Certifications for Project Managers

Certifications for Project ManagersCertifications for Project Managers

5 Reasons Why Cover Letters are Important Again

5 Reasons Why Cover Letters are Important Again5 Reasons Why Cover Letters are Important AgainDo you think titelseite letters are dead? Think twice job seekers. Cover letters are important once more.Last year, more than 90% of executives answered in a Robert Half survey that titelbild letters impact getting hired, now more than ever before.Learn 5 reasons why cover letters became important again.5. It is becoming more and more difficult to impress companies with resumesThere are thousands of resume writing services available online.After a while, all the styles become redundant. The same words are used for the same job descriptions. People struggle to do something impressive that stands out. Getting too creative with your resume either works really well or it makes very little sense to a hiring manager reading it.However, cover letters represent You as you write to the company. No one can copy You.It impresses people who take the time to read you genuinely expressing interest in a jo b with your unique, passionate cover letter.4. Growth of importance placed on soft skillsSoft skills make up your people, social, and communication skills. They make up your character traits, career attributes, social intelligence and emotional intelligence.If you have all the business knowledge in the world, what exactly are you like to work with?How do you write emails?How do you address teams?Your cover letter is a strong display of your written ability to show all of the above. In an era of sensitive digital communications, what you write says almost everything about you.3. Lack of trust in the online hiring processLying on ajob application is incredibly easy.Your cover letter shows you understand what the job requires.A cover letter shows you can interpret what is required in the job description.2. Tailored cover letters for a job are easier to read than resumesThe job candidate who can do the following will go further in the hiring processTarget the cover letter for a jobBrief ly summarize all his/her experienceExplain why they are a great fitProvide proof of claimsExpress passionA cover letter of that sort is easier to read. Resumes are still important. So, look at your cover letter as an opening statement, and the resume is your evidence to support your claims.1. The rarity of finding job candidates with great writing abilityIt used to be that we mainly communicated through phones, emails, or face to face. In certain professions, journalists, paralegals, grant writers, copywriters, etc., you could not go far if you could not write with impeccable grammar.Now, we have social media, texting, smartphones, speech-to-text, emails, blogging, writing for SEO, and more.And each style seems to require its own way of communicating. Each gestalt of communication seems dedicated to the grammar style used within it.But job candidates often forget their preferred style of grammar may not work everywhere in the world.A 2017 study by the National Assessment of Educatio nal Progress showed 75% of 12th and 8th-grade students lack proficiency in writing in the US. Companies are starting to realize the ability to write is becoming a rare and increasingly attractive skill.The ability to write your cover letter will demonstrate your ability to recognize what should be said, how, and when during the hiring process.

How to Find a Headhunter (and Other Executive Recruiting Myths)

