Customize this Outstanding Dental Lab Technician Resume Sample

Customize this Outstanding Dental Lab Technician Resume SampleCustomize this Outstanding Dental Lab Technician Resume SampleCreating an interesting and effective resume is one of the most important parts of the job hunt. When you are applying for jobs, hiring managers will only give you their time if you can craft a resume that proves you are the best candidate for the position. This can be hard, but with the aid of the dental lab technician resume sample, you can learn how to write a resume that will impress any reader. Before submitting your resume, you need to be sure that it looks professional. Did you only include relevant information? Is it formatted properly? Ask yourself these types of questions before sending your document off. If you are still having difficulty with your resume, turn to the resume builder for additional guidance.Create Resume Ashley Dennis100 Broadway LaneNew Parkland, CA, 91010Cell (555) 987-1234example-emailexample.comProfessional SummaryConsultative Den tal Lab Technician able to provide quality evaluation toward restorative care and fabrication of dental implants. Experienced in both consultation services and hands-on CAD/CAM operation within the dental laboratory. Highly knowledgeable in standard laboratory practices.Core QualificationsEffective CommunicationDental ConsultingWax Pattern DevelopmentHigh-Speed Lathe OperationCAD/CAM OperationsRegulatory ComplianceExperienceDental Lab Technician, August 2009 PresentImplants-R-Us New Cityland, CAEvaluate dentist prescriptions in conjunction with company offerings to determine best course of action in development and fabrication of quality dental implants.Use standard lab practices and knowledge of precious and non-precious metal to perform daily objectives.Examine patient casts to determine nature of appliance design.Develop wax patterns and perform other duties associated with implant design.Aim high for quality, as proven through recognition by the organization for sternfrmig Ach ievement by Laboratory Professional on three occasions in six years.Dental Lab Technician, April 2005 August 2009Implant Industries New Cityland, CAOperated CAD for the implant department.Scanned and designed crowns and frames.Performed technical procedures, such as those associated with repair of patient implants and fabrication of new products.Recognized twice by Implant Industries as Employee of the Month.Education2005 Technical Certification, Dental Lab TechnicianTechnical College of Cityland New Cityland, CACustomize ResumeWhy Is This a Good Dental Lab Technician Resume Sample?The dental lab technician resume sample is ideal for a myriad of reasons. The summary section is excellently written and it uses professional language to convey the candidates proficiency in a variety of skills. It is the appropriate length (three sentences) and is correctly punctuated. The candidates professional title is also present, and she includes several skills that hiring managers in this parti cular industry look for. The core qualifications section is also well-written, and it features the perfect balance of hard and soft skills. The candidate references her mastery of hard skills that are relevant to the dental technician industry such as wax pattern development and high-speed lathe operation. She also includes effective communication as a soft skill. At the bottom of the resume, the education section includes only relevant details and provides the reader with information about the institution the candidate earned her certification from. The experience section is highly detailed, and necessary information about each position, such as location, the name of the employer, and the number of years the candidate worked there are present. The section includes information about numerous awards and accolades such as Stellar Achievement by Laboratory Professional and Employee of the Month. The section is in reverse chronological order, and it uses the correct bulleted format. The candidate also uses active, emotional language to make the section more interesting to read. Overall, the dental lab technician resume sample does a number of things correctly. It will stand out from other, less professional-looking resumes with its catchy formatting, exceptional writing, and in-depth details. It is also free of grammatical errors and misspelled words. The candidate tailored the resume to the job description of dental lab technician, and she included all the information recruiters and hiring managers in the industry look for. The resume also uses varied language instead of repeating the saatkorn boring or trite words and phrases.Why You Need a Strong Dental Lab Technician ResumeAs a dental lab technician, you are applying for a job in one of the fastest growing medical fields in the nation. The Bureau of Labor Statistics predicts that the need for dental lab technicians will increase by 10 percent by the year 2024. Simply put, with more professionals entering the f ield, you will need a resume that sells your skills and abilities. The majority of hiring managers are responsible for sifting through piles of resumes, and on average, they will only spend six or seven seconds looking at each one. This means you need to grab their attention right off the bat if you want to land an interview. You can achieve this by referencing the dental lab technician resume sample and adhering to the writing best practices.Costly Dental Lab Technician Resume Mistakes To AvoidMisspelled words, untrue information, and boring language can doom any resume, but you need to follow a few more best practices if you want a perfect resume that is free of errors. In addition to the previously mentioned errors, here are some more common mistakes to avoid when writing a dental lab technician resume.As a dental tech, you work in an industry where technical skills eclipse all other skills. In the dental lab technician resume sample, the candidate places a significant amount of emphasis on her professional background and skills. Each section of the resume serves to solidify the fact that she is a proficient and experienced dental lab technician. Instead of cramming the core qualifications section with general, overused traits such as hardworking or organized, she takes the time to show off relevant skills such as dental consulting. Always remember to only include details about your professional life that are relevant to the job you are applying for.ConclusionIt takes time and commitment to craft a resume like the dental lab technician resume sample. If you truly want to gain an edge over the competition, following the best writing practices can help you do so. Use captivating and active language when writing. Avoid including irrelevant or extraneous information, and tailor your resume to the job you are applying for.

