bottom-line revenue for the entire business, not just the marketing department. Depending on the structure of your company, you may or may not be a part of the decision-making process when it comes to goals. Regardless, it’s important that you or someone on your team provides some historical metrics so that you can develop future goals for your content marketing efforts. Your goals may look similar to these: Increase website pageviews by 50% Increase email newsletter subscriptions by 100% Increase social media referrals by 30% Increase organic traffic by 25% Increase publishing schedule by 20% Pick the goals that you can track over time and don’t be afraid to refine them as you go. Even if you’re not in charge, it’s your job to inform the decision makers with actual data and results. Inform your decision makers with actual data and results.Develop Clear Guidelines Style Guides The great thing about guidelines is that you can always change them. Okay, that sounds a little nuts to say right away. But it’s my favorite part. Because your tools, your resources, and your goals are always changing, it seems reasonable to accept that you can change your guidelines. But I’ve seen a lot of editors become terrified of creating guidelines and style guides because they think they’re writing them in stone. Not the case! I want to mention this up-front so my type A perfectionists don’t get scared away. Guidelines are important. But they’re not permanent. Make them. Use them. Adjust them. Use the feedback loop to always be making improvements. At the very minimum, make sure your guidelines include: Audience information Goals of your publication Expertise you’re looking for Tone Topic ideas Recommended word count Instructions on how to submit posts Any rules or restrictions If you want to have a little more fun with your guidelines page: Make a video to supplement the written ideas Provide incentives for submitting posts Hide an Easter egg Use humor (if it fits with your tone and style) Make the process fun Embed a form (instead of simply providing an email address) Be a human Here are some awesome guidelines pages that I’ve seen recently, from which you can borrow ideas: Hubspot’s Marketing: Note how they share what they will and will not  consider. Also note how clear they are about their process. Four Hour Work Week: Note how Tim keeps a conversational but direct tone, explaining exactly what to consider when submitting, what format he wants posts in, and some helpful tips to keep in mind. Convince Convert: Note how Jay developed a custom video to explain the audience and type of content, plus the submission form is embedded directly on the page. Okay, now you understand the basic business principles that your editorial strategy should adhere to. It’s time to get to the nitty-gritty. Recommended Reading: How to Write a Pitch Email That Will Get Your Guest Post Accepted Pay Attention to Project Management Topics and deadlines and word counts, oh my! Don’t let a long list of to-do’s get in the way of publishing amazing content. Set up a project management system that you can follow throughout your publishing schedule, from communications and deadlines to publish dates and URLs. Recommended Reading: The Complete 16-Step Marketing Project Management Process That Will Get You Organized Use (and Stick To) a Master Editorial Calendar Some of my favorite publications create certain days of the week for certain types of content, but you don’t have to have to create featured content every day to find value in an editorial calendar. There are tons of tools you can use for this (  being my personal favorite, I’m serious!) but you can also start with a simple spreadsheet. Tip: If you're interested in trying , you can sign up for a free 14-day trial. At Don’t Panic, we have a master editorial spreadsheet in Google Drive for all of our clients. On the first tab, it includes a link to the writing guidelines we’ve developed for our writers so that no one has an excuse for not having them. It also includes a key that shows what each color means and where everything is in the process (more on process in the next section). We have a tab for each client and a column in each tab for the writer assigned, the title of the post, any notes about the post from the writer or the client, and various deadlines. There is also a column for status, which is where the color-coding comes into play. When a post is delivered or published, the rows get hidden so that the spreadsheet isn’t cluttered with old work. You can adopt a variation of this spreadsheet for your own writer-tracking purposes. Create a Workflow That Works Even if you’re the only person who manages your editorial process, you need a workflow to stay productive (especially on those days when no amount of coffee can keep you motivated). The best way to do this is to set up an easy, foolproof, step-by-step system that doesn’t require you to think about it every time. Work backwards from publish dates to determine what your process and deadlines will look like. I love to have all posts for the following week edited and scheduled by the Friday before if possible so I don’t have to be panicking about them every day. It’s not always possible, especially if we have timely or sponsored posts to run, but you can corral your writers to meet the deadlines you set out if you plan out your own workflow first. Some  tips for that: Have all posts come in the same way, in the same format, to the same place.  That may mean that you have a form that accepts attachments, a Google Drive folder where everyone uploads their finished pieces, or you use a tool that allows writers to drop their drafts right into your CMS. Make sure deadlines are clear and are followed. Don’t keep writers around who can’t meet deadlines. There are many reasons for this, but for me, the main reason is because late drafts mean that I have to adjust my workflow. I like to set designated times for review and editing, and I can’t do that if I’m missing content. This goes for initial drafts and any re-written pieces. You must set deadlines for everything! Set aside specific time for editing.  