Family vs. Law Essay

Family, an important theme of life, gets expressed throughout many ways in society. Family may take precedence over many things, including authority and the law. Within the tragic play, Antigone, the author Sophocles presents situations where the characters have to choose between their family and the law. The characters must choose what is more important to them, their family or obeying the laws of Thebes. Throughout the play, Sophocles presents a strong theme of family values and the importance of it through the actions of Antigone, Creon and Haimon. Antigone, placed in many situations throughout the play, has to choose between her family and the law. Antigone chooses to honor her brother, Polyneces, by burying him even though she will break the law by doing so. Antigone asks her sister Ismene to help bury their beloved brother, but when Ismene says no, Antigone responds by saying, â€Å"But as for/ me/ I will bury the brother I love† (Prolouge. 192). Antigone chooses to honor her brother and risk breaking the law because family means more to her. Antigone puts her family first, presenting her as a selfless person. Along with the risk of breaking the law, Antigone also risks her death. Once Creon tells Antigone of her punishment after finding out she buries Polyneces, she has to decide whether or not burying her brother is worth it. After Creon tells Antigone of his plan for her, she says, â€Å"This death of mine/ is of no importance; but if I had left my brother/ lying in death unburied, I should have suffered. / Now I do not† (SceneII. 208). Antigone shows Creon that he cannot stop her from saving her family by trying to punish her with death. Antigone chooses to help her family and stand up for them, even when faced with death. Sophocles shows Antigone as a brave person by denouncing Creon’s rules and saving her brother. Through Antigone’s actions, Sophocles shows how he favors family over authority and the law. Sophocles expresses his devotion to family throughout Creon’s actions in the tragic play. Prior to Creon’s initial decision to let Antigone die, the Choragos convinces him to let her go free. Creon, reluctant at first, listens to the Choragos and says to them, â€Å"It is hard to deny the heart! † (SceneV. 235). Creon knows deep down inside that he will be doing the right thing by letting Antigone go free. Although Creon wants Antigone to pay for breaking the law, his family ties with her prove to out shine his devotion to the law. As Creon orders the Choragos on what weapons to bring, he says, â€Å"I buried her, I/ Will set her free† (SceneV. 236). Creon realizes that his family ties with Antigone mean more to him than justice and he wants her to know that by freeing her himself. Creon wants to prove to Antigone that he does care about her safety and her future so he will set her free so she can go on living her life with Haimon. Although Creon decides to free Antigone partly out of guilt, he mostly does it because of her love for her. Sophocles shows throughout the tragic play that he prefers family over the law through the actions of Creon. Sophocles shows his devotion to family over the law by the actions of Haimon. Haimon has to decide whether to fight for his wife’s life or obey his father. Haimon, driven mad by the situation he has at hand, decides to kill himself after he finds out Antigone has done the same. The messenger delivers the horrible news to the Choragos and says, â€Å"Haimon is dead; and the hand that killed him/ Is his own hand† (Exodos. 239). If he cannot live with Antigone, then Haimon does not want to live at all. Haimon’s devotion and love for Antigone is stronger than his will to obey the law. Even as Haimon â€Å"died/ He gathered Antigone close in his arms again,† (Exodos. 241). By having Haimon’s last moves before his death be hugging his wife one last time, Sophocles shows that family takes precedence over the law through Haimon’s selfless acts. Haimon wants to show to everyone, especially his father, that his love for Antigone overrules everything else, particularly the laws that Creon creates. Throughout Haimon’s actions in the play, Sophocles shows that family means more to him than the law. Throughout Antigone, Sophocles shows that his strong devotion to family overrides authority and the law. Sophocles proves this to the reader through the actions of Antigone, Creon and Haimon and the choices that they make throughout the play. Even at the face of death, Antigone chooses to honor her brother over obeying the law as a way of showing Sophocles’ devotion to family. Prior to Creon’s original decision to kill Antigone, he changes his mind and decides to spare her life to exemplify Sophocles’ loyalty to family life. Haimon chooses to spare his own life to support his wife and rebel against the laws his father creates to prove Sophocles’ commitment to family. Sophocles shows that his devotion to family overrides the law by the situations and decisions Antigone, Creon and Haimon make. Not just in the play Antigone, but even in the world today, family values have high precedence over the laws and rules created to follow.

