Learning Time:

Excellent info on teaching reading, parenting, and Beary Tasty Lemonade:)

Words Chosen Wisely...

The other day I was asked how and what to implement with a 15 month old baby to help him or her learn academic skills like letter recognition, colors, numbers, and patterns. So, I took some time to sit down and write out what I have done with my children and what I am currently doing with my 17 month old little man. So…if you are a parent and you are looking for some ideas to start “Learning Time” with your little one I hope this will be of some assistance.

Learning Time:

I would start out with a timer and sit with your little one and do “Learning Time” until the timer goes off.  When the timer goes off praise your child and make a big…deal about it.  Talk about Learning Time and try to do it at the same time each day.  Increase the time once a week. …

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First Impressions Count: Resumes

Posts from The Christian Pen

First Impressions Count – Especially When It’s a Person’s Resume

By Pamela Cosel

A rule of thumb for resumes is to keep its length at two pages overall whenever possible. That can be a challenge to edit if the client provides you with a much longer document to work with. Some companies will expect just a simple one-page resume, and the difficulty here will be to get your client to agree to cutting down a lengthy one.

I was recently told by a professional who works in Human Resources that one applicant turned in an 85-page resume! That is a record in my book. One should never, no matter what, apply for a job with such a lengthy document. (I understand he didn’t get an interview for the job for which he applied, but his “book” was tossed aside.)

Creating a one-page resume for a client who has decades of work experience may be hard to do, compared to a young person who seeks a first job after college graduation, and that’s okay. If the resume shows a quality, in-depth work history, even a portion of a third page may be necessary, depending on the layout and fonts used. A trick can be to reduce the size of the font in order to get it to fit onto two pages, but a type size of 10-point or smaller is very hard to read.

Components of a resume

Things to include:

• Heading – Name, complete address, email, phone number of the client. On occasion, it is acceptable to include any social media links, as well. Use of a larger font for the person’s name is allowed but stick to one or two font sizes larger than the body text (ideally should be 12-point, but not smaller than 11-point).

• Summary – This is a one-paragraph section beneath the heading which highlights the skills and strengths of the person, and therefore, summarizes who they are as a professional in their field. This should be written to catch hiring managers’ attention if they were to read no further down the document.

• Core Competencies – The purpose of this section is to highlight the specific skills the person possesses, such as in marketing, sales, communication, and more. Beneath a bolded title, one would be more specific about what the person can do: budget management, market segmentation, board oversight – anything that further defines the title of each listed competency. I prefer to group such in no more than two core competencies.

• Career Highlights – Here the writer/editor would pick from two to four major accomplishments the person believes to be his or her major career successes. Bold a sentence or phrase that explains it, then in normal type further add to the details of each individual highlight.

• Professional Experience – This is the section where each individual job and employment dates are to be written in chronological order, with the most current job listed first, followed by the previous job, and so on. I like to bold the job title, then follow it in normal type the name of the company and dates of employment. The month and year can be used, or if preferred, the full date (day, month, year), especially if the client has a short work history. The key here is to show a complete flow of work history, as employers will question gaps in years of employment. Gaps can be explained in an interview, or one may type in reasons why and the dates, such as: Off on maternity leave, returned to school, in the military, etc. Beneath the job title and dates, use bullet points to list from between two to five or six successes or main responsibilities of each job. These sentences do not have to be lengthy, and this is a place where one can cut if there is too much information to get the resume down to two pages.

• Early Career – Optional! For an older client, they may or may not want to have their early career jobs listed. The rule of thumb ideally says to go back ten years, but if a person has worked for thirty years, that leaves much out. If the work experience applies to the position the client is currently applying for, then I suggest including work history that can go as far back as twenty or thirty years, especially if the person has major accomplishments in those jobs.

• Technical Proficiencies – List here important software programs the client has a good working knowledge of, such as Adobe products, Microsoft, website content management, video editing and more, even including use of a switchboard or copy machine, depending on the job being applied for.

• Professional Affiliations – List here the associations or organizations the client belongs to or is a past member of, along with the years he or she may have held officer positions with such.

• Civic Activities – Optional! Some clients like to show a potential employer how they have given back to the community. This is acceptable and gives insight to a person’s focus and dedication to causes. It may or may not be applicable to the specific job being applied for now, so use good judgment as to whether this is essential.

