3 Ways to Prepare for Layoffs (Just in Case)

3 Ways to Prepare for Layoffs (Just in Case) Your company is in upheaval. Rumors are flying. The big merger is just a few weeks away and the word of the day is restructuring. While it’s always best to keep your head in uncertain situations, even if you think your job is safe, it never hurts to be prepared.Here are three things you can do now to keep yourself from being blindsided when lay-off time comes around.1. Reach out to your networkAccept the worst in advance and do something about it. Get in touch with former bosses and colleagues. Put the phone tree into action. Explain what’s happening and what you might be looking for, and ask for help. Chances are, someone you’ve impressed in the past will be willing to put your name forward in the right situation. Or, if you’re uncomfortable asking for help, ask for advice. People will be happy to give it, and will still be made aware of your situation; should anything come up, you’d come to mind. Friends and family are also a valuable support syst em, and can often come through in a pinch.2. Plan how youll present your situationAt this point, a lay-off could be part of your career narrative, whether you’d like it to or not. Start figuring out how to work it into your elevator pitch. Come out swinging. Explain the situation clearly and with confidence, and then find a way to make lemonade. Demonstrate that you know your value, in spite of the difficult situation, and that you’re already working constructively to overcome it. That kind of pluck can go a long way with a hiring manager.3. Give yourself a makeoverMake sure your cover letter, LinkedIn profile, and portfolio are all fully updated and in perfect order. Make sure these valuable networking tools are doing exactly what you want them to, and telling the story you want them to tell. Consider making yourself a new set of business cards if you think you’ll soon be on the market.The point is to prepare for the worst, but remain optimistic that it will al l turn out for the best.3 Steps to Prepare for a Potential Layoff

