Research Paper Essays (726 words) - Muhammad Ali,

Research Paper 31 May 2000 Muhammad Ali Cassius Marcellus Clay in Louisville, Kylon January 17 1942. He grew up in a poor family. Ali had problems in school at an early stage and felt he had to do something different. His future career was fulfilled at 12. When Joe Martin police officer and boxing coach, tried to get Ali started with boxing. At the age of 16, Ali had won two Golden Glove Titles, two National AAU Titles, he was by now nationally recognized. When the 1960 Rome Olympic Game was about to take off, Ali was provided with an opportunity to represent his country. At this point he had fought 103 amateur matches, and had only lost five. Ali went with Olympic team to Rome, and ended winning the gold medal. When he got back to his hometown, Louisville, he thought that he was going to be treated as a champion, but he still was discriminated by the white society. Ali decided to throw his Olympic gold medal into the Ohio River because of his anger about the racism in his hometown. By the age of 22 Ali had a professional boxing record of 19-0. On February 25, 1964, Ali got the heavyweight title shot. Through all the media he was considered to be the "underdog". Before the fight Ali used the media to psyche Sonny Liston. He predicted that " Sonny will fall in four". Ali entered the ring as a 7-1 underdog to the Champ Sonny Liston. Ali used his speed and movement to thoroughly outbox the champion. Ali became the second youngest champion in history. After the fight Ali told the world that his name was now Muhammad Ali and that he had joined the Nation of Islam. It put a great effect on his boxing career. As the champ he realized his popularity in society, and he used it to his power to speak for the Civil Rights. He became a political symbol of the black society, and maybe most influential beside Martin Luther King and Malcolm X. During the next three years, he defended his title nine times with Ernie Terrell and then became the undisputed Heavyweight Champion. On April 28, 1967, the army for the induction of the military service to fight in the Vietnam War drafted Muhammad Ali. He refused to step forward when they called his name because of the religious beliefs. He was immediately stripped of the heavyweight title, and got a five year sentence to serve in prison, which was he appealed right away. He had no more fight in 1967, 1968, and 1969. Ali said he could not fight in the war because of his religious beliefs. He already taken the army test and score 35 percentile, and to qualify you needed at least a 55 or higher. Then most people were drafted through the ages of 18-22, and he was 25. What he did made him even more popular in his society, then they overturned his conviction. In 1970 he made his first fight back and he didn't lose a step on his skills. His rep gave him a title shot against Joe Frazier, the fight was known as the fight of the century. That was when he suffered his first pro lose. In October 30, 1974, it was Ali vs. Forman a match that everyone had waited for. It was held in Zaire and it was nicknamed "the rumble in the jungle", and once again he was the underdog. People where actually feared for his safety because it was know that Forman was the hardest puncher in boxing history. Ali ended up winning the fight by KO, and once again the heavyweight champ. It was the third match between Joe Frazier and Ali, and it was going to be known as "The Thrilla In Manilla". That was his hardest fight of his career. Then he lost the title in 1978 against Leon Spinks, but got it back 8 months later. He announced his retirement on June 27, 1979. He left boxing with a professional record of; 56 wins and 5 loses. Now he suffers from Parkinson's disease, and still does a lot of charity work. He just might have had the greatest success in sports history.

Gambling in Victoria, Australia essays

Gambling in Victoria, Australia essays When one thinks of the Great Southern Land, one hardly associates the term Gambling Capital with our wide-open spaces and pristine coastlines. Why is it, then, that approximately 82% of adult Australians gamble - the highest current rate in the world? Gambling has become a progressively predominant, but clandestine problem in Australia, with Victoria now leading the way in being the state most heavily reliant on gambling revenue. Government figures released in this years budget show that Victoria will collect about $1.4 billion in gambling taxes this financial year, a figure that represents more than $300 for every person in the state. Similarly, gambling expenditures (losses) more than doubled per capita in real terms in Australia over the past decade. They trebled in Victoria. This, combined with the increasingly critical circumstances surrounding problem gamblers, gives rise to the question of whether the number of gambling opportunities in Victoria should be reduced. Whilst gambling comes in many forms, it is clear that poker machines are at the head of Victorias gambling problem. These destructive mechanisms have now overtaken all other forms of gambling, and in the last financial year alone, Victorians spent $6.5 million a day on poker machines, which is about nine times the amount lost in 1992-93, when poker machines were first introduced. Indeed - pokie taxes have become a crucial source of revenue for the Victorian Government. More than 11 per cent of State Government taxes come from poker machines, and it is anticipated that this will exceed $900 million this financial year (2002/3). It has been estimated that in the light of the increase in gambling expenditure, problem gamblers account for one-third of all gambling and 42 per cent of poker machine gambling. Additionally, the Productivity Commission report found that 2.3% of adult Australians have extensive gambling problems, losing more than...

