Gender in Orlando Essay Example

Gender in Orlando Essay The character of Orlando stands in front of a mirror and we see her obviously female form reflected back.But the film Orlando, named after its main character, is more than half over, and up till now Orlando has not just portrayed a man, but has been a man.And as she, for Orlando is undoubtedly she, looks at her own reflection in the glass, she quips, Same person no difference at all.Just a different sex. This fantastical film is based on the book of the same name written in 1928 by Virginia Woolf, and it follows Orlando over four centuries.Never aging a day, Orlando is a man for the 17th and most of the 18th century.After almost two hundred years, in the mid 18th century, an aversion to war and violence, and a mans duty to partake of the two, lead Orlando to make a choice to change genders, and she continues as female into the present day.Throughout this amazing life and miraculous transformation the film shows us that there are unwritten rules for what makes a man, or woman, and th at these rules generally lie only on the surface.When she claims that she is the same person, regardless of sex, Orlando highlights [the] instability of gender and the signifiers of fashion for gender . . . are exposed and subverted (Ferriss Waites 110). The film Orlando illustrates the idea that gender identity is dictated by cultural conditioning, and that there is a kind of freedom in androgyny.Throughout the film Orlando Sally Potter, the director, focuses on gender and the search for identity through gender.Every major character within the film evokes a strong response to either their masculine or feminine traits, however, these judgements are based solely on societal clues.For example, the beginning of the film depicts Queen Elizabeth I in all her glory and finery.We know she is female because of our knowledge of her historical presence, because of the distinctly female atti

Theory Of Knowledge And Its Justification

Theory Of Knowledge And Its Justification In our fields of study such as: Natural Sciences, Human Sciences, and history, we seek to find order against the vast amount of uncertainties. To find this order, we will predict the cause, and then attempt to explain and understand the phenomena, whether physical, emotional, or mental. The direction we take to find these justifications is very different. The knowledge of natural sciences, and knowledge of history becomes encompassed by the idea that knowledge in and of itself is our beliefs supported by evidence, and justified for their certainty and truth.‚ ¡Ã‚‚ ®Justify,‚ ¡Ã‚‚ ¯ holds to prove something right, and to support our beliefs. To justify in some instances is rule out the oddity, to prove someone or something else wrong. We as the knower, and the keeper of knowledge relates it to many different fields. These fields are all connected with each other with one commonality, knowledge, and the justification of our own beliefs that hold to be true.Faculty o f Natural SciencesOlen considered the levels of certainty, and the levels of justification. Can we prove something to be truer than the other? He explained the ‚ ¡Ã‚‚ ®justification‚ ¡Ã‚‚ ¯ of thoughts through ‚ ¡Ã‚‚ ®Justification Chains‚ ¡Ã‚‚ ¯ and ‚ ¡Ã‚‚ ®Webs of Belief.‚ ¡Ã‚‚ ¯ However, there were some inconsistencies in a ‚ ¡Ã‚‚ ®justification chain.‚ ¡Ã‚‚ ¯ This chain was linear, but is all our knowledge one straight line? Our ideas stem from anywhere and everywhere, therefore, do not agree with the justification chain. One example can be stemmed form the Natural Sciences.Natural Sciences seek to find regularities across the physical phenomena. Its main goal is to explain and understand this phenomena, but it must first predict the cause. The scientist then creates the hypothesis to the problem. Without the creation of this hypothesis, in science there would be not way of proving and justifying the hypothesis. To justify in the natural sciences...

Prevention Strategy Before the Commencement of John's Chemotherapy Essay

Prevention Strategy Before the Commencement of John's Chemotherapy - Essay Example Prevention Strategy before the Commencement of John’s Chemotherapy The diagnosis and treatment of colorectal surgery requires adequate prior preparation. A well coordinated approach and agreement between the patient, nurses, surgeon, and radiation oncologist is exceptionally critical and necessary for a successful treatment. Prior to the surgery, the leading clinician ought to hold a thorough discussion with the colorectal cancer patient, the family and other health professionals to come to a consensus on the best treatment mechanism to employ in the treatment of the patient (Rankin 89). This open and interactive discussion with the key stakeholders will as well provide an avenue to examine the possible outcome of the treatment, the aim and the rationale of the surgery, likely positive and negative effect, the available treatment options, as well as possible psychological support to the family and the patient. In contemporary healthcare sector, practitioners have developed var ious strategies necessary in the commencement of any chemotherapy to prevent the occurrence of any side effect. In John’s case, the most effective strategy to prevent the prevailing side effects was the comprehensive use of primary prevention strategy (Epstein 1037). By using the primary prevention strategy, it was possible to reduce the risk of emergence sore and ulcers infections which was associated with cancer treatment. According to Epstein (1037), primary prevention strategy is relevant and effective during the pre-exposure period as well as in the initial and promotion stage of cancer treatment. This strategy was appropriate in preventing John from... The researcher of this essay states that once an individual has been diagnosed with colorectal cancer, it is of great significance that the extent of the disease be established. Once distant or regional metastases are identified, a combination of various therapies such as surgical are applied. The initial treatment intervention for the colorectal cancer is the removal of primary tumor through surgery. Approximately 20-30% of patients with colorectal cancer get diagnosed when the disease has already advanced. In such a situation, curative intervention is nearly impossible. As in the case study, John has undergone surgery. After surgery, he agrees to receive adjuvant chemotherapy which comprises of fluorouracil. After a few days, John returns for Chemotherapy third cycle. Patients undergoing such a treatment report various side effects such as temporary hair thinning or loss, dizziness and the resurfacing of painful sores inside the mouth lining and in some cases on the lips. With appr opriate interventions in place, the severity of the symptoms experienced by individuals suffering from colorectal cancer can be adequately managed as the disease advances. When the patient’s pain, distress or anxiety is well managed, there is improvement in their quality of life. Pain management plan is often developed once health care professionals assess pain. The main objective of pain management is to allow the patient to achieve maximum function and comfort. This should be accompanied with minimal analgesic therapy side effects.

Solution Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words

Solution - Essay Example 2014). Content marketing targets attracting and retaining the customers of a business through continuous creation and development of content which are focused on changing the behaviour of the consumers (What is Content Marketing? 2014). The contents for content marketing have to be in association with the particular needs of the business, which would essentially vary from one company to another. Hence in order to achieve successful content marketing, the goals of the business have to be clearly set and planned (Baer, 2014). This step involves identifying the audience to whom the content would be targeted. There should be a particular aim of the execution of a particular content. Hence in this step, the business organization needs to identify the aim or the purpose that the business wants the content to fulfil (Baer, 2014). This is the step where the business needs to identify what it is producing, when, and for whom. This is extremely important since the content will have to be based on this information. The information and the audience have to be connected through the content being developed (Baer, 2014). Atomization would involve considering a key or a major idea related to the business, and executing smaller contents from the big concept. This is a form of reinvention which would help the business to create innovative contents for its purpose of marketing (Baer, 2014). This step suggests that the content marketing needs to be marketed by the business. Contents cannot be just created and people be attracted. Content executions will have to be created such as the product, and they will be required to be launched in the market like a business would do with a product. Integrated marketing tactics need to be followed for this purpose to bring the contents in front of the public (Baer, 2014). Contents are more effective for marketing if they are measured. By this it is meant that the business needs to measure

