ISHOW USA Provides Financial, Design and Business Support for ...

ISHOW USA Provides Financial, Design and Business helfende hand for ... ISHOW USA Provides Financial, Design and Business Support for ... ISHOW USA Provides Financial, Design and Business Support for Three Winning Teams July 14, 2017 Paul Scott (left), director of the ASME Innovation Showcase (ISHOW) program, kicks off the competition in Washington, D.C. Social entrepreneurs addressing eye care, cooking and food preservation in low-resurce settings were the winners among 10 teams competing as finalists at ASMEs recent Innovation Showcase (ISHOW) in Washington, D.C.The Washington competition, which took place June 21-23 at the District Architecture Center, was the third ISHOW this year, with earlier events held in Nairobi, Kenya and Bangalore, India. ISHOW is ASMEs annual showcase and competition for hardware-led social innovation. In each city, three teams were chosen as winners. Each winning team received $10,000 in cash, positiv 20 hours of design consultation from ASME ISHOW par tner, Catapult Design. The BioLite team describes their HomeStove. From left to right Noel Wilson, creative director, Catapult Josh Heitsenrether, managing director, Marketing, ASME Amish Parashar, Venture Capital Ethan Kay, managing director, Emerging Markets, BioLite Energy and Ryan Gist, director of engineering, BioLite Energy. If its only up to me, Im going to hire a sales manager in Kenya to work on scaling distribution of our home stove, said Ethan Kay, explaining how he planned to spend his teams cash prize. Kay heads the emerging markets unit of BioLite, which makes the BioLite HomeStove, a small cook stove that generates electricity to power a fan for improved combustion as well as to power consumer devices, such as cell-phone chargers. BioLite designs and markets stoves for campers and other users around the world, and also provides cooking and energy solutions in developing regions. The company has sold 20,000 HomeStoves in Kenya, Uganda and India, and Kay said that a new sales manager would work with microfinance partners to help expand sales further across East Africa.The two other ISHOW USA winners are not as far along in their business trajectory as their colleagues at BioLite. Ethan Kay of BioLite with the BioLite HomeStove, one of the three winning entries at ISHOW USA in Washington, D.C. Every bit of validation helps us move forward, said Jeremy Fryer-Biggs, part of a team developing a lightweight and efficient evaporative cooler that uses no electricity. This is your vote of confidence. We are a tiny little company. We dont have a lot of money. And every bit of validation helps us move forward from an amazing but crazy idea to something that will actually provide real-world help to people.Fryer-Biggs, CTO of Evaptainers, said the cash winnings will go immediately for tooling to facilitate manufacturing in China. Quang Truong, the companys COO, said Catapult Design would help Evaptainers greatly expand its markets. Right now, our uni t is really made for the U.S. markets, Truong said. And I think that Catapult Design will help us go a long way toward creating a unit with much lower costs. And that will ultimately help us with distribution in developing markets. The Evaptainers team answers questions about their evaporative cooler from the ISHOW judges. Left to right Spencer Taylor, chief executive officer Quang Truong, chief operations officer Jeremy Fryer-Biggs, chief technical officer. For the third winning team, receiving a top prize was a long time coming. Weve been doing this for six years, and weve done a lot of competitions, said Shivang Dave, CEO and co-founder of PlenOptika, maker of QuickSee, a portable device that can provide eye glass prescriptions in low-resource settings. And I think this is the first time weve won one of the top prizes. Were always second, third, or fourth.... So its like wow, weve finally done enough work to get over that hump. So were really excited.PlenOptika is just now fi nishing its first mass manufacturing run. The money will be very valuable for us, Dave said. We are finishing our manufacturing soon, and were trying to fundraise and write grants to do our safety testing, and this money will go directly toward that. So we can then register with the FDA, and then move toward commercial sales. Shivang R. Dave, CEO, PlenOptika, shows how the QuickSee displays prescriptions for eyeglasses.The teams in Washington spoke of the value of a competition focusing on hardware, with judges who recognize the challenge of designing, manufacturing and testing a hardware product. Competitors also said they valued the insights of experts who held four formal sessions with each team, on customer and user knowledge, hardware validation and development, manufacturing optimization, and implementation strategy.What I find powerful about ISHOW is that everyone wins, said Ethan Kay of BioLite. Either we win the prize, or we have an incredible day together with a bunch of industry leaders and thought partners who in the half hour sessions can make our business and products better. To me that has been extremely valuable and really unique about ISHOW.To learn more about the ISHOW program, visit https//thisishardware.org. - Roger Torda, Public Information

