National Security Agency Jobs

National Security Agency JobsNational Security Agency JobsIntelligence gathering has been a vital part of national security for as long as there have been nations to keep secure in the first place. In the United States, there are several organizations dedicated to collecting and analyzing information about potential threats, both foreign and domestic. You can be part of that intelligence network working in a career with the National Security Agency and Central Security Service (NSA/CSS). The History of the National Security Agency Though not incorporated as the National Security Agency we know today until 1952, the NSA/CSS traces its roots back to the days immediately prior to United States entry into World War 1. Originally a section of the U.S. Armys Military Intelligence Division, the early precursor to the NSA welches a cipher bureau responsible for intercepting and deciphering enemy radio communications. According to documents released by the NSA, after the war, the bureau w as funded by both the Department of War and the Department of State and was tasked with intercepting diplomatic documents and foreign intelligence. Over the years, funding sources changed and even dried up, and responsibility for the bureaus maintenance was shared by the Army and the Navy until World War II. After WWII, the need for a standalone agency dedicated to cryptology and signals intelligence was apparent, and the National Security Agency was formed in the ?Department of Defense in 1952. What the National Security Agency Does Unlike other organizations such as the Central Intelligence Agency which relies heavily on human intelligence, the NSAs primary function is to collect signals intelligence and provide cryptological services to the nations other intelligence organizations and investigative agencies. In laymans terms, that means the NSA is responsible for listening in and recording signals from a variety of sources, including hard line and cell phones, online communic ations, radio signals and the like. Besides signal intercepts, the NSA also serves as the lead cryptological agency in the U.S. and is responsible for breaking foreign codes in order to decipher intelligence information and provide encryption and counterintelligence services to ensure that sensitive United States communications remain safe and secure. In short, the NSA is responsible for collecting information and signal intelligence and at the same time safeguarding U.S. cyber interests and intelligence. What Kind of Work You Can Do at the NSA The National Security Agency offers a host of career options, with opportunities available for a variety of interests. Specific job areas of interest to criminal justice and criminology career seekers include intelligence collection and analysis computer and digital science and forensics cybersecurity operations and inspections, investigations, and compliance, not to mention the NSA assekuranzbrief force. The Salaries Available with NS A Careers Jobs with the National Security Agency are known to pay fairly well, with salaries ranging from $65,000 to $85,000 for operations and analysis to upwards of $150,000 for specialized computer and cyber positions. What It Takes to Work for the National Security Agency For most jobs, you must be at least 18 years old to be hired for work at the NSA, though the agency offers a high school work program for qualified students who are aged 16 or older. Applicants have to be U.S. citizens, and while some jobs such as NSA police officers have certain physical requirements, most do not. Applicants must be able to get a top secret/special intelligence security clearance, which will mean an extensive background investigation, a polygraph exam and a pre-employment psychological evaluation. To search for and apply for jobs, visit the NSAs job portal.

3 things you can learn from Instagrams Efficiency Guru

3 things you can learn from Instagrams Efficiency Guru3 things you can learn from Instagrams Efficiency GuruInstagram COO Marne Levine has the intriguing nickname of efficiency guru, according to anarticlein The Wall Street Journal. A gig like that intrigued us what kind of superhuman can be efficient enough to reach guru status?The nickname itself comes from Kevin Systrom, Instagrams co-founder and chief executive, whoreportedlygave Levine the name because she has helped the app avoid some of the pitfalls of rapid growth.The results of Levines work seem impressive An infographic in The Wall Street Journal piece shows that Instagram had 300 1000000 monthly usersin December 2014, right before Levine joined the company as COO in January 2015. By December 2016, that number reportedly hit a whopping 600 million. Instagram was also able to compete further with Snapchat, according to the article.Levine seems like of those people who has always been focused on work and policy in college, wh en her dorm mates had pictures of Prince on the wall, she bragged that she had a Dukakis-Bensen political poster.So what can we learn from a standout like that? We read more about Levine to see what parts of her wisdom can apply to everyone else.Ask a lot of questions first to understand the territoryDiving in recklessly, however, is not the answer. Levine is intent on finding out as much information as possible about what needs to be done. She spearheaded weekly question-and-answer sessions at Instagram for the executives, which allowed leaders to take the temperature of the room and see what concerned employees.Levine also told Bloomberg that one of her policies is to get people talking about challenges and vulnerabilities by admitting her own, which is a valuable way to understand team members and growth I often ask people what I did wrong in the last meeting, because then others feel they have permission to own their mistakes, too.If you have to stress about deadlines, do it at the beginningManaging your time wisely is key, and that usually means doing as much work as possible upfront.Levine walked into the White House for the transition of President Obamas administration and immediately created a matrix of all the positions we had to fill, all the deadlines we had to meet, says her former boss, ex-Treasury Secretary Larry Summers.She did the same at Instagram, the WSJ said, opening with a deep analysis Once Ms. Levine moved over to Instagram at the beginning of 2015, she dove in with the creation of a formal budget, giving the company a comprehensive view of its spending for the first time. Until that point, executives leading Instagrams various teams didnt communicate regularly about their spending, with different teams hiring in different countries without coordinating.Harvey Mackay, a noted efficiency expert, has some insights into how you can do the same work asLevine. His recommendations break the task down, which means begin with the largest portion s and make them into separate steps that have their own deadline.Mackay also suggested that people build in a buffer, or making your deadline for the task a few days ahead in case anything comes up - something that Levine does as well.Be thorough but make sure people receive your recommendations wellLevine reportedly created Instagrams first official budget, and the social media platform got its first, crystal-clear look at where the dollars were going. While that kind of transparency is great, it can also create friction as people get nervous about the information being revealed and what it says about their roles in an organization.Levine seems to have handled that awkwardness with an open-door policy on questioning, above, as well as putting people at ease.

