Tuesday, November 26, 2019

children and tv Essays

children and tv Essays children and tv Essay children and tv Essay Some parents believe that watching television is bad for their children. So, they try to restrict their children from watching TV. However, other parents think that there is nothing bad in watching TV. Personally, I think that watching TV brings children only benefits unless they spend in front of TV set less then a couple of hours daily. For the following reasons, which I will mention bellow, I believe that television plays an essential role in childs development. First of all, television helps a child to extent his r her range of interests. Children can find out many new things and make many exiting discoveries for themselves. In addition to these practical benefits television improves childrens vocabulary, their memory and gives them the opportunity to gain more knowledge. I think it is very essential for a child. Of cause, someone can say that there are plenty of different recourses of information such as books and teachers. But, I think, in our modern world children must learn faster and use all contemporary technology in order to succeed. Second of all, watching cognitive programs helps children to learn more about wild life, our environment and about the importance of preserving our forest and wild animals that live there. Scientists say that a child should not watch TV more then 40 minutes successively. For example, my mother always made us have a break after watching TV more then half an hour and let our eyes rest for several minutes before turning on the TV again. I think it is the best solution. To sum up, I believe that television gives children and all people he opportunity to learn what can not be learn from books. Television and movies in particular allow people to feel the reality and see what they will most likely not be able to see in their lives. Personally, when I was a child I liked to watch cognitive programs about wild animals. Unfortunately, my family had only one TV, but these programs were the only ones we all wanted to watch. So, we gathered in our living room and watched them in complete silence and I always remember those moments with a smile on my face.

Saturday, November 23, 2019

Should You Really Trust College Ranking Lists

Should You Really Trust College Ranking Lists SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Since the U.S. News World Report college rankings list debuted in 1983, college-bound students and their parents have become quite enamored with college ranking lists. While the U.S. News list may be the most well-known, there are a plethora of college ranking lists out there. All use slightly different criteria to rank colleges and all claim to be the best and most reliable. However, should you trust any of these lists? Should you use them when deciding which college to attend? Do they provide any valuable information? In this article, I'll answer those questions. I'll let you know how much you can trust college ranking lists. Furthermore, I'll explain the pros and cons of these lists and how to use them to your benefit. How Are College Rankings Determined? Most ranking lists use a combination of objective statistics and subjective opinions based on survey responses to compile their rankings. Objective Numbers That Influence the Rankings These are the most common statistics used by the most popular college ranking lists that help determine the rankings. Retention: Some lists use the freshman retention rate, the percentage of students who return for their sophomore years, to help to determine their rankings. The logic behind using this statistic is that if a student is happy with a college and receiving the necessary support, then she will return for her second year. Also, lists use the 6-year graduation rate, the percentage of students who graduate within 6 years. If a college is providing quality instruction and nurturing its students, then the vast majority should be able to graduate within 6 years. Class Size: US News measures the proportion of classes with less than 20 students and the proportion with 50 or more. The idea here is that very small and large classes are indicative of having more resources. Also, students in smaller classes receive more attention and personalized instruction. Faculty Salary: The reasoning for using this metric is that schools that pay their faculty most generously are able to attract the best professors. Student-Faculty Ratio: If there is a low student-faculty ratio, then students can possibly get more attention and there will be more opportunities for students to interact with professors. SAT/ACT Scores: Schools with higher average standardized test scores are seen as being more selective and having more academically capable students. Percentage of Students That Graduated in the Top 10% and 25% of Their High School Classes: Colleges whose students all graduated near the top of their high school classes are judged positively for having the highest caliber of student. Acceptance Rate: The logic behind using this number is that if a college admits only a very small percentage of its applicants, then those that it does admit are likely to be the best and brightest. Average Spending Per Student: US News calculates spending per student by using the average spending per student on instruction, research, student services, and related educational expenditures in the most recent two fiscal years. Spending on sports, dorms, and hospitals doesn't count. If a college is spending more per student on education, then you may be able to assume that its students have more educational resources and quality instruction. Alumni Giving Rate:The alumni giving rate is the percentage of graduates who gave to the school, usually within the last year or two. According to various studies, the alumni giving rate is a measure of student satisfaction. However, I enjoyed my experience at Stanford, but I don't donate to my alma mater. Maybe somebody from Stanford will read this and I'll stop getting incessant letters and phone calls asking me for my money. Financial Aid: Some lists measure the average amount of financial aid awarded and others measure the percentage of financial need that is met. Better colleges should have the resources to enable all qualified students to attend regardless of financial need. US News also measures how satisfied students are with their financial aid, but that is a much more subjective rating. Salary of Alumni: The logic behind using average alumni salary in college rankings is that colleges that provide an excellent education and can offer good professional connections will have alumni with high salaries. Opinions That Influence The Rankings Academics US News World Report relies heavily on "undergraduate academic reputation" in its rankings. The academic reputation of a school is determined by how top academics and administrators at other colleges assess its academics. US News also surveys counselors from high schools to rate the academic programs of colleges to help determine "academic reputation." Princeton Review conducts a survey on how hard students work and how much they get back for their efforts to assess academics. Quality of Life Most college ranking lists assess the quality of life at a college through student surveys. Princeton Review grades quality of life through student assessments of "their overall happiness; the beauty, safety, and location of the campus; the comfort of dorms; the quality of food; the ease of getting around campus and dealing with administrators; the friendliness of fellow students; the interaction of different student types; and the quality of the school's relationship with the local community.† For the first time this year in its rankings, Forbes used a student satisfaction survey on Facebook where students were asked how satisfied they were with their school from 1-5. Obviously, the logic behind using quality of life measurements in rankings is that students should be happy if they're attending a good school. Pros of College Ranking Lists Discover New Colleges College ranking lists can introduce you to colleges that may be a good fit for you. I think this is probably the most valuable thing about these lists. Many students are not as familiar with smaller, well-ranked schools. Seeing these schools on ranking lists can provoke a student to research them, apply to them, and maybe even attend a school he would not have previously considered. For example, schools like Harvey Mudd and Williams are excellent schools that may not be as prestigious or have the same name recognition as Harvard or Yale, but they consistently rank very highly in college ranking lists. Provide Extensive Data for You to Compare Schools In one ranking list, you can see the average class size, high school GPA, or SAT/ACT score for many different colleges. These lists can offer you a resource for numerical comparisons. If you're considering a few different colleges, you can refer to a rankings list to compare the available statistics for each school and that may help you narrow down your list of colleges to apply to. Give You an Idea of What Others Think While the rankings can be disputed and these lists are subjective, college ranking lists do provide some insight into the reputations of different colleges. Graduate schools and employers often consider the reputations of different schools when they make decisions. Going to a #12 vs. a #20 school will probably have little impact on those decisions; however, going to a #12 vs. a #200 school could. Learn What You Need to Do to Be a Qualified Applicant Many of the ranking lists give you the average high school GPA, standardized test scores, and the percentage of students who graduate in the top 10% and 25% of their high school classes. From these numbers, you can determine what you need to do to make yourself competitive for admission to a specific school. If you want to have a decent shot at getting into a certain college, your numbers should compare favorably to those of the average student there. Cons of College Ranking Lists Some of the criteria used to evaluate colleges are highly subjective. For US News World Report, top academics and high school counselors answer survey questions about other schools' academic programs. Are they well-informed enough to have educated opinions on the academic programs of colleges they may have never worked at nor attended? Are they just relying on hearsay and the reputations of these schools to answer these questions? Similarly, some quality of life assessments may not account for natural variances in opinions. If the campus of a school in a rural environment is ranked as beautiful, that means little for the student who prefers urban environments and would find the rural campus unappealing. Some of the criteria used to rank schools may have no real impact on your educational experience. The rate of alumni giving and selectivity of a school will probably not impact the quality of instruction you'll receive at a particular college. Students can get too focused on the rankings instead of figuring out which school is the best fit for them. There's probably not much difference in the quality of education at a #5 school vs. a #10 school. The #10 school may be a much better fit for a student who could excel academically at both. Finally, colleges are very motivated by the rankings. They'll convince students who have little chance of getting accepted to apply to increase their selectivity rating. They'll spend countless hours and tremendous resources hitting up alumni for money to up their alumni giving percentages. Perhaps these schools could improve their academic programs or support services if they allocated their resources without regard to college rankings. College ranking lists can be both good and bad. What Do Some College Experts Think? Generally, in my research, the "experts" on record seem to have echoed some of my sentiments about college rankings. Jeffrey Brenzel, Dean of Admissions at Yale from 2005-2013, believes that college ranking lists are of limited value to students: The formulas used to rank schools are based on factors that in themselves are often irrelevant to individual students. Their composite scores reflect alumni giving rates, student-to-teacher ratios, median SAT scores, persistence to graduation, admissions selectivity and other data that provide little information about specific program strengths, honors programs or the general way in which the school lifts and supports student aspirations. The simplicity and clarity that ranking systems seem to offer are not only misleading, but can also be harmful. Rankings tend to ignore the very criteria that may be most important to an applicant, such as specific academic offerings, intellectual and social climate, ease of access to faculty, international opportunities and placement rates for careers or for graduate and professional school. Colin Diver, former Dean of the University of Pennsylvania Law School and former President of Reed College, also wrote of his dislike for ranking lists. He wrote positively of Reed's decision to not submit information to US News World Report for its rankings list: For ten years Reed has declined to fill out the annual peer evaluations and statistical surveys thatU.S. Newsuses to compile its rankings. It has three primary reasons for doing so. First, one-size-fits-all ranking schemes undermine the institutional diversity that characterizes American higher education. The urge to improve one's ranking creates an irresistible pressure toward homogeneity, and schools that, like Reed, strive to be different are almost inevitably penalized. Second, the rankings reinforce a view of education as strictly instrumental to extrinsic goals such as prestige or wealth; this is antithetical to Reed's philosophy that higher education should produce intrinsic rewards such as liberation and self-realization. Third, rankings create powerful incentives to manipulate data and distort institutional behavior for the sole or primary purpose of inflating one's score.Because the rankings depend heavily on unaudited, self-reported data, there is no way to ensure either t he accuracy of the information or the reliability of the resulting rankings. However, some college admissions experts do see some value in the ranking lists. Lynda McGee is a college counselor at Downtown Magnets High School, ranked as a gold medal high school by US News interestingly enough. Like I previously mentioned, she states that college ranking lists can help introduce you to excellent colleges: Many factors go into college rankings, including alumni donations and how other institutions perceive them. Take that into account when you start to think that school #1 must be much better than school #20. What the rankings can do is introduce you to great schools you may be unfamiliar with. So check out those rankings, but remember that you will find an excellent education up and down the list. Keep in mind that while you may not find many representatives from colleges to speak positively about ranking lists, in general, hundreds of colleges routinely brag about their rankings and prominently display them on their websites and in their brochures. Colleges tend to care about these rankings, and they know they matter to students, their parents, and influence popular opinion. Rankings matter to many people. Final Word on Whether You Should Trust College Ranking Lists Don't trust the exact ranking. The #5 school isn't necessarily better than the #10 school in any given list. Use ranking lists to find colleges you may have not previously considered. Focus on the factors that are important to you in a college when looking at a ranking list. You want to go to a college that is a good fit for you. Use the objective available statistics like average high school GPA and SAT/ACT score to compare colleges and determine what you need to do to be a qualified applicant. College ranking lists do provide a rough idea of how colleges are perceived in the academic and professional worlds. What's Next? College ranking lists should only be one of many resources you use in your college search. Make sure you know how to choose a college. Also, look at the best college search websites. Finally, as you're deciding which schools to apply to, learn about reach and safety schools. Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points or your ACT score by 4 points?We've written a guide for each test about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now:

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Human resource management Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1750 words - 3

Human resource management - Essay Example The total construction area is about 590,000 square meters. In line with this, the program has been designed by world-renowned Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas. By constructing the CCTV’s main building, the supporting facilities for television cultural centre and ancillary are improved (Hudong, 2010). With 234 meters high, CCTV’s main building is considered the tallest building in Beijing. From the exterior view, CCTV Tower, the building as a tilt by the two pillars. About 180 meters in the hanging were carried out aerial docking. Its architectural style is elegant. As a single nation-building, it is the largest single building. It is the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games, one of the important facilities. The TV centre includes TV theatre, recording studio, and cultural hotel, press room, digital cinema, large auditorium, exhibition areas, multi-function hall and other facilities. Also it is the television centre during the 2008 Beijing Olympic Games. CCTV is the media agency. It was established from the day will be faced with many stakeholders. And what does stakeholder means here? Stakeholders are an integral part of a project. They are the end-users or clients, the people from whom requirements will be drawn, the people who will influence the design and, ultimately, the people who will reap the benefits of your completed project. It is extremely important to involve stakeholders in all phases of your project for two reasons: Firstly, experience shows that their involvement in the project significantly increases your chances of success by building in a self-correcting feedback loop; Secondly, involving them in your project builds confidence in your product and will greatly ease its acceptance in your target audience (Mariosalexandrou.com, 2010). It is no exception during the Olympic Games in Beijing. Among the stakeholders includes the government regulators, competitors in the same industry, TV stations in various departments w ithin, product advertising, TV

Tuesday, November 19, 2019

Human Resource Management at Work Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2750 words