College Entrance Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

College Entrance - Essay Example I am one of those employees. It was only by chance that I came across the Master of Science in Public Affairs program of the University of Massachusetts in Boston. For me, discovery of this masters program offering night-time classes was a gift from the universe because it will allow me to perfectly schedule my day and night time hours in order to pursue this much needed educational degree. Thanks to the short turn completion time , I can get my degree in 18 months instead of longer, I will be able to fast track my higher education while never skipping a beat at the office. Having worked for Anhauser - Busch in the past on their contemporary marketing team, then as a product merchandiser, before moving on to working for the state lottery as a sales representative, I am quite familiar with the need to perfectly balance my work, education, and personal time. Since the MSPA program will concentrate mostly on weekend classes and some weekend seminars, I am definite that the course load will never become too much for me to handle. When I decided to pursue a masters degree in Public Affairs, I told myself that the one thing I would not do is sit down to write a personal statement that would misrepresent myself. I am not going to do that because misrepresenting myself will not be beneficial to me should I be accepted into the program because I would have set myself up to fail due to the unreasonably high image that I would have created for myself just to get into the program. Instead, I am coming to you to present myself as a simple person, hoping to be awarded a slot in the MSPA program of your much admired academic institution. I began my career far away from the current field that I am working in as a State Lottery employee. During my younger days, I prided myself in being one of the most sought after DJs in the state. I made my money that way. Being paid to

The rise and Fall of American Economics Term Paper

The rise and Fall of American Economics - Term Paper Example Considering that macroeconomics characteristically focuses on a nation’s economic performance including the manner in which the nation’s economy interacts with other economies globally, it is worth noting that the economy of the United States is not only the largest but also the most complex in the world history, with 87,600 separate government jurisdictions, approximately a hundred and fifteen million households, and thirty million profit organizations/businesses. The U.S. economy is therefore comprised of millions of decision makers who though acting with some autonomy, are all linked with the entire economy. The economy is dynamic – keeps continually renewing itself with new businesses, customers, foreign competitors, households and public official groups among others. Currency circulates throughout the U.S. economy, which facilitates the exchange of products as well as resources among the individual economic units – it is constantly in a circular flow (McEachern, 2008). Historically, just like other industrial market economies, the economy of the United States has gone through sporadic contraction and expansion periods. The rise and fall of the economy refer to the economic fluctuations relative to the economy’s long term growth tendency.... The rise and fall of the economy refer to the economic fluctuations relative to the economy’s long term growth tendency. These variations/business cycles vary in intensity and length, although some elements are universal to all. Usually, the fluctuations involve the whole nation and frequently several other world economies. Additionally, the fluctuations affect almost every economic activity dimension – not just employment and production (Hirschey, 2009). McEachern (2008) notes that the simplest way of comprehending the business cycle is by exploring its elements. He explains that in the 1920s and 1930s, the national Bureau of Economic research director carried out an analysis of business cycles and identified two phases of the economy namely â€Å"contractions† and â€Å"expansions.† He elucidated that the output of the economy declines during a contraction while it increases during an expansion. Prior to WWII, a contraction occurred – this was as severe as to be termed a depression. A depression is a sharp decline in the entire production of the nation going for over a year and accompanied by high rates of unemployment. When a contraction is milder, it is reffered to as a recession – characterized by a reduction in overall output over a period of at least six months or two consecutive quarters. Unlike prior to the world war II when the United States experienced both depressions and recessions, in the period after and until the year 2008, there have not been depressions; only recessions, which is an indication of an improved economy. The quarter-century after World War II appears more like a golden age for the economy of

