Friday, November 29, 2019

How A Personal Brand Can Help You Grow Your Career -The Muse

How A Personal Brand Can Help You Grow Your Career -The MuseHow A Personal Brand Can Help You Grow Your CareerThe road to your dream career is rarely a straight path. Dreams evolve, especially when youre open to new experiences in front of you. Its natural to want to expand in a new direction or chart a new course- in fact its a good thingThere are many ways to make changes to your career, whether its taking on new challenges or altering your path entirely, but the best tool in your professional toolbox is your personal brand. And you can pivot the way that you present yourself online with a website builder like Squarespace.And in this dynamic workforce, nothing youve learned is ever lost. Apply your current skills across a variety of different contexts and industries by repackaging your experience and tweaking your messaging.So, heres how I grew my work in a new direction without starting from scratch. The key to that success? Adapting my personal brand to evolve with my goals.Recog nize Positive Building BlocksNo matter your prior job experience, your personal brand includes characteristics and strengths that can translate to any scenario.Lets say that youve worked as an administrative assistant for 10 years. Your admin job requires diligence, attention to detail, and a deep understanding of the inner workings of an organization that most people never get to see. Owning those foundational strengths will help you grow your career, or help you make a career change if youre trying to take that leap.As a creative consultant working in tech and finance, I developed content and copy for tons of big brands. I loved my job, but I always wanted to write about travel for magazines. Even though I didnt have any bylines in the field, I knew a ton of the skills from my corporate work transferred to travel writing. After all, I spent my days researching, writing, and hitting deadlines. The discipline and relationship-building skills at the heart of my personal brand set the framework for collaborating with editors, too.Action ItemWhen you decide to expand or change your career, think about how the building blocks of your personal brand now translate to your new goals. Make a list of the characteristics that will serve you well in your expanded career.Chart Your Path ForwardJust like how you reach a destination with the help of a map (or lets be real, a GPS), you need a plan to help evolve your personal brand. A big part of that evolution centers on how you describe yourself and your work, but ultimately, you need to make sure youre ready for a dream opportunity. Start by pinpointing your goal and outlining the experience you need to get there.When I committed to travel writing, I knew I wanted to add other dimensions to my skillset that illustrated I could do the work. I invested in an online photography class, a travel writing course, and a self-guided tutorial on pitching publications. I reached out to people I admire in the field for their input, r ead extensively, and completed a few unpaid projects before I started reaching out to editors. With the clarity that I could do the work- and an expanded portfolio to prove it- my dream assignments were closer than ever.Action ItemConsider your ideal opportunity. What steps do you have to take to add a new dimension to your personal brand? Imagine each step building momentum to help you meet your goal. If youre not sure what steps you need to take, reach out to people in the industry for their perspective on how to get from A to Z.Evolve Your MessagingOnce youve considered your foundational strengths and mapped out the steps to expand your career, youre ready to evolve the messaging around your personal brand. At this point, its worth investing in (or updating) a personal website through a service like Squarespace. With an intuitive, drag-and-drop interface and affordable price point, you can build a professional website that captures your personal brand.Ask a friend who is good wit h a camera- or a professional- to take some photographs of you for the website. Next, youll want to think about how you want to re-write your introduction, job experience, and expertise to help you grow. You dont have to negate everything youve done before instead, build on the foundation that youve already established.Heres a before and after that shows how I evolved my personal brand to help me get jobs as a travel writerBefore I collaborate with brands and publications to tell stories that empower digital readers. Through high-level messaging, insightful articles, and clear copywriting, I establish the right tone, voice, and purpose to position my clients as industry leaders.After I collaborate with brands and publications to tell stories that empower digital readers. Through high-level messaging, insightful articles, and clear copywriting, I establish the right tone, voice, and purpose to elevate my clients in the eyes of their audience. On the weekends, I also work as a contrib uting travel writer and photographer for publications like Vogue, Mic, Travel + Leisure, Cond Nast Traveler and The Week.See what I did there? Its easier than you think to expand your personal brand to align with new goals. As your career evolves, dont shy away from moving forward, even if it feels like a risk.Action ItemTweak your personal brand messaging on your website and social media to reflect what you want to do moving forward. Play with the language and dont shy away from owning your strengths as a professional.When it comes to your personal brand, youre in the drivers seat. You can choose how to depict your strengths and the way you want to evolve your brand. By building on your best characteristics, charting a clear path, and tweaking your messaging as you go, youre practicing a process that can help you grow throughout your career.

