7 LGBT executives on what diversity means to them

7 LGBT executives on what diversity means to them7 LGBT executives on what diversity means to themWhile accepting and celebrating employees for who they are should be a year-round priority for all companies, June is the official time to discuss areas of improvement for diversity efforts. As the international month of Pride, many professionals host workshops, throw parties, walk in parades and transform their normal logo to feature all colors of the rainbow.Though these gestures are often appreciated, executives within the LGBTQ community challenge leaders to think more holistically about their practices and the way they promote inclusion within the office, to their customers and as part of their brand messaging. Here, seven visionaries explain their personal definitions of diversity that may serve as inspiration and fodder for yur ownFollow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreIts about peo ple, power and process.From Muneer Panjwani, head of corporate development at The Trevor Project. Panjwani identifies as an Indian-American Muslim immigrant gay man.Diversity is about centering people in the conversation about inclusion and belonging. While quantitative data about who is and isnt represented is important, asking why they need to be represented centers the conversation around the unique benefits a diverse staff brings to the workplace. Considering the benefits a diverse kollektiv brings to an organization certainly has bottom-line benefits, its also important to recognize that no one is asking what benefits do straight or cis-gender people bring to the workplace? Centering this conversation around people means understanding who has power and who doesnt. Lastly, having a specific, well-resourced, and established a process to identify and solve diversity challenges is important. There is nothing more demoralizing in the workplace than using tactics to delay or de-prior itize addressing diversity. Diversity should get the same priority as when the internet goes down in the office.Diversity includes background, perspective, opinion, and identifiers.From Daryn Carp, host at Bravo and Oxygen, co-host at Unplugged With Eraldo Daryn on the CW and Andy Cohens assistant. Carp identifies as a creative and outspoken lesbian.To me, diversity within the workplace means diversity in background, perspective, opinion, and identifiers. Its great to be around like-minded people and people who have similar backgrounds to you, but that alone can stifle an environment by never hearing and therefore not understanding other perspectives. So much of our early life revolves around growing up with people just like us due to income status, where we live, who our parents are, and so on. Even in college, we tend to all relate because we chose the same college, and therefore, might be more similar than different. But in the workforce, it is important to interact with and hav e relationships with people from all walks of life. It expands our own perspectives and ergo, our own minds.Its an honest reflection of community.From Hellen Hale, an Interior Designer at Studio 11 Design. Hale identifies as bisexual.Diversity in the workplace should be an honest reflection of the community surrounding it. Team members should be chosen because they not only perform the tasks assigned to them but fit seamlessly into the company culture. Its also about embracing our differences and learning from each other - we all know something someone else doesnt. Diversity is not trying to meet a quota just because, or being overly-inclusive so that it is ostracizing to someone. If you over-celebrate someones differences, it can feel contrived or dishonest, and more about patting your own self on the back for being inclusive.Its about being welcoming.From Suzie Yorke, founder of Love Good Fats. Yorke identifies as a lesbian and female entrepreneur.To me, diversity means welcoming and proactively seeking a variety of opinions and ideas from people of all walks of life. It means giving people a seat at the table so they can be heard. I seek out that diversity every day by personally engaging with my customers via social media and hearing their feedback. We live diversity as a company via our team and the value we give to their voice. I aim to represent those diverse experiences when I am creating new products, sitting in a boardroom, meeting with buyers or talking to investors. The great thing about working in the food industry is that food doesnt discriminate, and neither will we.Its about acknowledging our differences.From Stephanie Boone, founder and CEO of Wondercide. Boone identifies as a lesbian.For us, diversity means we acknowledge the differences between one another our employees and our customers - and celebrate the tangible and intangible value these differences bring to our culture and community that we fondly refer to as our pack. We believe ev eryone, everywhere deserves equality no matter their age, gender, race, religion, sexual orientation, abilities or disabilities, and that when we can unite around our differences great creativity, true connection, and inspired innovation are the outcome.It refers to both visible and invisible identities.From Jennifer Brown, founder president and CEO of Jennifer Brown Consulting. Brown identifies as a lesbian, cisgender woman.Diversity within a workplace refers to all of the various identities - both visible and invisible - that either make up or should make up the composition of the workforce. Diversity is often talked about in terms of counting heads, which means remaining hypervigilant about who is represented at what levels and who is not represented - especially where this is out of sync with the marketplace. We need to have representation of different ethnicities that reflect our population at large at all levels of a company. We need to have LGBTQ-identified people who feel comfortable enough to bring who they are to work every day representing the percentage of the population who identify as LGBTQ.It means having multiple perspectives.From Fran Dunaway, CEO and founder of TomboyX. Dunaway identifies as a lesbian.I think that having multiple perspectives is important and critical for success. Differing opinions, backgrounds, interests, beliefs are essential to consider. Diversity opens the door for collaboration and input that pushes the boundaries in a way that doesnt happen when everyone is the same. The world is a melting pot of identities, ethnicities, and experiences. This impacts the lens through which we see the world. True progress stalls when ideals are homogenized into righteousness. Conversation and curiosity stimulate new ideas that lead us down new and exciting paths.

