Reserve to Active Duty

Reserve to Active DutyTransfering From National Guard/Reserve to Active DutyIt is possible to transfer from the active duty ranks to the National Guard or Reserves. In fact, the road is paved quite nicely to make that transition almost seamless. However, to be a Reservist in any branch of tafelgeschirr or National Guard, it is quite difficult to transfer into the active duty status. There Is No SimpleTransfer Process It actually can take months to process. A reservist or guard member must first be released from their reserve status and basically apply to join the active duty ranks. That means finding a recruiter to assist you with the processing into the military (active). The Guards, Reserves, and Active Duty components are all different. With very few exceptions (mostly for medical professionals), one cannot simply transfer from the Reserves/Guard to active duty. One must get an approved discharge from the Reserve/Guard component and then separately process for enlistment (or c ommission) for an active duty service. Exception Some Army Reserve and Army National Guard soldiers who are currently activated can apply for direct transfer to active duty. However, one may apply to the Reserves and/or National Guard for a conditional release. Basically, a conditional release says that the Reserve Component. or National Guard agrees to release you from the remainder of your commitmentif you are accepted for enlistment or appointment to an active duty service component. Regardless, the process is still long.See the official process here. Here Is a List to Get the Process Started Meet with an Active Duty recruiter -To start the conditional release process, you must see an active duty recruiter.Get a DD-368 signed by the recruiter (this is a conditional release form) -The Recruiter is the only rolle who can request a conditional release. He/she does this by submitting aDD Form 368,Request for Conditional Release. This form must be signed by the member and the acti ve duty recruiter.Speak with your Chain of Command, and get their support -Its important to realize that a conditional release does not have to be approved. Its entirely up to the Guard/Reserve component. If your unit or componentis undermanned in your particular MOS/AFSC/Rating, they may disapprove the conditional release. Its also important to understand that this is not necessarily afast process. So, its important that you allow plenty of time for the DD Form 368 to make it through the review process. Submit DD-368 along with your entire military record to your unit.Your packet with your DD-368 will be moved up the chain of command to the General level. Be prepared to wait for months.Plus, it is not a bad idea to make duplicate copies of everything as there are always stories of the chain of command losing the package.When your packet reachesthe final approving authority, you will soon learn your fate. If the command approves it, you have a conditional release to join active duty . If the command denies it, you are staying in the Reserves to complete your contract. If the conditional release is approved, you may then enlist (through the active duty recruiter) as a prior service candidate. (Or apply for OCS/OTS). This is true unless you have not yet been to basic training as a Guard or Reservist. If youve not yet been through basic training, and you get a conditional release approved, normally you are enlisted active duty as a non-prior service candidate (which offers more enlistment options). If your conditional release is approved, you will normally still be required to drill with your Guard/Reserve unit, until you actually go onto active duty. Unfortunately, prior-service candidates are among the lowest on the recruiting priority totem pole. Recruiters do not get enlistment credit for enlisting prior service candidates (i.e., prior-service do not count against their recruiting quotas). Therefore, some recruiters are not all that excited about doing all of the paperwork (including the extra paperwork it requires for prior-service candidates) for a recruit they dont get credit for (Many recruiters would rather spend their very valuable time working with non-prior-service accessions because those recruits are counted against their enlistment quotas). For complete details, see Prior Service Enlistments. Prior-service recruits dont get all the enlistment incentives available to non-prior-service applicants (Exception Some services offer prior-service re-enlistment bonuses for prior-service who are already qualified in certain acute shortage jobs). Usually, if a prior-service recruit has an MOS/AFSC/RATING that directly converts to an MOS/AFSC/RATING of the active duty service they are trying to enlist in, and if the service has a current need for personnel in that MOS/AFSC/RATING, then it is mandatory that the recruit enlist in that specific job. If the applicant is certified in a job that is not currently in need by the active duty ser vice they are trying to join, or if they have a job that does not cross-relate to the service they are trying to join, only then may they enlist into a different job. Conditional Releases are approved for a period of six months. If an extension is required, an additional three months may be granted. A copy of the Oath of Office or Enlistment contract should be returned to the losing component within the specified time frame.

