15 Ways to Impress Your Boss on Day 1

15 Ways to Impress Your Boss on Day 115 Ways to Impress Your Boss on Day 1No one expects you to know everything on your first day- or your first month- on the job. But that doesnt mean you cant learn how to impress your boss and co-workers even while youre still figuring things out.So, if leid expertise, what exactly do employers want to see from new hires on day one?To find out, we asked a panel of 15 successful entrepreneurs from the pYoung Entrepreneur Council(http//theyec.org/) Whats one thing you expect all new hires to start doing on their first day of work to ensure their long-term success?And heres what they had to say.1. Get an Early Win Raoul Davis, Ascendant GroupConsider ways you can build momentum right away. Try to identify an immediate contribution you can make to the gruppe. People who do this generate a positive perception and tell me we have a long-term winner within the company.2. Bring One Big Idea Clay Hebert, SpindowsDont be worried getting your boss coffee or o rdering the team lunch accurately. Instead, propose an audacious new idea to improve the business every week. Bring these ideas to your boss or (even better) post them publicly, and offer to lead a team to execute the new idea. Compliance isnt scarce. Leadership and initiative are.3. Get to Know People Shenan Reed, Morpheus MediaIf you sit at your desk for the first few days and spend little time interacting with other people in the company, itll take longer to figure out how to navigate the office and find answers to questions. Walk around, eat lunch in the kitchen, ask people what they do, what they work on, and what gets them excited about being here every day4. Put in the Extra Hours Derek Capo, Next StepThe first thing we notice about new employees is the time that they clock out- mentally or physically. If we notice that someone is out the door by5 PM, we know the schrift of person we will get. If we see the person makes the extra effort and time to learn more about what we ar e teaching and stays a bit later, we know this is the person we want.5. Make Jokes Claus Moberg, SnowShoe StampWe are very proactive in evaluating the cultural fit of candidates for full-time positions. By the time weve actually hired someone, we expect that he or she knows our current staff well enough to start cracking jokes and having fun from day one. If you arent comfortable enough to laugh a little, thats a sign of a problem.6. Express Curiosity Reid Carr, Red Door InteractiveOn the first day, work to identify all of your internal customers, introduce yourself, and schedule time with those customers to interview them on a broad range of subjects. Be curious, thoughtful, and open.7. Understand the Vision Doreen Block, PoshlyTo ensure long-term success, understand the long-term vision of the company on day one. Asking questions to fellow team members about strategy and key performance indicators is critical to getting acquainted on the first day. As you master the long-term visi on, youll be able to ensure that your day-to-day work aligns well. 8. Be a Sponge Robert Sofia, Platinum Advisor MarketingBefore you try to change the game, you must first learn how to play it. Rather than worrying about socializing or making an impression, focus on learning how the organization and the people within it operate. First learn, then do, then teach.9. Remember Everyones Name Alex Chamberlain, EZFingerPrintsMy main goal for a new team member is to have him or her remember everyones name. Nothing helps a new team member more than walking in on day two and saying, Hey John. It instantly builds credibility and relationships with the team.10. Research at Home Kelsey Meyer, Contributor WeeklyThere are a lot of things that need to be learned on the job, but some things can be learned by reading and researching at home. When a new hire asks me what he or she should be reading to get up to speed, I know that person is devoted to adding value from day one.11. Understand Everyones Roles Chuck Cohn, Varsity TutorsIts critical to understand how you fit into the larger organization and what each part of the company actually does. It will help ensure that your team works more effectively and that information is communicated to the right area of your organization.12. Ask Lots of Questions Dave Smith, TekScapeIt says a lot when a new hire comes to work with a long list of questions, inquiries, or comments that demonstrate not only his or her understanding of the job and the expectations of the position, but also a projection of where he or she is capable of taking the company.13. Organize and Prioritize Work Jay Wu, Forever RecoveryThe first thing I expect new hires to do is organize and prioritize their work responsibilities. This is important because it gives direction and determines the priority based on the deadlines and importance of each task. It can be overwhelming when you are in charge of executing multiple tasks, but creating a to-do list can help you fo cus and accomplish more.14. Interact With Others Aron Schoenfeld, Do it in PersonShow that you arent shy and that you want to be part of the team. Introduce yourself to people who work near you, and make sure you meet some new people each day. Your long-term success, as well as the companys, depends on the team, and you need to become part of that as soon as you can.15. Have Energy Henry Balanon, Protean PaymentOne way to ensure a bad start is to show a lack of enthusiasm on your first day. Show people you want to be there. Give them no doubt from the start that you are committed to the team and your role.

