Heres how to write an email to a potential employer

Heres how to write an email to a potential employerHeres how to write an email to a potential employerEveryone knows first impressions can be hard to shake.When you email a potential employer, youve got one shot to convince them that youre smart, competent, ambitious, and exactly whats missing from their company. (But no pressure.)Its easier than it seems - as long as you follow certain etiquette and avoid the most common mistakes that modern job-seekers make.We consulted Amanda Augustine, career advice expert for TopResume, about how to send a clear and compelling glaubenszeugnis to a company youre dying to work for. Read on for 10 tips that will get you one step closer to your dream job.Write a clear subject lineAugustine advised against getting catchy with subject lines. Instead, make it obvious that youre submitting a job application.If there are no specific directions in the job posting, something as simple as, Application for Strategy Reporter (ID 12345) Shana Lebowitz should work.However, if youre cold emailing a potential employer, you should get a bit more creative in your subject line.Talk about the value you can provide - for example, would love to share my ideas on increasing sales team productivity. Consider what the person youre emailing cares about and why she would want to read your message.The worst thing you could do is put, Dear Madam or Dear Sir as your opening, Augustine said, because it shows you didnt put any effort into researching the right person.You can do some sleuth work on LinkedIn and find out the name of the company recruiter or hiring manager who originally posted the job. If that doesnt work, you can leverage your network - do you know anyone who works there? - and find out who the appropriate addressee is.In the rare case that the job is anonymously posted, you can say, Dear HR Professional or Dear Hiring Manager.Talk about what you can provide the employerKeep in mind, Augustine said, that the employer is the target audie nce. So think about what type of value youre offering them, as opposed to the other way around.In the body of your email, mention exactly what you can do for the employer and what youve learned about that company.Show some passionLet the company know how excited you are about the chance to work there.In an email, Augustine explained Were you inspired to apply for this job after attending an event where a company representative spoke, or after you saw an interview with the CEO? Work this information into the first part of your message to demonstrate your genuine passion for the business.Youll have a leg up over equally qualified candidates who dont seem as enthused about the job.Customize the email to the individual employerAugustine said its important to tailor your message to each individual job and company.The more you talk about their specific needs and how your skill set does make you a really good solution to those needs, the more likely your message is to be read.And it might sound obvious, but make sure you include the name of the correct company in your email, especially if youre emailing multiple employers at once.Oftentimes that can put you out of the running, Augustine said. Employers are looking for reasons to get rid of those applications.Name-drop carefullyAugustine recommends mentioning if youve previously worked for one of the companys competitors or any of their current clients, for example.It tells the reader that you understand the work theyre doing and could add immediate value with little ramp-up time, which is always a great selling point, she said in an email.That said, you dont need to mention that one time you met a famous person in the industry and hit it off. A 2009 paper from researchers at the University of Zurich found that name-dropping makes people seem less likeable and less competent.Leverage your network when possibleIf you know someone who works at the company and is thriving, mention this person in your cover letter, August ine said in an email.You can either explain that the person recommended you apply for the position or told you what its like to work at the company.Augustine also suggests asking your contact to send a copy of your application directly to the hiring manager. According to a Glassdoor study, your chances of getting hired are up to 6.6% higher if you were referred by a current employee than if you werent.Dont copy and paste your resumeAugustine recommended not cutting and pasting your resume into the body of the email because the formatting ends up atrocious.Instead, you should either attach a document or provide a link to a Google Doc. (You can hyperlink a few words so that you dont end up with a long string of letters and numbers.) If you choose to submit a Google Doc, make sure you select the view only option for the employer.The sooner you get your job application in, the better, Augustine said.In general, youll want to submit it within 72 hours of the posting going up, because emp loyers start to get inundated with applications after that and might not even open yours.Follow up promptlyAugustine recommends including a sentence in your email that says, I will follow up with you on whatever date once youve had time to review my application.She advises planning to follow up one week after you send the application or, if theres a close date on the job posting, planning to follow up a week after that. Make sure you mark the date on your calendar, so you dont say youre going to follow up and then forget.Shana is a strategy reporter for Business Insider. Before joining Business Insider in April 2015, she covered mental health for Greatist and personal finance for LearnVest.This post was originally published on BusinessInsider.com.

Satisfaction of Mortgage FAQ - United States

Satisfaction of Mortgage FAQ - United StatesSatisfaction of Mortgage FAQ - United StatesWho is the Mortgagor?The Mortgagor is the individual or entity that borrowed the money to purchase the property.Who is the Mortgagee?The Mortgagee is the individual or entity that lent the money to the Mortgagor. (e.g., the bank.)What is a notary public?A Notary Public is a state-appointed official who is authorized to authenticate certain legal documents, such as declarations, acknowledgments, deeds, mortgages, and other contracts. Most real estate deeds are notarized by attorneys.What is the consideration?The consideration entered on a deed document should be the actual value paid by the Grantee to the Grantor in monetary terms. If no consideration is being provided, such as in the case of a gift, then 10.00 can be entered as the standard consideration.What is the County Recorders Office?This sekretariat is referred to by different names in different states, such as Countys Office, Register of D eeds, or Land Registry Office. It is where documents relating to real property are registered.Where can I obtain the legal description of my property?You should be able to obtain the complete legal description of your property from the County Recorders Office by providing your municipal address or tax parcel number.What is the tax parcel number or parcel identification and how do I find out what the specific number is for my property?This number is a 10-12 digit number that identifies ownership and assessed values of property for taxation purposes. The number can be obtained from your Tax Statement, Revaluation Notice, or Personal Property Listing Form.Why is there a large margin at the top of property related documents?The County Recorder who will file the document requires a 2-3 inch margin at the top of the document so that they can affix a stamp, filing number or some other form of information to help identify and record the document. Do not write in this space.Can I get my docu ment notarized in a different state than where the land is located?Most states recognize notarization of land transfers by officials from other states, but you should contact the County Clerks Office where the land is located to be sure that they will allow the document to be notarized in another state. Our documents allow for inter-state notarization by enabling you to select in which state you will have it notarized, regardless of the drehort of the property.What do I do with the Satisfaction of Mortgage after it has been signed by the Mortgagee and a Notary Public?After the document is signed and notarized, it should be filed at the land records office in the county where the property is located. This office is referred to by different names in different states, but is usually called the County Clerks Office, County Recorders Office, Register of Deeds, or Land Registry Office.Do I need to have witnesses when I sign a deed?Currently, only Arkansas, Georgia, Michigan, Ohio, South C arolina, and Vermont require that witnesses sign deeds in addition to a notary public in order for deeds to be valid. However, in some states, specific counties require that deeds be witnessed. You should check with your local county recorders office to determine if witnesses are required.How is a Deed of Reconveyance different from a Satisfaction of Mortgage?A Deed of Reconveyance is a document which transfers title in the property back to the borrower from the Trustee and it is used to acknowledge that the borrower has fully paid what he or she owed under a Deed of Trust. A Satisfaction of Mortgage is used to acknowledge the same of a Mortgage agreement. A Satisfaction of Mortgage is a document signed by a mortgagee acknowledging that a mortgage has been fully paid and that the mortgage is no longer a lien on the property. In order to clear the title to the real property owned by the mortgagor, the Satisfaction of Mortgage document must be recorded with the County Recorder or Reco rder of Deeds. If the mortgagee fails to record a satisfaction within the platzset time limits, the mortgagee may be responsible for damages set out by statute. In essence, the Deed of Reconveyance and Satisfaction of Mortgage both serve the same function, which is to show that the borrower has repaid the loan fully and that the lender has no further interest in the property.What happens when no Satisfaction of Mortgage is recorded?If a purchaser of property pays off the entire debt that he or she owes under a mortgage but no Satisfaction of Mortgage is recorded, then the lien will still be registered against the against the property. In most states, there will be a penalty for the Mortgagee if a Satisfaction of Mortgage is not filed within a reasonable time upon the full payment of the mortgage debt. Even if done later than the statutory required time period, the Mortgagee should still try to prepare a Satisfaction of Mortgage and have it registered once the debt has been paid.

France banning smartphones in schools. Will companies follow

France banning smart phones in schools. Will companies followFrance banning smartphones in schools. Will companies followThis upcoming academic school year, children in France will have to leave their phones behind when they go to class. On Monday, French lawmakersvoted to ban smartphones in schools for schoolchildren up to 15 years old.With the ban, schoolchildren must turn off or leave behind their smartphones and other connected devices when they go to school, although exceptions can be made for pedagogical use, and students with special needs.Back when the idea of the ban was first introduced, Frances education minister Jean-Michel Blanquer said that it would be a public health message to families, saying Its good that children are not too often, or even at all, in front of a screen before the age of seven.The cons of bringing your smartphone to workIs this a public health message mora employers should follow? Yes, a phone makes it easier than ever to connect with our colleagues and answer our work emails on the go. But there has been overwhelming evidence compiled about technologys distracting effect on our minds. Even if you are not leaving it at home, there is mental peace to be gained by putting your phone out of sight.A phones nearby presence distracts us, lowering our ability to reason and think clearly. And technology may help you write more quickly, but it may not help you remember what you wrote. Students who write longhand notes are able to retain more complex information than students typing notes on laptops, one study found.When our phones are not our constant companions, it is easier for us to concentrate.Whether you are a French student or a harried employee debating whether or not to take your phone into a meeting, your memory can improve when you limit your smartphone usage.

