The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)

The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC)A National Personnel Records Center officially opened its doors on October 15th, 2011 with an official opening ceremony led by Archivist of the United States, David S. Ferriero. The National Personnel Records Center The National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) is one of the National Archives and Records Administrations largest operations. It is the central repository of personnel-related records for both the military and civil service employees of the United States Government. Its mission is to provide world-class service to government agencies, military veterans and their family members, former civilian Federal employees, and the general public. The NPRC, as it exists today, is the product of several previous operations. Todays organization is the embodiment of National Archives and Records Administrations (NARA) policy that places all inactive Federal personnel records, both military and civ ilian, in the custody of a single administrative unit. NPRC Basics The National Personnel Records Center, with the capacity for more than 2.3 million cubic feet of records, is home to all of the Agencys archival and permanent records. The NPRC houses all Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF), Organizational and Auxiliary files, and Official Personnel Folders (OPF) of former civilian Federal personnel who separated prior to 1973 at the center. The facility is also home to NPRC staff and over a dozen other Federal agencies. It has a state-of-the-art preservation laboratory for records conservation, a large public research room, and a multi-purpose room for meetings and public outreach. Overview of NPRC Records Holdings There are two types of records available at the NPRC, Archival records, and Federal records. Records are accessioned into the National Archivesand become archival62 years after the service members separation from the military. Records with a discharge date of 62 years ago or longer are archival and are open to the public. Records with a discharge date of less than 62 years ago are non-archival and are maintained under the Federal Records Center program. Non-archival records are subject to access restrictions. Archival records opened to the public are as follows Organizational, Auxiliary and Other records pertaining to individual military and civilian service with the government of the United States - includes Selective Service RecordsOfficial Personnel Folders (OPF) of former Federal civil servants whose employment ended prior to 1952Records of Persons of Exceptional Prominence (PEP) military personnel files of Presidents, members of Congress and the Supreme Court famous military leaders decorated heroes celebrities and other cultural figures who served in the military Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) from all service branches for veterans with a discharge date of 1949 or prior Federal records subject to access restrictions are as follows Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF) from all service branches for veterans with a discharge date of 1949 or afterEmployee Medical Folders (EMF) of former Federal civilian employeesOfficial Personnel Folders (OPF) of former Federal civil servants whose employment ended after 1951Military health and medical records of discharged and deceased veterans, retirees and military family members treated at military service medical facilities Visitors and on-site researchers are able to access information at the facilities research rooms, but an appointment is required. More Information For more information, be sure to check out the NARA website. Thefacility is located at 1 Archives Drive, Saint Louis, Missouri, 63138 in suburban North St. Louis County.

How to End a Cover Letter Land the Interview

How to End a Cover Letter Land the InterviewHow to End a Cover Letter Land the Interview Youve written an amazing intro and compelling body copy that perfectly highlights your achievements, but youre having a hard time making it through the final stretch - How in the world do I end this titel letter ? you might be thinking to yourself. The truth is, closing a cover letter is a difficult task for many job seekers . Theres a lot of pressure because, sometimes, the cover letter is the only piece the recruiter will read.If you want to land an interview with your cover letter, you dont want to sound vague or wishy-washy. Your cover letter should illustrate why you are the best fit and how you will help the company or organization reach success. However, when writing the closing paragraph of your cover letter, its easy to have a passive voice, because you dont want to appear overconfident. For example, if you say, I look forward to hearing from you, thats great - but that alone doesnt seal the deal. The closing paragraph of your cover letter must be one of the strongest elements because it is the last impression you leave in the readers mind.Here are five phrases to include in the final paragraph of your cover letter that will help you seal the deal for your next interview.Strong cover letter closings are enthusiastic and confident. You want the reader to have the impression you are truly passionate about the position and working for their company. This statement will also illustrate your ability to fit into the company culture and how your personality and work ethic is exactly what theyre looking for.Its always a good idea to explain what you find attractive about working for the company and how you want to bring your passions to the table. By doing this, you can illustrate how much thought you dedicated to applying for the position and how much you care about becoming a part of the company.By adding this piece to your conclusion, yo u will be able to add some flare and excitement to your cover letter. The reader will become intrigued by your enthusiasm to hit the ground running. Employers look for candidates who are prepared for the position and are easy to train. Therefore, this phrase will definitely raise some curiosity and the reader will want to discover what you have to offer for their company.Remember, you want to make it clear in your cover letter how the employer will benefit from your experience and qualifications. You want to also express how your goal is to help the organization succeed, not how the position will contribute to your personal success.The most essential part of your closing is your call to action statement. Remember, the purpose of your cover letter is to land an interview . Dont end your cover letter saying youll hope to get in touch. Explain to the reader the exact day and how you will be contacting them. When you state you will be following up with the employer, make sure you do itRemember, the closing of your cover letter is the most important element that will help you land your next interview. By crafting a strong, confident and enthusiastic closing paragraph, you will leave the reader feeling like you would be the best candidate for the position.

