Essay about Blending Reality and Fantasy in Going After...

Blending Reality and Fantasy in Going After Cacciato by OBrien As OBriens third novel, Going After Cacciato is one of his most acclaimed works. The book brings to the reader many chilling aspects of war while developing a connection between the reader and the narrator. After many years, Going After Cacciato still dominates over more recent war novels by providing a unique glimpse into the soldiers mind. OBrien reflects upon his wartime experiences in Vietnam while successfully blending reality and fantasy in an original war story. In the first chapter of the book, the relationship between the story and its title is quickly made. As the character who encites the chase, Cacciato embarks on the seemingly ludicrous journey to†¦show more content†¦The dreamlike quality of the events that Berlin undergoes also pushes this book into the realm of fantasy and science fiction. There are stories within stories in this book, adding to the loose definition of this book as a war story. The secondary plots often demonstrate the mind of a soldier at war. Cacciatos desertion or Humping to Paris, (5:7) as Berlin calls it, was a thought in many soldiers minds, dreaming of a place where they would rather be. Another group of people in the book are the villagers who at times fall victim to the soldiers orders. In the systematic raiding of villages, Berlin begins to develop a sense of understanding; he realizes the villagers accept that he does not want to destroy their hamlet but it must be done, as it is his duty. Parts of the book are about self-discovery as Berlin finds his place in the war. During one of the flashbacks, the men decide to touch the grenade, (5:209) in agreement to kill their lieutenant. By returning to the war setting, OBrien is able to return the novel to its primary motif, war. Repeated throughout the novel is Berlins solitude during the war as he is at the observation post considering the issue...of courage. (5:73) Alone during the early hours of the day Berlin makes decisions of how he will act, about exactly what is going on in Vietnam. Decisions of that type influenced how he filled his role in Vietnam, as an