How to Find a Headhunter (and Other Executive Recruiting Myths)How to Find a Headhunter (and Other Executive Recruiting Myths)Do headhunters leise exist? That depends on which headhunter, executive recruiter, or HR professional you talk to.Headhunter is out-of-date slang for search and recruiting professionals who work outside a hiring organization to find talent says, Maureen E. OMalley Rehfuss, SPHR, SHRM-SPC, Owner and President of Career lebensabschnittsgefhrtes International Twin Cities.Most modern search professionals prefer not to be called headhunters, Rehfuss continues. More appropriate terms are Staffing Professional, Executive Recruiter, Recruiter, Executive Search, or Talent Consultant, depending on the business model.Ive never met a headhunter who liked that term, echoesLaura Handrick, HR Analyst for Fit Small Business.Its old school and derogatory. They prefer recruiter, executive recruiter, or recruitment firm.On the contrary,Chris Murdockthinks the term headhunter is making a comeback and has become synonymous with executive recruiters. Murdock is a Co-Founder Senior Partner at IQTalent Partners, a San Francisco Bay Area-based corporate recruitment agency that partners with clients to build effective in-house talent acquisition organizations.Headhunters were once exclusively known as executive recruiters, or those who solely hired for positions in executive suites using old school recruiting tactics, says Murdock. Headhunting skills are now pretty transferable to other roles in HR and recruiting like the sourcer, who will fill roles in all job levels. Headhunters generally work on a case by case basis to fill specific roles needed by a company, not for individual job seekers. As for the actual title itself, headhunter is totenstill a title thats in effect.Sean Gill, Managing Partner of Conexus Talent Acquisition Solutions, says headhunters absolutely still exist but they are now known as executive recruiters.The word headhunter is still used e ven though its misunderstood by many job seekers, says Gill.What is a Headhunter?A headhunter is someone that works for a company and will actually go out and hunt heads the passive candidate who doesnt respond to ads and isnt actively seeking a new opportunity, says Karen A. Young, SPHR, SHRM-SCP, President of HR Resolutions, LLC, a company that provides HR resource services and solutions in Central Pennsylvania.Recruiters absolutely will accept your resume, but their ultimate job is to get to the passive job seeker, says Young.Handrick explained further Headhunters work for the employer (not the job seeker) and serve as the recruiting arm of the HR department, she said. Theyre typically outsourced, and paid a percentage of the job distributionspolitikments annual salary (10%-35% or more) based on the job being sourced and the contract theyve negotiated with the business. Headhunters are experts in finding great talent. They know top players in their field.Headhunters vs. Recruite rsOther than title, there is no real difference between headhunters and recruiters says Young.Headhunters are recruiters who dont mind being called a headhunter, says Handrick. Recruiters are headhunters who dont like that term. In general, the job is the same.How Do Headhunters Work?Employers hire headhunters to help fill positions not the other way around, says Young. Headhunters work for the employer thats who pays their bill.Murdock elaborated Once the headhunter reaches out to the job seeker, theyre working to source details on your professional skill set to see if it matches the exact demand of the role their working to fill. Headhunters are often working under tight deadlines, therefore leaving little room to make friends. If they find your job skills or background dont fit exactly what theyre looking for, its not personal, their sole purpose is to fill that executive seat. They are paid by the organization who hired them, therefore their loyalty is solely dedicated to the company, not the job seeker.Headhunters, or executive recruiters, typically focus on finding highly-skilled talent for hard-to-fill jobs. In many cases, these jobs may never be advertised, or are confidential.Since the business pays the headhunter, its in the headhunters best interest NOT to focus on every candidate, but to focus only on the candidate that best fits the job opening requirements, says Handrick. If you work in IT and have experience with building mobile apps, your headhunter will want to place you, not because theyre helping you, but because theyre helping the client find the right talent to fill the job.Hiring a Headhunter to Find You a JobThere are job seekers today who still think they can contact a recruiter or headhunter whose sole job is to place the job seeker and find them a job. Thats false.Years ago, job seekers could pay placement firms to help them land a job, says Rehfuss. This model disappeared years ago. Today theres no one who searches the marketplace on behalf of job seekers like an agent does for actors, athletes, or select senior executives, areas where the law permits such an agreement.Today its clear that recruiters work for the hiring organization, which pays the full cost of filling a position, Rehfuss continues. In fact, in many states its illegal for licensed staffing and search firms to charge job seekers for their assistance.Simply put, a job seeker should never pay a recruiting or search a fee for presenting them as a candidate to a hiring company, concludes Rehfuss.How to Find a HeadhunterIdeally, a headhunter will find you during your executive job search, says Young. But if you find an executive recruiter or headhunter that recruits for the type of job or industry of interest, reaching out via LinkedIn is a good start. Making an introductory email is a good way to reach out. Dont be surprised if you dont hear back executive recruiters are extremely busy and only respond to those that may fit their hiring needs. Ne tworking, being an industry leader, or active with professional organizations is another way to stand out.But that still doesnt mean one will get a return call or email, or even noticed. Good executive recruiters have specific needs and know exactly the type of candidate they want to go after.Minnesota-based executive recruiter Rick Deare once said he received about 150 resumes per day and he does see them all. But he only contacts those who are a specific fit for his specific needs.So remember, executive recruiters and headhunters work for the employer, not the job seeker.Do Headhunters Ever Help Job Seekers?Headhunters help fill open job positions for companies, says Handrick. Theyre recruiters.However, theyre a great resource for job seekers because they know where the open positions are, adds Handrick. Thats why so many job seekers want to connect with headhunters, executive recruiters, or recruiters. Recruiters know what jobs are open, including hidden jobs, or jobs never adve rtised since many companies hire the recruiter to search/fill their openings.Recruiters can also provide interview tips, insight on a company culture, and/or help job seekers prepare for an interview or meeting with the employer. Dont expect every recruiter to do this. Its rare they are busy and work for the employer. They often only do this to better prepare the job seeker for presentation to their client (the employer), not because they simply want to help the job seeker.Can Headhunters or Executive Recruiters Guarantee Candidates a Job?No. Never. Case closed.No one can, says Young.Read MoreThe Only Way Recruiters Will Find You on LinkedIn6 Ways to Turn Executive Recruiters into Your Greatest Job Search AlliesThe Best Executive Resumes According to Executive RecruitersMatt Krumrie has 15 years of resume writing experience and helps professionals at all levels, and in all professions including coaches create resumes that help them stand out and get noticed.