Secret Service Agent Career Profile

Secret tafelgeschirr Agent Career ProfileSecret Service Agent Career ProfileAnywhere the President of the United States goes, there they are. Watching, guarding, protecting. They are special agents, members of the United States Secret Service, one of the oldest federal law enforcement agencies in the country. Some of them are easy to spot, the men in black suits with solemn faces following every move the president makes. Others blend into the crowd, ready to take any action necessary to protect their charge. All of them are specially trained agents who have dedicated their careers in the service of their country. Job Functions and Work Environment of Secret Service Agents The United States Secret Service has a uniformed division as well as an investigative division. Special agents are members of the investigative division.Protective services is, of curse, the best known and most popularized function of the U.S. Secret Service special agent. Believe it or not, though, protection i s not the agencys first priority. In fact, the agency wasnt officially tasked with dignitary protection details until much later in its history. When it was established in 1865, the primary mission of the Secret Service was to safeguard the currency of the United States by investigating instances of counterfeiting.Its role has expanded since then to include enforcement and investigations into all manner of fraud, including computer, securities, telecommunications, and identity theft. In short, the Secret Service is tasked with protecting the payment systems and methods of the United States. In 1901, the Secret Service received its dual function of protection. Currently, special agents are tasked with providing protective services for presidents, vice presidents, the presidents immediate family, former presidents, and visiting dignitaries from other countries. The job of a secret service special agent often includes Conducting in-depth investigationsConducting extensive surveillanceR oute and event security planningReport writingExtensive and irregular travelUndercover work Unless specifically assigned to a permanent protection assignment, such as that of the president or vice president, special agents work throughout the United States to ensure our financial systems are safeguarded and free of fraud.However, any agent may be called at a moments notice to join a protection detail anywhere in the country. As a result, the job necessarily requires a significant amount of travel and irregular hours. Education And Skill Requirements for Secret Service Agents To be considered for appointment as a secret service agent, candidates must be at least 21 years of age, be a U.S. citizen and possess a bachelors degree. They must also have demonstrated high academic achievement by earning a GPA of between 3.0 and 4.0 or by being inducted into an honors society. Absent a high GPA, candidates may also qualify if they have prior relevant experience conducting investigations, i nterviewing suspects and arresting people suspected of crimes.Experience working a police officer will meet this requirement in most cases. Candidates for secret service jobs who hold a masters degree or with extensive relevant background experience may be hired at a higher pay grade, though the job functions remain the same upon appointment.Extensive relevant experience would include work as a detective or criminal investigator. Of course, in addition to the minimum requirements, candidates must be able to qualify for top secret military clearance.As a result, an extensive background check is required, including an in-depth lgendetektor exam. Upon appointment, candidates for special agent undergo an extensive 27-week training session, spending 10 weeks at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center in Glynco, Georgia for the Basic Criminal Investigator Training Program and then 17 weeks in Washington, D.C. for the Special Agent Basic Training Program. Job Growth and Salary Outlo ok Though the secret service is not expected to add positions, jobs will become available through natural attrition and retirements, meaning that opportunities will continue to exist for qualified candidates. Special agents are appointed at either the G7 or G9 pay level, and starting salary, including a 25 percent availability pay additive, will range from $54,000 to $94,000 annually depending on the initial duty station. Is a Career as a Secret Service Special Agent Right for You? The job of a secret service agent, at first glance, may seem exciting and interesting?and can provide a tremendous amount of diversity from day to day. Its not for everyone, though. Working as a special agent will require long hours in less-than-favorable conditions, and agents must make themselves available 24 hours a day, ready to go at a moments notice and prepared to be away from home for 30 days or longer at a stretch. If you think you can handle working under behauptung conditions, then the job of a secret service agent can be incredibly fun and rewarding. If you enjoy travel and spontaneityand have a desire to serve, a United States Secret Service special agent may be the perfect career path for you. Want to know more? Learn all about the many great federal law enforcement careers available to people looking for jobs in criminal justice and criminology.

Special ASME Journal Issue to Focus on Machine Learning Applic...

Special ASME Journal Issue to Focus on Machine Learning Applic... Special ASME Journal Issue to Focus on Machine Learning Applic... Special ASME Journal Issue to Focus on Machine Learning Applications in ManufacturingThe ASME Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering is currently accepting manuscripts for a special issue on machine learning applications in manufacturing. Authors who are interested in submitting a paper for the special issue, which is scheduled for publication in March 2020, should submit their papers electronically by July 1, 2019.Machine learning (ML) has recently become a power engine transforming various manufacturing research and applications. In the era of smart manufacturing and Industry 4.0, the abundance of smart sensors and industrial internet of things has made manufacturing systems a data-rich environment. ML techniques play a significant role in uncovering fine-grained complex production patterns and offering timely decision support in a wide range of applications including robotics and human-machine interaction, predictive maintenance, process optimization, task scheduling, quality improvement and security.While different ML techniques have been researched and deployed in manufacturing, many open challenges and questions still remain, from data understanding, data and knowledge representation, and data reasoning in ML to advanced topics such as predictive analytics, edge computing and cybersecurity.This special Issue aims to harvest the latest efforts in theoretical as well as experimental aspects of ML and their applications in manufacturing. Potential topics for papers include ML-based theoretical approaches for manufacturing, including ML for robotics and human-machine interaction, ML for predictive maintenance, quality control and process optimization, ML for tasks scheduling and supply chain management, and ML for sustainable manufacturing ML-based experimental case studies for smart manufacturing, including energy consumption modeling and optimization, advanced robotics (collaborative and adaptive robots), digital twin, leveraging ML for hybrid manufacturing (additive and subtractive manufacturing), and data acquisition for novel manufacturing processes novel ML algorithm design for manufacturing including approaches to extract manufacturing knowledge using ML techniques, calibration and validation of ML-based patterns and models, and novel deep learning architecture for manufacturing domain problems and creation and sharing of research data that supports ML applications in manufacturing.The editors for this special issue of the ASME Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering are Ying Liu, Cardiff University (U.K.), liuy81cardiff.ac.uk Bin He, Shanghai University (China), mehebinshu.edu.cn Mahesh Mani, Allegheny Science Technology (U.S.), mmanialleghenyst.com Anurag Purwar, Stony Brook University (U.S.), anurag.purwarstonybrook.edu and Rahul Rai, University at Buffalo SUNY (U.S.), rahulraibuffalo.edu.Papers should be submitted to the ASME Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering by July 1, 2019, through ASME Journals Connect. Authors who already have an account should log in as an author and select Submit Paper at the bottom of the page. Authors who dont have an account should select Create an Account and follow the step-by-step instructions. Authors should then choose Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering when they reach the Paper Submittal page and select Machine Learning Applications in Manufacturing from the dropdown menu.Authors should also email the journals editor, Prof. Satyandra K. Gupta, at guptaskusc.edu, to alert him that their papers are intended for the special issue. Early submission is highly encouraged. Papers submitted by July 1, 2019, will be reviewed in time for inclusion in the special issue. Papers received after that date may still be considered for the special issue, time and space permitting.For more information on the ASME Journal of Computing and Information Science in Engineering, visit https//journaltool.asme.org/home/JournalDescriptions.cfm?JournalID=3Journal=JCISE. To review the Information for Authors for the ASME Journal Program, visit www.asme.org/shop/journals/information-for-authors.

The Pain of Resume from Linkedin

The Pain of Resume from Linkedin Resume from Linkedin Ideas If youre a work seeker, applying for a job can be a difficult approach. Since you can observe thats a whole bunch of work. An excellent job is the secret to living a joyful life. Turning your fantasy job into a reality is the thing that makes me passionate and motivated to give premium resume writing that lands you the very best job in the shortest period of time. In some instances you could have a gap of a couple of months or more between leaving a job and receiving a new job. Welcome to one of the greatest investments you could ever make in your journey to finding your ideal job Lots of people dont like their present job or career. If it takes an excessive amount of time to read what precisely your role was, its unlikely individuals will read it whatsoever. The LinkedIn URL ought to go in the header along with the remainder of your contact info. You should finally have a print-ready page. You may sign up for on e at their site and start to explore what it has to offer you. Even in the event the website was superb. You have to be immediately reachable by a prospective employer wherever you might be. Some geschftliches miteinanderes will request a duplicate of your resume via email. Sadly, you could be proper. Free Your resume is absolutely free to produce and distribute, aside from the price of stamps (though you should be emailing yours). Resume from Linkedin - the Conspiracy The summary is just one of the most essential sections of your profile, as its a room to showcase your passion, enthusiasm, and above all, your history of results. The information here provides you better idea of the main skills you are able to highlight on your resume. Creating several different resume versions will also permit you to put resume headlines and taglines at the surface of your document--increasing your resumes appeal to the appropriate audience. LinkedIn is a superb method to network, market yourself, and catch the interest of possible employers. Show the business you can achieve higher outcome and take their brand to the next level. So creating a great profile is critical to being found for your next career prospect. Even when you arent sending people to your LinkedIn page, its likely to be among the initial results for anybody who Googles you to discover about your professional qualifications and experience. To make the most of Resume Assistant, you need simply to select your preferred role and industry. Job seekers contact me daily to make certain they obtain their career moving in the perfect direction. Even when youre pursuing different kinds of jobs, your Profile should have a fair match for every one of your objectives. The advice for LinkedIn is, naturally, the precise opposite. An interview is the proper time to provide such explanations. Resumes are an essential evil. The New Angle On Resume from Linkedin Just Released You must also make sure that youve got an expert photo and an excellent quantity of connections. Sensitive or internal company info, together with overly personal details, should never create the cut. From that point, the work description details can be pre-populated with a couple clicks, employing the ideal wording as determined by Resume Builders experts. Scannable resumes need specific page designs because computer scanners cannot read certain products. New Step by Step Roadmap for Resume from Linkedin Including a URL to a terrible LinkedIn profile will do more damage than good. You have the choice to customize you LinkedIn URL. If you own a profile on LinkedIn, take a peek at it now. Or all you have to do is click the word Profile itself. Whats Truly Happening with Resume from Linkedin LinkedIn does offer a quality that you might be acquainted with, Export to PDF, which does in reality ausfuhr your profile for a PDF. Resumes have a tendency to be somewhat restrictive because you comply with an ov erall format. Look for a job that you would want to submit an application for that has the LinkedIn easy apply option. One of the absolute most important tools for a work seeker is their LinkedIn profile. When you make an application for work, the employer might also take a look at your LinkedIn profile to find out more about you. If you are at present unemployed, underemployed, or simply seeking to modify jobs, I urge you to make a LinkedIn profile in case you havent already.