How to Write Accomplishments on Your Resume

How to Write Accomplishments on Your ResumeHow to Write Accomplishments on Your ResumeAdding professionalaccomplishments toyour resume shows that you are an achiever who can go above and beyond your duties. It demonstrates that you can bring something extra to potential employers, and it is an effective way to make your resume stand out.Dont make the mistake of being modest and hiding your keyaccomplishments. Many candidates simply write a list of their duties and responsibilities in their job descriptions but this is generic and will make your resume look like everyone elses.What is an accomplishment?the definition of an accomplishment is something positive which you have achieved. On your resume, you should give specific examples of how your actions helped a situation. It could be a problem which you resolved, something you improved, or something you did well.Everyone haspersonal accomplishments. Its just a case of thinking of them and identifying them. Writing an accomplishment-ba sed resumeis simple if you follow this guide using aresumebuilder.How to include accomplishments on your resume?Follow these tips on how to add accomplishments to your resume. If you take it step-by-step it is simple to work your achievements into your resume.Write a list of your achievementsRack your brains, think about your past professional positions, and write a list of accomplishments. Think about any positive comments youve received from your bosses and colleagues, problems youve dealt with, any honors or awards youve received, and if youve reached or surpassed any targets.If you have worked in a team, what did your team achieve? You were an integral parte of the team so any team accomplishments count as yours. If youre struggling for ideas ask your boss and colleagues. See the industry-specific accomplishment examples in the final section of this guide for inspiration.Focus on the key accomplishmentsYou need to customize your resume for each job application so dont simply inc lude the accomplishments which you think are the fruchtwein impressive. Read through each job description and think about what the employer is looking for.Use the keywords in the job posting to identify the most important job requirements. Then think about which of your accomplishments demonstrate these abilities and match them together. Include your achievements which are most relevant to the position youre applying for.Using a resume template is the most time-effective way of tailoring your resume for each position.Use actions verbsStarting sentences with action verbs makes your resume seem more dynamic as it places emphasis on the action youve taken. It is a concise way of writing and it grabs the readers attention.For example, increased sales by 20% or implemented a new system of filing reads better than their passive or longer equivalents. Try to avoid long-winded descriptions in general when writing your resume. Read our guide on how to write a resume for more tips.Use numbers to focus on resultsUsing numbers to demonstrate the value of your accomplishments is effective. If youve improved performance or efficiency, surpassed your targets, increased sales, generated a readership, or improved exams results, you can quantify it with numbers.For example, you can say Improved office efficiency by 15%, Surpassed my sales targets by 10%, or Saved the company $5,000 by improving efficiency.Where to include your accomplishments?This will depend on your resume format and what suits you best. You can include your accomplishments in the job descriptions of your previous job roles as it demonstrates your duties as well as your achievements. Alternatively, you could include them in your skills section to highlight your abilities.If you have a few particularly impressive accomplishments which you want to emphasize, you could create a career accomplishments section. It can which include a bullet-pointed summary of accomplishments or a concise accomplishments statement. When you add your accomplishments make sure you avoid the most common resume-writing mistakesExamples of accomplishments to put on a resume by industryHere are some industry-specific examples of achievements which you can use to give you ideas and to help you write an accomplishment-based resume.AccountingBalanced an annual budget of over $600,000Saved the company 7% over a 5-year periodAdministrative AssistantResponded to over 30 emails a day and resolved customers problemsDesigned email templates which were used throughout the departmentCustomer ServiceOperated a cash register and handled over $10,000 a weekAssisted 20 customers a day making tailored recommendationsInformation TechnologySaved the company $10,000 by implementing efficiency softwareReduced the hours yperit through IT problems by 8%NurseProvided high-quality care to over 20 patients dailyMentored and led a team of 12 newly-qualified nursesSalesTop salesperson in the team for 3 years runningBoosted sales by over 25% i n 2016Students (for a student resume)Helped to run the History Society which had over 800 membersTutored 6 freshman students and improved each of their gradesTeacherImproved students scores in math by an average of 12%Received three Best Teacher Awards in 2012, 2014, and 2015.