Visionary Leadership Has 3 Key Characteristics

Visionary Leadership Has 3 Key CharacteristicsVisionary Leadership Has 3 Key CharacteristicsWhen you think about visionary leadership, you may think of someone like George Washington, who led a war against the British to establish a new nation, or Mahatma Gandhi, who also revolted against the British, but in a very different way. Both men saw that a new vision of governing was possible and set out to achieve it- and they did. With this historical perspective and pressure, you may think that visionary leadership is rare and certainly not something an average person can have. But, visionary leadership doesnt have to be world changing. You may already have visionary leadership and not know it. What is Visionary Leadership? A visionary leader is an individual who sees the kompetenz for how the world should exist and then takes steps to get there. You can achieve visionary without a leadership role- become an idea guy, for instance. And, you can successfully lead people to accomplish a course of action, while not having a vision for the change youd like to create. These two abilities combined- the ability to see the potential for change combined with the ability to lead others creates a visionary leader. If you want to become a visionary leader (or work for one) here are the three main characteristics you want to actively strive to develop or find. Risk Taking Change is never risk-free. And its rare that the solutions come immediately. George Washington didnt trounce the British in the first battle. Defeating the British took years. It took sacrifice the sacrifice of many people who were committed to the vision of self-governance and freedom from English control. You dont need to put your life on the line- Steve Jobs and Jeff Bezos slept comfortably at night over the years- but you may need to put your livelihood on the line. Jobs was fired from his own company. Visionary leadership is all about change and change means risk-taking. Listening Contrary to popular opinion, a visionary leader doesnt just go forth ignoring all the naysayers and do what he or she thinks is best. Yes, you will find that there are a lot of naysayers that you need to ignore, but you also have to listen to what people are saying. This makes the difference between the big idea guy and the visionary leader. If youre not willing to listen and accept advice, look at how the market is changing, and take feedback seriously, you wont succeed. Its fine to say, No, Ive considered all of those possibilities and Im still moving forward with my idea. But, if you havent considered the other possibilities, youre setting yourself up for failure. A good leader hears the voices of your gruppe members. And your team needs to feel heard by their leader. You arent a real leader unless people follow you voluntarily, and for that to happen, they need to feel heard. Takes Responsibility A visionary leader knows that his or her ideas are different and are a significant risk and the people that follow such a leader are also taking a chance in doing so. So, its critical that you take responsibility for your actions and your vision. This is not only when events go poorly- its also to make sure that they dont go poorly in the first place. The leader is responsible for ensuring that the finances are available to pay people and keep the project moving forward. You must ensure that you treat people fairly. Remember, having a vision is much like having a child. You would do anything and sacrifice everything for your child, but when you want anyone else to participate in raising that child, you have to pay them. A vision is the same you cannot expect your team to sacrifice like you are willing to do. Its not their vision its yours. A visionary leader can become a great force in changing the world or an industry, but this leadership and participation arent always necessary. Sometimes you need a leader who just keeps people enthused about staying on the same path. B ut, when you need change, you often need a person with a vision. Visionaries look at the status quo and see how they can make the situation different, instead of just making the current situation better. After all, George Washington didnt set out to make a better relationship with King George. He set out to sever that relationship. And that vision made all the difference for the United States. - Suzanne Lucas is a freelance writer who spent 10 years in corporate human resources, where she hired, fired, managed the numbers, and double-checked with the lawyers.