How to Make Your Recognition Program Successful

How to Make Your Recognition Program SuccessfulHow to Make Your Recognition Program SuccessfulIn addition to your usual, thoughtful informal methods for recognizing and rewarding employees, are you interested in creating a more formal program? Formal recognition programs require more structure, communication, criteria, consistency, and fairness than informal methods of employee recognition. In informal processes, keys to success include provide a lot of rewards and recognition so that employees dont regard them as scarce resources that must be gained at the expense of coworkers,provide recognition frequently so that employees are motivated by their work environment, in general,make the recognition unpredictable so that it does leid become an entitlement to employees, andmake sure that everyone receives recognition for an action or behavior frequently. Keep these characteristics of effective informal recognition in mind as you set up your formal program. But, you do need to treat form al recognition processes differently than the recognition you provide through your daily interaction with employees. Formal recognition programs are often created when an organization wants to improve specific activities or behaviors. With a formal program, the desired improvement is recognized and rewarded. Examples of Formal Recognition Programs for Employees These are examples of formal programs you might offer your employees. a monetary award for the employee who exhibited best practice customer service this week,a spot award for an employee who is observed facilitating the forward progress of a team,a sales commission increase on each sale that exceeds last years same day sales by x%,a monetary reward for increases in quality and production, anda monetary award for attendance. 6 Keys to a Successful Employee Recognition Program In a formal recognition program, criteria are important so that employees know exactly what change or improvement you seek. So are additional fa ctors that make a formal program achieve its purpose. These are the components that must be present for the program to achieve its goals and avoid making employees upset and demotivated. Specific Components for Recognition Program Success First, establish criteria for what constitutes performance that is worthy of an award. If the actions and behaviors requested are not measurable, verbally describe the desired outcomes in word pictures that are so clearly described that employees can share meaning with you on them. Where possible make the criteria measurable. But dont let your desire to measure cause you to pick a measurement that is not related to the key behavior you want to encourage. Sometimes what you fruchtwein want from an employee is not measurable. Second, all employees who do the same job, or who work for the company, depending on the nature of the award, must be eligible for the recognition. If a manager is ineligible, all managers must be ineligible, for example. It is not in the best interests of your overall company goals and culture if one or two departments offer a formal recognition program that leaves others out if they are doing similar work. On the other hand, if only your production unit needs to improve production and quality, the rest of the company should not participate in the program. If the goal is to increase the helpfulness and service orientation of a call center, only call center employees should participate. Third, the method of recognition must inform the employee about exactly what he or she did to merit the recognition. Your goal is to encourage more of that behavior from your staff, so sharing the recognition publicly is good practice. Fourth, anyone who performs at the level stated in the criteria should receive the reward. If you want to limit the recognition to one employee, select a fair method for deciding which qualifying employee will be rewarded. For example, if 20 employees meet the criteria, distribution policy al l qualified names in a drawing. (Employees may find the iffiness of this scenario problematic, though, so whenever possible give every employee who qualified an award. Consider asking your employees how they want you to implement the award process. They may surprise you. Or, consider cutting back on the amount of the award or the type of award to stay within your budget.) Do not make the mistake of allowing a manager to pick the winner from the people who qualified. It changes the nature of the recognition program and leaves it open to charges of teachers favorite and brown nosing, practices that negatively impact the morale of most employees. You cant change the program midway into the covered time period either. For example, you realize that you have 50 employees who have met all of the criteria for this weeks reward. You need to follow through, as promised, and award all 50if that was the program. You can introduce the idea of a drawing for the next weeks award. But, employees wh o work to exhibit the behavior requested need to know in advance how you will handle the award.In one mid-sized company, 37 employees qualified for a $50.00 check for doing something above and beyond for a coworker. The formal recognition committee recognized they were going to give away their annual budget in just a few weeks so they examined their criteria for awarding the check and increased the difficulty. They also implemented a drawing with the concurrence of the employees who were clear about the budgetary constraints. Fifth, the recognition should occur as close to the event as possible so that the recognition reinforces the behavior the employer wants to encourage. (This is why monthly and annual formal recognition is not recommended. By the time you give the employee the reward, the success is a dim memory. Worse? You have failed to reinforce the behavior that you wanted to encourage more of from the employee.) Sixth, you need to accompany the formal recognition with an of ficial letter or a handwritten note that reminds the employee why he or she received the award in detail. Employees cherish these notes forever. When the money is spent and the food treat has been eaten, you have given them something substantive to remind them that they were recognized and rewarded. Conclusions A formal recognition program has special challenges that your informal methods dont have. But, each has their place in a company that wants to provide a work environment in which employees fell recognized, rewarded, and thanked for their efforts and contributions. Heres more about how to approach formal recognition. More About Saying Thank You and Employee Recognition 7 Employee Recognition TipsWhat Employees Want From Work40 Ways to Say ThankYou at Work