Interview Questions About Challenges as a Student

Interview Questions About Challenges as a StudentInterview Questions About Challenges as a StudentWhen you are applying for an entry-level position, a typical job interview question asks about your biggest obstacles. This question is a way for interviewers to get a sense of how you tackle problems and adversity. More important than the challenge is how you handled it Use this as an opportunity to highlight strengths that would be helpful on the job, such as persistence, communication skills, time management abilities, etc. Be Honest Its tempting to toss back a humble-brag as a response, e.g. My biggest challenge welches that Im such a perfectionist Dont do this. Everyone has flaws and areas for improvement. By pretending you dont, youd force the hiring manager to assume that youre either lying or not self-aware. Neither makes a good impression. Focus on Challenges Youve Conquered By the same token, now is not the time to present yourself in an unflattering light. Theres no ne ed to share challenges youre still actively trying to resolve. For instance, if you currently have trouble keeping your cool in stressful situations, dont tell the hiring manager that you tend to freak out when the pressure is high. Instead, look for examples that show how you faced a challenge and overcame it. (So, if you used to feel stressed out before presentations, talk about how you solved the problem by taking a public speaking course and creating a schedule that allowed you to prepare ahead of time.) Look for Opportunities to Show That Youre the Best Person for the Job When answering this or any job interview questions, your goal is to show the hiring manager that youre the best candidate for the position. That means matching your qualifications to the job and using your answers to show that youd be a good fit. For example, if the job listing specifies someone with good time management skills, you might talk about how you developed a system to help you juggle a challengi ng course load and a part-time job. Practice Your Answers Its a good idea to have a couple of answers in mind, in case the interviewer nixes your first reply, or the interview goes in a direction you dont anticipate. Regardless, you should devote some time to practice interviews before you meet with the hiring manager. Ask a supportive friend to conduct mock interviews with you, to get a feel for how to answer questions effectively and organically and change tracks when necessary. Examples of the Best Answers Here are sample interview answers that you can edit to fit your personal experiences and background My biggest challenge as a student was being the student Sitting through the conventional lectures was sometimes difficult. My mind and body were always going and I couldnt wait to get out of my seat, move around, share my thoughts, and interact with my peers. I handled it by focusing all my energy into my listening and notenzeichen taking. It helped keep my mind busy and my body moving, and I also left with some great notes. During my freshman year is when I faced my biggest challenge as a student. I had never lived away from home before, and I experienced severe homesickness. I was almost defeated by it, and had the opportunity to go home and attend a local college. I decided to try to overcome my homesickness, which I did. Acquiring successful time management skills was the biggest challenge I faced as a student. It was an aspect to college life that I underestimated the significance of. Now that I am in the workforce, I continue to use the skills I gained, and I am always trying to improve on them as well. One of my biggest challenges my first year in college was the volume of work. It was a big change from high school, and standards were also much higher I tackled this in a few different ways I looked for opportunities to start or join study groups, met with my professors for advice on where to focus my attention, and set up a structured schedu le to make sure I was putting in the required time studying.