This is the exact number of employees that have lied to their boss

This is the exact number of employees that have lied to their bossThis is the exact number of employees that have lied to their bossEthics in the workplace have always been a wobbly area. While doing business is based on honesty and respect, people can easily rationalize that they might occasionally need to lie to get ahead or cover for themselves.Workplace transparency site Comparably released a study based on survey data from 23,000 employees on workplace ethics.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreWho lies to get a job?Men lied slightly more (19%) than women (13%) when it came to getting a job whether it welches beefing up a resume or spinning a yarn in an interview. Its not clear if these lies were whoppers, exaggerations, or white lies or a combo platter.Broken down by department, employees in human resources lied on a resume or during an interview nearly 10% more often than w orkers in any other department. Think about that next time youre calling into HR for a talking-to over a minor transgression.Things got even more interesting within departments when broken down by gender. In admin, women were almost twice as likely to have lied or exaggerated on a resume or in an interview. Men in engineering were three times as likely to have done so. In legal, zero women said theyd lied to get a job, but 29% of the men said they had.Lying to the bossNearly a third of employees said theyd lied to their boss at least once, with men and women at about equal measure.That number changed by experience level, however. Forty-two percent of entry-level workers said theyd lied to their boss at least once. However, for workers with over 10 years of experience, that percentage is only 22%. Perhaps their experience taught them that honesty is the best policy.Paradoxically, one-third of employees surveyed also wanted to improve their communication a skill that might render lyi ng unnecessary.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally strong people

The Psychology of Employee Benefits, Perks and Incentives

The Psychology of Employee Benefits, Perks and IncentivesThe Psychology of Employee Benefits, Perks and IncentivesIf you were to ask most working people what they enjoy most about their jobs, most would say the compensation. Its a fact that when people are not satisfied with the salary, benefits, perks and other incentives offered by employers, that they simply move on. A Gallup Poll indicated that as many as 70 percent of American workers are generally unhappy about some aspects of their employer keeping them disengaged and unproductive. The secret to maintaining a strong workforce is understanding the psychology of how employees perceive their benefits programs, perks, and other incentives that they have access to. This is an ongoing effort of digging deeper to understand what drives employees to find happiness in the work they do. Especially important during employee onboarding, open enrollment, and performance review periods, its up to the human resources kollektiv to understand this critical factor. What Makes Employees Tick? Lets first understand the driving motivation for an individual to choose a particular employer, and mora importantly what makes them stay. Most people choose an employer for the following reasons The need to work in a company that offers a rewarding experienceThe desire to use natural skills and abilities to build a successful careerThe companys ability to provide interesting work tasks and recognitionThe generosity of the companys total compensation and benefits package While these are not the only reasons why a person would choose to work with a specific company, these are the main forces behind the decision. In an age where jobs in some industries are growing scarcer, sometimes people just take the best job they can find in the area of interest that they can find. Fortunately, due to the Affordable Care Act requirements, mora employers are required to offer at least the minimum health insurance benefits, which makes it easier for working people and their families. Why Employees Need Work Benefits and Other Incentives In the entire scheme of things, the psychology that moves people to work for any employer often comes down to the benefits and other perks offered. People are focused on managing their personal lives and therefore having health and financial well-being are primary goals. This is the basic principle behind Maslows Hierarchy of Needs, a classic psychological theory of what motivates human beings. In order to be productive members of society and think on higher levels, people need their basic physiological needs met. These needs are vital to survival, and they include the need for air, water, food, and sleep. Safety needs are the next level on the pyramid of needs, which include the desire for employment, health care, and shelter. Companies that offer above-average benefits, incentives, progressive salaries, and comfortable working environments are doing so to attract a better breed of emp loyees. They are also tapping into the theory above because they are providing some of the safety needs of employees. When employees believe that their employer is giving them the benefits of employment, including health benefits, financial benefits, and other positive incentives they are more likely to stay on board and provide their work in return. Its possible to provide just the bare minimums in terms of employee benefits, perks and incentives. However, this is risky because when employees learn that another employer can offer them more, they will soon leave. It is far better to provide generous and relevant benefits and incentives to employees, who, in turn, will be more engaged, happy, and loyal to the business bottom line.