Career Advice for My Younger Self

Career Advice for My Younger Self Career Advice for My Younger Self Two interesting things have happened to me in the past week.First, I was asked the question, What advice would you give your younger self? Second, I attended my high school reunion.Needless to say, both moments made me think about the past and the advice I would give a young person today.First and foremost, Id tell myself and any other young person listening to focus on your strengths. As you grow up, people will strongly emphasize the importance of being well rounded and equally good at everything. As a result, we spend so much time trying to better the skills we struggle with. However, itsthe things were good at that make us special. You will go much farther if you pour your time into an area where you excel instead of stumbling around in an area at which youre not so great. Worry less about your weaknesses celebrate your gifts instead.Second, Id say you should listen to your gut. People with good intentions wi ll try to guide you along the way. They may be parents, teachers, or friends. Some of their advice may be helpful, but some may not be. Its your job to sort the good from the bad.Do a gut check with yourself before you make big decisions. Remember Most people are best at giving advice for one specific area. Seek out mentors to help with specific decisions rather than all areas of your life. If you begin to head down a path that doesnt feel right, take a step back and reassess.Similarly, if youre on a path that you are sure about and are receiving negative feedback from those who may not be in a place to advise you, take your time before switching paths. When I made the decision to move from Oklahoma to upstate New York to study engineering, I received some negative feedback, but Im glad I stayed focused on my mission. It was the best choice I could have made.Lastly, know that your path may not be straight and thats okay. Today, its common for professionals tochange their career pat hs many times over the course of their lives. Theres a good chance you will change roles, industries, or fields more than once. Each change will take you closer and closer to your ultimate destination.Be prepared for these changes. Theyre not failures. Dont dwell too long if something isnt working. Adjust your path and continue to move forward in a new direction. Thats where you will find your success.One of the most important elements of finding your way is staying informed and prepared for change. Its not always possible to predict what will happen next, but change itself is inventible. Being nimble, aware of your strengths, and willing to listen to your intuition will take you far.This is the advice Id give to the younger me, and in todays ever-changing job market, its the adviceId give the young people of today, too.A version of this article originally appeared in theMemphis Daily News.Angela Copeland is a career coach and CEO at her firm,Copeland Coaching.

Entry Level Resume Examples at a Glance

Entry Level Resume Examples at a Glance Lies Youve Been Told About Entry Level Resume Examples So if you take advantage of a summary to start your resume, youre certainly not committing a crime Sometimes vulnerability includes the surrender of skilled demeanor or status. Moreover, you know your own shortcomings and things that you ought to avoid stressing on. When you refuse to gossip or maybe to permit it in your presence, you build a reputation as somebody who is respectful and you obtain the trust of others. Whilst you write your summary for your resume, attempt to think of what you want them to discuss with you, and what exactly you desire an opportunity to discuss. Make certain theres a summary statement near the top of your resume, following your header. It is a short professional introduction that you can add to the top of your resume. A strong summary statement at the peak of your resume can increase the probabilities of them noticing what youve got to offer from th e beginning. Our resume builder (its possible to create your resume here) will provide you tips and examples about how to compose your resume summary or another section. Make a list of absolutely all youve done that may be useful on a resume. Think of what youll be putting on your resume, and select your vorlage accordingly. For more guidance, utilize the simple retail resume template on top of this report. Our resume builder makes it simple to create a well-written resume in a few minutes. There are lots of resources available on how to a great resume summary, but its tough to locate decent ideas for how to do it if do not have any work experience. Now you need to know how to compose a resume with no experience thats compelling and distinctive, ideal for a high school resume or a beginners resume for teens. A one-page resume is more than acceptable once youre just beginning in the area of work. Reviewing attorney resume samples supplies you with some inspiration about wha t to include to assist you separate yourself from the remaining portion of the competition.5. Naturally, such employees wont have the ability to boast years of experience in the area but they will need to prove strong abilities, training and aspirations. There are two types of skills that you would like to include on your attorney resume. Always list all your awards and achievements. Getting the Best Entry Level Resume Examples Youre a graduate whos full of potential. For example, you may wish to be Vice President in Operations in the automobile market. Building a resume can be a difficult task especially if youve got no prior work experience. If you wish to produce a more positive environment, especially as a leader, youve got to speak up Entry Level Resume Examples - the Story A great idea is going to be to create a distinct collection of courses, which you locate the most relevant. First thing you ought to keep in mind is there are no common patterns of writing an ent ry-level resume, as it greatly depends upon the work offer, requirements of the employer not to mention the area of your interests. The ideal way to write an excellent statement is to familiarize with resume samples to comprehend what tone and lexis ought to be used. Organize every fleck in a transparent way, indicating title of your work, name of the organization and its location, dates and compose a few sentences about your core responsibilities and achievements in the business. By customizing your resume for the job that you want, you can show employers youve got the abilities and experience theyre searching for. Thus, you will need experience to find an entry-level job, but minus the job, you cant get experience. Thus, when you sit down to compose your first resume, attempt to consider your prior jobs in a new light. In the second subsection, its also advisable to list specific abilities, like technical or educational ones, which will assist the hiring manager to understa nd whether youll be helpful for the business. Tailor your CV or resume so that its clear you wish to join them particularly. Below are the absolute most important components that just about all resumes will have to have incorporated into them. Dont forget that your resume is the very first step to a prospective job so its important in order for it to be perfect in every manner.