Accountability partners are great. Success partners will change your life

Accountability lebenspartners are great. Success partners will change your lifeAccountability partners are great. Success partners will change your lifeEven though most people avoid it, accountability works. It really works.Actually, if you do bedrngnis measure and report your progress, then youre probably leid making much progress at all. According to Pearsons Law when performance is measured, it improves when performance is measured and reported, it improves exponentially.Research studies have shown that publicly committing your goals to someone gives you at least a 65% chance of completing them. However, having a specific accountability partner increases your chance of success to 95%.When most people think of an accountability partner, they cringe. Its not sohonigweinhing they feel excited about, unless they are highly motivated individuals.One of the reasons accountability has a slightly negative energy is because it feels like you have to do something. And accountability partner ships can give off that vibe even though, as a functioning adult, you get to make your own choices.By adding an accountability partner to your life, youre simply increasing your odds of success. You dont want to lie to someone you respect. So when you tell them youre going to show up this week, youre more likely to do so.Its actually quite crazy, but were far more likely to lie to and let down ourselves than someone else.Accountability is Great But Success Partners are More PowerfulSurround yourself with people who remind you more of your future than your past. Dan SullivanHaving an accountability partner is an unfair advantage. For those seeking major success in their lives, its an incredible opportunity.The mere fact that most people avoid accountability is a powerful reason to create LOTS of it in your life.Even still, there is another form of relationship that can take your life much further than accountability partnerships.Rather than simply having someone who holds you account able, you want a success partner who is heavily motivated themselves.You want to have someone who is already pushing their own boundaries and taking huge psychological leaps forward. They are taking big risks, moving forward, and continually upping their game.If youre doing the same, then you can join forces and push each other further and further than you could ever go on your own.A success partner is someone who is already motivated. They dont need someone to hold them accountable. Instead, they need someone to propel themselves further than they could propel themselves.Here is the important distinction accountability partnerships are process-oriented. The goal is to keep you accountable to the process. Did you do your workouts this week?Conversely, Success partners are progress-oriented. The focus isnt on you trying (and failing) to be perfect. But instead, how much tangible movement toward your dreams did you make? Success partners focus on results over process, because it is th rough courageously pursuing meaningful EVENTS that you develop an innovative process.The process is the product of the goal, not the other way around.Accountability also can feel like a drag. It feels like a job.Success partners are about excitement, energy, and movement. Not perfection. Success partners measure the gain and movement made toward big dreams, not the gap of what they arent doing good enough.Becoming a Transformational Leader for Yourself and OthersOne of the core theories of leadership is called, Transformational Leadership, and it involves four specific behaviors of the most successful leadersInspirational motivation developing and articulating a powerful vision and high expectations that are motivating, inspiring and challenging.Idealized influence being a role model, someone who themselves is moving forward in their lives and achieving a bigger vision. You cannot be a leader of others if youre not powerfully leading yourself.Intellectual stimulation challenging exi sting assumptions, connecting deeply with those youre leading, and helping them re-frame their limitations.Individualized consideration treating everyone in a cookie-cutter fashion, but instead, seeking first to understand and then to be understood. In other words, you develop true connection and trust by listening first and coming to understand the person youre working with as a unique individual.You can be a transformational leader. And the only way you can become a powerful success partner is by being a transformational leader.When two people come together and act as transformational leaders to each other, explosive growth happens.Ive had many success partnerships in my life. Recently, I met an amazing guy named Alex. Hes been through a lot in his life. He grew up with a stutter, which led him to over-compensate in his attempts to feel worthy of love and friendship.His desire to be loved led him down some bad paths, ultimately getting him arrested and expelled from his college.Bu t then Alex started investing big in himself. He started envisioning a much bigger future. Now, people pay him over $100,000 to work with him one on one. He is a highly-paid public speaker despite having a stutter.And heres what I love about Alex there are no limits on where hes going. Hes just getting started.Hes willing to push himself further and further