Personal Branding for Technical Professionals - Your Career Intel

Personal Branding for Technical Professionals - Your Career IntelThe concept of branding yourself should be a familiar one you probably think about it as something that public figures do to shape the way they are perceived by the masses.But what if youre not a public figure and you dont care about what the masses think about you? What if youre a professional in a technical field who wants to shape how people in your industry think about you? Do you need to know how to brand yourself? The answer is a resounding YES.Branding yourself or rebranding yourself is about controlling the way you are perceived and positioning yourself in a way that will help you achieve goals. As a senior partner at Lucas Group placing technical professionals, I have identified several unique elements of branding yourself in small technical industries. Here is what you should knowYou already have a brand (even if you dont know it)When you work in a small field, you already have a reputation. You need to thi nk carefully about how you are already perceived before trying to establish a personal brand, and its essential to be honest with yourself. Ask a few trusted colleagues for adjectives they would use to describe you and what they consider to be your strengths. If any of the answers surprise you, give some thought to why that is the case.Its important to manage your expectations if you are trying to alter the way you are perceived. That takes time and consistency, but its well worth the effort.Take care of yourselfTechnical fields can be demanding and stressful. But bringing positive energy to your work is one of the best things you can do for your personal brand. Colleagues pick up on negative energy even when you think youre hiding it. Make the time to exercise, spend time with your family, and pursue hobbies. By taking care of yourself it will help you to be someone people enjoy being around and someone people want to work with.Always take the high roadThere is an old Russian sayi ng, Do not spit into a well you might have to drink from it. In small industries, word spreads fast. Treating people poorly, improper resignation, and being combative in the face of conflict will always come back to bite you. You want to be someone known for providing solutions, not creating problems.Dont over apply to jobsWhen it comes to applying for jobs, less is more. If it gets around that you are applying to jobs all over the distributions-mix either because you are uploading your resume on job sites or emailing loads of people that is negative branding. It reads as desperate, it calls your skill set into question, and it decreases the likelihood that you will be compensated properly once you get an offer. Be discreet and selective during a job search.Focus your initial branding efforts internallyIn most fields, you would start building a public profile with social media, blogging and networking events, then work your way up to white papers, articles and speaking appearances . Small, technical fields are a bit different you have to earn the opportunity to appear at networking events and to put your personenname on papers and patents.Focus your efforts on becoming the go-to person for solutions within your company first. Volunteer for special projects. When you are sought out with technical questions, invest your time in talking to people. When you have great ideas, run them by people. By driving discussion, you increase your visibility. Managers will reward you by including your name on patents and asking you to attend special events and thats the beginning of branding on a larger scale.Remember that a personal brand has to be continually reinforced to be effective, so stay consistent and watch your career blossom.What other techniques have you used to brand yourself? Share your tips and tricks.

Gifts for Job Seekers Holiday Gift Guide for Your Job Seeking Friends

Gifts for Job Seekers Holiday Gift Guide for Your Job Seeking FriendsPosted on December 15, 2016October 23, 2018 by James Hu Searching and applying for jobs can be overwhelming and tedious. You may know of a friend or relative whos looking for a new job and could use some assistance. The holiday season is a great time to offer a toxikum to help them improve their resume for job applications in the new year.Consider this your holiday guide to gifts for job seekers in your life. The following are all useful ideas that will assist any family or friends that are looking for a new job or to expand their professional skills.1. Resume Editing and einstellungsgesprch Coaching ServicesProfessional resume and interview assistance are among the best gifts you can give to a job seeker. A professionally written resume, for example, can help a job seeker to expertly word, organize, and format their resume so that it gets past a companys applicant tracking system. Getting past the applicant trackin g system means a better chance of an interview.Professional resume and job support services are offered from Noelle Gross, Debra Wheatman, and Amie Thompson. Some of their career resources include cover letter and resume help, interview coaching, networking advice, and guides and workshops about advancing a career. These types of services can serve as a beneficial gift for your family or friend, who may be uncomfortable with peer-editing or afraid to ask for professional job assistance.2. LinkedIn PremiumHelp the job seeker in your life upgrade a basic LinkedIn account with a premium membership. This gift is a great tool during the holiday season because companies typically receive fewer job applications in December. Its a great time for a job seeker to improve their resume and send out applications since competition is low. LinkedIn Premium will show them how to improve their resume for recruiters, how they compare to other applicants for a position, and who is interested in their profile. It will also provide them with advanced search tools. This way, your friend or family member can stand out from the crowd before theflood of January applications.The tools and benefits of LinkedIn Premium for job seekers.3. Jobscan PremiumThis is a more affordable gift alternative to a professional editing or coaching service. You can give the job seeker a Jobscan Premium account. This gift can help them to improve their resume