Benefits Of Educational Programs Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Benefits Of Educational Programs - Essay Example It appears that students who are unable to perform well in school feel that they are stupid or inferior and unlikely to succeed in life, which in turn leads them into drugs and a life of crime. As a result, including educational programs in prisons may be beneficial in reducing the recidivism rates by providing offenders the opportunity to improve their chances of getting a job rather than having no other option but to offend again. This research study will examine the benefits of educational programs and poses the research question: Can improvement in educational programs lead to a reduction in the tendency to take up criminal activity' Behrman and Stacey (1997) are of the view that providing training in parenting and following this up with early childhood education, school based supervision of teenagers and getting them involved in educational programs designed to promote community cohesion could be helpful in reducing crime (Behrman and Stacey, 1997:240). This implies that schools can play a significant role in reducing crime by providing education and supervision necessary to prevent young people turning to a life of crime. Another study that was carried out to examine the association between mental health disorders and offending identified four key groups of young people with emotional and behavioral difficulties as being at risk for offending. The study found that recidivism is more prevalent among young offenders with mental health problems, with young people from ethnic minorities being over represented. Since crime tends to be centred in low income, minority group neighbourhoods, this further suggests that educational programs could help to address the causes of crime such as poverty, by providing a means to less affluent members of society to be able to find a means to improve their lot and their chances of succeeding in later life. (Behrman and Stacey, 1997:240). In a study of young prison inmates, the findings suggested that criminal behaviour in juveniles could be deterred by offering solutions such as better educational opportunities through smaller classes and more individual teacher attention, sports programs, training for jobs and greater involvement by churches (De la Torre, 1997). For example, in the U.K., adolescents are being offered the opportunity to train as apprentices, in order to better prepare them and equip them with the necessary job skills to function within a competitive environment. In yet another study that was carried out by Dr. Stan Kaseno at the San Bernardino juvenile hall, the findings showed that 70 to 75% of the inmates who had problems in visual processing (www.newhopecharitablefoundation.org). Most of these inmates also demonstrated recidivism and were not in prison for the first time. Dr. Kaseno found however, that when these inmates were given educational vision development exercises to correct the problems of convergence, tracking and similar problems, the rates of recidivism of such prisoners dropped to below 16%. This provides a strong indication that the vision processing problems could well have contributed to the feelings of inferiority of the inmates, leading to low self esteem. This also places such young people experiencing feelings of low self worth at risk of dropping out of school or taking to drugs and similar activities, all of which can contribute to criminal activity and recidivism. The Long Beach community has commenced the Safe and Smart After

