Best Project Management Software for Teams with Remote Workers

Best Project Management Software for Teams with Remote Workers After conducting extensive research and analysis in 2018,we recommend Zoho Projects as the best project management solution for gruppes with remote workers for 2018. We chose Zoho Projects from a pool of dozens of project management solutions. To understand how we selected ur best picks, you can find our methodology and a comprehensive list of project management solutions on our best picks page.Why Zoho Projects?Zoho Projects is easy-to-use project management software that offers a great slate of features and strong collaboration tools. Its a great solution for any team looking for project management software, but we chose it for remote teams because of how its integrated collaboration tools complement its strong tischset of features. For teams spread out over a wide geography, its essential to remain in constant communication. Its also necessary for their chosen project management solution to be intuitive if one team me mber has a problem using the software, it might be difficult to help solve it from far away. For these reasons, we chose Zoho Projects as the best project management solution for teams with remote workers.Learn mora about Zoho ProjectsEditors note Looking for the right project management solution for your business? Fill out the below questionnaire to have our vendor partners contact you about your needs.FeaturesZoho brings the one-two combination of excellent features and comprehensive service to its project management solution. Zoho Projects features easy-to-use tools with powerful capabilities for an affordable price. Below are some of the fruchtwein useful features available with Zoho Projects, though some are only accessible at higher pricing tiers, which are explained in the pricing section below.Core features Zoho Projects lays out all of its core features in a clean, easy-to-use interface. All the basics are covered, from project creation to task management. Each of the core features is easily accessible through both a topline navigation bar and a sidebar, which are neatly situated on the interface regardless of which page you finds yourself on.Planning Zoho Projects planning tool is an especially useful feature that allows bentzers to break down projects into individual tasks, subtasks, lists and milestones. Managers can also set task dependencies and priorities to make sure things are done in the proper order and that team members can see progress in real time as it relates to their roles. Each of these features is common in other project management solutions, but Zoho Projects organizes it all nicely into one tool.Kanban Technically part of the planning tool, the Kanban system allows project managers to overview projects and workflows with a series of cards that represent different tasks or milestones, as well as who has been assigned the task and the percentage completed. Kanban offers another way to gain a birds-eye view of your projects and the ir progress.Gantt charts Like Kanban, Gantt charts are useful for gaining an intuitive overview of your project and the individual tasks that comprise it. Project managers and team members alike can use Gantt charts to see which tasks theyve been assigned, which tasks are dependent upon others, milestones and deadlines. Zoho Projects Gantt chart tool is an intuitive, color-coded visualization that lets you drag and drop to make editing and updating it easy.Activity feeds Activity feeds like the ones on social media help keep teams connected. You simply click and scroll to view recent activity and stay abreast of whats going on. This collaboration tool works well with the integrated chat application.Integrated chat app Theres no need to minimize Zoho Projects just to chat with another team member or ask the project manager a question. It might seem insignificant, but the benefit of an integrated chat application is that team members wont have to interrupt their workflow to contact other team members. That keeps the trains running on time and saves valuable working hours.Time tracking Zoho Projects features a built-in time-tracking feature that does far more than simply track hours worked. While you can either run the clock or manually enter billable hours, the time tracker also keeps track of specific tasks and milestones accomplished while on the clock. This helps managers keep an eye on what tasks were completed and when. The time-tracking tool generates a report that breaks down daily and weekly progress.Reports Zoho Projects can be integrated with Zoho Reports, a business intelligence tool that provides access to contextualized data.Document management All your documents can be saved and organized directly in Zoho Projects, eliminating the need for separate spreadsheets or emails. Other team members can access and edit documents that have been uploaded, giving you quick and easy access to the most recent versions.IssueTracker IssueTracker identifies bugs and problems in software projects. Managers can set the urgency and severity of the problem, and the tracker will log each issue so they can easily be revisited and resolved. Team members can access a centralized, consolidated report about how many open issues remain and how many have been resolved already.Mobile applications Zoho Projects supports both an iOS and androide mobile application, enabling team members to access the software on the go and update your projects at any time.Project forums Project forums are yet another collaboration tool that earned Zoho Projects the mantle of best remote collaboration project management solution. A forum for questions or solutions is a great solution for team members in different time zones because it does what a chat application cannot it brings everyone into the conversation on their own time and enables them to leave detailed, HTML-enabled posts on each thread. Forums are extremely useful for teams displaced over a wide geograph y and a unique tool we found to be innovative and effective.Resource utilization chart Projects dont usually go well when resources are not managed effectively. This tool shows each team member and their workload, so project managers can tell if someone is overloaded while another member is underworked. By keeping the workload even, especially managing task dependencies, the project can move much more smoothly. This tool makes it far easier to visualize and manage the workload of your team.Ease of useZoho Projects has one of the most welcoming and user-friendly interfaces we reviewed. Colorful displays and reports draw the eye to contextualized information, and a series of tabs and sidebars makes navigation easy. The interface feels anything but cluttered its quite clear what each tab or menu leads to, and a first-time user can get a grip on the software pretty quickly without any additional training. Best of all, the dashboards are customizable, so you can set up Zoho Projects to suit your preferences and individual workflow as you become more acquainted with the platform.What really takes the cake is Zoho Projects collaboration tools. The integrated chat application functions like a social media messenger, as