9 quotes from U.S. presidents we can apply to our careers

9 quotes from U.S. presidents we can apply to our careers9 quotes from U.S. presidents we can apply to our careersOn the third Monday of February, people around the United States close up shops, companies, and schools to honor the past presidents. As many of us celebrate Presidents Day, here are some lessons of leadership we can apply to our own careers even if we arent in charge of leading a nationOn choosing your work friends wiselyBe courteous to all, but intimate with few, and let those few be well tried before you give them your confidence. - George Washington advised his young nephew in a letter during the American Revolution.Being selective with your close work associates is a lesson Washington learned young. As a teenager, Washington copied down all 110 rules of Civility Decent Behavior in Company and Conversation, an etiquette guideline based on French Jesuit rules. One of the lessons, in particular, appears to have stuck with him into adulthood. As Rule No. 56, advises As sociate yourself with Men of good Quality if you Esteem your own Reputation for tis better to be alone than in badeanstalt Company.On forging your own pathConformity is the jailer of freedom, and the enemy of growth. - John F. Kennedy, the 35th U.S. president, warned in a 1961 address to the United Nations.On finding purposePiling up material goods cannot fill the emptiness of lives which have no confidence or purpose.- Jimmy Carter, the 39th U.S. president, advised Americans in his televised speech about the countrys economic woes, which he attributed to in part to a crisis of confidence.On how to hear feedbackOne cool judgment is worth a thousand hasty counsels. The thing to be supplied is light, not heat.- Woodrow Wilson, the 28th U.S. president, advised a 1916 crowd in Pittsburgh not to take criticism personally.On making doDo what you can, with what youve got, where you are.- Theodore Roosevelt, the 26th U.S. President, advised in his autobiography.On why your commitment is key to your successAlways bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed, is more important than any other one thing.- Abraham Lincoln, the 16th U.S. president, advised his friend seeking advice on how to become a lawyer.On being braveI want to say something to the schoolchildren of America who were watching the live coverage of the shuttles takeoff. I know it is hard to understand, but sometimes painful things like this happen. Its all part of the process of exploration and discovery. Its all part of taking a chance and expanding mans horizons. The future doesnt belong to the fainthearted it belongs to the brave.- President Ronald Reagan gave a speech after the Challenger space shuttles fatal launch explosion acknowledging the tragedy while offering hope to future space explorers.On dealing with fearThe only thing we have to fear is fear itself.- Franklin Delano Roosevelt, the nations 32nd president, reassured a nation going through the Great Depression in his 1933 inaugural address.On the futureYesterday is not ours to recover, but tomorrow is ours to win or to lose. I am resolved that we shall win the tomorrows before us.- Lyndon B. Johnson delivered a speechafter being sworn in as presidentfollowing the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963 that offered faith and hope to a shaken nation.

