Genre Kryptonite International Thrillers and Serial Killer Novels

Genre Kryptonite International Thrillers and Serial Killer Novels This is a guest post by Roxane Gay. Roxane Gay’s writing has appeared in Best American Short Stories 2012, Best Sex Writing 2012, Oxford American, American Short Fiction, West Branch, Virginia Quarterly Review,  NOON, The New York Times Book Review, Bookforum, Time, The Los Angeles Times, The Nation, The Rumpus, Salon, The Wall Street Journal’s Speakeasy culture blog, and many others. She is the co-editor of PANK and essays editor for The Rumpus. She teaches writing at Eastern Illinois University. Her novel, An Untamed State, is just released by Grove Atlantic and her essay collection, Bad Feminist, will be published by Harper Perennial, both in 2014. She is at work on both fiction and nonfiction projects. _________________________ I often turn to darkness, depravity, and intrigue when I want to relax. My copies of the books that offer these elements are softenedâ€"yellowed and worn. The spines are cracked to slender white slivers between which, remarkably, you can still discern the books’ titles. I have no idea when I first started reading these books, but I was far too young. As with many voracious readers, my parents did not monitor my reading because I was reading and that was all that mattered. Requiem for a Glass Heart by David Lindsey If I have to pick one favorite, it would be this novel. Lindsey is just really good. I’m also a fan of Mercy, which is also dark but not about spies. Irina Ismaylova is an assassin who is beautiful and uses her sexual wiles to ensnare her prey. She is a very cunning killer but she has been forced into this life because something precious to her is in danger.   Meanwhile, FBI agent Cate Cuevas is in mourning but she has to work through her grief and join forces with Irina. There is lots of international travel, decadence, and debauchery, all in the pursuit of justice and redemption. Executive Power by Vince Flynn In so many of these books that are part of a series, there is a spectacular hero who is dark and mysterious but ultimately honorable. In Vince Flynn books, that hero is Mitch Rapp, the CIA agent to end all CIA agents. He has the ear of the CIA director, Irene Kennedy and will protect America’s interests at all costs, even if he has to uncover betrayal from within his own country. Like all the Mitch Rapp books, Executive Power is brawny and aggressive with lots of loving prose given over to action and weaponry and Very Serious International Intrigue. There are also a great many explosions. Mind Prey by John Sanford The dark hero in John Sanford’s Prey series is Lucas Davenport, a Minneapolis detective who is known for getting the job down. Though it is a bit strange how many serial killers lurk in Minnesota, you can quickly move past that niggling detail. In Mind Prey Andi Manette, a member of a wealthy and powerful family, and her two daughters have gone missing. A psychiatrist, Manette soon realizes who has taken her and as she fights for her life and those of her daughters, Davenport must try and find her before it’s too late. Kiss the Girls by James Patterson Patterson really goes for it in Kiss the Girls. There’s not one but two serial killers, hunting women in tandem from across the country. One, Casanova, is something of a collector, seeking out accomplished women to keep in his underground lair in the woods of North Carolina. The other, Gentleman Caller, is on the West Coast, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. Alex Cross has to find the connection between these two killers so he can save the life of his beloved niece, Naomi. Cross works with Kate, a feisty and intelligent doctor who is the only woman who escaped Casanova’s clutches alive, slowly piecing clues together, getting close but not quite close enough to the killer. The Silence of the Lambs by Thomas Harris Hannibal Lecter is, likely, the grandest of all fictional serial killers, if such a thing is possible. What makes Harris’s novel about an FBI trainee hunting a killer who goes by Buffalo Bill so memorable is how amazing characterization makes it so tempting to sympathize with Lecter, a cannibalistic serial killer with an exacting and particular moral code. The Informationist, The Innocent, and The Doll by Taylor A. Stevens I am new to these books but I devoured them over the course of three flights and cannot wait for the fourth book in the series, The Catch, which will be released this summer. Vanessa “Michael” Munroe is an expert at hunting down valuable information that people are willing to pay extraordinary sums for. She is also haunted by a traumatizing past and trying to outrun her demons. A protagonist is not a protagonist if he or she is not haunted. At times, Michael’s torment feels overwrought but the novels are still compelling as hell, finely plotted, and quite sexy because Munroe is so capable and confident and open about what she wants. In The Informationist, Michael returns to Africa, where she was raised to find the missing daughter of a powerful American billionaire. In The Innocent, Michael must help out her best friend Logan, who was once part of a manipulative and abusive cult. She heads to South America in search of the young daughter of another friend of Logan’s, also a former cult member. In The Doll, Michael has finally settled, at least for a while, with Bradford, who is featured in the first two books as well. Before she can truly enjoy her happiness, Michael is kidnapped and told she has to transport a famous actress to a man who has bought her as part of a human trafficking ring. If she doesn’t, Logan will die. Stevens goes all out when it comes to high drama and elaborate plot twists. I cannot get enough. Sign up to Unusual Suspects to receive news and recommendations for mystery/thriller readers. Thank you for signing up! Keep an eye on your inbox.