A Review About HR Department Architecture Essay Free Essays

At its petroleum,endowment direction( TM ) is a affair of expecting the demand for human and so puting out programs to run into it1 ( Cappelli, P. 2008 ) . In this short essay, I will be composing a response to the above proposition. We will write a custom essay sample on A Review About HR Department Architecture Essay or any similar topic only for you Order Now Although the construct of TM late instigated in the current economic conditions, it is instead apparent that in most administrations where HR section fails to follow the rules and patterns of TM, it comes up short in footings of corporate public presentation when compared to a company that patterns TM( this impression is clearly supported in fig 1 with mention to appendix 2.0 ). NHS for illustration is presently at its early phase to implant TM. It has placed importance upon constructing an grasp upon planetary best pattern and orienting it for effectual application. The research conducted by hired institute of forces and development ( CIPD ) claimed that although, ‘It is recognised that while constructing a robust and systematic methodological analysis is critical in deriving ownership from stakeholders, the existent benefits will merely come through effecting cultural alteration evidenced in the acceptance of a endowment mentality † ( CIPD, 2006 ) .Refer to appendix 1 for full elaborate study. There are a scope of jobs company faces with work force direction. This include ; deficit of endowment, cleavage of work force, direction of hazard and uncertainness etc. With an effectual TM system, company can cut down these jobs. As antecedently stated, the most common response to TM is to expect no demands at all ; do no programs for turn toing them rendering the termendowment directionmeaningless. The 2nd most common exist amongst large companies. They rely onstructure-centricattack with complex and bureaucratic theoretical accounts which in the current epoch of volatile environment had failed due to inaccuracy and high cost. The new attack to TM takes into history the great uncertainness faced by concern in current Labour market ( Cappelli, P. 2008 ) . As such, my response will germinate around the best practices/new attack available to any administration to accomplish excellence in its endowment direction attack i.e. a suggested solutions to the HR crisis with respects to pull offing its work force. First, I am traveling to touch on therecruitment/developmentfacet of TM2. Recruiting was focused through assorted communicating channels such as classified adverts, college arrangement offices, internal occupation station systems etc. All of which created a job of penchant and geographical restriction. However, due to technological promotion, companies have been able to reach wider audience of endowments that meet its demands. An illustration is monster.com ( the taking supplier of online callings and recruitment resources committed to linking administrations with persons ) .3 Puting merely nevertheless, it is more cost effectual to develop and retain direction endowment than enrolling from external markets. Research at Ernst and immature estimated the mean cost of replacing at $ 1 million ( Atkins R. et Al. 2004 ) . As a consequence, companies should endeavor to develop and retain staffs instead than external recruits. Although most companies preponderantly smaller one time would reason that provided an employee had been trained, what is to maintain such employee from running to other companies with better offers? Well my reply to this would be there is no barrier forestalling employees from taking trades that will advance their calling waies. In fact surveies by the confer withing house Watson Wyatt reported that, people who are late trained decamp from the administration to do more efficient usage of those accomplishments ( Cappelli, P. 2008 ) . However, Peter Cappelli in his ‘new manner of believing about TM theoretical account ‘ tackles the hazard involved in developing employees to a grade of satisfaction. He developed what he calls aproposition kindred to just-in-time constructi.e. a talent-on-demand model. Within this model are four rules. Thebrand or purchase ruleclearly saying that, an optimum attack would be to utilize a combination of internal and external recruits. The challenge would be calculating out precisely how much of each to utilize. P. Cappelli recommended that administrations should purely remain off from utilizing long term prognosis as the volatile market renders it inaccurate. Rather, it should concentrate on short term demand for talent4.The 2nd rule claims that houses needed toadapt to uncertainness in Talent Demand ;one manner is to interrupt up development plans into shorter units instead than set direction trainees through a 3 twelvemonth functional plan. The 3rd rule is to better thereturn investing in developing employees ;one manner is to necessitate employees to portion in cost of development through voluntary hours i.e. hours spent on preparation will non increase employees payout. Employers have besides been more inclined with ways to cut down development cost by maintaining employees longer5 ( P. Cappelli, 2008 ) . The concluding rule requires houses tocontinue the investing by equilibrating employee-employer involvements.Possibly, the chief ground talented employees leave an administration is due to detecting better chances elsewhere. As such, the key to continue your investing in development is by equilibrating both parties involvement ; leting employees to portion in advancement determination is a good illustration as employees want chances for promotion and control over their career6 ( Peter Cappelli, 2008 ) . Other theoretical accounts such as L.A. Berger ‘s 3 chief TM procedures are besides really good for an admini stration to adopt7.A drumhead figure of this faculty can be found in appendix 2.2 followed by elaborate note explicating what it represents. I will now see the issue ofassessment and public presentation directionand its impact on TM.Endowment Reservoircan besides be used unalterably with TM as its aim is to construct a pool of high talented people capable of back uping administrations current and future concern demands ( Berger, L.A 2004:5 ) . Inside this reservoir are assorted talent appraisal tools ; one of which is public presentation assessment ( PA ) . PA exist to let appraisal for preparation demands, reappraisal past public presentations, set public presentation aims etc. The purpose of PA is to bring forth different type of assessment that will let single to see themselves as making the occupation better. There are assorted types of PA tools, two of which are ; 360 grade feedback and forced ranking. The latter will be touched upon inappendix 3. 