Fully Autonomous Drone Helps Gold Miners

Fully Autonomous Drone Helps Gold Miners Fully Autonomous Drone Helps Gold Miners Fully Autonomous Drone Helps Gold Miners Deep under the old Balkan Mountains, quite ordinary looking drones are exploring a gold mine in a most unordinary waywithout a prior map, without a human pilot, without any communications. There are no beacons, no markers, and no GPS to guide them. Advanced Autonomous Aerial Robot, or A3R, developed by Exyn Technologies, takes off from the dimly lit mine shaft entrance and drifts with determination down the pitch dark stope. It returns in 10 minutes with a 3D map of the active cavity. Dundee Precious Metals, a Canadian-based international mining company, is the first to take advantage of this fully autonomous aerial system for data collection in GPS-denied environments. Its Chelopech underground mine in Bulgaria has been in development since the 1950s. Dundee took over the bankrupt state-run mine in the early 2000s and now extracts more than 2 million metric tons of mixed copper-silver-gold ore from it each year. Read ASMEs Top Story: Air Taxi Aces Test Flight Todays mining operations are becoming more digitized and automated and the A3Rs are part of that trend. The Exyn A3Rs allow frequent and high-resolution mapping of underground environments while reducing risks to personnel, said Theophile Yameogo, vice president of digital innovation at Dundee Precious Metals. We are very excited at the results of the maps we are seeing. The Exyn A3Rs allows hi-resolution mapping of underground environments while reducing risks to personnel. Image: Exyn At Chelopech, gold is extracted using something called the long-hole open stoping fill method. It involves blasting and creating holes as deep as 100 meters. New stopes, or active cavities, are created daily, posing a challenge for mining engineers who have to continuously map and survey these areas. Instead of exposing flesh-and-blood engineers to the dangers of exploring and mapping mines, Exyns aerial robots can do a lot of that work for them. They are also improving data quality and efficiency. A3Rs come with a number of onboard sensors, including 3D Lidar, high-resolution cameras, lighting, and inertial sensors, to generate an understanding of itself and the surrounding environment. The true power of the A3Rs come from its onboard processor software, exynAI, said Nader Elm, Exyns CEO. The robot is made entirely with COTS (commercial off-the-shelf) components, he said. We can put our technology onto vehicles with two-hour mission life or smaller ones with 10-minute mission life, depending on the mission requirements. Read about other Robots Going to Areas Where Humans Cant With so much on-board technology, the robot only needs human involvement to define the mission before flight. The robot takes care of the rest. This is higher order level of thinking and sophistication of robots, Elm said. Elm explained that A3R understands its location just like humans do when blindfolded: By exploring the area around it, it starts to sense the environment and its relationship to it. As it moves arounds it builds a 3D map, and it makes decisions about an optimal and safe path to complete its mission, figuring it out as it flies. It gets a feedback loop and adapts and optimizes, just as humans do unconsciously when walking. The drones can safely avoid collisions with both stationary and moving obstacles, while simultaneously localizing and mapping in real-time. Once human operators send A3Rs on a mission, giving them a general direction and distance to travel, drones can do the rest themselves, establishing map points along the way. As a precaution, a human operator has to include a contingency policy, a preset decision whether the aerial robot should return home, hover in place, skip exploring somewhere it cant get to, or land. Read about a Drone that Deploys in Just Minutes but Flies for Hours When the A3R is within communication range, it shares collected data and can export high-fidelity maps to mine-planning software. The A3R also uses those sensors to perform in real time. Theres no reason why we cant adapt a mission to what the robot finds out, like in a first responders situation, he said. It can map a mission, track surroundings, and react to that data in real timeautonomous vehicle and edge computing in one. Exyn and the University of Pennsylvania, where the project was initially developed, have been chosen to compete in the DARPA Subterranean Challenge, a contest designed to develop innovative technologies that augment underground operations. Penn and Exyn are among nine teams chosen to develop new approaches to rapidly map, navigate, and search underground environments, all for a grand prize of $2 million. Daria Merkusheva is a technology writer based in New York City. Read Latest Exclusive Stories from ASME.org: Lighter Axle Reinvents Drivetrain. Does Detroit Care?Engineers Making Waves in AquacultureSolving World Hunger with 3D-Printed Food This is higher order level of thinking and sophistication of robots.Nader Elm, Exyn CEO