5 Questions for Your Next Video Interview - Spark Hire

5 Questions for Your Next Video Interview - Spark HireOne-way video interviews have a unique potential when it comes to interview questions. You see, one-way video interviews provide candidates with time to craft an answer before recording and submitting their video responses. Thus, you get a chance to see what a candidate can come up with when they put some time and thought into your questions. This helps test presentation skills, work ethic, and thoughtfulness. Here are some great video interview questions for your next one-way video interview (because you can always watch a candidate think on their feet in the live or in-person interview).Describe a time when you encountered a difficult situation at work, and how you helped resolve it.The first time I was asked this question, I wished I had more time to answer it. Most of us (I think) have a good example of this situation buried in the back of our brains. This question is great for a one-way video interview because youll get a bet ter story out of your candidates than if you tried to ask this on the fly. Youll actually get a more accurate answer.How will you identify problems and opportunities on the job?Like the previous question, this is a great video interview question to give candidates some time to answer. This one could even allow candidates some time to research a bit about your company. The success with which the candidates answer this question will give you some ideas about their level of interest in your company and position.List and rank the capabilities that you bring to this job.This is another video interview question that will net you more interesting answers with a one-way video interview. Allow candidates to really evaluate themselves, and apply that information to your specific businesss needs.Share an example of how you were able to motivate employees or co-workers.Like the question about a difficult situation, this is one that fruchtwein of us probably have a great answer to. But, we might have a hard time thinking of a good example on the fly.For any of these questions, could candidates make something up? Sure. However, you should always feel free to follow up on any one-way video interview answer in an in-person interview. Well also trust your ability to detect lies.How would you deal with X situation on this job?Finally, one-way video interviews are a great time to ask about specific duties for your open position. An employee would have time to think critically about his/her job. Give your candidates the same courtesy with this video interview question.Toss out other questions that work well for one-way video interviews in the comments

Paying Lip Service to Sustainability

Paying Lip Service to SustainabilityPaying Lip Service to SustainabilityLets face it.Even though notlagehing came out of Copenhagen, awareness of easily avoidable phrases like climate change, green careers, even green jobs became hugely Googled, SEO-ed, categorized and tweeted. So, with this new found green knowledge, how will we as employees, consumers and maybe more importantly, as decision-makers, inculcate sustainability in the workplace and bring it to the attention of the executive suite?The gemma Angeles Times on how eco-officers are moving into executive suites. Some companies, realizing the PR component that sustainability and all things green is beginning to carry, are appointing senior managers as sustainability/eco-friendly gurus. The article quotes a real estate, property management executive at CB Richard Ellis, who was promoted to the companys national director of sustainability. Hes quoted as saying, Im an outsider, a real estate guy trying to become an environmentali st. What is saving him, for now, is his belief in environmental change- a belief, that without monetary advantage could quickly vanish.Last year, I attended a CSR Practitioner Certification workshop conducted by the Center for Sustainability Excellences (CSE) on CSR strategy and reporting. My co-students there represented several industries and surprisingly many of them held senior management positions at their respective companies. I say surprising because knowledge of CSR principles and reporting tools remains significantly uncommon in the U.S. and their titles spoke of an overestimated understanding of the field. Ironically, maybe the heavy title they carried was responsible for their attendance.What this certified though was the beginning of a trend that companies were beginning to recognize the need for a sustainability officer, albeit for reputational purposes, and were pulling their executives on the basis of their management experience alone. Of course, theoretically for mo st roles, as long as you have management experience, the technical knowledge can be obtained. So why not with climate change and energy conservation?Late last year, I discussed this emerging trend, where I claimed that the diversity managers of the 1990s would inherit the formidable task of teaching, and leading, sustainability at their companies and that just like the executive suite pooh-poohed diversity two decades ago till it was threatening to land them in court, so will it be with the inculcation and reporting of CSR.Despite the emergence of these officers in the executive suite, the problem of ignorance remains. In a knee jerk reaction, we are instituting them as our green spokespersons but not demanding that they embed sustainability in the companys long term strategy and all operations. Until regulierung and stakeholders support us, achieving corporate social responsibility remains an elusive goal, titles notwithstanding.

This is the exact age when youll be the most optimistic

This is the exact age when youll be the fruchtwein optimisticThis is the exact age when youll be the most optimisticAnticipating the best possible outcome is something to strive for. But its bedrngnis always easy. At what age does optimism come most naturally? Science thinks they have the trajectory figured out and in fact, narrowed down to a specific age.New research from the University of California Davis that was published in Social Psychology and Personality Scienceused data gathered from a large sample of Mexican-Americans between the ages of 26 and 71 and followed them over a seven-year period. At fur points over that period, the participants completed a six-question Life Orientation Test, a commonly used measure of optimism.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreIn addition, the group was also asked 54 questions about various life events, both positive and negative, that may ha ve happened to them recently, such as moving to a bad neighborhood, getting into a good college, or making a new friend, according to Psychology Today.Using the information from these answers, researchers determined the direction of optimism throughout our lives.Were the most pessimistic in our twenties, they found, but our optimism ascends as we reach our thirties and continues on upward into our forties. Optimism peaks when were in our fifties, and slowly declines after that. The researchers pinpointed 55 as the age when people both men and women were at peak optimism.These findings were in sync with other research, which has also concluded that optimism rises as we get older and declines after mid-age. Life satisfaction and self-esteem is thought to climb with it just more to look forward to.Researchers also looked at a smaller sample of non-immigrants for the study and found that their optimism trajectory manifested differently than the above Mexican-American sample. For non- immigrants, there was a distinct lack of optimism until their 40s, when it began to rise, and continued to do so well into their 70s. However, since non-immigrants represented only 14% of the total sample, researchers wrote, we refrain from further interpreting this finding until more evidence emerges.There was one booster that tended to inflate peoples optimism even more people who had luckier lives, full of positive events like graduating from college, receiving generous pay, and developing strong romantic relationships.More interestingly, however, was the discovery that people with more negative life events were not any more or less optimistic than other people. People with difficult lives remained equally optimistic as those who had been blessed with lifes rewards.Life is long, and nobody knows what could happen positive or negative. Work hard, play hard, and enjoy the ride. Changes are that the longer you do, the sunnier your outlook will be.You might also enjoyNew neuroscienc e reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

Combat Controller Physical Ability & Stamina Test

Combat Controller Physical Ability & Stamina TestCombat Controller Physical Ability & Stamina TestThe following Physical Ability and Stamina Test (PAST) is for new accessions for combat controller. New Accessions means applicants who take the PAST before completing basic training and Technical School. Individuals who apply for Combat Controller after completing basic training and technical schooland prior service applicants are considered re-trainees, and do not take the below PAST. Those individuals take the combined Pararescue/Combat Combat Controller PAST for re-trainees, listed in Air Force Instruction 36-2626, Attachment 11. Combat Controller New Accession PAST Requirements The CCT PAST must be administered in the order listed below and completed within a three-hour time frame. If a candidate is unable to meet any tiefpunkt standard, they have failed the test, and the test will end at that point. 500-Meter Surface Swim Maximum time is 1500 minutes. This swim is conducted usi ng any stroke. The maximum time limit is fifteen (15) minutes. This swim must be continuous (non-stop). If a candidate stops anytime during the swim, the test will be stopped and considered a failure for the entire past. Swimsuits and goggles are the only equipment items allowed. After completion of the swim, allow a 10-minute rest before the next event. Candidate should carefully stretch before the calisthenics during this break. Chin-Ups A minimum of six chin-ups in one minute is required. Chin-ups are a two count exercise. Starting punkt is hanging from a bar, palms facing the candidate, with no bend in the elbows. Hand spread is approximately shoulder width. Count one, pull the body up until the chin clears the top of the bar. Count two, return to the starting position. Legs are allowed to bend, but must not be kicked or manipulated to aid upward movement. If the candidate falls off, stops, or releases the bar, the exercise is terminated. Candidates will exercise to muscle fail ure or time completion. Note in performing all calisthenics, the exercises proper form must be followed. Deviation from the form to allow an extra repetition is strictly enforced during the training pipeline. A two minute rest period is allowed before the next exercise. Sit-Ups A minimum of 50 sit-ups in 2 minutes is required. Sit-ups are a two count exercise. Starting position is back flat on the ground, fingers interlocked behind the head, head off the ground, and knees bent at approximately a 90-degree angle. The feet onlyare held by another individual during the exercise. Count one, sit up, so the shoulders are directly over the pelvis (hips). Count two, return to the starting position. There is no authorized rest position during this exercise. If the candidate rests, the exercise is terminated. If the candidates buttocks rises off the ground or his fingers are not interlocked behind his head during a repetition, that repetition is not counted. Candidate will exercise to muscle failure or time completion. Note in performing all calisthenics, the exercises proper form must be followed. Deviation from the form to allow an extra repetition is strictly enforced during the training pipeline. A two minute rest period is allowed before the next exercise. Push-Ups A minimum of 42 push-ups in 2 minutes is required. Push-ups are a two count exercise. Starting position is hands shoulder width apart with arms straight and directly below the chest on the ground. The legs are extended, and the back and legs remain straight. Count one, lower the chest until the elbows are bent at a 90 degree or lower angle. Count two, return to the starting position while maintaining a straight back and legs. The only authorized rest position is the starting position. If the knees touch the ground, the exercise is terminated. The candidate will not raise his buttocks in the air or sag his middle to the ground, or the repetition will not be counted. If a hand or foot is raised from thei r starting position, the exercise is terminated. Candidate will exercise to muscle failure or to time completion. Note in performing all calisthenics, the exercises proper form must be followed. Deviation from the form to allow an extra repetition is strictly enforced during the training pipeline. A 10 minute rest period is allowed before the next exercise (Note Candidates should use this period to stretch before the 1.5-mile run). 1.5 mile Run The maximum time is 11 minutes, 30 seconds (1130). Pt clothes and good running shoes are the only required items. This run must be continuous(non-stop). If a candidate stops anytime during the run, the test will be stopped and considered a failure for the entire past. The test should be administered on a measured running track.