360grade feedbackallows for what has been losing in modern twenty-four hours assessment ; the sentiment of co-workers and equals etc. 360 degree feedback allows for multiple angle of perceptual experience i.e. everybody working with a peculiar person in a house are required to give feedback on such single normally through a study. This theoretical account was developed farther into a 540 grade feedback by leting external bureaus into the image. PwC went excess lengths by developing its ain 720 grade theoretical account which involved household and friends in the assessment procedure as it believed single externals enterprises outside the companies knowledge can be best justified by household and friends. Although it is of import to follow a theoretical account of measuring endowments in a company, it is more of import to observe the cardinal characteristics of a good assessment which are ; relevancy ( should speak about your occupation ) , sensitive ( can distinguish different type of behavior ) , operable ( able to set into usage ) , dependability ( can be used to mensurate public presentation at given period ) etc. Both forced ranking and 360 degree feedback are non perfect theoretical accounts to use. They have been capable to critics in the yesteryear.Refer to appendix 3. Last, I will discourse wages in relation to TM. At the perpetrator of wages in an administration, wage construction should be designed to suit specific intents, it should be internally consistent, integrated with other HR procedures, governable and manageable, accepted as just and just and eventually it should be flexible. Benefits are an intrinsic portion of the value proposition that administrations offer new and bing employees. Research published by The Economist Showed ; â€Å" wages and employee benefits still rank highly extremely in planing a new value proposition for tomorrow ‘s work force ( 56 % A ; gt ; , second merely to supplying a better work-life balance through offering flexible working agreements in footings of hours and topographic point of work ( 62 % ) . Structuring a flexible benefits programme so staff can choose the inducements that suit their life style is a cardinal arm in the armory of talent direction and the keeping of star employees. The ability to blend and fit benefits, from pension ‘s and child care, to vacation allowances and gym ranks, plays a cardinal function in pulling endowment. † ( Williams, D. 2008 ) . As mentioned in the development subdivision, it is of import for an administration to honor its gifted employees with actual and perpendicular motion within the house to let for keeping ( S. Rousseau, 2008 ) . Rivals in similar industries will be looking to get the best gifted persons from one another particularly in this current clime of planetary recession. Companies require gifted person to assist them stir farther off from insolvency. As such, retaining such single should be precedence in any company. To reason, talent direction is non merely nice to hold, it is critical to every administration. Talent direction is required to pull off keeping ratio. Effective TM will let for decreased enlisting cost on external endowments. The above prostration suggests how administration should work across the full spectrum of Talent Management. Traveling back to the inquiry, it is of import that talent direction should non be seen as merely an HR enterprise. HR function is to ease the direction of endowment and to move as managers and advisers to line directors. â€Å" HR executives and directors must work together to associate concern scheme with the endowment needed to put to death it † ( Atkins, R. et Al. 2004 ) . Bibliography Atkins, McCutcheon, Penna. ( 2004 ) : ‘The Talent Management Imperative: A Best Practice Approach ‘ , Available at www.compassess.biz [ Accessed 08 March 2009 ] . Berger, L.A. ( 2004 ) : The endowment direction enchiridion: making organisational excellence by placing, developing, and advancing your best people, London, McGraw-Hill. Cappelli, P. ( 2008 ) ‘Talent Management for the Twenty-first Century ‘ , Harvard Business Review, 86:3, 74-81. CIPD, ( 2006 ) : ‘Reflections on Talent Management ‘ , Available at hypertext transfer protocol: //www.cipd.co.uk/NR/rdonlyres/F473B522-DD49-49E2-9021-59E0B2BDA288/0/reftalmanca0306.pdf [ Accessed 02 March 2009 ] . Edwards, E. ( 2008 ) ‘Why Are We Losing All Our Good People ‘ , Harvard Business Review, 86:6, 41-51. Frank, Fredric, Taylor, Craig. ( 2004 ) ‘Talent Management: Trends That Will Shape the Future ‘ , Human Resource Planning, 27:1, 33-41. Rousseau, S. ( 2008 ) : ‘Human Capital Management ‘ , Available at hypertext transfer protocol: //www.modernmedicine.com/modernmedicine/article/articleDetail.jsp? id=546970 [ Accessed 05 March 2009 ] . Williams, D. ( 2008 ) : ‘Flexible benefit can assist talent direction ‘ , Available at hypertext transfer protocol: //www.employeebenefits.co.uk/cgi-bin/item.cgi? id=7497 [ Accessed 08 March 2009 ] . Appendix Forced Ranking:is a technique that requires that all the employees in a peculiar group are rated against each other and so ranked in order and so placed into 3 or 4 groups derived from a preset distribution map. The most common are the A, B, C participants e.g. A=20 % of work force, B=70 % , C=10 % . From a TM nomenclature we can mention to this as super-keepers 5 % , Keepers 15 % , solid citizens 70 % , and Poor performing artists 10 % . Argument in favor of forced ranking implies it free up administration by allowing off hapless performing artists which enable distinction in the administration e.g. if at top degree, an person is executing the worst, there could be better persons lower down the hierarchy to make full in and execute better. The bottom side nevertheless is, forced ranking is non legal as it fails to administrate one to one grounds and records. It can be nevertheless used to do superior determinations particularly in athleticss. 1. In its broadest sense, talent direction can be used to depict the designation, development, engagement/reflection, deployment of endowment within a specific organizational context ( CIPD, 2006 ) . 2. Research from DDI found that merely 1/3 of executives believed that their administration ‘s leading capablenesss look promising, while 82 % of companies reported holding a difficult clip happening qualified leader campaigners ( Atkins, R. et Al. 2004 ) . 3. â€Å" Monster.com, with 36percent of the worldwide web calling market, is the largest by far of the overplus of on-line calling web sites. In the 3rd one-fourth of 2003. Monster had 16.7million alone visitants who stayed an norm of 15.6 proceedingss. By September 2003 † ( Fredrick, D. et al. 2004 ) . 4. Leading corporations such as capital One and Dow Chemical ‘s have abandoned long-run endowment prognosiss and moved toward short term simulation ( Cappelli, P. 2008 ) . 5. About 20 % of U.S. employers ask employees who are about to subscribe a contract stipulating that if they leave the concern before certain clip, they have to pay back the cost ( Cappelli, P. 2008 ) . 6. A fictional instance affecting a company called Sambian Partners and its gifted employee Tom Forsythe ( who has been shortlisted for top public presentations by the executives ) saw Tom resigned for a better place with the arch challenger of the house. Several issue interviews were carried out in an effort to retain Tom but attempts were ineffectual. Tom left go forthing the direction to chew over on what went incorrect. One of the staff made a remark stating â€Å" I merely think he looked above him and realized he was traveling nowhere fast. No 1 on the executive squad is even close to retiring, and the org chart is top-heavy as it is. Where ‘s the calling way? † ( E. Edwards, et Al. 2008 ) . Possibly if Sambian Partners had considered the P. Cappelli theoretical account or other similar theoretical accounts, things could hold been different. How to cite A Review About HR Department Architecture Essay, Essay examples