Where The Federal Jobs Are - Department of Transportation

Where The Federal Jobs Are - Department of Transportation Where The Federal Jobs Are - Department of Transportation Where The Federal Jobs Are Department of Transportation “WHERE THE FEDERAL JOBS ARE” FEDERAL AGENCY SERIES PART 9: WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW ABOUT The DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION (DOT) Website: https://www.transportation.gov/ Secretary: Anthony R. Foxx (2013 â€" present) Headquarters: Washington, D.C.   Various Administrations operate from locations across the U.S. and around the world. Mission: Serve the United States by ensuring a fast, safe, efficient, accessible and convenient transportation system that meets our vital national interests and enhances the quality of life of the American people, today and into the future. Strategic Goals: The Department’s Strategic Plan for Fiscal Years 2014-2018 outlines 3 main goals: building on the Department’s legacy of safety closing the infrastructure deficit modernizing the U.S. transportation system using technology and process innovation Number of Civilian Employees: Approximately 55,000 employees. DOT Organization Structure: The Department has 11 Operating Administrations and Bureaus as well as a number of Offices responsible for administration and policy. ADMINISTRATIONS AND BUREAUS:  National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). Dedicated to achieving the highest standards of excellence in motor vehicle and highway safety. Investigates safety defects; sets and enforces safety performance standards for motor vehicles and equipment. Sets and enforces fuel economy standards. Provides grants to State governments to enable States to conduct effective highway safety programs. NHTSA has 10 Regional Offices providing technical assistance, administering grant fund programs, building coalitions, and providing training. Approximately 600 employees including transportation specialists, highway safety and motor carrier specialists, safety scientists, engineers, and program managers. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Oversees civil aviation safety. Issues and enforces regulations and standards related to the manufacture, operation, certification and maintenance of aircraft. Responsible for the rating and certification of airmen and for certification of airports serving air carriers. The FAA operates from locations across the U.S. (headquartered in Washington, D.C. with 9 regional offices, a Technical Center in Oklahoma, an Aeronautical Center in N.J. as well as operations in every major and regional airport in the U.S.) It also has international locations in Belgium and Singapore. With approximately 45,000 employees, the vast majority in air traffic, careers include: air traffic controllers, aviation safety inspectors, airways transportation systems specialists, security inspectors, engineers, program managers, and acquisition specialists. TIP 1:   The FAA has a helpful website   describing the variety of opportunities in aviation, professional, technical and executive careers.   See faa.gov/jobs/career_fields/. TIP 2:   Read about the FAA’s plans to a large number of Air Traffic Controller Specialist trainees in a February 2014 Resume Place Blog.   See resume-place.com/2014/02/new-faa-postings/. Federal Highway Administration (FHWA). Through its Federal Aid Highway Program, the FHA coordinates highway transportation programs in cooperation with states and other partners to enhance the countrys safety, economic vitality, quality of life, and the environment. FHA’s Federal Lands Highway Program provides access to and within national forests, national parks, Indian reservations and other public lands. The Administration has approximately 2,800 employees, including operations specialists, engineers, program analysts, program specialists, and IT specialists TIP 3: The Federal Highway Administration was named the #13 (of 320 rated agency sub-components) Best Places to Work in the Federal Government by the Partnership for Public Service in 2015.     Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration (PHMSA). Protects people and the environment by advancing safe transportation of energy and hazardous materials. Oversees and regulates the safety of the Nation’s hazardous materials shipments and energy transported by pipelines. Approximately 500 employees, including engineers, inspectors, transportation specialists, investigators, program analysts, and IT specialists. Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA). Primary mission is to reduce crashes, injuries and fatalities involving large trucks and buses. Leads transportation safety efforts and cutting-edge technology and transportation initiatives. Approximately 1,100 employees, including motor carrier safety specialists. Federal Railroad Administration (FRA). Promotes safe and environmentally sound rail (intermodal) transportation. Employs safety inspectors to monitor railroad compliance with federally mandated safety standards. With approximately 825 employees, career opportunities include railroad safety inspectors and transportation industry analysts. Saint Lawrence Seaway Development Corporation (SLSDC). Wholly owned government corporation of the DOT. Constructs, operates and maintains a safe, reliable and efficient waterway for commercial and noncommercial vessels between the Great Lakes and the Atlantic Ocean. Administration is shared with the St. Lawrence Seaway Management Corporation in Canada. Headquarters is located in Washington, D.C and operations offices are located at the two U.S. Seaway locks (Eisenhower and Snell) in Massena, N.Y. Jobs tend to be either along the lines of marine transportation specialists, or trade / mechanic positions (Wage Grade). The Corporation has less than 150 employees, including those involved in fields such as engineering, marine operations, IT, and administration. Federal Transit Administration (FTA). Assists in developing improved mass transportation systems for cities and communities nationwide through grant programs. Approximately 500 employees including planners, environmental specialists, engineers, research program specialists, and program managers. Surface Transportation Board (STB). Independent, bipartisan, adjudicatory body housed within the Department of Transportation. Responsible for the economic regulation of interstate surface transportation, primarily railroads, within the United States. Its mission is to ensure that competitive, efficient, and safe transportation services are provided to meet the needs of shippers, receivers, and consumers. Jobs include Transportation Industry Analysts. Approximately 120 employees including transportation industry analysts, environmental analysts, and economists. TIP 4: OPM surveyed more than 400,000 employees in its 2015 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. The Surface Transportation Board was among the 3 top scoring small agencies that had top scores in both 2015 and 2014. Maritime Administration (MARAD). Fosters and promotes the U.S. Merchant Marine and maritime industry to strengthen the commercial marine transportation system to meet the Nation’s economic and national security needs. MARAD programs promote the development of an adequate, well-balanced United States merchant marine to carry the Nation’s domestic waterborne commerce and a substantial portion of its waterborne foreign commerce. The Merchant Marine is capable of service as a naval and military auxiliary in time of war or national emergency. MARAD has a presence at major U.S. gateway ports, including 10 large ports on the coasts (East, West, and Gulf), the Great Lakes and inland rivers. Approximately 700 employees including careers in port and waterways management, vessel management, safety and security, and logistics. TIP 5: The U. S. Coast Guard (part of the Department of Homeland Security) is the regulatory agency responsible for licensing and certifying U.S. merchant mariners working aboard vessels requiring credentialed mariners. There are different routes to gain required training and documentation. Civilians often prepare by enrolling in a 4-year degree program at the U.S. Merchant Marine Academy or one of 6 state maritime academies. For information on maritime academies, see marad.dot.gov/education/maritime-academies/.   Military members may “cross over” by becoming certified and licensed. For information on “Military to Mariners” eligibility, see marad.dot.gov/mariners/military-to-mariners/. OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY OFFICES (with missions if not evident) Administration Budget and Financial Management Chief Information Officer Civil Rights Drug and Alcohol Policy and Compliance. Principal advisor to the Secretary on rules related to the drug and alcohol testing of safety-sensitive transportation employees in aviation, trucking, railroads, mass transit, pipelines, and other transportation industries. Publishes regulations and provides official interpretations on drug and alcohol testing. Freedom of Information Act General Counsel Governmental Affairs Hearings. Comprised of administrative law judges and support staff. Conducts official hearings including air carrier citizenship determinations; fairness of airport landing rates and charges; and civil penalty proceedings. Inspector General. Approximately 400 employees, including auditors, analysts, and special agents. Intelligence, Security and Emergency Response. Ensures the development, coordination and execution of plans and procedures for the Department of Transportation to balance transportation security requirements with the safety, mobility and economic needs of the Nation through effective intelligence, security, preparedness and emergency response programs. Public Affairs Research and Technology. Provides research activities, collaboration and transportation statistical data aligned with the Department’s