New Multimillion Dollar Scholarship for Grad Students in Gov

New Multimillion Dollar Scholarship for Grad Students in GovNew Multimillion Dollar Scholarship for Grad Students in GovThe Robertson family has created a multimillion dollar scholarship for qualittuate students pursuing a career in public service. The new Robertson Foundation for Government will offer financial support to grad students who agree to work in the federal government (e.g., federal agencies, U.S. Department of State, etc.) for three years within five years after graduation. The scholarship is designed to encourage masters students to use their education in public service and consider government work as a career.The Robertson family is best known to this editor as the donator behind Princeton Universitys Woodrow Wilson School of Public and International Affairs. In 2002, the Robertson heirs sued Princeton for misuse of the funds because Woody Woo graduates were not pursuing careers in public service. The suit was settled in 2009. According to one recent Princeton gra duate, the law suit didnt affect the student body and the types of students interested in the Woodrow Wilson School remained largely the same. The new Robertson Foundation for Government will presumably pick up where the Woodrow Wilson School left off. The foundation will partner with four or five universities to select eight Robertson Fellows for the upcoming academic year. None of these partner universities will be in the Ivy League.

A Secret Weapon for Med School Resume

A Secret Weapon for Med School Resume Key Pieces of Med School Resume Admissions committees wish to know if its possible to commit to something on a long time period. Academic research experience isnt required by the majority of medical schools, but its certainly valued. As soon as youve been employed as a professional for a couple of years, your Work Experience section will fill many your resume. Of course theres also the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences School of Medicine should you need to visit medical school free of charge. Whats more, youll also need to concentrate on the format and presentation of your curriculum vitae. Your own personal anschauung is an opportunity to introduce yourself to the committee. It should include the long-term goals you have for you career in nursing. Your healthcare school personal statement is the very first personal statement of several. Things You Should Know About Med School Resume If possible, find labs pertinent to your precise interest in medicine. You wish to reveal med schools that youre motivated to learn as much concerning the health field as possible and that you are going to be entering med school with a strong knowledge in a selection of subjects. The sphere of medicine has at all times been connected to altruism. The tradition of medicine demands the highest degree of private integrity. Using Med School Resume During the application procedure, you might be selected for an interview at at least one of your potential schools. MCAT scores are thought of as part of an application, but dont outweigh different components of the application. For instance, it is important to get strong problem-solving skills in the health care industry. Even though you will probably list some soft skills in your abilities and qualification section, its important to likewise demonstrate your aptitude. Medical assisting is an incredible job because its an amazing clinical experience. If you are now seeking employment, you should sell yourself be a resume that shows the company your exclusive qualifications. Med schools wish to see tangible outcomes of your efforts. There are a large number of D1 athletes in my class, because thats a great means of showing dedication and sacrifice. As a nontraditional applicant, youve got unique experiences and abilities. Even if you opt not to pursue a health education, participating in leadership opportunities will enable you to earn a difference in the lives of others. Like putting in an application for a job which you have to be certain that your resume is ready to communicate everything that the committee is searching for as quickly and as efficiently as possible. In spite of popular opinion, obtaining an objective statement at the summit of your resume isnt necessarily to your benefit. Write just a little blurb about yourself, stating why it is youre bound for a fantastic medical career, but dont include it on your resume. Man y medical schools wish to admit applicants with the potential to modify the future of medicine. A health school admissions committee is going to want to know that youre fluent in several language, technology savvy, and understand how to operate lab equipment. If youre an older applicant wondering just the way the application procedure treats nontraditional students, bear in mind that medical schools today admit a vast array of applicants with special talents and backgrounds. Your resume will be broken into sections. Medical schools also search for candidates that are well-rounded and have diverse interests. Medical assistant is a significant portion of the medical fraternity. Doctors have to be leaders. They are leaders in the medical community and leaders in their home communities. Top Med School Resume Choices For some applicants, simply getting into a great nursing school is the most crucial factor. The perfect place to explain why you need to visit grad school is in y our private statement. You will discover a few different requirements for entering the school of your pick. There are several pre-med requirements necessary to get into med school. If you would like to get into an excellent MD school, aim to score no less than a 515 on the MCAT to stay competitive. Once you rock the MCAT, its time to get started narrowing down your choices of healthcare schools to apply to. You require a high MCAT score. Med School Resume Options Contact and personal information Include your whole name, address, telephone number, and email address at the very top of the CV. If youre offered an interview, we will contact you by email. Savvy resumes are anchored by a comprehensive summary that enables the reader to rapidly find salient info about the applicant.