Embezzlement Essay Research Paper Mac Taylor free essay sample

Embezzlement Essay, Research Paper Mac Taylor # 8217 ; s Embezzlement and Due Process Rights Mac Taylor is employed by American National Bank located in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He has been arrested for the peculation of $ 50,000 from his occupation. Embezzlement is where person steals money from their topographic point of work for their personal benefit. There are several legal processs that must be followed by jurisprudence enforcement and tribunal functionaries. First, the constabulary must hold likely cause to acquire a hunt warrant. It foremost must be issued and signed by the justice. If there is non a warrant issued or they do non seek in the specified topographic points so the grounds will be considered inadmissible, because it was illicitly obtained. This is all because of the Exclusionary Rule. When arrested they must inform Mr. Taylor of the charges against him and read him his rights, besides known as the Miranda Warnings. These rights are guaranteed in the 4th and 5th amendments. We will write a custom essay sample on Embezzlement Essay Research Paper Mac Taylor or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Then he must be indicted by a expansive jury before they hold a test. If he was found to be the accused so Mr. Tay lor would be guaranteed to a rapid public test. Sometimes, tests are non ever speedy because there normally are crowded tribunal dockets and the defence lawyer uses it as a defence scheme. In the test Taylor must be tried by an impartial jury of equals. Mr. Taylor can non be forced to attest against himself on the evidences of the 5th amendment. However, he will be able to confront informants and hold his ain, besides. Because of the 6th amendment he will hold to be tried in Bowling Green because that is where the offense was committed. If convicted of the peculation charges there shall be no inordinate bond. This means the bond must suit the offense non be outrageously impossible to wage if it was a minor instance. He besides may endure no cruel and unusual penalty. But, if Mac Taylor is found guiltless and later the constabularies are to happen the amount of $ 50,000 he can non be tried for the same offense, which is known as dual hazard. But because of the 5th amendment this can non go on. As you can see there are many legal processs a individual must travel through earlier he is arrested, indicted, or convicted.