Is Entertainment Technology Beneficial - 902 Words

Is entertainment technology beneficial to infants from birth to the age of two? Entertainment technology is the discipline of using manufactured or created components to enhance or make possible in any sort of entertainment experience(dictionary.com). Entertainment technology is used for many different reasons as well as necessities such as work, school, communication, and social media. The rapid emergence of entertainment technology has changed the way the world works and interacts with each other. It has changed many aspects of communication, but is this rapid change necessarily a good thing? Should there be an age limit to exposure and usage? As entertainment technology has come into the world, so has a negative side effect to the conveniences of it. These negative outcomes have disrupted the agenda for youth as well as children and infants. â€Å"It takes two full years for a baby s brain to develop to the point where the symbols on the screen come to represent their equivalents in the real world† (Healthy Children). Exposure to entertainment technolo gy from the age’s birth to two years of age has negative effects. These effects include delayed cognitive development, language, social emotional and physical developments of the child. The first three years of a child s life are the most important for brain development. During these years the child’s brain is growing rapidly, this concluding that the first three years are the most crucial for development in the child.Show MoreRelatedImpact Of Technology On The Entertainment Industry Essay1677 Words   |  7 PagesJillian Menkhaus Marlaina Kehrer Emilee Cornell Patrice Hill Entertainment and Technology Technology has been beneficial to the entertainment industry. the Internet has evolved over the course of time, we are able to browse the internet, communicate in a more proficient way, live stream, and sharing memories with family and friends. The Internet can be used in many different ways but entertainment has improved the internet’s popularity.Technology has provided use with more ways to entertainRead MoreThe Adverse Effects of TV Essay examples755 Words   |  4 Pagescaused by technology declare that television is slowly replacing the education and determination of mankind. With innovations such as Google and the World Wide Web, students have access to millions of answers that require no effort to find. Simply type a term into a search engine, ask Jeeves a question, or pay some stranger in a foreign country to write your history term paper, and your work is done for you – it’s that easy. Americans no longer have to strive to become intelligent; technolo gy does itRead MorePlay Station And Video Games1710 Words   |  7 PagesStation and video games are technologies used for entertainment across all age groups all around the world. The young children aged from 5 to 10 years old occupy the largest percentage of users. Today there is wide variety of games attributed to the advancement in technology. The report is a detailed documentation of the impact of gaming on children with references to recent scholarly articles. It also touches on other involved parties in the management of the media entertainment. Introduction The platformRead MoreResults of Advancements in Technology Essay811 Words   |  4 PagesIn today’s society, modern technology is evidently developing rapidly and it is portrayed as a negative impact. It can be seen that technology is a substitution of all characteristics of life. The purpose of every technological invention is to benefit the lives of mankind; thus re-enforcing the positive connotation of technology. However, in long term it may not be beneficial; such as, education, work and leisure are all becoming dependent on technology; cyberspace is dangerous and child obesityRead MoreThe Impact Of Netflix On The World Wide Web1410 Words   |  6 PagesHistory of Netflix With high-tech computers on the rise, the 1990s served as a prosperous decade in technological advances. Of that decade, 1993 may have been the most important year; it was the year that CERN released its World Wide Web technology to the rest of the world, allowing users to connect to computers and servers all over the world (â€Å"World Wide Web Timeline,† 2014). Arguably one of the most important technological advancements in the last quarter century, the World Wide Web has allowedRead MoreMobile Devices And Its Impact On Our Lives939 Words   |  4 Pagessmartphones. It is crucial to be aware of the advances because this helps society be more adaptable. We should be proactive when learning and integrating smartphone technology in our everyday lives because as smartphones advances throughout time, we can benefit and can improve as a whole. Students have benefitted greatly from the smartphone technology because it is now integrated in education. Educators are using smart devices in the classroom to obtain information and proving students with the opportunityRead MoreThe Social Life Of Todays Generation1290 Words   |  6 Pagesa job on LinkedIn, and even email alerts from other account users. Although benefits of smartphones on social life seem to be endless, there are cons and side effects of this technology. As often as people express their pleasure and satisfaction, there are numerous disadvantages and negative aspects of smartphone technology in a person’s social life. First, smartphones realistically hinder the growth of interpersonal development among its users. Users forget proper etiquette and manners when engagingRead MoreTechnological Environment Analysis of Cathay Pacific Airways982 Words   |  4 PagesTechnological factors include forces that create new technologies, creating new product and market opportunities. It is based on considerations as to whether the local market has sufficiently developed technologies to take full advantage of the product. It should be noted that high technologies are required to make full use of the variety of promotional methods using alternative advertising media such as television or websites.3 1) Information Technology of Cathay Pacific 4 Cathay Pacific has devotedRead MoreRadio’s Impact during the 1920’s Essay965 Words   |  4 Pages After the First World War, many people were looking forward to good times. The 1920’s presented people with this time of fast-paced fun and adventure. Entertainment was the foremost part of everyday life during the 1920’s. Radio introduced a whole new practice of entertainment to people’s everyday lives. Likewise, through the utilization of the radio, people were able to experience a new medium to entertain themselves. Furthermore, the radio changed the face of society’s culture through its widespreadRead MoreHow E Business Is Economically Harmful Or Beneficial?1402 Words   |  6 Pages Whether e-business is economically harmful or beneficial to businesses has always been a controversial topic. Despite the trend of traditional companies turning their businesses into e-business is uprising, some still tend to not modifying their models. Does it indicate that e-business is more of an economic disadvantage to businesses than it is an advantage? We will hav e a better look into both sides in this essay. By specifically looking into online shopping, i.e., e-commerce, it can show how