The Story of Space Chimps

The Story of Space Chimps It might come as a surprise to learn that the first living beings to fly to space werent humans, but instead were primates, dogs, mice, and insects. Why spend time and money to fly these beings to space?   Flying in space is a dangerous business. Long before the first humans left the planet to explore low-Earth orbit and go to the Moon, mission planners needed to test the flight hardware. They had to work out the challenges of getting humans safely to space and back, but didnt know whether or not humans could survive long periods of weightlessness or the effects of hard acceleration to get off the planet. So, U.S. and Russian scientists used monkeys, chimps, and dogs, as well as mice and insects to learn more about how living beings could survive the flight. While chimps no longer fly, smaller animals such as mice and insects continue to fly in space (aboard the ISS).   The Space Monkey Timeline Animal flight testing didnt begin with the Space Age. It actually started about a decade earlier. On June 11, 1948, a V-2 Blossom was launched from White Sands Missile Range in New Mexico carrying the first monkey astronaut, Albert I, a rhesus monkey. He flew to over 63 km (39 miles) but died of suffocation during the flight, an unsung hero of animal astronauts. Three days later, a second V-2 flight carrying a live Air Force Aeromedical Laboratory monkey, Albert II, got up to 83 miles (technically making him the first monkey in space). Unfortunately, he died when his craft crash-landed on re-entry. The third V2 monkey flight, carrying Albert III launched on September 16, 1949. He died when his rocket exploded at 35,000 feet. On December 12, 1949, the last V-2 monkey flight was launched at White Sands. Albert IV, attached to monitoring instruments, made  a successful flight, reaching 130.6 km., with no ill effects on Albert IV. Unfortunately, he also died on impact.   Other missile tests took place with animals, too. Yorick, a monkey, and 11 mouse crewmates were recovered after an Aerobee missile flight up to 236,000 feet at Holloman Air Force Base in southern New Mexico. Yorick enjoyed a bit of fame as the press covered his ability to live through a space flight. The next May, two Philippine monkeys, Patricia and Mike, were enclosed in an Aerobee. Researchers placed Patricia in a seated position while her partner Mike was prone, to test the differences during rapid acceleration. Keeping the primates company were two white mice, Mildred and Albert. They rode to space inside a slowly rotating drum. Fired 36 miles up at a speed of 2,000 mph, the two monkeys were the first primates to reach such a high altitude. The capsule was recovered safely by descending with a parachute. Both monkeys moved to the both at the National Zoological Park in Washington, DC and eventually died of natural causes, Patricia two years later and Mike in 1967. Theres no reco rd of how Mildred and Albert did.    The USSR Also Did Animal Testing in Space Meanwhile,  the USSR watched these experiments with interest. When they started experiments with living creatures, they primarily worked with dogs. Their most famous animal cosmonaut was Laika, the dog. (See Dogs in Space.) She made a successful ascent, but died a few hours later due to extreme heat in her spacecraft.   The year after the USSR launched Laika,  the U.S. flew Gordo, a squirrel monkey, 600 miles high in a Jupiter rocket. As later human astronauts would, Gordo splashed down in the Atlantic ocean. Unfortunately, while signals on his respiration and heartbeat proved humans could withstand a similar trip, a flotation mechanism failed and his capsule was never found. On May 28, 1959, Able and Baker were launched in the nose cone of an Army Jupiter missile. They rose to an altitude of 300 miles and were recovered unharmed. Unfortunately, Able did not live very long as she died from complications of surgery to remove an electrode on June 1. Baker died of kidney failure in 1984 at the age of 27. Soon after Able and Baker flew, Sam, a rhesus monkey (named after the Air Force School of Aviation Medicine (SAM)), launched on December 4th on board the  Mercury spacecraft. Approximately one minute into the flight, traveling at a speed of 3,685  mph, the Mercury capsule aborted from the Little Joe launch vehicle. The spacecraft landed safely and Sam was recovered with no ill effects. He lived a good long life and died in 1982. Sams mate, Miss Sam, another rhesus monkey, was launched on January 21, 1960. Her  Mercury capsule attained a velocity of 1,800  mph and an altitude of nine miles. After landing in the Atlantic Ocean, Miss Sam was retrieved in overall good condition.   On January 31, 1961, the first space chimp was launched. Ham, whose name was an acronym for  Holloman  Aero  Med, went up on a Mercury  Redstone rocket  on a sub-orbital flight very similar to Alan Shepards. He splashed down in the Atlantic Ocean sixty miles from the recovery ship and experienced a total of 6.6 minutes of  weightlessness  during a 16.5-minute flight. A post-flight medical examination found Ham to be slightly fatigued and dehydrated. His mission paved the way for the successful launch of Americas first human astronaut, Alan B. Shepard, Jr., on May 5, 1961. Ham lived at the Washington Zoo until September 25, 1980. He died in 1983, and his body is now at the International Space Hall of Fame in Alamogordo, New Mexico. The next primate launch was with Goliath, a one-and-a-half-pound squirrel monkey. He was launched in an Air Force Atlas E rocket on November 10, 1961. He died when the rocket was destroyed 35 seconds after launch. The next of the space chimps was Enos. He orbited Earth on November 29, 1961, aboard the  NASA  Mercury-Atlas rocket. Originally he was supposed to orbit the Earth three times, but due to a malfunctioning thruster and other technical difficulties, flight controllers were forced to terminate Enos flight after two orbits. Enos landed in the recovery area and was picked up 75 minutes after splashdown. He was found to be in good overall condition and both he and the  Mercury  spacecraft performed well. Enos died at Holloman Air Force Base 11 months after his flight. From 1973 to 1996, the Soviet Union, later Russia, launched a series of life sciences satellites called  Bion. These missions were under the  Kosmos  umbrella name and used for a variety of different satellites including spy satellites. The first  Bion  launch was Kosmos 605 launched on October 31, 1973.   Later missions carried pairs of monkeys.  Bion 6/Kosmos 1514  was launched December 14, 1983, and carried Abrek and Bion on a five-day flight.  Bion 7/Kosmos 1667  was launched July 10, 1985 and carried the monkeys Verny (Faithful) and Gordy (Proud) on a seven-day flight.  Bion 8/Kosmos 1887  was launched September 29, 1987, and carried the monkeys Yerosha (Drowsy) and Dryoma (Shaggy).   The age of primate testing ended with the Space Race, but today, animals still fly to space as part of experiments on board the International Space Station. They are usually mice or insects, and their progress in weightlessness is carefully charted by the astronauts working on the station.   Edited by Carolyn Collins Petersen.