Understanding a Book Advance and Royalty

Understanding a Book Advance and RoyaltyUnderstanding a Book Advance and RoyaltyBook royalties and book advances are the means by which publishers pay authors for their work. Following is a brief overview of what the terms mean and how book royalties and advances work. What Is a Book Royalty? When a book publisher contracts with an author to publish a book, in essence, the author (who is the copyright holder) grants the publisher the right to publish the work for an agreed-upon amount of money. This money is called a royalty and is expressed as a percentage of sale. (The convention at most trade book publishers is to pay a royalty on the list price of a book.) Like points related to the book delivery and rights assignments, the royalty rates are outlined in the book contract. Book publishers have standardized rates for royalties for various editions of the work (ex. hardcover, paperback, etc.) How a Book Royalty Is Calculated Heres an example If the book Brutus, My Beloved Sc hnauzer has a list price of $10 and the royalty rate for bookstore sales is 10 percent, then the author earns $1 for every book sold in a bookstore. Note that this is a greatly simplified example. Any traditionally-published author will be earning different royalty rates for different schrifts of book sales and subsidiary rights salesso the numbers wont be nearly as tidy as the ones above. Advance Against Royalties What publishers and authors typically refer to as a book advance is an advance against royalties. Most traditional publishers will give the author an advance against royalties. That is, they advance the author an amount of money based on what they think the book will earn. The amount of the advance against royalties is based on many factors the size of the publisher, the historical performance of similar books in the marketplace the authors track record and author platformor both and the topicality of the book.The amount of a book advance can range from a thousand dol lars for a new author at a small publisher to a tens of millions of dollars for a blockbuster New York Times best-selling author with a huge fan base. The advance is usually paid in installments at certain points in the book development process - for example on contract signing, on manuscript delivery, on manuscript acceptance - again this is outlined in the various clauses of the book contract. Earning out a Book Advance A book is said to have earned out its advance when the author royalties from its sales surpass the advance that the publisher paid the author. For example, of the author Brutus, My Beloved Schnauzer gets an advance of $5,000, and he is earning royalties at a rate of $1 per book, he needs to sell 5,000 copies of the book before the book is said to have earned out. Note that, since publishing industry convention dictates that books are returnable (unless the type of sale deems them otherwise), publishers take a small reserve percentage that is, allowances for r eturned books. (The risk of a large number of book returns is more common when the book is new - most of what doesnt get sold within a short amount of time goes back to the publisher.) Royalty Payments and Checks After a book earns out, the author receives royalty checks on a regular basis as long as the book is in print and still selling. Royalty checks are sent by the publisher on a regular, periodic schedule (usually twice a year). For authors who have literary werbers representing them, the checks go through the agents, who send their checks to the author- royalties minus the agents percentage. The day the royalty check comes is a happy, happy day in an authors life. Whether directly from the publisher or through the literary agent, royalty checks should always be accompanied by a royalty statement, which outlines exactly the amount of books that were sold in each category.Industry convention also dictates that, if a book under-performs, the author does not have to pay back the unearned portion of the royalty. Disclaimer The purpose of this article is to give lay out some very general book advance and royalty basics but please note that the author of this article is a writer - not a literary agent or a lawyer - and you should not consider the contents of this article a substitute for authoritative legal advice. If you are negotiating advances and royalties, you should seek the counsel of a literary agent and an attorney or both. The Authors Guildhas a contract review service for members.