mentally, emotionally, spiritually, and relationally.Ive recently met him and we hit-it-off. We come from totally different backgrounds, have different skill-sets, and different ways we can help each other.More than just helping each other be motivated and accountable, we push each other to go beyond anything wed do on our own. Weve both challenged each other to take needed action on things in our personal lives and business that we 1) either have been procrastinating or 2) didnt even realize we should take.Thats what happens in Success Partnerships you help each other take immediate action on what is most important. No more proc rastination. You also help each other get new insights, and then to immediately act on those insights.This is where the psychologist, Robert Kegan, comes in. According to Kegan, the highest level of conscious evolution is what he called the transforming self.It takes courage.It also takes a different way of thinking.Rather than thinking how you can achieve something, you think in terms of who. According to Kegan, the transforming-self is a stage of being wherein two or more individuals go beyond their perceived notions and open themselves up to new and bigger ideas through collaborative ideation and connection.The whole becomes more than the sum of its pats.A third party emerges out of the two people a new superhuman that is distilled in each individual. Newness. Vision. Relentlessness.Both parties synergize and collaborate and motivate and push each other. The relationship becomes a vehicle for transformation and growth.Self-Leadership is Key to Being a Success PartnerYou cant be a success partner if youre not actively and aggressively moving forward in your own life. Hence, self-leadership is essential. Accountability on many levels is implied.You dont avoid accountability. You embrace it in all aspects of your life. Your whole world and environment reflect accountability to higher ideals, values, and aims.But, you also know that with the influence of other people who are likewise pushing themselves in profound ways, that you can push them and yourself further and faster.This is why success partners are so exciting. Individually, they are already motivated and achievement-oriented. Collectively, they push each other to new limits of courage and commitment. They serve as sounding boards to each other. They not only listen to each others account progress, but they really challenge them.Transformational leaders challenge assumptions. They really ask the hard questions.Is this what you really want?Why do you want it?Are you playing small?What do you really want? Why are you waiting to get it?What could you do that would get you there in the next seven days?What huge failure are you avoiding?Do You Have a Success Partner?Success partners are all about extreme action, helping each other to take on extreme courage, and coaching each other through the process.Do you have a success partner?You shouldnt just have one. Instead, you should create a network of people who are constantly pushing you to up your game.Success partners are all about excitement and fear and according to Dan Sullivan, those are two sides of the same coin. You cant have excitement without fear.If you really want to play a bigger game, you need to start making bold moves. And then you need to be a giver and help other people make bold moves in their lives.Your network is your net-worth. When you begin surrounding yourself with people who remind you of your future and you not only engage in the relationship but inspire those around you to QUICKLY get to the next level then you r life will begin accelerating very quickly.You can increase your income by 10X in a year with the right network.You can achieve goals that would normally take a few years in a few months with the right network.Taking on huge goals and change is inherently stressful. So having someone to buffer that stress and help you through the process is key.Having someone who excites you about moving forward because you inspire each other is an unfair advantage.Its also incredibly available.You must start by being an inspiring person yourself. Lead yourself to a better life. Then excitedly help others improve their lives.Use the relationship to propel each other forward.Every week, share your huge wins and courageous leaps. Then, really dig into helping each other to move beyond fears and to commit to bigger leaps.Heres whats fascinating. Youll often get more clarity and inspiration for your life while helping your success partner get clarity than while directly trying to get clarity for yourse lf. The synergistic partnership is key. Giving and receiving.Every week, you should be attempting something youve never done before. You should be failing and learning, and growing in new and powerful ways.Hard-Truth Questions to ConsiderDo you have a success partner?Are you growing like crazy?Are you excited?Is your future bigger than your past?Is your brain growing through novelty, risk, learning, and excitement?Are you shattering subconscious blocks?Are you consistently improving all aspects of your life, and thus developing confidence?Are you making bold commitments and seeing those commitments to the end?Ready to Upgrade?Ive created a cheat sheet for putting yourself into a PEAK-STATE, immediately. You follow this daily, your life will change very quickly.Get the cheat sheet hereThis article first appeared on Medium.

