The Race for Space Weapons Speeds Up

The Race for Space Weapons Speeds Up The Race for Space Weapons Speeds Up The Race for Space Weapons Speeds UpOn March 27, 2019, India tested an antisatellite weapon by destroying one of its own satellites. While a similar Chinese test in 2007 sparked widespread protests, the Indian exercise seems to have largely escaped front-page headlines.Yet observers believe its aftermath will be debated for years to come and may eventually concern people who never think about such things. This is bedrngnis just because it created a rapidly moving cloud of space junk that could threaten commercial satellites and ISS astronauts. Instead, they see it as another disturbing escalation in the slow advance toward war in space.Despite the popular belief that space is peaceful, the military has always played a role in its exploration. The first rocket to breach the 100-kilometer-high Karman Line, which defines the beginning of outer space, was a German military V2 fired in 1944. The first satellite, Spu tnik, soared into orbit atop a modified Soviet intercontinental ballistic missile (ICBM) in 1957.NASA, founded one year later, established Americas space program as strictly civilian. Still, the military went along for the ride. Its officers piloted most Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo spacecraft, which its rockets boosted into space. Behind the scenes, the Pentagon planned its own secret space missions, coordinated by an agency later renamed DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency).Yet space remained free of actual weapons during the Cold War. While military surveillance devices existed, most satellites were instruments of national prestige or scientific curiosity. With the United States and Soviet Unionthe only nations with spaceflight capabilityalready confronting each other with nuclear-tipped ICBMs, extending arms into space seemed superfluous.Today, however, space is far more crowded and more economically and militarily valuable. It is filled with vast constellations of s atellites that link together communications and computer networks, monitor weather, search for natural resources, and provide GPS data for smartphones and navigation aids. There are also many more military satellites.Nor is space the dominion of just two powers. More and more countriesand private corporationshave developed launch capabilities. Today, even a private company in Thailand can aspire to launch its own satellite aboard a 3D-printed rocket.Editors Pick Top 10 Space Missions Set to Explore New FrontiersThe space environment has become increasingly congested, competitive and contested, Frank Rose, a senior fellow for security and strategy at the Brookings Institution and former assistant secretary of state for arms control, explained to Congress in March 2019.That means more diverging objectives, opposing interests, and even open conflicts. This is especially true when verlottern militaries depend on satellites to communicate with remote forces and target drone and smart bom b strikes. Defending that capabilityand knocking out the military networks other nations depend uponbecomes essential.War has not yet invaded space, but it could. The X-37B is a reusable space plane operated by the U.S. Air Force. Image NASA/MSFC Dual Use From the start, the military rationale for space weapons was to control the high ground and shoot down enemies. Such an attack, generals and politicians argued, would be impossible to stop.While such post-Sputnik ravings about missile gaps and Soviet satellites raining down H-bombs may have frightened voters, experts knew it was hogwash. As engineers perfected ICBMs, it became cheaper and far easier to attack another countrys territory from the ground instead of from space.Space-based weapons fare poorly when compared with other long-range means of attacking ground targets, a 2005 study by the American Academy of Arts Sciences concluded.Yet as space began to fill with militarily (and economically) valuable missiles and satellites, militaries around the world pondered how to attack them from the ground and in space.Both the United States and the Soviet Union have planned, tested, and even partially deployed various types of antiballistic missiles (ABM) and anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon systems for decades.These range from ground-based missiles to rocket interceptors fired from high-altitude aircraft and space-based nuclear weapons. At first glance, an antiballistic missile, like the U.S. SM-3 deployed against North Korea, seems an unlikely weapon to take out satellites. It is designed to destroy an incoming ICBM by crashing into it.The same missile could also target some satellites, as the United States has already proved in tests. In fact, it is much easier to hit a satellite, which follows a known and predictable orbit, than a missile whose trajectory must be computed in real time.Missile defense interceptors make excellent antisatellite weapons, at least hit-to-kill ones do, said Jeffrey Lewi s of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies.This