Are #8220;Hobbies and Interests#8221; the Most Crucial Part of a Resume

Are 8220Hobbies and Interests8221 the Most Crucial Part of a Resume Are Hobbies and Interests the Most Crucial Part of a Resume The study confirmed what most of us have probably suspected for some time Employers are hiring people who are not only competent, but who are also culturally similar to existing employees in terms of leisure pursuits, social experience and self-presentation style- and that behauptung criteria often outweighed concerns about the candidates likely productivity level.On the face of it the study findings seem to sit well with earlier research into hiring for cultural fit by Leadership IQ (covered here inTop 5 Reasons New Hires Fail ). This research showed that lack of cultural fit accounted for over 80 percent of new hires failures. So, the employers in the Northwestern study, in hiring for cultural fit, are arguably adopting best practice, arent they?But, a closer look shows there is a schism between the two studies, and that is based around the criteria that are actually used to assess cultural fit. For example, the Leadership IQ study assesses cultural fit on job-related criteria, such as coachability, emotional quotient, motivation and temperament. The managers in the Northwestern study were looking at non-work related criteria, such as hobbies and interests and social experiences, as presented on their resume along with their style of self presentation.Are Hobbies and Interests the Most Crucial Part of a Resume?This means that hobbies and interests may, rightly or wrongly, be a far more influential factor in a resume than perhaps the level of degree or quality of work experience, or perhaps some of the more scientifically tested cultural fit criteria like coachability and EQ from the Leadership IQ study. It seems that the lowly, Hobbies and Interests section, usually consigned to a dusty paragraph at the bottom of the resume, may rightly or wrongly be the most crucial part of the resume.Before, going too far with this, I need to qua lify this study by pointing out that the study welches focused on law firms, management consulting firms and investment firms and this narrow focus should be considered before applying more broadly. But, even so the findings are interesting and I would be surprised if this phenomenon was totally confined to these sectors.The study findings have both implications for candidates and hiring managers.How should candidates respond?Candidates should be acutely aware that some employers may be assessing their hobbies and interests on their resume as a sign of cultural fit. And, ideally, candidates should then be both researching roles carefully and applying for companies and departments where they have a good fit in terms of hobbies and interests but also making sure to include a detailed hobbies and interests section in their resume. Of course, you cant always apply to companies where you have great cultural fit in terms of hobbies and interests, and in these circumstances you might consi der excluding these details as it might work against you.What About Hiring Managers and Recruiters?From the employer side, be cautious in using hobbies and interests as the main indicator of cultural fit as while they may be relevant to job success in some way, other cultural fit factors, such as coachability, EQ and temperament, have been shown to be a better indicator of future job success. And arguably, cultural fit hiring assessment should be based on these more robust job-related criteria.Master the art of closing deals and making placements. Take our Recruiter Certification Program today. Were SHRM certified. Learn at your own pace during this 12-week program. Access over 20 courses. Great for those who want to break into recruiting, or recruiters who want to further their career.