strategic goals and key interest areas. Small and Disadvantaged Business. Ensures that small businesses are treated fairly and have an opportunity to compete and be selected for a fair amount of the agencys contracting and subcontracting dollars. Under Secretary for Policy The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts, is also part of the DOT. It is a unique federal agency that is 100% funded by sponsor projects. Volpe’s mission is to improve transportation by anticipating and addressing emerging issues and advancing technical, operational, and institutional innovations across all modes. The organization includes 4 technical centers: Center for Air Traffic Systems and Operations; Center for Infrastructure Systems and Technology; Center for Policy, Planning, and Environment; and Center for Safety Management and Human Factors. Volpe’s 550 employees include engineers, physical and social sciences, economists, and IT professionals who work with more than 400 on-site contractors. For more information, see https://www.volpe.dot.gov/. Civilian Career Fields: DOT has vacancies for candidates with education and experience in a number of fields, including: Engineers (Job Series 0801; 0810; 0861) Transportation Analysts (Job Series 2110) Investigative Analysts (Job Series 1899) Operations Research Analysts (Job Series 1515) Safety Specialists and Inspectors (Job Series 2121) Foreign Affairs Specialists (Job Series 0130) Government Affairs Specialists (Job Series 0301) IT Specialists (Job Series 2210) Financial Specialists (Job Series 0501) Community Planners (Job Series 0020) Program Managers (Job Series 0340) Acquisition and Contract Specialists (Job Series 1102) Human Resources Professionals (Job Series 0200) TIP 6:   The Department’s Careers website utilizes an easy to follow “Identify â€" Search â€" Apply” process for applicants.   It also has an excellent TIPS AND RESOURCES link with career development advice, including: establishing partnerships doing your homework (about agencies and job series) preparing your resume (highlighting key qualifications) preparing for the interview Current Vacancies: There are currently close to 50 Department of Transportation General Schedule (GS) vacancies for civilian positions posted in USAJOBS for “U.S. Citizens.”   Many are between the GS-7 and GS-15 levels.   Occupations with the most current vacancies are: Railway Safety Inspectors (Job Series 2121) Engineers and Architects (Job Series 0800) Program Analysts (Job Series 0343) Program Managers (Job Series 0340) TIP 7: DOT has a significant number of vacancies for “Recent Graduates.”   The vacancies (all located at The Volpe National Transportation Systems Center in Cambridge, Massachusetts) are: Community Planners (Job Series 0020); Physical Scientist (Job Series 1301); Operations Research Analysts (Job Series 1515); Mechanical Engineers (Job Series 0830); Electronics Engineers (Job Series 0855); Computer Engineers (Job Series 0854); Fire Protection Engineers (Job Series 0804); Engineering Research Psychologists (Job Series 0180); Policy Analysts (Job Series 0101); and Economists (Job Series 0110).   Posted at the GS-7 or 9 levels, many of these positions have promotion potential to GS-11 or 12.   The “Recent Graduate” component of OPM’s “Pathways Program” requires graduation from a qualifying educational institution within the past 2 years (veterans precluded by military service obligations have up to 6 years to apply).   For further information regarding the Pathways Program , see https://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/hiring-authorities/students-recent-graduates/#url=graduates. The NEXT BLOG IN THE FEDERAL AGENCY SERIES WILL FOCUS ON The Department of COMMERCE. Need Help with your Federal Resume for a Career with the Department of Transportation? Complete our Request Quote for Federal Resume to ask for a QUOTE for professional writing services for your federal resume.

Are shorts acceptable at work The summer office clothing guide

Are shorts acceptable at work The summer office clothing guide Are shorts acceptable at work The summer office clothing guide Oh, summer. While we love those long sunny days, it can become incredibly complicated to figure out how to dress comfortably but still professionally during the sweatiest and yet most air-conditioned time of the year. Temptations to succumb to total casual wear abound.  â€œIt’s important to remember that no matter how casual the workplace has gotten, there’s still a certain dress code unique to each company culture,” explains reacHIRE CEO and founder Addie Swartz. “For one company summer Fridays may mean summer dresses and sandals, and for another company it may mean collared shirts and chinos.”The first thing to know: you cannot do this alone. “Rather than trying to show up with your own personal summer clothing style, ask other colleagues as to what’s most appropriate,” Swartz advises us. It only gets more complicated from there.Check the rules and regsIf you were given any type of company manual or guidebook, now would be a great time to give it a read.  