functional dichotomy causes enormous practical, political, and military complications. An antiballistic missile is defensive by definition, used only against incoming ICBMs. But an anti-satellite weapon is primarily offensive when used to attack an enemys satellite. If the same system can defend and attack, how can a tauglichkeit adversary gauge your intentions? Due to the dual-use nature of many space technologies, even benign space capabilities can be viewed by others as counter-space weapons, a 2018 report from the Center for Strategic zwischenstaatlich Studies noted.Indeed, one does not even need an actual antiballistic missile to take out satellites.If youre a nation that has the capability of routinely launching satellites, then you also have the ability to destroy satellites, said Ted Postol, an MIT emeritus professor of physics and former Pentagon nuclear security expert.While antiballistic missiles attack by di rect assent, launching from ground or near ground-level into space, antisatellite weapons can strike by co-orbiting, which is sneakier and, in some ways, simpler.The problem with direct ascent is you have to be able to see your target at significant range and line yourself up to hit it, Postol explained. When you co-orbit, you can just sort of cozy up to your target. You dont have the problem with acquiring your target and precisely positioning yourself until you get close to it.A co-orbiting ASAT simply moves in and either hits the target or explodes next to it.Beam WeaponsBoth antiballistic missiles and co-orbiting antisatellite weapons use kinetic attacks that apply physical force to disable or destroy a satellite. They are far from the only options in the counter-space arsenal.Nonkinetic approaches were studied intensively since the early 1960s and then revived during President Ronald Reagans Strategic Defense kampagne in the 1980s. They seek to disable or destroy vital componen ts or sensors with lasers, particle beams, or high-powered microwaves, either from space or ground stations. Such methods are difficult, expensive, and require great amounts of power, but the United States and other nations have tested them.A more subtleand perhaps more deniablenonkinetic approach might involve electronic warfare. This might range from such time-honored techniques as jamming or spoofing an adversarys satellite communications to cyberwarfare that targets computer systems that control satellites or process their data.Recommended for You Help Wanted Aerospace Engineering JobsNonkinetic weapons also avoid orbital debris. The 2007 Chinese test, for example, produced a rapidly moving cloud of thousands of razor-sharp fragments in a highly-traveled high orbital zone. Those fragments will remain in orbit for decades before decaying and burning up in Earths atmosphere. The Indian government claims its recent test created less debris in a lower orbit that will burn up faster, but it is still high enough to possibly threaten the International Space Station and its crew.Even random orbital debris created unintentionally from decades of space activities is a danger, especially with no available means of cleaning it all up. Intentionally adding to it with kinetic weapons would only make the situation worse and endanger an aggressors own satellites. Military and commercial surveillance satellites, such as the WorldView-4, make potential targets for space weapons. Image Lockheed Martin So far, only the United States, Russia, China, and now India have demonstrated any sort of viable anti-satellite capabilities. The United States maintains a firmbut by no means unchallengedtechnological lead, thanks to its commanding advantage in sensors to detect, acquire, and home in on targets, MITs Postol said.Take, for example, light sensors. Antisatellite systems that rely on visible light cannot attack in the dark, a big problem when satellites spend half their time in Earths shadow. U.S. engineers have developed mercury-cadmium-telluride arrays and other advanced devices, which they can tune precisely to detect specific infrared wavelengths.Its very closely guarded technology that allows you to home in at long range with an interceptor, Postol said. You cant use radar because you cant put a giant radar on top of a small interceptor. So it must be something like an infrared homing device.Such technologies no doubt fuel U.S. military dreams of space superiority or counter-space dominance. Judging by their own publications and statements, Russian and Chinese strategists clearly share such reveries. Nascent space powers like India and North Korea may do so as well. Yet technology advantages often prove fleeting. After all, the U.S. military once had an exclusive hold on atomic weapons, jet aircraft, ICBMs, semiconductors, cyberwarfare, and artificial intelligence. It may still lead in those fields, but it is clearly no longer alone.Besi des, space, by its very nature, will be hard to transform into just another theater of military operations.The most important thing to keep in mind about space is that its a commons, said Martin Nonproliferation Centers