How to Beef Up Your Work History

How to Beef Up Your Work History How to Beef Up Your Work History Maybe you took some time off to raise your family. Or maybe you’ve held only a couple of jobs your entire career. Or maybe you’ve been job searching for a really long time without any luck. So now as you’re writing and editing your resume, it’s, well, a little thin. Don’t despair, job seekers! There are ways to beef up your work history while staying honest! Here’s how. Heres how to beef up your work history: Include skills. Sometimes the skills section of a resume doesn’t get a whole lot of love, but it should, especially if other areas of your resume aren’t as strong. So if you don’t have a whole lot of work history to include, you’ll need to look to other areas of your resume to help balance it all out. You can do this by adding extra skills to the work experience and skills sections of your resume, as they relate to the job you’re trying to apply for. You don’t have to make it into a laundry list of dutiesexclude those that are obvious (i.e., addressing envelopes or knowing how to navigate the Internet)but be sure to include those that can help beef up your history. Incorporate experiences. A big mistake some job seekers make when revamping their resumes is to leave out experiences or volunteer work, simply because they didn’t get a paycheck for it. These culled experiences can greatly help expand the work experiences segment of your resume with real-life scenarios that totally count! It might be time spent fundraising for your child’s school, getting your town to agree to a zoning issue, or starting your own blog, but all of these work skills used in the real world can be included in your resume. Add education. Depending on the format of your resume, you might have a small section that’s dedicated to your education. Chances are, though, it’s probably just a listing of the schools you’ve graduated from, degrees earned, and dates of completion. But let’s say that you went back to school for some certifications or to further your education. You can include this information in your work history, too, by putting it either at the top or bottom of your history, depending on your timeline. Not only does it show initiative on your part to further your education (which can be a plus in the eyes of a hiring manager), but it also helps to flesh out your work history. And if you dont have anything else to add here? Get some additional education! There are tons of ways to learn new skills online, and as soon as you enroll in a course, you can add it to your resume. It can be discouraging when you’re trying to job search but feel that your resume is subpar. It doesn’t have to be, though. With some creativity, you can build a solid resume that will impress potential employers- and hopefully get you a job interview for a position that you really want! Want more job search advice? Head over to our Find a Job section  and browse articles related to your job hunt! Readers, have you struggled to beef up your work history? Let us know in the comments!

The 24-Hour Military Time System

The 24-Hour Military Time System The 24-Hour Military Time System When you first hear  someone in the military give you the time, you may have to pause a few seconds, do the quick math in order to determine the time of day. Unless you grew up in the military household, you are likely not familiar with the way the military tells time. Civilians typically break up the day into AM and PM which are 2 to 12-hour blocks of the day denoting morning and afternoon/evening.   The 24-Hour Clock However, the military operates off a 24-hour clock, beginning at midnight (which is 0000 hours). So, 1 AM is zero one hundred (0100) hours, 2 AM is zero two hundred (0200) hours, and so on up until 11 PM which is 2300 hours. After noon (1200 hours) to translate the regular time in the afternoon and evening, you simply add 12 hours to be within military standards. For instance, 1 PM is 1300 hours and 5 PM is 1700 hours. Heres the whole list: Midnight (12:00 AM) - 0000 hrs1:00 AM - 0100 hrs2:00 AM - 0200 hrs3:00 AM - 0300 hrs4:00 AM - 0400 hrs5:00 AM - 0500 hrs6:00 AM - 0600 hrs7:00 AM - 0700 hrs8:00 AM - 0800 hrs9:00 AM - 0900 hrs10:00 AM - 1000 hrs11:00 AM - 1100 hrs12:00 PM - 1200 hrs1:00 PM -  1300 hrs2:00 PM -  1400 hrs3:00 PM -  1500 hrs4:00 PM -  1600 hrs5:00 PM -  1700 hrs6:00 PM -  1800 hrs7:00 PM -  1900 hrs8:00 PM -  2000 hrs9:00 PM -  2100 hrs10:00 PM - 2200 hrs11:00 PM - 2300 hrs For most daily things, military personnel uses local time as a reference. In order words, report to duty at zero seven hundred (0700), would mean you have to be at work at 7 AM, local time. The Commander wants to see you at fifteen hundred (1500) hrs, means you need to be in the Commanders office at 3 PM, local time. When using local time, the Military observes Daylight Savings Time, if recognized by the state or country that the base is located in. Designating Time Zones When it comes to operational matters (such as communications, training exercises, deployments, ship movements aircraft flights, etc.), the military must often coordinate with bases and personnel located in other time zones. To avoid confusion, in these matters, the military uses the time in Greenwich, England, which is commonly called Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). However, the U.S. Military refers to this time zone as Zulu Time, and they attach the Zulu (Z) suffix, to ensure the time-zone referred to is clear. For easy reference in communications, a letter of the alphabet has been assigned to each time zone. The timezone for Greenwich, England has been assigned the letter Z. The  Military phonetic alphabet  for the letter Z is Zulu. The East Coast of the United States is denoted with the R letter (Romeo). For example, a military message or communication might state, The ship will cross into the area of operations  (AOO) at 1300Z. That means the ship would arrive in the AOO when it is 1 PM in Greenwich, England. Where this gets confusing is when you have to translate to the current time in your location. The East Coast of the United States is five hours later than Greenwich Mean Time. So, 1300Z at GMT is the same as 0800 on the East Coast. To make it even more confusing, the number changes when the United States observes Daylight Savings Time (DST). So, instead of 5 hours later than Greenwich Mean Time, the East Coast of the United States during the months of March (2nd Sunday) and November (1st Sunday) the time difference will be six hours. The East Coast of the United States will be denoted with the Q letter (Quebec) during Daylight Savings Time. Time Zone Confusion Why does the military call this time Zulu time? You would think that the world could be divided equally into 24 one-hour equals a day. However, due to the International Date Line (middle of Pacific Ocean), there are actually three more zones created and many of the zones are not exactly an hour apart (as the Sun travels). Some are only 30 to 45 minutes apart. But, somehow the system works as it is used mainly by ocean-going commerce vessels and the worlds Navies.

Customer Service Clerk Job Description Sample

Customer Service Clerk Job Description Sample Customer Service Clerk Job Description Sample Customer Service Clerk Job Description Sample Thiscustomer service clerksample job description can assist in your creating a job application that will attract job candidates who are qualified for the job. Feel free to revise this job description to meet your specific job duties and job requirements. Customer Service Clerk Job Responsibilities: Serves customers by providing information; responding to requests; resolving problems; collecting revenue. Customer Service Clerk Job Duties: Provides information to customers by verifying understanding of request; answering questions; offering assistance. Initiates service by recording requests; forwarding to dispatching. Collects revenue by receiving and recording payments. Resolves billing problems by identifying the problem; explaining procedures; forwarding required adjustments. Improves quality results by evaluating processes; recommending changes. Updates job knowledge by participating in educational opportunities. Accomplishes customer service and organization mission by completing related results as needed. Customer Service Clerk Skills and Qualifications: Informing Others, Verbal Communication, Resolving Conflict, Listening, Multi-tasking, Customer Service, General Math Skills, Promoting Process Improvement, Problem Solving, Thoroughness, Quality Focus Employers: Post a job in minutes to reach candidates everywhere. Job Seekers: Search Customer Service Clerk Jobs and apply on now. Learn more abouthow to hire: How to Interview to Uncover a Candidates Ethical Standards Video: New Employee Orientation Creating and Posting a Job in Monster