You wont believe the staggering amount of time wasted on workplace smoke breaks

You wont believe the staggering amount of time wasted on workplace smoke breaksYou wont believe the staggering amount of time wasted on workplace smoke breaksHave you ever wondered if company suggestion boxes ever really amount to change? For employees at one Japanese marketing agency, a simple submission turned into almost a full week of paid time off. After watching their coworkers take multiple smoke breaks during working hours, one employee complained their regular absence disrupted productivity. The company responded by giving nonsmoking employees an additional six days of paid vacation time.If that sounds like a lot, consider this Every year, smoking-related illnesses cost over $156 billion in lost productivity, including $5.6 billion as a result of secondhand smoke exposure.To understand how employed Americans feel about the time their coworkers spend smoking, HaloCigs surveyed over 1,000 people about how fair smoke breaks really are, if U.S. companies should give nonsmokers e xtra vacation days, and how many of ansicht extra days smokers would need to kick the habit altogether. Curious how much time is really being wasted by smokers in your industry? Read on to landsee what we uncovered.Time lost to smokingWhile the average smoker takes roughly six days of smoke breaks every year, time wasted on smoke breaks fluctuated greatly for Americans in various industries. Americans in technology, wholesale and retail, and finance and insurance spent more than an hour and 20 minutes each day on smoke breaks at work. Those breaks equated to over 40 hours a month and more than 20 days every year for each industry.Jobs in these industries (including IT and financial managers) are often among the most stressful in the country. Other industries taking smoke breaks for more than one hour each day included transportation and warehousing, arts, entertainment, and recreation, information services and data processing, hotel, food services, and hospitality, and medical and h ealthcare.Stance on smoke breaksAn estimated 36.5 million adults in the U.S. smoke. While the law doesnt require breaks for employees, additional paid smoking breaks have been provided to employees who request them without the same time offered to nonsmoking employees.Over 81% of smokers said smoke breaks were fair, while roughly 1 in 4 nonsmokers agreed. Perceptions of these breaks varied by industry, as well. Over 17% of medical and healthcare professionals who smoked, themselves, believed smoke breaks were fair.Other industries with a more favorable opinion toward smoke breaks included wholesale and retail (nearly 15%), hotel, food services, and hospitality (about 12%), and education (over 11%).Deserving days offConsidering the average smoker spends roughly six days each year on smoke breaks at work, we asked smokers and nonsmokers how many extra days of vacation should be offered to nonsmokers.More than 38% of smokers and nearly 20% of nonsmokers didnt think nonsmokers deserved any additional vacation days. While roughly 1 in 4 nonsmokers suggested one or two extra vacation days was fair, nearly 42% said nonsmokers should be given between three and five additional vacation days each year. More smokers (over 16%) than nonsmokers (nearly 14%) indicated nonsmokers should receive seven days or more of additional vacation time.Incentives for quitting smokingSome additives found in cigarettes can be addicting, and going without a cig for even short periods can lead to cravings and feelings of withdrawals. While quitting smoking can be difficult, one study found increasing the price of cigarettes by even $1 made smokers 20% more likely to quit.On average, Americans would be willing to give up smoking for an additional 11 days of vacation time each year. Women suggested a slightly higher average 12 extra vacation days each year. Certain industries also indicated a higher incentive price for giving up smoking. Smokers working in education (30 days), wholesale and retail (17 days), and legal (15 days) would need the highest number of additional vacation days to consider kicking the habit.Monetary motivationDespite the health benefits of giving up cigarettes, millions of people find it hard to surrender smoking completely. Despite health concerns, lost productivity, and general time wasted, many Americans believed companies should offer incentives for employees to quit smoking. Highest among them were people working in arts, entertainment, and recreation (over 93%), government and public administration (nearly 90%), and technology (about 87%). Ultimately, 82% of employees across all industries agreed that incentives to quit were a good idea.MethodologyHaloCigs surveyed 1,005 Americans from Amazons Mechanical Turk about the fairness of smoke breaks in the workplace. Fifty-one percent of participants identified as female, while 49% identified as male. Participants ranged in age from 18 to 73 years old, with a mean of 35. Participants were exclud ed if they were not paying attention (such as failing the attention check question or entering obviously inconsistent data). We weighted the data to the 2017 U.S. Census for age and gender. Hypotheses were then statistically tested.