does the activity feed. With these tools, seeing what your team members are up to is as easy as surfing and chatting on Facebook. Other project management platforms we reviewed require an outside chat application, which can break your working rhythm if you need to ask a colleague a question. With Zoho Projects, chatting is seamless.Moreover, notifications and alerts keep you up to date with any information relevant to you in real time. If a task youre working on is dependent on another team member, for example, you might receive a notification that their task has been completed. You could then comment on the notification immediately to let them know youre moving forward, and tag any other relevant team members in it, all without leaving the interface. These collaboration tools are the reason we selected Zoho Projects as the best project management tool for remote teams.PricingZoho Projects has several different pricing tiers, including a free version that allows users to create a single project. Each package is priced at a flat monthly rate, rather than per user per month, which keeps costs down. Every pricing tier supports an unlimited number of users, which is a unique benefit of Zoho Projects. Here are the pricing tiers and some of the features they provide access toFree Free. This is a limited program that only allows users to create one project and store just 10MB of data. Its enough to get a feel for the program, but not really enough to work with for the long haul.Express $25/month. The Express package allows 20 projects per month and includes 10GB of storage space. IssueTracker is not included in the initial price and costs $25 more per month. Express also includes project feeds, task management, document sharing, calen dar and forums, budgeting, invoice and expenses, and time tracking.Premium $50/month. Premium allows 50 projects a month and 100GB of storage. Pages and chat are available on all projects, as opposed to just one on the Express plan. Gantt charts become editable within the project, and premium subscribers also gain access to the resource management chart. Subtasks are also accessible at this level, as well as additional integrations, including Dropbox and Zoho Reports.Enterprise $80/month. It supports unlimited projects and 100GB of storage space. Enterprise includes all the features in the Premium plan, plus the ability to generate custom fields and workflows, as well as a far more powerful bug tracker. Enterprise also includes Zoho Support integrations and custom email templates to really make the platform your own.Learn more about Zoho ProjectsCustomer serviceOur customer service experience with Zoho Projects welches excellent. Each time we called, we were greeted with a friendl y, informative and helpful representative. We never felt pushed to make a purchase, and each representative was attentive and patient when we asked questions about specific features and pricing plans.In addition to the customer service team, Zoho maintains resources online such as a users guide and a series of webinars to help new and old users alike. Theres also a Zoho Projects community that allows users to connect with others around the world whether its to troubleshoot a problem or to discuss the best ways to leverage Zoho Projects, the forums are a great place to find out new things about your project management solution.LimitationsThere arent many limitations to Zoho Projects. There is a minor learning curve, but for the most part, any user willing to spend some time with the software can get the piste of it rather quickly. The size and scope of all of Zoho Projects features can be somewhat intimidating, but with an effective customer service team and resources like the user g uide and webinars online, there is more than enough opportunity to find the information you need to leverage Zoho Projects effectively. Ultimately, its a great solution with few drawbacks for teams of any size, and its especially effective for those with remote workers scattered over a wide geography.Ready to choose a project management solution? Heres a breakdown of our complete coverageChoosing Project Management Software A Buyers GuideBest Project Management Software for geschftliches miteinanderes 2018Best Project Management Software for Small Teams TeamworkBest Project Management Software for Large Teams LiquidPlannerBest Free Project Management Software WrikeBest Project Management Softwarefor Teams withFreelancers TeamGanttBest Agile Project Management Software Atlassian JIRAEditors note Looking for the right project management solution for your business? Fill out the below questionnaire to have our vendor partners contact you about your needs. business.com editorial staff The purpose of our community is to connect small business owners with experienced industry experts who can address their questions, offer direction, and share best practices.We are always looking for fresh perspectives to join our contributor program. If youre an expert working in your field whether as an employee, entrepreneur, or consultant wed love to help you share your voice with our readers and the business.com community. We work hard to only publish high-quality and relevant content to our small business audience. To help us ensure you are the right fit, we ask that you take the time to complete a short application https//www.business.com/contributor/apply/We cant wait to hear what you have to say Start Your geschftlicher umgang Business Ideas Business Plans Startup Basics Startup Funding Franchising Success Stories Entrepreneurs Grow Your Business Sales Marketing Finances Your Team Technology Social Media Security Build Your Career Get the Job Get Ahead Office Life Work-Life Balance Home Office Lead Your Team Leadership Women in Business Managing Strategy Personal Growth Find A Solution HR Solutions Financial Solutions Marketing Solutions Security Solutions Retail Solutions SMB Solutions About Us Contact Us Partner with Us Copyright Policy Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Personal Information Advertising Disclosure Sitemap 200 Fifth Avenue, Second FloorWaltham, MA 02451infobusinessnewsdaily.com Copyright document.write(new Date().getFullYear()) All Rights Reserved. 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Life Balance