by boosting their chances of making it past a companys automated applicant tracking system. The first month is free, so you can give them a few months to use this tool. As a holiday gift, theyll be able to optimize their resume before the surge of January applicants, which will increase their chances of landing an initial interview.4. Online EducationGive the gift of an verbunden education this holiday season. An online class is a great way for a job seeker to learn new skills toenhance their resume. New skills will help increase their chances of get ting a new job. Send your family or friend a gift subscription to an online educational service like Lynda or Udemy, or give them a gift card to pay for a class or two. An online class can help them break into a new industry or learn new, in-demand skills (such as how to code or use Adobe Photoshop). Online education shows employers that they are actively improving their resume for 2017 job applications.5. Professional AttireWhat someone wears for a job interview shows their level of professionalism, respect for the company, and maybe even an element of their personality. Its an opportunity to make that first great impression and increase their chances of getting hired. Unfortunately, business attire can often be expensive, even during the holiday sale season. Items to consider include a suit, a tie, slacks, a collared shirt, dress shoes, a sweater, a shift dress or pencil skirt, or a blazer. Gap and J.Crew are great stores for finding professional attire. Worried about size or gett ing the right item for your family member or friend? If a gift receipt wont do, a store gift card is another option.facebook inc Commentswpdevar_comment_1 span,wpdevar_comment_1 iframewidth100% important

What Is the Value of a Company Car

What Is the Value of a Company Car Search What Is the Value of a Company Car? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQMy company recently decided to eliminate company cars as a perk for any employee. Since they have always maintained that the benefit was part of my compensation, I want to ask for a comparable amount of salary increase as a replacement for the loss. Ive done a substantial amount of research and cannot find any good rules of thumb for determining the value of a company car benefit. How likely am I to get them to simply deckblatt the cost of my monthly car payment on the replacement vehicle? Any ideas on the value of such a benefit?AYou may not be able to receive the monetary value of yur car if the car was a benefit that was not required for you to perform the primary responsibilities of yur job. In other words, if yure a sales representative and you need a car to meet and sell yur company products then you may be in a much better position to demand for the value of the car.However, there is no rule of thumb when it comes to the value of a car. It typically depends on what kind of car your company leases on your behalf. If the standard car for an employee is a mid-sized American car then the value of the car can sortiment from $10K to $18K. Nevertheless, if your company has decided to eliminate its company car as a company benefit, it could be that they can no longer afford to offer it to their employees. In that case, asking them to adjust your base salary to reflect the loss in your company car may not be worth your while. You may want to consider asking for other noncompensatory benefits such as extra vacation time, tuition reimbursement, or stock options. Good luck.Related Salary.com Content 8 College Degrees With the Worst Return on Investment 5 Tips to Productively Decline a Raise Request Dream Job Pyrotechnician From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles Benefits What Is the Value of a Company Car?What Is the Value of a Company Car Search What Is the Value of a Company Car? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQMy company recently decided to eliminate company cars as a perk for any employee. Since they have always maintained that the benefit was part of my compensation, I want to ask for a comparable amount of salary increase as a replacement for the loss. Ive done a substantial amount of research and cannot find any good rules of thumb for determining the value of a company car benefit. How likely am I to get them to simply titelbild the cost of my monthly car payment on the replacement vehicle? Any ideas on the value of such a benefit?AYou may not be able to receive the monetary value of your car if the car was a benefit that was not required for you to perform the primary responsibilities of your job. In other words, if youre a sales representative and you need a car to meet and sell your company products then you may be in a much b etter position to demand for the value of the car.However, there is no rule of thumb when it comes to the value of a car. It typically depends on what kind of car your company leases on your behalf. If the standard car for an employee is a mid-sized American car then the value of the car can sortiment from $10K to $18K. Nevertheless, if your company has decided to eliminate its company car as a company benefit, it could be that they can no longer afford to offer it to their employees. In that case, asking them to adjust your base salary to reflect the loss in your company car may not be worth your while. You may want to consider asking for other noncompensatory benefits such as extra vacation time, tuition reimbursement, or stock options. Good luck.Related Salary.com Content 8 College Degrees With the Worst Return on Investment 5 Tips to Productively Decline a Raise Request Dream Job Pyrotechnician From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles Benefits What Is the Value of a Company Car?What Is the Value of a Company Car Search What Is the Value of a Company Car? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQMy company recently decided to eliminate company cars as a perk for any employee. Since they have always maintained that the benefit was part of my compensation, I want to ask for a comparable amount of salary increase as a replacement for the loss. Ive done a substantial amount of research and cannot find any good rules of thumb for determining the value of a company car benefit. How likely am I to get them to simply titelblatt the cost of my monthly car payment on the replacement vehicle? Any ideas on the value of such a benefit?AYou may not be able to receive the monetary value of your car if the car was a benefit that was not required for you to perform the primary responsibilities of your job. In other words, if youre a sales representative and you need a car to meet and sell your company pr oducts then you may be in a much better position to demand for the value of the car.However, there is no rule of thumb when it comes to the value of a car. It typically depends on what kind of car your company leases on your behalf. If the standard car for an employee is a mid-sized American car then the value of the car can sortiment from $10K to $18K. Nevertheless, if your company has decided to eliminate its company car as a company benefit, it could be that they can no longer afford to offer it to their employees. In that case, asking them to adjust your base salary to reflect the loss in your company car may not be worth your while. You may want to consider asking for other noncompensatory benefits such as extra vacation time, tuition reimbursement, or stock options. Good luck.Related Salary.com Content 8 College Degrees With the Worst Return on Investment 5 Tips to Productively Decline a Raise Request Dream Job Pyrotechnician From our trusted Partners Fro m our trusted Partners Home Articles Benefits What Is the Value of a Company Car?What Is the Value of a Company Car Search What Is the Value of a Company Car? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQMy company recently decided to eliminate company cars as a perk for any employee. Since they have always maintained that the benefit was part of my compensation, I want to ask for a comparable amount of salary increase as a replacement for the loss. Ive done a substantial amount of research and cannot find any good rules of thumb for determining the value of a company car benefit. How likely am I to get them to simply titelseite the cost of my monthly car payment on the replacement vehicle? Any ideas on the value of such a benefit?AYou may not be able to receive the monetary value of your car if the car was a benefit that was not required for you to perform the primary responsibilities of your job. In other words, if youre a sales representative and you need a ca r to meet and sell your company products then you may be in a much better position to demand for the value of the car.However, there is no rule of thumb when it comes to the value of a car. It typically depends on what kind of car your company leases on your behalf. If the standard car for an employee is a mid-sized American car then the value of the car can sortiment from $10K to $18K. Nevertheless, if your company has decided to eliminate its company car as a company benefit, it could be that they can no longer afford to offer it to their employees. In that case, asking them to adjust your base salary to reflect the loss in your company car may not be worth your while. You may want to consider asking for other noncompensatory benefits such as extra vacation time, tuition reimbursement, or stock options. Good luck.Related Salary.com Content 8 College Degrees With the Worst Return on Investment 5 Tips to Productively Decline a Raise Request Dream Job Pyrotechnician F rom our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles Benefits What Is the Value of a Company Car?What Is the Value of a Company Car Search What Is the Value of a Company Car? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQMy company recently decided to eliminate company cars as a perk for any employee. Since they have always maintained that the benefit was part of my compensation, I want to ask for a comparable amount of salary increase as a replacement for the loss. Ive done a substantial amount of research and cannot find any good rules of thumb for determining the value of a company car benefit. How likely am I to get them to simply cover the cost of my monthly car payment on the replacement vehicle? Any ideas on the value of such a benefit?AYou may not be able to receive the monetary value of your car if the car was a benefit that was not required for you to perform the primary responsibilities of your job. In other words, if youre a sales rep resentative and you need a car to meet and sell your company products then you may be in a much better position to demand for the value of the car.However, there is no rule of thumb when it comes to the value of a car. It typically depends on what kind of car your company leases on your behalf. If the standard car for an employee is a mid-sized American car then the value of the car can range from $10K to $18K. Nevertheless, if your company has decided to eliminate its company car as a company benefit, it could be that they can no longer afford to offer it to their employees. In that case, asking them to adjust your base salary to reflect the loss in your company car may not be worth your while. You may want to consider asking for other noncompensatory benefits such as extra vacation time, tuition reimbursement, or stock options. Good luck.Related Salary.com Content 8 College Degrees With the Worst Return on Investment 5 Tips to Productively Decline a Raise Request Dream Jo b Pyrotechnician From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles Benefits What Is the Value of a Company Car?What Is the Value of a Company Car Search What Is the Value of a Company Car? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQMy company recently decided to eliminate company cars as a perk for any employee. Since they have always maintained that the benefit was part of my compensation, I want to ask for a comparable amount of salary increase as a replacement for the loss. Ive done a substantial amount of research and cannot find any good rules of thumb for determining the value of a company car benefit. How likely am I to get them to simply cover the cost of my monthly car payment on the replacement vehicle? Any ideas on the value of such a benefit?AYou may not be able to receive the monetary value of your car if the car was a benefit that was not required for you to perform the primary responsibilities of your job. In other wo rds, if youre a sales representative and you need a car to meet and sell your company products then you may be in a much better position to demand for the value of the car.However, there is no rule of thumb when it