Effective Compensation Strategy

Effective Compensation Strategy A compensation strategy is a long-term pay plan. It details the rewards earned by employees in return for their labor. The most effective compensation strategy is one that develops a clear link amongst the three basic elements of compensation. The first item is the work expected from an employee; that is, the job description.Advertising We will write a custom research paper sample on Effective Compensation Strategy specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More The other item is the work an employee performed as shown in the performance evaluation and finally, is the pay provided to the employee determined through external survey and internal equity. The interrelationship among these three items provides an appropriate compensation strategy. This paper expounds on the link between these three items for a human resource manager. A human resource manager is a highly qualified and experienced individual that oversees employees’ affairs. The man ager takes care of employee needs since they are a valuable resource to the organization. A human resource manager’s work is dynamic. The manager performs the entire recruitment process, which involves job advertisement, short listing, and interviewing (Fitz-enz, 2001, p.154). After getting the right employees, the human resource manager engages them in training programs. The training orients the new employees to their positions in an organization. The human resources manager conducts motivational sessions for the employees and appraises their performance. In addition, the manager deals with salary negotiations for the employees. Salary negotiation is a sensitive area and the human resource manager works with the accounts department to determine it. The manager also deals with employee promotions and other benefits for employees. The human resource manager keeps all employee records for reference (Kleiman, 2000, p.71). In addition, the manager handles employees’ compla ins and resolves disputes arising among them. Performance evaluation is a significant process that measures the actual performance against potential performance. There are four classes for evaluating the performance of a human resource manager (Milkovich, Jerry, 2005, p.21). The first class is for excellent performers. These are employees that are exemplary in their work, and they receive a salary increase of 5% for their extra work. The next category is for good performers. These employees carry out their duties well, just above the expected performance. They receive a 3% salary increase for the extra effort of being slightly above their performance. The third category is for the average performers. Their actual performance is equal to their potential performance. They receive a 1% salary increase for their actual performance. Finally, there are poor performers. These do not meet their performance expectations; therefore, they do not receive any salary increment.Advertising Looking for research paper on business economics? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More There is an external survey carried out to on the website to determine the salary for this position. This analysis indicates that the human resource manager gets approximately $4500 to $5000 a month. In addition, there is an internal survey of similar positions with the human resource manager. This position is identical to that of an office manager, which attracts a salary of about $4200 to$4750 a month. The pay for a human resource manager depends on the actual amount of work done. If the work exceeds the expected, the manager receives a bonus in terms of a pay increase. However, this pay cannot go beyond what the market charges or what other similar positions attract. The pay increase also depends on how much work the human resource manager performs above expectations. Moreover, pay increase can result from other factors like performance. Excellent performance will probably attract a pay rise. References Fitz-enz, J. (2001). How to Measure Human Resource Management, 3rd edition.  New York: McGraw-Hill. Kleiman, L. S. (2000).  Human Resource Management: A Tool for Competitive  Advantage.  Cincinnati, OH: South-Western College Publishing. Milkovich, T., Jerry, N. (2005).  Compensation.   New York: McGraw-Hill/Irwin.

Sarbanes-Oxley Act essays

Sarbanes-Oxley Act essays The fraudulent misrepresentations of several public companies financial positions have recently been brought into the public eye. The large bankruptcy of WorldCom and the similar conspiracies at Enron and HealthSouth made it clear that something had to be done to avoid such schemes. These scams were not only deceiving trusting investors, but also harming the good names of accountants everywhere. In an effort to prevent such occurrences, the Securities and Exchange Commission formed the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002. This legislation alone has completely transformed the U.S. security regulations (New Financial Rules 2004, 1). The Sarbanes-Oxley Acts objective is to strengthen public companies guidelines for financial reporting, internal controls, and auditing standards. In doing so, fraudulent activities will be caught regularly and future scams can possibly be deterred. The Sarbanes-Oxley act ultimately places more accountability on CEOs, CFOs, audit committees, and also independent auditors. It entails the verification that each company has satisfactory internal controls and that guidelines for financial reporting are established. All in all, the act aims to ensure near accuracy in reporting of financial statements (New Financial Rules 2004, 1). Section 404 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act is a main focus for many organizations. It calls for the yearly report of a corporation to include (1) a statement from management testifying to their answerability as to having a satisfactory internal control system and bylaws for financial reporting; and (2) managements year end assessment of the internal control and financial reporting procedures. A companys auditor is also required to evaluate and attest to the assessment mention previously. Compliance with Section 404 is a main concern of many businesses, because it is this compliance that will be extremely costly (New Finan...