Employee Referrals 6 Ways to Build a Program That Works

Employee Referrals 6 Ways to Build a Program That Works Welcome to Recruiter QA, where we pose employment-related questions to the experts and share their answers Have a question youd like to ask? Leave it in the comments, and you might just see it in the next installment of Recruiter QA Todays Question The best hires tend to come through referrals, but notlage every organization has a solid employee referral program (ERP) in place. What tips do you have to help organizations implement effective ERPs?1. Build Relationships With Yur EmployeesPaying attention to the details of your daily interactions with employees and finding small but impactful ways to honor a job well done are key to building a strong and loyal relationship with talent. That in turn builds a base of referrals among other people who want to work with us. Dan Campbell, Hire Dynamics 2. Give Your Employees Some GuidanceWhen employee s refer prospective hires, theyre acting as middlemen between their employers and the people they refer almost like amateur recruiters. One problem, especially in a large company, is that unlike professional recruiters, these amateur middlemen are not vouching for the quality of the people they recommend. A recruiter who sends too many inappropriate candidates will eventually lose any chance of business with their client, but that incentive doesnt come into play for an employee making referrals. You have to build in features to get what youre after. Otherwise, youll at best get more of the saatkorn kinds of people you already have, simply because people tend to refer their friends, who tend to be like them. If you want to diversify your workforce, you need to be more specific about what youre looking for. Give your amateur recruiters hints about where to look for the right candidates (trade shows, LinkedIn networks, etc.). Marina Krakovsky, Author, The Middleman Economy 3. Incenti vize ReferralsBased on my 20 years of experience in senior leadership and management in the staffing and recruiting industry, I believe a comprehensive ERP is most effective. This would include a plan that motivates employees to refer qualified candidates through extrinsic and intrinsic rewards. Extrinsic rewards tie a monetary bonus to referrals that are hired. The amount of the bonus can vary depending on position level. The company should also recognize the employee that made the referral. This can be done in a newsletter, award ceremony, or staff meeting. The employee who referred the candidate could also be appointed as the new hires mentor or trainer for the initial 90 days for successful orientation. Completion of beratung could lead to more extrinsic incentives like time off or a thank-you lunch, as well as additional intrinsic recognition, perhaps in performance evaluations, a special parking space, or an employee-of-the-month designation. Melanie Klinghoffer, Powerful Tra nsformations 4. Keep It SimpleOur company has a very simple ERP, which yields lots of referrals. We offer $100 for any candidate who we hire. We give it to employees on the day their referral starts. If it doesnt work out, they keep the money, because then its bad hiring on our part Its a great way to get the employees involved, give them a small bonus as a thank-you, and get some great new members on our team. Deborah Sweeney, MyCorporation 5. Build a Culture Worth Referring ToI think referral programs only work if you have a culture and company that is worthy of referrals. You could offer me millions of dollars right now to refer someone to my husbands employer, but I wouldnt do it. I know the ugly inside of their operations and I wouldnt subject someone