Brand Extension Marketing Plan - 3442 Words

Running Head: Unit 6 Assignment 1 Brand Extension Market Plan – Unit 6 Hershey’s Sugar – Free Strawberry Syrup with Calcium Kaplan University GB530: Marketing Management Professor: Dr. Michael Mulnix December 27, 2013 Unit 6 Assignment†¦show more content†¦The sales volume is estimated to be 60,000 units in the first year. The fixed costs are estimated to be $32,442 for the year. Using the contribution margin method, the break-even will be reached, when our sales reach 47,476 units which will result in $166,166 in dollars during the third quarter of our first year. The keys to Hershey’s success will lead to our product being profitable if we keep our strategic decisions clear and concise, have support from our top management team, have a product with great quality, have great customer service, and are fully aware of the nature of our market. Our needs of our consumers will be met by designing and producing light, sugar-free, and sugar-free with calcium products that our health conscious consumers are looking for. 2.0 SITUATION ANALYSIS The Hershey Company is manufacturing its third product in our line of sugar-free syrups, which is sugar-free strawberry syrup with calcium. Their other products are Unit 6 Assignment 4 doing very well. Marketing will be our key to the development of this product. There should not be any issues with the product entering the marketplace based on the company’s consumer base. Results of surveys that were conducted show that the new product should perform very well. 2.1 MARKET SUMMARY The Hershey Company has been in business sinceShow MoreRelatedBrand Extension Marketing Plan4134 Words   |  17 PagesRunning head: Brand Extension Marketing Plan 1.0 Executive Summary The Recipe Modifier is Lakelands most recent innovation that has great potential to generate revenue for Lakeland, â€Å"the home of creative kitchenware.† Lakeland products have developed strong demand and this will be the driving force behind this particular product. Lakeland was initially a kitchenware provider but has extended its brand to offer a wide range of products that fulfill consumers entertaining, storage, cleaningRead MoreBrand Extension Marketing Plan4774 Words   |  20 PagesKAPLAN UNIVERSITY ------------------------------------------------- BRAND EXTENSION MARKETING PLAN Jennifer L. Scott GB 530: Marketing Management December 4, 2012 Brand Extension Marketing Plan for Snyder’s-Lance Inc. 1. Executive Summary The following marketing plan forms the basis for the introduction of an innovative new product by Snyder’s-Lance Inc. This analysis allows me to outline the best strategies to follow for the achievement of the company’s strategic goals. â€Å"PretzelRead MoreMarketing Plan For A Brand Extension That Is Weight Watchers For Men Essay3605 Words   |  15 Pagesreport provides the marketing plan for the brand extension that is Weight Watchers for Men in New Zealand. The marketing plan includes marketing objectives which states the goals of the business, the marketing strategy which states how Weight Watchers for Men want to position the products in the selected market, product planned price, distribution, marketing budget, planned long-run sales and profit goals , product strategy which states product characteristics attributes and brand strategy, price strategyRead MoreThe Consumer Behavior For My Target Market1544 Words   |  7 Pagesintroduce DSS’ brand name, logo, slogan, and one brand extension. Next, it will assemble a marketing strategy and associated time table to implement the marketing plan. Further, this paper will present a positioning statement, including a perceptual map that shows my company’s position against my competitors. This paper will examine the consumer behavior for my target market, and explain the reasons the brand name, logo, slogan, brand extension, as well as positioning statement and marketing strategyRead MoreKellogg’s Product Lifecycle1397 Words   |  6 PagesKellogg’s Special K brand Learning objectives: âž ¢ to understand the product life cycle âž ¢ to understand the value of market research âž ¢ to examine extension strategies. Introduction (2 minutes) Introduction to the lesson: you will look at the product life cycle and how marketing may change at different stages. Then you will consider the decline stage and how firms such as Kellogg’s may react to this. The case focuses on Kellogg’s Special K brand and considers how the marketing of this has changedRead MoreProduct Line Of Microwavable Meals1136 Words   |  5 PagesFive (5) Year Expansion Plan The first year of operations will be dedicated to launching the initial product line of microwavable meals. The company will focus its efforts on the initial product launch and advertising. During the first year, the company will evaluate sales on a quarterly basis and assess the potential for new products. In the second year, the company will invest money in Research Development for brand extensions and new product lines. During the second year, the company willRead MoreHawaiian Punch: Go-to-Market Strategy Essay1543 Words   |  7 PagesHawaiian Punch is the leading brand of fruit drink brands in the United States and has a long history of satisfying customers. The Hawaiian Punch brand traces its roots back to the 1930’s when it was developed as tropical-tasting syrup for ice cream and later sold as a drink. The brand has been owned by several different companies over the years and was recently purchased by the Cadbury Schweppes Company from Procter and Gamble Corporation. Hawaiian Punch joined the Dr. Pepper-Seven UP Inc. bottlingRead MoreDove Case Analysis1102 Words   |  5 PagesSWOT analysis: Strengths: Weaknesses: †¢ Unilever’s worldwide establishment †¢ Unconventional marketing strategy †¢ Word of mouth and Word of Mouse free publicity †¢ Campaign has a strong emotional touch †¢ Social responsibility- Dove established self esteem fund, which conducted self esteem workshops along with Girl Scouts to improve the self esteem of girls †¢ Dove’s brand loyalty †¢ Best known for functional superiority, i.e. beauty bar which does not dry the skin †¢ Changing perceptions