Perry Benson Essays (420 words) - Conformity, Human Behavior

Perry Benson 10/19/2017 Journal Entry #4 Social Conformity - Conforming to the Norm Social conformity and the ability to bend ones self's own opinions to fit in with others are two very powerful phenomenons within human behavior and the study of psychology itself. Social conformity is defined as a type of social influence that results in a change of behavior or belief in order to fit in with a group. There are two types of social conformity, which are normative and informational conformity. The process of normative conformity is triggered when someone wants to be liked or accepted, while informational conformity occurs when someone has the desire to be correct. Cultural Conformity and Stereotypes https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=32OaLNdRXgg In the video above it displays the idea of social conformity, but with regarding outside opinion taken into account rather then the groups. The three men in the car have a very stereotypical appearance that most people would coincide with loud music, hip-hop, aggressiveness, rambunctious behavior, and disdain for less "manly" music per se. In the beginning they are seen listening to jazz music which doesn't correlate with the stereotypes listed above. When the group spots a pedestrian up the road at a red light their approaching, they quickly turn on hip-hop/rap music at a high volume to culturally appropriate their given stereotypical appearance and behavior to an outsiders viewpoint. After they are cleared of the stoplight and out of earshot to the pedestrian they turn back on the jazz music and continue driving. Social Conformity - Normative Social Influence https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xRH_DhiKaeQ What can also be described as social proof, normative social influence is a psychological phenomenon where people in specific social situations will mimic others, who are usually familiar in the social setting, and assume the actions of others to reflect "correct" behavior to be accepted. This is performed with the idea in mind to fit in and be well liked/accepted by others. This phenomenon is just one of the unwritten rules that guide and govern our social behavior. In the video above it includes a clip from the show "friends" which Rachael has started a new job as a non smoker surrounded by other smokers. Right off the bat she is already unfamiliar with the social setting because of her non-smoking nature. The clip continues on and her boss along with 2 colleagues leave to go smoke outside. Rachael follows along and after a few moments feels uncomfortable because she does not fit into her new environment socially. To remedy this issue she takes someone elses cigarette and includes herself into the group practicing the reactive response to the concept of normative social influence.

Power of Agency in a Multicultural Classroom

Power of Agency in a Multicultural Classroom Power describes the capacity of an individual or teacher to compel or persuade actions or inactions. The features of power in a multicultural classroom include compulsion, penalty, and coercion. However, the power to compel specific actions in a classroom is called agency. As a result, the agency is stimulated by power.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Power of Agency in a Multicultural Classroom specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More Thus, teacher’s assertive behavior in a multicultural classroom stimulate agency among students (Ahlquist, 1999). Students withdraw from class activity if they perceive teacher’s dominance in class discussions. The act of withdrawal is called the agency in the classroom. Race Race is a variable that affects the teacher-student relationship. Surveys revealed that race affects student’s performance. The findings revealed that black students perform well in a black environmen t. As a result, white students develop with white teachers while Afro-American students associate with black teachers. Thus, racial interactions facilitate learning. Students will likely choose role models from teachers that share similarities in behavior, race, and ethnic background. As a result, black teachers interact better with black students than white students. Racial gap can be closed with teachers attitude and control.  Thus, teacher’s behavior and classroom techniques quality can improve communication in a multicultural environment. White privilege Diversity gap is a challenge in a multicultural environment. As a result, institutions with few minority populations suffer from white privileges. Consequently, white privileges affect student’s participation in a multicultural environment. Cultural diversity and white privileges complement each other. However, multicultural education was introduced to reduce the diversity gap. As a result, multicultural educatio n creates a balance between what is right and what is enforced.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More The term white privilege denotes the advantage conferred on a dominant race. Student-teacher relationship in a white dominated institution is influenced by white privileges. As a result, Afro-American teachers suffer white dominance in a multicultural classroom. Consequently, black students are bullied my white teachers in a multicultural environment. For example, white students have the privileges to change teachers that affect their learning environment. The privilege is a disadvantage in the black community. Injustice The above example reveals the injustice in a multicultural environment. As a result, black students are oppressed in a white dominated environment. Thus, injustice prevents the student from participating in the class activity. Institutional discrimination and marg inalization Institutional discrimination and marginalization affect the student-teacher relationship. Discrimination against a minority population in a predominantly white college has been reported in various literatures. However, African-American teachers are not excluded from marginalization and discrimination. Black teachers also experience instructional marginalization in a white dominated environment. As a result, black teachers may enforce space and safety. Thus, the teacher-student relationship may be affected by institutional discrimination. Cultural diversity facilitates institutional discrimination. As a result, white teachers believe that racial discrimination is a way of life. Thus, teacher-students relationship will encounter challenges in a multicultural classroom. Multicultural education was created to bridge the gap associated with cultural diversity. However, most institutions refused to eliminate marginalization and discrimination. Space and safety Marginalization goes beyond racial abuse and discrimination. Marginalization has been entrenched as a belief system. As a result, white teachers believe that grop dominance separated them from the black community. However, space and safety improve student’s performance and relationship.Advertising We will write a custom essay sample on Power of Agency in a Multicultural Classroom specifically for you for only $16.05 $11/page Learn More As a result, students engage in class activities when they feel safe in a multicultural environment. Problem will arise when the teacher fails to recognize class dynamics. As a result, ineffective class rules may limit the participation of the minority population. Safety and space facilitate understanding between the teacher and the student (Ahlquist, 1999). Thus, teachers must restrict hate speech and disturbing remarks to improve students space and safety. Having and giving voice Having and giving voice to a minority population impr oved the communication gap between the student and teacher. Multicultural education can be used to bridge the gap in a diversified environment. As a result, teachers must allow students to express themselves in class discussions. Consequently, teachers must understand students silence to facilitate learning. Cultural barriers and shock can be eliminated using effective classroom techniques. Thus, teachers must support the arguments and contributions of every member of the class. What does diversity mean to you? Diversity describes the individual acceptance of other cultures, social system, physical abilities, and race and belief system. Words that associate with diversity include bystander, bias, discrimination, ally, and stereotype. These words describe an individual’s reservation towards diversity in a multicultural classroom. I connected these words to explain the meaning of diversity and its implications in a multicultural environment. Cultural diversity in a multicultura l environment combines race, and ethnic background. Belief. Belief describes the assumed hypothesis that facilitates learning. I used the belief system to express the concept of cultural diversity. In a multicultural environment, the student’s belief system facilitates class discussions and academic performance. For example, white students believe to be superior to Afro-American students. As a result, they may exhibit class dominance in group task or discussions.Advertising Looking for essay on education? Let's see if we can help you! Get your first paper with 15% OFF Learn More Attitude. Attitude describes an individual’s preference towards another. As a result, attitude influence learning in a multicultural environment. Thus, the teacher’s attitude facilitates learning. Values. An ethical way of living is called a value. Values mean an aggregate expression of human behavior, culture, and norms. As a result, value tailors an individual’s habits, and communication skills. What does this mean to you as a student and/or future teacher/educator? As a student, belief, attitude, and value informs, guide, and facilitate learning in a multicultural classroom. Consequently, teachers and educators must observe cultural diversity using these words to ensure fairness, space, and safety. Thus, power relation in a multicultural environment influences student’s beliefs, attitude, and values. Teacher’s behaviors and assertive dominance influence class resistance, silence, and inactivity (Ahlquist, 1999). Is multicultural education a sour ce of freedom or oppression? Why? Teacher’s belief in a multicultural classroom affects student’s attitude and perception. Afro-American teachers stimulate resistance among the students using power and agency. As a result, some students become uncomfortable with the teachers assertive dominance. Class dynamics in influenced by power and resistance. For example, if white students dominate the class population in a multicultural classroom, black students will enforce resistance towards with privileges. However, African-American teachers stimulate class resistance among white students. The form of resistance includes silence, inactivity, and withdrawal. Multicultural education can be used to express freedom and oppression. African American teachers engage students in a multicultural classroom to reveal their experiences. However, it stimulates individual difference towards historical facts. White teacher can oppress black students by explaining slavery and black migration . Consequently, African American teachers may be liberated with multicultural education. Power relation in a multicultural environment facilitates direction, educational change, and individual character. To evaluate student’s concepts in an ideal environment, teacher’s dominance must reflect his or her belief system. Consequently, students and teachers are victims of socialization, which require consideration. Teachers must accommodate student’s resistance to ensure coherent communication in a multicultural classroom (Ahlquist, 1999). African-American teachers must balance ignorance or agreement with resistance and silence. Teacher’s experience facilitates the multicultural development and transformation of students. Teachers are agents of change and are responsible for the student’s development and understanding in a multicultural environment. Reference Ahlquist, R. (1999). Position and imposition: Power relations in a multicultural foundations cl ass. The Journal of Negro Education, 60(2), 158-169.