I like and respect to the same thing. One risks a friendship/relationship/acquaintance when referring someone to a company that wont make good on the promise of a great environment that you made when you asked them to jump on boar d with you. That is why APQC works so hard to build a great internal culture to retain our employees. That way, they will be willing to make referrals when needed. Ashley White, APQC6. Keep Employees InformedSeventy percent of our hires in the past four years have been made through employee referrals. In order to implement an effective employee referral program (ERP), you have to first provide employees a tangible benefit to refer candidates. At Fifth Tribe, we provide a cash bonus for every candidate that we hire for a term of one year. Second, whenever a position becomes available, make sure to notify your employees of the position before going public. If you end up making a hire through an employee referral, notify the rest of your staff so that they will be reminded of the benefits of the ERP and the associated bonus. Khuram Zaman, Fifth Tribe .openingBlock img width 100% height 100% max-width 640px display block clear both align center float none margin-left auto margin-rig ht auto margin-bottom 20px .openingBlock .alignleft width 100% height 100% max-width 640px display block clear both align center float none margin-left auto margin-right auto .middleBlock img border-radius 150px -webkit-border-radius 150px -moz-border-radius 150px box-shadow 0 0 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, .8) -webkit-box-shadow 0 0 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, .8) -moz-box-shadow 0 0 8px rgba(0, 0, 0, .8) .middleBlock strong font-size 24px color 1f77a0 .middleBlock .contributorBlurb max-width640px displayinline-block clearnone font-styleprototyp font-size 16px color 666666 background f9f9f9 .middleBlock .contributorBlurb p font-style normal font-size 16px color 666666 .middleBlock .contributorBlurb .socialIcon border-radius 0 -webkit-border-radius 0 -moz-border-radius 0 box-shadow none -webkit-box-shadow none -moz-box-shadow none

Glassdoor Releases Top 25 Companies for Work-Life Balance 2013 List

Glassdoor Releases Top 25 Companies for Work-Life Balance 2013 List Glassdoor Releases Top 25 Companies for Work-Life Balance 2013 List The top five companies includedSAS InstituteNational InstrumentsSlalom ConsultingMITREOrbitz WorldwideThis years rankings mark the first time Yahoo, Mastercard and NetApp appeared in the top 25 for work-life balance. Seven companies have appeared on the list for three consecutive years, including SAS Institute, MITRE and Agilent Technologies.Glassdoor also revealed what these companies employees had to say about their employer concerning work-life balance. A few responses includeAOLCompany sincerely cares about employee welfare as well as helping out in the community wherever possible. Flexibility with schedules/time off. AOL Senior Systems Administrator (Dulles, VA)TietoGreat networks for professionals, especially for young talents. Flexibility. Work-life balance. Every place is a workplace = office is only one place to work. Tieto Project Manag er (Espoo, Finland)Morningstar Work-life balance ratio is amazing you can take a vacation almost whenever you want, for how long you want, and its not uncommon to work 7-hour days. Morningstar Client Manager (Chicago, IL)SAS InstituteAmazing workplace culture, flexible work environment, challenging/stimulating work, customer-focused. SAS Institute Marketing Employee (Cary, NC)ratgeber GraphicsFor a person with a family, the work-life balance and on-site childcare are absolutely stellar. Mentor Graphics Employee (Wilsonville, OR)