of peopleRead MoreTastykakes Sensables Case Study1078 Words   |  5 PagesFounded over 90 years ago, Tasty Baking Co.’s Tastykakes have been one of the most popular snack foods in the Philadelphia area. However, due to stagnant sales, CEO Charles PiÃ… ºzi decided that a line extension for Tastykakes would be the right solution to boost performance. With the help of marketing manager Karen Schutz and research manager John Sawicki, Tasty Baking Co set out to ride the emerging trend on healthier snacks and embark on the journey to produce and launch a new line of low-carb TastykakesRead MoreCapable Purchasing Power Could Accessibly Reach929 Words   |  4 Pagesaccessibly reach. Knowing the brand and where the products will have a higher rate of success when positioned is crucial to the business. Positioning can also include intangibles such as corporate image and reputation amongst consumers. Firms that take the initiative to be proactive in giving back to their communities, volunteering, and caring about the environment are considered some of the top brands. The media pays close attention to companies that have popular brands because they are waiting for

Diet Aids and FDA Approval Free Essays

The diet industry is huge, a multimillion dollar industry. The introduction to products that help individuals lose weight will always be popular and interest never wanes because of the frequency in which new products arise from the market. Now comes the big question, just how important is it for diet aids to have Food Drug Agency (FDA) claims? Most health supplements, vitamin supplements, and diet aids do not have FDA approved on them. We will write a custom essay sample on Diet Aids and FDA Approval or any similar topic only for you Order Now But does this really matter? In some cases, yes and in others no. The FDA is an organization that is part of the US department of Health and Human Services. The center for drug evaluation and research (CDER) makes sure that all prescription and over the counter drugs are safe for consumers, including diet supplements. Most diet aides are released without being regulated from the FDA but every now and then one is, the most recent being ephedra, and its ban. It is important to remember two things when reading claims whether they are for health benefits or for dangerous side effects. The first is that if there is a warning on the label it is unknown whether 50% of all those that used the product or if on 0. 1% had side effects. Companies must put the side effect warning on the label if only one person in the study had side effects. This is mainly for insurance, if you take the diet aid and experiences side effects out of thousands of individuals that don’t then you can’t sue the company; the warning was on the label. Secondly just because there are health benefit claims on the label doesn’t actually mean that they will happen to the individual taking the product. It simple means that it may happen not that it definitely will. However having FDA approval is always a good thing. Unlike a company the FDA will conduct research or contract researchers to conduct a thorough and correctly structured clinical study. Any results will show good conclusions that can be trusted. The FDA is looking out for the consumer, not the companies whose bottom line is to make as much product as possible. Here is an outline of the regulation of diet aids with ephedra. Ephedra was a popular weight loss product, particularly when paired with caffeine and aspirin. However the use of ephedra was linked to heart problems and over 155 deaths. Like many diet aids it increases your metabolism by increasing your heart rate, which causes many problems. The FDA could not actually ban ephedra but it sent out a ruling that the FDA does not support and products containing ephedra as it had unreasonable risks of illness or death associated with it. The FDA collected information about ephedra from independent experts and studies on both the benefits and dangers of ephedra. However it should be noted that Chinese herbal medicines and teas that contain ephedra are not regulated under this ruling. (Nelson, 135). Now it is very likely that a vast majority of individuals using ephedra did not experience any side effects or heart problems at all. However there was enough of the population that did, and most importantly quite a few deaths were found to be directly linked to ephedra in diet supplements that the FDA felt there was a significant cause for concern. Due to it’s ruling many states in the US banned the selling of ephedra products causing many companies to reformulate their diet products. Also if you look at the history of the FDA and its rulings you will find a very tangled web. The FDA during the 1940s and 50s in diet aids approved amphetamines and amphetamine like products. Since then the FDA has been trying to define the parameters in which these products can be safely taken (Colman, 380-385). The FDA has been found to change its mind over time, particularly as science is improving and research tools are becoming available. Now I should let you know that a product containing ephedra is still all-natural because ephedra comes from the Ma Huang plants. Incidentally most health supplements and diet aids all come from plants, so they are â€Å"all natural†. Just because it is labeled all natural doesn’t mean it isn’t dangerous. Almost anything at the wrong level will kill you. It is simply the products that are dangerous at small amounts that cause the most concern. Eating carrots can cause blindness and eventually death, but you have to eat a lot of carrots for a long time. Many of the substances found in diet aids are at concentration higher than they would be found in nature and this is what can make them harmful. Now comes the consumer, just who should they believe. You are standing in a store reading a label that lists some pretty fantastic benefits, but it is not FDA approved (Allen). Many products are being marketed as helping you lose weight, improve your life span or have anti-aging properties. Without the correct clinical trials, which can take years, it is unknown if the benefits outweigh the risks. As previously stated Ephedra was first approved and then found to be dangerous as was another product called Fen-phen. (Keim). There are many health claims available to help your memory, expand your age, make your heart healthier etc. You can achieve this by taking ginkgo boloba, cinnamon extract, grapefruit extract, acai juice, resveratrol etc. There are other diet aids that act as appetite suppressants or are thermogentic (raise your metabolism), fat blockers, and meal replacement. The real danger is not using the diet aids in a correct manner as there