January 27, 2024

READY FOR CHANGE-AGEING PEOPLE

Ready for a Change? These 3 Steps May Help

Looking inward may help you gain clarity

Do you feel stuck in a rut? What if you could get out of autopilot mode and forge a new path? Truth is, you can. Often, the hard part is figuring out how to break free from your existing routines and patterns.

Making time for relaxing, contemplative activities such as walking meditation, restorative yoga and journaling may help. Those approaches allow you to get in touch with your deeper feelings to begin mapping out the life you want to live. Consider these three ways to get off the mundane merry-go-round so your dreams can take shape:

1. Practice walking meditation

Mindfulness practice — paying attention to what’s happening in the present, without judgment — has been linked to lower levels of perceived stress in many studies, including one involving more than 2,000 adults ages 18 to over 65, reported in 2021 in Frontiers in Psychology. The practice comes in many forms, including walking meditation, says Sara Lazar, an associate professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. The idea is to walk slowly while paying attention to your senses and surroundings — from chirping birds or the hum of a city bus rushing by to the way your feet hit the ground. “Start with 10 or 15 minutes,” Lazar says. “Set an intention of staying in the present moment … focusing on your direct experience, rather than planning your day or rehashing a conversation you had earlier.”

By quieting the mind, walking meditation and other mindfulness practices can help you observe situations rather than react to them, Lazar says. Mindfulness can also promote “fluid intelligence,” which helps people solve problems in new, creative ways, according to research by Lazar and others. In her team’s study of 47 middle-aged adults ages 39 to 69 published in Frontiers in Aging Neuroscience in 2014, those who practiced yoga or meditation had slower decline in fluid intelligence over time than nonpractitioners. Classes such as Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, or MBSR, are great ways to learn walking meditation and other forms of mindfulness practice, Lazar adds.

2. Try restorative yoga to release tension

Restorative yoga, a practice that uses foam blocks, bolsters and other props to support the body, can help with managing stress, says Colorado-based yoga instructor Kerry Temple-Wood. With each pose, pay attention to your breath, especially the exhale, because it connects the mind to the body, Temple-Wood says. “The long, deep exhale tends to settle you into your body and helps shift the mind out of autopilot,” she explains. Slow breathing may lead to changes in the central nervous system and corresponding feelings of relaxation and reduced anxiety, according to a 2018 review of 15 studies published in Frontiers in Human Neuroscience.

A gentle pose known as Legs Up the Wall suits people of nearly any fitness level, Temple-Wood says. Start by lying on your back perpendicular to a wall, on a towel or yoga mat. Stretch your legs up the wall, scooting your buttocks and hips as close to the wall as you can while remaining comfortable. Close your eyes and breathe slowly, letting your belly rise on each inhale and fall on each exhale. Stay in the pose for 10 minutes or however long is comfortable. Holding this and other gentle, restorative poses can help relieve tension because you’re “not pushing muscles beyond what they’re able or ready to do,” she notes.

3. Grab a journal to reveal your thoughts and desires

Find some of your favorite pens and a blank journal to record your thoughts and emotions. Writing about deeper thoughts and feelings can ease emotional distress and help people cope in healthier ways, according to a study of 66 health professionals ages 21 to 60 reported in 2017 in Acta Biomedica.

Journaling can also help you discover ideas. “Writing and using a pen gives the subconscious mind a vehicle to find inner expression, versus the rational mind that says, ‘I should do this,’ ” Temple-Wood says. Journaling often provides you with “reflections and kernels of truth” or “hidden gems,” she adds. Be on the lookout for ideas about new paths, such as making relationship changes or pursuing career yearnings that nourish your sou

See All Benefits

January 24, 2024

RESUME LETTER FOR ELDERS

RESUME AND COVER LETTER for Ageing people

------------------------------------------11

11 Best Technical Skills

INTRODUCTION

Learn to identify the best technical skills for your resume to enhance your job search prospects!

The skill section of your resume is one of the most important, since it provides one of the best opportunities to highlight all those crucial skills that employers want to see. To be truly effective, however, that section needs to include relevant technical skills that relate to the job. Before you can effectively highlight those skills, however, you need to be able to identify the right technical skills for your resume.