Editing in batches is often much more productive than editing in piecemeal. Use a color-coding system.  Perhaps blue means received, yellow means in review, red means awaiting re-write, green means approved, and grey means scheduled. This is especially helpful if you’re working with a team, but even if you’re on your own, it takes the guesswork out of where in the process you are for each piece so you can stay on track. Overcommunicate. Writers need a certain level of herding because they’re often working on a lot of different content at once. Make sure that you’re being abundantly clear about where you’re at in the process and what you need from them. This keeps everyone happy and on track. Are you a blog editor? Here's how to corral your writers. If you have other elements in your process that need to be done, such as graphics and social media messaging, include them in your writer management process even if it means bringing in other designers or social media managers. Having fragmented processes for different teams is ineffective. Create a cohesive process for all of your editorial tasks, even if they involve people outside of your freelance writing team. Overall, the workflow creation is really about knowing yourself. And as the manager, you have a certain level of authority over what the process is. So please think deeply about what will work best for you, roll out the process to your writers, and stick to it if you can. Trouble comes when you’re always reinventing your process and forcing writers to do the same. Set Up a Separate Mailbox If your submission process looks anything like mine, the emails and attachments and questions I get in my email are enough to drive a person mad. And I get it. Writers work hard on their posts, so if you don’t get back to them with approvals right away, they get antsy. But setting up a separate account (such as submissions@ or guestposts@ or editor@) to deal with your articles can help set the expectation among writers (and make you feel a little more sane in the process). You have my permission to set up the process that works for you, and that includes looking at, reviewing, and scheduling content when you have the time and are in the mental space to deal with it. And to make this even easier, consider setting up a separate email box just for your editorial management duties. That will allow you to compartmentalize and batch the work you do with your writers so you don’t get bogged down and pulled away from your other duties. Because I know that if you’re anything like me, you wear many hats and need to focus on different tasks at different times! Recommended Reading: The 101 Marketing Time Management Strategies You Need to Succeed Nail Your Editing Writing Techniques Being a decent writer is really the first thing you need to become an editor, but as you can see it’s not the ONLY thing. And while writing rules change over the course of time, there are several important ones that you should always look out for: Passive voice Apostrophe misuse Unclear/incorrect pronoun usage Fragments Extra/missing commas There are also always those pesky effect/affect issues, problems with semicolons, and the en-/em-dash debate. If you’re not clear on what you should be editing or simply want to brush up on your editorial chops, I recommend browsing Grammar Girl’s posts  or listening to her podcast. also has some editing tips  from the writing perspective that will help guide great content. It behooves you to review your expectations with writers from an editing perspective. It behooves you to review your expectations with writers from an editing perspective.Cut, Cut, and Cut Some More Many editors follow the 10-15% rule, which means that 10-15% of every article is superfluous and can be cut. Consider what pieces of your articles either don’t add value or are superfluous and get rid of them. Writing more for the sake of a word-count requirement is not effective, and generally lowers the quality of the piece. If you’re having trouble getting writers to produce enough about a certain topic, then they either don’t know the material or the topic is too narrow to be covered as an article. If the latter is the issue, try other types of media (like video) to explore that topic instead. #Editing Tip: Cut 10-15% from every article.Understand Leadership Relationship Management Fortunately (or unfortunately for some!), being a managing editor means you have to work on, well, managing people! That means that you have to refine your leadership and relationship skills, whether you like it or not. Managing relationships is a craft that must be fine-tuned over time, but I wanted to share some ideas that you can start implementing immediately to become a better manager. Managing relationships is a craft that must be fine-tuned over timeBe Honest About Approvals and Edits Everyone takes a different approach to being an editor. Some focus mostly on grammar, spelling, and general formatting edits. But some of the best editors are the ones who are really great at making sweeping edits within each piece of content to make it sound intelligent and cohesive. Let your writers know what sort of approach you like to take and how that will affect their final written product. This way, they can be prepared for the changes†¦ and their ego doesn’t run the risk of being bruised! Recommended Reading: How to Save 10 Hours a Month Like Convince Convert With Marketing Project Management Software Provide Ongoing Feedback No one likes to receive criticism, but you can lessen the blow of negative feedback by simply providing some  sort of feedback, both the good and the bad, every time. That way, your writer doesn’t fear hearing from you (which happens if you’re only getting in touch with bad news) and you’re able to put them in the position of receiving and implementing feedback on an ongoing basis. Now I know this puts more of a burden on your as the editor because it means you have to take the time to craft some feedback for each deliverable, but you don’t have to write an expose every time. Even a simple, â€Å"Great article, I loved those creative examples you used!