Planned Strategy Essays

Planned Strategy Essays Planned Strategy Essay Planned Strategy Essay Planned strategy involves a centre authority, which formulates their intentions as precisely as possible and then strive for its implementation. To do this, the organisation needs to articulate its intentions in the form of a plan and then elaborate on this strategic plan in as much detail as possible. This is prepared by using measures such as schedules, budgets and forecasts. Planned strategy involves making formation assumptions and then following a strict strategy process approach, with strategic decision making taking place in a number of steps. Ansoff (1965) cited in Harris, Forbes Fletcher (2000) illustrates that strategic decision making takes place in four principle steps. These are the perceptions of the decision need or opportunity, formulation of alternative courses of action, evaluation of the alternatives in relation to their respective contributions and the choice of one or more alternatives. This process illustrates how planned planned strategy is. Planned strategy is useful in organisations because it breaks down the process into manageable units. The process of setting objectives and goals allows the management to plan and motivate for the future and this also stimulates employee discussion and debates. Furthermore, the control system enables organisations to periodically review progress and understand how closely their internal performance adheres to their strategic goals and intentions (Osborn, 1998). For planned strategy to be implemented successfully, numerous factors need to be considered. The market and organisation environment needs to be predictable so that strategies can be implemented in a steady and rational way. Planned strategy is useful for controllable elements where the processed are incremental and linear. However, in practical terms, this may not be possible in turbulent, dynamic environments. This is one limitation of the planned approach to strategy formation. When an environment is complex and somewhat uncontrollable or unpredictable, a variety of sub-units in the organisation need to able to respond, especially if there is rapid change (Brown Eisenhardt, 1998). In these situations, patterns in the organisation cannot be planned in one central place (Mintzberg Waters, 1985). Today, organisations are faced with numerous fluctuations in the economy and major technological change. As such, development time frames are becoming shorter and shorter and organisations need to constantly update their production processes. Therefore, the planned strategy may become obsolete over the planning period, due to the changes in the external environment. Brown Eisenhardt (1998) believe that planned strategies fail because they overemphasise the degree to which it is possible to predict which industries, competitors, positions and competences will be viable for what length of time. Furthermore, planned strategies underemphasise the importance and challenge of creating and executing the chosen strategy. Furthermore, planned strategy assumes that a common agreement can be found by all the parties involved in the planning process and it appears to ignore organisational conflicts and politics, or at least assumes they can be easily identified and changed (Burnes, 1996). Theorists have argued that planning is a system on control. This school of thought considers that planned strategy does not relate to a system of thinking, rather as a method of control. It can be seen that planned strategies are implemented in the organisation in a top-down hierarchy structure (Bourlakis Bourlakis, 2001). On the other hand, traditionalist illustrate that organisations that do implement their strategies in a vertical, top-down process, retain functional stability within their business units and have the potential to improve and expand. Planned strategies are found in organisations that simply extrapolate established patterns in environments that they assume will stay stable. In a previous study by Mintzberg Waters (1982) cited in Mintzberg Waters (1985), It was found that strategies appear not to be conceived in planning processes so much as elaborated from existing visions or copied from industry standards and, therefore, do not constitute a thinking or learning process. According to Mintzberg (1988) planned strategy distorts the process of crafting strategy and thereby, misguides the organisations that embrace it unreservedly. Planned and formal strategies can process more hard data and information than in semi-structured planning. However the pitfall to these strategies is that they can never internalise, comprehend or synthesise information (Mintzberg, 1994, p. 111). In other words, planned strategy is not learning and evolving. It consists of a rational sequence with a known outcome. Emergent Strategy