What Pros Arent Saying About Difference Between a Cv and a Resume and How It impacts You

What Pros Arent Saying About Difference Between a Cv and a Resume and How It impacts You The Truth About Difference Between a Cv and a Resume Giving such an answer can signify which you are not prepared. Yet another thing that has to always be remembered is that in the event that you are certain you are capable of the job, and then only send the application. Youre only presenting an answer that you can use with multiple job interviews. Contemplating the cover letter advice you must remember that at the conclusion of the day its the personal decision that one has to take. The Pain of Difference Between a Cv and a Resume Within this article excerpt, you will see the fruchtwein essential differences between CV and Resume. It is my hope that this guide makes it possible to get the ideal CV and resume. Also enjoy a resume, you dont require a subject heading for this section. Normally, a resume is 1 page long, though it can occasionally be as long as two pages. In the USA a cu rriculum vitae is extremely similar to what is called a resume. CVs are frequently used to apply for jobs outside the United States of america. But, in america, a resume and CV are two distinctly different kinds of documents. A resume or CV is often the very first thing a prospective employer looks at when thinking about a candidate. If youre looking for work, you might have noticed that some employers request a CV rather than a resume. You wish to impress an employer, and that means you are inclined to be too enthusiastic in your resume. Keep in mind, your CV is meant to let prospective employers find out about you in the hope that theyll give you a job, therefore its in your interest to allow it to be straightforward to comprehend The Number One Question You Must Ask for Difference Between a Cv and a Resume A resume is generally used when you wish to brief about your experiences and techniques in the past few years. Portfolio in many ways is comparable to a resume. Thi s usually means you should only list experience thats associated with the position. In your resume, you may only include things like work experience directly associated with the job which you apply. The Secret to Difference Between a Cv and a Resume If youre not certain how to compose your CV or resume youll have the ability to come across all types of inrformation on the web today together with companies that will write the document for you or just direct you in the correct direction. A carefully crafted resume can indeed assist you in landing an excellent job without a lot of effort on your part. A technical objective is also served in doing this. Some are provided a perfunctory glance and rejected at once, while some are given a more sophisticated look. What Is So Fascinating About Difference Between a Cv and a Resume? A resume generally is a quick overview of an individuals education, experience, skills and relevant details. Both consist of a structured collection of f acts that lets you impart relevant information regarding your abilities and achievements to an employer as fast and simply as possible. You should make sure your resume is eye-catching but at exactly the same time, it needs to be elegant enough so the reader can easily skim through essential details. Look after the info that you provide and the language which you use in application. Writing a Superb CV As you are able to see, among the key advantages of a CV is its flexibility. Whether youre submitting a resume or CV, there are particular features which you should include to make the most of your chances of succeeding. Such a thorough presentation usually means you dont will need to tailor your CV to each new position. Its important to adjust a resume to a certain position to be able to fit the wants and requirements. A resume is a sort of summary which is used to spell out your skills, talent, and experiences in a compact edition. You should tailor your resume for each wo rk application to demonstrate the way your experience is a great fit. Resume means summary and its the shortest of all of the formats. Difference Between a Cv and a Resume Can Be Fun for Everyone One more thing is using photographs on CVs. As an example, in CV, if youre asking for work in education, you can want to place your teaching experience in addition to the CV. Moreover, you might want to incorporate any appropriate experience youve gained while pursuing your hobbies or private interests. If you believe some of your previous career experience wont earn any difference to an HR erase it. There are lots of books and websites offering ideas to help job applicants write resumes and CVs. It is most important if writing a resume, but in addition, it applies to CVs. Curriculum vitae have become the most popular document required by applicants in the work application. Most resumes are one page and supply a short, compelling summary of why your experience is perfect for the jo b.