Capital Structure Effect on Performance in Renewable Energy

Capital Structure Effect on Performance in Renewable Energy Sarah Sophia Hamdi â€Å"Capital Structure Effects on Firm Performance in the Renewable Energy Sector: Evidence from Germany† 1. Explanation of your dissertation topic (about 800 words) Overall motivation and objectives: The Kyoto Protocol induced a growing number of countries to establish targets for renewable energy supplies to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as well as to increase energy security. These targets are either expressed in terms of installed capacity or as a percentage of energy consumption. These targets have served as important catalysts for increasing the share of renewable energy throughout the world. As a result of the growing share of energy generated from renewable sources such as wind, water and biomass Germany’s energy supply is becoming â€Å"greener† from year to year. As shown in graph 1 in 2014 renewables already accounted for 25.8 per cent of the gross power production in Germany. On 1 April 2000 the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG) went into force and lead to a massive increase of the renewable energy production in the electricity sector, from under 40 to over 140 billion of kilowatt per hours (see graph 2). Graph 1: Gross power production in Germany in 2014 Source: AG Energiebilanzen, as of: December 2014 Graph 2: Gross electricity generation in billions of kilowatt-hours Source: BMWi based on Working Group on Renewable Energies Statistics (AGEE-Stat, August 2014; Preliminary figures) The German government wants to further expand this share by the year 2025, the aim is to produce 40 to 45 per cent of electricity from renewable sources and 55 to 60 per cent by the year 2035. These numbers indicate that renewable energy companies increasingly need to compete efficiently against existing companies generating energy through other power sources such as oil, nuclear and hard coal energy etc. As investments in renewable energy plants grow, so do the risks inherent in owning, building and operating such plants. Excluding debt, business risk is the basic risk of firms operations and one of the factors that influence a companys capital-structure decision making. The level of business risk is shaped not only by the companies’ decisions but by whats happening to the industry and the economy. The renewable energy industry is effected by numerous sector specific risks such as building and testing risk, business, environmental, financial, market, operational, political/regulatory and weather related volume risk. In such a risky industry, what otherwise would be an appropriate and safe amount of debt becomes more dangerous and unstable, so that normally equity financing is safer than through debt. However firms that are in the growth stage of their cycle typically finance that process through debt and borrow money to enable their growth. The conflict that arises with this m ethod is that the revenues of growth firms are typically unstable and unproven. Meaning that a high debt load is usually not appropriate due to the danger of financial embarrassments. Hence as companies expand their investments in renewable energy projects, funding is a particular challenge and questions about firms’ capital structure decisions are not easily answered. Theoretical background: Over the last few decades much research has been done on whether a relationship between capital structure and a firms financial performance exists. At this point I would like to include a detailed literature review. Franco Modigliani and Merton Miller formed with their theorem the foundation for modern thinking on capital structure. They developed the Capital Structure Irrelevance Proposition where they hypothesized that in perfect markets the capital structure of a firm does not influence its performance. Nevertheless the theorem is generally viewed as a highly theoretical hypothesis, since it disregards important factors such as transaction costs and uncertainty, it was often used as the basis for further research in the last decades. The pecking-order theory, the agency theory and the trade-off theory are the three main theories discussing the optimal capital structure of a firm. All of them follow different approaches which I will summarise and contrast with each other. The different theories and findings raise key questions such as whether it is possible to identify an optimal capital structure for firms operating in the important and future-oriented industry of renewable energies. Research analysis and methodology: Following to the introduction of the key theories and the literature review on this topic I would like to carry out my own quantitative study and run a regression analysis with financial data of 20 companies operating in the renewable energy sector, including wind, solar, bio and water energy in Germany. Due to the fact that non-listed firms are not required to disclose their financial accounts my data will be gained from listed companies that are obligated to share the relevant information. I would like to examine whether there exists a relationship between the implemented capital structure and the firms performance measured in return on equity and share price. Equations: (1) (2) Where: return on equity for firm i in year t. : price of a share for firm i at year t. : financial leverage for firm i at year t .: tangible assets for firm i at year t. : size of the firm i at year t. : growth of the firm i at year t. Tangible assets, size and growth serve as control variables whereas financial leverage of the firm is considered as the main variable to express the capital structure. My aim is to be able to match one of the three theories and to identify an optimal capital structure for renewable energy firms. In order to interpret the findings of the quantitative analysis I would also like to include a complementary qualitative research analysis for example through directors’ statements on their financing decisions. 2. List of References (no minimum number required, but as acceptable by your supervisor) Agnihotri, A. (2014): Impact of Strategy Capital Structure on Firms overall Financial Performance, Strategic Change, Vol. 23, No. 1-2, pp. 15-20. Ben Ayed, W. H., and Zouari, S. G. (2014): Capital Structure and Financing of SMEs: The Tunisian Case. International Journal of Economics and Finance, Vol. 6, No. 5, pp. 96-111. Bouraoui, T., and Li, T. (2014): The Impact of Adjustment in Capital Structure in Mergers Acquisitions on us Acquirers’ Business Performance. The Journal of Applied Business Research, Vol. 30, No. 1, pp. 27-41. Economist Intelligence Unit (2011): Managing the risk in renewable energy. A report from the Economist Intelligence Unit Sponsored by Swiss Re. file:///C:/Users/Sarah/Downloads/Managing-The-Risk-In-Renewable-Energy.pdf Gill, A. and Biger, N. and Mathur, N. (2011): The Effect of Capital Structure on Profitability: Evidence from the United States. International Journal of Management, Vol. 28, No.4, pp. 3-. Green, J. (2010): Renewable energy projects: Risk and insurance elements. Technical feature – Construction Engineering, www.meinsurancereview.com, pp. 41-42. Hatfield, G. B. and Louis, T. W. and Davidson, W. N. (1994): The determination of optimal capital structure: The effect of firm and industry debt ratios on market value. Journal of Financial and Strategic Decisions, Vol. 7, No. 3, pp. 1-14. Holz, C. A. (2002): The Impact of the Liability-Asset Ratio on Profitability in Chinas Industrial State-Owned Enterprises. China Economic Review, Vol. 13, pp. 1-26. Majumdar, S. K. and Chhibber, P. (1999): Capital Structure and Performance: Evidence from a Transition Economy on an Aspect of Corporate Governance. Public Choice, Vol. 98, pp. 287-305. Margaritis, D., and Psillaki, M. (2007): Capital structure and firm efficiency, Journal of Business Finance and Accounting, Vol. 34, No. 9, pp. 1447-1469. Modigliani, F. and Miller, M. (1958): The Cost of Capital, Corporation Finance and The Theory of Investment, The American Economic Review, Vol. 48, No. 3, pp. 261-97. Modigliani, F. and Miller, M. (1963): Corporate Income Taxes and the Cost of Capital: a Correction. The American Economic Review, Vol. 53, pp. 443-53. Myers, S. (1984): Capital structure puzzle, The Journal of Finance, Vol. 39, Issue 3, pp. 574–592. Omondi, M. M., and Muturi, W. (2013): Factors Affecting the Financial Performance of Listed Companies at the Nairobi Securities Exchange in Kenya. Research Journal of Finance and Accounting, Vol. 4, No. 15, pp. 99-105. Onaolapo, A. and Kajola,O. (2010): Capital Structure and Firm Performance: Evidence from Nigeria. European Journal of Economics, Finance and Administrative Sciences, Vol. 25, pp. 70-82. Pathirawasam, C. (2013): Internal Factors which Determine Financial Performance of firms: With Special Reference to Ownership Concentration. pp. 62-72. Rajan, R. G., and Zingales, L. (1995): What Do We Know about Capital Structure? Some Evidence from International Data. The Journal of Finance, Vol. 50, No. 5, pp. 1421–1460. Shyam-Sunder, L. and Myers, C. (1999): Testing static trade off against pecking order models of capital structure. Journal of Financial Economics, Vol. 51, No. 2, pp. 219–244. Soumadi, M. and Hayajneh, O. (2012): Capital structure and corporate performance, Empirical study on the public Jordanian shareholding firms listed in the Amman stock market. European Scientific Journal, Vol. 8, No. 22, pp. 173-189. Stiglitz, J. E. (1969): A Re-Examination of the Modigliani-Miller Theorem. American Economic Review, Vol. 59, No. 5, pp. 784-794. Tailab, M. M. K. (2014): The Effect of Capital Structure on Profitability of Energy American Firms. Journal of Business and Management Invention, Vol. 3, No. 12, pp. 54-61. Titman, S. (1988): The Determinants of Capital Structure Choice. The Journal of Finance, Vol. 43, No. 1, pp. 1-19. Umer, U. M. (2014): Determinants of Capital Structure: Empirical Evidence from Large Taxpayer Share Companies in Ethiopia. International Journal of Economics and Finance, Vol. 6, No. 1, pp. 53-65. Wippern, R. (1966): Financial Structure and the Value of the Firm. The Journal of Finance, Vol. 21; No. 4, pp. 615-633. Links: Bundesministerium fà ¼r Wirtschaft und Energie (BMWi): http://www.bmwi.de/EN/Topics/Energy/Renewable-Energy/renewable-energy-at-a-glance.html

Essay --

Affirmative Action Affirmative action in the United States is loosely defined as a policy that redresses the disadvantages of certain minority groups as a result of past discrimination, such as African Americans and Latinos, by giving them preferential treatment with respect to employment and university admissions. In particular, affirmative action has generated a great deal of controversy in university admissions, which has resulted in several Supreme Court cases. Proponents of the policy claim that affirmative action is permissible because a) certain racial groups have suffered from a long past of discrimination and b) there is evidence showing the educational benefits that result from a racially diverse student body reflective of the racial makeup of the United States. Although affirmative action may be a well-intentioned policy whose supporting arguments are based upon true historic facts, the policy as a whole is morally impermissible and only serves to perpetuate the issues it claims to address. In addition, the arguments in favor of affirmative action have several key issues, which include: a) not all groups that have suffered from discrimination benefit from the policy, b) using the two wrongs make a right fallacy to justify discrimination against nonminority groups, c) vague terms such as â€Å"critical mass,† d) assuming that an applicant is disadvantaged solely on the basis of race, e) stereotyping minority groups, and f) the contested definition of race in general. For centuries, African Americans and Native Americans have suffered from blatant discrimination, unjustified theft of land, grueling enslavement, death marches, cruel medical experiments, systematic lynchings, and genocide. Although most Hispanics never had to co... ... believe blacks can achieve in every avenue of American life without the meddling of university administrators.† Therefore, the solution to this issue of academic performance is bettering the education system in poverty stricken areas. If all racial and economic groups had access to equal educational opportunities, then they would all have the same capability to succeed in university admissions, given they are determined to do so. In the words of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: â€Å"I have a dream that my four little children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin, but by the content of their character.† Unfortunately, Dr. King’s dream has not yet come true, since African Americans are still judged (whether it be positively or negatively is beside the point) on the basis of their skin color when it comes to college admissions.

Manage Quality Customer Service Essay

DESCRIPTION OF THE ORGANISATION Telstra Corporation Limited is a Public Company that is ranked number 9 out of the top 2000 companies in Australia stated on Ibis World a Business reporting site (World, Ibis, 2011). The company generates the majority of its income from the Telecommunication Services in Australia industry. Telstra has employed 39,790 people by June, there end of Financial Year 2011. Since 2009 its current CEO, is David Thodey. (Telstra, 2011) The name â€Å"Telstra† is derived from the word Telecommunication Australia. The (TEL) is from Telecommunication and (STRA) from Australia. The creation of this name was trading under â€Å"Telecom Australia† domestically until a constant branding of â€Å"Telstra† was introduced throughout the entire organisation in 1995. (About Telstra Fast Facts,2011). Business Operations †¢ Book and Telephone Directory Publishing in Australia Telecommunications and Other Electrical and Electronic Equipment Wholesaling in Australia Telecommunication Services in Australia Wired Telecommunications Carriers in Australia Mobile Telecommunications Carriers in Australia Internet Service Providers in Australia Online Information Services in Australia Telstra’s Business Units †¢ Telstra Consumer including Country services the metropolitan, regional, rural and remote areas of Australia. It provides telecommunications products and services, for home and mobile phones and devices, to fixed and wireless internet as well as Pay TV services. †¢ Telstra Enterprise & Government (TE&G) is the leading provider of network solutions and services to Enterprise and Governments in Australia. †¢ Telstra Business is another division responsible for serving the needs of Australia’s small to medium enterprises (SME) with fixed phone line, mobile and broadband. Data and Internet solutions can be tailored for business. IDENTIFY THE TARGET CUSTOMER Age of Customer Age Group 55+ 35-44 25-34 45-54 8-24 Customers 2008/09 9.9% 30.6% 23.9% 25.7% 9.8% 2009/10 11.1% 30.5% 24.3% 25.9% 8.2% 2010/11 12.0% 29.9% 24.4% 26.3% 7.4% Telstra provide products and services to Home and Family (residential), Businesses, Government and Wholesale customers. This also includes a Disability Equipment Program for people with a disability and Access for everyone packages for people on a low income. The chart found in a Telstra Sustainability Report (Davies, Paul; Migonneau, Bastein, 2011) shows the percentage of different aged group customers that have been connected with Telstra. Source: (Davies, Paul; Migonneau, Bastein, 2011) KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS Key performance indicators (KPIs) are ways to periodically assess the performances of organisations, business units, and their departments and employees. They measure the process through a SMART criterion by Specific – Measurable – Achievable – Relevant – Time. Monitoring KPI as a whole and through staff performance The Call Centre Activity chart shows the percentage of customers that called and counts for each action that can occur once a call has been queued to a call centre. This is one form of measuring call centre KPI. People must learn to work together, ask for help, training etc. and understand how to relate to one another otherwise the team’s output will be less than it could be. This Call Centre chart generated a report that includes statistics relating to one call centers. The chart report provides information related to how calls are handled by call centers once they have been queued. Successful leaders care for and support colleagues and employees. Treating people with respect, demonstrating integrity, and showing empathy strengthen the development of trust and confidence in the workplace. In order to make your teamwork on their set goals, performance and meet KPI you must demonstrate that you are reliable, honest, and trustworthy and that you walk your talk. They need to see your values in action and that you have their best interests at heart. They need to see that you value openness and  honesty in offering and receiving feedback. SERVICE TARGETS As technology has grown, so has the ease by which information can be generated and presented to management and stakeholders. Today, everyone seems concerned about information overload, From my thorough investigations online I can report that service targets are reported quarterly to identify opportunities for improvement and outline progress of achievement and adjustments if needed are also made at this point. The most informative reports I found online from 2010-2012 on Telstra are: †¢ Financial Results for Half Year ended 31 December 2011 †¢ Telstra Corporation Limited and controlled entities and †¢ Telstra Sustainability Report 2011 They all outline the results of Telstra’s performance, goals and statistics in achieving their customer service/product commitments. When organisations constantly review their service delivery, they gather an enormous amount of data. The data collected is important and crucial to the ongoing survival of the organisation and therefore it must be recorded, maintained and be accessible. The financial report â€Å"Financial Results for Half Year ended 31 December 2011† (Laird, Jason; McKechnie, Nicole, 2012) presented by David Thodey CEO & acting CFO Mark Hall has been published and reports that Telstra announced its strategy continues to deliver financial benefits. Report Statistics & Targets for 2012 Business revenue results discussed by the Directors from Telstra’s â€Å"Financial report half year ended 31 December’ 2011† (Laird, Jason; McKechnie, Nicole ;, 2012) are as follows: †¢ Total revenue increased by -1.1% or $136 million  to $12,419 million †¢ Net Profit After Tax increased by -22.9% or $274 million to $1,468 million In relation to the 2011 Sustainability Report (Davies, Paul; Migonneau, Bastein, 2011) Telstra believes that monitoring, measuring and reporting their progress helps them to improve on their service performance and lists this in figure 3. Figure 3 Telstra’s Values & Priorities For 2012 Source:(Davies, Paul; Migonneau, Bastein, 2011) FEEDBACK ON STAFF PERFORMANCE Telstra’s performance review process incorporates two informal quarterly reviews and a formal annual and half yearly review, targeting business results and leadership. Each team and section of Telstra has reward and recognition schemes in place to reward and encourage top performers. Telstra has a variety of incentive plans, tailored to different sectors of their workforce, which is designed to encourage high performance by rewarding employees for meeting and exceeding performance objectives. Another way of accessing performance is by collating data on customer’s feedback about the individual consultant. All results can be produced through a team email, meeting or coaching. Obtaining a 360-degree feedback will be most valuable in assessing their strengths and weaknesses. The 360degree should be performed and completed by their manager and up to five of their peers with whom they work. This assessment will let the business and employer know what people they work with think about their attitude, performance, and business ethics. Performance Appraisals Determines: †¢ Rewards and/or promotions for an individual who is meeting /exceeding performance †¢ Identify and discuss gaps in skills, knowledge and attitudes that impact on an individual’s performance †¢ Identify and discuss environmental or workplace weaknesses preventing the individual from meeting their goals and objectives and †¢ Identifies an individual’s future training and development needs Most staff members will expect that they will be  required to give feedback at the end of their appraisal. What is important is team members are made to feel that management will actually take notice of their feedback and use it to coach and make any improvements. Live Performance Monitoring I have provided a sample bar chart below from when I worked at Telstra. The chart displays how a team’s Adherence on calls is monitored by the sales teams. As you see the amount of calls answered is the first column which is then followed by the activities that one undertakes while on that call. The red highlighted boxes indicate improvement is required as the KPI target for AHT is 630min and Adherence is 88% while your wrap should be the lowest possible as this is when the call has ended and your phone is sitting in Not Ready status, the key here is finish what you are doing while customer is on the phone & be in READY status for the next call. This Report is also part of the scorecard paying system to calculate any sales bonus Figure 4 Activity Chart Sales Call Centre KPI Targets AHT: 630 Adherence: 88% Source:( Pusca, et al., 2012) Figure 4 shown in this report is my own collection of statistical results I obtained when working at Telstra in 2011/2012. The results are solely only for the purpose of this assignment. Names of Staff members have intentionally been removed for privacy STRATEGIES TO ADAPT CUSTOMER SERVICE The only measure that will connect a business with the relevance of the work a staff member is performing is to find out if customers are happy or not with their service. You need to measure how the customer judges the outcome of the product or service, through a phone or email survey at the end of each business discussion. Telstra have this process in place. The process is completed by asking the customer to stay on the line while at the end of the call while you transfer them through to a questioner/ survey about your performance today. The rating is from 1 (lowest) & 5 (highest) then next they will be ask to provide any feedback. Statistics can be taken via the login of the consultant’s phone that produces a per cent % on how many customers were transferred to the questioner /survey. Customer Survey Satisfaction Result Telstra’s Customer Support Services is also launching an initiative to revisit the handling and processing of customer requests for prompt reliable services and assistance. For the past few years, Telstra have proactively been monitoring the â€Å"First Contact Resolution† (FCR) metric as a Key Performance Indicator (KPI) of 80%. This is a ‘voice of the customer’ driven strategy – reported in a Corporate Responsibility Report (Inc, 2012) we are doing a lot more listening. We are implementing tools and processes that allow us to clearly understand and fix main points for our customers states David Thodey CEO. As well as the phone interaction customers have with staff Telstra has established a new online panel – My Telstra Experience – so that customers can regularly tell them what they think of their experiences and where they need to improve on service. 2 Figure 5 Compliance MTD1F Increase FCR Staff Must: †¢ Set the right expectation to the customer about the call (how long it takes to process the order, keep the customer in the loop) †¢ Follow the correct hold procedure (set the expectation on how long they may need to wait) †¢ To reduce repeat calls within 7 days by giving the right contact numbers to customers i.e. for any IT Support or Bigpond enquiries– please give out the correct number, that way in will not affect your FCR. †¢ When transferring, give the customer the number for the department you are transferring them to. Encourage customers to call the number provided for future reference or in case, the call drops out. SOURCE : (Dave, 2012) Remember to ask – Can you please stay on the line to answer 2 questions regarding my customer service today? FEEDBACK TO MANAGEMENT ON MEETING/EXCEEDING KPI’S Within a call center, there are common business roles. There is Centre Managers for each department, Team Leaders, and Agents. †¢ The Centre Manager will have a number of Team Leaders reporting to them. They will be responsible for the recruitment, development and coaching of those who directly report to them. The Team Leader’s role is to ensure individual agents are performing against targets, reviewing their performance and coaching/training them to do so. The Team Leaders will meet on a regular basis with the Centre Manager to provide feedback and to receive instructions or actions that need to take place. The Team Leader is responsible for keeping their agents informed of what is happening in the centre and anything that may affect the agent’s key tasks or performance targets. It is good management practice to consult and reflect on employees and other managers for feedback on a regular basis. Feedback allows one to gain input from others including, praise, criticism and suggestions for improvement. The Report Providing Performance feedback to Management when their team has achieved KPI is an extraordinary accomplishment. Feedback is backed up with reports and they can include: †¢ Documentation of expected results †¢ Standards of performance †¢ Progress toward achieving of results †¢ How well they were achieved †¢ Examples indicating achievement A report outlines the performance of team and individual staff members and how they have progressed since the last monthly/quarterly report. It will also show a comparison of whether they have improved or dropped in performance and if any training is required to fill gaps. Figure 6 shown in this report is my own collection of statistical results I obtained when working at Telstra in 2011/2012. The results are solely only for the purpose of this assignment. The names of staff members have been removed for privacy A GAP ANALYSIS ON CUSTOMER SERVICE MEASURES The following performance reporting covers the 2011 financial year for Telstra Corporation Limited (Thodey, David; Hall, Mark, 2011). In 2012, Telstra continue to focus on simplifying their business and improving their processes in order to better serve its customers. Telstra’s Primary Goals: †¢ †¢Serve the needs of its customers Improving online services & support Make Telstra a great place to work Reduce Telstra’s TIO complaints Contribute resources – people, money, technology, products, and services To support the communities Strengthen the capability of the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure, and providing a strong foundation for economic growth, productivity improvement, and global competitive advantage. Service Goals Figure 7 Gap Analysis Actual Performance 2011 6.8% Target as of June 2012 7.1% Gap Analysis Corrective Action 1. Customer Satisfaction 2. Improving online service 3. Telstra a great place to work 4. Reduce Telstra’s TIO complaints 5. To support the communities 6. Economic growth Success 0.3% Failed 13% Failed 0% Failed 6% Failed 21% Success 0.7% Listen to customers, undertake a cause analysis when issues arise, & fixing the areas that customers are not happy with i.e. pricing Improved online access for account enquiries on mobile phones & customers to easily manage their account online Launched a new reward & recognition program to recognise individuals & teams Conducted a review of system operations to ensure that privacy of customer information continues to be protected Provide communication technology training through grants, events, online content and DVDs They engage more with community organisations on issues impacting the lives of children and young people 22% 75% 24% 44,000 people $24.80 million 35% 76% 30% 80, 000 people $25,06 million Source: (CSG, Customer Service Guarantee) 1. Telstra reached a 3% per cent improvement in customer satisfaction. Their approach is to be able to connect with the customer, understand and exceed their expectations, respond to and solve customer complaints and fulfil expectations 2. Improving online services and encouraging customers to go online will help reduce call centre call queue and visiting Telstra stores. This should have enhanced the customer experience. Telstra failed by 13% of online customer interaction with staff. 3. In 2012 Telstra’s goal was to  Improved development performance by 1%, they failed 4. The Telecommunications industry Ombudsman (TIO) records complaint issues under several broad categories. Telstra had set a target to reduce TIO complaints by 30% in 2012 though failed by 6% 5. In 2010/11, the total value of Telstra’s social investment was $248 million. Increased numbers of people to be trained to know how to use mobile, internet etc. was set from 44,000 to 62,447. Telstra failed by 21 % 6. A key driver to the increase has also been the focus on improving customer service through investments made to improve the customer experience including improvements to the online Telstra portal and the implementation of the after hours customer service line. CONCLUSION Telstra is Australia’s leading full service telecommunications and information services company. It offers a wide range of fixed and mobile telecommunications, and information products and services across Australia and overseas. Telstra uses its own network infrastructure. In addition, Telstra provides wholesale services to other telecommunications retailers, who then provide services, including voice, broadband and data services, to their own end user customers. Over the past year Telstra has recorded a turnaround in operational results, with strong customer growth. While not meeting majority of their targets, this year’s 2012 achievements must demonstrate real progress against their Service Goals. Telstra still have significant improvements to make and have set targets to improve their Service. In recent years, customer satisfaction in Australian telecommunications has failed to keep up with community expectations and consumers have responded with increasing complaints to the Telecommunications Industry Ombudsman (TIO). Customer Service is an essential factor in maintaining an organisation’s competitive edge in the marketplace. Many organisations are placing greater emphasis on developing a customer service culture and making it a priority. At the end of the day it is the people in the center who are the real influence on customers not the technology or the processes. A company can  have great products, great services, great technology and great processes, but it’s the people that bring it together and make it happen. To establish the right service quality standards is what Telstra need to bring into place. The following points list some standards I had not come across or not been mentioned by Telstra as one of their focuses for improvement †¢ †¢Top management commitment to providing service quality Set, communicate, and reinforce customer-oriented service standards Establish challenging and realistic service quality goals Train managers to be service quality leaders Be receptive to new ways to deliver service quality Standardise repetitive tasks Telstra recorded a 3 per cent improvement in customer satisfaction in 2011/2012, with a reduction in TIO complaints however did not meet the target and failed by 6 per cent they had set out to achieve. To attract and retain customers a business needs to recognise different customers want different things, and they need to provide products, solutions and service to cater to this. To differentiate themselves from their competitors, a business will benefit if they can demonstrate that they can provide the understanding and experience customers are seeking. Overall, the company is a dominant player and for the last five fiscal (financial) years of 2007 to 2011, continued to make up around 60% of the whole Australian communications services market. The significantly improved growth in customers returning to Telstra is tribute to the value in the company’s new mobile plans as well as their network quality. Telstra will continue to roll-out new products for all our customers, from individual to Corporate and Government customers, taking into consideration the feedback of what their customers have told them. They are committed to upholding the legislated Telecommunications Customer Service Guarantee Standard 2011 (â€Å"The CSG Standard†), as amended and issued by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (Thodey, David; Hall, Mark, 2011) The objective of the Customer Service Guarantee is to impose a minimum level of performance on telecommunications carriers and service providers, for specified services, so that the quality of that service should not deteriorate in any way but will improve significantly and should enable consumers to enjoy a reasonable level of service. (ACA, 1999)

The Misery by Anton Chekhov Essays

The Misery by Anton Chekhov Essays The Misery by Anton Chekhov Paper The Misery by Anton Chekhov Paper Name: Tutor: Course: Date: The Misery by Anton Chekhov 1. Misery is a short story written by Anton Chekhov. Constance Garnett translated it from Russian to English. Chekhov began writing with the purpose of raising funds for his medical education at Moscow University and upkeep for his family. In 1884, the author graduated from the University and began his medical practice. In 1886, he published his acclaimed work, Misery. The story in question revolves around Iona Potapov, an old sledge driver. It is set a week after Potapov’s son dies in a hospital, during 19th Century Russia. Other characters in the story are a military officer, three young men, a house porter and a sleepy cabman. Potapov’s horse also plays a role in the story’s proceedings. The characters mentioned, have a significant role in bringing forward Chekhov’s ideals. Anton Chekhov proposes that human beings have no concern for each other’s hardships. Various instances in the short story show this. The story begins with Iona seeking for a customer in the snowy town. Eventually, a military officer boards his sledge. Chekhov portrays the officer as an impatient and rude character. During the ride, he is as a cautious person just as well. When Iona attempts to inform him of his grief, the officer does not pay attention. They reach their destination and the old man gets new customers, three young men. The young men are obnoxious and rowdy. They pay Iona an unfair fare for the ride. When the old man attempts to inform them of his son’s death, one of the young men rubbishes Iona’s words. The young men impatiently get off the sledge at their destination. The old man decides to end his day by going to the yard. Unfortunately, he has not made enough money to feed his horse with oats. At the yard, he meets a young sledge driver. He wishes to share his grief with him, but the sleepy young man continues with his sleep. Chekhov’s story ends with Iona detailing the loss of his son to his horse as no one else seems concerned with his affairs. Chekhov is a brilliant writer. Several aspects of his writing are admirable. First, his introduction of Iona is impressive. He uses a highly descriptive style. Chekhov first describes the evening. He then describes how snow fell on that occasion, and its effect on the people and objects in the area. (Chekhov 168). Through this, the writer informs his readers that the story begins at the evening and ends at night. This instance also provides us with the season during which the story takes place. The writer also introduces the old man’s hardship through his stillness, in thought. Chekhov also provides the reader with a good description of the old man’s poor driving. He explains that the old man is restless. The writer compares the sledge’s seat to thorns. Chekhov also describes the old man’s difficulty in focusing on the road ahead. Iona, therefore, drives the sledge in a hazardous manner, nearly causing an accident. This situation provokes the military officer to speak to Iona. In turn, the old man sees this as the opportunity to justify his current state. Iona tells the officer of his son’s death. However, the officer interrupts the speech with his commands. The author uses a descriptive style to highlight the hunchback’s response to Iona’s hardship. He describes the manner which the hunchback licks his lips and coughs. This instance helps in showing the hunchback’s reluctance to share the old man’s grief. Anton Chekhov’s depiction of the characters is admirable. He develops them alongside the story’s argument. The military officer is a dismissive character. First, he assumes that Mr. Potapov is asleep by laying still. The officer asks the old man whether he is asleep or not (Chekhov 169). During the ride, Iona speaks to his passenger. At first, he assumes that the officer is ready to listen to the story of his son’s death. However, the officer closes his eyes and pretends to be deep in thought as the old man commences his story. The military officer portrays the notion that people lack genuine concern for each other’s affairs. Chekhov implies that people also take advantage of each other’s hardships in the story. He uses the three young men to portray this notion. The old man picks them up despite a terrible price for the sledge ride. (Chekhov 170). The writer explains that the old man has lost concern for the fare as his grief has occupied his mind. The three have an unsympathetic character. In response to the old man’s story, the hunchback cuts him off and tells him that they shall all die (Chekhov 172). The author portrays the sleepy cabman as a selfish person. He considers his sleep more important than listening to the old man. The writer explains that when Iona began to speak, the young man was fast asleep. Chekhov’s portrayal of grief in the story is admirable. He introduces the old man as a person stricken with grief to an extent that he is immobile. The author depicts Iona Potapov as a person who has separated himself from the society around him, and to an extent, reality. Chekhov describes the old man as white as a ghost, due to snow covering his body. Chekhov further highlights the old man’s stillness. This serves as a portrayal of his grief. When the military officer arrives, he thinks that the old man is asleep. However, he is simply sitting still in thought. The atmosphere in the story is described as dull and cold. This depiction is brought forward by Chekhov’s description of the weather. At the end of the story, the writer describes the old man’s lack of cash. As a result, he misses a meal, and his horse has to eat hay. This further contributes to the reader’s perception of the old man’s bad day. After finding no one to share his misery with, he switches to contemplation and watching his surroundings. Chekhov (174) writes, â€Å"Can he not find among these thousands someone who will listen to him? However, the crowds flit by heedless of him and his misery†¦His misery is immense, beyond all bounds. If Iona’s heart were to burst and his misery flow out, it would flood the whole world, it seems, but it is not seen. It has found a hiding-place in such an insignificant shell that one would not have found it with a candle by daylight†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Through this instance, Anton Chekhov depicts his theme of loneliness. His choice of words further enables the reader familiarity with Iona’s miserable situation. In the end, the old man decides to share his grief with his horse. After all, nobody else is interested in sharing his story. The writer informs us that Mr. Potapov’s horse listens to him as it feeds on hay. Chekhov’s story raises many questions in a readers mind. In the story, the author tackles the old man’s situation casually. A reader wonders whether misery and isolation is a daily phenomenon. From the text, the author depicts sadness as a matter of daily occurrence. Chekhov informs us that the old man’s sadness leaves for a short while, and then comes back heavier than before. The answer provided is unsatisfactory. This is proven when contemporary life is taken into consideration. Not every day happens to be a miserable day. The author has taken a disdainful stance towards the female gender. The writer implies that women are of minimal importance, and all they do is weep during serious situations. This is a derogatory pronouncement. In his efforts to create conversation with the young man, Iona should have thought of a different subject. The writer’s words may upset an audience consisting of the female gender. In the story, Chekhov implies that no person bothered to listen to Iona Potapov’s story of hardship, only an animal did. The author describes the anxiety the old man felt as he looked at the crowd. When it hits him that all the people he sees are strangers, and none is concerned with his bereavement, his pain intensifies. From that, readers wonder whether humans are so cold and ignorant of one another, focusing on themselves instead. Chekhov should have provided at least one instance of an understanding person. It is a reader’s opinion that strangers may not be compassionate to an individual’s suffering. It does not concern them, and they will try to maintain their distance. Furthermore, a reader may deduce that the writer’s sick state of health, at the time of writing, may have disoriented his thoughts on society’s positive aspects. However, Chekhov’s story is highly successful in showing that people have little concern for each other’s problems. 2. Towards the end of the story, Chekhov explains Iona’s desire to speak to someone by comparing his desire for a conversation with the aforementioned man’s thirst. When he discovers that the younger man is asleep, he thinks of what he can use as a conversation starter. However, he ends up talking to his white mare. He tells the horse, â€Å"That’s how it is, old girl. . . . Kuzma Ionitch is gone. . . . He said goodby to me. . . . He went and died for no reason. . .(Chekhov 174)† The writer explains that Iona’s horse eats as it listens to the old man. Chekhov tells us that this simple act carries away the old man. From this, a reader may deduce the ending as a relatively happy one. The writer has solved the conflict of the story. The old man yearns for someone to listen to what he had to say, throughout the story. Amazingly, the horse grants his wish, as he feeds it hay. However, Chekhov should have adopted a different end to the story. An ending with the man talking to the horse is unsatisfactory. A horse is incapable of providing compassion to the old man. Furthermore, the horse is unable to understand the old man’s problems. Furthermore, it is an assumption that the old man knew the horse was listening to him. After all, the writer describes that the old man was carried away as he spoke to the horse (Chekhov 175). As stated earlier, Chekhov wishes to show that people have lost compassion for each other, during times of suffering. Towards the end of his story, Chekhov contradicts his earlier proposition. The writer states that the old man had not earned enough to pay for his horse’s oats. He relates this situation to the misery he has experienced throughout that day. The old man further states that people who have enough to eat ate always happy with their situation (Chekhov 174). From that instance, the old man implies that his misery is attributable to lacking enough money, and in consequence, food. That statement discounts the old man’s earlier need to share his grief, on his son’s death, with strangers. An appropriate ending should reflect the writer’s earlier argument on the old man’s grief. The best ending would be right before the author says, â€Å"His misery is immense, beyond all bounds. If Iona’s heart were to burst and his misery to flow out, it would flood the whole world, it seems, but it is not seen. It has found a hiding-place in such an insignificant shell that one would not have found it with a candle by daylight. . . .(Chekhov 170).† In that scenario, the story ends with an aura of misery. Iona wished for a person to listen to him, which nobody did. This ending enables the story to maintain relevance to the stated theme. Scenarios such as the talk with his horse, and the young man, are cut down on. Such an ending also emphasizes the cruelty of people, as portrayed by the crowd. The story has a dull mood, as described by the weather and speech. The proposed ending will enhance the story’s mood. Furthermore, at the chosen point in the story, a reader experiences its climax. An ending at the suggested point will serve to enhance literary t ools such as suspense to the reader. In the story, Anton Chekhov presents an interesting argument. He implies that humans have lost concern for their counterparts in the society. Various instances justify this thought, in the story. This article supports the aforementioned notion. However, it also mentions differing ideals, to provide an argument to Chekhov’s views. The writer’s positive aspects receive acknowledgement in the essay. Just as well, the article raises various propositions, for the purposes of improving the story. In this light, the essay provides an appropriate alternative to the previous ending. Top of Form Chekhov, Anton P, Okla Elliott, Kyle Minor, and Constance Garnett. The Other Chekhov. Fort Collins, Colo.: New American Press, 2008. Print. Top of Form Bottom of Form Bottom of Form