30 Payroll Interview Questions

30 Payroll Interview Questions30 Payroll Interview QuestionsNow is a great time to be a payroll specialist. Many growing companies need payroll clerks, managers and mora operational employees to support their expansion. If youre a job candidate, you may be wondering about the payroll bewerbungsinterview questions that may be asked of you.First of all, to land a new job in this field, your cover letter and resume must combine for an eye-catching one-two punch. Passing that touchstone, you need sharp interview skills to impress hiring managers. The somewhat unpredictable nature of the latter is where many applicants trip up.To land that coveted payroll position, you need to do your homework. The following are some practical ways to prepare for all the possible payroll interview questions.Do lots of legworkAccording to an Accountemps survey of CFOs, the top mistake people make during the interview phase is not knowing enough about the company theyre seeking to join. So be koranvers to c lick through the organizations website and conduct some company research. Pay special attention to pages on recent berichterstattung, staff biographies, the companys history, and its products or services.Dig into the job descriptionDoes the posting seem to emphasize teamwork and customer service? Then part of your preparation should be coming up with anecdotes about how you tend to apply these career skills. On the other hand, if the description focuses on technical aspects of the job, such as garnishments and tax legislation, brush up on those types of details. And it never hurts to prepare to talk about both hard and soft skills.Read more about payroll job descriptions and see what jobs are out there.SEARCH PAYROLL POSITIONSPractice, practice, practiceYoure in the hot seat during job interviews. To avoid being tongue-tied on the big day, rehearse your delivery of answers to all the payroll interview questions you can think of. Here are some you may encounterInformational questions . Managers often start interviews with these queries as a way to get to know you and gauge your interest in the position.What can you tell me about yourself?Why did you choose payroll as a career?What interests you about this position?Why do you want to work for this company?Functional questions. After finding out who you are, the next set of interview questions may deal with your knowledge base.Which payroll systems have you worked with?What are some differences between an employee and contractor?Can you describe Fair Labor Standards?What is FICA, and how is it calculated?What are some examples of voluntary deductions?What are some examples of involuntary deductions?What benefits are taxable?What Excel skills do you use as part of your payroll duties?Behavioral questions. How youve handled work issues is a good indicator of future performance, so interviewers will want to know more about situations in your past jobs using behavioral questions.Have you ever had to deliver bad news t o someone? How did you approach it?When have you make a mistake on the job, and how did you resolve it?How do you manage your time so that you meet payroll-related deadlines?Can you describe a time when your ethics felt challenged?How do you stay current on regulatory and compliance changes?Situational questions. These are similar to behavioral questions, but with a hypothetical component.An employee is angry because payroll made a withholding error. What are your next steps? An employee asks for reimbursement for a questionable business expense. How do you handle it?What would you do if you discovered a mistake on a coworkers year-end report? Due to something that is not your fault, payroll will be late this pay period. How do you deliver this news company-wide?Questions about workplace fit. To avoid a bad hire, organizations want to make sure new employees will get along well in their corporate culture.How would your colleagues describe you?Do you prefer to work alone or as part o f a team?What is your pet peeve at work?What do you do to beat stress in the payroll department?How do you prefer to communicate with colleagues? With management?Curveball questions. Some hiring managers like to see how you think on your feet, which is the rationale behind questions that have nothing to do with the job itself.Which Hogwarts house would the Sorting Hat place you in?How many Peeps are made each year?If you could be any animal for a day, what would you choose and why?Theres no good way to prepare for wacky questions, and thats OK. Just relax and give a creative answer. A sense of humor can definitely help. The worst response is to go silent or get flustered.Compensation-related questions. To gauge whether the company can afford to hire you, some managers will flat-out askHow much do you hope to make in this position?Dont get caught off-guard if this happens, even in the first interview. Use a resource like the latestRobert Half Salary Guide for Accounting and Finance t o findstarting salary ranges for more than 190 positions with your experience level. Tags