† or, â€Å"Don’t forget to put compelling subheads to break up your text!† or something as basic as, â€Å"You ROCK!† keeps your writers engaged and gets them used to hearing from you as you build the relationship. Good editors give writers positive encouragement.Receive Ongoing Feedback The chances that your current editorial system is perfect are slim†¦ because nothing is perfect! Create a calendar for yourself where you’ll check in with your writers and ask them how it’s going. I recommend asking two simple questions: If you could change anything about our work together, what would it be? What new features, tools, or systems would you implement (if any) and why? These questions allow you to get to the point quickly and open up the dialogue faster than something like, â€Å"How is it going for you?† It also puts context around the ask and encourages writers to think critically about how they’re really feeling so they can be honest. Now, I caution to be careful not to lose sight of the fact that when you ask for feedback, you’ve got to be prepared to hear things you maybe didn’t want to hear or weren’t expecting. You’re in charge, so take each piece of feedback with a grain of salt, but I don’t recommend asking for feedback unless you’re prepared to listen and potentially make changes as a result. Don't ask for feedback unless you're prepared to listen.Provide Incentives for Great Work The worst thing in the world for a manager is losing a great team member. In order to encourage retention among the writers you love, consider finding creative ways to reward them for a job well done. Consider putting a rewards system in place where you celebrate the success of your team when original business goals are met. For example, if you had one breakout article that contributed to a massive increase in pageviews, give that writer something as a thank you. It doesn’t have to be in the form of monetary payment (although everyone loves a little salary bump once in awhile!), but it can be small things like: A â€Å"writer of the month† award A shoutout on social media A Starbucks (or other) gift card A homepage placement If the incentive requires a small monetary compensation, make sure to include that in your editorial budget so you can maintain the rewards program. Nurture the Relationship The hardest thing about being a freelancer is the lack of consistent work. At the same time, good writers have their pick of the crop when it comes to opportunities as the market for great content grows. In addition to providing some sort of small incentive program for your writers, don’t forget about the human element of working with them. Ask them about their day. Say happy birthday. See how their kid is doing after she was out with a cold. A little personal touch goes a long way, especially in what can be a lonely virtual existence as a writer. Recommended Reading: How to Write Great Content: 20 Tips from Famous Writers Pay Your Writers (and Pay Them Well!) Good writing is truly an art form. And the lack of education on clear communications and writing only makes that art form more valuable. The easiest way to encourage your writers to do good work for you is to compensate them fairly for their services. Now, I understand that many publications provide incredible exposure and that outweighs the prospect of a cash payment. However, the largest and smallest publications alike may consider securing a budget for their writers. This helps develop loyalty among writers and keeps them coming back for more, which is really what you want in this day and age where â€Å"writers† are a dime a dozen, but finding great writers is like finding a needle in a haystack. Finding great writers is like finding a needle in a haystack.So, there you have it! You see, managing freelance writers isn’t just about knowing how to edit and set deadlines. It’s about truly understanding business objectives, having a detailed process, and perhaps above all else, developing great, lasting relationship with the people you work with. What has made you successful (or unsuccessful) in managing your writers (and yourself!) throughout the editorial process? I’d love to hear what’s working for you or answer any questions you have.

The issue of immigration is complicated in the United States, Essay

The issue of immigration is complicated in the United States, basically because many more people want to come to this country th - Essay Example Others believe that we should extend amnesty and broaden our immigration policy so that many more immigrants can come here, especially as guest workers for a limited time. Opinion polls continually show aen overwhelming opposition to illegal immigration as well as for the idea of amnesty. Amnesty for illegal aliens is simply a reward for law-breakers and encourages even more illegal immigration. Those who want amnesty for illegal aliens do not seem to realize that a crime. Illegal immigrants receive more from public monies than they contribute which lowers the standard of living for legal citizens. Illegal immigrants contribute greatly to the overall population growth and health care, education and employment are the most impacted. Salaries are driven down by illegal immigrants willing to work for much less while their children, illegal and legal, overcrowd the schools. It’s the U.S. taxpayer who is sent the bill for their health care services as well. In addition, the large i nflux of illegal aliens burdens the already inadequate number of units classified as affordable housing and other welfare resources such as energy, water and land usage (â€Å"Illegal Immigration†). Laws should be enacted that bring criminal charges against all those who aid illegal aliens to gain entry into the country and against those employers who hire them.