What a Backline Is In Music

What a Backline Is In Music What a Backline Is In Music Backline is a term used to describe audio amplification equipment for bands behind the stage, such as amplifiers for guitars or synthesizers. Some bands and venues have expanded the meaning of backline to include other instruments for musicians, including bass guitars, keyboards, drum kits, and other percussion instruments. It is used to discuss the needs of a band for an upcoming performance. Backline technicians are responsible for setting up, maintaining and fixing backline equipment. Technicians that travel with the band from place to place are known as roadies, and keep all equipment running smoothly wherever the band is playing.? Backline and Booking Gigs When a gig is booked, sometime before the concert, the agent, manager, or band should check with the promoter, venue, or club to discuss the backline needs of the band; the promoter will need to know what the band is bringing with them in terms of instruments, mics, and amps, and what the promoter will need to provide. The promoter will also need to know the technical specifications for the band. Exactly whose job is it to provide backline depends on how the show was booked and what size the show is. If a band has booked a show directly with a venue that they are promoting themselves, then the band needs to figure out what the venue can provide for them and make arrangements for everything else themselves. If a band books a show with a promoter, the promoter generally will make sure the backline is in place, although if the promoter has to rent equipment for the show, they will usually charge these costs back to the band. If an agent has booked the show with a promoter, then the agent and promoter should handle the backline negotiations. Renting Equipment In some bases, backline equipment can be rented for touring or studio use, as many musicians prefer not to carry their instruments from location to location. Carrying such bulky equipment can be expensive, time-consuming and carries the risk of damaging necessary items. Many companies offer comprehensive backline supplies, including items not traditionally considered backline, such as instruments. With advance notice, companies can usually get additional equipment if needed. Major cities have their backline suppliers, with some national chains offering discounts of bands with multi-city tours which need equipment in each location. Companies typically offer guitars, bass guitars, bass amplifiers, keyboards, modules, drums, cymbals, percussion instruments, accessories, staging equipment such as lights and more. Renting backline makes travel easier and less costly  since huge batches of equipment do not need to be shipped. However, it can pose some unique challenges for musicians. For instance, if a musician is used to the feel and sound of a particular guitar, switching to a new one off of a companys inventory list can feel strange and could even affect the guitarists performance. It is why some bands travel with their essential equipment, such as guitars, and rent the other materials. While the term backline has been broadened to include a wide range of musical equipment, a backline has always been essential to a bands success. Understanding backline and the unique needs of the band and the setup of the venue  is imperative in planning a successful event or show.

Sports Management and Marketing Education Requirements

Sports Management and Marketing Education Requirements Sports Management and Marketing Education Requirements Preparation for a career in sports marketing or management is similar to preparation for any professional career. Typically, the more education, the better. MBA Preferred According to a Turnkey Sports Poll that surveyed 400 sports industry executives, a traditional Master of Business Administration is the favored degree by executives in pro and college sports when hiring a senior executive. But, a variety of degrees received votes: Traditional MBA, 41.4%.Law degree, 18.5%.Sports MBA, 16.7%.Undergraduate business degree, 17.9%.No response, 5.6%. Of those executives polled, just 19.8% had a sports-specific college degree while 78.4% did not. (1.9% did not respond.) The Right Fit Reading the survey results suggests that if you have some interest in sports but have not yet decided to make it a career, you will not necessarily fall far behind by pursuing a more traditional undergraduate program and standard MBA or law degree. On the other hand, if you know youre interested in a sports-related career and find a sports business/management MBA that is a good fit, that certainly can provide a leg up. Advantages of a sports undergraduate degree, masters degree in sports management, or MBA with a focus on sports management include specific training, internship programs in the field, and job placement. Also, just because an MBA program includes a focus on sports does not mean that graduates of those programs cannot branch out into other fields.? Higher Education According to Street Smiths SportsBusiness Journal, more than 150 colleges and universities offer undergraduate degrees in sports management, sports administration, and sports marketing. More than 50 of those schools also offer master’s degrees in those areas. Only about a dozen schools offer MBA programs with a focus on sports. MBA Jobs Because college and pro sports are big business, its no surprise teams, athletic departments, and leagues want leaders with an MBA. A business background is useful in marketing, public relations, advertising, ticket sales, and managing a team, sports program, or league. A sports-specific MBA can help graduates more readily handle the growing complexity of sports management. Positions for Lawyers There is a variety of work for lawyers who choose to work in professional and college sports. Lawyers work to protect the intellectual property of sports teams (or leagues), which is vital to an organization. Lawyers also focus on contract and facility issues, insurance, sponsorship agreements, tax regulations, and employment law. What Does It All Mean for You? There are many paths for pursuing a career in sports.  And considering an undergraduate or graduate degree is certainly a great alternative.  Start by visiting the North American Society for Sport Management site that lists all U.S. degree programs related to sport business in one convenient site, organized by state, with links directly to the programs websites.  There is also an international listing by country. When exploring the programs keep cost and geography in mind.  Also, as sports is such a broad field, carefully research what each programs specialty is.  Other important factors to consider are the number of full-time faculty members that are in the department, types of internships recent and current students have completed, and the strength and reach of the alumni network.

VP of Retail Operations Works Both Sides of Network

VP of Retail Operations Works Both Sides of Network VP of Retail Operations Works Both Sides of Network Elaine Clarke was generous about sharing leads, and her good networking deeds ultimately helped her to help herself.Elaine Clarke’s job search was a model of give-and-take networking. In the 10 months she spent searching for work, Clarke landed 10 successful job offers - but only two were for herself.Clarke, a global operations executive from Salem, N.H., forwarded job leads to eight friends and colleagues in her professional network who successfully landed job offers.The strategy to pass along job leads may feel unnatural to some, but the practice of helping first, asking second ingratiated Clarke with individuals in her network who returned the favor. They sent her leads on open positions, made introductions, and called in favors with former bosses and decision makers. It landed Clarke two leads that ultimately generated job offers and a bidding war for her services.But the network only works when you use it correctly, Clarke warned.“Contact every friend in your network once a month with some sort of information,” she said. “Send them a link to a Web site they might find interesting, or send them an article you just read about their company that they might be interested in. You need to stay top of mind without sounding desperate.”It didn’t hurt that making connections through her professional network is what Clarke had been doing for the past two years.Giving to getAfter 20 years’ experience in production and sourcing operations at several retail companies, Clarke was considered an expert in organizational structure and process. In late 2006, she decided to leave her job as vice president for global operations in producing and sourcing at Mast Industries, the manufacturing arm of Limited Brands stores, to pursue consulting.For two years she helped companies such as Land’s End to become more efficient in bringing their products to market. She was successful enough that she was juggling multiple clients, and when one job ended, she could count on another beginning. She used LinkedIn to connect to peers and former colleagues. She used her peer network to close deals and keep clients in the pipeline, including a January 2007 meeting with a customer who ultimately wanted to hire Clarke full time. She had to decline the offer to continue freelancing.In September 2008, she had just completed an assignment and was speaking to six different clients about work. “Three jobs were sure things; we were ready to get started, and three others were potential clients,” she recalled. “Then the bottom fell out of the industry. All six jobs went away: Some were canceled, some were put on hold. All I heard was that budgets were cut, no one wanted to spend any money.”Clarke decided her best bet was to go back to work with an employer rather than depend on the capriciousness of the market. Of course, with retail in freefall, it wasn ’t going to be easy.“I started talking to anyone who would listen about the fact that I was looking for operations jobs,” she said. “I talked to recruiters, to hairdressers, to people in the swimming pool,” she said, laughing. “Networking is a natural thing for me. As a consultant, it was the only way to keep potential projects in the pipeline. I just stepped it up.”She continued to use LinkedIn to build her network and added OpsLadder to make connections to recruiters. She was doing double duty: networking for her consulting business and looking to add full-time job leads to her pipeline. “It was evenings and weekends, it was a lot of e-mail and phone calls,” she said of her job search. “I had one friend tell me, ‘I’ve never seen anyone work so hard at finding a job,’ ” she recalled. “There were days when I had to completely stop and refresh my brain. A job search can become all-consuming.”It took nearly 10 months of talking to recruiters and people in her network before she received solid job leads. In between, however, she was able to connect eight former colleagues with jobs that she had heard about in her search. She credits her network of professional colleagues with keeping her spirits up during a very difficult time in her industry.Ultimately it was a connection she had made in 2007 - just as she began her consulting stint - that would ultimately land her an offer.Two offers, one dilemmaIn July 2009, it was her turn to get some good news. A colleague on LinkedIn told her about a position that sounded like it had everything she wanted, except for one thing: She would have to relocate to the Philadelphia area. “It wasn’t something I wanted to do, but it was something I could do,” she said. “I had to leave any barriers to getting a job. My daughter was off to college. My husband was willing to move. So I had to decide I was willing to do this. It was the only way I was going to find a job.” About the same time she heard about the Philadelphia job, a recruiter had contacted her from her profile on OpsLadder about a confidential job search. Clarke had no idea who the job was with or where it was located. She spoke to the recruiter, and then … nothing.But Clarke was busy. Within six weeks, she had interviewed three different times with a total of 22 people for the challenging position near Philadelphia. She knew the company was going to make her an offer, and she was ready to accept it and make the move.Then the recruiter from the confidential job search called again, with good news. The president of this company, the recruiter told her, remembered Clarke from that January 2007 interview. She was with a new company, a women’s clothing retailer, and wanted to set up an interview. Even better, the job was local. She would not have to move.Clarke was torn. She remembered her interview with that executive, and said, “I would love to work for her. But I can’t walk away from a sure thing.” She told the recruiter she would speak to the company, but they would need to make it happen within four days.They did. The next day she had a phone meeting with the HR people. A couple of days later, she was in their offices and met with 11 people. Less than a week later, she received a job offer. “And I turned it down,” she said. Feeling obligated to the first job offer, “I told them, ‘I’m not doing this to negotiate, I appreciate that you made this happen so quickly, but you knew I had this other offer, and I’m going to take it.’“They e-mailed me that night and offered a financial package with more potential for earnings,” she said. “I was so impressed. I had never seen a company move this quickly and aggressively. At the end of the day, the financial packages were equal. The job near Philadelphia was a bigger job with more risk. But the local job is a great job and would create less disruption in my life. I went for what was right for my family.”Clarke started her job as VP of sourcing, quality assurance and product integrity for her new company in mid-September â€" in New Hampshire.Network of emotional supportClarke’s professional network not only made the connections that ultimately landed her two job offers and a bidding war that helped her negotiate a higher salary. She also credits her network with keeping her on track.“I had, and still have, so many colleagues in the same situation,” she said. “We all supported one another. Coaching friends helped me. We were all reading about how retail was in trouble; we didn’t feel we were in a good situation. But there was never a time when everyone was feeling down; there was always at least one person who was feeling positive, and that person would lift everyone else up. It was good to have someone saying, ‘It’s going to be OK.’ ”“Having friends to talk to about this every day, people who understood what was happening, was really important to me. A t the time, I didn’t realize how important, but now that I have been able to step away from it, I see how helpful it was to keeping my spirits up.”