Sunday, November 24, 2019

Do you suffer from illusions of moral superiority

Do you suffer from illusions of moralische verfassung superiorityDo you suffer from illusions of moral superiorityMorality is like the temple on the hill of human nature. It is ur most sacred attribute. - JonathanHaidtMost of us believe we are better than average. When it comes to driving style, smarts, and modesty, theoptimism biasmakes us think we are better than the rest.Follow Ladders on FlipboardFollow Ladders magazines on Flipboard covering Happiness, Productivity, Job Satisfaction, Neuroscience, and moreSelf-enhancement is more acute in the moral space - we believe we are more principled than others. Our sense of moral superiority is so distorted that even jailed criminals think they are kinder, more trustworthy and honestthan you and me.I love this because it helps us understand why we are living in adivided era.We dont merely overestimate ur own moral virtue- we underestimate the moral virtue of thosewho are elend like us.Why We Feel MorallySuperiorThe books that the worl d calls immoral are books that show the world its own shame. ? Oscar WildeA studyby Ben Tappin and Ryan McKay notlage only confirms that most of us judge urselves as better than average - it addresses how much of this illusion isjustifiedor not.Its hard to appraise someone we dont know. Thats why people assign average values to others and extreme values to themselves when asked to assess our morality.According to the researchers, moral superiority is a uniquely strong and prevalent fasson of illusion - it makes you feel superior to another person or group.Theres some rationality involved though. We have much more information to assess ourselves than people we dont really know - it makes sense to be more cautious when evaluating others. Our self-defense mechanism gets in the way too. From a survival perspective, its safer to assume someone is less trustworthy than we are.Theillusion superioritycan protect ourselves from liars or scammers - moral skepticism may reduce our chance o f being double-crossed. However, there are some negative consequences too.Self-righteousnessmakes you focus on yourself rather than on trying to understand others. It reduces our willingness to cooperate or compromise - it creates a wall between us and them.People who value their morality highly cut corners but then frame the situation to feel good about themselves.Self-serving justifications, when we intentionally violate an ethical rule, mitigate the threat to our moral self - we do wrong while feeling moral. Consider a man who invites his dad to a fancy restaurant to show him hes doing well. He justifies expensing the dinner because his father always gives him sound business advice.The laziness of presumed moral superiority can be fatal in politics, business, or religion - it leads to intolerance and violence. As Tappin and McKay wrote, when opposing sides are convinced of their own righteousness, escalation of violence is more probable.Morally Superior but Behaviorally Inferi orOur actions and positions are justified by having higher moral values than others. The illusion of superiority creates divisions - those who dont belong to our group are deemed inferior.Catholics and Protestants fought a deadly war in Northern Ireland. Jews and Christians are targeted in many countries. Shias kill Sunnis in Iraq rather than try to resolve their differences.The paradox is that both sides end seeing the other as inferior. Most people consider themselves paragons of virtue, yet few individuals perceive this abundance in others.Moral superiority may reflect significant incoherence in social judgment and perception, as Tappins explains. To illustrate this, he shares the example ofJanewho construes her morality in very positive terms - in part by capitalizing onmoral ambiguity. In contrast, her assessment of others is less positive. Her double standard works for herself, but not for others.Our moral illusion blinds us - we believe we are always right and those who di sagree with us arewrong.Not everything is black or white though. Ive been attacked here on Medium for quoting people others considered inadequate. When we continually filter everything and everyone through our moral lens, no one will ever pass the test.We should learn to separate the act from the person. Everyones a teacher in disguise - we can learn from anyone, even those we consider our enemies.The Moral BlindfoldOur deep-rooted beliefs can often translate to blame and myopia.We self-identified with our moral views - changing our mind or admitting we are wrong feels like giving up our identity. Its easier to attack others who think differently than to consider their point valid.Belonging to a group is a crucial human motivation. We band together with people that share our saatkorn perspectives and moral views. We are more willing to follow advice from someone thats like us. Likewise, when we run into someone new, we tend to categorize that person into friend or foe. Unconscious ly, we try to assess if we should trust or fight that individual.Our moral lens is like a blindfold - we judge people without seeing who they indeed are.Groups distort our sense of moral superiority and moral tribalism. How can you move a country forward when both parties are attacking each other? Rather than building on each others best ideas, they only care about theirs. The same happens with religion - churches are more preoccupied about beliefs and evangelium than to help people. Salvation doesnt matter unless you choosetheirway.AsDr. Steve McSwainwrotehere,The fighting must end. And, this statement isnt directed just to Islamic fundamentalists but to Christian fundamentalists, too. The former use weapons to destroy people who dont agree with them. The latter use a little belief system they call the Rapture against those who dont agree with them.Any form of extremism is wrong - we end caring more about our moral superiority than the outcome. This polarizing view blinds everyo ne. The paradox is that the belief that we are better than others, makes us arrogant, stubborn, and narrow-minded - we becomeintellectually overconfident.We walk around all the time with a feeling that our group is morally superior to the other group, says social psychologist Jonathan Haidt. We hate them. Its important that we constantly show how much better our side is.The Power of Intellectual HonestyTo seek the truth we must observe things as they are, instead