This is how likely you are to get dumped on Valentines Day

This is how likely you are to get dumped on Valentines DayThis is how likely you are to get dumped on Valentines DayDim the lights and cue the string music Valentines Day is coming.But what is conventionally touted as the most romantic holiday of the year may end in tears for unlucky lovers who get a breakup instead of chocolate and flowers. According to research byYouGov Omnibus,7% of Americans have ended a relationship on Valentines Day itself. That number skyrockets to 12% among 18-34-year-olds, because millennials are cold, bitter souls (as a millennial, I can attest).Credit YouGovBeware of the days just before and after the holiday as well - 7% of Americans said they had ended relationships in the time leading up to Valentines, and 5% said the same soon after Feb. 14.Among those who cut things short before the big day, 20% did so because they didnt want to have to buy a giftstoff for or spend money on their partner, according to YouGov. But not everyones selfish 21% didnt want their partner to buy them a gift or spend money on them, the research found. Ah, what warm, fuzzy feelings.Credit YouGovAmong Americans, however, theory and practice are often two very different things. Only 5% say that if someone wants to break up with their partner as the holiday nears, they should do so on the day of the celebration. A plurality (45%) think before Valentines Day is a better time to cut the cord.Interestingly, this breakdown changes when gender is taken into account. 8% of men believe Valentines Day proper is the best time to become a free agent again.But guys, dont get too comfortable - 6% of women have actually broken off a relationship despite Cupids arrows raining down on Feb. 14.So brace yourselves That night out youve been looking forward to for months may turn to disaster in one fell swoop. Bring tissues, because, for some of you, its about to get ugly.Credit YouGovBut for most of us, knock on wood, Valentines Day will just be another nice, normal day wher e we get to eat Godiva and maybe smell some flowers. And for those singles out there, YouGov has good news A majority of Americans say theyd be comfortable going on a Valentines Day first date.So put on your best red dress or suit, and let the romance ensue. If you dont like the person all that much, no big deal You can break up with them next V-day.

Uncommon Article Gives You the Facts on What Font Size for Resume That Only a Few People Know Exist

Uncommon Article Gives You the Facts on What Font Size for Resume That Only a Few People Know Exist The New Fuss About What Font Size for Resume Choosing your perfect resume font is dependent on particular factors. The absolute most important factor to consider while deciding upon the very best font for your resume template is to look at the readability of your resume. The font you select for your cover letter ought to be highly readable, professional and clean. There are quite a lot of fonts for you to pick from, and that may make selecting a font for your resume equally as challenging as writing it. You may have to try out the text out to observe how it looks before committing to a specific typeface. Garamond is a traditional font that may appear a small out-dated option. So you must be positive that so-called character of the font will match the goal of your text. Its therefore recommended to decide on a great font when writing your resume. Fonts include specific charact eristics that can determine and affect the view of the reader. The font is just too much for an expert document. Essentially, the best font is dependent on the objective of your resume. For that reason, its a font for resume you shouldnt ignore. In addition to font selection, additionally, it is important to consider different things about the font. It is critical that when writing your resume, you must allow it to be right regarding its resume font and size. In some instances, you can want to set fonts and sizes by hand. In the majority of instances, employing an easy, professional font is perfect. If its too big on the flip side, it makes it look as if you dont have a lot to say for yourself. As you may still list all your prior jobs, the sum of space you want to describe your role, responsibilities, and achievements will be much less, since youll want to focus the info on the skills you used and accomplishments you achieved that are related to your new job targets. It is possible to still opt for a font which you feel is representative of your personality, since there are lots of fantastic options in word processors today. There are a lot of pretty fonts, but should you combine them lubberly the entire work wont be well worth any attention. Finding jobs in Dothan means having the proper mindset and certain skills which can help keep you on track. For that reason, it is sometimes an excellent pick for technical industries and technology-focused resumes, generally speaking. You dont want to have the hiring manager trying hard to read the accomplishments that you worked so difficult to attain. The hiring manager would like you to hire for the job, not for performing various other tasks which arent even about the job that you are seeking. What You Must Know About What Font Size for Resume Theres always a chance that the hiring manager will print out a duplicate of your resume after reading it on the monitor. You should remember the hiring man ager doesnt wish to waste a great deal of time taking a look at the resume therefore, the font should be immediately readable and not something which opens up as you stare at it longer. Like stated before, you might have to impress the hiring manager in a brief time. The hiring manager only looks at a resume for a couple seconds so that you are going to want to make sure your chief points and qualifications are simple for a hiring manager to spot. Underlining will already be utilized on digital resumes to spot and email addresses and URLs, like your LinkedIn profile. Resumes have typically develop into the most crucial ticket for surfing the work industry. Be consistent with stylization, and just select one or two to make sure your resume appears professional and simple to read. The clean lines enhance the readability of the full document. Some resume fonts have to be avoided in any way costs. See below for exactly what things to include. Be sure to create your font larg e enough so the reader doesnt need to squint to read your letter, but not so large your letter doesnt fit well on the webpage. You may be thinking of decreasing the size of the font from 12 to 8 to be able to fit mora info. Naturally, the font doesnt offer total details about a candidate, but it complements the picture that may be gotten by analyzing the text of a CV. Adjusting the font just one-tenth of a point can produce the text fill out the remainder of a page or keep it from spilling over into the subsequent one.