The ultimate morning routine Take back over 20 hours per week

The ultimate morning routine Take back over 20 hours per week The ultimate morning routine Take back over 20 hours per week The traditional 9-5 workday is poorly structured for high productivity. Perhaps when most work was physical labor, but not in the knowledge working world we now live in.Although this may be obvious based on people’s mediocre performance, addiction to stimulants, lack of engagement, and the fact that most people hate their jobs - now there’s loads of scientific evidence you can’t ignore.The myth of the 8 hour workdayThe most productive countries in the world do not work 8 hours per day. Actually, the most productive countries have the shortest workdays.People in countries like Luxembourg are working approximately 30 hours per week (approximately 6 hours per day, 5 days per week) and making more money on average than people working longer workweeks.Follow Ladders on Flipboard!Follow Ladders’ magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and more!This is the average person in those countries. But what about the super-productive?Althoug h Gary Vaynerchuck claims to work 20 hours per day, many “highly successful” people I know work between 3-6 hours per day.It also depends on what you’re really trying to accomplish in your life. Gary Vaynerchuck wants to own the New York Jets. He’s also fine, apparently, not spending much time with his family.And that’s completely fine. He’s clear on his priorities.However, you must also be clear on yours. If you’re like most people, you probably want to make a great income, doing work you love, that also provides lots of flexibility in your schedule.If that’s your goal, this post is for you.Quality vs. quantity “Wherever you are, make sure you’re there.” -  Dan Sullivan If you’re like most people, your workday is a blend of low-velocity work mixed with continual distraction (e.g., social media and email).Most people’s “working time” is not done at peak performance levels. When most people are working, they do so in a relaxed fashion. Makes sense, they have plenty of time to get it done.However, when you are results-oriented, rather than “being busy,” you’re 100 percent on when you’re working and 100 percent off when you’re not. Why do anything half-way? If you’re going to work, you’re going to work.To get the best results in your fitness, research has found that shorter but more intensive exercise is more effective than longer drawn-out exercise.The concept is simple: Intensive activity followed by high quality rest and recovery.Most of the growth actually comes during the recovery process. However, the only way to truly recover is by actually pushing yourself to exhaustion during the workout.The same concept applies to work. T he best work happens in short intensive spurts. By short, I’m talking 1-3 hours. But this must be “Deep Work,” with no distractions, just like an intensive workout is non-stop. Interestingly, your best work - which for most people is thinking - will actually happen while you’re away from your work, “recovering.”For best results: Spend 20% of your energy on your work and 80% of your energy on recovery and self-improvement. When you’re getting high quality recovery, you’re growing. When you’re continually honing your mental model, the quality and impact of your work continually increases. This is what psychologists call, “Deliberate Practice.” It’s not about doing more, but better training. It’s about being strategic and results-focused, not busyness-focused.In one study, only 16% of respondents reported getting creative insight while at work. Ideas generally came while the person was at home, in transportation, or during recreational activity. “The most creative ideas aren’t going to come while sitting in front of your monitor,” says Scott Birnbaum, a vice president of Samsung Semiconductor.The reason for this is simple. When you’re working directly on a task, your mind is tightly focused on the problem at hand (i.e., direct reflection). Conversely, when you’re not working, your mind loosely wanders(i.e., indirect reflection).While driving or doing some other form of recreation, the external stimuli in your environment (like the buildings or other landscapes around you)subconsciously prompt memories and other thoughts. Because your mind is wandering both contextually (on different subjects) and temporally between past, present, and future, your brain will make distant and distinct connections related to the problem you’re trying to solve (eureka!).Creativity, after all, is making connections between different parts of the brain. Ideation and inspiration is a process you can perfect.Case in point: when you’re working, be at work. When you’re not working, stop working. By taking your mind off work and actually recovering, you’ll get creative breakthroughs related to your work.Your first three hours will make or break youAccording to psychologist Ron Friedman, the first three hours of your day are your most precious for maximized productivity.“Typically, we have a window of about three hours where we’re really, really focused. We’re able to have some strong contributions in terms of planning, in terms of thinking, in terms of speaking well,” Friedman told Harvard Business Review.This makes sense on several levels. Let’s start with sleep. Research confirms the brain, specifically the prefrontal cortex, is most active and readily creative immediately following sleep. Your subconscious mind has been loosely mind-wandering while you slept, making contextual and temporal connections.So, immediately following sleep, your mind is most readily active to do thoughtful work.So, your brain is most attuned first thing in the morning, and so are your energy levels. Consequently, the best time to do your best work is during the first three hours of your day.I used to exercise first thing in the morning. Not anymore. I’ve found that exercising first thing in the morning actually sucks my energy, leaving me with less than I started.Lately, I’ve been waking up at 6AM, driving to my school and walking to the library I work in. While walking from my car to the library, I drink a 250 calorie plant-based protein shake (approximately 30 grams of protein).Donald Layman, professor emeritus of nutrition at the University of Illinois, recommends consuming at least 30 grams of protein for breakfast. Similarly, Tim Ferriss, in his book, The 4-Hour Body, also recommends 30 grams of protein 30 minutes after awaking.Protein-rich foods keep you full longer than other foods because they take longer to leave the stomach. Also, protein keeps blood-sugar levels steady, which prevent spikes in hu nger.I get to the library and all set-up by around 6:30AM. I spend a few minutes in prayer and meditation, followed by a 5-10 minute session in my journal. The purpose of this journal session is get clarity and focus for my day.Journaling about your dreams is one of the fastest ways into a peak state.So I write down my big picture goals and my objectives for that particular day. I then write down anything that comes to my mind. Often, it relates to people I need to contact, or ideas related to a project I’m working on. I purposefully keep this journal session short and focused.By 6:45, I’m set to work on whatever project I’m working on, whether that’s writing a book or an article, working on a research paper for my doctoral research, creating an online course, etc.Starting work this early may seem crazy to you, but I’ve been shocked by how easy it is to work for 2-5 hours straight without distractions. My mind is laser at this time of day. And I don’t rely on any stimula nts at all.Between 11AM-noon, my mind is ready for a break, so that’s when I do my workout. Research confirms that you workout better with food in your system. Consequently, my workouts are now a lot more productive and powerful than they were when I was exercising immediately following sleep.After the workout, which is a great mental break, you should be fine to work a few more hours, if needed.If your 3-5 hours before your workout were focused, you could probably be done for the day.Protect your morningsI understand that this schedule will not work for everyone. There are single-parents with kids who simply can’t do something like this.We all need to work within the constraints of our unique contexts. However, if you work best in the morning, you gotta find a way to make it happen.This may require waking up a few extra hours earlier than you’re used to and taking a nap during the afternoon.Or, it may require you to simply focus hardcore the moment you get to work. A common s trategy for this is known as the “90-90-1” rule, where you spend the first 90 minutes of your workday on your #1 priority. I’m certain this isn’t checking your email or social media.Whatever your situation, protect your mornings! As Richard Whately said, “Lose an hour in the morning, and you will spend all day looking for it.”I’m blown away by how many people schedule things like meetings in the mornings. Nothing could be worse for peak performance and creativity.Schedule all of your meetings for the afternoon, after lunch.Don’t check your social media or email until after your 3 hours of deep work. Your morning time should be spent on output, not input.If you don’t protect your mornings, a million different things will take up your time. Other people will only respect you as much as you respect yourself.Protecting your mornings means you are literally unreachable during certain hours. Only in case of serious emergency can you be summoned from your focus-cave.Mind- body connectionWhat you do outside work is just as significant for your work-productivity as what you do while you’re working.A March 2016 study in the online issue of Neurology found that regular exercise can slow brain aging by as much as 10 years. Loads of other research has found that people who regularly exercise are more productive at work. Your brain is, after all, part of your body. If your body is healthier, it makes sense that your brain would operate better.If you want to operate at your highest level, you need to take a holistic approach to life. You are a system. When you change a part of any system, you simultaneously change the whole. Improve one area of your life, all other areas improve in a virtuous cycle. This is the butterfly effect in action and the basis of the book, The Power of Habit, which shows that by integrating one “keystone habit,” like exercise or reading, that the positivity of that one habits ripples into all other areas of your life, eventuall y transforming your whole life.Consequently, the types of foods you eat, and when you eat them, determine your ability to focus at work. Your ability to sleep well (by the way, it’s easy to sleep well when you get up early and work hard) is also essential to peak-performance. Rather than managing your time, then, you should really be focused on managing your energy. Your work schedule should be scheduled around when you work best, not around social norms and expectations.Don’t forget to psychologically detach and playResearch in several fields has found that recovery from work is a necessity for staying energetic, engaged, and healthy when facing job demands.“Recovery” is the process of reducing or eliminating physical and psychological strain/stress caused by work.One particular recovery strategy that is getting lots of attention in recent research is called “psychological detachment from work.” True psychological detachment occurs when you completely refrain from work- related activities and thoughts during non-work time.Proper detachment/recovery from work is essential for physical and psychological health, in addition to engaged and productive work. Yet, few people do it. Most people are always “available” to their email and work. Millennials are the worst, often wearing the openness to work “whenever” as a badge of honor. It’s not a badge of honor.Research has found that people who psychologically detach from work experience: Less work-related fatigue and procrastination Far greater engagement at work, which is defined as vigor, dedication, and absorption (i.e., “flow”) Greater work-life balance, which directly relates to quality of life Greater marital satisfaction Greater mental health When you’re at work, be fully absorbed. When it’s time to call it a day, completely detach yourself from work and become absorbed in the other areas of your life.If you don’t detach, you’ll never fully be present or engaged at work or at home. You’ll be under constant strain, even if minimally. Your sleep will suffer. Your relationships will be shallow. Your life will not be happy.Not only that, but lots of science has found play to be extremely important for productivity and creativity. Just like your body needs a reset, which you can get through fasting, you also need to reset from work in order to do your best work. Thus, you need to step away from work and dive into other beautiful areas of your life. For me, that’s goofing off with my kids.Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play, has studied the “Play Histories” of over six thousand people and concludes playing can radically improve everything - from personal well-being to relationships to learn ing to an organization’s potential to innovate. As Greg McKeown explains, “Very successful people see play as essential for creativity.”In his TED talk, Brown said, “Play leads to brain plasticity, adaptability, and creativity. … Nothing fires up the brain like play.” There is a burgeoning body of literature highlighting the extensive cognitive and social benefits of play, including:Cognitive Enhanced memory and focus Improved language learning skills Creative problem solving Improved mathematics skills Increased ability to self-regulate, an essential component of motivation and goal achievement Social Cooperation Team work Conflict resolution Leadership skill development Control of impulses and aggressive behavior Having a balanced-life is key to peak performance. In the Tao Te Ching, it explains that being too much yin or too much yang leads to extremes andbeing wasteful with your resources (like time). The goal is to be in the center, balanced.Listen to brain music or songs on repeatIn her book, On Repeat: How Music Plays the Mind, psychologist Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis explains why listening to music on repeat improves focus. When you’re listening to a song on repeat, you tend to dissolve into the song, which blocks out mind wandering (let your mind wander while you’re away from work!).WordPress founder, Matt Mullenweg, listens to one single song on repeat to get into flow. So do authors Ryan Holiday and Tim Ferriss, and many others.Give it a try.You can use this website to listen to YouTube videos on repeat.I generally listen to classical music or electronic music (like video game type music). Here’s a few that have worked for me: One Moment by Michael Nyman Make Love by Daft Punk Tearin’ it up by Gramatik Terra’s theme from Final Fantasy 3 Duel of Fates from Star Wars Stop crying your heart out by Oasis Give up by Eligah Bossenbroek (so beautiful) Heart by Stars This cover of Ellie Goulding Fragile by Daft Punk Son of Flynn by Daft Punk Cool by Alesso Sun Through the Clouds by Matthew Morgan Testing by CKY Borderline by Madonna Every You and Every Me by Placebo Main Titles composed by Alan Menken for The Little Mermaid Halcyon On and On by Orbital There Goes the Fear by Doves Never Follow Suit by The Radio Dept. This  article  originally appeared on Medium.