Use the STAR Method to answer any interview question

Use the STAR Method to answer any interview question It’s interview day. You’ve worked on your handshake, your eye contact, your head-to-toe professional outfit. You know your resume backwards and forwards, and you’ve reviewed the job description so many times you can practically see it when you close your eyes. So, you’re ready. And then in the interview, you get a question you weren’t necessarily expecting: â€Å"Tell me about a time when you†¦Ã¢â‚¬  Argh, the dreaded behavioral questions. Now what? First, don’t panic. You can answer any question an interviewer throws your way, without grinding the whole thing to a halt. It’s as simple as being a STAR.What’s the STAR Method  and  how  do  you  use  it?STAR is a method you can use to frame an answer quickly and efficiently. It’s an acronym for:Situation: Where/when did this example take place?Task: What was your level of responsibility in this example?Action: What steps did you take?Result: What was the outcome, and what did you learn or achieve?Let’s break down some strategies for using the STAR method in your next and future interviews.Find the right exampleUnless something comes to mind right away, this can be the hardest part. But think of it this way: the question is likely to be a situation that is tied to something on your resume or a task in the job description, so this is something you can think about in advance, even if you don’t know what will be asked specifically. Ahead of the interview, come up with examples or anecdotes for every experience bullet point and skill on your resume. That way, when you’re asked, â€Å"Tell me about at time you showed leadership,† you will already have a list of relevant points ready to go.Relevance is the key- you don’t want to start rambling about something that doesn’t really fit what the interviewer is asking. So the quick internal check should be, â€Å"I think this is the right story- does it answer what’s being asked?†And if you need a bit of time to think things over, say so- it’s okay to ask for a minute to think things over. â€Å"That’s a really great question; I’d like to think about it for a minute!† You don’t want your contemplation to go too long, but taking 30 seconds to gather your thoughts will lead to a better answer.Set the sceneThis doesn’t have to be an elaborate, cinematic story. However, you should be able to give a few quick details to show the interviewer what the context is for your story.I was the lead on a project, and 80% of my team had called in sick†¦We were on schedule and on budget, when the client changed his mind in the middle of the meeting†¦I took a call from an angry customer, who was not interested in hearing the company’s side of the story†¦You’ll want to make it conversational so that it doesn’t sound like you memorized a card. All you need are a few short sentences- no need to provide detailed backstory about everyone involved or a history of your employment. You want the details to be directly relevant to your story. And it’s okay to be humorous or light in your response, as long as you keep the tone professional.Talk about what you did to solve the problem or approach the issueOnce you’ve set the scene for the interviewer, talk about what you did to resolve the issue. Usually, when interviewers ask behavioral-style questions, they’re just as interested in the how as the what. And again, this doesn’t need to be a long-winded, detailed step-by-step. A few succinct bullet points about what you did in the situation will be just fine. If the interviewer has any follow-up questions, she’ll ask.Talk up your achievements- or lessons learnedWhen you’re talking about the results, don’t be afraid to talk about what you achieved- especially if it puts you in a positive light. You don’t want to come off like a braggart, but you should own your accomplishments.The project came in under budget thanks to my fix, and we broke sales records that year.Because I caught the order before it was processed, I was able to stop 5,000 widgets from being shipped accidentally. That was a great feeling.And if you picked an example that didn’t necessarily have a happy ending (because hey, sometimes that’s the only anecdote that fits), be sure to talk about what you did gain from the situation.Although it was difficult   while I worked to resolve the issue, it taught me that nothing is more important than providing a superior customer experience.It was definitely a learning experience, and having worked with such a demanding client, I know I can work with anyone to get the job done.Like with your other STAR points, a couple of sentences should be all you need to summarize and wrap up your story.Practice beforehandIf you’re not all that comfortable with storytelling, this is definitely a skill you can build before you’re in the interview hot seat. Just like with body language or your handshake, practice until it becomes second nature! Grab a trusted person who can ask you general behavioral questions, and apply the STAR method to your conversation. If you do this enough times in your everyday life, you won’t be sitting in the interview thinking, â€Å"Okay, time for S. What’s the situation?† You’ll already be searching through your mind’s archive for the relevant anecdote.   Ã‚  If you prep for interviews with the STAR method, you can tackle any question an interviewer throws your way, even if it seems like it comes out of nowhere. Quick, to-the-point answers will impress your interviewer and demonstrate that you have one of the most important skills- thinking on you r feet.