The Blood Test Goes Mobile

The Blood Test Goes Mobile The Blood Test Goes Mobile The Blood Test Goes MobileGetting a blood test can be a pain, and its not just from the needle. To get a test, patients often have to visit a different office or wait days for results, and in remote areas of the world, a blood test can mean a significant journey. The hassles are due to the monstrous size of the machines used to run an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, or ELISA.Anna Pyayt, an assistant professor of chemical and biomedical engineering at the University of South Florida, who works with gold standard ELISA machines in her lab, knew it didnt have to be that way.They are massive. I was thinking, why do I need to use such a big instrument? she recalls. What do I need to make it small and inexpensive?We can use exactly the same type of assays available off the shelf. Its just the equipment that is now low cost.Prof. Anna Pyayt, University of South FloridaTo change ELISA to MELISA (a mobile enzyme-linked immunosorbent ass ay), Pyayt turned to two technologies that have seen rapid advancement in the past decades. The first is the smartphone, with its incredible processing power, high-quality cameras and myriad sensors. At the same time Arduino micro-controllers and fast prototyping of microelectronics have reached the point where you can quickly make interesting electronic devices at low cost, Pyayt says. We merged those two platforms to make one local system. MELISA is a low-cost mobile system for biochemical analysis. Credit Arsenii Zhdanov / University of South FloridaFor You MRI-Safe Robots Treat EpilepsyThe new system works just like its larger cousin. Little wells are coated with an antigen. Antibodies in a blood sample bind with these and stay put when the sample is washed away. Their presence is amplified with animal antibodies (that bind with the menschenfreundlich antibodies), which then bind with a color so a human can read the result. That this process is the same in MELISA as it is ELISA is a huge advantage.We can use exactly the same type of assays available off the shelf, Pyayt says. Its just the equipment that is now low cost.The portability of MELISA is only one of the advantages of using a smartphone to do the processing. Now data can be stored on the phone for easy reference and sharing. Having the phone read the results could also mean a reduction of error. Readings from current ELISA systems must be copied down by hand and manually retyped. This is a big advantage given that medical and human errors are major causes of mortality.Though MELISA can eventually be used with any kind of blood assay, Pyayts proof of concept was a test for progesterone, low levels of which can be a cause of miscarriages and difficulties in getting pregnant. A survey run by Pyayt revealed that one of the most important issues for female patients is minimizing the number of separate visits. I think its important that female engineers sometimes try to address the needs of the female parte of population, she says. The number of female engineers is very small.The only things keeping nurses from using MELISA to test patientsfemale or otherwiseare the issues of testing and aesthetics. To get FDA approval, Pyayt is currently running tests to show that MELISA will work in different temperatures and humidity. (See how MELISA works in this video.) Shes also working to make it look aesthetically pleasing. As always, when you try to put things together initially, they look large and ugly, she says. It requires many iterations to put everything into a smaller, nice-looking form.Michael Abrams is an independent writer.Read MoreAn Early and Instant Check for Breast Cancer3D Printing Better Root CanalsResearchers 3D Print on Skin for Breakthrough Applications

Healthy Hunting Mind and Body Wellness during Job Search

Healthy Hunting Mind and Body Wellness during Job SearchHealthy Hunting Mind and Body Wellness during Job SearchIts well-known that high levels of stress can negatively impact your life, causing anxiety, depression and even illness. In an effort to better understand the triggers that cause human beings such distress, in 1967 psychiatrists Thomas Holmes and Richard Rahe studied over 5,000 medical patients and determined a set of 43 life events that can cause stress.Of that list of 43 life events, which included significant life moments such as marriage, divorce and family death, seven events were work-related, with being fired at work in the top ten most stressful events. Its no surprise that researchers found that job search also can be extremely stressful.With that in mind, here are a few simple tips to help you stay healthy while job hunting1. Stick to a scheduleWhile unemployed and job hunting, it can be easy to allow your life to fall into a bit of disarray as you sleep until noo n and fill out job applications while eating ice cream on the couch. Do your best to find a comfortable schedule and stick to it. Get up at 9 AM, go for a run, and after a refreshing shower take a peek at the new listings on Simply Hired before eating lunch at noon like a normal human being. Maintaining this schedule can help you remain in control of your job searching process without feeling overwhelmed.2. Get up and get outJust because youre unemployed doesnt mean that you should be hiding in your house all day. In fact, some fresh air might do you good. According to a 2003 Swedish study, people who ran outside in a park felt 15 percent mora refreshed than those who ran on treadmills or on city streets. Do yourself a favor and get outside. After a breath of fresh air and some exercise you might find yourself the happy recipient of a dose of endorphins that cause the stress and cares of job search to melt away for a while.3. Stay socialYouve heard it time and time again. Networking is key during any job search. Its also just as important to keep your spirits up. Dont cocoon yourself in your Snuggie watching Friends reruns. Go and make some new ones. Try a new exercise class at your local gym or join Meetup and find a book club or cooking club that interests you. These new friends may have useful connections, but more importantly youll be keeping yourself sane and relaxed during a stressful time.4. Dine, dont eatYoure unemployed and suddenly free during the lunch hour, so you start visiting all those cute restaurants and cafes that you told yourself one day youd try. Its great to enjoy some good food. However, dont fall into the easy trap of eating out all the time. Save yourself some money, as well as calories, by taking the time to really dine. This means visiting the grocery store and making healthy choices. Try out new healthy recipes using sites like Pinterest, and enjoy the taste of your home-cooked delicacies.5. Take sleep seriouslyStudy after study has magnified the importance of sleep to a humans everyday health and function. During a stressful time it is even more important to remember to make restful sleep a priority so that you can remain focused and positive during your days of networking and job hunting. Go to bed every night at a time consistent with your would-be work schedule, and do your best to get eight hours of sleep a night. In the words of Tom Roth, Sleep is an investment in the energy you need to be effective tomorrow.While unemployment and job search can be a challenging time in someones life, the stress can be managed and mitigated through careful steps and hard work. Remember to take care of your body. Its the only one youve got.