Research Methods used in Educational Psychology Essay

Research Methods used in Educational Psychology - Essay Example This study also integrated in an experimental group for comparison by observing the Title I students but also the non-Titled. Each teacher was observed for a total of 5 hours (totaling 175 hours) of reading instructional time. The Settings Factor Assessment Tool (SFAT), an ecobehavioral protocol, was used to measure a range of variables during the observational periods. Among the 4 Levels included in the SFAT, Levels 2-4 were used to verify factors such as the context of instruction; prompt, feedback, and instructional characteristics; non-instructional talk; and behaviors exhibited across the students. Levels 2-4 were then coded in real-time using the Multiple Option Observation System for Experimental Studies (MOOSES) (Stichter, Stormont, and Lewis 175). Statistical analyses were then performed to establish the relationship between the factors described with the SFAT and the status (Title I or non-Titled) of the classroom. The findings

Implementation of a competency framework workbased learning programme Dissertation

Implementation of a competency framework workbased learning programme on acute skills for ward nurses - Dissertation Example A learning programme for acute ward nurses responsible for caring of critically ill patients has been the central focus of nursing practice development. According to Coad et al, a work-based learning approach has been found to empower ward staff with the necessary skills of nursing and the authors studied the efficacy of a five-day competency based high dependency skills course in enhancing professionalism and quality of care in nursing. The aims of comprehensive critical care are developing leadership potential and enhancing networking opportunities for nurses within critical care and acute ward areas. Critical care is the most challenging aspect of nursing care and acute skills in nursing are enhanced not just by work-based learning programs but also from first hand nursing and emergency experiences. Titchen describes emergency care in which one professional learns from another as ‘critical companionship’ that serve as a framework for learning from practical healthcare experiences.

Needs of Customer Essay Example for Free

Needs of Customer Essay When customers walk into a restaurant, whether it is McDonalds or Chez Pierre, they expect to be acknowledged. This is a small service, but it is imperative to the success of the restaurant, as customers who are not greeted may simply walk out and eat somewhere else. The type of host a restaurant has will depend on the type of restaurant it is as well as how busy it is. Some restaurants pay hosts to greet customers, call names off waiting lists and walk customers to their tables. In other restaurants, management and wait staff take over this duty. Regardless of what you can afford for your restaurant, always make sure someone has the responsibility of greeting the guests and that person knows it is her responsibility. Wait Staff When customers go to a restaurant, they expect a good wait staff, unless they are dining at a fast-food chain. Even then, customers expect the counter workers to get their orders right in an appropriate amount of time and solve problems quickly and courteously. In traditional, sit-down restaurants, customers expect the wait staff to be attentive, but not too attentive. Wait staff should not hover or interrupt, but they also should come back frequently enough to attend to their customers needs. In addition, they should bring food in a timely manner and handle problems, such as food that has been sent back pleasantly. Customers also expect wait staff to be friendly and personable. Environment Customers usually go to restaurants to meet with others socially in a friendly environment. Although environment is not usually considered a service, service plays a large role in creating a good environment. In addition to making sure the restaurant is clean, attractive and the decor is consistent with the food and restaurants image, restaurant owners need to tell their staff it’s OK to let guests linger. Wait staff should not hint that it is time for the guests to go. For example, they should not rush the food to the table unless the customer requests it. They also should not start to clean nearby tables in an obvious manner or wait for customers to get out their money to pay the check. To the contrary, wait staff should say things like, Feel free to chat as long as you like let me know if youll need some dessert or a drink refill. Food and Drink Probably the most important service that a customer expects to receive when dining out is a good selection of delicious and well-presented food. According to London wine writer Jamie Goode, it is more important that food be simple and good tasting, made with quality ingredients, than to be fancy or pretentious. Goode also notes that customers expect a large wine selection that is not overpriced. Furthermore, customers expect food to be consistent with the image of the restaurant. Customers who are dining at a family restaurant, for example, expect sandwiches, traditional dinners and moderate prices. At a more elegant restaurant, prices can be higher but food needs to be more of the gourmet variety.