Human Resource Management at Work - Essay Example In this situation, it is essential that employees perceive constant organizational support and are motivated to improve their workplace performance. HR leadership and management strategies will play the vital role in bringing organizations in the leisure industry toward their strategic goals. That HRM decisions produce a multitude of effects on the quality of performance in organizations is a well-known fact. Brendon Jones, Ltd is no exception. In its current situation, the company has several strategic options to choose from. While the company is losing its market position and experiences a rapid decline in consumer satisfaction, its principal task is to improve its stability and position in the leisure industry and retain its consumers. Also, the company must ensure that the number of new consumers constantly increases and, most importantly, that new and existing consumers are satisfied with the quality of its entertainment services. Advertising looks like the primary and the most promising solution to the customer issues: while Brendon Jones, Ltd is losing its consumers, a well-developed advertising campaign could help it to revive its brand and popularity and attract new customers. Attractive as it may look, advertising and brand revival will not resolve the companyà ¢â‚¬â„¢s organizational issues from within. Advertising is just an instrument of popularity and competitiveness in a short-term perspective. In no way does advertising help to raise the efficiency of business operations at Brendon Jones, Ltd. Therefore, the organization could try to reconsider its budget and financial expenses, to open new parks or develop new, sophisticated attractions. Apparently, the success of the leisure industry organizations is in whether they can surprise their consumers. The more surprising and sophisticated attractions are the more interested

Sunday, November 17, 2019

Emerging Infectious Diseases Essay Example for Free

Emerging Infectious Diseases Essay Emerging infectious diseases are diseases that are new or changing, and are increasing, or have the potential to increase in incidence in the near future. (Pearson, Microbiology) Some important contributing factors to the development of EIDs are evolutionary changes in existing organisms, the movement of previously identified diseases to new geographic locations and populations by modern transportation, and increased human exposure to previously undocumented, uncommon infectious agents in areas of ecological growth or change. This includes previously uninhabited areas that may be undergoing deforestation or construction. EIDs also emerge as a result of resistance, and in recent years, an unusually high incidence of EIDs has drawn the attention of the global population in reaction to unsatisfactory health care facilities and geographic locations with tendency toward breakdown of public sanitation measures. (Pearson, Microbiology) Avian Influenza A (H1N1), or bird flu, became a subject of global attention in 2003 when it caused he death of millions of poultry and 24 humans in eight countries in central and south Asia. Avian Influenza A is transmitted by birds around the world, however, certain wild birds, particularly waterfowl, do not get sick but instead carry the virus in their intestines and release it through their excretions. Most frequently, wild birds spread influenza to domesticated birds and poultry farms, where the virus causes death. Most avian influenza viruses actually do not naturally cause disease in humans. However, some Influenza strains, like Avian Influenza A, are zoonotic, meaning that they can infect humans and cause disease possibly resulting in death. World Health Organization) The NS1 protein of the influenza virus is the most critical virulence factor that allows it to antagonize the host’s antiviral response. In doing this it employs several mechanisms, including the binding and sequestration of double-stranded RNA. The structure of full-length NS1 protein has now been identified using samples from a virulent H5N1 avian influenza virus strain. â€Å"The molecules RNA binding domain displays noticeable differences when it is compared to that of the non-H5N1 strains, whereas the effector domain is significantly altered. The two domains interact in such a way as to form tubules that may act to sequester dsRNA, allowing the virus to evade the hosts innate immune response. † (International Weekly Journal of Science) The following groups od individuals are at an increased risk for contraction Avian Influenza A: Farmers and others factory farm workers who handle poultry, Travelers who may be visiting visiting affected countries during an outbreak, Those who touch an infected bird, or Those who consume raw or undercooked poultry products from birds infected with the disease. Health care workers may also be at an increased risk of contracting the bird flu from an infected patient. (NYT Heath Guide) The avian flu virus (H5N1) has been proven to survive in the environment without the help of a human or animal host for long periods of time. Infection is possible simply by touching contaminated surfaces. Birds who were infected with Avian Influenza A can continue to foster the virus and release it in their excretions for as long as 10 days, and are still a risk after death. NYT Health Guide) Infection with the H5N1 virus in humans causes flu-like symptoms that often progress quickly to more adverse complications such as Acute Respiratory Distress, Organ failure, pneumonia, sepsis or death. The initial onset of symptoms may include cough, diarrhea, difficulty breathing, unusually high fever, headache; muscle aches, a runny nose or a sore throat. NYT Health Guide) Tests to verify Avian Influenza in an individual exist, but are currently not widely available to the public. If you are unable to receive a preliminary test which yields results in four hours, your physician may also conduct the following tests: Auscultation, to detect abnormal breathing and lung function, a chest x-ray, a nasopharyngeal culture and blood work, all to determine the presence of the virus in an individual based on their bodily immune functions. (World Health Organization) Many strains of the influenza virus have become resistant to the effects of the antiviral drugs that were previously being used to treat them. Health officials are now recommending the use of Oseltamivir, known as Tamiflu and possibly Zanamivir, known as Relenza as the newest, most helpful pharmaceutical treatment options. (Mayo Clinic) These drugs must be taken within forty-eight hours after the appearance of symptoms in order to be effective, but this may prove as a roblem in the vent of a global outbreak. Because of the short supply, its not entirely clear how Influenza drugs would be distributed and administered if there were an epidemic of global proportions. In terms of prevention, physicians recommend that all healthy patients receive an influenza shot (commonly called a â€Å"flu shot†) to reduce the likelihood of an existing avian flu virus mixing with a human flu virus, which would create a new virus that may easily spread and cause an epidemic. The U. S.  Food and Drug Administration has approved a vaccine to protect humans from the avian flu, and experts say that the vaccine could be used if the current H5N1 virus began spreading between humans. (NYT Health Guide) Human infections with Avian Influenza viruses detected since 1997 have not yet resulted in sustained human- to-human transmission. However, because Influenza Viruses have the potential to mutate and gain the ability to spread easily between people, monitoring for inter-human transmission is extremely important.