of filtering them byour position.As Perry Tam wrotehere, What is intellectual honesty? It means always seeking the truth regardless of whether or not it agrees with your own personal beliefs.Intellectual honesty is about finding the best solution, not to win the discussion.Moral superiority promotes groupthink - we only pay attention to those who think as we do. Diversity of thinking is vital to help groups find the best solutions. However, even in the most objective organizations, leaders use their moral superiority to s ilence their subordinates.Start by leveling the playing field. That requires creating aFearless Culture where people canFeel safe to speak upExpress alternative points of viewChallenge the status-quo or their bossesAcknowledge their mistakes without fearing punishmentThat requires leaders to embrace vulnerability. In my experience, thats easier said than done. It takes time to coach senior executives to let go of power and the need to be always right. As Tam explains, decisions should be grounded by facts, not by the stature or position of the individual within the company presenting it.Intellectual humble adults are more likely to learn from people they disagree with. We need to move beyond the right or wrong by integrating opposite ideas rather than excluding them.From Opposition to IntegrationCreativity feeds from abundance, not from exclusion.Improv Comedy practices the Yes, And approach. It teaches people to continually build on top of new ideas, not to replace or fight, old ones. Improvisation is about integration - ideas are stepping stones, not alternative paths.A Yes, And mindset turns everyone into a contributor. As Kelly Leonard,Second City executive, says Everyone in the ensemble produces hundreds of ideas, so even though most of (the ideas) will die and never be seen again, people dont hold on out of fear that theyll have nothing to offer at the end.Integration is about building on each others ideas - we unearth the potential of every thought instead of judging the person who suggested it.When were more engaged and listening to the other side, the disagreements tend to be more constructive, says Tenelle Porter, a researcher in psychology at the University of California.In his bookDream Teams, journalist Shane Snow explains that, though great teams are more than the sum of their parts, (lack of) collaboration often fails to fulfill this promise.He advocates for three ways to integrate opposite thinkingCognitive DiversityOne of the reasons div ersity fails is that we focus on the demographics, not on the way of thinking.Rather than looking for people who are a cultural fit, we should hire those whopromote cultural fitness - they should challenge the team to grow beyond its comfort zone.Cognitive FrictionWe often see conflict as divisive - tensions can help if we put moral superiority aside. Healthy frictions canbring the best out of a team. Snow shares how the Wright Brothers daily arguments can teach us about group problem-solving.Intellectual humilityMost leaders operate from a position of moral superiority - they believe their opinions matter more than their teams. Wise leaders are not only humble but also embrace their vulnerability. They dont want to win all the arguments - theylead with questions, not answers.Intellectual humility involves recognizing that our beliefs or opinions can be incorrect. In adivided era, anger unites people. Everyone adopts a win-at-all-costs mentality to prove others are wrong - or e vil.Mark Leary, a psychology professor from Duke University, believes that intellectual humility may be essential to protecting us from our most self-destructive tendencies. Whether you lean left or right - or somewhere in between - intellectual humility can help you discover common grounds, build better relationships, and be more effective leaders.How to Embrace Intellectual HumilityAll I know is that I know nothing. SocratesIntellectual humility requires practice. Im vulnerable to my own moral superiority. The following are not rules, but some tips I use to challenge my own views - I too fall prey to arrogance or intellectual overconfidence.Avoid judging peopleWhen we label people, we create a fictional wall between us and them - we confuse the ideas with the author. Everyone is a teacher in disguise. You can learn from anyone, even from those who have opposite perspectives.Give opposing viewpoints a chanceWhen you are engaged and listen to the other side, conversations become more constructive and productive. Practice to temporarily adopting a belief that feels wrong. See the world through that lens for one day or two. See what you can learn by seeing life from the dark side.Dont attack people because they hold different viewpointsIf everyone thought the same, the world would be boring. Art is a perfect example - all artists look at the same reality, but everyone expresses it differently.Avoid being intellectually overconfident.We all overestimate how much we know. Laszlo Bock, VP of hiring at Google, said, Without intellectual humility, you are unable to learn. The tech-giant wants people who argue like hell and be zealots about their point of view, but who will admit they are not right when a situation has changed because new facts have emerged.Respect others.Treat those who think differently with the same respect you want to be treated by them. Differences should spark conversations, not aggression. When we feel under attack, our Intellectual Humili ty suffers, according toresearch.Separate your ego from your moral viewsWhen we self-identify with our ideas, we become blind. You are not your ideas.Put your ego aside - dont take it personally if someone challenges your thinking.Be open to review your viewpointsIn an era where changing ones mind is a sign of weakness, people prefer to look right rather than finding the truth. Ideas are never final they are constantly evolving. All scientific theories have been a stepping stone for new discoveries. If we get stuck on being right, we cant make any progress.When was the brde time you changed your mind? How did it feel?This article first appeared on Medium.You might also enjoyNew neuroscience reveals 4 rituals that will make you happyStrangers know your social class in the first seven words you say, study finds10 lessons from Benjamin Franklins daily schedule that will double your productivityThe worst mistakes you can make in an interview, according to 12 CEOs10 habits of mentally s trong people