4 Ways To Improve Your Work/Life Balance Lets talk about the elusive work/life balance goal that many of us cringe about yet strive for. If you are sick of hearing about this abstract idea, here are some concrete steps you can take to actuallyimprove your lifestyle.Focus on swaying instead of balancing.An old boss once recommended that Iwork on my work/life balance. He meant well, but it welches like he was saying Heres a new goal, go fetch I had no idea what he was talking about and was already stressed out figuring out life as a working mom.The phrase work/life sway was introduced to me during a Twitter party hosted by Working Mother magazine and Fidelity Investments. This type of mindset is about how you sway between your work and your personal life. Work/life sway relieves the stress of finding balance between two worlds. Its like a dance between work and life that enables you to go with the flow.For instance, when you head to work, you sway your thoughts toward your job. Inevita bility, an interruption happens that causes you to sway your thoughts toward your personal life. And its ok that youre swaying Life happens Interruptions arent as bothersome when you adapt to this mentality because you anticipate them.Make decisions based on your values and priorities.When you know the values and priorities, or what I like to call your VPs, you make decisions more quickly and easily. You use them to decide when the right time to sway is. You will sway well when you have a clear agenda based on the answers to these questions What is important to you? What feelings are important for you to feel? Who do you care about? What things do you like to do? What do you want to succeed at?Have two support systems in place.A support system is a group of people who care about you and your success. Create two of them -- one for your personal life and one your professional life. Its hard to do it all, but when you have support it makes it easier to sway between work and l ife.How do you create the two systems? You use the 5Wswhodo you wantto be in your support system,whatdo you need help with,whenwould you need the help,wherewould this have to happen, and, most importantly, why.Your reason why is told as a personal story that usually includes a negative emotion that people relate to. The story set the expectation that if your support system helps out youll feel happy.A jupe solid support system enables you to confidently sway when you need to. When you know your co-workers have your back you will sway without wavering. Likewise, when work calls, you can sway toward your deadline because you know things will take care of themselves on the home front.Decide between Heck yeah or Absolutely notlage.In Tim Ferrisss new book,Tools of Titans The Tactics, Routines, and Habits of Billionaires, Icons, and World-Class Performers, one of his guests gave a great bit of advice. Instead of deciding between yes and no, look at it as, yeah and absolutely not.Do you need to do it or want to do it? Aneedis something that makes you say heck yeah Awantis something that would be nice to do, but isnt necessary, so base the decision on your values and priorities and make the call.But sometimes you feel like you have to do it. This happens when youre suffering from the disease to please others. Its considered a disease when you continuously choose others well-being over yours. When you make choices based on your VPs, its easier to sayAbsolutely notto others and Heck yeah to youIts easier to sway between work and life when you use this guideline. Youll spend less timehemming and hawing over whether you should sway and just do it.Once you start implementing these ideas, youll feel empowered. Swaying is easier than balance. Life gets easier when you use your VPs to make decisions. Your support system will have your back when you sway. Last, but not least, say heck yeah to a work/life sway mentality and forget about the old balancing act.--Liz McGrory is a certified professional coach supporting working moms make audacious choices about their work life balance. Shes a speaker, author, the Working Mom Expert on About.com and a working mom coach at The Maven Clinic.Fairygodboss is committed to improving the workplace and lives of women. Join us by reviewing your employer

Why Everyone Is Mistaken Regarding Resume Writing with Volunteer Experience and Why You Absolutely Must View This Article

Why Everyone Is Mistaken Regarding Resume Writing with Volunteer Experience and Why You Absolutely Must View This Article Resume Writing with Volunteer Experience - Is it a Scam? Therefore, writing an excellent letter must be your objective to become noticed from the recruiter. Cover letter advisors who will produce a productive job application. Contact meCandace, should you need help writing your beginning teacher resumeapplication letter or another job search document. Experience easy-to-use format makes it possible for you to list your areas of proficiency and clearly establish the way you can add to the particular school. New Ideas Into Resume Writing with Volunteer Experience Never Before Revealed Its basically fantastic for job applicants that do stay in a specific company and at the particular exact same time precisely the very same quantity of employment. You will need experience to have a job but you will need a job to acquire experience. Resume for it job free of experience. You are going to learn numerous the particular skills at both places. Mention your applicable abilities and prevent including negative phrases even in the event you dont match all of the job demands. A scarcity of job experience doesnt mean a deficiency of work experience. The more experience you may find the better. If youve recently graduated and have no working experience in any respect, you wish to sell yourself. Introducing Resume Writing with Volunteer Experience The experience a situation rather than face an issue. Fear not, states Matt Krumrie. There are times you require to admit that something isnt right and handle it. Before you can begin composing a resume, you are likely to need to select if the functional or arrangement will do the job right for you. At length, the business should promise to make because many revisions and edits as essential to produce sure you love your new resume. Cover letters are a significant section of the application pr ocedure, and an awesome means to be certain your resume talks for you in addition to your abilities. Its essential to musiknote that pricing isnt everything in regards to developing an executive resume, and to select the writer. You will want to a cover. Some conduct a telephone interview. Each time you leave job, its important to receive a recommendation letter from your existing employer, to present to your next employer. Fortunately, in the region of design, your occupation isnt represented by just a resume. Find strategies to demonstrate achievement in your volunteer work and whatever you do. The most significant thing is to showcase abilities and duties that closely relate to the job that youre pursuing. To prevent any confusion, always allow it to be clear when you performed a job for a volunteer. Finding your very own first job out of college can be difficult, but hope your fantasy job is out there. Top Resume Writing with Volunteer Experience Choices Totally fr ee online resume builder enables you to make a perfect resume minutes. When youre looking at their samples, search for quality and variation. You may use the search function to discover a photograph of your alternative with no doubt you could choose the picture free. Therefore, when a different tender record has to be drifted, a present template might be chosen. The Supreme Strategy for Resume Writing with Volunteer Experience One of the best aspects of online social networking forums is that all folks can join at no cost. Whenever you compose detailed info. It is possible to readily track down a resume writing sample on the internet or at several varied books. Dont be afraid to include as much info and detail as you wish to execute a oben liegend job search and remain along with your activities and progress.