Thursday, November 14, 2019

Benjamin Franklin Essay -- Benjamin Franklin American History Essays

Benjamin Franklin Benjamin Franklin was born in Boston on January 17, 1706. He would be the tenth out of seventeen children that his father, Josiah Franklin, would have. His father had plans for Benjamin to join the clergy when he came of age and was sent to grammar school to prepare. He would excel in reading at a very young age but would find that he could not master math so easy. He would be at the grammar school for less than a year before his father would come to terms with not being able to support a college education for Benjamin and supporting the rest of the large family. Benjamin would then be sent to another school which would teach him basic math and English skills. There, he would surpass the rest of class in English while eventually failing arithmetic yet again causing his father to pull him from school all together. At the age of 10 Benjamin would be taken home to learn the family business. While learning to make soap and candles from his father, Benjamin became restless; he yearned to go to sea much like his brother Josiah. He would go out the lake and play like the other children but Benjamin did not swim as well as the others, so he devised a tool that was made from sticks and cloth to cover his hands and feet to help him tread. Swimming fins would be one of his first inventions. From a young age Benjamin proved to be very different from his father and the rest of his family. His father sensing his child’s unhappiness would help him look for a new trade. Unbeknownst to Benjamin, watching the common man work would influence him down the path of inventor he would inevitably take, â€Å"He therefore sometimes took me to me to walk with him, and see joiners, bricklayers, braziers, etc. at their work, that he might observe my inclination, and endeavor to fix it on some trade or other on land, and to construct little machines for my experiments, while the intention of making the experiments was fresh and warm in my mind.†(p 12, Benjamin Franklin) His father would see his son was found of reading so an apprenticeship would be set up for twelve year old Benjamin with his twenty-one year old brother. During his five year apprenticeship Franklin would live under strict guidelines which included taverns being off limits as well as gambling and marriage. Franklin would continue to long for the sea but found that while on land he would indeed pr... ...ranklin. Published by the University Press of Kentucky. Copyright 2000 Doren, Carl Van, Benjamin Franklin. Published by Penguin Group. Copyright 1938 Internet Sources Consulted Benjamin Franklin.† PBS. 2002. Web. 15 Apr. 2015. http://www.pbs.org/benfranklin/l2_wit.html "Benjamin Franklin." Bio. A&E Television Networks, 2014. Web. 11 Apr. 2015. http://www.biography.com/people/benjamin-franklin-9301234 The Hollowverse. 2012. Web. 12 Apr. 2015. http://hollowverse.com/benjamin-franklin/ Fea, John. â€Å"Religion And Early Politics: Benjamin Franklin and His Religious Beliefs.† Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission. 2011. Web. 15 Apr. 2015. http://www.portal.state.pa.us/portal/server.pt/community/history/20018/benjamin_franklin_and_his_religious_beliefs/1014592 â€Å"Benjamin Franklin His Autobiography 1706-1757.† American History: From Revolution to Reconstruction and Beyond. 2012. Web. 18 Apr. 2015. http://www.let.rug.nl/usa/biographies/benjamin-franklin/a-short-biography.php Franklin, Benjamin. â€Å"Memoirs of Benjamin Franklin, Written by Himself.† Project Gutenberg. 6 Jun. 2011. Web. 10 Apr. 2015. http://www.gutenberg.org/files/36338/36338-h/36338-h.htm

Tuesday, November 12, 2019

Last Words Essay

Her last words will live forever with me. The night before my grandmother died we said our last good-byes in hopes that she would rest in peace knowing that we loved her. I had known her for 35 years, and in those 35 years we had become extremely close. She was not only a grandmother to me but also a friend and a confidant. I feared the day that I would have to deal with the pain and the realization of losing her. Although I knew that day was coming, I didn’t want to let her go. She passed away almost ten years ago, in October, but it still feels like yesterday that I was standing over her deathbed and telling her that I loved her for the last time. I am just now coming to grips with the pain and loss I feel when I think of her. My family and I were sitting down at home having dinner, and we received a phone call. My mother answered the phone. It was a nurse calling from â€Å"Saint Francis Medical Hospital†, where my grandmother was a patient in intensive care unit (ICU), also known as a critical care unit (CCU). The nurse said to my mother, â€Å"Fermina is not doing very well and she might not make it through the night. You and your family might want to come and say your â€Å"good-byes.† My mother’s tan face turned pale white, and tears began to fill her deep brown eyes. She looked as though someone had punched her in the gut, as a long tear came down her face and a look of fear and sadness had over taken her to a different world. After she got off the phone she was shaking like a naked child on a cold night. Through great gasps of breath she filled the family in on what was going on. My mother was very upset to drive so I had to drive to the hospital. We wanted to be by my grandmot her side. In silence we reached our destination, and I was extremely hesitant to go in because I knew what I had to face. I was afraid of death, of losing my grandmother. When I found enough courage to at least enter the hospital ICU unit, I felt emptiness inside of me that I had never felt before. I was cold and the halls were dark, almost like I had entered a dungeon. As we were walking, my family and I passed the nurse’s station. I could tell that they  recognized who we were because the heavy-set one with red hair curled in a bun atop her head began to cry, and the other nurse that look thin as a noodle with brown hair even ran toward us and gave us hugs and her condolences . Trying to fight back the tears, the nurse said to me sadly, â€Å"Your Nana loves you very much; every time she sees you she gets a twinkle in her eyes.† As we embraced I began to think about all the times that I was with my Nana and how much fun we had. I began to cry. Sobbing, I realized that time was passing by and that I had not yet seen my grandma. Not wanting to accept the fact that she was going to die, I reluctantly began to walk toward her room. My shoes made slight squeaking sounds, but all I could focus on were the rectangular square white ceiling tiles and the sadness in my heart. The hallway that led to her room was dark and dreary; it smelled slightly of urine. There was a slight draft, and I heard the other residents moaning for help. I was horrified—reliving that feeling I got the last time I was in a haunted house. It seemed like the hallway had gotten so much longer since the last time I had walked down it. As I approached the thick, brown wood door, there was a blue and white nametag on it (about the size of a Pop Tart) that said â€Å"Fermina Pellot† in large, black block letters. I was not ready to go in and see my grandmother in her death bed. However, it was time to face the music; the moment in my life that I never wanted to happen was right before me. I chose to stay outside and get my composure. I watched my father and sobbing mother go in and say their good byes, and both come out with tears streaming down their faces. â€Å"Is she talking?† I asked. â€Å"Not a word,† cried my dad, his stern, olive face now broken red with sadness. It was my turn; the thought of not even going in crossed my mind, but I knew I would regret it. Hesitantly I took one step into her room, and I saw one of my most favorite people in the world laying in the bed on the left. She just lay there with her eyes softly closed in a state of tranquility. I smiled at her, and she did not respond; at that time a sense of loneliness overcame my body. Her complexion was transparent, her body skinny and fragile and her light pink mouth was gapping open. I walked closer to the bed and she began to breathe heavier and heavier. She could sense my presence. I reached for her hand,  and it was ice cold. It was difficult for me to see her like that. There was so much that I wanted to say, but the words caught on the lump in my throat. Forcing them, I spoke loudly in hopes that she would answer, â€Å"Hi, Nana; it’s me Luis. We just came to see you, and it looks like you’re not doing very well. I brought you your favorite drink, Coca Cola.† No words came from her mouth, not even a whisper. But she gave my hand a squeeze. I leaned over the rail on the bed and gave her a hug. I pushed back her spider-web-like hair with my mouth and whispered to her â€Å"When you leave you will be taking a big piece of my heart, but you will be leaving an even bigger piece of yours.† Having not said one word all night, she looked up at me and whispered loudly, â€Å"Mijo (son), I love you so much,† as a tear trickled down her face from her right eye. Then she returned to her comatose state. I wiped the tear off of her face and said, â€Å"I love you.† Even though that was one of the worst feelings that I ever had, it was also a relief to know that she loved me. That night left me empty and sad, but when I woke up the next morning, I knew that she had passed, and I was okay with it because I knew that she was in a better place. Even though Nana is gone and it has almost been 10 years since her death, it is still hard to fathom the idea that she is no longer physically in my life. I miss her, but I know that she loves me because of her last words. She still lives on within me and her words carry enormous weight. More than we sometimes think. They often impact people for decades, providing the courage to press on or one more reason not to give up on life.