3 Easy Tricks to Help You Fall in Love With Your Job Again

3 Easy Tricks to Help You Fall in Love With Your Job Again Article by Pete WheelanTrying to climb the corporate ladder? Warning It can be a dangerous distraction. Promotions dont always increase your job satisfaction or nurture your passions. In fact, the added responsibility can end up driving you further away from finding meaning in your work because youre too busy to even consider it.Americans in particular are under immense pressure to be chronically busy. Last year, 55 percent of the U.S. workforce left 658 million vacation days unused. If you value advancement but never figure out whether moving up will help you bring your passions to play in what you do, you might lose all sense of purpose. This is not an uncommon problem fewer than 20 percent of leaders of organizations feel passionate about their individual purpose, and many of them cant even articulate what that purpose is.How do you find the passion that can fuel you through distractions an d an exhausting pace?1. Note How Challenges Make You FeelEven if you love your job, some aspects of it will be difficult or unpleasant.As the saying goes, thats why its called work. You need to figure out how those challenges make you feel. Are the parts you hate the norm or the outliers?Connecting your work to a larger personal goal can help you avoid procrastination or laziness. Finding a job youre so passionate about that every task seems easy isnt a bad idea, but its an awfully high bar to clear. Its important to feel that the obstacles ahead of you are worth overcoming for reasons beyond a paycheck.To gauge how Im feeling about my daily challenges, I use a simple 22 matrix high or low energy and positive or negative mood. High/positive (in the zone) or low/positive (calm and relaxed) are the spaces I want to be in as often as possible. Something I feel highly energetic and positive about is a passion, whereas something I feel highly energetic but negative about is typically a m ajor stressor. By consciously assessing patterns that emerge, I can identify the aspects I want to adjust or recalibrate.If youre feeling low energy and negative but need to push through, try my solution I head to an email folder I have labeled Fuel, where I save emails from grateful employees, students, and satisfied customers. These inspire me by reminding me why I do what I do to have a positive, tangible impact on the lives of students by helping them unlock their potential.2. Actively Create Opportunities to ReflectAt the end of each day or each project, evaluate how you feel about the way you spent your time. You probably wont be exuberant and energized every single day, but if you never feel that way or regularly feel frustrated and tired, you could look for a new job or you could draw on a deeper commitment to impact a broader big-picture goal that is deeply and personally meaningful to you.Reflecting in this way will help you see patterns of likes and dislikes, which will h elp you navigate a maze of opportunities to find the kind of future you want for yourself. In one study demonstrating this phenomenon, adults participating in a puzzle-solving game performed 18 percent better than their peers on consecutive attempts when they were given time to reflect on their past performance. This method of reflection has helped me make wiser career pivots.Case in point Over the course of my career, Ive worked for six companies. During three of those five job transitions, I took several months off to reflect on my passions and evaluate whether my next job would align with them. Often, the next opportunity I pursued meant taking a reduction in pay, level of responsibility, or title all things conventional wisdom advises against.When I left my job as a management consultant to start my own company, I traded a big salary, an office, and an executive assistant for working from my apartment with my cofounder unsupported and essentially without pay.By reflecting on my purpose, though, I found ways to calibrate my passions with what I would be doing for a living. This understanding allowed me to immerse myself in my work without reservations, even when making a lateral move. With that kind of enthusiasm, the pay raises and promotions followed naturally.3. Tap Into Your Inner Circle for a Reality CheckAsk your partner, friends or family members for candid feedback about their perceptions of how you feel about your career and what your passions are. What topics do they frequently see you genuinely excited to discuss? When do they see you light up and get into a flow?You might think everything is going fine, but our loved ones are often better at understanding what makes us tick than we are. Take advantage of their years of knowing you to find out whether they see your passions lining up with your work.For example, say you really want to be excited about a promotion you recently earned, but instead youre feeling wary and anxious. Your close friends might be able to help you be more honest with yourself and figure out where the disconnect lies.Although you cant change the world or your life every day, by integrating your passions into your work using these strategies, you can consistently take incremental steps in the right direction. If you dedicate yourself to finding your passion and follow it wherever it leads youll never leave your desk at the end of the day wishing things were different.A version of this article originally appeared on SUCCESS.com.Pete Wheelan, CEO of InsideTrack, has dedicated his career to leading mission-driven, high-growth companies focused on helping individuals live up to their full potential. Before joining InsideTrack, he served as chief operating officer and chief revenue officer at Blurb, a groundbreaking leader in unleashing creative expression through self-published books.