Ten Steps Workshop for Unemployed Veterans Lessons Learned

Ten Steps Workshop for Unemployed Veterans Lessons LearnedTen Steps Workshop for Unemployed Veterans Lessons LearnedTen Steps Workshop for Unemployed Veterans Lessons LearnedKathryn Troutman, Federal Resume Guru, presented a two-hour program to ten anxious veterans who have been seeking a federal position for a couple of years.Below, Kathryn shares her experience We were at a conference table and the veterans all got to share their objectives and past federal job search experiences, since it was a small group.Everyone in the class received a free copy of the Jobseekers Guide 7th Edition so that they could refer to the keyword lessons and Outline Format as they were working on their resumes.Problems and Myths Keeping Veterans from Landing Federal JobsEveryone got their resume out and showed me what they were using in their job search.Problems I saw with the resumes in the roomToo short (1 page)Too long (I saw a 14-page resume)Every job listed- even those that were short-term and irrel evantShort sentences with bulletsAll resumes were NOT targeted with keywordsAll resumes did NOT include accomplishmentsMost of the resumes went back too far with the datesCritical resume myths we debunked during the classIts okay if resumes are 10 to 14 pages longIts okay if the resume is 1 pageIts okay to upload the resumeIts okay NOT include accomplishmentsIts okay to apply to ANY position in Baltimore just in caseStep 6 The Best Federal Resume Format, the Outline FormatI started the class with Step 6, to show the attendees the longer format with ALL CAP KEYWORDS and short paragraphs. They learned how to write a few more sentences about specific skills that are needed for the position.We shared accomplishments in the room, so that each veteran could add accomplishments to his or her resume.Alford A Future Success Story in the MakingAlford (in the photo above) is ready to go to work now. Alford was the first part in the classroom He brought his laptop and he pulled out his worn-out copy of the 5th edition of the Federal Resume Guidebook. That was a HUGE surprise since I was teaching- and I am the author of that book We both feel that this workshop will bring him luck- and maybe help from VRA, Schedule A, 30% or more Disabled hiring programs to help him work again. One of the main success factors for landing a federal job is PERSEVERANCE- and he showed that just by walking in the doorHe has been looking for positions that will use his administrative skills. When he was working, he owned and managed a successful construction business until the real estate downfall in 2008. And after that, he worked in a transportation firm until he needed to get full-time medical care. He is back on his feet and ready for work. His favorite part of the Ten Step class was Step 6 The Outline Format. He will be changing his short bullet format into the Outline Format with small paragraphs and keywords right away. Free Ebook OfferJobseekers Guide, 7th Editionby Kathryn TroutmanTen Steps to a Federal Job for Transitioning Military, Veterans and Military SpousesFREE PDF of the award-winning best seller is available toveterans, transitioning military, spouses . and career and employment counselors who advise unterstellung federal jobseekersAvailable Veterans daythrough Sunday November 13 at midnight.Request Your Copy HereVeterans Career Counselors and CentersBulk Order Sale on Jobseekers Guide until November 21, 2016More Info and Ordering Kathryn Kraemer Troutmanis the founder and president of The Resume Place, Inc., a service business located in Baltimore, MD, specializing in writing and designing professional federal and private-sector resumes, as well as coaching and education in the federal hiring process. For the past 30 years, Troutman has managed her Professional Writing and Consulting Practice, Publishing and Federal Career Training business, and with her team of 20 Certified Federal Resume Writers, The Resume Place advises and writes more than 300 feder al resumes per month for military, private industry and federal clients world-wide.