Why Everybody Is Talking About Writing Rules

Why Everybody Is Talking About Writing Rules The Pain of Writing Rules There are several die-hard proponents of following the rule today, but by and large its not something which is vital for a lot of the general public. Theres nothing sadder than someone sitting there and seeking to apply plenty of rules which arent turning that person on and arent stimulating and arent making a novel. You might be one of the a lot of people who have had an idea gnawing away at you for a very long moment. Regardless of what side of the debate you fall on, it is an excellent concept to be mindful of it. Making your site compatible with a lot of browsers is fruchtwein likely the toughest job for a front-end developer. You will get all kinds of architecture help at our website. Testing your headline There are various ways in testing headlines. Writing a unique mind map is a highly effective strategy because it is going to help you identify current connections between all your major points. Choosing Writing Rules Is Simple Efficient editing plays an important role for virtually any author. A writer also has to create a working outline. No writer can write an ideal draft simultaneously. Like both of the other rules, following it just depends on whom youre writing for. The above mentioned rule has to be repeated. Theres no rule on how best to write. There simply isnt any rule to writing. What is Really Going on with Writing Rules You might have dreams of writing a bestselling novel and although youre entering a difficult market place, full of competition from different writers all with varying levels of experience, sometimes it only requires a good story-line, a special strategy and an entire bunch of enthusiasm to the written word, and it can occur. If youre resolved to compose a good piece, which most writers are, youve observed the very first rule for writing. Superior fiction ought to be fun. Fantastic science fiction ought to be fun. Once that work is completed, it appears okay to assume that Ill spend my life writing. If you would like to generate income from your writing faster than that, then youve got to write shorter pieces. All are eligible to earn art. Having published and expert writers in the group will allow you to hone your craft. Writing Rules the Ultimate Convenience Business emails dont always require addressing someone by name. Inside my opinion if youre running a geschftliches miteinander for yourself or work for a company which requires you to communicate via email, you must be alert to proper etiquette. Youll also find out whatever you will need to learn about billing a client, tips and suggestions about how to work virtually, and the way to handle difficult customers. Getting your first two or three clients as a ghostwriter is most likely the hardest aspect of the job. The Downside Risk of Writing Rules If you dont have enough time to react properly to an email at least respond telling the individual youre in receipt of their request and youll reply on a particular date. Its possible to profit from some suggestions that can assist you to spot the perfect essay writing help online. The writing process starts immediately as soon as you send us your buy. The validation procedure and building DTDs are the two most troublesome sections of the XML life cycle. A sentence fragment is normally an oversight, or an awful idea. Using small words compels you to think of what youre writing. If spelling a number would produce the sentence awkward, then set a word or phrase before the number so that it doesnt begin the sentence. Already my words must go in a particular method to make it operate. A great paragraph is a string of clear, linked statements. Business letters ought to be informative and brief. It would be helpful to use transition words so that you might have a logically arranged essay. Explore every essential point in a distinct paragraph that you should get started with an exceptional opening sentence that creative it. To be a very good ghostwriter you dont necessarily need to get a related level. Make certain your targets are attainable. Always work in your own abilities, otherwise you will end up disheartened. You should mention all great opportunities you have gotten. Writing Rules at a Glance Verbs are definitely the most complicated portion of speech since they can on occasion become nouns, based on their usage. Foreign words and phrases arent apropos. Grammar has ever been one of my favourite things to learn about and chat about in school. Correct grammar is a means to help us understand what the writer is attempting to get across, but by now the majority of us have the capability to comprehend what someone is attempting to say despite a misused comma here and there. Youll also gain a better comprehension of plagiarism. Sentences will appear logical and sequential. For lots of people, its acceptable to compose sentences starting w ith coordinating conjunctions. A sentence has coherence as soon as the sections of the sentence have an apparent and logical relationship with one another.