Just beca use everyone at work is wearing flip flops, doesn’t mean that your boss is thrilled with it. Try to err on the side of caution when it comes to exposing skin at work.  Dress for your own successIt’s okay to create your own personal dress code sometimes. Alice Labaton spends her days working in a predominantly male IT office, while her side hustle is creating customized makeup brushes. “As a  female  in a predominantly male company, I feel it’s necessary to project a professional vibe at all times. I proceed with caution, I never want to give the wrong impression via my clothing especially being a young, friendly, single girl in a company of all men, I tend to dress more modestly or throw a sweater over my outfit.” Labaton is on to something. Despite the ideal view of an equal workspace, it’s frequently women who are looked at askance if they show some extra skin. If you work in a more liberated company, enjoy it - but if you don’t, know that gender will usually play a role in how you’re perceived, including dress and grooming.  The grandma ruleIn my work as a personal brand strategist, I’m frequently asked by my more cautious clients if it’s okay to embrace fashion trends in the workplace. In general, while it’s fine to be style conscious, you never want to look like a punchline, or extra on a reality TV show. If you’d be embarrassed or uncomfortable running into your grandmother while wearing something, it has no place in a professional setting.As a general rule, go more modest. Bare legs and exposed arms and a low-cut neckline add up to a lot more skin than works for most professional environments. Use one of the rules of elegance that fashion mavens like to use: put the emphasis on only one area. If you’re wearing shorts to bare your legs, don’t also wear a tank-top style with them to work to expose your chest and arms. (Unless, that is, you work at a gym). If you’re wearing a sleeveless top, don’t add a miniskirt.And when i n doubt: carry a cardigan, light jacket or big, lightweight scarf. You’ll need them for the air conditioning anyway.Don’t date yourselfWhile it’s entirely amusing to post old pictures on Throwback Thursday, it’s sometimes downright humiliating to be tagged by friends in photos you’d rather forget. While the idea of rompers for men have been covered in the news lately with a quarter million dollar Kickstarter campaign for something called a “Romphim,” wearing a man onesie is only appropriate on Halloween. No matter how trendy you think you are, you will never live down the embarrassing photos, and trust me, your co-workers will find infinite combinations of your name and romper.  The short answer  If you’re wondering if it’s okay to wear micro miniskirts or actual shorts to the workplace, (bad pun alert) the short answer is no. Shorts just don’t add to your overall professional image (unless you’re part of the cast of the Baywatch reboot), though in climates wh ere the weather is warm year round, it’s not as much of an issue.  Labaton emphatically says, “no, shorts are not office attire! I never want to wear anything that can be deemed as provocative to the office. If I would wear the outfit on a date or to a bar, then I would not consider it work appropriate,” which is generally a good rule of thumb. If you don’t work in a traditional office environment, you can probably get away with shorts, but try to wear the hem as close to your knee as possible. Be wary of Frankenstein’s monster attempts to make shorts acceptable: wearing a light business jacket with Bermuda shorts just kind of highlights your hairy legs, something most people don’t want to look in the boardroom. Again, more casual environments and work spaces will likely embrace shorts as long as they’re more modest; and never ever wear biking shorts to work unless you’re actually a bike messenger.  Some summer dressing rules: Keep a jacket, shawl or cardigan handy: It’s not only practical for when the air conditioning is set to deep freeze, but it also covers a skimpy looking top if you get called into a meeting. Keep it professional when possible: Unless you’re the UPS guy, you probably should leave the shorts for weekends. Especially cargo shorts. It’s not up for debate. Leave them for running errands, if you must wear them at all.   Don’t dress down just because you’re dressing lighter: For some reason, people sometimes think that wearing lighter clothing means putting on beach attire. It shouldn’t. It’s easy to find a professional wardrobe, try brighter colors, lighter fabrics and shoes with rope or canvas accents to convey the feeling of summertime without any serious skin exposure. Check the calendar: If your boss is going to be out of town, you can probably ease up on things, but don’t throw on a beach cover up and pretend it’s appropriate for work. Change it up as needed: Rules are meant to be broken, so try to find ways to express your personality without showing too much if possible.