The approaches to strategic management are undergoing considerable change. There has been a remarkable shift from planned strategies to more flexible contingent approaches, which can emerge from chance events, as well as from cognitive, cultural and political processes. The emergent strategy rejects the planned approach to strategy. It sees strategies as a one-off exercise and more as a continuous process of change and advancement. Emergent strategies seek to align and re-align the organisation in unpredictable and rapidly changing environments. Furthermore, the reality in organisations is that management does not follow along predictive and linear assumptions. Hamel and Prahalad, cited in Davies Ellison (1998, p. 463) state that the predictive horizon is becoming shorter and shorter. So plans do little more than project the present toward incrementally. It is important to understand the interacting non-linear influences that actions are affected by in order to formulate effective strategies (Macbeth, 2002). Emergent strategies are most likely to be found in organisations characterised as adhocracies or project structures (Shiner, 2001). Changing and complex environments with unique products, incorporating the use of multidisciplinary teams and project work, typify these. Emergent strategies have many advantages in todays organisational settings. First, it stresses the developing and unpredictable nature of change. It views change as a process that unfolds through the interplay of multiple variables (context, political processes and consultation) within an organisation (Burnes, 1996). Therefore, market structure and demands provide the environment that creates much of the need for emergent strategies. Turbulent, competitive and unpredictable markets, together with innovative products, increase the need for emergent strategies. However, emergent strategies tend to lack the coherence of methods and techniques accumulated by the planned approach to strategy. Emergent strategies also lack the presence of competitive advantage based on core competence. This is due to the strategies constantly changing, with no one major idea. Therefore, organisations cannot exploit or develop particular core competences. Emerging organisational strategies make use of a feedback response mechanism. Therefore, responses from competitors, employees, cross functional groups and internal/external environment all have an impact on the impending strategy formation. However, when organisations implement planned strategies, they often sever the vital feedback link between cross-function and dependent groups. This is means that useful information may not be responded to and as such, potential strategies and processes are unrealised. One example that depicts the development of an emergent strategy in an organisation is Honda Motor Companys entry into the United States motorcycle industry in 1959. This illustrates how the planned strategy of entering the market with high powered 250cc and 350cc bikes failed, whereas the strategy of selling 50cc machines emerged (Marsden, 1998). This emerged strategy was so successful that in 1964, nearly one out of every two motorcycles sold was a Honda (Marsden, 1998). Emergent strategies represent ideas that have surfaced from organisations interactions with its customers, markets and competitors and may suggest approaches that were not considered during formal planning (Osborn, 1998). Emergent strategies arise from the daily activities of the organisation and, in many cases, represent bottom-up structure. Furthermore, organisations which are employing emergent strategies, resolve their issues horizontally and across functional teams, reiterating their lack of formal control systems and heightened awareness of learning and thinking processes. Emergent strategies give the organisation the chance to self-organise and realise its potential in more advanced strategies, activities and complexities (Fitzgerald, 2002). A focus on emergent strategies changes the traditional relationship between planning and control. Effective control systems can play a central role in identifying problems and matching them with specific strategic solutions, even if both elements surfaced from apparently random fashion within different parts of the networked organisation (Osborn, 1998). Emerging organisational designs are more organised more explicitly around processes than controlled, traditional, and hierarchical structures. Emergent strategy sees that strategy is an open-ending and continuous process. It can be viewed as a process of learning and not just a strategy of changing organisational structures and practices (Burnes, 1996). Purely planned strategy precludes learning once the strategy is formulated and beginning to be implemented. Emergent strategy advances and encourages thinking and learning (Mintzberg, 1988).