Virtual VIP Lunch Learn Flexible Jobs

Virtual VIP Lunch Learn Flexible Jobs Do you want more flexibility at work? Join us TOMORROW for a chat with Kathryn Sollmann - Flexwork Expert, for tips on asking for the flex time you need to be successful in your career SIGN UP bit.ly/2NutJmr One of the biggest challenges in almost all industries today is achieving gender parity. Gender diversity provides huge benefits in the workplace. pWhile some industries have made significant advancements in gender diversity, some industries lag further behind... and the construction industry is well-known for being in the latter category. If someone says, construction workers, youll likely picture a group of men in yellow hard hats analyzing an architects plans or laying bricks on top of a scaffold. And men at work signs only help to reinforce this image.pThis stereotype is rooted in reality. When welches the last time you actually spotted a woman on a construction site? Or hired a female plumber or carpenter? Your answer is most likely never. In fact, the Bureau of Labor Statisticsreports that only 3.4% of the total of 8.3 million construction employees are women.pBut the construction industry has a lot more to offer than steel-toed boots and hard hats, and it needs women to help advance the industry in this era of rapid change. Here are 5 reasons why women joining the workforce or looking to make a pivot should consider a career in construction.h21. Fuel Innovation/h2pNot only is diversity the socially and morally right thing to do, but it is also actually an excellent business strategy. pResearch presented in the Harvard Business Reviewshows that diverse teams develop more innovative ideas. This is further supported by a study conducted by Gallupon the performance of gender-diverse teams versus single-gender teams, which found that the difference in backgrounds and perspectives led to better business performance and problem-solving. h22. Capitalize on Demand/h2pThe const ruction industry is currently experiencing a labor shortage. The industry itself is booming and projected to be one of the fastest-growing industries, with total spending projected to exceed $1.45 trillion in 2023/a. However, most construction companies are unable to meet the rising demand. pAccording to the Associated General Contractors of America/a, more than 80% of contractors are experiencing difficulties filling hourly craft positions that represent the bulk of the construction workforce.pAnd demand isnt limited to individual contributor roles. Given the industry boom, there are a number of open stable and high-paying roles (any project managers out there?) waiting for the right candidateh23. Leadership Opportunities/h2pAccording to the Bureau of Labor Statistics/a, women compose only 7.7% of the total 1 million managerial positions in construction.br/pBut given the highly collaborative nature of construction work, more women in leadership roles would help drive innovation and enhance productivity.Furthermore, as a woman in construction in a leadership position, youd have the unique opportunity to drive change for the industry and make it a more attractive option for other women.h24. High-Income Potential/h2pSalaries for many skilled positions in construction are on the rise, making a construction career a prime choice for women looking for a high-paying job,pThe 2018 Construction Craft Salary Surveyconducted by the National Center for Construction Education and Research revealed that salaries for many skilled craft areas are increasing. Project managers and project supervisors topped the list at $92,523 and $88,355, respectively. The next set of highest-paying jobs include those of combo welders ($71,067), instrumentation technicians ($70,080), pipe welders ($69,222), power line workers ($68,262) and industrial electricians ($67,269). Of the 32 categories of workers in the survey, 19 positions earned an average salary of $60,000 or higher.h25. Sense of accomplishment/h2p The construction industry can give employees a unique sense of achievement. Yes, the job is stressful and the work can be demanding, but nothing beats the feeling of being able to build something from the ground up. pHow many professionals in other industries can point at a school, a hospital, or a skyscraper and say I helped build that?pThe construction industry has a long way to go in combating gender bias and supporting women in the workforce, but given the current demand for workers, theres no better time to pick up a sledgehammer (figurative or literal) and smash the gender stereotypes plaguing the construction industry.