Sunday, November 10, 2019

Blair Witch Project

â€Å"The Blair Witch Project† After the release and authentic content in the â€Å"Blair Witch Project† it has become a major addition to the horror film collection and has brought unwanted public attention to the small town in Maryland (Burkittsville). This movie was not only a success in theatres, there was also much gained economically and promotionally due to the fame of â€Å"The Blair Witch Project. † While it is obivious that this film has become a popular horror film due to it’s darks theme, what is the story behind the film? How does â€Å"The Blair Witch Project† affect the Burkittsville towns people and the image of the town?And how does it relate to Danielewski’s House of Leaves. While all of the questions are important to answer, it would be beneficial to talk about this documentary turned film, as if it was just a form of motion pictures. This film was made by two directors, Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez. â€Å"The Blair W itch Project† is a spooky film made up of suspenseful film footage found years after the death of the three students featured in the movie. â€Å"Montgomery College students Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael Williams arrive in Burkittsville to interview locals about the legend of the Blair Witch for a class project.Heather interviews Mary Brown an old and quite insane woman who has lived in the area all her life. Mary claims to have seen the Blair Witch one day near Tappy Creek in the form of a hairy, half-human, half-animal beast. † Montgomery College students Heather Donohue, Michael Williams and Joshua Leonard take a trip to the town of Burkittsville, MD to capture some interesting footage on a lady accussed of using witch craft. As a female, Heather Donohue is the leader of the three who is driven and becomes the heart and soul of this project.Heather is the only member out of the group who is willing to continuously to film after they hear spooky noises and notice cries outside. Though she is eager to capture as much film as possible, it is evident both Michael and Joshua become annoyed with Heather. The plot of this film climaxes once Jousha wonders off and comes up missing. This part the movie also sets the tone for the following events, the death of both, Michael and Heather. Since â€Å"The Blair Witch Project† is considered a horror film, one would expect to see witches, monsters, killer and even ghost but this movie includes none of these scarey figures.This film simply captures the fears that three people gain while being stranded in the woods. Most of all this film shows the attempt of three people trying to capture images about a witch and turn into an interesting documentary. Before Heather, Michael and Joshua decided to go out and film a documentary, they heard about the stories of Elly Keward (Blair Witch). In 1785, Elly Keward was accused of convincing kids to come to her home to draw blood and later found guilt y of witchcraft. â€Å"Several children accuse Elly Keward of luring them into her home to draw blood from them.Kedward is found guilty of witchcraft, banished from the village during a particularly harsh winter and presumed dead. By midwinter all of Kedward's accusers along with half of the town's children vanish. Fearing a curse, the townspeople flee Blair and vow never to utter Elly Kedward's name again. † In 1809, The Blair Witch Cult book was published, which is considered a fiction genre that tells a story of a town cursed by a loner witch. It is not until 1824 that Burkittsville is found on the Blair website. â€Å"Starting with Emily Hollands, a total of seven children are abducted from the area surrounding Burkittsville, Maryland.An old hermit named Rustin Parr walks into a local market and tells the people there that he is â€Å"finally finished. † After Police hike for four hours to his secluded house in the woods, they find the bodies of seven missing chil dren in the cellar. Each child has been ritualistically murdered and disemboweled. Parr admits to everything in detail, telling authorities that he did it for â€Å"an old woman ghost† who occupied the woods near his house. He is quickly convicted and hanged. † â€Å"The Blair Witch Project† has so many different themes that all can be summed up as dark.This film was made to be informative about the death of the three students, but was also created to be a scary, horrorful and spooky film. Although there are speculations about this film being false or fake, the scenes and frightful events within this film definitely persuade you to believe that its no fiction film. With the collection of dark shots and the noises included in the film it is easy for one to become scared and horrified while watching this film. The scariest thing about this film is that it takes place in an existing town, Burkittsville, MD.The discovery of Burkittsville, MD on the Blair website and the death of townspeople, brought a new perspective for the small town in Maryland. This connection with Blair gives Burkittsville a spooky and creepy image, which relates to Danielewski’s House of Leaves. Although â€Å"The Blair Witch Project† is a movie and House of leaves is a book they both give off an scary or eerie feeling. While both stories are formed due to an experiment, they both are formed into horror stories. Many people see the connection between the two, especially write Nicholas Rombes, who writes an article comparing the horror film and genre. In many ways, the Blair Witch Project and House of Leaves are flip sides of the same coin, experimental works in the guise of horror stories. If it weren’t for the fact that they were from the lowly horror genre, they might have been nominated for Big Prizes like an Oscar or a National Book Award. † (Nicholas Rombes) The reputation that this town has gained due to Blair, is what led Heather, Michael and Joshua to Burkittsville, MD on October 20, 1994 and what might have been the reason they never returned.While these spectacles about â€Å"The Blair Witch† being true or false still linger, the mysterious deaths of the three students still affect the towns people of Burkittsville. â€Å"If they vote to keep the signs, it won't be because they love â€Å"Blair Witch† lore; they hate â€Å"Blair Witch† lore. It will be because Burkittsville, which looks almost exactly the way it did in the Civil War, never throws anything away†¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦Ã¢â‚¬ ¦. Town leaders think Burkittsville could make $3,000. That's small compensation for all the trouble caused by a film that grossed $249 million. But it could pay to fix some broken sidewalks. † (By Faye Fiore, Los Angeles Times)Overall â€Å"The Blair Witch Project† is a scary film that displays the experiment of three college students on a mission to findout more about the â€Å"Blair Witch. † Wh ile this movie tells the story of a long lost women who practices witchcraft and kills people, it also gives of a sick and scary vibe. This films theme and structure is what makes it compatible to Danielewski’s House of Leaves. This film has not only brought back the store of â€Å"Blair Witch,† it has also been added to the horror film collection. After watching this film, one should be terrified to visit the woods and graveyards of Burkittsville, Md.