Lewis. Space, he explained, is a shared domain. Land can be fenced in and guarded and shorelines, sea lanes, and airspace patrolled. But space has no natural boundaries or regions that can be marked off and claimed by anyone. Any orbiting object can move anywhere. The space debris issue underscores this commonality and the need for a common approach.We need the cooperation of all spacefaring countries to reduce the amount of debris and to help mitigate it, Lewis said. The biggest threat to satellites right now is getting hit by a piece of debris. We cant use threats of force to deter countries from creating debris, we actually have to actively engage with them.The commons of space also creates another show-stopper Theres no place to hide.Satellites are easy to attack , Postol said. Theyre in known orbits, so acquiring them with a visible light sensor is doable, although you may have to be restricted when you can attack them.But to defend them is essentially not possible for all practical purposes. The obvious ways you defend things is to use armor, which is not viable because it costs so much to lift anything into space, Postol said.Nor is it easy to evade an attack If you have a satellite thats important, its lifetime in space is usually determined by the fuel it carries, Postol said. You need propellant to keep an orbit from decaying. And if you have to expend that propellant trying to evade attacking interceptors, your satellite is going to become useless very fast.Even the United States, which boasts the worlds most sophisticated space surveillance and tracking capabilities, cannot get around such problems.The U.S. has the advantage of the best sensors that modern engineering can produce, which work near the limits of what science says can h appen, Postol said. We also have a lot of allies who let us put facilities on their soil so we can track things. We get to look at things from all different locations, using different kinds of sensors. So were in a much better position to know were under attack if things get bad. But we cant do much about it.The Union of Concerned Scientists agrees. As it observed, No foreseeable space-based technologies would allow one country to prevent another from deploying space weapons or would allow it to reliably protect its satellites.CooperationThats why Postol claims anyone with two neurons to rub together would support the grenzberschreitend effort to make space a sanctuary against weapons.In fact, efforts to keep space a weapons-free zone dates back to the Outer Space Treaty of 1967. Among other things, it prohibited weapons of mass destruction and the establishment of military bases in space or on any celestial body.Yetperhaps because there were so few orbital targets in 1967the treaty permitted conventional weapons, such as antisatellite weapons. Subsequent arms control treaties, such as SALT and START, forbade interference with surveillance satellites used for treaty verification, but did not cover communications and global positioning satellites.Plugging such loopholes will require new diplomatic efforts to address space infrastructure issues that barely existed decades ago. New treaties may limit space weapons, but they will also have to improve international cooperation.When people start the conversation about protecting space assets by assuming that the main threat is someone attacking them, theyre missing 90 percent of the problem, Lewis said.There are all kinds of real challengesallocating slots for communications satellites in geostationary orbit, deconflicting frequencies so that they dont inadvertently jam one another, and mitigating debristhat require cooperation.Postol argues that any agreement could be verified The United States is certainly in a po sition to provide the data. You can have a treaty regime that is very solid and all of the countries involved have a big incentive to follow it.Yet todays international climate seems less welcoming for intensive diplomatic negotiations and new international treaties. Some organizations, such as the Stimson Center and the Union of Concerned Scientists, have drafted codes of conduct and proposals for spacefaring nations to avoid space conflict. Even if nations adopt them, they do not carry the same force as a binding treaty.As the technologies of space warfare continue to become ever more sophisticated, the Earth seems trapped in a slow spiral of escalation toward open conflict in space. In some ways, it seems like a rerun of the Cold War, but with more players and less predictability. In this realm of move and countermove, Indias recent antisatellite exercise is merely the latest symptom.We need to do everything we can to reduce the fear that were going to use these weapons against o ther countries satellites, because that fear is whats generating a reaction, Postol asserted. This is nuclear deterrence without the nuclear weapons.Mark Wolverton is a freelance science writer and author of Burning the Sky Operation Argus and the Untold Story of the Cold War Nuclear Tests in Outer Space.You May Like Navy Sails into Supply Chain with Metal 3D Printing