comes to the value of a car. It typically depends on what kind of car your company leases on your behalf. If the standard car for an employee is a mid-sized American car then the value of the car can range from $10K to $18K. Nevertheless, if your company has decided to eliminate its company car as a company benefit, it could be that they can no longer afford to offer it to their employees. In that case, asking them to adjust your base salary to reflect the loss in your company car may not be worth your while. You may want to consider asking for other noncompensatory benefits such as extra vacation time, tuition reimbursement, or stock options. Good luck.Related Salary.com Content 8 College Degrees With the Worst Return on Investment 5 Tips to Productively Decline a Raise Request Dream Job Pyrotechnician From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles Benefits What Is the Value of a Company Car?What Is the Value of a Company Car Search What Is the Value of a Company Car? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQMy company recently decided to eliminate company cars as a perk for any employee. Since they have always maintained that the benefit was part of my compensation, I want to ask for a comparable amount of salary increase as a replacement for the loss. Ive done a substantial amount of research and cannot find any good rules of thumb for determining the value of a company car benefit. How likely am I to get them to simply cover the cost of my monthly car payment on the replacement vehicle? Any ideas on the value of such a benefit?AYou may not be able to receive the monetary value of your car if the car was a benefit that was not required for you to perform the primary responsibilities of your job. In other words, if youre a sales representative and you need a car to meet and sell your company products then you may be in a much better position to demand for the value of the car.However, there is no rule of thumb when it comes to the value of a car. It typically depends on what kind of car your company leases on your behalf. If the standard car for an employee is a mid-sized American car then the value of the car can range from $10K to $18K. Nevertheless, if your company has decided to eliminate its company car as a company benefit, it could be that they can no longer afford to offer it to their employees. In that case, asking them to adjust your base salary to reflect the loss in your company car may not be worth your while. You may want to consider asking for other noncompensatory benefits such as extra vacation time, tuition reimbursement, or stock options. Good luck.Related Salary.com Content 8 College Degrees With the Worst Return on Investment 5 Tips to Productively Decline a Raise Request Dream Job Pyrotechnician From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles Benefits What Is the Value of a Company Car?What Is the Value of a Company Car Search What Is the Value of a Company Car? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQMy company recently decided to eliminate company cars as a perk for any employee. Since they have always maintained that the benefit was part of my compensation, I want to ask for a comparable amount of salary increase as a replacement for the loss. Ive done a substantial amount of research and cannot find any good rules of thumb for determining the value of a company car benefit. How likely am I to get them to simply cover the cost of my monthly car payment on the replacement vehicle? Any ideas on the value of such a benefit?AYou may not be able to receive the monetary value of your car if the car was a benefit that was not required for you to perform the primary responsibilities of your job. In other words, if youre a sales representative and you need a car to meet and sell your company products then you may be in a much better position to demand for the value of the car.However, there is no rule of thumb when it comes to the value of a car. It typically depends on what kind of car your company leases on your behalf. If the standard car for an employee is a mid-sized American car then the value of the car can range from $10K to $18K. Nevertheless, if your company has decided to eliminate its company car as a company benefit, it could be that they can no longer afford to offer it to their employees. In that case, asking them to adjust your base salary to reflect the loss in your company car may not be worth your while. You may want to consider asking for other noncompensatory benefits such as extra vacation time, tuition reimbursement, or stock options. Good luck.Related Salary.com Content 8 College Degrees With the Worst Retur n on Investment 5 Tips to Productively Decline a Raise Request Dream Job Pyrotechnician From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles Benefits What Is the Value of a Company Car?What Is the Value of a Company Car Search What Is the Value of a Company Car? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQMy company recently decided to eliminate company cars as a perk for any employee. Since they have always maintained that the benefit was part of my compensation, I want to ask for a comparable amount of salary increase as a replacement for the loss. Ive done a substantial amount of research and cannot find any good rules of thumb for determining the value of a company car benefit. How likely am I to get them to simply cover the cost of my monthly car payment on the replacement vehicle? Any ideas on the value of such a benefit?AYou may not be able to receive the monetary value of your car if the car was a benefit that was not requir ed for you to perform the primary responsibilities of your job. In other words, if youre a sales representative and you need a car to meet and sell your company products then you may be in a much better position to demand for the value of the car.However, there is no rule of thumb when it comes to the value of a car. It typically depends on what kind of car your company leases on your behalf. If the standard car for an employee is a mid-sized American car then the value of the car can range from $10K to $18K. Nevertheless, if your company has decided to eliminate its company car as a company benefit, it could be that they can no longer afford to offer it to their employees. In that case, asking them to adjust your base salary to reflect the loss in your company car may not be worth your while. You may want to consider asking for other noncompensatory benefits such as extra vacation time, tuition reimbursement, or stock options. Good luck.Related Salary.com Content 8 College Deg rees With the Worst Return on Investment 5 Tips to Productively Decline a Raise Request Dream Job Pyrotechnician From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles Benefits What Is the Value of a Company Car?What Is the Value of a Company Car Search What Is the Value of a Company Car? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQMy company recently decided to eliminate company cars as a perk for any employee. Since they have always maintained that the benefit was part of my compensation, I want to ask for a comparable amount of salary increase as a replacement for the loss. Ive done a substantial amount of research and cannot find any good rules of thumb for determining the value of a company car benefit. How likely am I to get them to simply cover the cost of my monthly car payment on the replacement vehicle? Any ideas on the value of such a benefit?AYou may not be able to receive the monetary value of your car if the car was a be nefit that was not required for you to perform the primary responsibilities of your job. In other words, if youre a sales representative and you need a car to meet and sell your company products then you may be in a much better position to demand for the value of the car.However, there is no rule of thumb when it comes to the value of a car. It typically depends on what kind of car your company leases on your behalf. If the standard car for an employee is a mid-sized American car then the value of the car can range from $10K to $18K. Nevertheless, if your company has decided to eliminate its company car as a company benefit, it could be that they can no longer afford to offer it to their employees. In that case, asking them to adjust your base salary to reflect the loss in your company car may not be worth your while. You may want to consider asking for other noncompensatory benefits such as extra vacation time, tuition reimbursement, or stock options. Good luck.Related Salary.com Content 8 College Degrees With the Worst Return on Investment 5 Tips to Productively Decline a Raise Request Dream Job Pyrotechnician From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles Benefits What Is the Value of a Company Car?What Is the Value of a Company Car Search What Is the Value of a Company Car? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQMy company recently decided to eliminate company cars as a perk for any employee. Since they have always maintained that the benefit was part of my compensation, I want to ask for a comparable amount of salary increase as a replacement for the loss. Ive done a substantial amount of research and cannot find any good rules of thumb for determining the value of a company car benefit. How likely am I to get them to simply cover the cost of my monthly car payment on the replacement vehicle? Any ideas on the value of such a benefit?AYou may not be able to receive the monetary value of you r car if the car was a benefit that was not required for you to perform the primary responsibilities of your job. In other words, if youre a sales representative and you need a car to meet and sell your company products then you may be in a much better position to demand for the value of the car.However, there is no rule of thumb when it comes to the value of a car. It typically depends on what kind of car your company leases on your behalf. If the standard car for an employee is a mid-sized American car then the value of the car can range from $10K to $18K. Nevertheless, if your company has decided to eliminate its company car as a company benefit, it could be that they can no longer afford to offer it to their employees. In that case, asking them to adjust your base salary to reflect the loss in your company car may not be worth your while. You may want to consider asking for other noncompensatory benefits such as extra vacation time, tuition reimbursement, or stock options. Goo d luck.Related Salary.com Content 8 College Degrees With the Worst Return on Investment 5 Tips to Productively Decline a Raise Request Dream Job Pyrotechnician From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles Benefits What Is the Value of a Company Car?What Is the Value of a Company Car Search What Is the Value of a Company Car? Share this articleTwitterLinkedinFacebookemailQMy company recently decided to eliminate company cars as a perk for any employee. Since they have always maintained that the benefit was part of my compensation, I want to ask for a comparable amount of salary increase as a replacement for the loss. Ive done a substantial amount of research and cannot find any good rules of thumb for determining the value of a company car benefit. How likely am I to get them to simply cover the cost of my monthly car payment on the replacement vehicle? Any ideas on the value of such a benefit?AYou may not be able to receive the monetary value of your car if the car was a benefit that was not required for you to perform the primary responsibilities of your job. In other words, if youre a sales representative and you need a car to meet and sell your company products then you may be in a much better position to demand for the value of the car.However, there is no rule of thumb when it comes to the value of a car. It typically depends on what kind of car your company leases on your behalf. If the standard car for an employee is a mid-sized American car then the value of the car can range from $10K to $18K. Nevertheless, if your company has decided to eliminate its company car as a company benefit, it could be that they can no longer afford to offer it to their employees. In that case, asking them to adjust your base salary to reflect the loss in your company car may not be worth your while. You may want to consider asking for other noncompensatory benefits such as extra vacation time, tuition reimbursemen t, or stock options. Good luck.Related Salary.com Content 8 College Degrees With the Worst Return on Investment 5 Tips to Productively Decline a Raise Request Dream Job Pyrotechnician From our trusted Partners From our trusted Partners Home Articles Benefits What Is the Value of a Company Car?