Thursday, November 7, 2019

A background research report on engineering aspects of man

A background research report on engineering aspects of man Executive Summary This brief report examines various engineering aspects of oil spill disasters. It provides that oil disasters can occur when engineering controls, such as a blow out malfunctions, are not met. It also highlights a number of recent major oil disasters and measures undertaken to prevent and mitigate resulting effects. It concludes with recommendations calling for, among other things, aggressive enforcement of drilling regulations, extensive risk assessment programs, and shifting to renewable sources of energy to avoid overreliance on fossil fuels.Advertising We will write a custom report sample on A background research report on engineering aspects of mans of such rigs are the drilling barges, jack-up rigs, semi-submersible rigs and drill ships. For commercial exploitation of viable quantities of natural gas and crude oil deposits large fixed rigs are used. These ones are: Fixed platforms, Seastar platforms, Tension-leg platform and star platform. Major oil di sasters On April 20th 2010, a blast occurred on the Deepwater Horizon rig which was drilling for British Petroleum Oil Company (BP). In the aftermath of the blast, vast amount of crude oil leaked into the Gulf of Mexico water, 11 workers were killed (Meinhold 2010). The rig caught fire before the newly completed Macondo was cemented. Later investigation reports indicated that the rig’s blowout preventers malfunctioning has a big role in the eventual burnt out (Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill 2010). During the Gulf war in 1991, Iraqi forces opened the channels transporting oil in Kuwait as they flee advancing US army. As a result, over 240 million of crude oil spill into the Persian Gulf. In 1979, the Ixtoc 1 oil well in the Bay of Campeche, Mexico collapsed after a pressure build up (Casselman 2001). This caused an explosion and a prolonged leakage during which over 140 million of crude oil leaked. In 1976 two full supertankers collided in the Trinidad and Tobago, West Indies result ing the loss of 26 lives and oil spill spillage estimated at 88 million liters. Other major oil spillage are the Fergame valley in Uzbekistan in 1992 (87.7 million), ABT summer of the Angolan coast in 1991 (80million), the Amoco Cadiz in 1978 off Brittany, France (68.7 million) and the MT Haven Tanker Disaster of 1991 in Genoa Italy (42million) (Casselman 2010) These are just but a few cases selected. Causes of oil disasters According to Srinivasan and Halada (2008), the primary causes of engineering calamities are combinations of human factors, design flaws, material failures and extreme conditions or environment. Borchardt (2010) of ASM’s Mechanical Engineering magazine has listed blow outs as one of the major causes of oil spills. Blow out refers to a surge of oil and gas up the well bore and into the surrounding habitat when a very high pressure of natural gas and crude oil is not well managed in deep water reservoirs.Advertising We will write a custom report samp le on A background research report on engineering aspects of man-made disasters and oil spills specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Between 1980-2008, 173 blowout occurred in drilling projects in the Gulf of Mexico alone (Hoffman 2010). Borchardt attributes the 2010 Deepwater Horizon disaster in Gulf of Mexico to a massive blow out. He states that such occurrences are the case for wells drilled under the depth of ocean exceeding 3000 feet where pressure reaches over 23000 pounds per square inch. On the other hand, Carl Hoffman, in Popular mechanics, is of the opinion that human and ineffective regulatory oversight also play significant role in oil disasters. He cites poor risk assessment and complacency by regulatory bodies as some of the main causes of the 2010 BP oil disaster. Hoffman sentiments are shared by Romm (2010) in Climate Progress who cites a number of publications that point to the oil company in question (BP) â€Å"recklessnessâ⠂¬  for lacking safety plans to prevent disaster of such magnitude. Oil disaster also occurs in ocean accidents such as supertankers collisions (Burckhardt 2010). Emergency fixing and prevention According to Borchardt (2010) there is a number of measures designed to prevent oil spill during drilling. The aim of these measures is to control the pressure of oil and gas coming up from the well. One of the techniques involves using a drilling fluid to create hydrostatic pressure to check the upward pressure of gas and oil from the ocean well. Upon completion of drilling, the well is usually filled with completion fluid to prevent the leakage of oil and gas from the deposits rocks. In case the fossil fuel deposits are not of a viable quantity, the well is usually sealed with cement. In this case, the cement displaces the drilling fluid in the well bore, which exits via pipes for storage in tanks on top of the platform (Offshore drilling 2011). For improved safety and control of emergenc y spills, oil rigs are fitted with blow out preventers that are designed to prevent the escaping gas and oil from well bore (Borchardt 2010). Combating emergency oil spills has also involved placing a concrete reinforced with steel dome shaped casing over the mouth of the wellbore (Menihold 2010). This was attempted successfully during the BP oil leak. After the dome is installed the entrapped oil is pumped up to storage tanks.Advertising Looking for report on engineering? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Freundenrich and Strickland (2010) advocate for thorough operation procedure in supertankers to prevent oil leaks. They propose regular checks on piping system and well as on seals. Other techniques used to control spillage involve the use of equipment such Dispersants, skimmers vacuums, and booms (Davies 2010). The dispersant breaks up oil particles so that mix them with water thus reducing oil sludge floating to shorelines (Casselman 2010). Booms are used to confine oil on water within a certain region, it can be further removed using other equipment such as vacuums. Conclusion Oil exploration is a complex and risky undertaking that involves extracting oil and natural gas deposits thousand of feet beneath the ocean floor. Sophisticated oil rigs are used to harvest viable quantities of oil and natural deposits. Oil rigs together with other equipment involved in the extraction and transportation of crude oil are prone to unexpected failure. These catastrophes are influenced by a num ber of factors that include human factors, design flaws, material failure and extremes of conditions. Engineers are charged with the task of creating designs with less chances of failure. To deter future oil disasters engineering controls need to be complemented with other factors, such as enhanced human efficiency and compliance of necessary oil by oil companies. Recommendations Basing on the findings of the research conducted for this report, the following is recommended: Enforcement of compliance with local and international regulations by oversighting authorities especially in regard to deepwater oil explorations Frequent auditing of oil drilling rigs and companies by international independent agencies to ensure adherence to best industry practices Further research into ways of enhancing safe drilling at ocean deep waters. Heavy penalties and revocation of operating license for negligent companies. Adoption of alternative sources of energy to reduce over dependence on fossil fu el deposits. These include renewable sources of energy such as solar, wind, tidal wave, as well as Hydroelectric power References Gulf of Mexico Oil Spill (2010). The New York Times. Wednesday, December 7, 2011. Available from http://topics.nytimes.com/top/reference/timestopics/subjects/o/oil_spills/gulf_of_mexico_2010/index.html. Petroleum, Pollution Issues Sept 4, 2011,. Available from: pollutionissues.com/Na-Ph/Petroleum.html#b. [8,December 2011]. Burckhardt, J. K. 2010, ‘Avoiding blowout’, Mechanical Engineering, Aug, Available from: http://memagazine.asme.org/Articles/2010/August/Avoiding_Blowout.cfm. [7 December 2011]. Casselman, A. 2010. ’10 biggest oil spills in history’, Popular Mechanics, 3, September, Available from: popularmechanics.com/science/energy/coal-oil-gas/biggest-oil-spills-in-history .[8 December 2011]. Davies, S.2010, ‘BP oil spill disaster cleanup efforts in the Gulf of Mexico’, Engineering Technology, 1 June, Availab le from: http://eandt.theiet.org/magazine/2010/08/oil-spill-gulf-of-mexico.cfm. [8 December 2011]. Fingas, M. 2010, Oil Spill Science and Technology. Gulf Professional Publishing, Elsevier. Freundenrich, C. Strickland, J. 2010, ‘How Oil drilling works’, Energy Production, Environmental Science, How stuff works, Australia, pp.1-9. Hoffman, C. ‘Investigative Report: How the BP, oil rig Blowout happened’, Popular Mechanics, 2 Sept. Available from: popularmechanics.com/science/energy/coal-oil-gas/how-the-bp-oil-rig-blowout-happened-3. [8 December 2011]. Max energy Limited 2006, Oil rigs and platforms, Available from: solarnavigator.net/oil_rigs.htm. [8 December 2011]. Meinhold, B. 2010, ‘First oil container dome shipped to Deepwater Horizon spill’, Available from: http://inhabitat.com/first-oil-containment-dome-shipped-to-deepwater-horizon-spili/. [ 8, December 2011]. Offshore drilling 2011, Naturalgas.org, Available from: naturalgas.org/natur algas/extraction_offshore.asp . [8 December 2011]. Srinivasan, V. Halada G, ‘Disasters and Learning Form Failure’, State University of New York, Available from: matscieng.sunysb.edu/disaster. [8, December 2011].