In this post, we'll explore the concept of technical skills and explain why they are so critical for any compelling resume. We'll also provide 11 of the best technical skill examples and offer some tips to help you include them in your resume in the most effective way.

What are technical skills?

When most people think of the term technical skills, their minds may automatically focus on technology expertise - and with good reason. Computer skills, proficiency with heavy equipment, and similar tech talents are indeed technical skills. In a broader sense, however, technical skills encompass a wide range of hard skills that are acquired through education or other formal training.

Often, they are the types of proficiencies you can gain in a classroom or complete a test on. You either know them or you don't, and that's why they are important markers for determining whether a candidate is qualified for a job.

Though it may seem like these skills are only important in highly technical fields like IT, our digital-centric world means they come into play in almost every industry. From project management and data analysis to social media and math, you likely use a few technical skills every day, whether you realize it or not.

Why are technical skills important?

When a hiring manager sends out a role posting, it's because they have a specific job that needs to be done. Therefore, if there are certain technical proficiencies required to execute that job, you will almost always need to possess that knowledge if you want to be considered for the position.

Having the technical skills an employer is looking for is an indicator that you could be a good fit for the job. However, if you don't show those skills off on your resume, the hiring manager won't be able to recognize that. That's why it's essential to include a Technical Skills section, as well as weave these skills into your Professional Experience section.

What should be included in the Technical Skills section of a resume?

The skills that should occupy your resume's Technical Skills section are the ones that prove you are qualified for the job at hand. But how do you find out what those are? Should you include every skill you've gained over the years? How do you choose which abilities to highlight?

This is where the job description is your greatest tool. When you apply for a given position, the job posting will likely include language that explains the key proficiencies and traits needed to do the job - including technical skills. After looking through your professional toolbox, you should select and highlight the technical skills that best match those qualification requirements.

11 examples of technical skills for your resume

To help you identify the top technical skills for your resume, we've compiled a list of 11 technical skills examples. They include everything from basic technical skills for a resume to more advanced abilities - like engineering technical skills. Our list is broken down into broad categories of skills, many of which have value across a wide array of industries.

1. ____Programming / IT

Programming skills are valuable in many different industries, including software development, finance, and other companies that require IT expertise, web application development, and cybersecurity. These skills can include:

Programming languages like Python, JavaScript, C++, C#, SQL and HTML

Front-end development

Application design

Cybersecurity

Cloud Computing

2. ________ Social Media

With the rise of social media, many companies now require the talents of social media experts who can manage their presence on platforms like X (formerly Twitter), Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and Pinterest. Because digital marketing has become such an integral part of those companies' overall marketing efforts, job seekers in that field should possess skills related to:

Customer research

Ad campaign design and management

Online promotion

Data analysis

Engagement metrics

Brand management

3. _______Project Management

Project Managers are in high demand in many industries and competition for those roles can be fierce. If you've had experience in project management, chances are that you may possess many of the technical skills that employers are looking for in their next manager. Some examples of great project management technical skills for a resume include:

Agile methodology

Project design and planning

Budget strategy

Risk management

Expertise in Trello, Asana, Microsoft Project or Basecamp

4. _______Marketing

Marketing continues to be a key industry throughout the modern economy and the skills needed for effective marketing are vital for any company's success. Depending on the type of marketing role you're seeking, your resume should include a wide variety of marketing technical skills. Those skills can include:

Marketing strategy

Competitive analysis

Market analysis

Content management

Digital media strategies

Copywriting

5. _______ Engineering

Engineering professionals use a variety of different specialized technical skills to perform their duties. The exact nature of any Engineer's specific skill set can vary depending on their chosen industry, but all Engineers possess some common technical skills that help them to successfully overcome challenges and achieve success. Below are some examples of common engineering technical skills for your resume:

Problem solving

Computer science

CAD or similar software expertise

Manufacturing processes

Technical design

Quality control

Equipment diagnosis

Data analysis

6. _______Content Creation

Nearly every business requires some degree of content creation. Copywriting and content management are critical for everything from website and advertisement creation to the development of an effective sales function, press releases, and social media strategies. However, there's more to effective content creation than just a basic mastery of writing skills. Other content creation technical skills for your resume may include:

Copywriting

Dynamic headline writing

Keyword research

Search engine optimization

Website content creation

Landing page copywriting

7. _______ Graphic Design

The growth of the online world has not only benefited Programmers and Writers; it's also created new opportunities for Graphic Designers. While early websites often consisted of nothing but endless streams of text, modern sites employ a wide variety of graphic presentations to appeal to customers and other visitors. Graphic design skills are employed to create this dynamic content to ensure that websites offer the best possible viewing experience for those visitors. Common design technical skills include:

HTML

Interactive media

Responsive design

Photoshop

User modeling

Wireframing

Artistic creativity

UX research

8. _______Accounting

Every business has a need for accounting to manage everything from cash flow and payroll to taxes, financial analysis, and overall organizational efficiency. If you're seeking a career in accounting, it will be important to include many of the most prized accounting technical skills in your resume. The following examples of technical skills for accounting are often key qualifications in these types of job postings:

Financial statement creation and analysis

Expertise in accounting best practices

Regulatory compliance

Tax compliance

Data visualization

Report management

9. _____&& Data Analysis

The rise of Big Data has seen an acceleration in companies' appreciation for data analysis expertise. In fact, today's companies often rely on data analysis experts to provide key insights into customer and market trends that they can use to inform their business decision-making. If you're seeking a career as a Data Analyst, there are some specific technical skills that employers will likely want to see on your resume, including:

Data modeling

Mathematical knowledge and ability

Machine learning

SQL or Python

Statistical analysis

Project management

Research

Data mining

10._______ Healthcare

In recent years, the healthcare industry has consistently topped the list of the fastest growing jobs in the US. With an aging population in need of care and a growing need for qualified healthcare professionals, the job outlook for this industry is expected to be robust throughout the rest of this decade. Moreover, the field itself includes a wide variety of career options. The list below provides a snapshot of some of the most important healthcare technical skills for a resume:

Patient management

Physical therapy

Medication or injection delivery

Electronic medical records software

Data entry

Pharmacy

HIPAA knowledge

CPR and first aid techniques

Urgent care

11. ______Management

If you've ever encountered a bad manager, then you know how important it is for any management hire to possess the right skills. While many managerial abilities can be considered interpersonal soft skills, the best managers also need to possess the right technical skills for the job. Below, we've identified some of the most important management technical skills for your resume:

Organizing and planning

Recruitment and training

Scheduling

Budget management

Contract management

Project planning

Office software platforms

Related: Why Hard and Soft Skills Are So Important for Your Resume

How to incorporate technical skills on your resume

How you include technical skills in your resume will largely depend upon your line of work. If you're working in a non-technical role, such as sales, marketing, finance, HR, or operations (to name a few), your Technical Skills section is usually located underneath the Education and Professional Development section of your resume. Here, you should list the various tools you've learned and used over the course of your career.

If you work in a technical field or position, then this section takes on greater importance on your resume and should be placed higher up. It should also be highly detailed and comprehensive. If you are a Programmer, for instance, list the programming languages you're proficient in, such as Python, C, Java, C++, C#, R, JavaScript, PHP, CSS, HTML, SQL, and so forth.

You may also want to include a list of the project management and documentation tools you're familiar with and accustomed to using, such as Kanbanize and Confluence.

Whether you work in a technical field or not, look for opportunities to incorporate this technical skills information into your work history. When you're describing your achievements, mention the tools you use to complete that task.

Including technical skills in your resume: examples

Once you've identified key technical skills for your resume, it's important to include them in the most effective manner possible. For some jobs, you can include them within your skills section, along with several key soft skills. If you're applying for a job in a highly technical field, however, you may want to list them in a separate Technical Skills or Core Competencies section.

Skill section example

Regardless of which option you choose, your skill section should always be in bullet form, and formatted in two or three columns. For example, if you were applying for a job as an RN, you might include a Technical Skills section that looks like this:

Patient management

Medication management

Electronic medical records software

Data entry

HIPAA

CPR / first aid techniques

Urgent care

Related post: What are Skills? (With Examples and Tips on How to Improve Them)

Work experience example

When including these skills in your work experience section, make sure to highlight them in your achievements. This will help to ensure that employers understand how you use key skills to benefit your company. For example:

Registered Nurse

ABC Patient Care – 2020 to 2024

Provided compassionate and patient-centered care for more than 400 patients over a three-year period

