7 Ways to Create Your Own Luck in the Job Search

7 Ways to Create Your Own Luck in the Job Search7 Ways to Create Your Own Luck in the Job SearchTips for Getting a Job How to Create Your Own LuckForget luck of the draw. Draw your own luckKids use lucky talismans and rituals all the time, trusting that a particular red shirt or a spell repeated three times to grant a good grade on the next exam. As adults, most of us have stopped believing that crossed fingers will land us the next perfect job, instead relying on tried and true job-seeking tips and techniques. And yet, with St. Patricks Day upon us, there may be something to reigniting the old magic.Even psychologists say that athletes who wear their lucky socks for the big game arent wrong There may be some advantages to following superstitions even if they look silly. While rituals alone may not be enough, combining some good-luck charms with strategy tweaks might just create a job search success Here are seven lucky tips for getting a job.Use the right wordsOK, so maybe these ar e not magic words found in spellbooks, but you must be koranvers that you are using keywords intentionally and strategically when it comes to describing your skills and qualifications. Before you get to a real person, your resume may have to clear electronic gatekeepers like the ATS (applicant tracking system). A junior HR specialist may be scanning your resume instead of the ATS or in addition to it, so make sure your resume includes keywords that matter.How do you know which keywords matter? Experts recommend starting with the job description for the position you are applying for. You might print it out and highlight frequently used or emphasized skills and requirements. Word-cloud-generating software can help spot the patterns, as well. Once you have your list of top five to ten keywords, use them wisely (in other words, dont make them too obvious your resume will be read by a real human at some point). Use the right numbersWhat is your lucky number when it comes to a job search? Some experts argue its 72. That is the number of hours within which you should apply for a newly posted job. Surveys have shown that 60 percent of applicants will submit their applications within the first week of the new job posting. If you wait much longer, you risk having your resume stuck in the middle of the pile as the hiring managers focus is captured by the earlier applicants.Best day to apply for a job? Some experts think its Tuesday. Research by Glassdoor says Tuesday is also the best day to schedule an interview. Whether or not you choose to stick to Tuesday as a lucky day, the bottom line of these job seeking tips and techniques is that procrastinating on job applications and returning interview scheduling calls will hurt you in the long run. You may have the best of intentions (like wanting to polish off your resume until it is absolutely perfect), but sometimes it is better to get a good resume out there timely than have a perfect resume land two weeks too late.Includ e a personalized titelblatt letterPersonalizing your titel letter may seem like a time-consuming extra step and not a great job-seeking tip and technique. Many candidates struggle with composing it, so there is a temptation to simply skip it especially if the job posting does not specifically require you to submit one.My advice? When in doubt, include a cover letter anyway. As a past hiring manager, I know that cover letters can set candidates apart by conveying their professional polish, a sense of personality and a little extra color on why they are a great fit for the position.Is there a time when you should not include a cover letter? Opinions on this vary, but I believe the only cover letter you should leave out is a poorly-written one. And, of course, if the job posting specifically states that you should not send a cover letter, it is best to follow the instructions.Make yourself easy to reachA job search is a time-consuming and emotionally draining affair. I do not blame yo u for wanting to turn off the faucet of constant communication and hide under a blanket for a while. Unfortunately, that impulse is more likely to hurt your efforts than help you land a great next job opportunity. One of the best tips for getting a job is to be available and quick to respond.Be sure you are responsive to recruiters and prospective employers. In most cases, they are reaching out to multiple candidates at once. Those who take the longest to reply (or make the mistake of ignoring the messages altogether) will likely not get a second chance, especially in the beginning of the hiring process. If you are not interested in an opportunity, it is best to communicate that politely and clearly. No one likes professional ghosting An honest approach will showcase your professionalism and allow everyone to focus on their mission.A quick pro job-seeking tip be sure to include your contact information within your LinkedIn profile, especially when you are in active job search mode. Your goal is to encourage a flow of opportunities not create extra hurdles for other professionals to overcome.Send out a well-timed thank-you notenzeichenAre thank-you letters a thing of the past? I dont believe so in fact, its one of my best tips for getting a job. A quick hand-written card to acknowledge that the other professional has dedicated valuable time to meet with you can only help your candidacy. If you mention a key point or two that you have enjoyed during the conversation, or that can highlight your perfect fit for the position, include them for best results. And, just as with job applications, dont sit on your thank-you notes get them out within 24-hours while the memory of the conversation is still fresh. Learn more about the people with whom you are interviewingNo need to engage in cyber-stalking, but you might find that the job-seeking tips and techniques of a little strategic recon before the interview can do wonders to calm your nerves. LinkedIn allows you to r ead through other professionals profiles and pick up on key details. Perhaps you find some unexpected commonalities (like having attended the same school or being fans of the same sports team) that will help you feel more comfortable heading into a meeting with the hiring manager you have never met before.Create your own rituals and lucky charmsScience tells us that lucky charms work - if you believe they work This may well be a placebo effect in action, but if it gets you great results, who cares? Maybe you eat the same meal for breakfast before interviews (make it a balanced one by adding some eiwei so that science is really on your side) or wear the same lucky tie clip. Creatinghabits and rituals that help alleviate pre-interview jitters makes all the sense in the world, so do try this at homeManaging a job search requires a blend of art and science. As you look for your personal mix of solid qualifications, a well-written resume and a dash of luck, my advice is to bet on good re lationships. Networking is key when it comes to creating opportunities and advancing your career. By taking a genuine interest in other professionals, you are likely to make amazing things happen in the long run.Make your own job-search luck. Hire a TopResume writertodayRecommended ReadingCareer Quiz Is Your Resume Ready to Beat the Bots?The Top 10 Resume Mistakes That Could Cost You the JobThe Importance of Saying Thank You After an Interview

Engineer sentenced to 40 months in prison for role in VW emissions scandal

Engineer sentenced to 40 months in prison for role in VW emissions scandalEngineer sentenced to 40 months in prison for role in VW emissions scandalThe defense of I was just doing what my boss told me to doesnt work in court, as one engineer found out.This past Friday, engineer James Liang got sentenced to 40 months in prison for his role in the Volkswagen emissions fraud scandal. As a Volkswagen engineer, Liang helped to develop the software that allowed the German automaker to cheat on federal emissions tests and emit up to 40 times the allowed levels of pollutants for a decade.Being loyal to your boss will still send you to jailIn Liangs defense, his lawyer said that Liang was not a mastermind but an employee who blindly executed a misguided loyalty to his employer, according to Reuters. The federal judge hearing Liangs case didnt buy this argument.Your cooperation and regret is noted, but it doesnt excuse the conduct, U.S. District Court Judge Sean Cox said, fining Liang for $200 ,000 and sentencing him to more than three years in prison. This is a harsher sentence than what federal prosecutors had recommended for Liang, who had reached a plea verstndigung im strafverfahren and had been cooperating with investigators for months.The judge said the harsher sentence was a deterrent to anyone else who would think of a similar scheme.This sentence sends a strong message of deterrence to automotive engineers and executives who should think twice before knowingly breaking United States laws for the benefit of their employer, acting U.S. Attorney Daniel L. Lemisch said about the ruling.Liangs sentencing has wider implications for the engineering industry at large, and serves as a reminder that coding is not a neutral activity. Software development is embedded with the biases of its creators, for good or ill purposes.Liangs fate also serves as a more reminder to not be blindly loyal to your employer. Go into your job with eyes open. If you recognize unethical behavio r, take regular notes of whats said or not said, so that you have evidence to show later to higher-ups like human resources, or in extreme cases, court.There have been similar cases in the past that show that courts do not look kindly on the my boss told me to do it excuse.In 2014, former Goldman Sachs banker Fabrice Tourre - who had bragged in emails to friends that he was the Fabulous Fab - was fined $825,000 by the Securities and Exchange Commission and found liable for defrauding investors during the financial crisis by helping to create toxic mortgage securities. Tourres lawyers had argued that that the midlevel banker was not responsible for Goldmans actions or the financial crisis, but it didnt convince the court.Keeping your head down and following orders is a weak defense when it comes time for judgment. It didnt excuse Liang of his role in VWs fraud, it didnt absolve Tourre at Goldman Sachs, and it likely wont excuse you.

Biomedical Engineering in Sports Medicine

Biomedical Engineering in Sports Medicine Biomedical Engineering in Sports Medicine Attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison, Jennifer Sanfilippo is working toward a graduate degree in biomedical engineering, specializing in sports medicine. Sanfilippos experience has involved working for high school and university programs and with mechanical engineers, doctors, therapists, and athletic trainers for her research. Sanfilippoholds a B.S. degree in biology and another in athletic training and plans to graduate in May 2011 with an M.S. in biomedical engineering.Falling for Sports MedicineShe recalls how it all began I became interested in sports medicine when I was in high school. Participating in sports myself, in the off season, I would stay involved helping the schools athletic trainer with athletes during the practice season. Coming to Madison, I began my college experience studying in the biology department as a general student with the hopes of continuing in medicine, but as many young students find themselves honing in on specific interests, I eventually moved into the kinesiology department. There I sought a degree in athletic training. While studying, I had the opportunity to work with various athletes on their injuries, following them to away games, and observing different medical professionals reveal their specific expertise. During this time, I realized my true love of research and my unknown desire to become an engineer. Working for my masters in biomedical engineering, I have taken courses in materials, mechanics, statistics, and biology which are all required in my everyday research.The University of Wisconsin Madison Athletic Training Education Program features a strong mix of basic sciences, kinesiology courses, and athletic training subject matter. The program features clinical experiences in intercollegiate and secondary school settings. Working directly with school athletes is unique to the Athletic Training program. Every semester, studen t athletic trainers are assigned to a collegiate team, where they are directly involved in the athletes rehab program. One semester is done at a high school helping with the sports offered for the semester. This provides an exposure to a larger variety of injury types. In biomedical engineering, you can have a variety of experiences at the masters level based on your particular research interests. As my interests are more biomechanically related specifically to orthopedics, I study hamstrings and work directly with the physical therapists and athletic trainers.My personal research is directly related to the injuries themselves. It is very interesting to see how one injured muscle can affect all parts of a persons gait (way of walking) and how the healing process further affects this. Normally, as an athletic trainer, I saw the overall effect, but in my research I am able to see tissue level healing with the help of MRI use. We work on using engineering techniques to analyze injuries and how rehab directly affects the healing tissues. The mechanical engineering we use is directly involved in data analysis using specialized equipment, we can see when muscles fire, how much force they apply, and which ones do the fruchtwein work. We use such programs as Matlab to calculate peak torque of specific muscle groups. After analyzing an injured athlete, we help with new rehabilitation techniques and then retest the subjects to determine how well we have cured the injury. I use mechanical concepts at almost every step, starting with proper function of equipment, proceeding with testing forces, and ending with our analysis. If you would like more information about the laboratory I work in along with other research we are currently investigating, follow the link engr.wisc.edu/groups/nmbl/index.html.Many of my colleagues have moved from research to work in academic laboratories, national laboratories such as the National Institute of Health, medical equipment design, compan ies such as GE Healthcare, and others. I hope to move into athletic training specifically designing new treatment methods for injuries and stay tied in research while helping athletes at a university.The Move to ResearchIn the past, athletic trainers and sports medicine professionals have worked specifically on athletes, but they are now moving to assist with sports-related research and work for companies as on-staff medical personnel. Also, as the population grows and ages, the need for medical assistance is increasing in demand. With more specialized professionals, people can get the exact help they need without relying on a first visit to a general care doctor.Sports medicine is a growing field, uniting biomedical engineers with sports medicine professionals, allowing the field to advance in materials with the creation of ergonomic prosthetics with biocompatible materials, monitoring systems for recovering injuries, mechanical bracing apparatus for weak joints, and more.It is ver y interesting to see how one injured muscle can affect all parts of a persons gait (way of walking) and how the healing process further affects this.Jennifer Sanfilippo, University of Wisconsin-Madison