Research into Kids Knees Could Prevent ACL Tears

Research into Kids Knees Could Prevent ACL Tears Research into Kids Knees Could Prevent ACL Tears Research into Kids Knees Could Prevent ACL TearsEvery fall football fans keep an eye on the news to watch for season-ending knee injuries. Over the last few years, torn anterior cruciate ligaments ended the seasons of stars such as Julian Edelman, Deshaun Watson, and Carson Wentz. While these injuries are high profile, the athletes most likely to suffer an ACL injury are the so-called pony-tailed hooligans. In the United States, the highest incidence of ACL injury is to females 14 to 17 years old, many of whom are soccer players. In fact, females of all ages suffer these knee injuries between two and seven times mora frequently than males.Read ASMEs Top Story Air Taxi Aces Test FlightKatie Kitchen, a research assistant at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, instructs a high school soccer player to perform a squat for a 3-D motion analysis assessment.Surgery is often required to repair torn ACLs, and surgeons are working with mechanical engineers to better understand the physiology of childrens knees in order to better repair the injuries, or avert them entirely. These engineers and biomechanics specialists are applying techniques normally reserved for hard materials like steel to soft tissue.Ellen Arruda, a professor of mechanical and biomedical engineering at the University of Michigan, has research interests ranging from mechanical behavior of materials including polymers, elastomers, and soft tissue to tissue engineering of tendon and muscle constructs and to modeling of growth and functional adaptation in soft tissue. But she also collaborates with surgeons who conduct ACL reconstructions.The most often cited reason for the increase in these injuries is an increase in the number of children playing sports such as soccer and basketball, year-round, sometimes on multiple teams at once, she said.Read Our Readers Pick YouTube Star Goes Viral with Glitter BombGreg Myer knows the value of engineers to surgeons. Myer is a biomechanist who serves as director of research at the menschlich Performance Laboratory for the Division of Sports Medicine at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital Medical Center, and he holds a position at the College of Medicine at the University of Cincinnati.Mechanical engineers can do many things to support the surgery, the first being helping surgeons select the correct ligament graft, Myer said. But Myer is also studying the way young athletes run and jump and kick to find ways to learn how ligaments can be spared from excess stress to begin with.Were working on the prevention side, he said.The map of the knee looks more like a complicated interstate highway interchange than a simple joint, with four bones, thigh and calf muscles, bits of cartilage, and the meniscus that cushions the bones. Ligaments thread around and between the bones to keep the femur, tibia, fibula, and patella together and play a critical role in stabilizing the joint during loading.The ligaments include the posterior cruciate ligament, the medial collateral ligament, and the lateral collateral ligament. But the anterior cruciate ligament threads through the middle of the joint, making it difficult to see and susceptible to injury. Its the most-often torn ligament in the knee and in sports. Typically, the ACL is injured during landings that involve rapid deceleration and direction change.Full tears of the ligament tissue require complete surgical replacement if a return to physical activities is desired.Theres a lot of debate over the best graft for this, Myer said. The patella tendon that attaches the tibia to the kneecap is a common choice, and the hamstring tendon has increased in popularity, and then theres also the allograft from a cadaver.Listen to the All-New ASME TechCast podcast Innovations in Biomaterials Create New Roles for EngineersCurrent methods of ACL replacement generally work well, as they stabilize the kn ee and allow people to return to sports. But the graft replacement technique doesnt work for everyone, especially kids because theyre still growing. Grafts from a cadaver have the highest failure rates, with estimates of about 20 percent.We think the grafts are too stiff, Arruda said. Its usually an adult cadaver graft going into a young child, so its overdesigned for that child in terms of stiffness.The ideal replacement for a torn ACL restores native anatomy and function to the knee. Mounting evidence, however, suggests current strategies alter the biomechanics of the joint.Instabilities are thought to develop over time through a graft tissue that becomes more lax than the native tissue through loosening, mechanical degradation, or both.As a result, young athletes are at a greatly increased risk for a second ACL injury. Nearly one in four youths who return to high-risk sports sustain another ACL injury at some point in their career. For patients younger than 20, the increased risk for sustaining an ACL graft rupture is as high as threefold, with the risk higher for females than males.Read More on Innovation Drone Deploys in Just Minutes but Flies for HoursEngineers are working with physicians, surgeons, and other healthcare professionals to better understand the biomechanics of ACL injury and how to repair it more permanently.Mechanical engineers can help with the tensile strength of the graft and help us learn how the graft degrades over time following the reconstruction and before it starts to build back up in strength, Myer said. From the surgeons standpoint, helping them understand the best grafts is probably the most direct link to helping in their selection for reconstruction.Experiment and SimulationKaitlyn Mallett saw this first hand, as she previously worked as a graduate student research assistant in the Department of Mechanical Engineering at the University of Michigan. With Arruda as her advisor, she went on to get her doctorate in mechanical eng ineering. Her dissertation research involved experimentally characterizing native ACL and replacement grafts to define their mechanical properties.Its a challenge researchers have been grappling with for decades.The ACL is actually quite complex, Mallett said. Its made up of