• Education – Lastly, list any and all degrees and/or certifications the client has earned. Name the university, city of its location, and year of graduation. Any awards earned can also be named here.

What not to include in a resume:

• A photo – while years ago this was acceptable, the culture has gotten away from it so that employers look for skills and experience, not whether a person is the right age, sex, or race. Always discourage a client from wanting to add his or her photo! Besides, it takes up too much space which may be necessary for the text. Note that some names can be that of a male or female, but a photo is not required to distinguish the gender. That comes during the interview when the committee meets the candidate.

• Fancy fonts – The font anywhere on the resume should not be distracting. The resume is not meant to be a poster or designed like an advertisement. Oftentimes I have been on interview committees, and in every case, those who submit a resume that is graphically designed with fancy borders, colors, artistic fonts, logos or similar is negatively perceived by the interviewers, and such a resume can even knock out a candidate from being considered for an interview.

• Graphic layout – Do not design the resume to appear as anything more than a list of experience and qualification which can be visually scanned in a few minutes, as hiring managers look for specific skills for each job. They do not want to be distracted by a layout which screams like something from a comic book with colors and graphic elements. That simply takes away from the “meat” of the person’s qualifications.

In the end, the goal in editing a client’s resume is to showcase his or her accomplishments as they fit the job for which one is applying. Until I served on a hiring committee, I was unaware of how quickly resumes are reviewed, sometimes read through in less than a minute, then tossed into the “yes” or “no” pile for interview potential. Putting a client’s best foot forward is why a person hires an editor, and it’s your job to best advise them on the format and what a resume should include.

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Pamela Cosel is a Silver Member of Christian PEN. She first began work as a journalist in 1980, with a media career in newspapers, magazines and television online news content. She also has fourteen years of work in city government communications, and time on staff with non-profit organizations. She retired in July 2018, and now lives her dream of writing and editing from home in between gardening and making stained glass windows. A book for which she was the co-writer and editor, “Return of Christ: The Second Coming,” published on April 9, 2019. A second book of another title is set to publish on May 9, 2019. View Pam’s website ATXEditing.

 

God Moments

When you need them most…

Developing an “I Can…” Mentality:

Words Chosen Wisely...

Children are learning not only from each other, but from everything in their environment including what they see, hear, and feel (physically and emotionally).  The Social Interaction Theory goes along with the Zone of Proximal Development (ZPD).  Vygotsky describes this as “the distance between the actual developmental level as determined by independent problem solving and the level of potential development as determined through problem-solving under adult guidance, or in collaboration with more capable peers” (Vygotsky, 1978, p. 86).  This is a very important aspect of the learning environment.  As educators it is imperative that we understand the ZPD and how to use it when we scaffold students’ learning.  If we can provide just the right amount of assistance (not too much and not too little) students will be able to grasp learning and gain confidence.

As a parent, teacher, and former administrator I find myself striving to develop a love of…

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Are Millennials Interested in Art? Yes, New Park West Gallery Study Finds

Millennials are much more interested in art than previous generations, and social media may be driving their attraction to it, according to a new study conducted by Park West Gallery, one of the world’s largest private art galleries.

 

Millennials are almost twice as likely as Baby Boomers to say they both know something about art (63% to 34%), and almost universally agree that they appreciate art, the research found. In fact, four out of five Millennials said that art was important to them, the highest percentage of any age group.

 Social media is changing the way younger generations are engaging with fine art, creating new paths to discover artworks and artists.

So excited to announce… The Legend of the Fairy Stones, coming April 2019

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE                                     CONTACT: kidspr@zoho.com

The Legend of the Fairy Stones incorporates public domain artwork to tell a whimsical tale.

BALTIMORE, MARYLAND, September 2018—Morgan James Publishing, named by Publishers Weekly as one of the fastest growing independent publishers of 2018, has acquired rights to The Legend of the Fairy Stones, a picture book by Kelly Anne White of Baltimore, Maryland. White’s literary agent, D.J. Snell of Legacy Management, negotiated the contractual agreement with Kim Childress of Childress Ink as product developer.

HARRY POTTER: A HISTORY OF MAGIC

Pinch me, I’m dreaming… Brilliant!

  

Exclusive pre-order at Audible.com

NATALIE DORMER TO NARRATE

AUDIO ORIGINAL 

HARRY POTTER: A HISTORY OF MAGIC

Audiobook Now Available for Exclusive Pre-Order at Audible.com 

Audible also to release a free audio tour of the New-York Historical Society exhibition of the same name, featuring Dormer’s voice

NEWARK, N.J. – August 9^th , 2018 – Audible Inc., the world’s largest seller and producer of downloadable audiobooks and other spoken-word entertainment, today announced the forthcoming release of Harry Potter: A History of Magic, published by Pottermore Publishing. An original non-fiction audiobook that reveals some of the hidden stories behind real-world magic and explores some of J.K. Rowling’s magical inventions alongside their folkloric, cultural and historical forebears. The recording reflects the exhibition of the same name which ran at the British Library last year and will run at the New-York Historical Society in the United States October 5, 2018 – January 27, 2019, with a selection of objects not featured in London that are on view to the public for the very first time. Narrated by Natalie Dormer, whose stage and screen roles include Margaery Tyrell in Game of Thrones and Cressida in The Hunger Games, Harry Potter: A History of Magic will release on October 4^th and is currently available for pre-order exclusively at www.audible.com/historyofmagic.

Throughout Harry Potter: A History of Magic, Dormer leads listeners through an audio journey like no other, delving into real-world magical texts and artifacts. From Ethiopian charms and Chinese oracle bones, to the story of Nicolas Flamel and Smelly Nelly’s black moon crystal ball, listeners will be transfixed by tales of magical history and mystical traditions from all over the world, many of which they will recognize from the Harry Potter books that they know and love. Featuring exclusive interviews with series narrators Jim Dale and Stephen Fry, illustrators Jim Kay and Olivia Lomenech Gill, and curators from the British Library and New-York Historical Society, Harry Potter: A History of Magic illuminates both the Wizarding World and the creative process behind the development of the beloved Harry Potter stories.

“I’ve always adored the Harry Potter books, but it wasn’t until I started speaking with the British Library’s curators – hearing about the various myths, legends and cultures that have helped shape the wizarding world – that I really began to appreciate the richness and depth of J. K. Rowling’s writing,” said Dormer. “There are so many wonderful details to explore and A History of Magic unearths some remarkable gems of information that are sure to have listeners awestruck. It’s been fun to join the Wizarding World family.”

“From the first time we spoke to the curators at the British Library and the New-York Historical Society, it was clear that the magical artifacts in the exhibition held so many hidden stories,” said Ann Scantlebury, Development Editor at Pottermore Publishing. “In this audiobook we have been able to delve a little bit deeper to hear about scandals and intrigues, seven reasons why a werewolf might attack, a witch flying a broomstick backwards, and a cautionary tale of an exploding cauldron. Fans of Harry Potter are in for a treat too – Jim Dale, Stephen Fry, Jim Kay, and Olivia Lomenech Gill give us great insight and some fantastic stories of how they created their own interpretations of the Wizarding World.”

“We are thrilled to offer Audible listeners the opportunity to enjoy a brilliant performance of yet another essential component of the Wizarding World,” said Audible EVP and Publisher Beth Anderson. “Natalie’s narration and the wealth of informative and inspiring interviews really bring listeners deep into the rich magical heritage of the Harry Potter stories and beyond. Ever since we first made the Harry Potter series available in Audible 2015, they have been consistently among the highest rated and most listened to audiobooks in our store.”

A special audio tour to accompany the Harry Potter: A History of Magic exhibition at New-York Historical, featuring Dormer’s voice, will be available to ticketholders as a free Audible download, offering in-depth content on fascinating objects throughout the exhibition galleries.

ABOUT AUDIBLE, INC.

Audible, Inc., an Amazon.com, Inc. subsidiary (NASDAQ:AMZN), is the leading provider of premium digital spoken audio content, offering customers a new way to enhance and enrich their lives every day. Audible was created to unleash the emotive music in language and the habituating power and utility of verbal expression. Audible content includes more than 425,000 audio programs from leading audiobook publishers, broadcasters, entertainers, magazine and newspaper publishers, and business information providers. Audible is also the provider of spoken-word audio products for Apple’s iTunes Store.

ABOUT POTTERMORE PUBLISHING

Pottermore Publishing is the global digital publisher of the Harry Potter and Fantastic Beasts series as well as other audiobooks and eBooks from the Wizarding World.  It aims to lead the way in innovative digital publishing and to bring new generations of readers together with long-standing fans, celebrating and bringing to life the stories that first began with the Boy Who Lived.

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