Laukemia Term Paper Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1250 words

Laukemia - Term Paper Example This factor does not help the normal blood cells to carry out their work. Leukemia begins in the bone marrow and later spreads throughout the body. Mostly, a bone marrow test is carried out to identify leukemia. Both adults and children can develop this disease. â€Å"Although leukemia often is thought to be a childhood disease, in fact, the disease strikes 10 times as many adults as children.† (Leukemia Facts & Figures, n.d.) Though exact reason for a person to develop leukemia is not known, many significant clinical trials have been done on the development of Leukemia. Every year, around 250,000 people are being identified to have developed leukemia and over 200,000 of them die (Vogt, 2010). The treatment methods for this disease are surgery, radiation, chemotherapy, hormone therapy. Though there are many tests to diagnose leukemia, the diagnosis itself may be delayed due to delayed symptoms or symptoms which resemble other conditions. The diagnosis of leukemia may vary acco rding to the kind of leukemia that has developed in a person. Statistics say that â€Å"in the United States about 2,000 children and 27,000 adults are diagnosed each year with leukemia† (Leukemia Information, 2011). Survival rates have increased considerably in the years before due to improvements in treatment. Symptoms of this disease may not be noticeable many times, particularly in chronic leukemia, but people may get symptoms like tiredness, inexplicable weight loss, and fever at times. Other symptoms of leukemia like headaches, joint pain, and pain in the belly due to enlarged spleen may also be noticed. Types of Leukemia Leukemia has been divided into various groups. Leukemia is a term covering four forms of diseases of the blood and bone marrow. These include â€Å"acute lymphocytic leukemia and acute myelogenous leukemia†. These two types of leukemia progress rapidly while the other two types, â€Å"the chronic lymphocytic leukemia and chronic myelogenous leu kemia, progress slowly† (Leukemia, n.d.). Acute leukemia exemplifies swift increase of immature blood cells. Instant and necessary treatment is required in acute leukemia due to this fast development and growth of the abnormal cells. The acute form of leukemia is most common in children. Chronic leukemia is found in those that progress relatively slow when compared to acute forms. The chronic leukemia cells are abnormal white blood cells that take many months or years to progress. The cells are produced much more in number than normal cells. Chronic leukemia is monitored for a certain amount of time before initializing treatment so as to make sure the maximum usefulness of therapy. This form of leukemia is more often found in elderly people but occurs in any age. Leukemia is further divided into various types (What is Leukemia? What causes Leukemia, 2009): 1. Acute lymphocytic leukemia: This form of leukemia is more common in young children. This disease is also found in older people who are 65 years and above. The standard treatment for this type would be chemotherapy and radiation. The rate of survival is 85% in children and 50% in adults. 2. Chronic lymphocytic leukemia: This is most frequently found in adults over 55 years of age. This type is seldom found in children. The rate of survival is five years and is found in adults. It is not curable. 3. Acute myelogenous leukemia: This form is more easily found in adults than children and in men than women.

Analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Analysis - Essay Example Even when the films are seen the second time around, the element of suspense is still there, and such feelings of anxiety get stirred in the audience because â€Å"the viewers feel suspense for the character rather than fright or shock with the character†2. The addition of familiar elements to the viewers such as using well-known places as the story’s settings â€Å"capture the reality†3 for the audience, making the experience seem possible in real life. In this analysis, an extract from Hitchcock’s suspense movie, Sabotage (Alfred Hitchcock, 1936), also released as A Woman Alone would be used to discuss how the different film elements are utilized to show how suspense works wonders in the film. The extract starts after the first 10 minutes of the film’s beginning. After a power failure that aimed originally to terrorize but rather just surprised the citizens of London, the main characters, as well as the secret lives of Karl Verloc (Oskar Homolka) and Ted Spencer (John Loder) were revealed to the audience4. Spencer’s secret life of working as an agent in Scotland Yard was presented first, which shows that he does surveillance on the cinema that Mr. Verloc operates. Meanwhile, Verloc’s secret life as a member of foreign terrorists was revealed in the later part of the film extract. The suspense presented in this part of the film is the idea that two opposing powers live side by side in the same street, not knowing for sure about the true identities of one another. In order to portray this dilemma to the audience, certain aspects were done in order to show drama and conflicts within and among the characters. The term mise-en-scene describes the â€Å"expressive totality†5 of a particular moment that is shown to the viewers. Before and during the reveal of Spencer’s identity, he was shown to have changed his face from a welcoming face of a fruit vendor to a hard face, which was later followed by the c hanges in his clothing and persona to his true self, as a secret agent. Verloc, on the other hand did not change his clothing, but rather his inner self, from a seemingly-harmless cinema owner to a member of a terrorist group plotting to destroy London. In both scenarios, the lighting added to the strong effects of the reveal to the audience, as well as portraying who was in the side of justice. The added lighting in Spencer’s reveal showed how he was the one in the right side of the law, and the almost lack of lighting in Verloc’s reveal showed how he was in the wrong side of justice. The camerawork and the editing also added to the feeling of suspense in the movie’s extract. In the scenes that seem to be happening in real time, the transitions were abrupt cuts, while the scenes that showed excised time used fade, to imply the passage of time in the extract. The framing of shots also added suspense by the use of close-ups when showing the characters during the times when they have to face a dilemma. By limiting what is visible to the audience, the audience would be more focused on the character even more, as well as his or her â€Å"spatial relationship†6 to the world in the movie. The use of familiar elements such as London scenes in the movie made the movie seem even closer to home. This technique is used by Hitchcock in his movies in order to make the audience anxious because they could â€Å"find resonance†7 in the characters’ anxiety. Also, by not fully revealing the plot but just implying events that may happen