No more colleagues and coworkers Why you need friends at work

No more colleagues and coworkers Why you need friends at work No more colleagues and coworkers Why you need friends at work The social world can activate the stress response, or it can tone it down. The effects of these personal connections can be more soothing than an hour of meditation. â€" Esther SternbergThe irony was not lost on Esther Sternberg. Here she was, a rheumatologist and internationally recognized expert on the connection between stress and auto-immune disease, struck down by inflammatory arthritis after spending several stressful years as a long-distance caregiver for her mother who had terminal cancer. Suddenly what had been a topic of academic study felt painfully, viscerally real.Follow Ladders on Flipboard!Follow Ladders’ magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more!While busy moving into a new home, still grieving the loss of her mother, Esther heard a knock at her door. Her neighbors, a Greek couple, had dropped by to welcome her with a tray of traditional Greek food including dolmades and tzatziki (stuffed grape leaves with yogu rt and garlic sauce.) They noticed her computer and papers strewn about asked Esther if she was a writer because they had always wanted a writer to stay with them in their cottage in Crete. Sternberg enthusiastically responded that yes indeed she was a writer - she was working on her first book The Balance Within - and so began the adventure that was to become the PBS special “The Science of Healing.”“I had this a-ha moment that what I was doing back home was all wrong,” says Esther of the epiphany she had in Crete.Living in a village where she was surrounded by people young and old, grandmothers who fed her delicious and healthy Mediterranean food and a pace of life that was much slower, Esther gave herself the gift of healing through quiet contemplation, gentle physical activity and, most of all, social connection. In Crete, Esther was embraced by a rich social network that gave her comfort, setting off a cascade of friendly neurochemicals that acted as a buffer to the s tress response, and enabled the drugs she was taking for her arthritis to finally kick in.Are relationships really that powerful?A recent study of over 3,000 people in Britain found that one factor matters more than money or even the nature of the work itself when it comes to career satisfaction: the people we work with. Science backs up our tribal instincts.“The surprising finding is that our relationships and how happy we are in our relationships has a powerful influence on our health,” says Robert Waldinger, director of the Harvard study of adult development, the longest study of adult life and happiness.Aside from getting sufficient sleep, there is nothing more important to your wellbeing than the quality of your relationships. Long after this week’s paycheck disappears into a cloud of forgotten transactions, you will still have your work friends to complain about how the month seems to last longer than the money. Friends buffer the stress response and friends give work me aning, so why aren’t companies doing everything they possibly can to cultivate connection?Some companies are recognizing that relationships improve performance, engagement, and retention. For example, Oracle has set up a supportive “Class of” training program where the environment nudges new sales recruits to create best friends one celebratory cowbell ring at a time. But in the absence of a supportive employer, the onus is on us to embrace the indisputable fact that relationships matter. It’s time to redefine career success by the number of close friends we’ve made rather than our pay grade.It would help if we start thinking of the people we work with, not as “colleagues” or “coworkers” that sound as cuddly as paper clips, but as friends or potential friends. And if we can’t find a friend where we work, that should sound the alarm that we’re working in the wrong place. Every day we have choices to make about how we spend our time, whether we ask a question dee per than “How are you?” and really listen to the response, or take a cup of coffee to the person working next to us for no reason at all. There are shortcuts on spreadsheets, but no way to hack a work relationship to make it grow faster.But an investment in friendship at work always pays off, and sometimes in unexpected ways. A Carnegie Mellon study of stress and susceptibility to the common cold found paradoxically that people who had more different kinds of social interactions during the day, presumably exposing themselves to more and varied pathogens, had a lower incidence of illness.As Esther Sternberg learned firsthand in Crete when her neighbor’s daughter who was blind in one eye offered to be her legs and help her walk to the beach if Esther would lend her sight, positive relationships can be the force that keeps us moving forward, the net to catch us if we stumble, and protection from the harmful effects of stress.If you want to positively affect your wellbeing on the job, commit an act of friendship.Lynne Everatt is a recovering MBA, LinkedIn Top Voice in management and culture, and nominee for the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour for her first book, E-mails from the Edge, a novel with the theme of workplace mental health. She is a former careers columnist for Canada’s largest newspaper, The Globe and Mail. An ardent advocate for mental health through physical fitness, Lynne is a certified personal trainer who has completed two sweaty half-marathons and a marathon six minutes and twenty-three seconds of stand-up at the Absolute Comedy Club. She served for three years as President of the Board of Directors of the women’s shelter Interim Place where she met and became friends with co-author Addie Greco-Sanchez of The 5-Minute Recharge. Connect with Lynne on LinkedIn and Twitter. Together, Lynne and Addie want to make the world a mentally healthier place through their friendship.You might also enjoy… New neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happy Strangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds 10 lessons from Benjamin Franklin’s daily schedule that will double your productivity The worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs 10 habits of mentally strong people