two different sections that twist on each other, and as you flex the knee, it twists and untwists, but its always taut. Its very complicated to get the mechanical properties without relieving that tension.Understanding the relationship between the various parts of the knee requires a combination of experiments to characterize the mechanical properties of the tissues and plugging those values into a computer models that employ finite element analysis to simulate the stresses that running, jumping, and landing place on the joint. Even the model is informed with clinical data.The model starts with an MRI of the knee, Arruda said. We convert that into a finite element mesh and translate that from the MRI data file t o volumetric elements used in finite elements. That involves taking every slice of the MRI and finding the outline of each tissue in the knee. We call that segmenting the knee.The model is made of elements that are deformable, so you create the overall geometry and break it into elements and then apply properties to each section, Mallett added.Read More on Bioengineering The Engineering Behind Brain ResearchTo obtain the data on the mechanical properties of the tissues, Mallett took donated tissue and cut out all the soft tissue except for the ACL. She aligned the ACL in a well-known loading state and then subjected it to tests to provide the mechanical properties needed for a computational model.Some of this may sound like working with traditional engineering materials, but Mallett said there are important differences. Ligament tissue doesnt display co-linear behavior like steel in the linear regime. The ACL has several different kinds of parts to it that dont behave the same way.I ts also non-linear, meaning it doesnt exhibit a one-to-one response when strained. Soft tissue like ACL is compliant and begins to stiffen as you pull on it because it has a crimp in the fiber that straightens out.That nonlinearity is difficult to capture, Mallett said.It also exhibits a time-dependent response. If you pull it more quickly, it will behave differently than if you pull it slowly. By taking a large number of samples and pulling them to a certain distance, I was able to get the stress-strain curve, she said.Risk FactorsExperimental biomechanics is also helping inform the way post-surgery rehabilitation is conducted. Theory says rehabilitation after ACL reconstruction should focus on addressing the underlying neuromuscular problems that led to the injury. Myers lab at Cincinnati Childrens Hospital was established in part to put those theories to the test.Instead of just looking at the problem, Myer said, we look at the mechanisms causing it.Working with children and youn g adults, the biomechanical engineers study these athletes as they mature to look for physiological changes. They also do full body motion analysis, and if theyre injured, they determine the biomechanics that led to the injury.Landing in a knock-kneed position is the number one risk factor for injury, Myer said.With this data in hand, the biomechanical engineers have begun to explore steps athletes can take to prevent injuries from occurring. Myers team recommends performing neuromuscular training, which is basically strength- and power-building exercises that translate into support to reduce the risk of injury.Our research has shown we can reduce ACL injuries by more than 50 percent by doing these, Myer said. Ultimately, we dont want the ACL to be loaded that much. We want the forces to be absorbed to the bone structures and the muscular activation.Read More on Teens and Limbs Young Engineer Takes Great Strides with Prosthetic FootArrudas team is looking at another knee injury risk factor repetitive loading. That means that ACL injuries are essentially a fatigue failure.Engineers know that in metals, repetitive or cyclic loading at a load lower than the yield or tensile strength can lead to failure. Biomechanical engineers at Michigan and elsewhere are studying fatigue in the ACL to learn more about these failures in pliable human tissues.How a ligament accumulates damage is still unknown, Arruda said. Once we understand that, we can start thinking about the concepts we apply in fracture mechanics of other materials to understand how much damage a ligament can tolerate.How would fatigue occur in a knee? If you play high-intensity sports year-round doing essentially the same move over and over again without sufficient rest and recovery time, you may be at risk as a young person of tearing a ligament, Arruda said. The overall hypothesis Im trying to explore is that the damage can and does accumulate, and healing can occur as well, given time.A third side of the knee equation is also coming into focus, Arruda said. Engineers are engaged in tissue engineering solutions to replace a torn ACL. Thats also something Ive worked on, again with collaborators including an orthopedic surgeon and faculty members in the med school.Their research has spun off a startup company called STEL Technologies to commercialize the technology. We developed a tissue-engineered graft that could be used as an ACL replacement that actually remodels and grows in vivo to restore native biology and function, she said.Armed with better knowledge of what causes ACLs to tear, trainers and physicians will be able to better prevent the injuries. Athletes will be trained to run, jump, and land in ways that spare the ligaments from overstress. Physicians will constantly monitor the knees for accumulating damage and prescribe measures to mitigate the risk.My vision is to one day have an MRI be a know-how part of a young athletes annual checkup. Using a patient-specific computa tional model of the athlete and replicating her biomechanics, we can assess her injury risk, Arruda said.The hope is to one day relegate ACL injuries from the sports page to the history books.Tom Gibson, P.E. is a consulting mechanical engineer specializing in machine design and green building based in Milton, Pa. Read More Exclusive Stories from ASME.org Five Job Interview Questions Young Engineers Can Expect Lighter Axle Reinvents Drivetrain. Does Detroit Care? Engineers Making Waves in AquacultureMy vision is to one day have an MRI be a routine part of a young athletes annual checkup. Prof. Ellen Arruda, University of Michigan