The True Meaning of When Writing a Resume Do You Capitalize Job Titles

The True Meaning of When Writing a Resume Do You Capitalize Job Titles Its lowercase once you write, I hope you get a joyful birthday While its going to be a bit additional work, be certain to make a new headline for each work application. The Honest to Goodness Truth on when Writing a Resume Do You Capitalize Job Titles Depending upon where youre in your career, you can know just which job titles you meet the requirements for so it will be simple enough to use job search engines including Indeed.com. Make certain that you get the information youre looking for. Furthermore, job titles can be useful tools you may use to look for jobs in your industry. For example, if youre employing a work title as an immediate address, it ought to be capitalized. The rules for the capitalization of job titles are based on the order of the words, the usage of the words, and whether the work title is used as a member of their name. When you peruse a work board, you will observe that all job titles are capitalized. When you respond to a certain job posting, follow titles precedent fixed by the company once it concerns the capitalization of job titles. Capitalizing job titles can be difficult since they arent always capitalized, but it feels like plenty of individuals wish to understand their title capitalized whether it should be or not. Please dont hesitate to call me at 555-555-5555 in case you have any questions or need extra info. The matter with changing your work title is it wont match your employment history. Resume headlines are perfect for candidates with lots of experience. Phrases like hard worker and decent communication skills are typical on resumes, and dont offer much info on what makes you unique. Writing a perfect resume isnt a simple job, but its the surest approach to acquire an interview. Details matter, and what exactly you say about your work history should match what your prior employers say. The following is an instance of how I advi se you to do it, no matter the rules. For instance, the CEO or the President is a suitable noun. Even when youre speaking about the nation in which you live, which is a particular nation, the word itself could indicate numerous nations. Make certain the names and titles of the people that you mention are correct. A resume headline (also called a resume title) is a succinct phrase that highlights your value for a candidate. There are 12 references cited in this informative article, which can be seen at the base of letter page. When it regards occupation titles, whether you capitalize comes back to context. If a work title appears as part of a sentence or paragraph of your resume, for example, in the summary or in work description, dont use uppercase.

Four Great Creativity (and Life) Lessons from Vincent Van Gogh

Four Great Creativity (and Life) Lessons from Vincent Van Gogh Four Great Creativity (and Life) Lessons from Vincent Van Gogh By day I run my resume business but in my spare time, Im working on developing a second career as an artist. Its notlage easy as any artist knows, but whenever I feel daunted, I think of my favourite artist of them all, Vincent Van Gogh. Many people dont realize that Van Gogh welchesnt born brilliant. He worked very hard for many years before he started to paint masterpieces, and during that time, he was fueled by sheer determination and bloody-mindedness.I was intrigued to read this Think Collective post about what can be learned from Van Goghs life and work. Its worth a read because there are some solid takeaways for anyone who has ever said Im just not talented enough or I simply dont have what it takes.And it got me thinking about the things Ive learned from Van Gogh. Here are my four favourite life/work lessons from my favourite painter.1.Just do it Did y ou know Van Gogh was considered a mediocre artist when he started out. But that he taught himself to paint by just doing it day after day after day. He once said if you hear a voice within you say you cannot paint, then by all means paint and that voice will be silenced. 2. Dont be afraid of failure Ive been taking art classes recently and its amazing how many students ask the teacher whether its OK to try something. (Can I put some orange here? Can I paint with a bigger brush? Can I use acrylics on top of pastel?) His answer is always the saatkorn try it and see what happens. At first I thought he wasnt much of a teacher after all, anyone can say that But as each person blossomed and produced work far beyond what they started with, I realized he was right. The greatest block to creativity is fear of getting something wrong.Van Gogh knew there was no such thing as wrong, no such thing as a mistake there were just opportunities to try it and see what happened. 3.Work at it Van Gog h never stopped working. Once he had decided to be an artist, he took himself from mediocre student to master by sheer dint of effort. He just kept working and working and working until he got to what he wanted. In the end, he produced an average of 4 works of art a week for a decade a prodigious effort.I have a friend who is a full-time teacher and a writer. He gets up at 5am every morning even on weekends to make sure he has time to write every day. I also know a local artist who runs a busy farm by day and then spends several hours every evening in his senderaum painting. Despite a terminal illness, he rarely misses an evening.But I often meet people who tell me what they want to become once they get free of their current day job. A recent client wanted to become an interior designer, but felt trapped because of her lack of experience. It hadnt occurred to her to work weekends and evenings on designs for friends and family as a way of building a portfolio. She was simply waiti ng for someone to give her a chance.By the way, if youre lucky enough to work at your creative profession as your day job, you can still learn from Van Gogh. He used every single day to improve his craft, never letting up, never cutting himself slack. 4.Dont wait for inspiration Van Gogh didnt wait for inspiration to strike. He sat himself down every day and made himself work sketches, drawings, paintings he never stopped, saying I am always doing what I cannot do yet in order to learn how to do it. If you work in a creative profession, you know those days where nothing seems to flow. Lately Ive hit a roadblock with my painting. In the past, Ive let those roadblocks derail me and wound up not producing anything, sometimes for months, once even for years. Now Im making myself keep working even if the work Im producing isnt particularly inspired. Ive started keeping a sketchbook and its here that I try out ideas without the pressure of getting anything right. I have been drawing and painting anything a wheelbarrow in the garden, the dashboard of my car, a cup of tea, some sheep in a field near my house anything just to keep myself working until inspiration strikes again. Which it always does.In the end, its about making things happen We might not all have the talent to be Van Gogh, but how do we know if we dont put in the amount of work and study and sheer determination that he did?