Florida Incorporation Checklist - United States

Florida Incorporation Checklist - United StatesFlorida Incorporation Checklist - United StatesDecide to IncorporateIncorporating has its advantages, but it can also have some drawbacks. Before you decide to incorporate, you should look at all the business types and determine which is best for you and your company. Business Types FAQChoose a Corporate NameOnce you have decided to incorporate, you will need a corporate personenname. When naming your corporation, you should make ayaThat the name has not already been registered in the state of incorporationWhen you order LawDepots Florida Incorporation Package, LawDepot will search to see if your name is available for registration with Florida Department of State Division of Corporations.That you follow the corporate naming requirements of the state of incorporation Each state has different naming requirements, so be sure to research your states legislation. That the name you choose has not been trademarkedYou may want to see if your co rporate name is available to be trademarked.File Articles of IncorporationTo register your corporation, you must file a document called the Articles of Incorporation with the state in which you wish to incorporate.LawDepot offers an automated Articles of Incorporation form. Fill in the form, purchase a license, print it, sign and date it, and file it with the appropriate state in incorporate your company. LawDepot also offers a Florida Incorporation Package. Simply fill out the short form, purchase the package, and LawDepot will create and file your Articles of Incorporation with the Florida Department of State Division of Corporations. Your corporation should be active within 2-5 business days.Apply for a Federal Employer Identification NumberAn Employer Identification Number (EIN) is a 9 digit unique number assigned by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to every organization with paid employees. All new companies that will have employees require an EIN number. Existing companies that incorporate and that have employees will need a new EIN number. LawDepot offers EIN Application preparation to those who purchase the Florida Incorporation Package. If you are unable to or choose not to have LawDepot help with the preparation of your EIN Application and you feel up to the challenge, you can fill out Form SS-4 - Application for EIN (PDF) on your own, or file an electronic EIN application with the IRS by clicking hereRegister your Fictitious Name (Optional)A Fictitious Name is a name that a company operates under that is other than its legal name. For example, if an LLCs legal name is Johnson and Meyers Distribution LLC but the company operates under the name Monster Distribution, Monster Distribution is a fictitious name. Any business that does not use its legal name must register a fictitious name. Fictitious names are usually filed at the county level, but in some states they are filed at the state level.Elect S-Corporation Status (Optional)If desired, you c an elect S-Corporation status for your corporation. An S-Corporation lets you pay taxes as though you were a sole proprietor or partner while giving you the limited liability of a corporate shareholder. You can elect S-Corp status by filing Form 2553 (PDF) with the IRS.Adopt Corporate BylawsCorporate Bylaws describe the internal rules governing the management of the corporation. Bylaws describe the duties and obligations of the directors and officers and govern how the corporation will be run. LawDepot offers an automated Corporate Bylaws form.Prepare a Shareholders Agreement (Optional)A Shareholder Agreement can be used to say how a corporation will be managed, how disputes will be resolved, what will happen on the death of a shareholder, and to prevent shareholders from competing with the corporation. LawDepot offers an automated Shareholder Agreement. Other StepsAppoint Officers (if they were not appointed in the Articles of Incorporation)Approve the corporate sealIssue shares of stockOpen a corporate bank accountApply for local and state occupational licenses, if necessaryRegister to pay local and state taxes, if necessaryIf you wish to carry out business in another jurisdiction, please consult with that states government for additional information.