buy custom Engineering a Greener Future essay

buy custom Engineering a Greener Future essay Humankind is growing more anxious of the effect carbon footprints will afflict on the future generations of the world. With the rise in the attention on green energy and green technology, it is impossible to imagine any advancement in the field without the involvement of the engineering disciplines. Green engineering is a term that is growing in use, and explains the role of engineering in the endeavor to lower the carbon emissions we create each day. The report looks at ways in which engineers have played a fundamental role in ushering in the era of green technology innovations. The concept of green engineering What is green engineering? Green engineering is the mechanism through which processes and products are designed to reduce the environmental impact in terms of pollution and human health hazards while brining about energy efficiency (Green Engineering 4). Is green engineering economically feasible? Concerns abound, as to whether the economic impact green technology will have on the profitability and viability of projects. Business organizations calling for green energy revolution are yet to answer one pertinent question pertaining to the capacity of green energy technology to conserve the environment and still remain economically viable. The answer is not a definitive yes or no, but it can lead to considerable discovery and innovation ideas that can protect the present fragile environment for future generations. Environmentally conscious projects like green energy technology bring profit and money, just as other energy projects like nuclear energy (Green Engineering 7). However, green energy is more receptive to the environment and prevents health hazards associated with nuclear power. Further, green energy technology is yet to be developed on large scale since major project are under pilot plant stage undergoing research and study. Small-scale companies and multinational corporations like Wal-Mart have already embraced green power to power their fleets and storage equipment. Nothing could be further from the truth, there are companies that have wholly embraced green technology in the engineering of their products and are just as profitable, if not more profitable than their skeptical counterparts (ACT 1). Therefore, there is a challenge among scholars and universities students to develop strategic green technology equipment and devices that can enhance production and consumption of green en ergy in homes and business environment. The myths about impracticality of the reliance on green engineering technology are slowly wearing off (Green Engineering 8). Real life examples abound on the effective application of green engineering in the running of daily organization operations such as power generation technology. Not only has green engineering reduced the carbon, but it has also resulted in an overall decrease in the overhead costs associated with the conventional modes of producing products. Green engineering technology ought to increases the cost efficiency of running an organization or a project, although theinitial set up cost may seem high, the overall benefits outweigh the costs and the impact of pollution the environment suffers (ACT 1). Green engineering technology is the way to go for business and engineering firms that wants to be part of the 21st century energy solutions. Consumer ethics have promoted the growth of ethical consumerism; a theory in which consumers do not just buy a product, but have a right to question means, processes and ways of manufacturing the product. In this respect, firms that adjust to green engineering technology will be at the forefront in the future business ventures, and stand to reap immense benefits from the growing legion of environment conscious consumers. Influence of engineers in green technology Green engineers have influenced largely the progress in the development of green revolution. Courses in universities and colleges must equip green engineers with knowledge and skills to assessment, evaluate, measure, and set the standards with environmental benefits. Chemical engineering offers a world of opportunities to the disciplines that aim to advance the field of green technology (Green Engineering 9). The redesigning of the chemical processes and evaluation of the environmental impacts of the operations that result in pollution has been greatly advanced through the field of chemical engineering. For instance, the evaluation of exposure levels chemicals cause to the environment and humans, both of which need protection from harm. Illumination of the green engineering The role of green engineering in reversing and mitigating adverse effects of carbon emissions is far from being impassive (Green Engineering 5). Green engineering technology and innovations is applicable to every stage of the manufacturing process, right from the selection of materials to use in the manufacturing, the waste handling mechanisms, storage conditions, energy consumption, and the safety of the processes by the firm. Green engineering is expected to provide better solutions to promote efficient fuel management policies and find alternative energy to the presence day petroleum that is causing inflations and hiking of food prices. The most cumbersome challenge at hand is for green engineers to find a cheaper and more available alternative fuel or mechanism to power automobiles. Green engineering technology is comprehensive in its mandate to determine the root cause of environmental harm of certain processes (Green Engineering 5). Through thorough and elaborate process of research, risk assessment, cost assessment, and detailed evaluation, the green engineer can offer a balanced insight into the impact of a certain process, which is of environmental concern while taking into consideration the special economic and technological conditions inherent in the organization at the time. Therefore, green engineering is not blind to the strategies of the