are significant risks of developing eating disorders when using dieting aid (Celio, 492-497). This takes away from the benefits you will have by losing weight because you will be lighter but you won’t be healthy. It is amusing to actually read the directions on diet aids. The majority of the time the directions give dosage information and then state that it is only effective eating a healthy diet and exercise. Now most medicinal practitioners and athletes can get an individual to lose weight by eating sensible and exercising. The diet aid may actually work not because of the diet aid but because you are eating a healthy diet and exercising. There is a large psychological part to dieting that many people do not understand. On a personal note I would feel much more secure and confident using a diet aid that was approved by the FDA but that does not mean that I would rule out using other products. I would first research and collect some information about products. I would stear clear of any product that says has side effects relating to heart problems or internal organ failure. If the side effects are not minor and research shows that cultures have been using it successfully for years then I probably would try it. It is important to pay attention to detail such as concentration in the diet aid as well as follow the directions and pay attention to what is going on in your body. If I had any concerns I would see about speaking to a nutritionist or doctor about any risks. It is fine to use diet aids but don’t just pick one on a whim. You do need to be careful and determine what the risks are and if you think the benefits are greater than the risks. How to cite Diet Aids and FDA Approval, Papers

Rant on Teenage Love Essay Example

Rant on Teenage Love Paper In today’s society, teenage love is looked upon as a subject for many different opinions. Most adults assume that teenagers are immature to understand love. As a teenager, I believe that everyone in this world is capable to love no matter how old they are. Love for family and friends are no different from the love we have towards another individual. However relationships between two teenagers are often negatively judged by others. I strongly agree that humanity was made to love at no particular age. I dont see how age has anything to do with maturity either. Ive seen plenty of adults who have no wisdom and make more mistakes then the average teenager. Love is a human quality that all individual needs and is something we cannot live without in this world. Adults commonly stand against teenage love because they most likely have fallen in love as teenagers and got their hearts broken. Now as adults, they wish that someone had told them the consequences that they are trying to tell us now. It’s likely that most adults have made mistakes in love when they were teenagers that they can never go back and fix and therefore feel empathy for teenagers. We will write a custom essay sample on Rant on Teenage Love specifically for you for only $16.38 $13.9/page Order now We will write a custom essay sample on Rant on Teenage Love specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer We will write a custom essay sample on Rant on Teenage Love specifically for you FOR ONLY $16.38 $13.9/page Hire Writer Adults are often projecting their own losses and fears onto teenage relationships. Teenagers need experiences in love to help them understand more about what love truly is. If we go through unsuccessful relationships, it will help strengthen us physically, mentally and emotionally. I also trust that relationships will lead us to make better choices in the future. â€Å"The important thing is this: to be able, at any moment, to sacrifice what we are for what we could become. † Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. This quote establishes that love is about sacrificing and receiving knowledge in return. Most adults who are against teenage love are parents who have teenagers. These parents may not be prepared for their child to be in a relationship because they are over-protective. There’s nothing wrong with protecting your child however when you are over-protective, it may cause negative effects. For instance, some parents undermine their children’s confidence in their own abilities to take care of themselves and get things done. As well, adults who are over-protective are actually encouraging their child’s fear of failure such that they are denied the chance to learn how to persevere. I dont think that being overprotective really does teenagers any favors as far as how we’ll survive in the real world when we grow up and dont have their parents with us all the time. We will have to make decisions for ourselves. In other words, teenagers need these chances to experience more in and around love. Love is a beautiful thing that everyone should be encouraged to experience. Teenagers should not be held back from love because of our age or others and their opinions.

Hi there networking contact... What do you think of my resume ( other things you wish you had never said) - by Mary Elizabeth Bradford

Hi there networking contact... What do you think of my resume ( other things you wish you had never said) - by Mary Elizabeth Bradford I am fortunate this week to share a guest blog from Mary Elizabeth Bradford, award-winning creator of the Job Search Success System. She warns, This article contains some tough talk and will probably offend some readers. Since her article did not offend me and in fact rather inspired me, Im posting it here with Mary Elizabeths blessing! Remember as you read this article, as I pointed out in my article What Do Recruiters Want in a Resume? Answers Within, you only need to impress one person with your resumeand thats the person who hires you! Hi There Networking Contact What Do You Think of My Resume? ( Other Things You Wish You Never Said) How to Network Without Losing Your Confidence or Your Mind By Mary Elizabeth Bradford *Warning: this article contains some tough talk and will probably offend some readers. Sometimes I will have a client call me and share that while networking, they showed their new professionally designed resume to: Their friend or business mentor whose opinion they trust A powerful networking connection A human resources person A recruiter And my client posed the question, what do you think of my resume? Well, a large amount of the time, if you have had your resume professionally written by an experienced and certified writer, the response will be positive. But sometimes they will interpret your question as an opportunity to attack your resume using all their powers of critical analysis – in the name of helping you (gee, thanks). If you have ever been in this