7 stats about Christmas spending that will knock your stockings off

7 stats about Christmas spending that will knock your stockings off7 stats about Christmas spending that will knock your stockings offTis the season for Christmas stockings, trees, lights, cookies, presents and more. And by more we mean a whole lot of money. Of course the holiday season is all about spending time with loved ones, but we cant deny that its also a season for spending.According toShopify, December is projected to exceed $65 billion in holiday shopping sales. And thats just for the presents. Beyond buying special gifts for loved ones, there are other costs that can add up during the Christmas season. Here are seven Christmas spending stats to keep in mind this month.1. $861According to research fromadvertising technology company OpenX,millennials expect to spend an average of $861this holiday season. According to the same study, 41 percent of millennials say theyll spend more than last year, too. If you think that sounds like a lot, think again. OpenX found that the aver age consumer expects to spend $819 this holiday season.Ways To SaveUse apps likeSantas Bagto track all of your holiday spending. You can set a budget for yourself and with an overall number in mind, youll be more likely to stick to it. Other apps likeIbottaandParibuscan help you get cash back on things you buy or items that drop in price after youve purchased them.Pro Tip 1Save even more bysigning up for the right credit cardbefore making all of your holiday purchases. According to Matt Schulz,chief industry analyst atCompareCards by LendingTree, the Amazon Rewards Credit Card is one of the best for this season. Schulz told Swirled that when yousign up for the Amazon Prime Rewards Visa Signature Credit Card, youll instantly get a $70 credit to your Amazon account. Thats extra money that you can use toward gifts this year.Pro Tip 2Dont fall into the trap of paying someone to gift wrap. Mark Hamrick, Washington bureau chief and senior economic analyst atBankrate, told Swirled that pay ing for wrapping can really escalate the amount of money you spend. It could be an additional $10 per gift you werent budgeting for. Stick to the old-fashioned hand-wrapped gifts, or opt for gift bags that you recycle from last year.2. $81If you bought your Christmas tree around Cyber Monday, you might have overpaid for your tree. According to the National Christmas Tree Association (NCTA), Christmas tree prices reach an all-season high around Cyber Monday,costing Americans an average of $81.Ways To SaveAccording to NCTA, waiting to buy your tree until the week before Christmas could save you an average of 22 percent. If you really want to save, buy your tree on Christmas Eve - NCTA says thats when tree prices drop to an all-season low and you could end up paying an average of just $47 instead.3. $152If youre hosting Christmas dinner this year, start budgeting for that meal. According to a survey from GoBankingRates, Americans plan to spend anaverage of $152 on Christmas dinner.Way s To SaveBefore heading to the grocery store,download apps to help you save. Make sure you have your list ready, too. Straying from it could cost you. Of course, one of the best ways to save is to ask others to contribute to the feast. Aunt Millie can surely do the potatoes, while cousin Jack can bring green beans.4. $393Is it really Christmas without the decorations? We think not. According to HomeAdvisor, the average person pays$393 to have their Christmas lights installed professionally. Even if youre not hiring a pro, HomeAdvisor says strands of lights could cost anywhere from $80 to $300 depending on the size of your home.Ways to SaveMake due with what you have this year and then stock up on discounted lights after the holidays. Buying strands of lights after Christmas could save you a pretty penny. Then, DIY your decor next year. Lowes has a greathow-to video on YouTubeto help you hang those lights like a pro.5. $28Even with all the technology we use on a daily basis, so many people leise spend money on old-fashioned Christmas cards. If youre planning to send your holiday cheer by mail this year, it could cost you at least $28. For this example, we looked at the price of a package of 36 Christmas cards on Amazon, $9.99, and the cost of stamps, 50 cents at the post office. If you were to write and mail out these 36 Christmas cards, each with a 50-cent stamp, it would add up to about $28.Ways To SaveIf you justhaveto mail old-fashioned Christmas cards, buy them in bulk to save on the price per card. Then, buy your stamps on Stamps.com. While stamps cost 50 cents a piece at the post office, theyre just 47 cents each on Stamps.com - thats a 6 percent savings, and you can print your stamps right from your home.6. 53%If youre someone who leaves your holiday shopping to the last minute, youre not alone. According to a report from the National Retail Federation,53 percentof people plan to finish their holiday shopping on the Saturday before Christmas, which is known as Super Saturday. If youre someone who is already finished, then congratsCan you help the rest of us out?Ways To SaveIf youre looking to save and get your shopping done early, hit up the other annual sales that take place year-round. Presidents Day Weekend, Memorial Day Weekend, Amazon Prime Day, Labor Day Weekend - mark your calendar for them all right nowPro Tip 3You can heighten the value youre giving not in the monetary sense, but in the sentimental sense, by just investing a little more time on what it is that youre providing as a gift, Hamrick said. He also reminded us thatthat the most important thing is thoughtfulness.If youre a procrastinator, dont feel pressured into just buying anything for your loved ones. You could end up spending more than you originally planned. Consider a thoughtful gift like offering to help with a big home project, a coupon for a girls night or simply a memorable photo in a frame.7. $1,515Between your Christmas tree, lights on your home, Ch ristmas cards, presents and dinner on December 25, you could end up spending $1,515, based on all the numbers in this article. Thats a pretty penny for one month of holiday cheer, but we totally get it. If youre planning to really embrace the spirit of the holidaythis Christmas, then start budgeting STAT.Ways To SaveSince Christmas will be here before you know it, start doing a little inventory of your budget. How much have you already spent on a Christmas tree, lights, cards and presents? Now think about how much more you want to spend, as well as what you can afford. Putting a cap on your spending now can help you finish out the last bit of shopping in a wallet-friendly way.Pro Tip 4Dont stress about making all of your holiday purchases with your credit cards. Just use the right card. Schulz said to consider what youre looking for and what you want to get out of that card.If youre someone who wants to use your holiday spending to get yourself a bunch of miles to finance your summe r vacation, then you should pick one kind of card, Schulz said. Or if youre somebody whos just looking to get a little cash back to help extend your budget, then you should get a different type of card.Whatever you do, dont feel pressured into spending money just because its Christmas time.By shopping smart during the holiday season, as well as year-round, youll enjoy celebrating with friends and loved ones even more.This article was originally posted on Swirled.

5 Criteria for Hiring a Great Manager

5 Criteria for Hiring a Great Manager5 Criteria for Hiring a Great Manager It speaks well of a professional culture when staff at various levels interview incoming leaders. It suggests a spirit of collaboration among the ranks. Don Raskin, Senior Partner at MME , advertising and marketing agency, and author of The Dirty Little Secrets of Getting Your Dream Job points out, If an employee is given a choice to be a part of the interview team for their next manager, the employee should always say yes. . . it will allow them to have a say in whom they will be working for, but most importantly, whom they will be learning from once the manager is hired. Serving in this capacity can feel both exciting and worrisome its a big responsibility. Heres how to own it. Its hard to find what youre seeking if you dont know what that looks like crystallize it for yourself. Review the position description, and think about what you need in a manager. Consider past managers youve report ed to What qualities stand out? What priorities does a great manager champion? How do stellar leaders communicate? If youve had the misfortune of working for poor leaders, what made them difficult? For Raskin, great managers have five core qualities. He advises Find a candidate who possesses all five, and you have found your next hire. Raskin outlines his criteria that make a great manager Synthesize your own criteria for what constitutes an outstanding manager, and use that to guide your search. It takes effort to prepare strategic interview questions . Give yourself time to think about the smaller picture of your teams daily operations and the bigger picture of what your organization does. Raskin points out An interviewer prepares strategic questions by looking at the company mission and asking questions about how the manager envisions achieving the mission. Next, consider what questions would tease out relevant details. Raskin explains how to formulate strategic questions A go od interview question allows for the respondent to answer the question in a way that shows how they will think and act. It also allows for the respondent to answer and present their thinking in a logical and sequential way.Raskin offers these sample questions. Notice how they directly hinge on his management criteria Empowers How do decisions get made between you and your employees? You want to hear that the manager says he trusts his employees to make their own decisions, but if they are unsure they can come to him/her and they can make a decision together.Has your back How would you handle a situation where an employee comes to you and tells you they made a mistake? You want to hear the manager say that you will work through the mistake together until the mistake is fixed. Mentors Can you describe your management style? You want to hear that the manager is always there for you so you can get a point of view based on their experience.Formulate questions that unearth the qua lities youre seeking. If youre new to the role of interviewer, consider running them by your HR colleagues for an extra vote of confidence.Non-verbals can relay important information that can inform your wohl instincts, so take notlagee. Pay attention to how you feel in each candidates company Is s/he comfortable surrendering the floor? Does s/he seem to need to dominate the conversation? Does s/he listen or interrupt? Observe and note communication styles, keeping in mind that the interview situation is a high-pressure case study for interviewees. Raskin points out other key non-verbals A firm handshake tells you everything you need to know at the start of the interview. It demonstrates confidence, leadership and passion. . . . Eye contact is critical during the interview. Strong eye contact allows the candidate to quickly bond with the interviewer and build a relationship. Your gut feeling is important, but make sure to fortify it with data and evidence from the interview.Job inte rviews are a two-way conversation. Strategic interviewees foster good conversations about the open position. One way they do so is by posing strategic questions. Prepare to field questions about your tenure, team and institution. Prompting conversation by asking key questions is not just a positive quality in an interviewee, its a positive quality in a manager. Earning the nod to serve on an interview team gives you voice in an important decision, and it bolsters your professional skillset. Recognize the compliment, and embrace the opportunity.

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting a Job

How to Improve Your Chances of Getting a JobHow to Improve Your Chances of Getting a JobWith the tables turned in favor of hiring companies, job seekers have to put forth quite a bit mora effort to even compete. Before the recession there were several jobs open to each candidate, usually resulting in multiple offers. Now, positions usually have dozens of qualified people competing and hundreds more applying. So, how can you improve your chances of getting a job? Consider the following five tips to improve your chances.Dont Slack You can wake up with the best of intentions every morning, but that isnt going to get you a job finding a job takes time and investing in it wisely. If you find a job you are interested in today, apply today and do so with a well-written resume, an individually written titel letter, and ensure you are well informed with information about the job and the company.Consult an Expert Finding a job is hard work, but with the help of experts you can be polished and ready for every challenge. Businesses such as Resume Deli and Reputation.com offer a range of services for writing resumes and cover letters, career counseling, mock interviews, and assistance with online profiles and reputations.Individualize Every Cover Letter While many people consider cover letters to be things of the past, they very much are NOT Employers still look through the applications to find those amazing cover letters that were written on a very individualized level. Additionally, Applicant Tracking Systems will scan cover letters for keywords. Writing a personalized cover letter could improve your chances of making it through the system.Be Professional Yet Personable Even when submitting applications, look the part. Dont go out networking or passing out resumes in your jeans and T-shirt just because you can. When you look professional, you feel professional, and others will sense that in your demeanor. However, do not be overly stiff. You want to be personable and show them your personality will work within the company. It is all about balance to improve your chances of getting a job.Keep a Clean Profile With social media, that is. Many employers are now looking to social media to make decisions on potential candidates. You may be highly qualified and educated, but if your social media profiles are littered with pictures of your crazy weekend escapades they may not see you as a fit for the company or someone they can rely on.For more career advice and information, check out where there are over 16,000 flexible jobs listed with over 3,000 companies and new jobs and employers being added every dayWhat actions have you taken to improve your chances of getting a job? Share your tips with others in the comment section below

What You Should Do to Find Out About What Is a Cv Document Before Youre Left Behind