firm to retain they profitability while still trying to roll back the specter of a deteriorating environment. Recent engineering developments in greeen technology In the modern world, green energy engineering focuses on measurement of power quality and consumption, vehicle and factories, determination of water quality. Green engineers design and develop tools through which data of the real world impact of environmental pollution can be assessed, and they develop the next generation of products and technologies with efficiency and reduced environmental impact (Instrumentation 11). Applications green engineering are visible in areas of environmental concerns such as renewable power generation, power quality, environmental monitoring, machine and process optimization, and development and testing of green products and technologies (Instrumentation 7). Innovations such as solar cell technology, wind turbine technologies and wave power technology are examples of green energy engineering in practice. Engineering has helped come up with better and more efficient designs that lower the inefficiencies in the traditional methods in which operations run (Green Engineering 6). In the field of computer engineering, engineers are designing more power efficient processors that are reducing the cost of power and at the same time increasing the efficiency and the length over which the use computing machines. The increase in the time over which the computer is usable means less disposal levels of electronica garbage. The automobile engineering technology is a hot topic for many enthusiasts of green revolution (Instrumentation 7). Green engineering are still in the process of developing systems that not only deduce the carbon emission as well as appeal to the car buyers who may be more than concerned about the functionality and the appearance of the vehicle beside the fuel technology. The other concern engineers need to address in this regard is the cost implications the technology will have to the car buyers, as well as the reliability of the battery or solar technology the cars have technology. Conclusions The current systems hinder the implementation of green technology engineering methods (ACT 1). There are also concerns among the attendants of green engineering workshops that too much focus on chemical engineering, other engineering segments also need attention as they can also contribute to the green energy technology. A major focus for green engineers is in renewable energy engineering (Green Engineering 5). Engineering is advancing the use of more energy efficient instrumentation, in a field that has shown the potential to reduce the cost to government of one billion dollars in the next five years. Growth in technological advancements as well as the consequential reduction in the cost gives much promise to the achievement of green engineering goals in the future. Most emerging technologies conscious of their environmental impact, and therefore the drift towards greener technology and engineering should be relatively easy. For instance, computing devices are made with technologies that use less power and therefore the fruits that come with green engineering show a good and prospective future. Buy custom Engineering a Greener Future essay

Strategies for writing an ideal teacher resume -TheJobNetwork

Strategies for writing an ideal teacher resume -TheJobNetwork If you’re a teacher (or working on becoming one), you know that by the time you complete your degree(s), your training courses, and any standardized exams your state throws your way, the job search can feel like yet another daunting process. Or maybe you’re further along in your career and you’re ready for a scenery change, or a subject change. Whatever the case may be, your resume should be a painless part of the process. Let’s look at some strategies you can use as you craft your own teaching resume. Do a little pre-resume brainstorming.Before you start cranking away, here are some resume basics to consider before you even start working on your resume. Ask yourself:Who is going to be reading this? Will it be another educator or administrator, or a layperson? This can help you determine how much jargon or career shorthand you can use.What do I want to emphasize most about myself and my career? What are the assets that make you the most valuable hire?What is my goal with this resume? Are you looking to find your first job in the field, change jobs, or move up?Thinking about these things ahead of time helps you refine your resume before you’ve even begun. You’ve got ideas. Now you just need some structure for them†¦Open strong with a headline, objective, or summary.At the top of your resume will be your contact info, of course (don’t be that guy or gal who thinks that the cover email is enough contact info for this digital day and age), but after that is your opening statement. You could just dive right into the details of your resume, but think about it- this is a chance to really introduce yourself to the reader, and set the narrative for the rest of your resume. Chances are, whoever is reading your resume will also be reading a pile of resumes from other people who may be similarly qualified for the job. So you want to take every edge you can get, including a sentence or two to help set you apart from thos e others.Headlines are exactly what they sound like: a brief, bold one-liner about who you are. A headline is brief, and it doesn’t contain your life story, but it does tell the reader who they’re about to meet in the rest of the resume. Here are some examples:Columbus School District Teacher of the Year  Seasoned Educator and Expert Curriculum Builder  Creative, Metrics-Focused Elementary School Educator Objective statements are a couple of brief sentences letting the reader know your intent. The reader already knows you want a job, so you don’t need to be that explicit. The objective can be more about your short-term goals with this position. Are you looking to change your career? Start your career? Level up with a leadership role? The objective helps the reader see what you’re angling for, besides an interview. Here are some examples:Educator with 10 years of experience seeking an administrative role.Looking for a position as a special-needs teache r at Washington Academy, bringing a creative, high-energy approach to student outcomes.Seeking a position as a math teacher focusing on technology integration and curriculum best practices to improve student achievement.Summary statements are more of a brief collection of highlights that you want to emphasize about yourself. Resume summaries are sometimes called â€Å"qualifications summaries† or â€Å"competencies.