12 female best friends who started their own companies

12 female best friends who started their own companies12 female best friends who started their own companiesWhile celebrating female leaders is welcomed year-round, during the month of March, the nation celebrates the hard work and dedication of women in the workforce, both past and present. Considering there are mora than nine mio women-owned businesses in the United States today, this sector of entrepreneurialism is not only growing - its trail-blazing toward that glass ceiling. In fact, the most recent data estimates the number of lady-run businesses is growing 2.5 times faster than the national average.With no end in sight, you might consider testing out yur own entrepreneurial legs by diving into that idea you and your best friend have been talking about for ages. Before you secure the dot.com, print business cards and pour your energy into a budding business, take a page from these female best friends who have already navigated the hurdles. elend only have they managed to buil d successful companies, but theyve deepened their friendships and discovered how to support one another through all of lifes ebbs and flows, professionally and personally.Let their stories of sisterhood and triumph inspire you - and your bestie - todayFocus on each others strengths.Founders Kelsey Gilbert-Kreling, 30 and Mallory Ulaszek, 33Company Presence Agency, a firm helping their clients connect online and in person, through production, programming and web design. They have a special focus on non-profits, hospitality companies, small businesses and creative independents. This year, they worked with a longtime client, Pilot Light Chefs, to increase their fundraising at their annual gala by 51%.What its like working with your BFF While it requires being emotionally honest in a way that many other jobs wouldnt require, four years in our psychic hotline is up and working beautifully, Gilbert-Kreling says. We have both found the things we like, the things were successful at and th e ways we can help each other. It might not work for every platzdeckchen of friends, but sharing successes feels more fun and dividing stresses makes entrepreneurship more manageable.Always have one anothers backs.Founders Britni deLeon, 32 and Kasia Bednarz, 31Company FARE, a quick-service restaurant that offers a menu with simple, flavorful, filling dishes featuring thoughtful and transparent ingredients. They recently signed their lease and opened doors this year.What its like working with your BFF You always have each others back, first and foremost. It will be harder than you ever imagined. Make sure to rely on each others strengths, over-communicate and remember how lucky you are to be in this with your best friend. You got this, deLeon shares.Respect both your company and your friendship.Founders Meghan Patke, 34 and Lisa Strangis, 31Company Modern Currency PR, a communications house that curates bespoke public relationships and marketing hospitality campaigns for culinary, l uxury travel and lifestyle brands. Since their inception, theyve attracted award-winning Michelin-starred chefs and unique luxury travel resorts, like Kokomo Private Island Fiji, among others. Recently, they managed the launch of dineL.A. for the Los Angeles tourism board and exceed their client expectations by providing more than 85 million media impressions and a total ad value around $965K.What its like working with your BFF You need to balance your friendship with a new working relationship, and respect both sides of the coin so that neither relationship suffers in the long-run. Its an exhilarating and proud feeling to own a business with your best friend, and theres a great sense of unity and sisterhood in conquering any obstacles together, Patke shares. Think long and hard about the long game, and make sure youre both equally committed to one anothers growth, success, fulfillment, and happiness, alongside that of your business. Its like any other relationship, it needs transpa rency, honesty, strong communication, and a shared vision.Respect one another - but have fun, tooFounders Joy Fennell, 42 and Valerie Wray, 43Company The 125 Collection, a New York City-based candle brand that sells fun and fashion-forward soy-based products. Thanks for a bustling wholesale business, their trendy candles - featuring inspiring quotes - continue to reach more corners of the country.What its like working with your BFF Seeing how each others professional strengths are contributing to the business is amazing. Not only do we get to work together, but then we can go and hang out afterward. We do disagree on some things, but its important to respect each other, learn from each other, work your asses off and have fun while doing it.Maintain your friendship.Founders Lara Crystal, 36 and Lindsay Andrews, 37Company Minibar Delivery, a leading U.S. marketplace that provides on-demand delivery in more than 40 U.S. cities. In addition to shipping wine from vineyards across the nation, theyre also proud that more than 50% of their staff are females.What its like working with your BFF Its amazing to come into work every day with someone you can trust completely. That being said, if youre friends, and you want to stay friends, so make sure to spend time together as friends outside of the office.You have to be able to talk about the good, the badeanstalt and the ugly.Founders Janie Schwartz, 36 and Dina Litt, 41Company Local Mercato, a company that provides curated marketplaces showcasing talented artisans in fashion, accessories, food and home accents. They donate a portion of sales from each event to support an important local cause and have grown their database from zero to more than 4,000 targeted women.What its like working with your BFF Its a ton of fun, collaborative and exciting. You get to experience a lot of firsts together and truly share in the vision and mission of the business, deLeon shares. But, you have to be able to talk about the good, the bad and the ugly. As freunds, you will celebrate successes but even