Plant Life to Essential Skills for Plant Engineers

Plant Life to Essential Skills for Plant Engineers Plant Life to Essential Skills for Plant Engineers Being a plant engineer can require people skills, problem solving, and the willingness to sometimes get over theless glamorous aspects of engineering. For Mike Cramer, lead plant engineer at FuelCell Energy, Danbury, CT, it comes down to efficiency. Working much more on the operations side, he focuses heavily on final assembly and conditioning. He finds an apt comparison is looking at fuel cells like batteries. If short one battery, the whole series of batteries wont work, he says.My role is first maintaining production and keeping it to the schedule. First, quality and above that, safety, he says. The main goal is to come up with ways to make production easier so that it can aid safety ergonomics, cost reduction, and cycle time.Problem solving is one of many skills that make a good plant engineer. Image FuelCell EnergyAnd the problem solving? Try having to move 110,000 pounds. In th is case, it comes down to utilizing air pallets, a type of load-moving equipmentthat usescompressed air in order to make it possible. Only needing four people for the move is the target here. This, he reminds, also has a clear effect on cost reduction. It could be in saving the time of everyone leaving their job for five to ten minutes for movement, he says.They also have to drive the air pallet onto the stacking fixture. Its about five feet square, thousands of pounds and needs to be placed within 15,000th of an inch. It could take 20 minutes or even four hours when you consider the tiny room for error in backing up the trailer.Analytical AbilityThe challenge, regardless of the goal, is to live up to their joke of how the workers want the task to seemnice and boring. And often they achieve this, allowing the team to focus on supplier questions or track quality issues. Its about understanding better what to spend time on and what is waste.While Cramer finds the analytical ability co mes naturally to some, for others, I see engineers believing they find a problem and they will come up with a solution right away without understanding the root cause. In other words, he says good luck with that.When he started, it was one stack accomplished a year. Cramer believes his patience has helped him be a part of what is now 200, annually. But there are other improvements to come as he thinks LEED manufacturing programs will grow, lowering cycle time for materials entering and leaving the plant as finished goods, along with finding the balance between high quality and efficiency.Path to PlantThe best path to plant engineer? Have strong experience with how machines work and how to design them to get a nice mix of the theoretical and the practical, he says. Students should also look for projects in school where they have to learn how to work with different people in cross functional teamsand not just engineers. since it wont be that way once they enter the profession, he says .Beyond technical skill, have a willingness to find out how the business runs, dont just have tunnel vision towards your job.And maybe, just maybe, be prepared to move some massive weight.Eric Butterman is an independent writer. Have strong experience with how machines work and how to design them to get a nice mix of the theoretical and the practical.Mike Cramer, FuelCell Energy

How to Answer Strange Interview Questions and Land the Job

How to Answer Strange Interview Questions and Land the JobHow to Answer Strange Interview Questions and Land the JobAs if interview questions werent already stressful enough, it binnenseems hiring managers have collectively decided to kick it up a notch. What are we talking about? Strange interview questionsIf you were an animal, which one would you be?Tell me about the most awkward moment in your life.Would you rather fight 1 horse-sized duck, or 100 duck-sized horses? (Actual Whole Foods Market interview question)How many basketballs would fit in this room?So, when a job interviewer asks about your most creative Halloween costume, how do you answer without giving them the whole deer-in-headlights look?Give them a smile (but not a creepy one)A calm smile can buy you some time as long as you dont let it linger so long that it turns into a panicked smile. The whole point to these questions is to create an opportunity for the hiring manager to observe how you handle the unexpected and see how well you can think on your feet. Hopefully your reaction will show how unfazed you are by the question. At least, thats the ideal response.For a lot of companies, questions like this are a way to see if you have the right cultural fit for the company. If you take yourself too seriously, you might risk coming across as a poor fit. So, smile it allows your interviewer some insight that you are ready and willing to take on any unusual challenges.Buy a little timeJust because youre ready and willing doesnt mean you can actually come up with a decent response off the top of your head. Buy a little time if you need to. Questions like this warrant time-buying comments like theseHuh, and I thought Id be ready for anything. Lets seeWow. Ive never been asked that before Youll have to give me a second.Thats a great question Let me think about that.Be enthusiasticKeep in mind that these questions almost never have a right answer. The key to your response is answering coherently and ent husiastically, and not what the content of your answer might be. If youre a funny person and it comes naturally to you, it could be the perfect outlet to use some SFW humor. If humor doesnt come naturally to you, its probably not a good time to start working on it. Itd be a shame to dismantle the great impression youve been giving during the rest of the interview.Take a moment to absorb the question and dont get too wrapped up trying to think of something particularly clever. Focus more on being genuine than being hilarious. Smile, respond carefully and enthusiastically, and move on.Follow up with your own questionA great way to wrap up your response is to ask your interviewer how they would have answered the question or what some of the best responses were from other interviewers. Its an entertaining way to demonstrate your interest in the company culture.The next time youre in a job interview and they ask something unexpected like, Tell me your favorite joke, dont think of it as a time to panic but rather an excellent opportunity to show off your quick wit and your ability to have a little fun.