Transitioning from Contracted Freelance Work to a Full-Time Employee

Transitioning from Contracted Freelance Work to a Full-Time Employee Becoming a full-time employee after a career of freelance contract work is frequently difficult due to the stigma employers place on such candidates, considering them to be flight risks. Just as common is the notionthat freelancers are loners who lack the personality and social skills to work in a collaborative environment. Additionally, some companies have a hard time interpreting the resumes of longtime independent contractors, since freelance work often does not fit into the traditional resume style of company, title, years worked, and responsibilities.To overcome this stigma, job seekers should first tap into their network of employers. Connect with past and present clients who are already familiar with your freelance contract work, as they may be more receptive to considering you as a full-time employee they mighteven create a new job for you.When approaching potential employers, explain why you are ready to become a full-time employee at this time. It is important to fully articulate the reasons behind why you have reached a point in your career where you want to transition to a full-time employee from freelance contract work. It is also crucial for hiring managers to hear that you want to contribute in specific ways and can learn something by being a full-time employee.Make sure youre specific about your experience in your resume, titelseite letters, and in person. It is important to portray what youve done as a results-oriented employee, even more than a typical job applicant. Companies will look upon you more favorably because it is hard to decipher your past accomplishments when you simply say that you are a specialist in a given field.Tell potential employers what you did as a freelancer and what you have accomplished, and show them hard examples of your work. Even if your freelance contract proj ects were short, list them on a resume or discuss them in terms of revenues created, costs saved, new customers gained, and similar benefits that you brought to your past clients.You can use the job description of the position you want to apply for to prioritize your resume and cover letter. Usually, the skills and qualifications are listed in the order of an organizations desires. Your resume should be tailored to reflect those needs. If you dont have the right keywords for that specific job, thecompany may pass you by regardless of the experience you have.One point of concern that you will need to address quickly is whether or not you work well with others. Provide examples of collaborativefreelance projects you worked on, including how you have worked with clients, vendors, and other third parties.Finally, dont shy away from promoting the skills that have made you successful at freelance contract work. Successful freelancers are typically driven, hard-working, and independent, wh ich are qualities that you will want to emphasize. Use your ability to handle many assignments or contracts as a way to show you are adaptable and capable ofevolving as a full-time employee.