Where to Find the Best Marketing Jobs You Actually Want

Where to Find the Best Marketing Jobs You Actually Want If you’re starting a marketing job search, you might go straight to a major career listing website. That isn’t a bad place to begin. In fact, they can be a great starting place for finding opportunities. However, they have some downsides. For one, everyone uses those sites. If you apply for a job on one of them, you’re probably competing against hundreds of other applicants too. So, if you’re serious about advancing your career, you might need to get more creative. Some of the best opportunities out there are never publicly listed, and sometimes, exhausting all available avenues is the fastest way to find what you’re looking for. That means scoping out sites others overlook. It’s also important to get out of the house, and meet real people face-to-face who can help point you in the right direction. This might sound like a lot of work, but when you’re job hunting, finding your next landing spot is your full-time job. Don’t let yourself be outworked before the real work begins. In this post, you’ll learn: Where to find companies looking to fill positions. How to do some real-world networking. Unconventional ways to get an employer’s attention. Plus, you’ll get one free tool to help keep yourself organized †¦ †¦ Download Your Free Marketing Job Hunting Spreadsheet Once you start this process, you’ll have lots of listings and contacts to keep track of. In order to keep everything organized, use this free spreadsheet. It includes fields for tracking everywhere you apply, openings you find most interesting, people you meet, and more. Plus, you’ll get a free marketing resume template. Together, these two resources will save you time, and get you closer to landing the job you want. Where to Find the Best Marketing Jobs You Actually Want by @Ben_via @ Table of Contents: Common Marketing Job Titles The Marketing Hiring Forecast General Job Listing Sites Marketing Job Listing Sites Visiting Your State's Job Services Site Using Google Using Twitter and LinkedIn Visiting Company Sites Directly Leveraging Local Networking Events Consider Starting a Blog Keeping Your Marketing Job Hunt Organized Common Marketing Job Titles You’ll Likely Find If you’ve started a career in the industry, and are looking to make the next step forward, you likely know which type of specific role you’re looking for. But, what if you’re starting fresh, or aren’t sure whether you’re ready to reach for the next rung on the ladder? Sometimes, reviewing marketing openings can be confusing because companies get cute with â€Å"creative† job titles. Who even knows what a â€Å"social media guru† or â€Å"content ninja† really does, anyway? To make things a bit more simple, here are some common roles and titles you might encounter during your job hunt. They’re loosely grouped under a handful of areas: Common Marketing Job Titles: Strategy Marketing Strategist Content Strategist Search Marketing Strategist Social Media Strategist Marketing Consultant Creative Copywriter Content Writer / Creator Designer Social Media Specialist Creative Director Management Communications Director Content Marketing Manager Social Media Manager Account Manager Technical UX Designer SEO Specialist / Manager Marketing Technologist Marketing Automation Specialist Analysis Marketing Analyst Data Scientist Insights Analyst Research Analyst Paid Search/Social Inbound Marketer Paid Social Media Specialist PPC Specialist Project / Account Management Marketing Project Manager Brand Manager Account Manager Product Manager What Does the Marketing Hiring Forecast Look Like? There are open positions for marketers all over the world. But, some markets are hotter than others. So, where is the bulk of hiring happening, what does the future look like, and what skills and roles are most in demand? Starting With General Job Listing Sites This is the most obvious place to start. While it’s true that the jobs you find here will be highly competitive, it never hurts to throw your hat in the ring. And who knows, you just might find exactly what you’re looking for. Best Job Listing Sites: Indeed Monster Glassdoor Google Jobs Career Builder Zip Recruiter LinkedIn Craigslist Idealist CommongoodIndeed This is perhaps the 800lb. gorilla in the job website space. It’s clean, loaded with opportunities, and easy to search. Most major companies will include openings here, and in comparison to similar sites, it might be the best. Find opportunities on Indeed See Other Sites Monster Monster is similar to Indeed, and has been around for years. Likewise, this is a good place to find big-time opportunities with large companies. Find opportunities on Monster See Other Sites Glassdoor The primary advantage Glassdoor has over other sites is it includes direct reviews from present and past employees at every company it lists. It requires registration, but it’s worthwhile to get unvarnished insight into whether a company is a good place to work, or the right fit for you. Find opportunities on Glassdoor See Other Sites Google Jobs This isn't its own service, but rather a means for Google to curate job listings from other sources on the search engine. Google searches for job listings will now populate a featured box at the top of the SERP. See Other Sites Career Builder Similar to Indeed, Monster, and the like. It appears to fallen out of favor somewhat compared to bigger players in the space, but it’s not a bad place to look. Find opportunities on Career Builder See Other Sites Zip Recruiter When it comes to job hunting, according to ZipRecuiter’s home page, â€Å"there’s no need to look anywhere else.† That’s a bold proclamation, but to their credit, the site does take a unique approach to connecting applicants to hiring managers: You upload your resume. Apply to jobs in one click. Then, you can see all kinds of stuff, like how often your application has been reviewed. In short, this sounds like an easy way to put yourself out there, and let hiring managers seek you out. Find opportunities on Zip Recruiter See Other Sites LinkedIn If you aren’t active on LinkedIn, now is the time to start. It’s easy to think of it as the boring professional alternative to Facebook, but that perception is erroneous. Lots of companies share opportunities here, and a lot of current employees at those companies share those listings, as well. This is also a good place to shamelessly promote the fact that you’re looking. Find opportunities on LinkedIn See Other Sites Craigslist No joke: this is where I found my first full-time job in the industry (at a multi-million dollar ecommerce company). While Craiglist sometimes gets overrun with low-quality direct or door-to-door sales jobs that are passed off as â€Å"marketing† positions, you can find some gold here, too. Find opportunities on Craigslist See Other Sites Idealist This is the place to go if you’re looking to make a change in the world. Focused on philanthropic and mission-driven opportunities, you can find marketing and communications jobs with activist organizations, non-profits, charitable organizations, and more here. Find opportunities on Idealist See Other Sites Commongood Another site similar to Idealist, but focused more specifically on non-profits. Find opportunities on Commongood Moving Onto Marketing Industry-Specific Job Listing Sites Table of Contents: The Drum PR Crossing Creative Pool Behance Contena AMA Mashable Talent Zoo The Drum This popular industry blog features a well-curated careers listing page for jobs in the UK. Find opportunities on The Drum See More Sites PR Crossing This is the place to go for curated listings in the public relations industry. Find opportunities on PR Crossing See More Sites Creative Pool Described as a networking tool for creative professionals, it’s focused heavily on jobs in the UK and Europe. It offers more than just job listings too, with an active blog and other career development resources. Find opportunities on Creative Pool See More Sites Behance Behance is most specifically targeted toward designers, but creative copywriters might find opportunities here, too. It’s worth a look if you’re chasing an agency job. Find opportunities on Behance See More Sites Contena A newer entry on the scene, Contena is a paid service that helps connects freelance content creators with remote opportunities. The upfront cost is a little steep, but if you’re serious