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 The ultimate morning routine Take back over 20 hours per week The traditional 9-5 workday is poorly structured for high productivity. Perhaps when most work was physical labor, but not in the knowledge working world we now live in.Although this may be obvious based on people’s mediocre performance, addiction to stimulants, lack of engagement, and the fact that most people hate their jobs - now there’s loads of scientific evidence you can’t ignore.The myth of the 8 hour workdayThe most productive countries in the world do not work 8 hours per day. Actually, the most productive countries have the shortest workdays.People in countries like Luxembourg are working approximately 30 hours per week (approximately 6 hours per day, 5 days per week) and making more money on average than people working longer workweeks.Ladders is now on SmartNews!Download the SmartNews app and add the Ladders channel to read the latest career news and advice wherever you go.This is the average person in those countries. But what about the super-productive?Although G ary Vaynerchuck claims to work 20 hours per day, many “highly successful” people I know work between 3-6 hours per day.It also depends on what you’re really trying to accomplish in your life. Gary Vaynerchuck wants to own the New York Jets. He’s also fine, apparently, not spending much time with his family.And that’s completely fine. He’s clear on his priorities.However, you must also be clear on yours. If you’re like most people, you probably want to make a great income, doing work you love, that also provides lots of flexibility in your schedule.If that’s your goal, this post is for you.Quality vs. quantity “Wherever you are, make sure you’re there.” -  Dan Sullivan If you’re like most people, your workday is a blend of low-velocity work mixed with continual distraction (e.g., social media and email).Most people’s “working time” is not done at peak performance levels. When most people are working, they do so in a relaxed fashion. Makes sense, they have plenty of time to get it done.However, when you are results-oriented, rather than “being busy,” you’re 100 percent on when you’re working and 100 percent off when you’re not. Why do anything half-way? If you’re going to work, you’re going to work.To get the best results in your fitness, research has found that shorter but more intensive exercise is more effective than longer drawn-out exercise.The concept is simple: Intensive activity followed by high quality rest and recovery.Most of the growth actually comes during the recovery process. However, the only way to truly recover is by actually pushing yourself to exhaustion during the workout.The same concept applies to work. T he best work happens in short intensive spurts. By short, I’m talking 1-3 hours. But this must be “Deep Work,” with no distractions, just like an intensive workout is non-stop. Interestingly, your best work - which for most people is thinking - will actually happen while you’re away from your work, “recovering.”For best results: Spend 20% of your energy on your work and 80% of your energy on recovery and self-improvement. When you’re getting high quality recovery, you’re growing. When you’re continually honing your mental model, the quality and impact of your work continually increases. This is what psychologists call, “Deliberate Practice.” It’s not about doing more, but better training. It’s about being strategic and results-focused, not busyness-focused.In one study, only 16% of respondents reported getting creative insight while at work. Ideas generally came while the person was at home, in transportation, or during recreational activity. “The most creative ideas aren’t going to come while sitting in front of your monitor,” says Scott Birnbaum, a vice president of Samsung Semiconductor.The reason for this is simple. When you’re working directly on a task, your mind is tightly focused on the problem at hand (i.e., direct reflection). Conversely, when you’re not working, your mind loosely wanders(i.e., indirect reflection).While driving or doing some other form of recreation, the external stimuli in your environment (like the buildings or other landscapes around you)subconsciously prompt memories and other thoughts. Because your mind is wandering both contextually (on different subjects) and temporally between past, present, and future, your brain will make distant and distinct connections related to the problem you’re trying to solve (eureka!).Creativity, after all, is making connections between different parts of the brain. Ideation and inspiration is a process you can perfect.Case in point: when you’re working, be at work. When you’re not working, stop working. By taking your mind off work and actually recovering, you’ll get creative breakthroughs related to your work.Your first three hours will make or break youAccording to psychologist Ron Friedman, the first three hours of your day are your most precious for maximized productivity.“Typically, we have a window of about three hours where we’re really, really focused. We’re able to have some strong contributions in terms of planning, in terms of thinking, in terms of speaking well,” Friedman told Harvard Business Review.This makes sense on several levels. Let’s start with sleep. Research confirms the brain, specifically the prefrontal cortex, is most active and readily creative immediately following sleep. Your subconscious mind has been loosely mind-wandering while you slept, making contextual and temporal connections.So, immediately following sleep, your mind is most readily active to do thoughtful work.So, your brain is most attuned first thing in the morning, and so are your energy levels. Consequently, the best time to do your best work is during the first three hours of your day.I used to exercise first thing in the morning. Not anymore. I’ve found that exercising first thing in the morning actually sucks my energy, leaving me with less than I started.Lately, I’ve been waking up at 6AM, driving to my school and walking to the library I work in. While walking from my car to the library, I drink a 250 calorie plant-based protein shake (approximately 30 grams of protein).Donald Layman, professor emeritus of nutrition at the University of Illinois, recommends consuming at least 30 grams of protein for breakfast. Similarly, Tim Ferriss, in his book, The 4-Hour Body, also recommends 30 grams of protein 30 minutes after awaking.Protein-rich foods keep you full longer than other foods because they take longer to leave the stomach. Also, protein keeps blood-sugar levels steady, which prevent spikes in hu nger.I get to the library and all set-up by around 6:30AM. I spend a few minutes in prayer and meditation, followed by a 5-10 minute session in my journal. The purpose of this journal session is get clarity and focus for my day.Journaling about your dreams is one of the fastest ways into a peak state.So I write down my big picture goals and my objectives for that particular day. I then write down anything that comes to my mind. Often, it relates to people I need to contact, or ideas related to a project I’m working on. I purposefully keep this journal session short and focused.By 6:45, I’m set to work on whatever project I’m working on, whether that’s writing a book or an article, working on a research paper for my doctoral research, creating an online course, etc.Starting work this early may seem crazy to you, but I’ve been shocked by how easy it is to work for 2-5 hours straight without distractions. My mind is laser at this time of day. And I don’t rely on any stimula nts at all.Between 11AM-noon, my mind is ready for a break, so that’s when I do my workout. Research confirms that you workout better with food in your system. Consequently, my workouts are now a lot more productive and powerful than they were when I was exercising immediately following sleep.After the workout, which is a great mental break, you should be fine to work a few more hours, if needed.If your 3-5 hours before your workout were focused, you could probably be done for the day.Protect your morningsI understand that this schedule will not work for everyone. There are single-parents with kids who simply can’t do something like this.We all need to work within the constraints of our unique contexts. However, if you work best in the morning, you gotta find a way to make it happen.This may require waking up a few extra hours earlier than you’re used to and taking a nap during the afternoon.Or, it may require you to simply focus hardcore the moment you get to work. A common s trategy for this is known as the “90-90-1” rule, where you spend the first 90 minutes of your workday on your #1 priority. I’m certain this isn’t checking your email or social media.Whatever your situation, protect your mornings! As Richard Whately said, “Lose an hour in the morning, and you will spend all day looking for it.”I’m blown away by how many people schedule things like meetings in the mornings. Nothing could be worse for peak performance and creativity.Schedule all of your meetings for the afternoon, after lunch.Don’t check your social media or email until after your 3 hours of deep work. Your morning time should be spent on output, not input.If you don’t protect your mornings, a million different things will take up your time. Other people will only respect you as much as you respect yourself.Protecting your mornings means you are literally unreachable during certain hours. Only in case of serious emergency can you be summoned from your focus-cave.Mind- body connectionWhat you do outside work is just as significant for your work-productivity as what you do while you’re working.A March 2016 study in the online issue of Neurology found that regular exercise can slow brain aging by as much as 10 years. Loads of other research has found that people who regularly exercise are more productive at work. Your brain is, after all, part of your body. If your body is healthier, it makes sense that your brain would operate better.If you want to operate at your highest level, you need to take a holistic approach to life. You are a system. When you change a part of any system, you simultaneously change the whole. Improve one area of your life, all other areas improve in a virtuous cycle. This is the butterfly effect in action and the basis of the book, The Power of Habit, which shows that by integrating one “keystone habit,” like exercise or reading, that the positivity of that one habits ripples into all other areas of your life, eventuall y transforming your whole life.Consequently, the types of foods you eat, and when you eat them, determine your ability to focus at work. Your ability to sleep well (by the way, it’s easy to sleep well when you get up early and work hard) is also essential to peak-performance. Rather than managing your time, then, you should really be focused on managing your energy. Your work schedule should be scheduled around when you work best, not around social norms and expectations.Don’t forget to psychologically detach and playResearch in several fields has found that recovery from work is a necessity for staying energetic, engaged, and healthy when facing job demands.“Recovery” is the process of reducing or eliminating physical and psychological strain/stress caused by work.One particular recovery strategy that is getting lots of attention in recent research is called “psychological detachment from work.” True psychological detachment occurs when you completely refrain from work- related activities and thoughts during non-work time.Proper detachment/recovery from work is essential for physical and psychological health, in addition to engaged and productive work. Yet, few people do it. Most people are always “available” to their email and work. Millennials are the worst, often wearing the openness to work “whenever” as a badge of honor. It’s not a badge of honor.Research has found that people who psychologically detach from work experience: Less work-related fatigue and procrastination Far greater engagement at work, which is defined as vigor, dedication, and absorption (i.e., “flow”) Greater work-life balance, which directly relates to quality of life Greater marital satisfaction Greater mental health When you’re at work, be fully absorbed. When it’s time to call it a day, completely detach yourself from work and become absorbed in the other areas of your life.If you don’t detach, you’ll never fully be present or engaged at work or at home. You’ll be under constant strain, even if minimally. Your sleep will suffer. Your relationships will be shallow. Your life will not be happy.Not only that, but lots of science has found play to be extremely important for productivity and creativity. Just like your body needs a reset, which you can get through fasting, you also need to reset from work in order to do your best work. Thus, you need to step away from work and dive into other beautiful areas of your life. For me, that’s goofing off with my kids.Stuart Brown, founder of the National Institute for Play, has studied the “Play Histories” of over six thousand people and concludes playing can radically improve everything - from personal well-being to relationships to learn ing to an organization’s potential to innovate. As Greg McKeown explains, “Very successful people see play as essential for creativity.”In his TED talk, Brown said, “Play leads to brain plasticity, adaptability, and creativity. … Nothing fires up the brain like play.” There is a burgeoning body of literature highlighting the extensive cognitive and social benefits of play, including:Cognitive Enhanced memory and focus Improved language learning skills Creative problem solving Improved mathematics skills Increased ability to self-regulate, an essential component of motivation and goal achievement Social Cooperation Team work Conflict resolution Leadership skill development Control of impulses and aggressive behavior Having a balanced-life is key to peak performance. In the Tao Te Ching, it explains that being too much yin or too much yang leads to extremes andbeing wasteful with your resources (like time). The goal is to be in the center, balanced.Listen to brain music or songs on repeatIn her book, On Repeat: How Music Plays the Mind, psychologist Elizabeth Hellmuth Margulis explains why listening to music on repeat improves focus. When you’re listening to a song on repeat, you tend to dissolve into the song, which blocks out mind wandering (let your mind wander while you’re away from work!).WordPress founder, Matt Mullenweg, listens to one single song on repeat to get into flow. So do authors Ryan Holiday and Tim Ferriss, and many others.Give it a try.You can use this website to listen to YouTube videos on repeat.I generally listen to classical music or electronic music (like video game type music). Here’s a few that have worked for me: One Moment by Michael Nyman Make Love by Daft Punk Tearin’ it up by Gramatik Terra’s theme from Final Fantasy 3 Duel of Fates from Star Wars Stop crying your heart out by Oasis Give up by Eligah Bossenbroek (so beautiful) Heart by Stars This cover of Ellie Goulding Fragile by Daft Punk Son of Flynn by Daft Punk Cool by Alesso Sun Through the Clouds by Matthew Morgan Testing by CKY Borderline by Madonna Every You and Every Me by Placebo Main Titles composed by Alan Menken for The Little Mermaid Halcyon On and On by Orbital There Goes the Fear by Doves Never Follow Suit by The Radio Dept. This  article  originally appeared on Medium.