How to Discuss Relocation in a Cover Letter and Resume

How to Discuss Reschauplatz in a Cover Letter and ResumeHow to Discuss Relocation in a Cover Letter and ResumeAsk Amanda How Do I Mention Relocation in My Cover Letter?Each week, TopResumes career advice expert, Amanda Augustine, answers user questions like the one below from Quora and our Ask Amanda form. A certified professional career coach (CPCC) and resume writer (CPRW), Amanda has been helping professionals improve their careers for nearly 15 years. Have a question for Amanda? Submit it here.Q How do I address my desire to relocate for work in my cover letter and resume?Im about to start a job search and want to relocate. How do I approach the subject of relocation in my cover letter and resume? AprilGreat question, April Before you update your resume and cover letter for a long-distance job search, I suggest doing some online research to determine which job markets are healthy and have a decent number of job openings in your desired field. Its notlage enough to know you want to relocate to somewhere warm search your favorite job boards to get a better sense of which locations not only meet your personal needs but also have a high demand for professionals in your line of work. Your current location will be less of an issue when your talents are in high demand.Once youve narrowed your search to a few locations, dig a little deeper to determine which is the right place for you to live. Reach out to friends and friends-of-friends who live in the area and can give you the inside scoop on what its like to live and work there. If possible, visit each city to get a feel for each area.Also, make sure you can afford to move to each location. Use resources like Salary.coms customized salary reports and NerdWallets cost of living calculator to estimate the salary range you can expect to earn in each location and determine if it will be enough for you to live comfortably in that area.How to discuss relocation in your resumeApply these relocation tips to your resume and LinkedIn profile, where applicable.Edit the location detailsIf youve narrowed your search to a specific locale, include the city, state, and zip code in your contact details at the top of your resume. If you havent worked in this city before, consider removing the location information for your employers within your resumes Work History section.Update your resume professional summaryTake advantage of the professional summary section of your resume, space previously reserved for your resume objective statement, to address your desire to relocate. Include a blurb similar to the following toward the end of your summary Interested in relocating to the greater location area. You can take it a step further and mention that youre willing to relocate to location at own expense to demonstrate to employers how serious you are about making such a move. If youre still on the fence about relocating for work, leave a line like this out until youve done your research and found a specific locat ion that interests you and is a realistic option, given your career and the locations current job market.Emphasize other aspects of your employersConsider adding a one-line company description underneath each employer listed on your resume that highlights the aspects each has in common with the companies youre currently targeting for your job search. This could be anything from the companys size to its industry to the types of customers it serves. The idea is to downplay the location of each employer by emphasizing other attributes that are relevant to your desired employer.Related How to Build an Employer Dream List for Your Job SearchHow to discuss relocation in your cover letterYour cover letter and the summary section of your LinkedIn profile are great places to add personal details about your desire to relocate that would seem out of place on a resume.While technology is making the world smaller and smaller, employers still tend to favor local candidates over out-of-towners whe n all else is equal. Why? Because non-local candidates typically cost mora money to hire (i.e. relocation costs) and are often considered mora of a flight risk. Use your cover letter to dispel any false assumptions an employer may have about your decision to relocate.Highlight your historyIf you previously worked or studied in the area, or if you have family living there, incorporate these facts into your cover letter. This information shows employers that youre already familiar with the location and will be comfortable living there. In other words, youve already begun to lay down roots and are less likely to jump ship as a result.Demonstrate your researchIf you havent lived in the location before, show the employer that youve done your homework on the area. When explaining why youre interested in the opportunity, drop in a detail or two that demonstrates what youve learned about the location and why it makes the position more appealing. By exhibiting the research youve done on the area, youre showing the employer how serious you are about relocating.Indicate your familys supportWhile you dont necessarily want to go into the nitty-gritty details of your family, it doesnt hurt to mention that My family and I are committed to relocating to location to show your familys support of the move. If youre relocating because your spouse or partner was transferred to this location for work, be sure to specify this in your cover letter, as it may alleviate any fears the employer has about your genuine interest in relocation. How to approach relocation in your cover letter and resumeOnce youve updated your job-application materials to demonstrate your commitment to relocation, focus on developing a strong network of connections in your desired city to help you sidestep the ATS software and put your application directly into the hands of the recruiter or hiring manager. Click on the following link for more tips for conducting a long-distance job search.Need help positioning your resume for relocation? TopResume can helpRecommended Reading6 Questions to Ask Yourself Before Relocating for WorkWhat Is an ATS? How to Write a Resume to Beat the BotsDont Answer These Off-Limits Interview Questions