about living the work-from-home life (which appears to be a focus here), it may be worth checking out. Find opportunities on Contena AMA The American Marketing Association maintains an active job listings section. Find opportunities from the AMA See More Sites Mashable Here’s one that might come as a surprise: Mashable maintains a marketing and PR jobs board. It’s not a lazy tacked-on page, either. It appears to be well-curated and deserving of consideration. Find opportunities on Mashable See More Sites Talent Zoo A great resource for advertising, marketing, and creative jobs. It’s like Indeed or Monster, but focused entirely on marketing opportunities. Find opportunities on Talent Zoo See More Sites Visit Your State’s Department of Employment Website Most states have some sort of employment website. You might not find actual job listings here, but you can find tons of helpful educational resources on job hunting in general, including advice on what to do if you’re laid off (in case that’s the reason why you’re looking for work. Find Department of Labor Resources for Every US State Try Some Simple Google Searches Once you’ve trawled through some job listing sites, try some simple search engine queries. This can help surface positions that might be listed on company’s own sites. All you need to do is search [JOB TITLE/DISCIPLINE] + [CITY/STATE/COUNTRY]. Here’s an example of search from my city (note the listing from Microsoft): Sometimes, this is all it takes to find what you’re looking for. Note, also, that all three of these listings are served up from other sites (CareerBuilder, Glassdoor, and ZipRecruiter). Scope Out Opportunities on Twitter and LinkedIn If you already have a professional following on Twitter, let them know you’re searching for new opportunities (as long as your current employer won’t be concerned to hear this). Or, just put a word out there even if you aren’t primarily using Twitter for work; someone you know, might know someone you want to know. Borrow some of this copy-and-paste tweet template: Hey friends! I’m searching for my next opportunity in [FIELD/DISCIPLINE/MARKETING NICHE]. I have [YEARS OF EXPERIENCE] and I’m ready to make an impact. The same goes (perhaps even more obviously) for LinkedIn. People are on the site to establish their professional reputation and network. So, let people know you’re looking. As previously established, you can also find public job listings here. Reaching Out on LinkedIn If you’ve ever wondered why LinkedIn is useful, my last two jobs were facilitated in part by LinkedIn outreach. If there is someone who works at a company you’d like to be at (or if you’re a hiring manager looking to add a team member), consider sending them a polite message asking if they’d be interested in getting coffee to talk shop. Oftentimes, people will be flattered that you see them as an expert. Plus, this can also show initiative. Now, tread lightly here. Avoid sending connection requests to people you don’t know with no context or message, and don’t come on too strong, either. If someone is local and there’s a chance you run in the same industry circles already, though, it doesn’t hurt to reach out. Do a simple search on LinkedIn: Then, send a simple message: Hi, My name is [NAME], and I’m a [ROLE] at [COMPANY]. I’m interested in learning more about [COMPANY/ROLE], and am curious if you would like to grab coffee at [LOCAL COFFEE SHOP]. The worst that can happen is you don’t get a response. But, if you’re new to the business, sometimes you have to force your way in, and this is an effective way to start building connections while showing you’re serious about the work. Go Directly to Company Websites Is there a company you dream about working for? Then just check out their careers page and see if they’re hiring. No need to make this any more complicated than that. Then, submit your application. While it’s inadvisable to put all your eggs in one basket, there’s nothing wrong with reaching for jobs you might think are too competitive or beyond your grasp. Have some faith in yourself. Visit Local Networking Events So far, this post has covered ways to find jobs without leaving home. Now, it’s time to get down to the brass tacks of doing actual networking in the real world. This can be intimidating, especially if you’re an introverted individual. If that’s the case for you though, just remember a lot of people are nervous going into new places or meeting new people. The payoffs here easily outweigh that discomfort. First, try finding some industry events or organizations in your area. These might include: Meetups:  Many cities have active marketing Meetup.org events. Industry Organizations: The PRSA, American Advertising Federation, and others often host regular events. Local Networking Events: Even general business networking events can put you in touch with companies looking to hire for marketing roles. To find these events: Do a search on Google, Twitter, and LinkedIn. Scope out Meetup.org and do some keyword searches for marketing meetups. Check with your local Chamber of Commerce. If you hate networking  but have to do it, this video from Complex offers some useful advice: Making the Most of Professional Events for Finding New Job Opportunities The key to making events like these work for you is to build genuine relationships with people. You might directly hear about job openings, especially if hosts, guests, or attendees are hiring. It’s also not a bad idea to let people you meet know you’re actively looking for something new. But, avoid hard selling yourself to people you don’t know. Focus on getting to know people and building connections over time. This is more likely to help you find your next opportunity than hounding people or coming off like you’re trying too hard. Consider Starting a Blog Blogging your way into a job can take a lot of effort. However, that’s exactly how ’s Head of Demand Generation, Nathan Ellering, caught the company’s attention. It’s a good way to show what you know, demonstrate your writing ability, and maybe even build an audience for yourself. Before you consider going this route, check the following boxes: Have a focus or an angle. What’s your perspective, or what area of marketing will you focus on? Commit to a basic publishing schedule. Even if it’s just a post every couple weeks, hold yourself accountable to staying consistent. Don’t stress too much about it. If the goal is to get yourself hired, then don’t worry too much about not getting tons of traffic or social shares. The idea is to get in front of the right people, and maybe have something you can add to a resume. Recommended Reading: How to Start a Successful Blog That Will Crush Your Marketing Goals 10 Simple Blog Post Templates to Create the Best Content The Ultimate Blog Writing Process to Create the Best Posts Keeping Your Job Hunt Organized Now, as you progress through your journey in career advancement, you’ll meet a lot of people, find lots of listings, and send out a ton of applications. In fact, it’s not unheard of for people to send literally dozens of resumes and going on multiple interviews before securing a position. It can be enough to make your head spin. So, how do you keep track of it all? Try using the template included in this post (click here to jump up to the download form). It includes everything you need to store interesting listings, keep track of where you’ve applied, and more. At the bottom, you’ll find three tabs: Opportunities, Contacts, and Interviews: Here’s what to include under each one: Opportunities: Track your job leads here. Add companies, job postings, notes, and details here. Contacts: If you meet people who might have leads for you, keep track of their names and contact information under this tab. Interviews: Going on multiple interviews at different companies? Note the dates and results of each one here. If you’re sending out a high volume of applications, this will help maintain sanity. Now, Go Get Yourself Hired That covers what you need to know about getting your next (or even first) marketing job. Here’s a recap: This post covered tons of different places to find open opportunities. It also went over how to find jobs that aren’t advertised. Some outside-the-box ways to put yourself out there. And tons more. So, now that you’ve got the information you need, there’s only one thing left to do: kick off your job hunt and take your career where you want to go.