Running in Place

Running in Place Running in Place Running in PlaceThey are obscure today, but there was a time when Glenn Cunningham, Arne Andersson, and Gunder Hgg were household names. Those men, and dozens like them, were probing the boundaries of human performance as they sought to become the first person to andrang a mile in less than four minutes. After twenty years of gradually inching closer to the mark, the feat was finally accomplished on May 6, 1954, by the British runner Roger Bannister, who then held the world record for all of 46 days.Over the past couple decades, engineers who designed and developed combine-cycle gas turbine generating plants have pursued their own records. Those plants comprise a Brayton-cycle gas turbine which sends its hot exhaust to a boiler to make steam to drive a Rankine-cycle electric power steam turbine. Thus, such plants wring two units of work from one unit of fuel.By themselves, the largest single-cycle gas turbines are astonishingly efficient, with therma l efficiencies in the 30-to-40 percent range, going as high as 44 percent. But for years the goal for combined-cycle plants was to reach a thermal efficiency of 60 percent, which is about twice the efficiency of a standard steam turbine plant. As the major manufacturers in the market for gas turbines for electric generation, Siemens and General Electric poured money into the chase and put their reputations on the line.The mark was finally set by Siemens at a plant in Irsching, Germany, in 2011, where the combined cycle SCC5-800H unit reached a thermal efficiency of 60.75 percent, with an electrical output of 578 MW.The technology continues to improve, as does the output. Last year, General Electric reported 62.22 percent for its 9HA.01 combine cycle plant in Bouchain, France, with an output of 594 MW. And now manufacturers are targeting 65 percent thermal efficiency, approaching thermodynamic limits set by Carnot.Even now, however, behauptung large combined-cycle gas turbine units a re the most efficient heat engines in mankinds thermodynamic history. As technological and engineering feats, those efficiency marks are impressive.Looking at the current and future course of the gas turbine industry, however, there are signs that record-breaking efficiency together with rock-bottom operating costs will not be enough to actually grow the electric generation portion of the market.High and MightyTo get full sense of the direction of the industrynot just for electric power generation but also for marine and mechanical applications and jet engines for commercial and military aviationeach year I turn to Forecast International, a market research firm in Newton, Conn. FI computes for me a financial picture of the gas turbine industry, its history, current state, and forecasted future.Using its computer models and extensive data base, FIs Stuart Slade has computed the value of worldwide gas turbine manufacturing production from 1991 to 2016, and has predicted values to 2031 . (FI considers production figures to be mora accurate than reported sales.)In 2016, for instance, FI calculated the value of production for the total aviation market to be $66 tausend milliarden, a small increase over the $65.6 calculated for 2015. That flat growth is due to a split in the two major sectors in the aviation market. The value of production for military aviation, where many innovations are first proven, declined to $7.5 1000000000000 in 2016, from $8 1000000000000 the year before and $8.4 billion in 2014. Far larger is the commercial aviation sector, and that saw steady growth, to $58.6 billion in 2016 from $57.6 billion in 2015 and $56.4 billion the year before that. Indeed, commercial aviation accounts for more than 75 percent of the total gas turbine market.Whats more, that share is projected to rise, due to the booming market in commercial airliners. Between them, Boeing and Airbus built more than 1,400 aircraft last year, and about a third the price tag for each plane was devoted to the cost of the jet engines. FI projects that the worldwide value of production for commercial aviation gas turbines will increase by 33 percent over the next 13 years to reach $80 billion in 2030. The Economist reported recently that analysts believe engine companies will see more than $1 trillion in sales over the next two decades, and Forecast Internationals projections suggest that this is a conservative estimate.If the projection for the jet engine market and the rest of the gas turbine industry are on the mark, by 2030 commercial aviation will account for 82 percent of the total value of production.Right now, the major engine manufacturers are competing to win contracts for the latest single-aisle aircraft, the Airbus A320neo and Boeing 737MAX. Two new fuel efficient turbofan jet engines are dominating the Pratt Whitney geared fan PW1100G and the CFM International LEAP, each in the 20,000-to-30,000-pound thrust range.Airlines are reporting some problems w ith the new engines, but nothing major. For instance, some early versions of the PW1100G engine required longer start-up times, but that issue seems to have been resolved. There have been no problems reported with the new, innovative fan drive gear system.The promise of behauptung new engines is greater efficiency, and both the PW1100G and the LEAP engines are meeting that promise. Airlines flying those new engines are reporting fuel savings of 15 percent on shorter flights and up to 20 percent on longer flights. Some are able to add new destinationsbecause of aircrafts longer range with these fuel efficient engines. This, combined with significant engine noise reduction (especially with the PW geared fan) is a technological win-win.Reversal of FortuneWhile the outlook for commercial aviation gas turbines is bright, the non-aviation segment is decidedly clouded. According to Forecast International, production of gas turbines for marine systems such as cruise ships has grown rapidly after a sharp decline in the Great Recession and the value stood at $580.9 million last year. Mechanical drives, such as those used along natural gas pipelines to power compression stations, had a value of production of $1.7 billion in 2016, about 2 percent less than the year before.The largest portion of the non-aviation sector is made up of the electric power gas turbines we lauded at the beginning of this article. FIs data shows that the value of production for the electric power gas turbines was $8.8 billion in 2016, down from $9.8 billion in 2015.This level of production is a stark departure from the robust projections from a few years ago, and Forecast International has even revised its value of production data from the previous few years based on production figures reported by manufacturers. The value of production was higher than previously reported before 2012, but is markedly lower since. In fact, the value of production in 2016 was almost $10 billion less than what FI pro jected this time last year.Whats more, the projections for gas turbines produced for electric generation are now similarly revised downward, erasing an astonishing $123 billion in value of production. Such revisionsand revised prospectsdont occur without reason. Based on input from FIs Stu Slade and other data, I believe that there are several interlinked trends affecting orders.To start with, while analysts have focused on the growing demand for electricity worldwidea demand that gas turbines are poised to meetthe average output of each individual gas turbine unit is also increasing, and at a rate thats faster than that of electricity demand. This means that the requirement for additional power can be met by fewer individual units, Slade said. The growth of electricity demand is not translating into a proportional demand for new plants.Next, the remarkable efficiency of combined-cycle plants is working against gas turbine production. The extra power that a combined-cycle plant can wring from a given unit of fuel comes from the addition of a steam-generation system and steam turbine, not a gas turbine. While that efficiency is good for utilities and great for the environment, it reduces the number of gas turbines that must be produced to generate the same amount of electricity.There are a couple extrinsic factors, as well. According to Slade, in Europe and other parts of the world, the heavy emphasis on reducing emissions and resource consumption has resulted in large subsidies for the renewables sector. Indeed, Slade said, these subsidies are so great that it forces conventional power generation to be operated at a loss under certain situations.As a result, new gas turbine power generation facilities have been mothballed on completion without ever generating a wattenmeer of power. A few years ago when I toured the Irsching power plant in Germany, a representative of E.ON, the plants owner, told me that they were running it only a few hours a day in response t o the unfavorable German rate structure.In the longer term, Slade said, increasing power demand will be met by opening up these mothballed plants, thus causing the medium-term dip in demand. In effect, there is a bow-wave of reserve capacity that is limiting demand.Finally, in spite of reports to the contrary, coal power is not dead. Many countries in Eastern Europe and Asia still rely on their coal resources and build coal-fired power plants when they need to add generating capacity. In the United States, the uncertainty over the long-term policy toward coal power has raised the prospect of plant owners essentially running their coal-powered generating assets into the ground, producing as much cheap (but dirty) power as they can, while they can.All of this impacts the prospects for the gas turbine market.The Case for OptimismIn recent years, the use of gas turbines for electric generation has had many boosters, myself included. The energy writer Vaclav Smil once listed the laudable aspects of gas turbines, among them They are exceptionally reliable and relatively easy to maintain their service is almost instantly available they can reach full load within a few minutes and hence are perfect for covering peak load or other sudden fluctuations in demand because they are air cooled, they (unlike steam turbogenerators) do not require any arrangements for water cooling.It is difficult to dispute that gas turbines provide some of the cheapest dispatchable power available to grid managers. The U.S. Energy Information Administration recently tabulated the latest estimates of costs of new U.S. electrical power plants, giving values of averaged levelized and overnight costs. Levelized cost of electricity represents the per-kilowatt hour cost of building and operating a new generating plant over an assumed financial life and duty cycle, thus giving an average cost of generating electricity over a period of years. Overnight cost per kilowatt is the cost of a construction project (i.e. the power plant) if no interest is incurred during construction, as if the project was completed overnight.The EIA looked at both simple and combined-cycle gas turbine power plants burning natural gas, as well as conventional coal and nuclear plants and renewables such as wind, solar, and hydroelectricity. Both types of gas turbine plants were cheaper to build (based on overnight costs) than any other power source, around half the cost of renewables, one-third the cost of a new coal plant, and at least one-sixth the cost of a nuclear plant. In terms of levelized cost of energy, combined cycle plants edged out all others, including windeven though wind turbines have no fuel costsand were about 40 percent cheaper than coal plants.Gas turbine power plants also have the advantage of dispatchability which wind, hydroelectric, and solar often do not. A recent econometric study of renewable electric power implementation, led by David Popp at Syracuse University, concluded tha t in the 26 countries they looked at, the use of fast-reacting fossil technologies such as gas turbines to hedge against variability of electrical supply made it more likely to result in the successful investment and use of renewables.The takeaway here is that gas turbine power plants are cost effective and can provide a necessary backup to the variability of renewable power plants. To me, all that argues for better prospects for gas turbines in the electric generation sector than Forecast International projects. The electric grid is going to be ever more unsettled as new blocks of intermittent power are added. Gas turbines combine low cost and fast reaction time in a way that will enable the grid to handle winds dying down unexpectedly or unpredicted heavy clouds diminishing solar power output.Even so, these revisions are a valuable lesson to engineers not to let their enthusiasm for a technology run ahead of the market forces that shape what does and doesnt get built.