more importantly you will have to navigate failure. You will have to learn from your mistakes as partners. Its important to be able to talk about all aspects of your business, as well as your friendship, because thats what came first.Co-founding a company is like a marriage.Founders Evelyn, 33 and Angela, 34Company Yumi, a plant-based company that sells fresh, nutrient-dense foods for newborns and babies. This quarter, theyre on track to double their subscribers since last quarter.What its like working with your BFF Being a founder can be a lonely experience, with an inordinate amount of pressure, so I feel so lucky to have a real partner in the trenches. She jokes that she married me first and shes so right. I talk to her more than anyone else I know - even more than Daniel, Evelyn shares. Co-founding a company with someone is a huge decision. There has to be tremendous trust and mutual respect. And before you mak e the leap, you have to make sure youre aligned on the important stuff - like ethics and values.You will get militrischer abschirmdienst at one another, but thats okay.Founders Emily Taffel, 37 and Sarah Caro, 33Company Mugsy PR, an agency helping clients to build their brands, get noticed and showcased their personality through unique event marketing, digital campaigns, and strong media outreach. Since they were founded in 2013, theyve been able to retain the customers theyve had since year one proving their strategies work.What its like working with your BFF We balance one anothers weaknesses and we boost each others strengths. Since we are also friends we are able to know how to cheer one another up, how to handle each other in stressful situations, we know when a bad day calls for coffee and when it calls for tequila, Taffel says. You will get mad at one another. You will have days where you just dont want to hang out, and days when she is the only person in the world you dont want to scream at. You need to maintain a social life with other people so that you have your own separate lives, and you need to maintain a level of respect in the office, and outside the office in your friendship, to really make it work.Be one anothers confidant.Founders Chelsea Starr Alexander, 30 and Fallyn Smith, 34Company SMITH STARR, a direct-to-consumer lifestyle brand focused on creating products that are fashionable, functional and sustainable. Two years in, theyre proud to have a strong return customer rate and high email engagement. It helps they have rave customer reviews on Amazon, too.What its like working with your BFF Entrepreneurship can certainly be a rollercoaster ride, so its incredibly powerful to have someone you trust, believe in and can rally with by your side. Weve developed an even deeper friendship through the business because weve learned how to tackle new challenges together, Alexander shares. Dont let the day-to-day to-dos of the business cramp your communication and passion for the project. Try and schedule check-ins that are focused on the softer stuff and ask the tough questions. Your co-founder is your confidant and partner in crime, so maintaining open and honest communication is crucial. Also, dont forget to celebrate wins and reflect back on your accomplishmentsTrust is the most important.Founders Stephanie Cartin, 33 and Courtney Spritzer, 30Company Socialfly, a full-service social media agency specializing in influencer marketing, paid media and creative services. Theyve achieved double-digit grow since they were founded in 2012, helping their time to quadruple in size.What its like working with your BFF It takes a unique type of friendship and blend of personalities and business skill sets to make it work. We mesh in a way that allowed us to set healthy boundaries and expectations, and our ability to communicate and disagree in a healthy way has been key to our growth, Cartin says. Our ability to trust one another has been one of the keys to not just the success of our agency, but to our business and personal relationships as well.You must be certain you can rely on them, always. You will go through ups and downs, but confidence in the person you are weathering these storms with is everything.Make sure you really, really know one another.Founders Joanie Demer, 35 and Heather Wheeler, 35Company Krazy Coupon Lady, a U.S. media company whose aim is to make it easier to shop smarter, saving customers time and money. They aggregate coupons and pair them with great sales. Along with a team of 40, they brought in nine million in revenue last year.What its like working with your BFF Its literally the best. Theres a benefit to sharing a work style, a mentality and a goal set with your partner. For us, that has come naturally because weve known each other since college, and in many ways we grew up together, Demer says. If you havent been close for a long time, if you havent lived together nor have travele d together, you havent likely seen how you work together under stress. In our partnership, we each have different strengths. The degree to which we each contribute to the companys success ebbs and flows. When one partner is killing it, the other may be struggling and vice versa. The secret is trust. The other secret is finding the best best-friend, but shes taken.You must set your ego aside.Founders Chelle Neff, 40, Kim Pearson, 34, Hallie Spurlin, 37 and Nina Fitzgerald, 33Company Urban Betty, one of the largest independent hair salons in Austin, Texas, staff more than 40 women and have been featured seven times as one of the top 200 salons in the country. When they started, they grossed $170K in their first year, now theyre bringing in more than $2 million.What its like working with your BFF Its nice to have that support system in place. I have been all by myself and its a lot of pressure. Having a friend and a business partner helps to alleviate the burden of doing everything on your own, Neff says. You have to know how to compromise and make decisions together. You also have to be able to set your ego aside and do whats best for the business, even if it isnt your idea.