3 Unexpected Ways to Set Up Recent Grad Employees for Success

3 Unexpected Ways to Set Up Recent Grad Employees for Success3 Unexpected Ways to Set Up Recent Grad Employees for SuccessIn todays modern workplace, employers are looking to cut costs in a variety of creative ways. And while putting a lock on the office supplies cabinet will certainly lower immediate expenditures, focusing on creative workforce staffing is often a more effective choice.Hiring interns, recent grads, and other newly minted employees is a great way to reduce overhead and can also reap other benefits such as the ability to train individuals in company culture. The drawback, however, is that recent grads dont come with a great deal of work or life experience and often need coaxing and extra training to help them become solid contributors. School is a great place to pick up a degree and specialized knowledge but isnt that great at teaching real-world lessons about what it takes to be an employee or even the basics of what it takes to make it in the office. To get the fruc htwein out of recent employees, employers should provide on the job coaching. Interested in learning more? Here are three unexpected ways to set up recent grad employees for success. Share the Big PictureNo, were not talking diagrams and spreadsheets here. Recent grads can often benefit greatly from a high-level overview of goals, plans and the like. Having most recently spent time in the world of academia, newly minted workers are used to learning for the sake of it and often have been immersed in the process for some time. Getting them out of that box and into thinking about the future will benefit both their careers and your bottom line.Start by sharing your long-term plans for a specific project, department or even the company. You may also want to swap ideas about how you see their specific position evolving or where there may be room for moving up in the company. Another big-picture approach would be to share how the individual task or their role specifically integrate into th e larger company. Both of these items will start the intern or new employee well on their way towards being dynamic team players.Encourage QuestionsYou know how young children seem to have a million questions about everything from who made the grass green to why dogs bark instead of meow? While further along in their mental development, recent graduates should be encouraged to expand their knowledge in much the same way. As the old saying goes, you dont know what you dont know. New employees will often find themselves delving headfirst into a problem of a project and headed towards hidden landmines or inefficiencies through no fault of their own.Encourage recent graduates to ask questions both directly and by your actions. Let them know that your door is always open and that no question is silly or stupid. In addition, when the employee inevitably comes to you with a query, thank and praise them and offer plenty of explanations, being sure to take advantage of the educational opport unity. You may need to do some outreach in the area as newer teammates often are nervous or self-conscious and have a desire to impress on the job. If you run into an intern that isnt reaching out, go out of your way to make the first contact and actively engage on a regular grund. Provide Frequent FeedbackIn school students often receive real-time, relatable feedback in the form of markups on individual assignments or grades at the end of the quarter and semester. Once out in the workforce, the standard for feedback becomes the yearly review. While this is a great opportunity to let someone know how they measure up around bonus time, young interns and employees often benefit from feedback given along the way to help them make quick adjustments as they integrate into a career.Managers should schedule monthly or even weekly check-ins with new graduate interns and employees. A half-hour session on a scheduled basis can help keep everyone on track and will provide an opportunity for ed ucation and constructive criticism. Waiting a whole year to find out just how youre doing well or not can be frustrating when just starting out. Providing feedback to your young employees will produce a better work product and increase confidence in your staff.Many employers are hesitant to hire recent graduates or interns thinking they will be more work or will produce lower output. With a little bit of management, however, younger employees can provide a wealth of fresh ideas and energy to a business. Engage with your interns and recent graduates to show them the big picture, encourage questions and provide feedback, and youll see a noticeable uptick in performance plus have the opportunity to mold the individual into the model employee to boot

Giving a Robot a Hand

Giving a Robot a Hand Giving a Robot a Hand Giving a Robot a HandDecades ago, kids were thrilled to get a robot of any kind. Watching it move and maybe talk made it feel like a new friend. Now, a new robot promises to let the user have more input into entwurf and even choose its parts parts that dont necessarily come from the kit. A child is empowered to take ownership of their toy in more ways than one.One of the things that can be great about a toy is when it lets children have greater control in what it will be, says Karthik Ramani, a professor of mechanical engineering at Purdue University. That was part of what was behind the Ziro kit, which, in addition to allowing users to choose parts, also allows a persons hand movements to decide the movement of the robot.Around 1995 I was departureing to teach a toy design class, says Ramani. My research hit areas like manufacturing, fabrication, then design, and then I even worked on human computer interaction. Here, when it came to resea rch with the students, there was the thought of developing a new kind of toy platform that can be good for STEM learning. We were testing with children and they were enjoying robots. Some just had such a need to make that toy work in a way that mixed with their creativity.A new modular design enables free-form robotics construction. Image ZeroUIRamanis team saw this kit as a strong opportunity partly because its free form. Kids can even repurpose material from their homes for the robot. We just give them the muscles and the brains, he adds. They bring so much of themselves to it.Using sensors, a person using the kit can actually, with a wave of their hand, move the robot as they would like. Phones have brought the hand and fingers into play so much, he says. Were using natural user interface here, where its very intuitive. We do it for the kit with wearables a gesture-controlled platform that uses a glove. On the glove there are chips and we have sensors on the fingers. The glove is the brain of the robot. It understands what the hand is doing as its doing it and then sends messages to modules, which have microcontrollers and wireless communications, and it coordinates the modules based on what youre choosing to do with your hands.There are multiple materials that can be used to connect objects to the robots, including velcro. And what Ramani has enjoyed is how some of the youth involved in testing stuck to their tasks with such focus. I remember one who wanted to make his like a drummer, he says. He was adding some materials for hitting and he just wasnt going to stop until he got closer to his vision. You love to see that passion. They the testers wouldnt quit.A Robot Grows UpThe idea is also that the robot they have can grow with the child. They dont have to buy a new robot for every new task or theme, but it can start as, for instance, a robot with wheels when theyre young and then get more sophisticated as they choose different parts to add over time, suc h as in the drumming example, he says.This works well somewhat because you dont have to look at your hand as its moving. Your mind knows, Ramani offers. You dont need to learn sophisticated mapping. When youre talking about building with mechatronics, it can take so long to program the electronics and build the robot. Its better when they can build parts but not necessarily need that knowledge. Its important to have fun and grow.Eric Butterman is an independent writer. For Further DiscussionThe glove is the brain of the robot. It understands what the hand is doing as its doing it and then sends messages to modules.Prof. Karthik Ramani, Purdue University