† Here, you call out the skills and accomplishments that you want the reader to focus on. For example:Motivated, energetic teacher who values diversity and creativity in the classroomResults-focused leader with a record of improving student test scores year-over-year15 years of curriculum-building experience, and development of classroom activities in accordance with state standards and best practicesAgain, not the life story, but a bit of a sneak preview for the reader. You should be prepared to back up your intro statements with more detailed skills or exp erience bullets later in the resume.Make your experience work for you.As a teacher, you’ve got a lot of things already working for you on your resume: your education and certifications, which are essential elements. Those are concrete points that you don’t really need to finesse or wordsmith- they are what they are. You should highlight your education and credentials in a brief section near the top of the resume.After that, you can start being a little more creative with your resume structure. If you already have a ton of classroom experience, then you can go the traditional route and put your work experience next, followed by skills.If you’re a recent grad or a career changer, and don’t yet have tons of experience, consider going with a more skills-heavy format. This puts your skills and general qualifications front and center, giving it higher priority over the â€Å"experience† section. And even if you feel like you don’t have a lot of ex perience (yet), you do have things you can use to flesh out that experience section. Volunteer work, club or professional association activities, or extracurricular teaching work you’ve done can also be used here. That community writing seminar you ran at the senior center last year? Include it. Your three recent summers as a camp counselor working with elementary age students while you completed your undergrad work? Include it, if it applies to the teaching job you’re seeking. (If you’re seeking an early childhood education job, great- if you’re looking to teach calculus to seniors, maybe not as relevant). You can be creative here to fill in gaps.As you’re building your experience section, don’t forget to list accomplishments, not duties. The person reading the resume is more interested in what you’ve achieved in your career so far, not necessarily what your 10 daily duties were in your last job. It’s important to highlight on ly the most relevant experience points, related to the job you’re seeking.Be selective about your skills.Sure, you may have the highest Candy Crush score in the county, or play the harmonica intro to â€Å"Piano Man† so beautifully it’d make Billy Joel himself cry. Those are great skills to have. But they may not work on your resume. Your skills section, like the rest of your resume, should be laser-focused on the job at hand. These six skill sets are among the top skills for teachers, so you should concentrate on these areas:Communication skills. Teachers communicate all the time- they work directly with students, other teachers, administrators, staff, and parents on a regular basis. Make sure you emphasize your strengths when it comes to writing, speaking, presenting, and- perhaps most importantly- listening.Problem solving skills. Teachers are problem-solvers, and help others solve them as well. You can provide examples of how you solve conflicts, how you can adapt lesson plans in real time, and how you approach those unexpected moments in any classroom.Organizational skills. Hiring managers will be interested to know how you juggle a teacher’s many tasks (classroom teaching, meetings, grading, lesson planning, etc.). Your time management skills are crucial, so definitely emphasize those on your resume.Patience. Whether you’re teaching a classroom of six-year-olds or sixty-year-olds, one of the key characteristics of an educator is patience, and the ability to work with any student to help them learn and achieve. Not everyone has patience, so this is a good skill to include on your resume.People skills. Similarly, general people skills are an asset on your resume. The reader will want to know you can work with others in a productive way, especially students. But this applies to others as well, because teachers are very much team players, interacting with their colleagues and administrators every day as well.Technological s kills. We live in an ever-more-digital world, and teachers who can help bring technology into the classroom productively can be major assets for a school. The skills section is a good place to call out your career-relevant tech expertise.Don’t skip the editing.After you’ve written your resume, there is one more non-negotiable step: you need to review it carefully. Do you really need everything you’ve included? Is everything relevant to the job description? And most important, have you obsessively proofread it, and/or had someone trusted do it for you? It can be tempting to hit â€Å"send† as soon as you write the last word, but you should always, always take that extra step and make sure the whole document is exactly as it should be.For examples of teacher resumes (entry level, mid-career, and seeking upward movement), we’ve got you covered: How to Write a Perfect Teaching Resume (Examples Included). And if you need more inspiration, our Resume Lib rary is a click away as well.