Celebrating Halloween at the Office

Celebrating Halloween at the Office Celebrating Halloween at the Office Everybody in the US seems to be thinking about Halloween just now. For most people, it centers around their children and the annual trick-or-treat festivities. However, for a growing number of Americans, Halloween is also celebrated at the office. Thats a good thing for the business as well as the employees. Here is a plan that you can start today that will let you and your employees reap the benefits of Halloween at the Office. Why You Should Bother You can use Halloween at the Office to build morale and teamwork. At the same time, it can help you spot creative and participative talents among your employees. Your people have a little fun in the office, which builds morale. Groups of employees work together on fun projects, which helps build teamwork. Employees from different departments share a common activity, which improves communication and inter-departmental cooperation. You get to identify the people in your organization with hidden talents, skills like creativity, team leadership, and cooperation, in a non-hierarchical setting. Start Today Even if you havent yet started, its not too late. Find, or appoint, a volunteer to coordinate the activities. Human Resources and Communications are good places to find this type of individual, but it can be anyone. Decide what the event will include, when and where it will take place, and set a budget for the event. Then get the word out. Use whatever employee communications methods you have to announce the Halloween at the Office event. Post it on the bulletin boards and the company intranet. Send out a blast email. Use the communication tools you have so people will have enough time to get their part ready. What's Included? Pick and choose from this list those things that will work for your company. Be aware of the company culture, its industry, and its location. Halloween Party:  Usually, this works best at lunchtime. Set it up in the company cafeteria or lunch room if you have one. Get facilities to put up decorations, which you can purchase. Make sure everything is fireproof. The party can be as simple or as extensive as time, and your budget allows, from a buffet lunch to punch and cookies. Having a party increases the time that employees from different departments will interact and provides a venue for judging a costume contest if you have one. It also gives employees who cannot, or choose not to, participate in the costume contest an opportunity to interact with those employees who do. Costume Contest:  Set up and publish the contest rules, including categories. You may want to have separate contests for teams and for individuals. Award prizes for best, most original, scariest, lamest, etc. You can even give a prize to the individual whos costume most resembles a corporate executive or best exemplifies the company spirit.Area Decorating:  Starting the morning of the event, allow employees to decorate their group areas in a manner reflective of Halloween. They may want to create a haunted house or a graveyard. What they come up with tells you something about the people in the group. How well they do, it says a lot about their team spirit. Keep an eye out for the informal leaders who emerge during the process who you might be able to develop further. Other Games and Contests:  If its appropriate for your company, consider apple bobbing or pumpkin carving or anything else your event leader comes up with. Events like Halloween at the Office can be great ways to promote employee morale, teamwork, and inter-departmental cooperation. They can also help you identify creativity, innovation and leadership talents among your employees that you can develop for business purposes. Besides being good for business, it can be fun. Give it a try. Costume Suggestions Some shy employees feel unable to participate in group activities at the office fully. They worry about appearing silly or being embarrassed. Halloween may provide a good opportunity for these employees to join in. Its a great time for shy people to show off their talents at the office while hiding behind a costume. Here are some good costume choices for employees who are uncertain about participating in the office Halloween party: Full-Face or Full-Head Masks Ex-presidentsMovie stars, then or nowCreatures and monsters Costumes With Hoods GhoulDementorMonk Easily Removable Costumes Big glasses with a funny nose and fake mustacheSunglasses and black fedora hat, like the Blues Brothers Appropriate Costumes for the Office Good choices for costumes at the office Halloween party include those that demonstrate your creativity, those that display a business-appropriate sense of humor, or those that show your talents in a favorable light. These could include: An intricate costume you made yourself that shows off your skill as an artist or your ability to sew.A costume that demonstrates your ability to select common items and blend them into a costume, like large rubber balls, hooked together to make you look like a bunch of grapes.Or something as simple as the programmer who replaced his standard Dockers(r) and a t-shirt with a nicely tailored, expensive business suit and a full face mask, so no one knew who he was.

How to Create Great Metaphors

How to Create Great Metaphors How to Create Great Metaphors A metaphor is a figure of speech that describes an object or action in a way that isnt literally true but helps  explain an idea or make a comparison. A simile compares two things that share a common feature. The words as and like are used to compare the two things. The Basics About Metaphors A metaphor states that one thing is another thing.A metaphor equates two things as one not because they are the same, but for the sake of comparison or symbolism.If you take a metaphor literally, it probably sounds very strange.  Ask yourself, Are there actually any sheep, black or otherwise, in your family?Metaphors are used in poetry, literature, and anytime someone wants to add some color to their language. Examples Love is a battlefield.Bob is a couch potato.Baby, youre a firework.I am titanium. Why Use Them? Metaphors can make your words come to life. Often, you can use a metaphor to make your subject more relatable to the reader or to make a complex thought easier to understand. They can also be a tremendous help when you want to enhance your writing with imagery. As a common  figure of speech, metaphors turn up everywhere from novels and films to presidential speeches and even popular  music. When theyre especially good, theyre hard to miss. Famous Metaphors by Famous People You aint nothin but a hound dog, cryin all the time. Elvis Presley All the worlds a stage, and all the man and women merely players. William Shakespeare A good conscience is a continual Christmas. Benjamin Franklin Exercise This exercise, adapted from one by Linnea Johnson in her book The Practice of Poetry,  is a good starting place if you want to practice writing metaphors. Though actually for poets, its helpful for anyone who wants to focus on figurative language. Even if none of these exact metaphors and similes show up in your writing, your brain will be more likely to come up with them naturally after warming up with the exercise. (Feel free to consult these examples of metaphor before doing the exercise.) To get the most out of the exercise, dont worry about coming up with something perfect. Just write. The idea is to get your subconscious to make connections in a new, more creative way. Finish each phrase below with whatever metaphor or simile immediately comes to mind. Blue paint spilled on the road like___________________________.Canceled checks in the abandoned subway carseemed___________________________.A spider under the rug is like___________________________.Graffiti on the abandoned building like___________________________.Nothing was the same, now that it was___________________________.The dice rolled out of the cup toward Veronicalike___________________________.A child in _________________ is like a _______________ in_____________________._________________is like muscles stretched taut over bone. The fog plumed through gunshot holes in the car windows like ___________________________.She held her life in her own hands as if it were___________________________.Lacey poured coffee down her throat as if ___________________________.If I should wake before I die,___________________________.The security guard walks the lobby as if___________________________.The library books left in the rain like___________________________.Music in the hallway like___________________________.

Reasons to Ask Good Questions in a Job Interview

Reasons to Ask Good Questions in a Job Interview Reasons to Ask Good Questions in a Job Interview A job interview is an opportunity for the organization to find out what it wants to know about finalists for a position, but it is also an opportunity for each finalist to find out what he or she wants to know as well. Interviewing is a two-way street. As much as the hiring manager wants to know more about the individual they hire, the individual wants to know about the hiring manager, future coworkers, and the organization. A finalist that neglects to prepare and ask questions during an interview misses opportunities to impress the hiring manager and to gather more information that will inform the decision to accept a job offer. When to Ask Your Prospective Employer Questions The finalist’s questions are usually reserved for the end of the interview process. Any questions you have may be answered naturally during the course of the interview. For example, an interviewer may set up a question about a candidate’s willingness to work long hours by saying that long hours are sometimes required. If the finalist had prepared a question about whether long hours are required, that question does not need to be asked at the end of the interview. In panel interviews, most questions should be directed to the hiring manager. Other panelists may provide their opinions if appropriate. It is very important to ask questions at the end of an interview. Show You’re Interested Asking questions shows that you’re truly interested in the job. Someone who is uninterested in the job would not take the time to develop questions. Such a person would sit for the interview and leave as soon as possible. Your questions tell the hiring manager that you have considered the position to the extent that you have exhausted the resources that you can find. Show You’ve Researched the Organization Good questions show that you have done your research. A warning here is to make sure have done your research. If you ask an agency overseeing state parks how many parks the state has, that shows that you did not do your research. The number of state parks is an easy piece of information to find. You have to dig deeper. If you look at the agency’s website and find that the most visited state park has four times as many annual visitors than the least visited park, good questions would ask why this is, what does the most visited state park have or do that brings them so many visitors, and what can the least visited park do that the most visited park does. While the examples above are good questions in isolation, you must make sure that the questions you ask are relevant to the job’s role in the organization. Show You’re Intelligent If you have a genuine interest in the position and ask well-research questions, you will show the hiring manager that you are intelligent. Intelligence is a positive trait no matter what the position. Good questions reveal a finalist’s thought processes. Hiring managers want people who are able to think independently. Policies and procedures can only take an organization so far. These are minimums. In order for an organization to thrive, it needs people who can take the organization’s mission, policies, and procedures and apply the underlying principles to any work situation. Informs Your Decision to Accept a Job Offer In the most basic sense, questions are designed to gather information. While it is nice to impress a hiring manager, the overall goal of a finalist’s questions is to inform the decision to accept a job offer if it is extended. Questions about salary, benefits and other such topics are best saved for after a job offer is secured, but questions about organizational culture, management expectations, and goodness of fit between the finalist and the position are fair game during the interview. For an external finalist, the interview is usually the only time to ask questions face-to-face. The finalist can see the hiring manager’s body language while answering the question which can help the finalist judge how truthful the hiring manager is in his or her answers.