Led effort to update data entry with introduction of modernized patient care data management system

Taught CPR and first aid at local community college, including continuing education course for active nursing professionals

Gained six months' experience in urgent care night shift, successfully providing care to hundreds of patients with issues involving everything from assault to unexpected illnesses

Include the right technical skills in your resume to enjoy greater job search success

The key to properly including technical skills in your resume is simple. First, never send the same resume to multiple companies; instead, always tailor each resume to fit each job's unique posting requirements. Second, always try to incorporate these skills into both your skill section and your work experience achievements. Finally, make sure that the technical skills that you list offer a dynamic representation of your value as a potential new hire.

Good luck with your job search!

Still not sure how to include technical skills in your resume? Get a free resume review from our team of experts and then rely on their expertise to help you create a truly compelling resume.

This article was originally written by Amanda Augustine and has been updated by Ken Chase.

January 19, 2024

10 JOBS Lowest Levels of Happiness

10 Careers Reporting the Lowest Levels of Happiness

-----------------------------------------------------------------

Published:

Some employers simply don’t give employees enough reasons to stay. And for the ones that do, happiness and satisfaction can be difficult (if not impossible) to find. But what jobs report the lowest levels of happiness? Before we take a look, it’s important to understand what factors are most likely to cause unhappiness at work.

Teacher

A study on happiness (one of the longest running at 85 years) reveals that jobs where people work in isolation—where they either have no coworkers or the position is so fast-paced employees never get to know their coworkers—often lead to the lowest levels of reported job happiness.

1. Pharmacy technician

This job involves working in a pharmacy, locating, packing, and labeling patient medications. This work is then reviewed by the pharmacist on duty. Unhappiness in this job appears to stem from a significant lack of growth opportunity in the field.

2. Project engineer

These employees ensure engineering projects remain on time and within budget. They aren’t usually involved in the actual engineering work, just the paperwork and reporting to higher ups—which likely contributes to their dissatisfaction.

3. Teacher

Despite having one of the most meaningful jobs in the country, teachers rank lowest on the happiness scale. This seems to be largely due to out-of-touch administrators, unreasonable parents, low pay, and chronic underfunding that results in having to cover the costs of their classroom materials.

4. Administrative assistant

Although frequently considered on par with secretaries or receptionists, administrative assistants often tackle many more duties than either one. Handling all the paperwork, clerical responsibilities, and scheduling for a boss creates a high amount of stress. Pair that with typically low pay, and you’ve got a recipe for unhappiness.

5. Cashier

Cashiers are often working when everyone else is out enjoying their weekends and holidays. Add terrible pay, cranky customers, and having to keep a smile on the entire time, and it’s no surprise that this ranks as one of the unhappiest jobs.

. General manager

Having to be the person who shows up whenever a customer asks the dreaded question, “Can I speak to the manager?” can be extremely stressful. After all, long hours and entitled customers don’t exactly make for a welcoming work environment.

7. Data analyst

These employees spend their days collecting and studying data in order to present their findings to the company. It can be a lonely job where social interaction is limited, and the work itself is often repetitive. This likely contributes to its low ranking in happiness.

8. Customer service representative

As unhappy as you are to be talking to a customer representative, chances are they’re even more unhappy to talk to you. Who can blame them? They spend their days speaking with customers who have a problem that needs solving and are often frustrated—and some people aren’t exactly polite about it.

9. Retail salesperson

This is the person on the floor of the store, walking around and helping customers find what they need. Granted, this role has been greatly reduced thanks to the advent of internet shopping, so the salespeople who are still employed are often undersold by websites. High levels of stress and low levels of pay also contribute to unhappiness.

10. Sales account manager

This role usually involves wearing many hats, from managing customer relationships and overseeing the performance of sales representatives to maintaining sales activities records and making sure team objectives are achieved. If this sounds like a lot of responsibility, well, it is. And the pay doesn’t always reflect the amount of work and stress that goes into being a successful sales account manager.

It can be hard to find happiness in a workplace that doesn’t make its employees feel valued. Avoiding a career that makes you unhappy, whatever the reason, can go a long way toward changing your outlook in every aspect of life. Life is too short to stay in a job you hate.

https://kkseth.blogspot.com

Ref-washinhton posts