Your most powerful tools for making a career change

Your most powerful tools for making a career changeYour most powerful tools for making a career changeTime for a change in cubicle scenery?Yearning for a fresh start in a new occupation can stem from any number of reasons. The idea of the grass being greener on the other side can lead us to daydream of lost opportunities elsewhere, even if were not particularly unhappy with a current job. Stagnant salaries, indifference, frustrations, or even just the desire for a challengethe list goes on and on.No matter the push, a career change seems romantic and inspiring in theory, but the execution part of it is daunting and seemingly light years away. Leaving behind a salary to focus on continuing education isnt a viable vorkaufsrecht for most and gaining relevant experience in a new profession cant be done without proven competency. All behauptung roadblocks can provide a formidable barrier to pursuing the idea of a career change any further.However, you dont need a Fairy Job Mother or an ad ditional degree to move in the right direction. The most powerful tools to change your 9-5 are easily accessible to people of all backgrounds and means. What can you leverage to start moving in the right direction?Informational interviews and mentorshipA quick Google search for experiences in X-position or Y-company leads to mountains of first-hand accounts, forums, and blog articles highlighting what to expect. People are eager to share how they worked hard to achieve their career goal and the steps theyve seen others take as well. Using LinkedIn to search a specific industry or position will also yield real people with a snapshot of their professional journey to get to where they are now.Once youve compiled some anthroponyms and contact info of people in a position similar to where you would eventually like to be, youre ready to start outreach. While cold calling and unsolicited emails are usually not the best way to get your name out, reaching out with a genuine inquiry about som eones life is even a form of flattery. Youre not spamming or selling anything, so introduce yourself with confidenceThese contacts can turn into professional relationships that down the road that result in mentor figures and a solid network.Networking at local meetupsNot everyone promotes their professional journey and achievements on the web, and it may be challenging to get a foot into the local scene in such a broad online community. If you cant find a local organization dedicated to the career youre looking to pursue, try looking on more general community sites like Meetup that have member-created groups for anything from Data Science to Women Entrepreneurs.If conferences are out of the budget, then these smaller meetups of dedicated professionals provide a more affordable and friendlier alternative.Work with a recruiting agencyWorking with a firm typically doesnt cost a dime for job seekers, as the expense is fronted by employers looking for specific talent that dont have the r esources or network available to search a wide pool. A leadership search firm can help match executive-level candidates with hard-to-fill positions that require uncommon skillsets or knowledge.For those looking to make a career change, working with a firm to identify transferable skills can help you identify where you may be a good fit. Screening benefits both parties, as a search firm has an obligation to employers to deliver the best matching candidates.Gaining experience through a side hustleSome look at a side hustle as an additional income stream. But these part-time ventures can also be a powerful tool to flex new skills and explore different careers without the risk and investment that come with quitting your job and starting a business.Professional-level side hustles can be anything from personal coaching to database management consulting, building on knowledge and skills you already have, but also giving room to grow and expand in other directions.Your current employerOf co urse, a career change doesnt need to involve scraping your current job and starting over in a new industry and position. Working towards a transfer within your current company has the benefits of already knowing the business and the necessary contacts. If you feel your ambition and growth potential are better served in a different department, your human resources team could give some pointers on how to proceed.Your ability to succeed in a new environment truly boils down to dedication and the age-old mantra of its all about who you know. A career change doesnt require having a brother-in-law in the C-Suite who can pull a few strings. Its about tapping into up-to-date networks of people who are locked into their industry and can lead you in the right direction. Your grit and focus will do the rest to pull you along into new opportunities.Brett Farmiloe is a cofounder of Y Scouts, a leadership search firm that helps connect people to work that matters.