situation, you know the result your confidence is shaken; you begin to doubt yourself; the focus becomes that there is something wrong with your resume. You call your writer demanding to know why they used that particular color or font because Suzie who just got a job in the HR department at Target last week knows well that this font color will keep you from realizing your dreams – or at least ever landing a job at Target. Okay, I am being a little sarcastic, but isnt that the weight that we end up putting on all these opinions we open ourselves up to? Some people are very caustic; they will tell you with authority they absolutely know what they are talking about (I have seen this to be true especially with College Career Counselors and recruiters. No offense – just stating fact). So who, or what are you to believe? In a job search, common sense tells us we must preserve our energy, our positive attitude and our confidence. Rather than asking everyone who will give you 5 minutes what they think of your resume, the wisest thing to do is ASK A CERTIFIED, EXPERIENCED RESUME WRITER. This does not mean asking THE LADDERS or JOB FOX, who will give you a free resume critique, and no matter how wonderful your resume is and how much you invested to have it properly done, they will most likely tell you it stinks and you need to pay them $700 to rewrite it. No, I mean going to Career Directors International and looking up the award winning writers, the Certified Writers, the Writers who have their work in reputable Resume and Career books and/or the writers who may specialize in your field. And although this does not completely shield you from conflicting advice, it does dramatically improve your chances of getting a professional and discerning critique of what your resume truly needs (or might already hav e) in order for you to achieve your career goals. Please, refrain from asking everyone what they think of your resume. This opens you up to criticism from people who are may only be partially (at best), qualified to critique how your resume lines you up for your next career move. Instead, get a clear focus of direction on what you want including industry, position title and your driving motivators like ideal companies and positions, your compensation range, where you want to live, and how much you will travel, to name a few things. Couple that with a little research on growing and stable industries. Dont say you are wide open to explore a wide range of opportunities, because in todays job market, you have to demonstrate your value very specifically (this is part of the whole branding thing you hear everyone talking about). You need to demonstrate that you know what you want. This builds your networks confidence IN YOU. You dont have the luxury of being wide open, so please start taking control of your situation and embrace a self-directed and entrepreneurial approach to your job search. This is what is working in todays job market. Once you have your game plan down regarding your focus of direction and where you want to steer your career, ask your friends how they can help you with that. Dont ask them to help you find a job and dont ask them who is hiring and dont ask them what they think of your resume! This is a waste of your time! Learn how to network so that you stay in control of the conversation. I think the reason people hate job searching the most is because they feel they have to take such a passive, submissive role in it. THIS IS SIMPLY NOT TRUE! You dont have to feel hat-in-hand, begging for a job. I teach my clients in my Job Search Success System how to network in a confident and dignified way and they love it. It preserves their sanity, confidence and gets them great results! There is absolutely no reason why you have to roll over in complete submission just because you are in a job search. Do not discount the power of critical feedback! You may LOVE your resume and so do 50 other people, but I have seen it time and time again that a single negative critique will leave you doubting everything you ever thought was true! You cannot afford to go there in your job search! Its not the most exacting comparison, but will 50 people look at a piece of famous art from an abstract expressionist and have the same exact option about it? I think you know the answer. If you have not had your resume professionally written and you want someone to critique it, your best and safest bet is to go to Career Directors International and look for help and support there. Generally speaking, resume writers are a heart-centered group (especially women) and they find genuinely helping others get what they want in their careers deeply satisfying. You have a great shot at talking to a person who really cares and can really help you at CDI. Writers who take the time to obtain difficult certifications and pay money to keep them current every year generally take their career as seriously as you probably do. And in an unregulated industry such as Career Services, you need that insurance to help protect your interests and investment. If you HAVE had your resume professionally done, then I will share with you what I share with all my clients, which is this you need 3 main things in your job search to be successful: A clear focus of direction. A great resume and value proposition (cover) letter that supports your focus The right job search strategies As a general rule, after you have paid a certified writer to analyze your career situation and craft you a resume to get you where you want to go, your entire focus should be on the right job search strategies. I am primarily focused on showing my clients how to go direct to companies by tapping the hidden job market because it works so well, but every job search is different and some job search strategies will work better than others. You may take a multi-pronged approach to your job search strategies, which could include recruiter, venture capital and/or private equity firm distributions, direct mail, targeted networking, working through associations, and learning how to use social networking like LinkedIn to land interviews, to name a few. [These strategies are all taught in the Job Search Success System, an easy, affordable way to get the advice you need). In closing, I have not seen it beneficial for you as a job seeker to hold up your resume and state WHAT DO YOU THINK? Not because I as a writer am trying to avoid criticism, nor because I am trying to protect other professional resume writers. And I am not stating that there might indeed be things in your resume that need improving. But if you want the right advice, your safest bet is to go to the experts. Doing otherwise may derail you and detract from your ultimate goal.

