Motivated Innovation

Every day, people submit resumes, apply for jobs, interview, and compete for jobs.  In the current economic recession, a higher unemployment level means that competition for job openings is at higher than average levels--with more people applying for the same jobs. This is not to say that every industry and every job classification are of the same status--lower unemployment in certain industries and technical expertise requirements do lead to fewer people applying for some jobs. Regardless, the combination of high levels of candidates & resumes and the power of mass communication via the internet have altered the nature of job searches such that the filter of candidates to choose from is almost always much wider.  In light of this, how can people stand out? Resume formatting and understanding of other print, electronic, phone, and face-to-face business communication--including networking--remain important to job search success.   Dr. Tom Clark  of  CommuniSkills  and  Xavier Univ

*formerly posted on "Welcome, International Students!" blog When enrolling in U.S. university classes, both international students and American students need to get familiar with different types of classroom environments. While students throughout the world are familiar with lecture-based classes--where the teacher leads the classroom and does most of the talking--several U.S. university classes are very interactive, with students discussing class lessons, world events, philosophy, ethics, and other academic and professional topics. In most cases, speaking during class discussions is optional; most professors still evaluate students through exams, essay papers, and in-class presentations. In some classes, professors award points and give better final course grades to students who speak more frequently during class discussions. This can be an adjustment for shy people as well as any students that have only experienced lecture-based classes--challenging both American and

I have three questions for you: 1. Have you ever had an "Oh yeah!" moment? 2. Have you ever had an "Oh yeah?" moment? 3. Have you ever had an "Oh yeah..." moment? Wait a minute... Did I just ask you the same question three times? Let us consider: "Oh yeah!" = celebration "Oh yeah?" = I didn't know that "Oh yeah..." = I forgot about that but just had an 'a-ha!' moment In typing these questions and having you read them, you may have already thought of them as three different questions. However, had I just asked you one of these questions out loud in person, over the phone, or via web chat, would you have caught the difference? Would it have been clear to which "Oh yeah" moment (!,?,...) I was referring? Throughout daily business and personal communication, we say many words, phrases, and sentences. Yet, the way we say these words, phrases, and sentences help define their meanings. In the