Thursday, November 21, 2019

Get Info on Air Force Airborne (ISR) Operator 1A8X2

Get Info on Air Force Airborne (ISR) Operator 1A8X2Get Info on Air Force Airborne (ISR) Operator 1A8X2Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) Operators are responsible for the following Flies as primary aircrew onboard a wide variety of aircraft to operate, evaluate and manage airborne ISR information and related ground processing systems performs identification, acquisition, recording, analysis, and reporting of assigned ISR tasks provides ISR threat warning support and interfaces with other units performs and assists with mission planning. Maintains assigned publications and currency items participates in theater and tactical-level ISR coordination networks processes analyze and disseminate ISR information obtained from onboard sensors during missions in progress. Job Training Specialty Qualifications Knowledge is mandatory of aircraft emergency equipment and procedures ISR operations and related Cryptologic support to national agencies, service Cryptologi c elements and theater elements joint service relationships and operations concepts radio propagation and modulation theory radio communications networks, operations, and techniques collection and processing procedures signals and traffic analysis techniques tasking strategies reporting concepts, formats and procedures mission planning and management basic computer and electronic equipment operations and methods for handling, distributing and safeguarding information Initial Skills Training (Tech School) Completion of the Aircrew Fundamentals Course (L3AQR1A812 01AA)Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Operator Fundamentals Course (X3AQR1A832 00AA)Apprentice Airborne Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Operator Course (X3ABR1A832 0A1A) Required ASVAB Composite Score G-72 Security Clearance Requirement Top Secret Height must not be less than 64 inches or more than 77 inches as defined in AFI 48-123 Physical qualification for aircrew duty according to AFI 48-123, Medical Examinations, and Standards, Class III medical standards Other Qualifications Must maintain eligibility to deploy and mobilize worldwide.No record or history of temporomandibular joint pain or disorderQualification for aviation service according to AFI 11-402, Aviation and Parachutist Service, Aeronautical Ratings and Aviation BadgesMust maintain an Air Force Network License according to AFI 33-115, Vol 2, Licensing Network Users and Certifying Network Professionals.