Apple's School Takeover

Today Apple hosted an educational event in Chicago called “Let’s Take a Field Trip”, announcing new technologies to assist in education. While unveiling their new 9.7-inch iPad and the Apple Pencil stylus, Apple also explained forthcoming apps and programs to make the lives of teachers all around the world a lot easier. Keep reading to see how Apple is planning to fully integrate their technology into education.

Apple’s new “Schoolwork” app will give teachers the ability to give assignments through third-party apps, finding a digital solution to children who claim to have forgotten their assignments. The “Classroom” app will be released for Mac in June and is in beta for iPad. This app allows students to follow along with lessons digitally.

 “Everyone Can Create” is a curriculum that will be used to inspire creativity and success in students. Teachers will be able to integrate art into their lesson plans with the assistance of Apple technology. The curriculum is centered around the new 9.7-inch iPad and Apple Pencil stylus. Their “shared iPad” feature will also make it possible for several students to use one iPad while leaving admin controls to the school.

Apple is also starting a program titled “Everyone Can Code” that will revolutionize education by giving children first hand experience in coding languages. More than just using code as a technological language, Apple thinks teaching coding will allow children “to solve problems and work together in creative ways”. Their language Swift was designed to be simple to learn and write so as children write their code, they can visualize the immediate results in an innovative dual-screen mode.

Which email openers are more likely to generate a response?

In the years I have been sending emails, one question has always remained in my head- how am I supposed to start this message? Luckily, I was not alone in my confusion. Brendan Greenley used data from over 300,000 email messages to finally figure out what the best way to open an email is.

Graph Source

The data shows that starting an email message with “hey” or “hello” elicits an almost 8% higher response rate than the old go-to “dear”. While I wouldn’t recommend starting all your future professional correspondence with “hey”, research shows that using conversational tones rather than professional ones seems to be the most effective method for receiving responses.

So, get out there and start sending! Do you have a go-to email opener? Leave a comment and let us know!  

Bringing Positivity into the Workplace

I don’t think I could name one person who has ever started a job search hoping to land in an office with a negative atmosphere; so, why is that the energy so many employees are bringing to work? No one is expected to be happy around the clock- it’s impossible. However, it is important to arrive at work everyday with an optimistic outlook.

One important aspect of combating office negativity is understanding the difference between a good employee having a bad day and someone who is always zoning in on the bad in every situation, who refuses to accept blame, and has an overall negative effect on your office. Work with a “Negative Nancy” and watch the way your entire office improves positively!

Zeynap Ilgaz wrote a piece for Entrepreneur Network offering six tips for “Motivating the Negative Nancy on Your Team”. Check them out below:

1.  Identify the negative behavior. Recognize bad attitudes and negativity and identify the individual involved after receiving a tip or spotting something.
2. Confront the person. Develop a plan to address the individual in a calm, private setting. Set aside enough time to discuss the situation in detail. There may be a reason or a trigger for this behavior.
3. Reinforce positive behavior. During the discussion, set goals for change and even play out scenarios. Listen to the employee’s thoughts and ideas about the situation and emphasize the need for a positive attitude moving forward.
4. Follow up. Schedule a meeting to discuss the individual’s progress. Recognize and praise positive improvements and attitude.
5. Set a good example. The manager should demonstrate positive behavior for staff members -- even on the cloudiest of days. Remind them that problems and setbacks are an inevitable part of business, but each one can serve as a learning experience.
6. Invest in positivity. Boost the positivity quotient in the office by fostering programs or activities that will make staffers happy, such as potlucks, games and employee-of-the-month recognitions. Promote physical and mental health by funding employee-fitness programs, planning office yoga classes or creating work spaces with natural light.

Tips for Your LinkedIn Profile

Before beginning my position as a technical recruiter, I was blind to just how frequently LinkedIn is used when looking for job candidates in top industries worldwide. Although some think that simply adjusting their settings on LinkedIn is enough to get noticed, the process goes much deeper. Once you’ve established the basics in your profile, make sure you’re following these easy tips to secure your chances of getting an interview with anyone who comes across your profile!

1. Yes, your grammar should be perfect- I’m sure many people who read this will roll their eyes at the simplicity of this tip, but I cannot tell you how many people I come across with basic mistakes in their profiles. Nothing turns away potential employers faster than mindless and avoidable mistakes! Write full sentences, use spell check, and follow the basic rules of capitalization. These simple steps not only take almost no time to complete, but they make profile visitors want to actually read your credentials.

2. Pick the perfect professional picture- Another simple step that makes a world of difference! Profiles with pictures get up to 21 times more views than those without, according to an article from Time. You don’t need to have professional head shots taken to set your profile apart- in fact, you’d probably be surprised at the casual settings in which many LinkedIn pictures are taken. Simply find a photo of yourself in business clothing with an appropriate background. If you don’t have one on hand, ask someone to take your picture one day before work or an interview when you’re already dressed in your business best!

3. Keep your information up to date- Did you start a new job? Receive a promotion? Change your phone number? Make sure all of these changes are reflected on your profile! At the same time, be sure that updates you’re making to the content on your profile are relevant to your career goals. If you want to make a small change in your career, consider changing your skills and uploading examples of prior work that show you will adopt this new specialty with ease.

4. Choose your words wisely- In many job fields, more than one title may be used for the same position. Consider using a thesaurus to find alternate job titles or descriptions and putting them in another section of your profile. You will also likely want to be cautious of the wording in your profile when you’re searching for a new job but aren’t yet comfortable sharing your need for a move with your boss. Mashable cited Jenny Foss for suggesting the addition of a subtle line at the end of your summary inviting professionals to reach out without overtly stating that you’re on the hunt for a new job.

5. Stay active- Far too often, professionals create a LinkedIn account and ignore it until they are searching for a new job. Don’t make this mistake! Log on and find new connections, answer your messages, and even post articles you find interesting or updates about your career. With the LinkedIn app, staying active is simple and free- and you never know who you’ll connect with or what you’ll learn!