Why your brain never runs out of problems to find

Why yur brain never runs out of problems to findWhy your brain never runs out of problems to findWhy do many problems in life seem to stubbornly stick around, no matter how hard people work to fix them? It turns out that a quirk in the way human brains process information means that when something becomes rare, we sometimes see it in mora places than ever.Think of a neighborhood watch made up of volunteers who call the police when they see anything suspicious. Imagine a new volunteer who joins the watch to help lower crime in the area. When they first start volunteering, they raise the alarm when they see signs of serious crimes, like assault or burglary.Lets assume these efforts help and, over time, assaults and burglaries become rarer in the neighborhood. What would the volunteer do next? One possibility is that they would relax and stop calling the police. After all, the serious crimes they used to worry about are a thing of the past.But you may share the intuition my research gro up had that many volunteers in this situation wouldnt relax just because crime went down. Instead, theyd start calling things suspicious that they would never have cared about back when crime was high, like jaywalking or loitering at night.You can probably think of many similar situations in which problems never seem to go away, because people keep changing how they define them. This is sometimes called concept creep, or moving the goalposts, and it can be a frustrating experience. How can you know if youre making progress solving a problem, when you keep redefining what it means to solve it? My colleagues and I wanted to understand when this kind of behavior happens, why, and if it can be prevented.After violent crime starts going down, loiterers and jaywalkers may start to seem more threatening.Marc Bruxelle/Shutterstock.comLooking for troubleTo study how concepts change when they become less common, we brought volunteers into our laboratory and gave them a simple task to look a t a series of computer-generated faces and decide which ones seem threatening. The faces had been carefully designed by researchers to range from very intimidating to very harmless.As we showed people fewer and fewer threatening faces over time, we found that they expanded their definition of threatening to include a wider range of faces. In other words, when they ran out of threatening faces to find, they started calling faces threatening that they used to call harmless. Rather than being a consistent category, what people considered threats depended on how many threats they had seen lately.This kind of inconsistency isnt limited to judgments about threat. In another experiment, we asked people to make an even simpler decision whether colored dots on a screen were blue or purple.As the context changes, so do the boundaries of your categories.David Levari, CC BY-NDAs blue dots became rare, people started calling slightly purple dots blue. They even did this when we told them blue do ts were going to become rare, or offered them cash prizes to stay consistent over time. These results suggest that this behavior isnt entirely under conscious control otherwise, people would have been able to be consistent to earn a cash prize.Expanding what counts as immoralAfter looking at the results of our experiments on facial threat and color judgments, our research group wondered if maybe this was just a funny property of the visual system. Would this kind of concept change also happen with non-visual judgments?To test this, we ran a final experiment in which we asked volunteers to read about different scientific studies, and decide which were ethical and which were unethical. We were skeptical that we would find the same inconsistencies in these kind of judgments that we did with colors and threat.Why? Because moral judgments, we suspected, would be more consistent across time than other kinds of judgments. After all, if you think violence is wrong today, you should still t hink it is wrong tomorrow, regardless of how much or how little violence you see that day.But surprisingly, we found the same pattern. As we showed people fewer and fewer unethical studies over time, they started calling a wider range of studies unethical. In other words, just because they were reading about fewer unethical studies, they became harsher judges of what counted as ethical.The brain likes to make comparisonsWhy cant people help but expand what they call threatening when threats become rare? Research from cognitive psychology and neuroscience suggests that this kind of behavior is a consequence of the basic way that our brains process information we are constantly comparing what is front of us to its recent context.Instead of carefully deciding how threatening a face is compared to all other faces, the brain can just store how threatening it is compared to other faces it has seen recently, or compare it to some average of recently seen faces, or the most and least threa tening faces it has seen. This kind of comparison could lead directly to the pattern my research group saw in our experiments, because when threatening faces are rare, new faces would be judged relative to mostly harmless faces. In a sea of mild faces, even slightly threatening faces might seem scary.It turns out that for your brain, relative comparisons often use less energy than absolute measurements. To get a sense for why this is, just think about how its easier to remember which of your cousins is the tallest than exactly how tall each cousin is. Human brains have likely evolved to use relative comparisons in many situations, because these comparisons often provide enough information to safely navigate our environments and make decisions, all while expending as little effort as possible.Being consistent when it countsSometimes, relative judgments work just fine. If you are looking for a fancy restaurant, what you count as fancy in Paris, Texas, should be different than in Paris , France.What once seemed banal can be recategorized as a threat in a new context.louis amal on Unsplash, CC BYBut a neighborhood watcher who makes relative judgments will keep expanding their concept of crime to include milder and milder transgressions, long after serious crimes have become rare. As a result, they may never fully appreciate their success in helping to reduce the problem they are worried about. From medical diagnoses to financial investments, modern humans have to make many complicated judgments where being consistent matters.How can people make more consistent decisions when necessary? My research group is currently doing follow-up research in the lab to develop more effective interventions to help counter the strange consequences of relative judgment.One potential strategy When youre making decisions where consistency is important, define your categories as clearly as you can. So if you do join a neighborhood watch, think about writing down a list of what kinds of transgressions to worry about when you start. Otherwise, before you know it, you may find yourself calling the cops on dogs being walked without leashes.David Levari, Postdoctoral Researcher in Psychology, Harvard UniversityThis article is republished from The Conversation under a Creative Commons license. Read the original article.