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings :: Literary Analysis, Gabriel Marquez

The residents of the little town in the story â€Å"A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,† by Gabriel Marquez, did not understand that they very well could have been in the midst of one of gods’ heavenly creatures. The old man that Pelayo found groveling in the mud on the beach, had wings like an angel, he didn’t speak their language like an angel might not, and he was peaceful and innocent like angel might be. But since he didn’t fit the exact â€Å"standards† of grandeur that the people thought that angels should have, they disregarded him, and set him aside as being irrelevant and â€Å"†¦father Gonzaga was forever cured of his insomnia†¦Ã¢â‚¬  (403). In the text â€Å"A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings,† the townspeople’s inability to determine the winged mans’ â€Å"being† highlights their paradigms. The townspeople determine that the old man does not fit the â€Å"criteria† of an angel. They disregarded him partly because of â€Å"His huge buzzard wings, dirty and half plucked† (401), He was old and decrepit and seemed crazy. Also, Angels are thought of as elegant and beautiful with a sort of spiritual presence. But instead the old man looked like a â€Å"rag picker† (401), and smelled of the wilderness. Next, the priest tries testing the man to see if he could speak Latin, â€Å"the language of god.† But since the man could not speak Latin, he was under the â€Å"suspicion of an imposter† (401), he was thought of as the devils â€Å"carnival trick† (401). Moreover, the man’s main significant terrestrial qualities were his wings and his oddity. As far as how angels are thought of, The only other feature that closely resembled a celestial being was that he could take everything that his spectators did to him as if â€Å"His onl y supernatural virtue seemed to be patience† (401). But his imperturbability and innocence are very misinterpreted by the people and taken advantage of to the extreme. The townspeople are cruel and treat he man poorly because they don’t understand him. They pull out some of his remaining feathers to â€Å"touch their defective parts† (402). The people have the audacity to take from the man, without permission, in an attempt to add to themselves and seem to feel no remorse for their taking. Also, at one point in the story a spectator burns him with an iron for branding steers, because they thought that maybe he was dead.

Island of the Blue Dolphins

Island Of The Blue Dolphins I believe that Karana should have jumped rather than stayed on the boat. I think this because it shows her love for her brother, secondly she does it because she feels like she has to protect her younger brother and lastly it is an unselfish act to do. Firstly, Karana should jump because it shows she loves her brother. The thought going through her mind was that she should jump for your younger brother. The love that Karana and her younger brother had for one another should make her jump. For example in a situation like Karana's it is the right thing to go back for her little brother, Karana was going through painful thoughts like the thoughts that her little brother may die. This would make anyone jump. Secondly, she does this because she feels the need to protect her younger brother. Karana is the type of person who would do anything if she had a older or younger sibling in danger or wounded. So in this type of situation in which her younger brother needs a big sisters help, Karana would be doing anything possible to get to her little brother like jumping off the boat. I felt as if I had been gone a long time as I stood there looking down from the high rock. I was happy to be home. Everything I saw- the otter playing in the kelp, the rings of foam around the rocks guarding the harbour, the gulls flying, the tides moving past the sandpit filled me with happiness. A qoute from the novel. (Scott O'Dell) Finally, it was an unselfish act towards her brother. Because if Karana did not have jumped her younger brother would've felt useless with nothing to live for and unfortunately killed himself. Even if Karana hadn't of jumped she would have felt selfish and she would have lost all the love and sympathy that her brother had for her. The love that they had for each other drove Karana to do the most unselfish and Christian act that any human would be able to do. In conclusion, Karana did what was best for her and everyone else. It must have been one of the hardest choices any person could ever make but in Karana made the best of choices. This shows the courage and ability Karana had to do to be able to save and be with her younger brother. A Matter of Life or Death Mrs Hicks EN505 Matt Oakford Week 5-Week 8