Pivotal Decades Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Pivotal Decades - Essay Example Another advancement was the development of wireless communication, which a number of things. The most common and influential was the development of mobile telephony, which made communication easier. Another notable technological advancement was the development of the computers into more usable machines. The assimilation of computers into the economic and educational sector proved crucial as it made things easier. The supermarkets could have automated point of sales and companies had systems to run their errands such as marketing, running analysis and giving future predictions. In the education sector, computers were used for experimental purposes, management and administrative use. The period between 1900 and 1920 were of immense significance to the future of America. The great advancements in technology have assisted us to be at the current economic status with developed countires.. It is because of the above advancements, that we have better lives compared to the lives we lived 30 decades ago. we can, therefore, conclude that the decades were

Successfully Raise A Defence Of Necessity

Successfully Raise A Defence Of Necessity Necessity and Private Defence are closely linked therefore; many of the requirements of private defence are also requirements for necessity. The difference between these two grounds of justification is that private defence stems from and is directed at, an unlawful human attack while in necessity a person finds him/herself in a situation in which he/she must between two evils: either suffer personal harm or break the law. The act of defence in private defence is always directed at an unlawful human attack whereas; in cases of necessity it is directed at either the interests of another innocent party or a mere legal provision. (Snyman, 2008, p. 115) Necessity There must be an urgent and immediate threat to life which creates a situation in which the defendant reasonably believes that a fair response to that threat is to break the law. This reflects the distinction between the defenses of necessity and duress in that the former is pressure of circumstances arising naturally, whereas the latter is a threat from an entirely human agency that overpowers the will of the defendant. The subjective frame of mind of the person who is relying on necessity the courts will not consider this but rather whether the act of necessity was in accordance with the legal conviction of society. The courts will also weight the option of whether a reasonable would have acted in the same way as a person that claims to have acted in necessity. They are using the concept of the reasonable person to practically embody the legal convictions of society and not to determining negligence. (Joubert, 2001, p. 61) REQUIREMENTS TO SUCCESSFULLY RAISE A DEFENCE OF NECESSITY The author will no discuss five (5) requirements that must be met in order for a person to successfully raise a defence of necessity: A legal interest must be endangered The danger must have begun or be imminent The defensive act must be necessary to avert the danger The defensive act must be reasonable The endangered person must know he/she is acting in necessity A legal interest must be endangered The purpose of the specific conduct must be clearly to protect a legal interest. Although the law recognizes many interests the most obvious are a persons life, limb, personal safety and integrity. A person may act in a situation of necessity to protect property but cannot relay on necessity to protect his/her job. If a person is not able to perform his job without breaking the law he must find another way to earn a living. For example a person cannot operate an illegal shebeen and claim it is to sustain his family when apprehended. The person must rather apply legally for a shebeens license. A person may also act in necessity in defence of some else. (S v Pretorius, 1975) The danger must have begun or be imminent When danger has already passed or will possibly occur in the distant feature a person cannot rely on necessity. Therefore, the danger must already have begun or the situation must be immediately threatening. In the trail Regina v. Dudley Stephens four stranded sailors were adrift in a small boat without supplies. The three strongest decided to eat the fourth, a seventeen (17) year old cabin boy to save themselves. There was some degree of necessity arising from the threat of starvation, even though the cabin boy would almost certainly have died of natural causes the sailors killed the boy intentionally and the court ruled that cannibalizing the boy was not urgently necessary and found them guilty of murder. (Regina v. Dudley Stephens, 1884) The defensive act must be necessary to avert the danger When a person relies on necessity the action taken should have to avert the danger. When there is less drastic measure to avert the danger a person a person should take this option. If it was not taken a person cannot rely on necessity. For instance when a man are awake by a noise in the middle of the night and found a person at his fridge busy eating food and killed the person by shooting him he thus cannot relay on necessity. If there is a possibility that a person can flee from the immediate or imminent danger he should do so. (S v Pretorius, 1975). The danger does not take the form of an unlawful attack and removing oneself from the danger in most cases of necessity. The defensive act must be reasonable A person must act reasonable if he wants to rely on necessity as ground of justification. The interest that is being protected must not be disproportionate of the defence act. Not more harm than is necessary to avert the attack must be inflicted by the person who wants to rely on necessity. According to Snyman this proportionality requirement is sometimes explained by requiring that the protected interest should be of greater value than the interest that is infringed upon. (Snyman, 2008, p. 119). The protected and infringed interests are a totally different nature, but if the infringed interest is a legal provision only, the defence of necessity would most probably succeed. For example a correctional exceeding the speed limit because he is rushing to the Prison where inmates are in the process of escaping, he will most probably be allowed to justify his actions by relying on necessity as a defence, since he infringed a legal provision only. The endangered person must know he/she is acting in necessity If a person is conscious of the fact that an emergency exists and knowingly acted in necessity than he can rely on necessity as a defence. A person cannot thus rely on necessity as a ground of justification if he throws a brick through a window in an attempt to break into a house but his action saves the occupants lives who are sleeping in a room filled with poisonous gas. PRIVATE DEFENCE The onus is on the state to prove beyond reasonable doubt that the accused action cannot be justified, if private defence is raised as a ground of justification. Private defence involves a person who takes the law into his own hands. Therefore, it is a drastic measure that should not be used for corrective purposes. Snyman alleged that this ground of justification has no history, but exist from the beginning of time. (Snyman, 2008, p. 103). Every person has a right to defend himself against an unlawful attack a right that is recognised in section 51 of the Charter of the United Nations. The two theories for the existence of private defence are protection theory, which emphasises each persons right to defend oneself or another against an unlawful attack whereas in upholding-of justice theory is where people acting in private defence perform acts assist in upholding the legal order. (Snyman, Criminal Law, 2004, p. 178). It is the primary duty of the state to protect the life and property of individuals but no state no matter how big its recourses can afford it. Therefore, this right has been given by the state to every citizen to take the law into his own hands for their safety. REQUIREMENTS TO SUCCESSFULLY RELIANCE ON PRIVATE DEFENCE The requirements of private defence can be divided into two groups for the purpose of classification namely: the requirements with which the attack must comply and the requirements with which the defence must comply. Requirements of the attack It must be unlawful A legal interest deserves protection. It must be imminent, but not yet completed The attack must be unlawful When the attack on a person is unlawful only than can a defender rely on private defence. A suspect who was lawfully arrested by a police official cannot rely on private defence in resisting the arrest. On the other hand, when a police official exceeds his powers by arresting a person he is not allowed to arrest the person may resist and can rely on private defence to justify his resistance. A legal interest deserves protection. Normally a person acts in private defence to protect his life, limb, bodily integrity and property. These are not the only interest worth of protection as the courts also recognized a persons right to defend personal freedom, sexual integrity, self-respect and chastity. To protect the interest of other persons is also an act of private defence but than the third party should want the defender to act on his behalf. However, the defender will not be able to rely on private defence if the victim does not want the help of the defender. (Joubert, 2001, p. 52) The attack must be imminent, but not yet completed If it is clear that an attack is about to happen than a person can rely on private defence. The defender doesnt have to wait for the attacker to attack first if the attack is imminent he can avert the attack by defending himself before the attack actually arise. But if the attack have been already completed the defender no longer defend him but get even. In the case of S v Moghlwane it was find that if the attack formed part of one and the same immediate and continued act of resistance, the defender can rely on private defence even if he left the scene temporarily. (S v Mogohlwane, 1982) The defence requirements Before private defence can succeed the defensive action have to comply with certain standards. The defence must be directed at the attacker It must be necessary It must be reasonable The defence must be directed at the attacker When the defence is directed at anyone else than private defence as a ground of justification will not succeed therefore, it may only be directed at the attacker. (Snyman, Criminal Law, 2004) The defence must be necessary If there is another way that the attack can be averted in a less serious way than that option should be used. The law must not be taken into their own hands if the defender can rely on another remedy. Therefore, the defence should be absolutely necessary in order to protect the interest threatened. The question arises than should a person rather flee an attack than resort to private defence? But than once there is a duty to flee it will imply that justice will have to give up to injustice. Therefore, it is not expected of a police official on duty to flee if he is being attacked while lawfully performing his duties. The defence must be reasonable There should be a balance between the attack and the defence. The defence act may not be more harmful than necessary to ward of the attack. Therefore, it would be unreasonable to kill a person who attempts to steal bread. Proportionality also plays a very important role in determining whether the defence was reasonable or not. The proportionality requirement will be met if the defence act is reasonably proportionate to the attack. The right of private defence is a good weapon in the hand of citizens to defend themselves but it is not revenge rather towards the threat and imminent danger of an attack. The courts find it difficult whether this right had been exercised in good faith or not. Conclusion It can be said that the confusion arise between Necessity and private defence are that they are closely related to each other. The difference are than is that private defence is an act of defence directed at an unlawful human attack while necessity is directed at either the interests of another innocent party or a simple legal provision.

James Joyce Essay -- essays research papers fc

In selecting James Joyce's Ulysses as the best novel of the twentieth century, Time magazine affirmed Joyce's lasting legacy in the realm of English literature. James Joyce (1882-1941), the twentieth century Irish novelist, short story writer and poet is a major literary figure of the twentieth-century. Regarded as "the most international of writers in English ¡K[with] a global reputation (Attridge, pix), Joyce's stature in literature stems from his experimentation with English prose. Influenced by European writers and an encyclopedic knowledge of European literatures, Joyce's distinctive writing style includes epiphanies, the stream-of-consciousness technique and conciseness. Born in Rathgar, near Dubtin, in 1882, he lived his adult life in Europe and died in Zurich, Switzerland in 1941. The eldest of then children, Joyce attended a Jesuit boarding school Clongowes Wood from 18888-1891 and Belvedere College, another Jesuit school from 1893-1898. In 1902, Joyce graduated from University College and went to live in exile in Europe unable to tolerate the narrow-mindedness of his native country. Ironically, Ireland and Irish people become the subject of his short stories and novels. The two central preoccupations of his work are a sense of betrayal. Ireland, dominated both political and economically by Britain and religiously by the Catholic Church caused Joyce to regard them as "the two imperialisms" (Attridge P. 34). Roman Catholicism is an integral aspect of the novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man. In 1917, the English novelist H.G. Wells in a review of the novel in the New Republic wrote, "by far the most living and convincing pic ture that exists of an Irish Catholic upbringing." Joyce's focus on betrayal was a consequence of the downfall in 1889of the Irish leader Charles Stuart Parnell when he was attacked by the Irish Catholic Church when named a correspondent in a divorce case. This treachery left an indelible mark on Joyce's mind. 	Joyce literary talent emerged at Belvedere as he began to read the work of European writers and in particular the Norwegian dramatist, Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906). At the age of eighteen, Joyce wrote an essay entitled "Ibsen's New Drama" which was published in the Fortnightly Review. When Ibsen sent him a note of thanks, "the awestruck Joyce resolved to learn Norwegion... ... days the about life span of his characters-as Joyce world do in 'The Dead' in Ulysses, and perhaps in Finnegan's Wake." (Atteridge p.65) There was an increasing concentration on form and language in Joyce's five novels. In A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man, Joyce in a few lines, describes Stephan, Dedalues's mood and characters. Works Cited 1. Arnold, Armin. James Joyce. New York: Frederick Ungar Publishing Co., 1969. 2. Attridge, Derek. The Cambridge Companion to James Joyce. New York: Cambridge University Press, 1990. 3. Benstock, Bernard. "Joyce, James." Twentieth Century Authors. New York: HW Wilson Company, 1942. 4. Cahalan, James M. A Critical History. Boston: G. K. Hall & Co., 1988. 5. "Joyce, James Augustine Aloysins." Microsoft Corpuration. Encarta. CD-Rom. Encarta. 1993-1996. 6. Kalasky, Drew. Short Story Criticism. Detroit: Gale Research Inc., 1995. 7. Kenner, Hugh, Fritz Senn, E.L. Esptein, Robert Boyle, SJ. A Starchamber Quiry: a James Joyce Centennial Volume, 1882-1982. New York: Methuen & Co. Ltd, 1982. 8. Rice, Thomas Jackson. James Joyce: Life, Work, and Criticism. Frederiction: York Press LTD., 1985.

Among the Hidden Reflection Essay

â€Å"Among the hidden† and â€Å"Among the Impostor† is part of the phenomenal series called â€Å"The shadow children book.† This magnificent book is by Margaret Peterson Haddix. Her writing is very complex but descriptive as well, making it easier to understand the mystery book. She has countless memorable novels such as Turnabouts, Just Ella and Running out of Time. After I read this amazing series, I am hoping to read these outstanding novels. That’s why I decided to start of reading her best-selling book â€Å"Among the hidden.† The lesson I learned during this book was not to betray your friends. This is because a teenager named Jason told the population police his friends’ real names and that they are third children. When the police came, he checked their files and different names were posted and Jason was shocked and stammering. Then, he got arrested and went to jail. I recommend this outstanding book to grade 6 and above. Mainly because there are some inappropriate words in the book which isn’t a severe word you’ll see adult use or even high school kids when they are talking with their friends. This is a mystery/suspense book with lots of surprises happens throughout the book like in the second book, Luke wants a fake Id and gets it however the population police comes but doesn’t get caught which you won’t understand because he never does any bad action. There is also sadness like in the first book; Jen gets shot at president’s house which was also a surprise. If you’re grade 6 and above and love mystery/suspense and sadness then it’s a great choice to read these book. My favourite character is Luke because in both of the books because of his loving personality, he is nice, caring and respectful. He possess very good characteristic which will help him get good friends who will not tell on him on the population police because he is the third child, none of his friend does except Jason and he got his consequences. He posses these characteristic because when he teacher, parents and classmate treat him really bad, even though it tortures him he doesn’t do anything to get revenge. However, even though they do that he still respects them and does what they want him to do. Finally, my favourite part in these books was when Luke was brave enough to talk to Jason gang and tell them they stepped on his garden but before that moment in his life he was a scary cat. This showed me how much he changed from book one to book two. Unlike other series which the character usually has the personalities, but Jason was a different person.

Elizabeth Film Questions Essay

Elizabeth’s time was very complicated, especially for a lady ruler. Her’s was a time when the women were regarded to be inferior to the men. Monarchy was always about the King, and the Queen was only regarded as the bearer of the son. Elizabeth was able to shine above the rest by telling them that women also had the capabilities that men had. As a ruler, the intellectual capabilities and will to lead are needed. Being a man or a woman is only a facade that may be given by people all throughout. Elizabeth’s unique way somewhat gave me the idea that life is indeed based on the perception of people. All should be regarded equally, and that chances should be given to others who have not tasted success. Furthermore, Elizabeth never showed any sign of weakness during her reign, and I believe that this is something that others should learn to follow. Decisions in the work force are not always based on the emotions of people, but on what is right and appropriate. I also believe that is just proper for all to live an open mind so that disappointments may be avoided. 9. Elizabeth decided to become married to her job. What are the pros and cons of such a choice? Committing entirely to a specific job is something that people should learn to take seriously. At a young age, Elizabeth decided to become married to her job as Queen of England. For this, she had to leave her personal life behind, and had to prioritize the welfare of her people above anyone else. Unlike other women, Elizabeth executed a fiery heart that was far different from other women her age. As the queen, she led her army during the Golden Age, while the women stayed home to cater to the needs of the children. The pride and honor that would come with such action is irreplaceable with any sum of money; however, going home alone is another unfair effect. Since she opted not to marry, she was left alone with no one to turn to in times of heartaches. She had to resolve her queries alone, and had to be strong when she was feeling lowly. 12. If you were queen or king of your organization what would you do? Do you think it’s easy to be a monarch or a CEO? Why or why not? If I were King, I would opt for a government where freedom exists. I do not want my people to be afraid by my mere presence, nor would they be hindered from airing their sentiments to me and my government. In addition to this, I also want to rein a country where love and peace exists, and where others would be happy by the simple things in life. However, I also want to put a limit on the kind of openness that may exist between the government and the people. I deem it necessary so that the people would learn to practice an honest and simple life. Personally, I believe that both positions are quite difficult to accomplish in their own little ways. However, I would opt to be a CEO than be a King of a land. Work as a CEO is only isolated to the problems that may be experienced by a company, as compared to the numerous problems that may be placed on the head of the King. Each decision that is made by the CEO is geared towards the success and improvement of the company alone, but may turn the other way around when placed in the wrong set of hands. Regardless of such impediments, I believe that people should learn to keep an open mind for change in order to accomplish everything in a more positive note. May it be a King or a CEO, what is important is the fact that as ruler, I may be able to fulfill my duties geared towards the upheaval of life.

Want Answers Top 20 Current Trends in Resumes and Job Search

Want Answers Top 20 Current Trends in Resumes and Job Search What’s the â€Å"right† way to write a resume or conduct a job search? People ask me questions all the time about how many pages a resume should be; whether to include an Objective statement; what the value is of a web portfolio; etc. The fact is, there is no clear cut answer to many of these questions, and the answers change year by year, even day by day. They certainly can change depending on who you are, what industry you’re in, and what your experience level is. Ask the Experts Given that resume writing and job search strategies are constantly changing, I feel fortunate that there is a coalition of experts who spend a lot of time thinking about these issues, and even more fortunate that they share their wisdom each year. On December 30, 2010, a consortium of 156 career experts from the U.S., Canada and the U.K. met to brainstorm about career and employment issues. They published their findings on March 14, 2011 in Findings of 2010 Global Career Brainstorming Day: Trends for the Now, the New the Next in Careers. As my readers, you are privy to the valuable findings of this group of Career Thought Leaders. The latest trends in resume writing and job search strategies include: Your Google results are the new resume. Build a strong online presence so you look good when those results come up. And monitor your Google results routinely in case of anything fishy! Keep it short. Three-page resumes are discouraged, regardless of your experience level. Use â€Å"extras† or addenda if necessary for publications, technology qualifications, consulting experience, etc. Culture fit is more important than your skill set. Companies hire people, not resumes. Web portfolios are not as useful as you might think in most industries. Brand yourself! Keep your brand consistent throughout your job search documents. DO use a Core Competencies or Key Strengths section. DO put a testimonial or two on your resume. DO use tasteful graphic touches, including borders, text boxes or graphs when appropriate. Show the company what YOU can do for THEM. Write resume bullets that clearly show the problem you solved and how you solved it. If possible, write your intended job title instead of â€Å"Summary of Qualifications† above your summary. This structure makes your objective clear, and allows you to write a summary of your offerings instead of an objective. DO send paper resumes! They will make you stand out from the crowd. DO send a cover letter. Do not expect that it will be read. However, in some cases it is read first, so assume it will be read. E-cover letters (in the body of an email) can be short and sweet. Have a bio available in addition to a resume as an alternative introduction to a resume. Format your resume in Microsoft Word .doc format. Have a plain text resume available as well. Use Twitres (www.twitres.com) to display your resume on Twitter. Use Box.net to display your resume on LinkedIn (Box.net is my personal tip) Networking is still the absolute best way to get a job. Job boards just are not an effective tool for job search, although you should use them as part of your strategy. Only 13.2% of external hires in Fortune 500 companies came from job boards, whereas 26.7% came from referrals and 22.3% came from employer career sites. Overall, somewhere between 65-95% of all new hires come as a result of networking. That’s a pretty staggering statistic! Social networking an essential job search strategy, and LinkedIn tops the chart. 80% of recruiters use social media to recruit candidates. You absolutely MUST have a strong presence on LinkedIn, â€Å"the #1 online networking platform for job seekers† according to the report. Clear skeletons out of your closet if you can. With so many candidates vying for each open position, any red flags mean your application is put in the â€Å"no†pile. Employers will go back 20-30 years to make sure your record is clean. Become savvy with virtual technology. You might be required to attend a virtual interview, or you might choose to create a web-based resume or portfolio to get some extra notice. Need help to manage it all? Many job seekers are hiring virtual assistants just to keep up with it all! If you want to read more detail about these top 20 points, please go to the full article, Findings of 2010 Global Career Brainstorming Day: Trends for the Now, the New the Next in Careers. Were you surprised by any of the findings? What did you learn? Please share in the comments below.

The effects of debt Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

The effects of debt - Essay Example Thus investors can receive a higher return on their investment. However, debt also leads to higher chance of bankruptcy and may restrict managerial behaviours. Thus the firm becomes more risky and on lower levels of return the earns to stock holders declines. The effects of debt on weighted average cost of capital (WACC) are uncertain. It is known that debt reduces the weighted average cost of capital since debt is cheaper than common equity due to tax saving. But since a higher return is demanded from common stock holders the actual effect is not know. Agency costs as well as financial distress may limit the usage of debt. Distress costs are usually higher for firms with significant intangible assets. The precise identification of a firm's optimal capital structure is impossible. There is also no exact measure for the effects of capital structure of a firm on its cost of capital or on the firm's stock prices. Based on this we can only estimate to an extent only what the optimum capital structure would be. The trade-off theory of leverage is one in which a firm trades off the favourable corporate tax treatments, that are, the benefits of debt financing, against high interest rates and costs of bankruptcies. Thus the firm optimizes the capital structure of the firm and balances the debt and equity in an optimum ratio. The trade off theory in effect realizes that agency cos... The higher the leverage of the firm the higher are the chances of distress faced by the managers. Thus as the level of debt increases in the firm, the cost of debt also increases. This makes debt more expensive as we take more debt. Similar is the case with equity as the debt level increases in the firm, the return on equity demanded by common stock holders increases. The salient features and implications of the trade-off theory are: 1. Debt becomes less expensive than common or preferred stock as interest paid on it is a deductible expense and thus debt provides tax shelters. However, firms do not use 100% debt since this increases the risk of the firm and thus to reduce costs of bankruptcies. 2. The tax benefits attained from low levels of leverage outweigh the bankruptcy costs but the bankruptcy costs outweigh the tax benefits at high levels of leverage. Thus a balance of the leverage in a firm has to be kept. 3. Nonetheless optimal capital structures do exist that can balance the benefits of tax shelters attained from leverage against its bankruptcy costs. The method adopted to minimize the weighted average cost of capital is as follows: The cost of debt and the cost of equity is evaluated at different levels or ratios of debt. Based on this a weighted average cost of capital (WACC) is calculated by assigning market value of capital and market value of debt. This then gives the point where WACC can be minimized. This point is the optimum capital structure. Agency Costs of Free Cash Flow Jensen explains that excess cash flow is the excess cash flow over the required to fund all projects with a positive net present value. Thus essentially free cash flow is the cash flow available for dividend payout.

Construction Procurement and RIBA Plan of Work Assignment

Construction Procurement and RIBA Plan of Work - Assignment Example Separated & Cooperative System This system is one of the most widely used system where each party of the project namely client, designer and contractor are different and work separately. In this system each party completes it work and then project is transferred to next sequential predecessor. The system initiates with a feasibility study then detail design, tendering, contracting for construction along with construction supervision. The main advantages include the fact that it is one of the most practiced systems that’s why there are lesser problems encountered and general protocol procedure have been developed and well versed in case of problem. Another advantage of the system is that every aspect is done by an expert, hence every drawing, design and detail is developed to its maximum. Hence this produces a high quality of work done. The figure below shows each process that exists in a traditional procurement system. The disadvantage is that the system requires a lot of input and attention of the client, as his involvement in each step is detrimental. In addition due to the sequential nature of the system, extra time is required and wasted while transition from one step to another, as qualification and bids invitation for each party has to done for each step. Hence a variation is made in the systems processes which are now called as accelerated system, where feasibility, detail design, tender documentation and construction supervision, all the three works are given to single consultant. The whole construction process is assigned to single contractor, who selected from a prequalified contractors list. As a quantity surveyor I believe the system is well established and all system bugs have been eliminated. This system has better cost control as the client has to pay and perform the whole project piece by piece. But the time consumed is more hence the cost increase with time due to price escalation s. In my understanding, the system can be improved if the strong effective timeline of the project is created in the planning phase which will highlight the key dates of transition of different phases and review the whole timeline for free floats and critical activities to optimize the time allocation. An accurate time allocation can be only done if the correct quantity of work is known. 2. Integrated Procurement System The reason for creation of this system was to eliminate the disadvantage of the traditional procurement system. Rather than having several parties engaged in single project, in integrated procurement system the complete project is assigned to one firm that means the firm has to design as well as construct the project. The â€Å"Design & Build† system is comes under this procurement system. The starting process of this system is that a client gives an invitation to EPC (Engineering procurement construction) firms for a project and then these firms submit the te chnical and financial proposal for both design and construction. In addition the contractor along with consent of the client generally come into contractual bidding of completion of project with a certain agreed duration and in a negotiated price normally lump sum. There are some modification made to the integrated procurement systems which have resulted into newer and efficient systems for both the client and the contractor. The first among which is the â€Å"Turn key† project type. In this system the client will be handed over the keys