Death to the consumer mentality How to start fattening your wallet

Death to the consumer mentality How to start fattening your walletDeath to the consumer mentality How to start fattening your walletAt some point, you may have come across the term consumer mentality.Its the mindplatzset many of us have, whether we realize it or leid.And its no surprise that consumption of material items become so important to us, when advertisements are ingrained in our DNA from the moment we are born.According to Forbes, digital absatzwirtschaft experts estimate that fruchtwein Americans are exposed to around 4,000 to 10,000 ads each day.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moraAnd as someone who works in marketing full-time, I see the value of advertising, but also think its a bit out of hand too.However, I think that is only a piece to our mostly-developed consumer mentalities.What is the consumer mentality?The consumer mentality is simple and most can agree it typic ally has a negative connotation to it.But what does it really mean to have this mindset?I think there are two parts to the consumer mentality.To me, part one is about owning and having material items or constantly consuming the latest and greatest.We want the latest, the newest, and the largest, otherwise we lose interest fast.But this triggers the vicious cycle of constantly spending money to fulfill those consumption desires.You may have even come across this quote or other variations (it was in the movieFight Clubin a variation of the below), which holds even more truth today than ever before.Too many people spend money they havent earned to buy things they dont want, to impress people they dont like.- Will RogersBesides just wanting to fill the void of becoming bored with ansicht possessions, its usually also to do a few other thingsKeep up with the joneses (aka not get left behind what others have)Fulfill some instant gratification (I need it now)Need to impress others of all my things (showing off)Addicted to spending and shopping (Oniomania)And for part two of the consumer mentality, its that your only interest is to just consume, forgetting the notion that you should be producing too.Meaning there is a lack of restricting your spending and zero thought about where money should go outside of living expenses, bills, and buying depreciating assets for temporary satisfaction.Should you stop consuming?This isnt to say you should stop consuming completely as it does keep the economy running when people are buying.Consuming and spending keeps businesses open and the money machine turning.But Im also not an economist or well-versed in this area, so I wont pretend I know everything about how the economy works.Plus, why shouldnt you treat yourself occasionally?Buying something you like or upgrading possessions with your hard-earned money is your prerogative to do so.And not everyone needs to adopt aminimalist lifestyleto be financially savvy.Instead, learning t o prioritize when to spend will be key.What I do know is, the personal finances in America are generally pretty bad.I think a big portion of this (outside of ourstudent debtcrisis and fast rising inflation) is having too much of a consumer mentality.I mean, just look at some of thesepersonal finance statisticsto get a taste of what is going on.20% of Americans dont save any of their annual income at all and even those who do save arent putting away a lot.(CNBC)43% of Americans spend more than they receive each month borrow and use credit cards to finance the shortfall.(Federal Reserve)Transition to the investor mentalityHaving an extreme consumer mentality can put your finances into some serious trouble.Whether that is excess consumer debt, spending more than you make, not having an emergency fund for unexpected situations, or just not prepping for your future (retirement savings, for example).And breaking the consumer mentality is also not easy, especially if youve been in this tra p for years.Its going to take work to break the consumer habit, but transitioning to the investor mentality will be key for building your financial stability and potential wealth.Putting bad financial habits to rest can take you a short time or may take a lot longer with some minor consumer relapses.Its okay, because making any effort at all and realizing your consumer mentality is a problem, puts you light years ahead of the vast majority.So why is the investor mentality the way to go?Helps you build and save money (Fattening your wallet and bank account)Eliminates high interest consumer debt (and keeps the debt off)Creates more financial stabilityBuilds long-term wealth for your futureHelps you get unstuck financiallyThe steps to develop the investor mentalityAs Ive stated above, spending money in moderation is okay.Additionally, not everyone needs to be an extreme investor where you become some expert or guru.Instead, you should be adopting an investor mindset from the broad sens e to minimize your consumption and increase production of assets that will help youbuild wealth.When I was working on fixing my mindset, I was actually stuck between a consumer and investor mentality.I was never a huge consumer (I like nice things and still do, but rarely buy things for myself), but also was not approaching things with an investor mindset (other than contributing to a basic 401k).Nothing below is rocket science or any special secrets.Like most of my content, its straightforward advice.But, these were the steps that helped me develop an investor mentality.Actually make it a priority to make changes If you dont dedicate time or prioritize breaking the consumer mentality, its not going to happen.You are