How to Dig Beneath the Surface in Your Candidate Interviews

How to Dig Beneath the Surface in Your Candidate InterviewsHow to Dig Beneath the Surface in Your Candidate InterviewsHow to Dig Beneath the Surface in Your Candidate Interviews HerrenkohlWhat are the most important interviewquestions to ask candidates? Good follow-upinterview questions ensure that the candidate, not the interviewer, is talking.They take the pressure off of you to create 100 insightful interview questions a handful or even oneinterview question will do. They help the interviewer uncover the real story of a candidates experience and accomplishments.After every question that you ask in an interview, follow up with questions such asWhy so?Interesting. Please tell me more.What made that important to you?How did you go about accomplishing that?What were the most important steps you took to make that happen?Here are three examples of how your interviewing will improve with better follow-up programs.1.A job candidates response is his or zu sich programmed response.The secon d response is the real answer. As Dr. Kurt Einstein, the noted psychologist and expert on interviewing pointed out, the first response that a job candidate gives to your interview question is rehearsed. Rehearsed answers do not give you much insight into the candidate. The follow-up question digs beneath the surface. As a result, candidates tell you their real story.2.Typically, details indicate truth telling. Most people can tell you the details about things that they really did or accomplished. They talk in vague generalities about accomplishments that they are embellishing or making up. By asking follow-up questions that require more detailed explanations, you get better information about how much a candidate has really accomplished.3.Find out if the candidate can reproduce her accomplishments for your company. Assume a sales person tells you that she took the worst territory of her former employer and turned it into the best territory in the company in 18 months. What is the mos t important question to ask her?Can you please tell me, step by step and in as much detail as possible, exactly how you did that?In order to accomplish the same kind of turn-around for your company, thissalesperson must know the steps she took to turn this sales territory around. Shewill be able to tell you the specific steps she took and why those steps were important. Asking the right follow-up questions unearths this information.Hiring Takeaway Get better at asking follow-up questions. It will improve your recruitment process and increase your effectiveness as an interviewer. Many interviewers talk too much too early in the interview process. Particularly in a first interview, you should talk as little as possible. The only way for you to assess a candidates strengths or weaknesses is by hearing their responses to your questions. When you are doing most the talking during the interview process, it is the candidate who is assessing youThe best way to ensure that the candidate, not you, does most of the talking is to ask at least one and likely two or three follow up questions for every initial question that you ask. This means askingWhat did you like most about your brde job? followed byInteresting, tell me more about that? and thenYou say you didnt like project management. Why so?If you follow this approach, you make sure that the candidate speaks, not you. You get great information to help inform your hiring decision.Interviewing is hard work. Make sure to ask good follow up questions during an interview. You will immediately increase the amount of valuable information that you get out of the process. As a result, there will be less stress for you, a more effective interview process, and a better hiring and candidate selection.Author BioEric Herrenkohl is the founder and president of Herrenkohl Consulting, a firm that helps clients build great sales teams. He is the author of the book, How to Hire A-Players (John Wiley Sons, April 2010.) To receive his fr ee e-letter, subscribe at herrenkohlconsulting.