What You Should Do to Find Out About What Is a Cv Document Before Youre Left Behind If it comes to CVs, some employers are extremely specific about what they would like you to include and the way the info ought to be laid out. Employers utilize the CV to ascertain if they wish to interview you, therefore its important to get it right. For instance, an Indian employer might ask you for a CV or a resume. Your objective is to allow it to be simple for them to place your CV in the in pile in place of throw it out. So, you can want to look at maintaining an individual CV which you use specifically for submitting with applications. Frequently, the application instructions for a specific position will state if a CV or resume is requested. As you take a look at the many CV styles and formats that may now be researched online, its also advisable to take into consideration how you wish the employer to perceive you along with providing all the essential CV details. Numerous documents a re available here in order to direct you through the recruitment procedure. My documents look far better. You may also have to include specific info. There are lots of free programs accessible to convert the several Word format files to PDF. The Debate Over What Is a Cv Document In america and Canada, theres a huge difference between a CV and a resume. CV is so much purposeful as you will need it each time you seek for employment or maybe to change work. Needless to say, a CV is for anyone seeking to apply for employment or admission to a specific position. Creating a winning skilled CV has to be written in a fantastic means to get ready for employment. Feb 06, 2012 by Caroline Eisner Now that youve thought about the many facets of your academic career, you can start to make your CV, which is going to be the very first impression you make on a reviewer. In a few nations, a CV is typically the very first item a prospective employer encounters about the job seeker and is typi cally utilised to screen applicants, often followed by means of an interview. So, when you submit an application for work in Greece, the united kingdom, or Denmark, your possible employer will ask you for a CV. Details of What Is a Cv Document Double-click the template that you want to work from. For instance, a template can explain to you how to lay out your CV. It should be simple yet effective instead of complex and crowdie style. This overall CV template may be used for applying to all sorts of jobs. On the web site you will locate samples in plus-rechnen to CV templates and models that may be downloaded at no cost. Before you save your resume, you can want to make a new file folder so all of your job application materials are in 1 place. Zetys downloadable CV templates let you to save time and energy. The sites below demonstrate how to format your CV. When applying for certain positions in the united states, along with jobs internationally, you could possibly be aske d to submit a curriculum vitae in place of a resume. CVs need a lot of tweaking to get just perfect. A dentist job curriculum vitae can be employed by a dental surgeon or some other specialists and practitioners in the discipline of dentistry. Utilize your CV to keep an eye on your accomplishments and publications so that its always up-to-date. What Is a Cv Document Options Its as simple as filling out a form Your own personal USP could be one of quite a few things. Aside from beginning with your contact info, theres no typical format for a CV. Ideas, Formulas and Shortcuts for What Is a Cv Document Past the normal fare is an array of sections that may be included, based on what kind of employer youre applying to. In many instances, the employer will inform you how they wish to get your resume so make koranvers to follow the directions and provide what is requested. A distinctive and interesting to read university supporting statement will show youre an educated and extre mely motivated individual. The template have to have every one of the options which you would possibly wish to write down, everything that you must mention about yourself and every the business along with the employer is searching in an ideal candidate. Despite the rise of social media and other non-conventional techniques, CVs continue to be an essential part of the hiring process, and of course a fantastic way to sell yourself to a function. Your CV should show recruiters and prospective employers that youve got the perfect mixture of qualifications, skills, experience and knowledge to work as nurse and offer a high degree of care to patients. In different parts of the Earth, the expression CV keeps its American meaning. Functional CV, much less popular, might be used when placing emphasis on your particular skills pertaining to a specific industry.

Promote Internally or Hire Externally - Spark Hire

Promote Internally or Hire Externally - Spark HireHiring someone can be a tough decision for human resources professionals and hiring managers, but the trickiest decision in the hiring process may come even before the interviews are set. Deciding whether to hire internally, or conduct a search outside the office, can have a big impact on your office politics.How do you decide whether to promote internally or conduct an outside hiring search? First, identify the specific position. Are you creating a new position, or is the hiring to fill a void left by someone leaving? It may be easier to hire from within for a new position, than when someone leaves. When a position opens because someone leaves, there is often a pre-defined list of qualifications you are looking for in the replacement. Unless someone was already being groomed as a replacement from within, hiring externally is probably the best way to go because it provides a bigger pool of candidates to choose from and improvesyour ch ances at finding the mostqualifiedindividual.Hiring a new employee from within may change pre-existing office politics, especially in a small office. The hiring process causes increased competition amongst workers, leading to potentially strained relationships and sour office politics if someone feels shafted by the company. Hiring externally may totenstill leave some sour tastes, but it is unlikely to cause friction amongst people who previously got along well.This isnt to say there arent advantages to hiring from within, even in regards to office politics. If a clear front runner emerges, or theres an obvious choice for a successor, the company culture may benefit from hiring within the company. An internal hire, who is already comfortable with the rest of the company employees, may command respect from fellow employees quicker than an outside hire. He/she can more easily navigate office politics, knowing who gets along and works well with each other from the get go.When hiring a new employee, making the decision whether to promote someone from within or hire an outside candidate can make or break the overall hire. Its the first, very necessary, step in the hiring process and one that will impact your office politics. Be sure to strongly consider all the options before making a decision either way.Have you ever had to consider office politics before choosing how you fill a position? Share the experience in the commentsIMAGE Courtesy of Flickr bypasukaru76