Working out is great, but doing it this way might make you live longer

Working out is great, but doing it this way might make you live longerWorking out is great, but doing it this way might make you live longerThere are different theories that lead to a healthier and longer life, but a new study claims that speeding up your exercise routine is the secret to helping you live longer than the rest.A test conducted by Brazilian scientists, via Medical News Today, suggests that muscle power helps keep your body in better shape than just regular muscle strength. When they tested nearly 4,000 non-athletes, they found that people with maximal muscle power over the median had higher survival rates.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreThe studyProfessor Claudio Gil Arajo, who leads a Brazilian exercise clinic, CLINIMEX, tested 3,878 non-athletes between ages 41-85 years over a 15-year period using one exercise the upright row. The age group was selected based on muscle power decreasing after age 40. The clinic selected the highest total after three attempts with increased weight.Scientists followed up with participants nearly seven years after their trials, where they concluded that those with muscle power higher than the median had higher survival rates, while those below had a better chance of dying.Participants who had ranked below the midpoint had a risk of dying 10 to 13 times higher.For optimal power training results, you should go beyond typical strength training and add speed to your weight lifts, Arajo said.To focus on power in your regiment, perform 1-to-3 sets for about 6-to-8 repetitions doing movements as quickly as possible. Slowly decline before using explosive force on your next repetition.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience 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 productiv ityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

If Knees Could Talk

If Knees Could Talk If Knees Could Talk If Knees Could TalkMost bioengineer-researchers listening to sounds inside the human body are focused purely on diagnostics, but Georgia Tech Professor Omer Inan and researchers in his lab have a somewhat different mission.Their objective is to improve human health by thinking about sensing as a longitudinal assessment tool, tracking an individuals health over time rather than trying to diagnose one person against the population. One reason for this approach is the amount of variability in body sounds from one person to another.If I measure sounds from 10 different people, the signatures are going to look completely different. The big challenge is how to get any information from behauptung measurements that makes sense where there is so much variability among people, Inan says.His work started out in the cardiovascular area when as a doctoral student, he modified a home weighing scale to sense the vibrations of the body in response to the heart beat in order to measure changes in cardiac output and contractility. The idea was that daily monitoring of heart failure patients at home could provide doctors regular updates so that therapies could be adjusted remotely and any worrisome changes dealt with immediately. In addition to the scale, his labs work now also includes a patch worn on the chest that continuously measures the surface vibrations of the chest wall in response to heartbeat.More recently, when the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) called for research proposals on wearable technologies for assisting rehabilitation, Inan began thinking about how his sensing work might be applied to joints. As a three-time NCAA All-American track star at Stanford University and the school record holder in the discus, he knew from personal experience that joints can get creaky if they are injured or even overused.Prof. Omer Inan (right) is working on a knee ensemble that listens to crunchy sounds coming from the join t. Image Georgia TechDARPAs interest is to reduce and rehabilitate soldiers knee and ankle injuries, whether on the battlefield, from marching dozens of miles with heavy backbacks, or crouching in cramped spots for hours. These cause musculoskeletal injuries that are among the top reasons for discharge for active duty service members.Curious about the sounds he heard and felt himself, he started thinking about rehabilitation from an engineers perspective, which went something like this After the knee has something torn and then repaired, there is some sort of mechanical disruption that has to be resolved over time by the body. Addressing it as an engineer could be interesting, he thought.Inans hypothesis, which he hopes to scientifically prove, is that the sounds are coming from natural friction of the rubbing of surfaces inside. Using the DARPA grant, which recently ended, he and his team developed a knee band with microphones and piezoelectric film, a highly sensitive vibration se nsor, for listening to and measuring the sounds inside the joint. The recorded audio was graphed, much like an electrocardiogram, and matched to the joints range of motion to see when the knee creaks and pops during the time the leg extends and bends.Among other things, the researchers learned that the acoustic pattern of an injured knee is much different from that of a healthy knee. This and other initial findings have recently been published, and the work is continuing, funded by another four-year federal grant.Its going to allow us a few mora years to get more into basic science. We can get a better understanding of where these sounds are coming from and at a more fundamental level how injury affects the signatures of the sounds, Inan says.In the long term, additional study will increase the impact the research will have, he said. In the shorter term, the team is looking at opportunities for simpler products based on the technology, such as a brace with a microphone embedded that goes around a knee to provide basic information about the state of a persons injury after surgery. It is a first-level tool providing feedback, he says for instance, your sounds are more consistent than last week. Over time, the device could improve as a decision aid indicating whether the knee is ready to move to more intense activity.Now, Inan hopes that in the future medical research will build on the acoustical sensing technology his group is designing and eventually decode the sound into useful patterns for a variety of applications. So far the focus has been on injury recovery, but there could be applications for areas, such as osteoarthritis. Minor degradation over time in those surfaces is a factor in the formation of the sound, and one should be able to hear different signatures associated with them, he says.My general philosophy on sensing research is that sounds and vibrations of the body have not been explored as much as other sensing modalities, and I think there is a lot we can learn, says Inan. There are many physical exams. The stethoscope is the hallmark of a doctor and other physical exams where health care providers are tapping on the patient and listening, moving things around. Mechanical assessments are really important but not as well fleshed out in terms of sensing technologies and especially wearable sensing technologies.nanzig S. Giges is an independent writer. My general philosophy on sensing research is that sounds and vibrations of the body have not been explored as much as other sensing modalities, and I think there is a lot we can learn.Prof. Omer Inan, Georgia Institute of Technology

The Insider Secrets of Strengths to Put on Resume Exposed

The Insider Secrets of Strengths to Put on Resume Exposed Set your energy into your strengths statementwhat you must offer you. While you wish to emphasize strengths that are essential for the job, you need to mention weaknesses that arent pertinent to the position. My strength is most likely my capacity to cope with people. Its good once you have many personal strengths, without a doubt. The discipline of management takes a range of certain skills. To do that goal, you have to effectively convey your key strengths in a manner that convinces the hiring manager that you have the required tools necessary to fill the firms open position. If youre interviewing for work in social networking, for example, never say that technology or communication is your weakness. Content marketing is inescapable in the current digital marketing and advertising landscape. A persons skill platzset is comprised of an assortment of personal skills that theyve acquired through education and employment. Since in fact, there are thousands of skills out there, its not possible to name all of them here. If you would like to display your organization skills, acquiring a tightly structured resume certainly helps. There are a few skills that will be utterly necessary for any successful candidate. Resumes are somewhat more effective with the proper adjectives. Infographic resumes are just a supplement. Key skills are work-related skills that you will need to do a job. Soft skills are the skills that are relevant to every job. Adaptive skills are also called soft abilities or individual skills. 3 First, you must select the best skills for your resume. The Pain of Strengths to Put on Resume Highlighting your key strengths is the best way to demonstrate an organization youre worth the opportunity to interview. Furthermore, the list of strengths weve advised you to compile in your way, might also be found handy as you face job interviews. Choose the most relevant strengths match the absolute most for a specific job youre going to apply every moment. Bu tirst, here are a few vital things to remember when putting together an effective collection of skills. You most likely have a vague idea on what to include on a resume. If youre not sure youve got the experience to meet the requirements for your fantasy gig, dont manufacture itgo style for techniques to receive it. Dont turn into a shrieking shrew if youre not offered the job immediately. Strengths to Put on Resume at a Glance You will nonetheless need a traditional resume. Read through it a couple of occasions and youll probably spot three or four important skills mentioned many times throughout the document. Or perhaps you want to reinforce a product included in your resume skills section since you know that it is critical to the job. Again, although the information might appear repetitive, go right ahead and attach the resume. Identifying desirable vital skills is essential. The STAR method can h elp you remember how to speak about your accomplishments. Each word on your resume can be a trigger for a question via an interviewer, and youll often be requested to provide examples of the skills you have referenced. You will end up with a list of keywords with which youre going to want to populate your resume. Look out for keywords to spell out your core qualifications, key professional and individual skills. Including a summary or objective is essential if you wish to earn a good resume great. Add key skills throughout your experience section and be certain you include experience that matches whats needed by the work offer. You must keep your resume short and sweet, but still consist of enough superior information to produce an impression. Double-check if youre employing the ideal abilities and experience keywords.

The Grass Isnt Always Greener But Your Employees Are Still Looking at the Other Side

The Grass Isnt Always Greener But Your Employees Are Still Looking at the Other Side The corporate world doesnt always warm up to the idea of change, but change can certainly be good. Corporate cultures change. Outdated policies change. Occupants of those big comfy chairs in the boardroom change, sometimes. Even people well into their careers seek change every once in a while.According to Time for a Change, a survey conducted by the University of Phoenix School of Business, mora than half of working adults are interested in changing careers, with nearly 25 percent expressing that they are extremely or very interested. Thedesire for change is highest among young professionals under 30, with 86 percent expressing interest. More surprising is that 66 percent of professionals in their 30s and 60 percent of professionals in their 40s express a desire for career change.While the desire for change exists across various ages and demographics, the individual reasons behind the desirevary.We are seeing employees leave their current industries or their current jobs for many reasons, says Ruth Veloria, executive dean of the school of business for University of Phoenix. A few of the biggest trends we are seeing that are driving change is the nature of work through mobile access and cloud technology that are impacting jobs from a technological standpoint. Also, the growth of even more advanced robotics and autonomous transportation are impacting many jobs that have been around for a long time, like administrative roles, that will either change or be diminished.New opportunities developing from advances in technology and best practices appeal to members of the existing workforce.More and more, were seeing companies from all industries looking for and attracting talent that can help them apply tools such as big data, analytics, and data visualization to better compete and cope with organizational challenges, Veloria says. As many adults inclu ding those well established in their careers are re-entering the workforce or staying in the workforce much longer, they will need to upskill in many areas to keep their wealth of experience viable. Change Is Good, But Not Always EasyEighty-one percent of survey respondents said there were barriers that prevented them from making a career change. Twenty-nine percent said they couldnt afford to departure over, while 24 percent had no idea what career theyd like to change to. Another 24 percent felt they lacked the experience or education to make the change they wanted.Despite the obstacles, success stories do exist.Oftentimes, we see individuals making a change into a career that they have had an interest in for quite some time, Veloria says. For example, I recently heard the story of one of our alumni who had worked in credit unions for the entirety of his career. On the weekends, he would volunteer at hospitals, network with medical professionals, and expose himself to the healthc are space knowing, someday, he wanted a career in healthcare. After obtaining his bachelors degree, he was able to apply his years of experience in finance to an operations role within a healthcare organization.Making a plan and following it can be key to working through any obstacles that stand in the way of a change.It is all about knowing the industry you want to get into, assessing the skills needed to get there, and making the commitment, Veloria says. Whether it is through volunteering, networking, finding a mentor, or pursuing professional development courses, address the gaps that make it hard to achieve your ultimate goals and seek out relevant opportunities that can help.Be a Company Worth Staying AtIf youd rather employees stick around than consider career changes, youll have to do some work to make sure you provide jobs worth staying in. The payoff reliable, long-term employees will be worth the cost.Companies today often find themselves managing multigenerational work places in which each group has its own unique values, attitudes and work habits, Veloria says. Understanding the implications and strategies needed to manage evolving workplace needs will be essential as we progress into the next decade.For example, younger workers are demanding flexibility, virtual office spaces, and real-time coaching. To convince behauptung employees to stay put, companies will have to create innovative environments that offer all these things and more.Places of higher learning also have a responsibility to the students they send out into the workforce. They should be preparing these students to successfully navigate the shifting landscape of work.Higher education and industry have a leadership role to play in ensuring the skills being taught are aligned with the skills needs of employers, Veloria says. By staying as relevant and agile as possible on the competencies needed to keep pace with the changes in business and the global marketplace, we can better prepar e our students to be career-ready.