This is why groups struggle with making decisions often

This is why groups struggle with making decisions oftenThis is why groups struggle with making decisions oftenI recently got back from a motorcycle rally across the Sahara.There were 26 teams in the rally, and each one had a different plan. They ranged from extraordinarily detailed (my, admittedly older, group) to Head west and hope for the best (the younger folks).I found it interesting that while everyone welches competing in the same race, there were multiple realities being used to plan the event. For example, there was one spot on the trip where we found urselves facing a river that was overflowing onto the road and the connected bridge. We had to cross this bridge to continue, but the river made it tricky.To some, this was a sign of worse things to come and a reason to turn back. To others, it was just another obstacle to cross. No big deal. Even within our own group, we had divisions between the more adventurous and more conservative planners.Ive been thinking about this since I got back- and have come to a conclusion about planning and making decisions in high-stakes situationsEven when everyone has the same goal, the focus and plans can be quite differentBy the second day of the rally, we were already a little behind schedule due to the fact that we simply werent traveling as fast as wed planned.Everyone had different ideas about why we were going slower than anticipated and what could be done about it. That evening, half of our group decided to push on- to reach the next town before nightfall- while the other half decided to stay at the town we were in.The group who went ahead was focused on the plan. They were thinking about how to get back on track and meet the deadlines wed set earlier.The group that stayed behind (my group) was focused on trying to understand the situation and how to react to it. Yet even within that unit, there was controversy. People had different assumptions about what was happening. Some were thinking about quitting, others we re considering pushing on with the other group.Later that night, my group got a call from the people who had moved on. One of our friends had fallen and hit his head, and it was possible that he was badly hurt. Later, we learned that he was okay, but his motorcycle was broken- which meant that group ended up even farther behind waiting to get it fixed.The same situation, two very different outcomes. So, if youre trying to achieve the best possible end result, how can you decide between the many different perspectives within a group?When youre trying to make a decision, theres no way to be completely objectiveWe all love being right.Right?The truth is, our decisions are filled with distortions and biases. Its a difficult concept to internalize, but theres no reason to believe your decisions are less biased than anyone elses.However, dont automatically assume that just because something is biased that its wrong. Bias is a distortion- often a lens that you use to make sense of the worl d.Take the investment world, for instance. Warren Buffett and George Soros are two of the best-known investors, but they have very different ways of looking at the world. Buffett is very focused on the margin of safety. He looks at how much downside protection he has, how many real assets are there, and things of that nature.Soros is very focused on the macroeconomic situation and gross economic assumptions. Hes not nearly as concerned with the balance sheet and hard assets in the way Buffett is.Neither one is wrong. Theyre both very good at what they do, but they have their own conclusions. Its the same world and same reality- but a different perspective.To understand how to make a decision, you have to triangulate the different viewsYou can use a change in perspective to your advantage. When youre looking at a situation, it pays to think of how someone whos different from you would assess the issue.It could be a friend you know well but who isnt there at the time. It could be a co worker or a sibling. It could even be a historical figure whose biography youve just read. No matter who you consult, all these examples are a form of reference class forecasting.There is quite a bit of research on this topic. Evan Polman, an assistant professor of medicine at Wisconsin School of Business, has published extensively on the topic, including his research published in the Journal of Experimental Social Psychology, Information Distortion in self-other decision making. One of the techniques he describes for improved decision making is to visualize your decision as someone elses. This allows you to gain some perspective- to see the forest for the trees, in a sense.A different perspective can help balance your decision-making and allow you to see the situation through multiple lenses. The challenge then is to triangulate on the perspectives, understand the underlying reality, and change what you believe based on whats happening, rather than what you want to happen.The diffi cult part, obviously, is not over-weighing your own perspective on the situation. Its tough to treat every viewpoint as equally valid as your own, but it can be done. And if you can accomplish that feat, you can be confident that your high-stakes decision is at least a well-considered one.This article was originally published on Quora.