Starbucks barista rebels against the Unicorn Frappuccino

Starbucks barista rebels against the Unicorn FrappuccinoStarbucks barista rebels against the Unicorn FrappuccinoMost people like a little variety in the workday. Weve all had the moment when repetitive work tasks threaten to drive us out of our minds, whether its inputting information into spreadsheets or.making elaborate multicolored sugary drinks.That was Braden Bursons day. The barista had it with the high demand for the limited-edition Starbucks Unicorn Frappuccino, which ignited aa social media frenzy. As crowds of people kept flocking to the rainbow drink, Burson tweeted a video rant so energetic, so scathing, that it quickly went nearly as viral as the drink.Then he deleted it.https//twitter.com/iambburson/status/854819758272790528Then he reposted it.https//twitter.com/iambburson/status/855148171214901248Please dont get it I have never made so many Frappuccinos in my entire life. My hands are completely sticky. I have unicorn crap all in my hair and on my nose. I have never be en so stressed out in my entire life, Burson said.And he wasnt alone.Managing the Unicorn Frappuccino rush is a tough jobIts easy to see why the drink struck such a chord its visual appeal makes it perfect for social media and it doesnt hurt that the lively marketing copy evokes fairy tales the flavor-changing, color-changing, totally not-made-up Unicorn Frappuccino. Magical flavors start off sweet and fruity transforming to pleasantly sour. Swirl it to reveal a color-changing spectacle of purple and pink. Its finished with whipped cream-sprinkled pink and blue fairy powders.The unicorn-themed drink is Starbucks entry into the multicolored novelty food trend.Rainbow bagels, unicorn toast andmermaid toastare the most popular manifestations - as well as rainbow bowls that are popular on Instagram didnt start yesterday.The Washington Post reported in 2016 that self-proclaimed world premier bagel akrobat Scot Rossillo has been making the rainbow bagel for almost two decades.Luckily for Burson, customers can only grab oneuntil April 23- but if you want a taste, youd better hurry because its only available while supplies last in certain stores.Starbucks said in a statement that its getting in contact with Burson to talk about his experience and how to make it better,according to ABC.What to do when youre frustrated with workWeve all had workdays that make us want to disappear, but if you find yourself in a toughsituation in the officesoon,you have options that stop short of creating viral video.Dont ventHaving social media evidence of your work anger is never positive, which is probably why Burson deleted his tweet. (Then, strangely, reposted).Rather than deleting, ranting on camera in the first place is inadvisable. Believe it or not, complaining when something goes wrong could actually worsen your mood.The study referenced in the article from the European Journal of Work and Organizational Psychologysaid that the results of this research provided evidence that n egative work events can impede daily work engagement and positive affect.So you might want to avoid going off on a bad day- your performance and mood couldsuffer.Focus on what you can controlAlison Greens articlefor U.S. News World Report points some out, like distractions- electronic or otherwise, sleep, complaining, who you associate yourself with at work and your approach to work.But for everything thats not in your power, like your managers mood, consider doing your best to keep your spirits up by adjusting accordingly when challenging tasks come your way, or when someone says something that throws you off.Talk to your manager to see if you can improve your workloadAlert your boss if the amount of work you have to get done is so overwhelming that you find it hard to focus or prioritize assignments.We know that sounds hard. Productivity expert Julie Morgenstern told the Harvard geschftlicher umgang Review about two reasons why this isnt always easy.In the bottom of your belly is this feeling that if you cant handle the work, theres someone else who can you feel dispensable, she said. The other reason is because the natural tendency is to think, I am not working hard enough, smart enough, or efficiently enough. I should be able to handle this. So you suffer in silence, Morgenstern told the Harvard Business Review.But you dont have to.Morgenstern added why doing this could be in your favor. Bosses want their employees to speak up if there is anything thats keeping them from performing at peak levels, shetold the Harvard Business Review.You have the power to turn things around whenthings dont go your way in the office, though. And getting a little slack it may even make you better at your job.

Customize this Outstanding Secretary Resume Sample

Customize this Outstanding Secretary Resume SampleCustomize this Outstanding Secretary Resume SampleCreate Resume Objective To get a position as Secretary and to gain further experience in this field.Experience SummaryHandled various secretarial tasks with efficiencyIntroduced work process that improved productivityShowed diligence in handling sensitive tasksProfessional ExperienceSecretary, July 20XX to PresentABC Computer Hardware, IllinoisHandled customer queries, correspondence and phone requestsPlaced order for office supplies and office equipmentMaintained customer database and supervised condition of regularly used office equipmentRecorded customer details, order details and supervised delivery of hardware to customersReceptionist, July 20XX to achter monat des jahres 20XXOcean Shipping Inc, IllinoisHandled phone calls and enquiriesScheduled appointments with clientsMaintained daily employee time sheetEducation20XX 20XX Haddows Secretarial Course, IllinoisCompleted a Compreh ensive Secretarial CourseSkillsFast TypingKnowledge in using Word and Excel. Able to quickly learn new software packagesReferencesFurnished upon requestCustomize Resume

Companies lowering bar on degree, experience requirements

Companies lowering bar on degree, experience requirementsCompanies lowering bar on degree, experience requirementsIn the past, job seekers have faced the frustrating conundrum of needing a job in order to get experience, and needing experience in order to get the job. Well, not as much anymore.For job seekers today in America, the odds are in your favor. In a strong labor market, more companies are dropping their exhaustive requirements and are welcoming candidates with no experience necessary, according to a recent Wall Street Journalreport, which citedBurning Glass Technologies analysis of 29 1000000 job postings.More employers lowering expectationsYou no longer may need a college degree to get ahead in your career. The Journal cited Burning Glass analysis of 15 million ads on Indeed and Craigslist, which found that the number of job listings asking for a college degree has fallen to 30% from 32% in 2017. One million more jobs, such as being a preschool teacher, warehouse worker, o r e-commerce analyst, have opened up to candidates with no experience necessary in the last year. The report found that companies like Bank of America and toy makerHasbrohave lowered college requirements of what they are looking for in target candidates.Why are standards being relaxed? In a strong economy, job seekers are the ones who can get to be choosy about their next job. As Amy Glaser, senior vice president of staffing agency Adecco Group, told the Journal,If a company requires a degree, two rounds of interviews and a test for hard skills, candidates can go down the street to another employer who will make them an offer that day.After the 2008 recession where unemployment was high and desperate candidates were plentiful, employers could be strict about who they chose to hire. Now, job hunting behaviors are showing that employees are now the ones with the upper hand. More job seekers are ghosting employers after interviews, confident that they can rudely disappear without notic e at one job to get another job. More employees are also quitting their jobs, confident that they could find a new one. Workers in May have quit their jobs at thefastest ratesince 2001, according to the Labor Department.

The Indisputable Reality About What to Put on Your Resume That No One Is Sharing With You

The Indisputable Reality About What to Put on Your Resume That No One Is Sharing With You Following are some common personal interests you might look at adding to your resume. Even when youre pursuing different forms of jobs, your Profile should have a sensible match for every one of your targets. The aim is to offer an employer with your basic particulars and qualifications, enough to pique his interest and receive an interview. Finding work in your industry will begin to fill in the information. Putting a resume together is easy and just takes a couple of minutes. Note that there might be circumstances when including some of these information demonstrates that youre a great fit for the job. Thus, theres no need to attempt to build one resume profile or write a single profile title that fits every fleck you wish to submit an application for. List the duties you performed that are definitely the most significant to the sort of work youre in search of. All they need to do is s earch certain abilities or keywords in addition to a location. So, when you submit an application for work in Greece, the united kingdom, or Denmark, your prospective employer will ask you for a CV. To put it differently, if youre serious about a business, look for a referral. Ask in case you have any questions regarding the organization and the role they are offering you. If you mention the businesss name, make sure you receive it right. There are several simple dos and donts that it is possible to implement in the resume process that may earn a big difference in the accomplishment of your resume leading to interviews. As a way to not be taken lightly, you must tailor your FB page all around your work versus your private life. Utilizing a resume creator to construct a thorough and eye-catching resume is an excellent way to entice a possible employer. You also need to do a little bit of weight lifting so you shall be in a position to come up with muscle strength at the identi cal moment. How to Choose What to Put on Your Resume The burning question in regards to the majority of resumes is the best way to make yours stand out from the rest. As a significant job seeker, you will need a professional resume. An additional way you might receive a job which demands plenty of experience is to work at an entry level position for a minumum of one year. Make certain that the words they use to spell out the job or the requirement appear on your resume. You will need to specify because many keywords as possible to construct a good base of information which matches the sorts of jobs youre pursuing. You must always tailor your resume to coincide with the data in the work description. Resumes are an overview of the main data, said Debra Feldman, a work search expert called the JobWhiz. The more keywords you have to coincide with the corporations keyword search the much better odds your resume will be looked at. In case the work description mentions additio nal abilities and abilities, then its always recommended to set a couple of them in the appropriate section of your resume. Placing your resume in the current on-line job markets isnt a troublesome undertaking. Understanding how to tailor your resume will obviously offer you an advantage. Writing a resume for employment in the art industry can be difficult. When youve looked at several such ads within your intended business, it is going to become more and more clear what hiring managers are looking for (regarding job skills). If youre looking out for management jobs, make sure you reveal your eagerness to learn how to lead. Transportation jobs involve a great absprache of responsibility and your resume will want to reflect you can take care of that. If youre attempting to acquire work in accounting or finance you require averystrong resume. The Appeal of What to Put on Your Resume Most standard resume formats incorporate a skill section at or close to the bottom of the resum e. Also, make sure that your file is no greater than 5 MB in proportion. Whatever resume format you choose to use, be positive your format remains consistent throughout the document. Creating several different resume versions will also permit you to put resume headlines and taglines at the peak of your document--increasing your resumes appeal to the correct audience.

One of the Most Ignored Systems for Get Help Writing a Resume

One of the Most Ignored Systems for Get Help Writing a Resume Heres What I Know About Get Help Writing a Resume Deciding upon the correct service for your resume needs is critical in ensuring that you get the outcomes youre looking for. Even though there are amazing resources of resume templates over the web, they dont guarantee the invention of a powerful resume. The easy-to-use on-line tool makes it quick and hassle-free to produce your very own personalized perfect resume. When you would like to find the best resume help, youre able to simply follow our lead. Thus, when you place an order on the site, you get a high-quality resume which includes all expert info about you necessary to acquire the job that you desire. If youre in need of resume writing help, you may always look angeschlossen for help or in the local classifieds. Moreover, additionally, it provides you with a clearer idea of how information flows from 1 section to another. You require assistance with making a resume. Get Help Writing a Resume Can Be Fun for Everyone An excellent curriculum vitae is specific with you, and the use of a template is not advised. Therefore one must look for certified writers to manage their resumes. You should know what information to include and what things to rule out. Use the checklist to ensure you have included all appropriate data in your resume. The Fight Against Get Help Writing a Resume Each resume builder has its very own specific style, and should you use it correctly, each can be helpful. If you get an enormous educational background, but not much work experience, for example, then you ought to start to your educational background. Even if youre not trying to find a new job its advisable to keep your resume updated because you cant ever know when the ideal opportunity will come up. Your resume will wind up in an ATS sooner or later, even when you have networked your way through personal contacts within the corporation.

FlexJobs on Pinterest Easy Breakfast Idea for Busy Mornings - FlexJobs

FlexJobs on Pinterest Easy Breakfast Idea for Busy Mornings - FlexJobs on Pinterest Easy Breakfast Idea for Busy Mornings -48we love Pinterest. We created a Pinterest page to pin pictures for job search and career inspirationand weve received a fantastic response and lots of followers. But weve also found that Pinterest is useful for all those little intersections between work and life that were trying to balance. Anything to make the workday morning rush go a little smootzu sich, or the commute home a little more comfortable, or the home office that much more functional Pinterest is chock full of those ideas.To see what posts to Pinterest for job search and career inspiration, check out our 22 pinboards, with pins likeCareer SatisfactionStay Safe Avoid Job ScamsResume Tips TricksJob Search InspirationHome Office Design TechNot a member of Pinterest? Were happy to send you an invite Simply leave a comment on this blog and well e-mail you an invitation. Its totally free, you just need a current member to invite you in order to participateFor example, heres what happened when social media manager thats me found an easy-to-make breakfast idea on Pinterest. Im one of those people who could care less about her morning coffee, but cant function without her morning breakfast. Having eaten Cheerios one too many times, I went to Pinterest for easy-to-make, make-ahead breakfast ideas that would pack a nutritional and flavorful punch without a large investment of time or resources. Ask and ye shall receiveKeep reading for an excellent breakfast ideaMake-Ahead Breakfast Eggs to eat alone, or in an English muffin breakfast sandwich, or to add to salads for lunchIngredients1 dozen eggsSalt, pepper to tastespinachbaconany toppings youd likeMethodPreheat the oven to 350Grease cups of 12-cup muffin panCrack one egg into each muffin cupSprinkle with salt and pepperSlip a spinach leaf into each cup, into the egg whites, careful not to break the yolksAdd pre-cooked bacon sl ices on topBake for 15 minutes or until whites are firm (ooey, gooey, but not runny, yolks)Store in container or plastic resealable bag for up to one week

How My Liberal Arts Degree Paved the Way for a Consulting Career

How My Liberal Arts Degree Paved the Way for a Consulting CareerHow My Liberal Arts Degree Paved the Way for a Consulting CareerAs recruiting season kicks off, I remember back to two years ago when I welches just beginning the interview process as a Dartmouth senior. Studying for a degree in History and Geography, I had enjoyed my liberal arts coursework, but welches interested in pursuing a consulting career post-graduation. I wanted to quickly gain a variety of business skills and get broad exposure to several different industries rather than committing to one before knowing what I was actually passionate about. While I had the interest, I still questioned if I had the appropriate background and wasnt sure how Id stack up against other candidates who may have had more fitting finance and economics majors. Now, a year after joining L.E.K. Consulting, I realize that many of my colleagues come from non-traditional backgrounds like my own and that L.E.K. actively tries to bring a var iety of experiences to the table. When I was a student, I worried about being behind on accounting and finance. However, L.E.K. training assuaged those fears and adequately prepared me for my consulting responsibilities. And the allocations department that assigns you to new cases is well aware of your background, strengths and development needs and considers all of those factors when staffing you.Here are a few suggestions about what to expect and how to best navigate through the process. These items are fairly straightforward and common-sense, yet good to keep in mind.Making Your Liberal Arts Skills Stand OutOne key during the recruiting process is to use your liberal arts background to differentiate yourself, and also to illustrate how your diverse skills would add value in the Associate role.First, its simple. Read the job description thoroughly. What combination of qualities is the company looking for? What are they emphasizing? Take time to see where your experiences and acti vities fit with those skills. If its writing a thesis or completing a senior seminar, explain how your research, synthesis and analysis, and eventual delivery of your results via presentation or report would translate well to a L.E.K. case.An interviewer often gives you the chance to walk them through your resume. Use the time talking about your background to explain how your coursework and experience have prepared you for the Associate job. They probably have already skimmed your resume, so theres really no need to repeat it verbatim. In my interviews, I stressed how my experience with research papers and group projects equipped me well for the role. Searching extensively for the best sources, subsequently analyzing large amounts of information, and iterating applied well to the jobs responsibilities. Additionally, I had honed strong communications and presentation skills through the saatkorn activities and classes, learning how to effectively deliver my findings and opinions. Fina lly, I described how my discussion-based senior seminars gave me experience interacting in small group environments and creatively attacking issues from many different viewpoints and disciplines. Finally, be prepared for the why consulting? or why business? question. Dont be afraid to acknowledge your relative lack of business training, but be able to articulate why you are interested in business and why you might not have yet pursued such a track. For instance, on my resume, I highlighted how I had taken advantage of the opportunities to take business courses as electives outside of my degree requirements. I also spoke about how my extracurriculars such as Women in Business and prior internships prepared me for such a role and demonstrated my interest in the business world. So, dont hesitate to apply because of your liberal arts background, and send any additional questions to the L.E.K. Advisor. We look forward to hearing from you this fallEmily R., L.E.K. Consulting This post was adapted from L.E.K. Consultings L.E.K. Advisor blog, which is an interactive resource for undergraduate, MBA and PhD candidates interested in pursuing a career in management consulting. The L.E.K. Advisor acts as a voice for the L.E.K. brand and also features contributions from L.E.K. employees who share their real-world perspectives about the management consulting industry and life inside L.E.K. Check it out at http//ask.lek.com/. To learn more about the firm, also check out Vaults L.E.K. Consulting profile.

How to Beat Big Job Application Systems - FlexJobs

How to Beat Big Job Application Systems - FlexJobsHow to Beat Big Job Application Systems -00Are you curious how to beat big job application ordnungsprinzips? How many times have you submitted your resume and cover letter into the black-hole that is a giant job application system? Do big job application systems withnames like Brassring and Taleo ring a bell? You go through each required field, every page in their process, and hit submit. And then you wait. And wait. And most of the time, wait some more. And nine times out of 10, youll never hear back (thats a real statistic, according to a survey by the nonprofit Talent Board, which found only one in 10 employers respond to every job candidate.). Is there any way to beat big job application systems? To make sure your application reaches a menschenwrdig being? Or increase your chances of getting a response? Thankfully, yes We spoke to a number of human resource professionals and other experts to get their insider tips for how to beat job application systems. Read on6 tips on how to beat big job application systems1) Change your resumes content for each job. Use the job description to determine the key words and phrases for the job, and then rework your resume to make sure that every keyword which matches you is included. Keywords in your resume should be natural and related to the work you have done. If the words are in your resume, they will come up in a search, says Tiffani Murray, a human resources technology consultant with Personality on a Page and former manager of HR Technology at Coca-Cola.But, Murray warns, I dont advise my resume clients to pad their resume with keywords. While this may help you come up in search results, if you have not actually performed the activities related to the keywords you may still not be called or be easily eliminated after a phone screen. So make sure that any keywords youre adding to your resume accurately reflect your skills and experience. Matching your resume to each jo b is an excellent tip to beat big job application systems.2) Be the first to apply. Or at least, one of the very first. Through job alerts and daily emails on job search websites ( has them), set yourself to be notified as soon as a new job is posted. This may be easier said than done, but it is a goodway tobe successful when dealing with big job application systems.Recruiters will act just as we all do when we search with Google or another search engine we stop looking as soon as we find what we need. There may be other, more qualified candidates back on page 5,6,7,10, but well never know, says Mauri Schwartz, a career management consultant for Career Insiders. Make sure your resume is one of the few that actually gets looked at by applying as soon as possible.3) Fill out every applicable text box. It can be tedious, but filling out every text box with your application increases your searchable content and can help get you through the application system and in front of the eyes of a human. If you want to successfully work within thebig job application systems Make sure that you dont simply attach your resume, but also paste the information in the summary boxes, says Melissa Anzman, human resources professional and the president of Loosen Your White Collar.4) Format your resume so a computer system can read it. If you have a fancy, gorgeous looking resume, by all means, mail it into the company. But use a simple resume to apply through application tracking systems (ATS). Kat Krull, Associate Marketing Manager of Resunate, a resume optimization tool, has ansicht formatting tipsGet rid of graphics and special characters. The ATS is breaking down your information and sorting it into different categories, and it wont be able to understand these when parsing your info.Choose web-safe fonts like Arial, Georgia, Impact, and Tahoma.Make your skills section as comprehensive as possible. Most employers use their ATS to search by technical or specialized skills. Spell o ut skills and also include industry-specific abbreviations or acronyms.Avoid spelling errors. The ATS will miss an important keyword if youve misspelled it5) Combine online applications systems and your professional network. When a position does appear online, reach out to your networking contact at that company. Let them know you applied online and ask them if they would forward your resume and cover letter to the hiring manager, recommends Lynne Sarikas, Executive Director of the MBA Career Center at Northeastern University.Sarikas also urges job seekers to apply online when dealing with big job application systems even if theyve passed their resume to a trusted networking contact. Many companies dont allow managers to talk to candidates who are not in the system. Keep your contact posted on your progress through the system and be sure to say thank you.6) Understand the odds. Even if your submission to a job application system is perfect, youre still probably one of hundreds of c andidates 300 to 600, according to Mauri Schwartz of Career Insiders. Because of the odds, its important to diversify your job search efforts. Here are some ideas on how you can maximize your job search efforts overall when dealing with big job application systemsFor online job searching, use both large and smaller, niche job boards to find leads.Go directly to company websites to see their openings.Join networking groups and use websites like LinkedIn to stay in touch with your network and find out about job leads through them.Consider freelancing or consulting in your field to both find work AND network for full-time job possibilities.Use social media to connect with people and learn about job opportunities at differently sized companiesWhat are your experiences with big job application systems? Have you had success applying through them? Or would you rather use other job search tactics to land a position? Leave your thoughts below