The Best SAT Diagnostic Test

The Best SAT Diagnostic Test SAT / ACT Prep Online Guides and Tips If you’re preparing for the SAT, you may know how important it is to take a diagnostic test early on in your studying.An SAT diagnostic test will give you a baseline score you can use to develop an individualized study plan that’ll target your weaknesses and help you reach your target SAT score. In this guide, we’ll explain what an SAT diagnostic test is, where you can find the best free SAT diagnostic tests, and exactly how you can use every piece of information you get from the diagnostic test to create the best SAT study plan for you. What Is an SAT Diagnostic Test? How Can It Help You? An SAT diagnostic test is a practice test that you take at the beginning of your SAT prep to determine what your strengths and weaknesses are and how much you need to improve. Your diagnostic results give you an estimate of how well you’re currently scoring on the SAT and which parts of the test you’re struggling with.Without an SAT diagnostic test, it’s much harder to study effectively for the SAT because you don’t know how much progress you need to make or in which areas. Before you take a diagnostic SAT, you should know your goal score. A goal score is the score you're aiming for on the SAT, and it's based on the average SAT scores of admitted students for the colleges you're interested in attending. Check out our guide to learn how to set your own goal score. Where Can You Find the Best SAT Diagnostic Tests? The best SAT practice tests are always official tests, and this is also true for SAT diagnostic tests.Official practice SATs are made by the same people who create the actual SAT. This means that, if you take an official practice test for your SAT diagnostic, you can be sure you’re getting an accurate idea of the real SAT's content and difficulty, as well as how the questions are worded and how they can trick you. We have links to every free and official SAT available online. Use one of these for your free SAT diagnostic test.You can also take an official SAT practice test on Khan Academy which will automatically score your results for you. However, we don't recommend taking your SAT diagnostic test online since you'll be taking the real SAT with pencil and paper. Are there shorter options for a diagnostic test?We highly recommend taking a full-length SAT as your diagnostic test to give you the most accurate results, but if you really can’t find the time to do this, Khan Academy does offer short diagnostic quizzes for the SAT on its website. There are four quizzes for SAT Math and four for SAT Reading. Each quiz is ten questions long. You won’t be able to translate these results into an estimated score for the SAT since the format is so different, but they can be used to help you figure out which areas you need to improve the most in. How Should You Take Your SAT Diagnostic Test? When you take your SAT diagnostic, it’s very important to mimic real testing conditions as closely as possible so that you can get the most accurate score from your diagnostic. If you give yourself more breaks or time than you’d get on the real test, your diagnostic test results won’t be as useful because the extra time could cause you to get a higher score than you would on the real SAT. Here are the main rules you should follow when taking your diagnostic: Take the test with pencil and paper Take the test all in one sitting Keep strict timing for each section (don’t give yourself even one minute extra to complete a section!) Use only the breaks you’d get on the official exam (5 minutes after the Reading section, 5 minutes after the Math No Calculator section, and 5 minutes before the Essay if you’re taking it) Minimize distractions (no music, tv, people talking in the room, etc.) For a more in-depth look at the best way to take SAT practice tests, check out our guide specifically on the topic. How Should You Analyze Your SAT Diagnostic Results? Once you’ve taken your SAT diagnostic test, your work isn’t over! The reason you took the diagnostic was to get useful information from it, so these next two sections will explain how you should analyze your test results. In this section are four big picture questions you should ask yourself to see how much you need to study and what major areas your study plan should focus on. Grade your diagnostic test (all official practice tests include instructions on how to do this), then think about the following questions. How Far Are You From Your Goal Score? This is the key question. How far are your diagnostic test results from your SAT goal score? If you’re close to your target score, great! You may not have to do much studying beyond some quick review and taking a few more practice tests. If you’re farther from your SAT goal score, you’ll probably have to put some more time in, but that’s why you took the diagnostic test, to figure this out early so you have plenty of time to develop an SAT study plan. Keep reading for tips on how to figure out exactly where you can improve and what you can do to raise your score. Which Sections Did You Struggle the Most With? Now, look at each of your section scores. How do they compare to one another? Is your Reading score pretty good but your Math score far from where you want it to be? Then you know to focus more of your study time on math. Students often divide their study time equally between each of the SAT sections or read entire prep books all the way through to make sure they’re learning everything they can. However, if your section scores vary widely, this isn’t the most efficient use of your time. You want to concentrate more on the section(s) where you need to make the biggest improvement. That’s the way to raise your score a significant amount. Which Question Types Did You Struggle the Most With? Now go one step further. If you’re unhappy with your Math score, look more closely at which types of questions you answered incorrectly. Did you ace the algebra questions but struggle with geometry? Did the grid-in questions throw you for a loop? The more detailed your analysis is, the more it’ll help you develop a study plan that effectively targets your weaknesses and helps you raise your score.To help you with this, here are guides that explain every type of question you’ll see on SAT Math, Reading, and Writing. They’ll help you categorize the questions and figure out which ones you’re missing. Did You Run Out of Time on the Exam? Finally, did you struggle with the time limits on the SAT? Did you run out of time on any of the sections? Do you feel like you could have gotten a higher score if you’d had more time?The SAT expects you to answer a lot of questions in a short amount of time, and many students struggle with completing the test within the time limits. If you feel you knew most of the information being tested but simply didn’t have the time to answer all the questions completely, working on your timing skills will be key to improving your score. We explain how to do this in the next section. What Is the Best Way to Go Over Questions You Got Wrong? After you looked at the overall patterns in your diagnostic score results, it’s time for a more detailed analysis. To do this, you should go through every question you answered incorrectly and figure out why you got it wrong. This may seem time-consuming and boring, but don’t be tempted to skip it! Going over the answers you got wrong is the absolute best way to understand where you’re making mistakes and what you can do to correct them. Otherwise you’ll just keep repeating those same mistakes and not make improvements. For each question you answered incorrectly on your diagnostic, think about why you got it wrong. There are generally four reasons people make mistakes on exams: Time Issue: You were pressed for time. Question Comprehension Issue: You had the knowledge to get the right