Summer Law School Reading List for 1Ls

Summer Law School Reading List for 1Ls If you enjoy reading and would like suggestions for legal-themed books before you begin your first year, you’ll find a summer law school reading list for 1Ls below. If you want to check out some other reading list suggestions, check out these lists from the ABA:   The  25 Greatest Law Novels Ever  and   30 Lawyers Pick 30 Books Every Lawyer Should Read.   Sometimes before law school it can be fun to get excited about the law. And what better way to do that then reading some quality fiction and non-fiction. This list wont necessarily make you an excellent law student, but it will get you excited about the law and also entertain you while you are relaxing over the summer.   But before we dive into the list of things to read this summer, a note on what not to read law school textbooks and supplements. Trust me, you will have plenty of time to read them in law school. I wouldnt worry about the substantive law during your pre-law summer. Instead, think about working on the skills needed to  make you the best law student you can be.   Legal Fiction   The Paper Chase  by John Jay Osborn Jr.  This book, which is also a well-known legal film, follows the story of James Heart who attends Harvard Law School. You will watch him struggle in class, study for exams and fall in love. (Little known fact, the author is now a law professor himself. I have taken his class and he is not as intimidating as Prof. Kingsfield in the book!) Billy Budd  by Herman MelvilleBilly Budd is about a sailor on a British Warship. But, when he is falsely accused of mutiny he strikes back, killing another person on the ship. He is tried at sea and the book takes you through the case.   To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper LeeOne of my favorite-all-time books. The book highlights Atticus Finch who is a lawyer that has inspired new lawyers and law students for generations. If you didnt read it in school, pick up a copy today (or watch the movie which is also excellent).   The Firm by John Grisham  Mitch McDeere is recruited as a high paid associate at a l aw firm, but he learns he is actually working for a crime family. If you would rather, you can also check out the movie. A Time to Kill  by John GrishamIf you are interested in the death penalty, you might enjoy this book. This is John Grishams first novel and many think his best. There is also a movie if you would rather have a movie night.   Presumed Innocent by  Scott TurowThis is Turows first novel about a prosecutor accused of murdering his colleague. There is political intrigue, legal maneuvering and a quality ending.   Defending Jacob  by William Landay  The author is a prosecutor-turned-novelist. He takes the transcript of a trial and turns it into a very riveting story (which is not an easy thing to do). I actually listened to it as a book-on-take during a road trip and I thought the story was excellent!   Non-Fiction   A Civil Action by Jonathan HarrThe book discusses a toxic tort case in Massachusetts and gives you a window into how this type of litigation works. You might have also seen the move about this case too. Becoming Justice Blackmun  by Linda GreenhouseThis book discusses the mysterious world of the Supreme Court.    One L by Scott TurowA well known account of a first year law student at Harvard Law. I will warn you, it might stress you out about your 1L experience. You have been warned (and really, 1L year isnt that bad).   Personal History by Katharine Graham  Not necessarily about the law, but if you are interested in the press and freedom of the press, you will be interested in the later chapters of this book.   My Beloved World by Sonia Sotomayor  This is a nice read about Justice Sotomayor of the United States Supreme Court. Her book is honest and interesting for those just beginning their law school   Mindset by Carol Dweck  Ã¢â‚¬â€¹This is a fantastic book that ha s nothing to do with law school, but also everything to do with law school. This book teaches you about two different mindsets. One that can really help you be successful in law school and one that will stand in your way of success. Which one will you choose?