Former ASME President Jack Fernandes Dies

Former ASME President Jack Fernandes Dies Former ASME President Jack Fernandes Dies Former ASME President Jack Fernandes DiesJohn H. (Jack) Fernandes, Sc.D., P.E. John H. (Jack) Fernandes, Sc.D., P.E., a longtime member of ASME who served as the Societys 112th president, passed away March 9 at the Rhode Island Veterans Home in Bristol, R.I. He welches 91 years old.Dr. Fernandes, a resident of Tiverton, R.I., was employed as a mechanical engineer for 55 years until his retirement in 1999. After serving in the U.S. Army Air Corps from 1942 to 1946, he served as an associate prof of mechanical engineering at Lafayette College in Easton, Pa., from 1950 to 1960. He then joined the faculty at Manhattan College in New York as professor and head of the schools mechanical engineering department in 1960. He left teaching three years later to work for Combustion Engineering in Windsor, Conn. During his 21 years at the company, he served in a number of capacities, ultimately holding the position of senior technology consultant and director of technology transfer. He then worked for the Maguire Group in Providence, R.I., as vice president of the energy division until 1990, when he started his own consulting business.During his more than 65 years as an ASME member, Fernandes was an active and committed Society volunteer, particularly in the area of codes and standards. Fernandes, who was an ASME Fellow, served as senior vice president for the Council on Codes and Standards, vice president for the Board on Performance Test Codes, chair of the Performance Test Code Committee on Incinerators, chair of the Board on Hearings and Appeals, and a member of the Performance Test Code Committees on General Instructions and on Definitions and Values, among other codes-related positions.The president of ASME from 1993 to 1994, Fernandes served as a leader in areas outside of codes and standards as well. He was member of the Board of Governors from 1988 to 1992 and chair of the Committee on Staff from 1998 to 2003. He also served as a member of the Council on Engineering Committee on Technical Planning and the Board on Public Information, and was active in ASMEs Providence Section. He was honored by ASME for his decades of service with two prestigious Society Awards the Codes and Standards Medal (later renamed the Melvin R. Green Codes and Standards Award) in 1988 and the Dedicated Service Award in 1995. Fernandes received a bachelors degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Rhode Island in 1949, a masters degree in mechanical engineering from Lehigh University in 1953, and a Doctor of Science degree from Calvin Coolidge College in 1960.