shifting your entire mindset when you want to think like an investor and its not something you can passively do and expect results.Like most things in life, you need towant itandwilling to worktowards your goal.See where all your money is going As you get started, you m ust figure out where all your money is currently going.This means making a budget, make use of otherpersonal finance tools, and keep track of money coming in and going out.Without this picture, youre trying to make changes in the dark.For you to begin the investor mindset, you have to be managing your finances with precision.Evaluate why you feel the need to consume You also need to get a good look in the mirror as well and figure out why you feel the need to consume.What feelings does making purchases do for you?How do you feel after?What is the driving force behind any excess consumption?Find the reasoning for your consumer mindset.It may not fix everything, but it can help you understand the whys when you start to evaluate.Focus on what financial goals you may have If you start making financial goals and focus on making your goals a reality, it can help you shape your investor mindset.Of course, there is no guarantee because your mentality and commitment to your goals has to exis t too.But by creating goals, writing them down, and setting a plan in motion, it can help stay the course and focused on them.Start reading investing books A great way to break the consumer mentality is to start reading some investing and money books.These open your mind and makes it easy to learn about great financial habits.And not all investing books are overly complicated or difficult to read.I think one of the best books to start with isRich Dad, Poor Dad. A simple, yet informative book that set the groundwork for my shift to an investor mentality.Practice asking yourself questions Besides the above, youll need to begin thinking like an investor and ask yourself some questions when it comes to purchases.This habit wont happen overnight, but make it a note to practice.What do I mean?Well here are some examplesInstead asking, How much does it cost?ask Whats my rate of return?Instead of saying, I cant afford to invest state, I cant afford to not investInstead of saying, Ill worry about it later, state, Ill set myself up now, so I dont have to worry laterInstead of saying, Look at what I can buy now, you should be saying, Look what my money can do for meThose are just some examples, but you should approach purchases and your money with strategy and how it benefits you in the long run.Final thoughtsMy aggressive title, Death to the Consumer Mentality was meant to catch your eye.Again, I may be playing too much with a clickbait-type of title considering I dont think ALL consumption should die out.However, I find our society as a whole has a consumer mentality problem that needs to transition into an investor mentality.The financial troubles and some of data of our society is enough to backup that observation.And I totally understand not everyone has the means currently to become an investor, even in the broader sense of the term.But, we all have the opportunity to break the consumer mentality and get on a financial path of more financial stability and growth.Yo u also shouldnt feel expected to be the next investing titan like Warren Buffett or that you should never buy anything for yourself ever again.But you should make it a priority to learn what brings you joy and how to set yourself up for a better financial life.This article originally appeared on Invested Wallet.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

3 Areas Where Your Communication Skills Matter the Most

3 Areas Where Your Communication Skills Matter the Most 3 Areas Where Your Communication Skills Matter the Most One story I tell in my workshops is about how a former customer of mine improved communications between two warring departments. He told me that these groups were almost literally at war with each other and just couldnt play well together.He further explained that he would call members of the groups together and make them talk to each other.I also observed their body language and facial expressions, he said. If I elendiced hostility, Id mention it and tell them I could see their hostility. Did I make them kiss and make up? No. But it almost got to that point.This story illustrates how communication is crucial in a work environment. Its also crucial while youre in school and during your job search. Basically, youre always on.If you havent given thought to your communications, you should consider the following three areas where its essential to your success.At SchoolUnivers ity is the beginning of the rest of your life, as the clich goes. Therefore, its important that you strengthen your verbal and written communication skills. And you dont have to major in communications to do this.Your Verbal CommunicationsTake advantage of any opportunities you have to present in front of a group. As scary as it may seem, you will be better prepared for the workforce. Try to ignore your fear and think aboutthis as a challenge instead.Youre not only communicating with your mouth, though youre also communicating with your body language, facial expressions, and voice intonation. The mora animated you are (within reason) the better your message will come across. Some believe that effective communications is at least 90 percent or more physical presentation.Your Written CommunicationsWhen you write expository papers for your classes, put your best effort forth. Be concise, butinformative. The working world prefers when ideas presented in writing are as brief as possible. This includes emails, proposals, marketing literature, whitepapers, etc. I remember a marketing manager saying to me, Brevity is the key to success. She was right.Youll learn that when you leave college and enter your job search, your success will depend on your marketing campaign. This will include your written and verbal communications. Dont focus on only one form of communication. Practice it all.During the Job SearchNetworking will be a valuable activity duringyour job search, and itrequires excellent communication skills. Its through