answer, but the question was too complicated, you weren’t exactly sure what was being asked, or you were tricked by the question. Procedural/Content Issue: You didn’t know how to solve a question, or you didn’t have the background knowledge needed to answer the question. Careless Error: Often the most frustrating mistake, this is when you knew exactly how to get the right answer, but you made a silly mistake that caused you to choose the wrong answer. We give detailed explanations for how to overcome each of these issues in our guide to going over SAT questions you missed, but below are key solutions for each of the four issues. Time Issues To figure out if you have time management issues, take a timed practice test (under realistic conditions). If you run out of time to answer all of the questions, continue answering questions, but mark the questions for which you needed the extra time. How many questions did you get right with the extra time, compared to the number of questions you answered correctly within the official time limits? If your scaled scores differ by more than either 50 points on any section of the SAT, then you have a time management problem. We have guides specifically on how to stop running out of time on SAT Math andSAT Reading, but below are a few key tips for helping you manage your time on the SAT better. Know how long you have for each question:Having an idea of how long to spend on each question will help you plan out your time better and make it easier to stay on track. Move on if you're stuck on a question:If you’ve stared at a question for 60 seconds and have no idea how to solve it, skip it and move on. Practice, practice, practice:There’s a reason we keep encouraging you to take practice tests; they’re one of the best ways to get faster on the SAT.When you take practice SATs, you become more familiar with the exam and get a better idea of how long you can spend on each question, both of which help with your time management skills. Question Comprehension Issue This issue is especially common with people who read questions quickly in hopes of saving time. Even though you’ll be pressed for time on the SAT, spending an extra few seconds to figure out exactly what a question is asking you is well worth your time. Many students underline key parts of a question to make sure they’re not missing any important information when they read it. It may also help you to write out the info a question gives you in a simpler form to help you understand it. This can be especially helpful with math questions that dump a lot of info on you in the question. Procedural/Comprehension Issue Both of these issues can be solved by building up your knowledge of what the SAT tests and how it tests it.For procedural problems, the best way to improve is to answer lot of practice questions so you become familiar with what SAT questions look like and the ways they ask information. Prep books can also give you insight into how to solve questions. For comprehension issues, you can brush up on the content the SAT tests by using class notes, textbooks on the material, an SAT prep book or a complete prep program like PrepScholar. Careless Error The best way to overcome careless errors is to stop and think about why you’re making them. Were you pressed for time? Then improving your time management skills will help.Did you get tripped up by one of the SAT’s common tricks, like only solving for x when you were supposed to give the answer for 3x? Then taking more practice tests will help you identify these tricks more easily.Leaving yourself a few minutes at the end of each section to go over your answers can also help you avoid careless mistakes. How Can You Create the Best SAT Study Plan for You? Once you’ve taken your SAT diagnostic test and gone over your results, you can use that information to develop an SAT study plan completely tailored to you. Below are the five steps to follow to create a study plan that’ll help you build up your weaknesses and reach your target score. #1: Figure Out How Much Time You Need to Study Your first step for your study plan is to figure out how many hours you need to devote to studying. This is based on how much you want to improve from your diagnostic score results. Here are our estimates for the total number of hours you'll need to prep based on the SAT score improvement you want: 0-30 point improvement: 10 hours 30-70 point improvement: 20 hours 70-130 point improvement: 40 hours 130-200 point improvement: 80 hours 200-330 point improvement: 150 hours+ Once you know the number of hours you plan on studying, you can decide how many hours you want to study a week and work backwards to figure out how many weeks/months you’ll need to prepare and when you should take the SAT. For example, if you’re hoping to improve your score by 150 points, you’ll need to spend about 80 hours studying. If you can manage ten hours of SAT prep a week, it’ll take you about ten weeks, or 2.5 months to be fully prepared. #2: Get High-Quality Prep Materials You can create the perfect study plan, but if you’re using low-quality materials, it’ll be hard for you to make real improvements.We’ve already mentioned the importance of using official practice tests when you study. Unofficial practice tests can sometimes vary greatly from the real SAT, which means you’ll be taking tests that don’t help or, worse, prepare you for the wrong material. Always use official practice tests when you can. A prep book can also be one of the most useful tools for your SAT studying. They can be especially helpful at explaining difficult concepts and breaking down how to solve different types of SAT problems.Check out our guide to the best SAT prep books to learn which are the best prep books out there. #3: Drill Your Content Weaknesses As we mentioned above, it’s important to identify your weak areas and prioritize strengthening them. Once you know which subjects or question types you want to improve in, there are several ways to go about doing this: Reviewing content, either in a prep book or school notes Answer practice questions Asking for help if needed. If you’ve read through all your relevant notes on a subject, you may want to try asking a classmate who’s also taking the SAT for help or look into getting a tutor. #4: Take Regular Practice Tests Your SAT diagnostic test isn’t the only practice test you should take before exam day. Regular practice tests will help you track your progress and get more familiar with the exam.We recommend taking three to six full-length practice SATs.There are currently eight official practice SATs available for free, so definitely make good use of them. #5: Analyze Your Progress During your preparation for the SAT, you should regularly step back and analyze how things are going. Are you making the progress you’re wanting? If not, what do you think you should change about your study plan? Are you able to get in the number of study hours you want to? Where are you still struggling? How can you fix that issue? This is a really important step to follow because if something’s not working, you’re not going to see the improvements you want, no matter how often you keep doing it. If you’re stuck you might consider looking at tutors or reading our list of the 23 best tips for the SAT to get some new study ideas. What's Next? Want to get a perfect SAT score?Take a look atour famous guide to a 1600,written by an expert 2400 SAT scorer. Looking for practice tests?We have links to every free and official SAT practice exam available. Aiming high on each SAT section? Then read our individual, in-depth strategy guides to help you reach an800 on SAT Reading, SAT Math, and SAT Writing. Disappointed with your scores? Want to improve your SAT score by 160 points?We've written a guide about the top 5 strategies you must be using to have a shot at improving your score. Download it for free now: