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Etiquette & Personal Behavior / “Dear Sir or Madam”—Learn When to Use It and Some Alternatives

« on: August 09, 2018, 03:17:04 PM »

How do you know when to use Dear Sir or Madam or something else? When writing a business letter or email, it can be a real challenge to get the salutation right—especially for someone you don’t know or an organization you’ve never worked with. In such situations, you should err on the side of formality, but even then, there are good reasons to avoid Dear Sir or Madam. Luckily, there are a number of alternatives for Dear Sir or Madam that will help you remain professional.

Is Dear Sir or Madam Acceptable?

The short answer is yes but only rarely—though of course, not everyone agrees.
Here’s why:

•   In today’s technologically connected world, there is (almost) no excuse for not knowing whom you are writing to.
•   Dear Sir or Dear Madam may offend your recipient if you’re unsure of their gender or get it wrong.

If you want to write a better cover letter to a prospective employer or an outstanding business letter to a potential client, you want to stand out, right? Likely you want to show how you are already a great fit for the team. Knowing someone’s name, gender, and what they do is a fundamental way to show your investment.

Dear Sir/Madam Cover Letter vs. Dear Sir/Madam Email
You should avoid using Dear Sir/Madam in emails as well as in cover letters.

Cover letters are notably more formal than emails, but some of the same rules apply, especially if you are writing to someone for the first time. Regardless of format, use a formal tone, while—as stated earlier—investing time in researching whom you are writing to.

Dear Sir/Madam Alternatives:

Because you should invest some time trying to find out exactly whom you are writing to, the best alternatives to the highly impersonal Dear Sir or Madam include, in order of preference:

•   Dear [First Name Last Name],
•   Dear Mr./Ms./Dr. [Last Name],
•   Dear [First Name], or Hello, [First Name], (informal only. Good if you’ve worked together before or the environment is casual.)
•   Dear [Name of group or department],
•   Dear [Job Title],
•   To Whom It May Concern,
•   Dear Sir or Dear Madam,
•   Dear Sir or Madam,

This business writing salutations flow chart will help you understand when to use Dear Sir or Madam and when to use something else.




Though many people use Dear Sir or Madam interchangeably with To Whom It May Concern, there is a notable difference in meaning that employers or companies in certain formal sectors (academia, law, finance, etc.) will be sensitive to.

To Whom It May Concern implies that the information discussed in the letter can go to any relevant party within the organization.
This salutation should be used for general concerns like support requests or feedback.

Dear Sir or Madam implies that you have one specific person in mind for this letter, but do not know their name, title, or gender.
This salutation should be used for communication regarding specific projects, specific concerns, or employment.

How to Use Dear Sir or Madam Correctly:

If you must use Dear Sir or Madam or a variant of it, traditionally this salutation is paired with Yours Faithfully, in the signature. Here is a template of a letter or email which uses Dear Sir or Madam correctly.

Dear Sir or Madam, (or Dear Sir, or Dear Madam,)
Letter text centered vertically on page.
Yours Faithfully,
[your signature when possible]
Your first name and last name Your designation

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Teaching & Research Forum / Push, Pull, and Falling Out Factors of Dropout

« on: July 11, 2018, 10:18:54 AM »

Pressures on students of push and pull dropout factors. A student is pushed out when adverse situations within the educational environment lead to consequences, ultimately resulting in dropout. These include tests, attendance and discipline policies, and even consequences of poor behavior. However, students can be pulled out when factors inside the student divert them from completing Education. These occur when factors, such as financial worries, out-of-Education employment, family needs, or even family changes, such as marriage or childbirth, pull students away from Education. They can even include illnesses, as these cause students to put a greater value on something outside of Educational Institute, and therefore they do not complete Education.

The third factor called falling out, which occurs when a student does not show significant academic progress in Educational activity and becomes apathetic or even disillusioned with completion. It is not necessarily an active decision, but rather a “side-effect of insufficient personal and educational support”. Also, more than push or pull factors, falling out factors highlight a process in educational institute dropout whereby the student gradually increases in behaviors or desires of academic disengagement, yet without being forced out by the institute (by push factors) or lured out by things they need or want (by pull factors). As a result, these students eventually disappear or fall out from the system.

The key difference between push, pull, and falling out factors has to do with agency. With push factors, the institute is the agent whereby a student is removed from institute as a result of a consequence. With pull factors, the student is the agent, such that attractions or distractions lure them out of education Finally, with falling out factors, neither the student nor institute is the agent. Instead, circumstances exist that neither the institute nor the student can remediate, and as a result, the connection students have with education gradually diminishes. Although there seems to be a similarity between pull and falling out factors in terms of both involving an action of the students, the definitive difference is that pull factors have a distinct object working as an attraction/distraction that is sought by students, leading to dropout, whereas falling out factors lack this attraction/distraction.

Fall Out: The Number of Fall out will highly unlikely return.
Pushed Out: The Number of Pushed Out get less of our attention in terms of effort.
Pulled Out: The Number of Pulled Out get higher of our attention and effort of followup and promotional offer to re-involve them in education.

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You need to know / A complete Guide to Prepare Yourself for Social Life Style and Career Habit

« on: May 30, 2018, 01:34:18 PM »

We have seen our fathers went out every morning dressed up clean and sharp. At one point I understand he have been going to place called office. In time we begin to know that this office is work and through that work make living for us. The Word “Career” is being introduced to us in about at 7 or 8 grade at school. In hustle of choosing subject between Science, Arts and Commerce, we have no clue what is going to be our Career. After school at college, Same exact discipline taught us preparation for exam to obtain higher grade for the betterment of our future career ahead. And just when it started to grow restless wind of preparation pressure University showed us Career is more than just gathering knowledge from books. In first couple of years in university we knew that we are not ready for the job because of the lack of actual preparation that should have given form the beginning. Mid set the right career path or a job, speaking confidently, Dressing Up etiquette, Interview tips and tricks, Eye contact we all have heard these terms. It’s have been 16 years of our education journey that came to an end to find our beloved long awaited JOB.

We have come a long way to have our own dream job. But before that we have to prepare yourself to present yourself in the work place just like our fathers did every morning. That’s right, having a career is a performance ground every day to do better than yesterday.

Let us break it down in simple way: It all starts from our home Walking up from bed to reaching work place.

Punctuality: Being Punctual, is being taught us from the beginning of school life so that we don’t miss our classes. Work is no different; With maturity, instead of waiting for our parents to wake us up and ringing a bell in school arena, we set Alarm at our clock to reach work in time.

Reaching our work or our first Job interview 10 min earlier is to have a habit of punctuality for prosperity of our career is as important as preparing your cloth to ware for work at night before next morning. It will save your time.

Now time to Wake Up!

Prepare for the Morning: To avoid bad breath and wake up face, fresh up and don’t forget to have the most important meal of the day, Breakfast. Have a diet and healthy breakfast will help to have good concertation throughout first halftime of your work and sound mind for the day.

Let's get dressed!

Dress up Guide: Sure, you can dress yourself, but here is everything you need to know about making sure your clothes actually fit you properly. Let's get started:


Shirt

Color Choice: What you choose to wear communicates a lot about who you are and how you see yourself. So in the all-important job interview, what color should you wear to make a great first impression?
Conservative colors, such as black, blue, gray, and brown, seem to be the safest bet when meeting someone for the first time in a professional setting, whereas colors that signal more creativity, like orange, may be too loud for an interview.

Black: Leadership
Black can be seen as unapproachable, but if you wear it correctly, it can also "communicate glamour, sophistication, exclusivity" Black is a color that is taken seriously. Consider brands such as Chanel and Yves Saint Lauren using black to communicate that they are the leader in their industry.
But since you are at the beginning in your career and not dressing up for an exclusive event Let’s be humble.

Blue: Team Player
Blue is one of the best colors to wear on a job interview because is exudes trust and confidence. Studies show that navy blue is the best color for a suit to wear to a job interview, because it inspires confidence. You are more likely to get the job when you wear navy blue to an interview than any other color.

Gray: Logical/Analytical
Wearing gray communicates independence or isolation. This doesn't have to be a bad thing, as long as you show that you're confident. Since gray is somewhat of a lonely color, this may say to others that you're very much an individual, who is self-sufficient and capable of thinking on your own.

White: Organized
Wearing white and beige is a safe bet, but you may be considered "dull and lacking in self-confidence." Hiring managers think that white means you're "organized" since any chaos at all and you may find yourself with a stain on that white outfit.


Brown: Dependable
This earthy color means warmth, safety, reliability, and dependability

Red: Power
Red conveys passion and power and is the best color to wear when you're trying to persuade or impress someone; such as brand marketing and development manager. Red is also linked to courage, excitement, and energy.

Green, Yellow, Orange, and Purple: Creative
These louder colors communicate that you are fun and attract attention, but they don't necessarily elicit feelings of trust or commitment, which may not be the best message to send in a job interview. However, wearing these colors would work great for happy hour gatherings or in-house meetings.

Shirt Sleeve: The end of the sleeve should fall in the space between the base of your wrist (or that bone that sticks out) and the bottom knuckle of your thumb.

Sleeve Length:

Sleeve Fit:

Caution: Stop lifting your arms up when trying on shirts. You're just going to convince yourself that every shirt is too small and then get frustrated.

What you need to do is drop your arms to your side and relax. With your arms in this position, the sleeve should fall into that sweet spot without draping over your thumb. If it does, it's too big. And if it doesn't cover your wrist, it's too small.


SHOULDERS: The shoulder seams of the shirt should line up with the ends of your shoulders -- where the horizontal plane of your shoulder meets your bicep.

Tips: If you can't tell if the seam lines up with the end of your shoulder, ask someone. If there's no one to ask, stand up straight with your shoulder against a wall. If the seam is hidden, it's probably too big. If there's a decent space between the seam and the wall, it's too small. (It'll make sense when you do it).
This is the same for the jacket shoulder. Your jacket can go a little beyond your shoulder, but really try to line it up.

TORSO: Aside from the eye test ("Does this look too big/small?"), the best way to see if a shirt fits your torso is to hug someone (or act out the motion).

The eye test will give you a sense of whether the shirt is too big and the hug test will let you know if the shirt is too small. If you go for a hug and feel like Bruce Banner transforming into the Hulk, the shirt is too tight.
The hug test should also be used when trying on jackets.

BONUS: Now is the time to lift up your arms! Tuck your shirt into your pants, lift your arms above your head, and see if your shirt stays tucked.
Preferably, you want to make sure you wear a solid colored dress shirt. A dress shirt with a patterned design can potentially be flashy in the employer’s eyes — it may throw them off or distract them so it’s best to keep things as simple as possible.

When selecting your dress shirt, try to keep an eye out for straight collared shirts rather than button-down collars because they give off a more formal vibe. In addition, be sure to wear a long sleeve dress shirt because a short-sleeve button up is informal in the eyes of an employer.
Another thing to keep in mind when opting for dress shirts is size. Ask yourself, how well does the dress shirt fit? You want to make sure your dress shirt is not too loose or tight; everything has to be just right. In terms of what color dress shirt to wear, it’s absolutely up to you but in my opinion, you should always go with your favorite color.

Who knows? Maybe your favorite color is your employer’s as well.

How to Properly Iron Your Dress Shirt:



Before:
Sprinkle the shirt with water. If your iron doesn't have this option, use a spray bottle. If you don't have a spray bottle, use your fingers. If you don't have fingers, you shouldn't be ironing.

THE PROPER ORDER:

Collar - Pop it and start on the back side, ironing from one end to the other. Flip it over and iron the other side.

Cuffs - Unbutton the cuffs and lay them out flat. Iron the inside of the cuff first, then the outside.

Front - Flip the shirt inside out and start by ironing the strips of fabric down the opening of the shirt (the buttons should be face down on the towel). Then work from the top of the shoulder downward. Repeat this process on the front side. DO NOT IRON THE BUTTONS!

Back - Open the shirt and start ironing from the top of the inside shoulder (the part that rests against your back), working your way down. Do this to the other side (left or right) and then flip it over and iron the back of the shirt in the same process.

Sleeves - Flatten out the sleeve and start ironing at the wider end, working your way to the cuff. Turn the sleeve over and iron the back. Do this for both sleeves.

Don't forget to hang your shirt when finished.

Rolling the Sleeves:
Instead of scrunching the sleeves up to your elbow when you get hot, use this rolling technique for a more stylish approach:

And finally, yes, there is a proper way to spray cologne:


So many rules, I know. But this is the last one. There are four "hot spots" to choose when applying your fragrance:

•   Wrists
•   Base of the throat/neck
•   Behind the ears
•   Chest/between the breasts

Select two to three of these spots and spray from several inches away. You want to mist these areas. Any closer or any more spraying can result in an overpowering scent and NOBODY LIKES THAT!


PANTS:
Selecting pants isn’t as important as a dress shirt and tie because employers only pay attention to what I’m wearing on top.

The answer is false.

If you’re going to dress up for a job interview, you want to make sure you are presentable on both top and bottom. The recommended color of pants for a job interview is usually black. Depending on the type of clothes you are wearing (shirt & tie), it can be appropriate to wear khakis in order to match the attire accordingly.
Always make sure to wear fitted pants; they shouldn’t be tight, but rather trim. Well, how can I tell if these pants are too tight for me? According to WB Style, the “pockets and the front of the pants should lay flat.”

Don’t:

•   Wear shorts.
•   Wear wrinkled pants.
•   Wear dress pants that don’t match the color of your suit.

When it comes to finding the right pair of pants, you're looking for a straight back with a small "break" (crease) in the front.

Also, this is how your butt should look:

Everybody likes a good butt. Make sure yours looks nice.

JACKET

Color Choice:
You definitely want to show up to an interview in style. You also want to leave a lasting impact, and you could very easily do this with a standout suit.

Blue:
You can't go wrong with darker shades of blue, especially navy. Choosing from this powerful spectrum will project an image of someone who is in control. From the interviewer's point of view, the color blue conjures up calm, stability, trust, truth, confidence, and security. These are all great messages to send without saying a word.

Gray:
After blue, gray is the second most popular color to wear for an interview. Like darker blue, it’s not a distracting color to the interviewer, which means they’ll be focused more on what you’re saying and how you’re saying it. Gray denotes sophistication, so use it to your advantage.

Black:
This is a commanding color and represents authority. Black also connotes drama, so use it carefully when putting together your interview outfit. You may want to use it as an accent—like in a scarf or tie, for instance—rather than as the primary color.

Red:
This is an extremely powerful color. It's so strong, you should only use it as an accent color. Reds are associated with energy, passion, desire, power, and aggression. People think of intensity and passion when they see the color red, so use it sparingly, or it could send the wrong message to the interviewer.

White:
White shirts and blouses are always a safe bet. It sends the message of simplicity, cleanliness, precision, and goodness.


JACKET SLEEVE:
The general rule here is that you want to show a bit of the shirt cuff, but not too much.



You want to tease your dress shirt, basically. "Oh, I like that cuff. I wonder what the rest of his shirt looks like," they'll all say, probably. Not really. Nobody says that. They'll only talk behind your back if it's too short or too long. Don't let them do that!


JACKET LENGTH:
The bottom of the jacket should end right around the natural cup of your hand (the inner curve of your fingers).

This is more of a guideline than a hard-pressed rule. since we all have torsos, arms, and legs of different lengths, a good suit jacket should simply "cover your ass."


JACKET STYLE: Buttons and Body Type.

Tall and Thin: Congratulations! You have the freedom to wear pretty much whatever style you'd like: two, three-, or four-button jackets.

Tall and Muscular/Husky: For the most part, you'll want to go for the classic two-button style, but for a thinner waistline you can opt for a one-button jacket. And please, please, please don't go baggy. Get a suit that fits!

Short and Thin: You'll want to elongate your body with a low button stance (the opening "V" of the jacket should be lower on your torso). Avoid double-breasted jackets along with three- and four-button jackets. Look at Apolo Anton Ohno (the man above) to get a sense of what we're talking about here.

Short and Muscular/Husky: To create a thinning effect and elongate your body, get a jacket with a low button stance (the opening "V" of the jacket should be lower on your torso). You should also avoid double-breasted jackets along with three- and four-button jackets. Seriously, don't do it. You'll look silly.



The Jacket Button Rule:

Your jacket should be unbuttoned when sitting, and buttoned up when you stand. However, the bottom button should always be undone, even when standing. Why? I don't know. There's probably some good reason for it, but it's the code, so act like you know it.



Tie:

Wearing a tie can earn you respect in the long run and bring a sense of professionalism to your individual aura. Although it may be arduous selecting the right tie to wear or which method to tie your tie, be sure to stay on top of your game.
Depending on what type of job you are applying for, it may be suitable for you to wear a skinny tie. Skinny ties may be popular in fashion but you aren’t going to a catwalk, you are going to a job interview. There’s a fine line between looking good and feeling good and it’s best not to cross that boundary.

It is recommended to wear a regular tie at all times because it gives off a more professional look. For job interviews, you should stick with diagonal stripes, solids or minute patterned ties.
Does Color Matter?

Depending on the type of color tie you wear, you can hint to your employer what kind of personality you have.

Red: A dominant color that symbolizes wealth, passion and victory. If you are going to wear a red tie for your job interview, be sure to express your overwhelming determination.

Blue: A serene color that symbolizes peace and persistence. If you are going to wear a blue tie for your job interview, be ready to express that you are a hardworking individual.

Yellow: A radiant color that symbolizes exuberance and creativity. If you are going to wear a yellow tie for your job interview, be sure to express your jovial and outgoing personality.

Black: A black tie should only be worn during formal events and special occasions.

Here are some example YouTube videos on how to tie a tie correctly!

•   How to Tie a Half-Windsor Knot:

•   How to Tie a Windsor Knot:

•   How to Tie a Nicky Knot:

THE POCKET SQUARE: Friend or Foe

Pocket squares are scary because they're made of all sorts of different kinds of fabric and they fall down sometimes. However, adding a pocket square is a nice touch to any suit. It's another opportunity to add color and it can break up the monotony of a suit.

Plus, if you're a heavier man, a pocket square will draw people's eyes to your chest, rather than your gut. Hey, thanks, pocket square!

Ways to fold a pocket square:

1.   Start out by laying the pocket square on a flat surface.
2.   Fold one corner in so that you get two overlapping triangles.
3.   Fold one side of the triangle in.
4.   Do the same on the opposite side.
5.   Finally place the pocket square in your jacket's pocket.

Belt: Make Sure Your Belt Matches Your Shoes. You should already know this, but as a general rule, your belt color should match the color of your shoes.

Shoes:

By looking at someone’s shoes, you can tell an awful lot about an individual and what type of personality that person has. You should consider wearing leather lace-up or slip-on dress shoes. If you are trying to figure out what color to wear, you should go with black, brown or cordovan.

Socks:

1.   Wear solid color socks (preferably black).
2.   Wear socks that match your trousers.
3.   Don’t wear socks that are too flashy in terms of patterned design.
4.   Wear socks that don’t expose your bare skin.


 
Last Minute Tips:   

1.   If you’re grabbing a quick snack right before an interview, make sure not to stain your pants.
2.   Don’t forget to wear your favorite cologne.
3.   Pop a mint in your mouth for good luck.
4.   Always keep it 100 when going into an interview.
5.   Lastly, believe in yourself because everyone else believes in you.


Reminder: These are simply guidelines and common rules to avoid fashion faux pas. Feel free to express yourself in different ways to find your individual look.

The secret to standing out

Remember, it’s not just about what you wear. After all, it's a job interview, not a fashion show. While a spiffy appearance will certainly help you make a great first impression, the key to nailing a job interview lies mainly in your answers to a hiring manager's questions.

Preparation:

1.    Research the industry and company.

An interviewer may ask how you perceive his company's position in its industry, who the firm's competitors are, what its competitive advantages are, and how it should best go forward. For this reason, avoid trying to thoroughly research a dozen different industries. Focus your job search on just a few industries instead.


2.   Clarify your "selling points" and the reasons you want the job.

Prepare to go into every interview with three to five key selling points in mind, such as what makes you the best candidate for the position. Have an example of each selling point prepared ("I have good communication skills. For example, I persuaded an entire group to ..."). And be prepared to tell the interviewer why you want that job – including what interests you about it, what rewards it offers that you find valuable, and what abilities it requires that you possess. If an interviewer doesn't think you're really, really interested in the job, he or she won't give you an offer – no matter how good you are!


3.   Anticipate the interviewer's concerns and reservations.

There are always more candidates for positions than there are openings. So interviewers look for ways to screen people out. Put yourself in their shoes and ask yourself why they might not want to hire you (“I don't have this,” “I'm not that,” etc.). Then prepare your defense: “I know you may be thinking that I might not be the best fit for this position because [their reservation]. But you should know that [reason the interviewer shouldn't be overly concerned]."


4.   Prepare for common interview questions.

Every "how to interview" book has a list of a hundred or more "common interview questions." (You might wonder just how long those interviews are if there are that many common questions!) So how do you prepare? Pick any list and think about which questions you're most likely to encounter, given your age and status (about to graduate, looking for a summer internship). Then prepare your answers so you won't have to fumble for them during the actual interview.


5.   Line up your questions for the interviewer.

Come to the interview with some intelligent questions for the interviewer that demonstrate your knowledge of the company as well as your serious intent. Interviewers always ask if you have any questions, and no matter what, you should have one or two ready. If you say, "No, not really," he or she may conclude that you're not all that interested in the job or the company. A good all-purpose question is, "If you could design the ideal candidate for this position from the ground up, what would he or she be like?"

If you're having a series of interviews with the same company, you can use some of your prepared questions with each person you meet (for example, "What do you think is the best thing about working here?" and "What kind of person would you most like to see fill this position?") Then, try to think of one or two others during each interview itself.


6.   Practice, practice, practice.

It's one thing to come prepared with a mental answer to a question like, "Why should we hire you?" It's another challenge entirely to say it out loud in a confident and convincing way. The first time you try it, you'll sound garbled and confused, no matter how clear your thoughts are in your own mind! Do it another 10 times, and you'll sound a lot smoother and more articulate.

But you shouldn't do your practicing when you're "on stage" with a recruiter; rehearse before you go to the interview. The best way to rehearse? Get two friends and practice interviewing each other in a "round robin": one person acts as the observer and the "interviewee" gets feedback from both the observer and the "interviewer." Go for four or five rounds, switching roles as you go. Another idea (but definitely second-best) is to tape record your answer and then play it back to see where you need to improve. Whatever you do, make sure your practice consists of speaking aloud. Rehearsing your answer in your mind won't cut it.


7.   Send thank notes

Write a thank-you note after every interview. Type each note on paper or send them by email, depending on the interviewers' preferences. Customize your notes by referring specifically to what you and the interviewer discussed; for example, "I was particularly excited about [or interested by, or glad to hear] what you said about ..." Handwritten notes might be better if you're thanking a personal contact for helping you in your job search, or if the company you're interviewing with is based in Europe. Whatever method you choose; notes should be sent within 48 hours of the interview.

To write a good thank-you note, you'll need to take time after each interview to jot down a few things about what the interviewer said. Also, write down what you could have done better in the interview, and make adjustments before you head off for your next interview.


8.   Don't give up!

If you've had a bad interview for a job that you truly think would be a great fit for you (not just something you want badly), don't give up! Write a note, send an email, or call the interviewer to let him or her know that you think you did a poor job of communicating why you think this job would be a good match. Reiterate what you have to offer the company, and say that you'd like an opportunity to contribute. Whether this strategy will get you a job offer depends on the company and on you. But one thing's for sure: If you don't try, your chances are exactly zero. We've seen this approach work on numerous occasions, and we encourage you to give it that last shot.



Key to answering with Confidence:

1. Know exactly where you want to go.

Your elevator pitch should answer three questions: Who are you? What do you do? Where do you want to go, or what are you looking for? You need to know exactly what you want to achieve or no one can help you get there.
"Take your resume and LinkedIn profile and go through it thoroughly," says McDonald. If you're unemployed, focus on where you want to go and what you want to do.


2. Bullet point it.

After studying your resume and LinkedIn profile, write down four bullet points that explain why you're great, advises McDonald. Discuss your work history, background, skills, accomplishments, and goals. Keep out any irrelevant details that take away from your core message.


3. Tell them a story.

People love stories, says McDonald, so tell them a story. It also makes it easier for others to remember you later on.


5. Make sure it invites conversation.

After telling your story, the listener needs to be left wanting more. Is your story compelling enough to do this? If not, you need to change your pitch.


6. Time yourself.

While practicing your pitch, you should time yourself to make sure you can tell your story in 30 seconds. If you can't, cut down details and try again.


7. Record yourself on video.

You need to know what you look like to others while you're telling your story. Are you interesting? Are you believable? People will come to their own conclusions while listening to you so make sure you give off a good impression. Relax, act natural, and get comfortable with your story.


8. Pitch it to your friends and colleagues.

After you've got your story down, practice your elevator pitch with friends and colleagues. Ask them to give you feedback. Ask them what you should do to make it better. Keep practicing and tweaking your pitch until it's natural for you to say aloud and convincing to the listener.

Good Luck!

4

Life Style / How to Get Rid of Self-Conscious towards Building Self-Confidence

« on: May 30, 2018, 11:27:13 AM »

Is it just me or even you get nervous and a little bit self-conscious every time you walk into a room of people you don’t know? I know it’s not just me because it happens to all of us.

Here, I’m gonna show you how to get it over with in time.

1. Challenge your negative thoughts (e.g. “I’m not good enough”, “I’m gonna screw this up”, “I might not be liked by others”)


Challenge it, don’t just accept it

Ask yourself: Why won’t people like me?

If the ANS: Maybe, I’ll say something stupid.

Ask yourself: what would you say?

If the ANS: Maybe, I won’t say anything and people will think that I’m boring.

Then ASK: Why won’t I have anything to say?


Challenge yourself. When you go to a meeting or maybe, in friend circle things get outta hand. There will be negative ideas and negative thoughts always but you don’t have to let them rule you.


2. Learn to control your breathing (In to the nose, out to the mouth)

When you get nervous, you take short little breaths and these short little breaths cause us to be more anxious than we are actually maybe or need to be. Take a deep breath from your nose and release it slowly form your mouth.

Try it, you gonna see yourself relaxing after it.


3. Face your Fear

If you are the person who is never going out because you are scare to interact, meet people, talk to people or just to avoiding the situations then remember you are willing to be uncomfortable all by yourself.

You gotta go...
You are gonna be uncomfortable, awkward and feel like running away if you don’t go out.

If you never do, you never gonna get better.

Even if you stayed there for 10 min, but you’ve went there, that’s the big deal.
Next time go for a bit longer, in time what you going to learn that you actually can.

Fight your fear.


4. If No. 3 doesn’t work talk to a Therapist

Lot of time we individuals have tough time when things don’t get quite work out. Maybe you can give some advice to someone if they need but when it comes talk about you go blank. Go to Therapist and seek counseling, they are the people who is ready to help when you are going through tough time.


5. If all fails, then there are some great medications out there to help you to take the edge off.

Always remember you don’t need to feel like this, you don’t meant to feel like this, You are beautiful, special and you deserve to have wonderful interpersonal relationships.

Go out, Enjoy your life.

5

Telecom Forum / How To Check Own/My Number on Other Operators

« on: February 26, 2018, 03:09:43 PM »

To Check own/My Number on other operators:

Airtel sim Number check: Dial     *121*6*3#

BanglaLink sim Number check: Dial    *511#

GP sim Number check: Dial *2#

Robi sim Number check: Dial   *140*2*4#

Teletalk sim Number check: Dial  *551#

6

Use Social Media in Education / Engaging Your University Community through Social Media

« on: January 04, 2018, 04:40:51 PM »

When I student of Dhaka Commerce College the closest thing we had to public relations and communications was the biweekly College newsletter that we cranked out in MS Word. Photocopied newsletters stuffed into backpacks on a Friday afternoon seemed to do the job of communicating with parents. For teachers, memos were placed in cubbyholes in the staff room.

As technology progressed and the University where I worked got larger, new options became available. The need to better communicate and engage our students, staff, parents, and prospective families became even more essential. Here are a few ways that we at Daffodil International University should have engaged with our community:


University Website

University is busy places, and parents need a trusted place to find the right information. But information is not enough -- gone are the days of the website being just a digital brochure. Now it needs to facilitate two-way communication. We just need to update our website this year to include these key features:

1. It must be mobile friendly. It must work on phones and tablets as well as desktops. No exceptions.
Yes, we must be thinking we have all of those, the website we have works on mobile but a mobile friendly website is a different milestone.

In January 2014, mobile internet use exceeded desktop use in the United States. Web designers may work separately on such pages, or pages may be automatically converted, as in Mobile Wikipedia. Faster speeds, smaller, feature-rich devices, and a multitude of applications continue to drive explosive growth for mobile internet traffic.

Our website lacks to calibrate content (both text and other things) according to different mobile devices resolution; I’m not an expert, just a user and I’m trying to give feedback the best way I know how. Please bear with me. Showing of Desktop website in mobile devises is not the indication of having mobile friendly website, it is converted and re designed separately from Desktop friendly Website.
I hope Mobile website should be a fact in 2018 to enrich a new milestone in this New Year.


2. It must be easy to update, preferably automatically. For example, the information we add into our Google calendar automatically updates on our website. For static pages, make sure the content stays current.

3. Link your other social media initiatives on your website. Parents should be able to easily find your official Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube profiles from your webpage. Then use your webpage to share the content from those profiles.
The hardest but most important part is that your site must provide a sense of your unique University's culture. People visiting your university website should feel like they are visiting your campus.


Facebook

"if you are not telling your University's story on Facebook, someone else is." By Petter Noren. He was right.
Use Facebook to celebrate the great things happening at the University!

        1.   Promote sports, arts, and cultural events.
        2.   Post blog articles, news items, and announcements.
        3.   Publish fundraising goals.
        4.   Share educational memes.

Should you use Facebook ads? We are already promoting because we found good success in promoting our posts. For a minimal cost, it places them into the top of the timelines for your friends and their friends.

4.  Be sure to monitor your posts. Which posts have more views and likes than others? While it isn't a popularity contest, you want to keep track of whether you are actually reaching your audience. Have more than one person as admin, but don't bring in too many people.

More views doesn’t mean you are reaching right audience and it is a waste of time and money for most of the time. Remember it doesn’t counts how many views you had rather how many right audience you get in per promote, keep an eye on static and make a monthly report on it with evidence because you will have a track of your promotion which will help you to predict future promotion. Promoting post for minimal payment and applaud seeing many views is kids’ stuff.

Make sure we answer comments and direct messages.

What happens when you get a bad comment?

If it is inappropriate, we delete it. If it challenges or disagrees with us, we use it as an opportunity to educate and inform both the poster and the public. We will follow this with a private message inviting them to come in and discuss the issue. We also fully support Facebook's requirement that users be 13 or older.

Use the Facebook "Insights" tab to learn more about what's been happening with your page. The graphs show the likes, comments, shares, and other useful metrics for planning and strategy.


Twitter

Our teachers should use Twitter to celebrate what they are doing in their classrooms, ask questions, share resources, and document their learning. It's has a profound effect on our staff. By creating a school hashtag, we are able to thread all of our school-based tweets. We used to think we needed some kind of official Twitter authorization to create a hashtag. You don't. Just make a memorable one that describes your University, and start using it. Twitter use by our staff will grow slowly at first. but we if compiled all of the tweets onto our internal digital daily bulletin using our #DIUTalent hashtag, and it allowed non-Twitter users to see all of the posts. Twitter use is growing rapidly now.

We should be starting to explore engaging our parents and local community with Twitter, as well as reaching out to a global audience.


LinkedIn

At this point, we use must LinkedIn to recruit potential teachers and reach the working members of our DIU family. We follow the major employers in our area and develop our networks within the business community. In addition to posting about major university events, we also share articles related to leadership, corporate social responsibility, and team building. We use it to announce our corporate fundraising, sponsorship, and partnerships. We post much differently on LinkedIn than we do on Facebook.


YouTube

I can guarantee that there are already many videos of our school and students on YouTube. Once again, if you are not telling your story, someone else is. Since you may not be able to police the other videos, you should have an official YouTube channel. Use water mark in video and channel as well.

Remember if you think you handle social media such as Facebook, Twitter, etc. effectively then you should accept that YouTube is a different is totally different kind of social media.
Your University YouTube is not just an event shearing Channel, There should be category tab in you channel, and plans to upload video type in different sub category throughout the whole week.

Please note that YouTube is not just video upload site, It needs special care If you can’t reach your YouTube goal, you should be assure that there are some missing plots and you need help.

You need separate content creator and publisher for managing YouTube channel and it can be your one more earning source.


Blogs

Remember that old newsletter? We don't have it anymore. At first, we switched to a digital PDF version, but now we should get rid of that as well. Now our news should be a blog, constantly updated -- we must post articles and announcements as they are written. Every teacher has his or her own blog. Administrators should have blogs, as we should try to lead by example. Our next step is to engage further through integrating our blogs with social media.

Overall, our move toward digital engagement has been successful. Our community is much more connected. Our parents stay informed through our website and Facebook. Our teachers interact and share through Twitter, and we continue to seek new ways to engage our community through the tools that are available to us.

How about you? What ways are you engaging your University community? Which issues concern you about social media?

7

Facebook / How to Bold & Underline Text in Facebook Chat

« on: November 30, 2017, 10:35:02 AM »

If you are wondering how to change the font or the font color in Facebook chat, just to make an impact or to even distinguish the text from everyone else's. Then you have come to the right place.

Well, you can't change the color, but you can do other things.  As of now, you can write in bold and underline text by doing the following:

Step 1 Bolding in Facebook Chat
Use asterisks for *bold* and it would come out like this in the chat: bold.  Remember, you only have to put the * in front and after whatever you want to write.

Step 2 Underlining in Facebook Chat
Use underscores for _underlining_ and it would come out as underlining.  Just put the _ in front of and after the text you want to use.

Step 3 Bold & Underlined
If you what it to be bold and underlined, just type it like this: *_write your text_* which will come out like this: write your text.

Also, here is a list of emoticons you can use that Facebook supports:

  happy smile
  sad face
:/  undecided smile
  wink wink
o.O  confused face
  mad / angry
^_^  cheer up
-_-  disappointed smiley
:3  frowning lips
>:O  surprised mad / angry face
:O  surprised smile
:v  pac man / pacmac
  crying / upset face
  tongue out
  big smile with teeth out
:*  kiss , lady
  glasses / clear
8|  sunglasses / dark
O:)  angel
3:)  evil
<3  heart also can use alt 3
<(")  penguin (animal)
(^^^)  shark (animal)
:|]  gray robot
:putnam:  head
:42:  red 42
:v  pac man

Whenever I learn more, I would notify you guys.  Hope I helped.

8

English / 6 Ways to Immediately Improve Your English Communication Skills

« on: March 20, 2017, 05:19:08 PM »

6 Ways to Immediately Improve Your English Communication Skills

’Words don’t come easy.’

You may have memorized endless lists of vocabulary, you may know all the grammar needed to hold any conversation and still find yourself at a loss when wanting to express yourself.

There are various reasons behind this phenomenon – some of them more obvious than others.

In this article, I would like to give you a few tips to help overcome the difficulties you might be experiencing, using some of the simplest methods to improve your English communication skills.

1. Slow Down Your Speaking Speed

You might be an eloquent speaker when it comes to your mother tongue, but expecting the same standards from yourself when speaking in a foreign language may not be very realistic.

Especially, if you’re at the early stages of learning. Learners are often told not to worry about the mistakes they’re making, however, it is easy to understand why you would like to make a good impression on your audience.

To overcome this difficulty, you may try slowing down your speaking speed.

Nobody will hold it against you if you speak more slowly and clearly. Great speakers do the same to get their message across. Selecting your words carefully may also be seen as a sign of respect towards your audience. It shows that you want to give them the best possible answer.

2. Give Yourself Time to Think

You may be worried that the people you’re talking to are impatient and would like you to say what you want as quickly as possible.
First of all, it may not be true – people often prefer a well-thought-out answer to a rushed one.
So just relax.

Another practical thing you can do is equipping yourself with fixed phrases you can use when remaining silent doesn’t seem to be an option. Here’s an example:

Why is there so much violence on TV? That’s a good question. Let me think for a moment, I haven’t really thought about it before. Well, I suppose…

Here the speaker gains considerable amount of time to reflect just by repeating the question and adding a few sentences. If you do the same, you’ll sound more fluent and won’t feel the pressure of having to say something before you’re ready.

Fixed or set phrases are phrases whose words are usually fixed in a certain order. They can be verb patterns, idioms, collocations – basically anything we always say in one particular way. For example,

•   during the day
•   in the meantime
•   It’s been a long time since
•   Sorry to bother/trouble you, but…
•   Would you mind if…?
•   Oh, come on!
•   I’m just kidding!
•   For what it’s worth,…
•   To be right/wrong about
•   Tit for tat/an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth.

3. Learn Sentences, Not Only Words

In a way, this will take the pressure off too. When you learn a new word, try to memorize a couple of sentences that contain it.
There might come a time when you can use one particular sentence with little, or no alteration at all. Unfortunately, many people learn words by heart, but have no idea how to use them in a sentence.

It will be such a relief not having to worry about whether the sentence is correct grammatically or not. Let’s look at an example:
To appreciate = to recognize the value of something/somebody
•   I think it’s necessary to feel appreciated in a relationship/ at work.
•   I appreciate all your hard work.

Isn’t it much more useful to memorize ’appreciate’ this way?

4. Learn to Listen

When speaking in a foreign language, you might be so focused on what you are saying and whether it’s correct or not, that you forget to listen to what others are saying.

This is a big mistake as they might be using the exact words or grammar you’ll be needing later on. So pay attention to what’s being said around you, it’s your most important resource at the time of speaking to someone.

5. Practice Your Interrogatives

We also need to keep in mind the fact that communication is a two-way process. Not only does it make you seem uninterested – even rude – if you don’t ask questions, you might also end up being the one who has to do all the talking. So, when you’ve run out of ideas about what to say next, remember: others might have something to add.

•   What are your views on that?
•   How about you? What do you think?
•   Why do you think there’s so much violence on TV?

Questions like this will keep the conversation going and will show your interest in other people’s opinion. They will also give you time to relax a little and start enjoying yourself.

Interrogatives can be quite tricky, so make sure you spend enough time learning the correct ways of asking questions.

6. Produce, Produce, Produce

As I said at the beginning of this article, you might know a lot about the language, but this is passive knowledge that must be activated somehow. Your aim is to be able to produce correct English; practice is undeniably the best way to learn and improve.

Writing is one way of producing language; it may help you get used to and reflect on the ways English operates, which, in turn, might prove to be useful when speaking.

Speaking, on the other hand, is a much more spontaneous process and nothing prepares you for it better than actually doing it. So, find people you can practice with – either on Daffodil Orators, or on ICEMT (CDC), Find friends online. I have a feeling that it will be a great experience.

I hope you will find these tips useful. Feel free to ask any questions if something is not clear. Remember how important it is to ask? We’re here to help you.

Contact Career Development Center (CDC), Daffodil Tower, Daffodil International University

9

Career Tips / Time Management Matrix

« on: September 23, 2016, 06:51:41 PM »