networking that you canpenetrate the hidden job market, which is a topic in itself. Your goal is to become known to the people who matter.Important forms of communication include your ability to articulate your talents and your goals. Its also important to listen to the people with whom youre networking.Listening is a key component of communications. Ive been to networking events where I felt like a sounding board. Dont do that to others.Once your networking has led you to the decision makers of organizations, its time to put your written communication skills to use. Write resumes (plural) that speak to the needs of employers. Create a strong online presence with your LinkedIn profile.The interview will arrive after youve put your efforts into networking and writing strong marketing documents. Its at the interview that youll have to shine via youranswers to the tough questions. Youll have to come across as confident and affable. Youll have to demonstrate your verbal communication skills.Dont forget aboutbody language and facial expressions. Appear relaxed but not too relaxed to the point where youre slumping in your chairsmile when appropriate and maintain eye contact to show youre interested.At WorkCongratulations, you landed a job Now,your communication skills will help you in performing well and progressing through the ranks. Your colleagues and supervisors will expect you to be articulate and clear when presenting ideas. Company meetings are a great example of how important it is to present clear ideas. Lets say you have to report on the social marketing campaign youre working on. The group of 20people in front of you including the director of the organization want to know the specifics of the project.To your credit, youve come prepared. You walk to the center of the room (dont sit) to deliver your PowerPoint presentation. You flick through each slide, talking about how youll employ Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to promote the organization.Your body language demonstrates confidence, the tone of your voice is upbeat, you smile, and you communicate effectively with your hands. You notice that the director is smiling and nodding while youre talking.Bringing It All TogetherCommunication constantly ranks high on employers lists of essential skills. Its no secret why, given these three areas where communication matters.How youre graded in school relies on how well you present your projects and how wel l you write your papers. Your success in the job search depends on your ability to network, write your marketing literature, and acethe interview. Finally, your communication skills will come in handy when you areactually in the workforce, doingyour job.Bob McIntosh, CPRW, is a career trainer who leads more than 15 job search workshops at an urban career center.

How to Write a Modern Resume for Todays Job Search

How to Write a Modern Resume for Todays Job SearchHow to Write a Modern Resume for Todays Job SearchSo What Is the Modern Resume?You wouldnt wear outdated clothing, so why leave your resume behind the times?So what is the modern resume? Or more importantly, how does the modern resume compare to the traditional resume. The differences are certainly tangible and focus primarily on content development, brevity, and SEO optimization.LengthTraditional resumes or CVs can vary in sortiment or length. Many have deciphered that the typical length of a traditional resume can hover around 2 to 3 pages. However, in the modern day, resumes are aimed to be about 1 page in length for entry-level to mid-level roles and 2 pages for executive-style templates.With respect to Functional and Federal Resumes, the parameters of unterstellung formats remain the same. Typically a functional resume is constructed differently and never surpasses one page. A federal resume can often accumulate information and c ontent in excess of four pages.Format and styleThe modern industry standard calls for more comprehensive formats. With this being established, it is essential to trim the fat off of resumes to optimize content. This begins with the removal of objectives and references which have been all but deemed outdated. These two portions have been removed to insert more comprehensive content, including a career summary and areas of expertise.First, it is imperative to insert a career summary. Career summaries are 2-4 lines typically, building and expanding on basic objectives that can add up to 2 lines. Next, authors can elect to insert 6 to 9 Areas of Expertise utilizing SEO hot words to improve visibility on major resume hosting sites.After these two portions, a professional experience section listing 5 to 15 years of relevant and previous experience is optimal. The idea is to get the document to one page, so entry-level and mid-level applicants should be able to achieve this. If not, it is the best practice to utilize the most pertinent details to drive the content development of the resume. It is also important to leave room for an Education and Credentials section to wrap up the resume. This is the area where education, training, certifications, and awards are compiled and listed. This is essential as these components become the focus, as they serve to be rudimentary qualifications in many instances.SEOBelieve it or not, this marketing principle has been adapted to the modern resume. As mentioned, many recruiters search for specific keywords or terms in finding their ideal candidates. To complement this, many applicants strategically implement SEO terms or hot keywords to increase visibility in highly competitive markets and heavily populated resume hosting sites. These terms are a must add to any resume and are ideal for the innovative Areas of Expertise section on any resume.In the modern era, resumes have evolved to reflect the times. The modern resume is more so phisticated but less extensive. It is more comprehensive but broad in focus and application. How does the modern resume compare to the traditional resume? The differences are certainly significant. From content development to SEO optimization, the modern resume has distinct features that aid job seekers in competing in a globally competitive market.