Tuesday, November 5, 2019

How to Become a Flight Attendant 13 Expert Tips

How to Become a Flight Attendant 13 Expert Tips SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips Do you dream of traveling for work, touching down in a new city every day and experiencing different cultures regularly? Do you love helping people, and live for customer interactions (even the not-so-pleasant ones)? If so, you might want to consider a career as a flight attendant. Despite their glamorous TV and movie reputation, flight attendant jobs are difficult. They’re also competitive to get. In this article, I’ll break down how to become a flight attendant by first deciding if a job as a flight attendant is right for you and, if so, how to apply for flight attendant jobs. Becoming a flight attendant is an exciting, unique career path that has the potential to transform your life. Interested in Becoming a Flight Attendant? Consider These Questions First Flight attendant jobs are exciting, unique, and well-respected. They can also be exhausting and intense and require you to make significant sacrifices in your personal life. Before beginning the lengthy application process to be a flight attendant, consider these questions. Are You Okay With Working Long, Difficult Hours? A flight attendant’s schedule, at best, includes long, difficult work days. At worst, a flight attendant’s schedule can be unpredictable and exhausting. Once becoming a flight attendant, you’ll be responsible for having specific days where you’ll have scheduled trips to complete. You’ll also be responsible for a handful of days each month where you must be on-call to jump on a trip if required. Your on days, and your on-call days, can be any days - weekdays, weekends, holidays, etc. As a first year flight attendant, you’ll likely have to be on or on call for most major travel days, and have less seniority in picking which trips to fly. That means that you’ll probably be working on holidays and almost definitely be working on at least some weekends. The trips you take will often be extremely difficult and tiring on your body. If you mainly fly short, national flights, you’ll likely have two or more flights in a day and be responsible for overseeing the customer service needs of hundreds of customers. If you fly international trips, you’ll probably only have to fly one trip a day, but you’ll typically have a quick turnaround time before you have to be on your next flight. The toll of traveling to so many different places so quickly can heavy on your body, as you’ll often be adjusting to different time zones and getting up extremely early or staying up very late. Are You Able to Commit to an Intense Training Process? Flight attendant training is a long, intense process. For flight attendant training, you’ll need to move to a specified training location, where you’ll live with other flight attendant trainees for the duration of the training, which can last for several months. Most airlines only have two or three training facilities, so you’ll likely be far away from home for the entirety of your training. Training days themselves are mentally and physically exhausting. You’ll be learning rules about how to keep people safe in the air, as well as practicing the physical skills you’ll need to help pack the planes or conduct safe evacuations. Would You Be Okay Moving For Work? Airlines have hubs where many of their flights originate, and their flight crews are often required to live nearby so that they can be ready to jump on a flight at a moment’s notice. If you don’t live near your airline’s hub, you’ll likely have to move, at least for the part of the month where you’re on-call. That can mean leaving your friends and family behind for large amounts of time. Do You Like Dealing With Customers? As a flight attendant, you’ll have to deal with customers all the time - and they won’t always be pleasant or happy to work with you. If you don’t like dealing with customers, being a flight attendant probably isn’t the right job for you. How to Become a Flight Attendant: Flight Attendant Requirements Still want to be a flight attendant? Applying for a job as a flight attendant is highly competitive. For instance, Delta regularly receives 100,000 applications during its open enrollment periods, from which they only accept several hundred trainees. Many airlines have strict requirements for their flight attendants. In this section, I’ll talk about what some of those requirements are. Keep in mind, however, that every airline has different requirements of its attendants. Flight Attendant Requirements for Minimum Age All airlines have minimum age requirements from applicants. These can range from 18 to 21 years old, depending on the airline. There is no maximum age requirement for flight attendants at any US airline. Flight Attendant Requirements for Physical Ability One of the greatest myths about being a flight attendant is that you need to be a beautiful supermodel in order to be a flight attendant. Not true! Airlines don’t have physical appearance requirements, but they do want you to look neat and well groomed. Normally, airlines tend to look for conservative, classic styles of dress and appearance. That means that your hair should be dyed a natural color and you shouldn’t have any visible tattoos or piercings, besides ears. In terms of height and weight, airlines require that you’ll be able to reach the overhead bins to store luggage and that you can fit into the jump-seat easily. Other than that, there are no hard or fast cutoffs for height or weight. Airlines require their flight attendants to have 20/20 vision, which can be achieved either naturally or through the use of contacts and/or glasses. Finally, some airlines may require you to undergo a medical or physical fitness test to ensure that you’re in good enough health to fulfill the job’s requirements. Flight Attendant Requirements for Education All US airlines require that you have a high school diploma or GED to apply. You must also be able to pass a full background check and drug screening. How to Become a Flight Attendant: Finding a Job Flight attendant jobs can be difficult to find. Airlines often have hiring windows throughout the year during which they accept applications. Very few US airlines are hiring year-round. To that end, here are some tips for finding the flight attendant job of your dreams. Decide Which Airlines You’d Like to Work For First, you should decide what airlines you’d like to fly for. All of the US airlines are very different. When considering which airline you’d like to fly with, think about the following questions. #1: Where do I want to fly? Not every airline flies the same places. If you’ve got your heart set on making it out to the Pacific Northwest, make sure you’re applying to an airline that flies there.#2: What’s my customer service philosophy? Each airline has its own philosophy about customer service. Read up on the airlines to see which matches your own customer service philosophy.:3: What’re other flight attendants saying about working for this airline? You can use online company review sites like Glassdoor to get a sneak peek into what it’s like to work at a different airline. These reviews can help you see the positives and negatives a company, so you can make a more informed decision about where to apply. Always take these reviews with a grain of salt, however–just because someone else had a bad experience, doesn’t mean you will, too. Use Job Search Sites Job sites like Indeed.com and Monster.com can help you find out when companies are hiring flight attendants. You can also check Flight Attendant Career, a website that provides information about open applicant periods for all airlines in one place. Check the Websites of Airlines You’re Interested In Another great way to find flight attendant jobs is to watch the websites of the airlines that you’re interested in applying to. They’ll often have information about open positions on their sites. How to Become a Flight Attendant: Applying for Jobs As I mentioned, applying to be a flight attendant is very competitive. In this section, I’ll talk about how you can stand out from the crowd during the application and interview process. How to Present a Polished Flight Attendant Application Hiring managers at airlines have to look through hundreds of thousands of applications. Here are a few tips to make your application stand out. Show Off Your Skills Airlines are often looking to hire flight attendants who have special skills, like exceptional customer service ability or a passion for travel. If you’ve proven yourself to be able to work with people in different situations, you’ll definitely want to highlight this on your application. For instance, if you’ve encountered and had to serve people from different backgrounds in a previous job, it’ll show that you’ve got what it takes to deal with people. Similarly, airlines are looking for candidates who will enjoy traveling, which will obviously be a large part of your job description. If you’ve traveled a lot, highlight that, even if it’s in a later section of your resume, such as personal interests or skills. Finally, if you’re looking to fly internationally, fluency in another language can help you truly stand out from the pack, as you’ll have to help customers whose first language isn’t English. Make sure that your application reflects any unique skills you have that’ll help you standout from the crowd. Highlight Your Experience If you have previous experience as a flight attendant or in other high-stress customer service fields, make sure you note that on your application and resume. Airlines are looking for flight attendants who’ll be able to provide exceptional customer service to all of their customers. When highlighting your customer service experience, make sure you provide context. For instance, if you’ve worked in a shop before, quantify the number of customers you dealt with on busy days, which’ll show that you can handle numerous customer interactions in one day. Even if you’ve worked in a less relevant position, highlight how you’ve had to be flexible and helpful to different groups of people. Check Your Application Carefully Because hiring managers need to quickly screen hundreds of thousands of candidates at one time, you’ll need to make sure that your application is free of errors or mistakes that may automatically disqualify you from the position. Check for typos or other easy-to-correct errors that’d make your application look less professional. Make Sure You Fulfill the Requirements Before applying, make sure you fulfill all the requirements for employment. For instance, if the airline requires that you have a passport, make sure you’ve got one. If you don’t, the hiring managers will likely get rid of your application right away. How to Stand Out at Your Interviews Flight attendant interview days can be stressful affairs. You’ll often be interviewed amongst hundreds of your peers who’re applying for the same limited spots. Follow these tips to stand out from the pack. Make Sure You Look Professional As I mentioned previously, airlines place a high value on having their flight attendants be neatly groomed. Make sure you’re wearing a professional outfit, that your hair is neatly combed, and that you are awake and alert during the interview. Practice Flight Attendant Skills Airlines may have you demonstrate flight attendant skills during your interview, such as making an announcement on the PA loudspeaker of an airplane or dealing with an unruly customer. Prepare for these scenarios ahead of time by practicing what you’d say over the loudspeaker (remember to speak slowly and clearly) or how you’d deal with an angry customer. Coming in prepared for any scenario will help you stand out and give you a sense of calm during the interview process. Demonstrate That You Can Work Well As Part of a Team Flight attendants are part of a team. They work with other flight attendants on the plane, as well as with the captains and first officers who fly the planes. Make sure that you demonstrate your ability to be a good teammate during the interview process. Be prepared to highlight specific examples from your previous work where you’ve had to collaborate with other employees or positively resolve a workplace conflict. If there are any group activities, treat your other applicants cordially and respectfully, even though you’re competing for the same job. Training to be a Flight Attendant Once you’ve been provisionally hired as a flight attendant, you still have to complete the long and difficult training. Not everyone who’s accepted to training makes its all the way through to officially become a flight attendant. Knowing what you’ll face when going into training can help prepare you. Flight attendant training is an intense, multi-week program. You’ll be in training from anywhere from 2 to 8 weeks. You’ll likely have to move away from home to be at the training, which means you’ll be away from your friends and family. Your training will consist of educational and physical portions. You’ll learn about the codes, rules, regulations, and theories you need to know to safely transport passengers from one place to another. You’ll also go through the physical requirements of being a flight attendant. You’ll learn how to evacuate a flight, how to stow and remove luggage, and how to protect and see to passengers in the event of an emergency. To complete your training, you’ll be required to pass a safety, emergency, and evacuation test administered by the FAA. For most airlines, you must pass with a 90% or higher in order to be accepted as a flight attendant. Review: Is a Career as a Flight Attendant Right for You? If you’re wondering how to become a flight attendant, it’s first important to understand if being a flight attendant is right for you. Flight attendant jobs are quite difficult, and the path to becoming a flight attendant is long and competitive. Make sure that your application is polished and competitive so that you standout from the pack.