The Nano Structure of Enamel

The Nano Structure of Enamel The Nano Structure of Enamel The Nano Structure of Enamel Cavities are on the rise. If youre an adult youve probably got one now. The World Health Organization says nearly 100 percent of adults suffer from them. And some 60 to 90 percent of children have them, too. Yes, we can blame it on the soda, the candy, the chocolate-chip scones, and what have you. But to really get in there and fix the problem, we have to know how and why these things penetrate enamel. And to understand that, you have to understand enamel. Julie Cairney, a professor of material and structures engineering at Australias University of Sydney, has managed to take a good look at the hard shiny stuff at the atomic level using a new microscopy technique. Atom probe tomography, as its known, allows us to reconstruct exact positions of atoms within matter, says Cairney. The process is somewhat painstaking. First, a piece of enamel is harvested and, using an ion beam, molded into the shape of a needle. Then a field is applied to the hemispherical tip and atoms are plucked off one by one, over a period of five to six hours. Knowing the time of flight and the angle at which it flew, Cairney and her team can back-calculate to determine the initial position of the atoms. We use algorithms to see which atoms are sitting where, but its real data from a real sample, she says. Human dental enamel from millimeter to nanometer. Optical image of human tooth (A). Optical images of tooth enamel (B) and outer enamel rods (C). TEM image of enamel HAP crystallites (D). Image: University of Sydney Those algorithms showed that enamel is made of ribbon-like nanowires of hydroxyapatite that come in bundles of approximately 40,000. Between these bundles are magnesium rich areas. Though dental researchers have long hypothesized such a magnesium rich phase, this is the first confirmation of its existence. What was unusual was the heterogeneous nature of the magnesium rich areas between the highly complex and highly structured bundles. We were able to say unambiguously that there was magnesium between the rods, says Cairney. Then we had to work with dentistry experts to see how that related to decay. Tooth enamel is not a static shield, protecting teeth until wear, tear, and Twinkies break it down. Enamel is constantly demineralizing and re-mineralizing. But just how this process occurs has long eluded investigators. Now, with Cairneys work in hand, theyll be able to better understand the process and create new materials to increase re-mineralization. I would imagine that there could be a dietary link, she says. Cairney was inspired by a similar study done at Northwestern that looked at rat tooth enamel. Having moved to the human she has likely helped dental health the world over. But many questions remain unanswered. For instance, do children, who suffer a much greater proportion of cavities, have significantly different enamel? To answer that question, Cairney is turning to her seven-year-old son. Hes expecting a tooth out any day, she says. I would be interested to see if there is a higher proportion of magnesium in juvenile enamel, but we will see. I have to beat the tooth fairy to the sample. After experimenting on her child, Cairney may turn to examining areas of decay. Such an investigation may be a bit trickier, however. Atom probe tomography works best on very dense stuff and a piece of decayed tooth may be a bit too holey on the atomic scale as well as the macro. But any effort to make toothachesand visits to the dentista thing of the past is likely to be applauded by engineers and eaters everywhere. Michael Abrams is an independent writer. For Further Discussion We use algorithms to see which atoms are sitting where, but it’s real data from a real sample.Prof. Julie Cairney, Australia’s University of Sydney