The Role of a Litigation Support Professional

The Role of a Litigation Support ProfessionalThe Role of a Litigation Support ProfessionalWhat is a litigation rckendeckung professional? Is this the career for you? Litigation support professionals assist attorneys in managing large-scale litigation. They design and implement databases for managing, sorting, indexing,abstracting and coordinating the large volumes of data produced in major litigationparticularly in preparation for trial. Litigation support professionals might also develop data management strategies, assist with technology in the courtroom, provide user support and training on both off-the-shelf and proprietary software, and coordinate with technology vendors. Some litigation support professionals are paralegal/IT hybrids who perform traditional paralegal tasks while assuming information technology roles. Educational Requirements Litigation support professionals typically possess a four-year bachelors degreein a related field, as well as advanced technical skills and training on database and litigation support applications. Some litigation support professionals possess advanced degrees, and some have even earned law degrees. Its not unheard of for a practicing attorney to shift his efforts to this side of a practice. An understanding of the discovery process is critical, so anyone with previous experience in this area, such as a paralegal, would have a leg up. In many law firms, educational requirements may be less important than acquired skills. Related legal experience in the range of four to seven years is preferable. Necessary Skills Solid IT knowledge and a familiarity with document management systems and trial presentation software, hardware, and graphics applications are important. Litigation support professionals must have strong communication skills because the position involves a great deal of interaction with attorneys, staff and vendors. It also requires exceptional organizational abilities, critical thinking skills and keen attention to detail. Practice Environments Litigation support professionals are largely employed in law firms, corporations, and legal consulting firms. Salary Ranges The median annual salary for litigation support professionals is just shy of $84,000 as of June 2017. This is somewhere in the middle of national salary levels for this position ranging from a low of about $69,000 to a high of approximately $95,000 a year. This can vary by firm and the area of law in which the firm predominantly practices, as well as by location. Salaries are typically higher with large firms in metropolitan areas. Litigation support professionals often work in management roles, supervising IT staff, vendors, litigation support staff, paralegals, junior attorneys and teams of document coders, abstractors, and data entry personnel. Some litigation support directors and managers earn salaries in the six figures. Job Outlook With recent changes in federal laws prompting a proliferation of elec tronically-stored information, litigation support professionals are in high demand. As the industry evolves and litigation support technology becomes increasingly complex, the need for professionals with specialized legal and technological skills is expected to continually grow. Additional Resources This new industry has recently established the Association of Litigation Support Professionals (ALSP), dedicated to advancing the profession and to contribute to the career development of practitioners around the world.Litigation Support Today is a magazine dedicated to the litigation support industry.