Sunday, November 3, 2019

Discuss using real business examples the different styles of Appraisal Essay

Discuss using real business examples the different styles of Appraisal processes businesses use today - Essay Example 1): a. Critical incident method – the operational management records all specific incidents intentionally or by omission of duties to improve their performance (Humanresources.hrvinet.com, 2013, p. 1); b. Weighted checklist  method – this is an approach where the performance of the employee is measured by through their job description to determine if they have performed effectively and ineffectively their roles and if their behaviours remained attuned to corporate policies (Humanresources.hrvinet.com, 2013, p. 1). c.  Paired comparison analysis – this is an evaluation approach that made use of available relevant options based on what is provided in the list. The result is calculated and the score is determined by the values of score assigned in the provided option (Humanresources.hrvinet.com, 2013, p. 1). d.  Graphic rating scales- is tagged as the oldest and most widely used employee’s performance. The management here has a list of criteria which se rved as checklist of the performance level of their staff (Humanresources.hrvinet.com, 2013, p. 1). ... This is also supported with rating scale and critical incident reports in the performance of staff duties (Humanresources.hrvinet.com, 2013, p. 1). g.  Performance ranking method --- this evaluation uses highest to lowest ranking performance. The management use the other companies’ condition as bases for comparative causes instead of comparing the staffs. This is undertaken, of course, with sets of standard as bases for comparison (Humanresources.hrvinet.com, 2013, p. 1). h. Management By Objectives  (MBO) method – is another approach in assessing performance and use reward system in accordance to results to encourage workers to improve their performance (Humanresources.hrvinet.com, 2013, p. 1). i. 360 degree performance appraisal – is a method of performance that is done in confidence and in anonymity (Humanresources.hrvinet.com, 2013, p. 1). 10.Forced ranking  (forced distribution) – this approach adopt the system of ranking employees using forced allocation such as proportionally sharing 10 or 20 % as at the highest performance level while 70 or 80% are either in the mid or low level of performance (Humanresources.hrvinet.com, 2013, p. 1). 11.  Behavioural Observation Scales—this evaluative approach is anchored on scales of observation where relevant tasks are undertaken in a regular basis (Humanresources.hrvinet.com, 2013, p. 1). The Nature of Work Groups & Teams George and Jones (2005) pointed that the evaluating the human resources must be contextualized too on full knowledge of human resource’ diversity and some of their possible deviance so that the management can still refine their abilities to organizational l goals. Through this approach, the management can also