Creativity and Innovation in the Development of a Product Assignment

Creativity and Innovation in the Development of a Product - Assignment Example The movement of consumers from chips consumption, to other products with minor fat content, saw a decrease in sales of McCain oven chips. People started associating chips and other non-fresh foods with cancer. This posed a formidable challenge to McCain’s company. They had to devise ways to increase their product front to consumers. At this instance, they needed creativity and innovations of the highest order, to facilitate improved their products. With the phenomenal pressure on the fast food industry, where the media keenly focused on obesity and other health scares that faced the world population, McCain oven chips had to come up with new ways of preparing their chips. Through innovation, McCain oven chips producers came up with a strategy to carry out an extensive campaign. The company linked up with design consultancy Elmwood and advertising agency Beattie, to access methods that it could choose to strengthen its brand value. As a result of this collaboration, the company was able to come up with unique designs for its products. They were successfully able to repackage their products, in a way that indicated their products had less fat content. They used more muted colors that clearly shown that their products were made of unprocessed organic potatoes (Barron, 2009, P.332). By doing this, they successfully eliminated the idea that their products contained high-fat content’s a result; consumers gained the trust on their products. This led to increased sales and product penetration in the UK. Through creativity and innovation, B and Q have been able to gain market dominance in the home improvement sector. It has successfully been able to provide value for money. Immediately B, Q Company identified that the older people were not getting adequate services. They engaged in a fruitful research with Hamlyn Research Centre. Together, they were able to come up with ways  of creating more comprehensive products (I, 2009, P.412).

Journal 3 Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words

Journal 3 - Essay Example Instead of telling us what we needed in the bag, the teacher gave us suggestions about what we might need and invited us to come up with ideas for what we would like to pack. After we finished, we discussed why we chose the items we did. I selected this activity because it gives a good example of how my teacher performed more of a helper/ mentor role with us, rather than a strict lecturer role. Due to her encouraging way of doing the lesson , there were fewer arguments than there would have been if she had required all of the students to put a predetermined list of items into the suitcase. The teacher implemented Standard 1. Promoting Child Development and Learning. She also implemented Standard 5. Using Content Knowledge to Build Meaningful Curriculum. I learned that being a helper or a mentor to children can be a smoother and more effective way to assist in the learning process of children. If I were to do this activity with my children, I would discuss with them before we began about what they might place in their suitcases. I would still discuss why the children chose the items that they did at the end of the activity. That really promoted some deeper thinking from the students in my

Texting and Driving Speech Essay Example for Free

Texting and Driving Speech Essay To convince my audience that the use of cell phone while driving is dangerous. Central Idea: The use of cell phone should be banned while driving because of the minds not focus on the driving,the driving and the distraction by the phone. Organization: Problem, solution, solution Main Point: Point Elaborate †¢Mind cannot focus on driving †¢Distraction from the cell phone †¢Effects: accident/injury †¢Effects: jeopardize people around †¢Example: The driver will not focus with the driving and will endanger people around if there are mistakes while driving. (statistic) †¢Hand phone should be banned †¢Banning the usage of cell phone while driving †¢Harm people around †¢Solution: Goverment need to be aggresive on settling this issue. †¢Solution: Government need to fine the driver with high prices. Example –state of Massachusetts have given the penalty to the driver that is found guilty will be fine for $100 for first offense and the second offence will be $250 and the third offence will be $500. †¢Driving amp; distraction †¢To have slower braking time †¢Solution: Installing Rumble Strips along road to get attention of the driver. Topic Gadget Title The use of cell phone should be banned while driving General Purpose To persuade Specific Purpose To convince my audience that the use of cell phone while driving is dangerous Central Idea The use of cell phone should be banned while driving because minds cannot focus on the driving, the ways to overcome this problem which are the government need to fine driver that found guilty with high prices and the government need to improve the roads condition such as installing the â€Å"Rumble strips†. Organization Problem, Solution, Solution INTRODUCTION †¢Open with impact/ Attention getter Cell phone is a gadget where people tend to use to make call, give short message service (SMS). (suddenly the phone is ringing and I picked it up while doing presentation). Tie to the audience/ reason to listen Back to my slide, fact says that we cannot do two things at the same time. Based on what I acted just now showing that while I gave my speech, and someone just call me at the same time, I cannot do that both. It is related with while we are driving, and someone just calls us, and then we tend to do or focus on just one thing. Why I am saying that? That is because we use only half of our brain to process for what we do. †¢Credibility statement/ material When I drove back to my hometown and yes, sometimes I am talking on the phone while driving. So, after few times seeing some accident and the impact when using hand phone while driving, I get my knees shake. †¢Preview of main points/ central idea For today, I will convincing you that cell phone need to be banned while driving because the minds will not focus on the driving and how to overcome this problem which is the government need to fine driver that found guilty with high prices and the government should improve the roads condition such as put the â€Å"rumble strips†. Transition to body of speech: First of all, we need to know what the problem in this statement is. Main point 1 When we are driving in a car while talking on the phone, our mind cannot focus on the road because one hand with the phone and one hand manoeuvre the car. †¢Supporting details 1 Certain studies show that driving while talking on the phone can lead to injury or increasing the crash risk. †¢Supporting details 2 Example like a study by Suzanne McEvoy and colleagues of driver on 2005 in Western Australia have found that drivers that are using cell phones were four times tend to be in injury-resulting crashes when talking on the cell phones. Supporting details 3 Niki Taylor which is a supermodel had got in an accident. The accident was began when a friend of her or stockbroker, James ‘Chad’ Renegar had hit a utility pole while trying to retrieve a ringing phone. From the report, there were also a passenger aside Niki. The weather were stormy and the road were wet and winding. Niki sat in front of passenger seat during the low impact crash. (picture of Niki Taylor) Transition to main point 2 As we all know, the government have banned the use of cell phone while driving. †¢Main point 2 Phone can bring harm to people around if the driver is using it. Government need to be aggressive in settling this issue. So, the government need to fine the driver with high prices summons. †¢Supporting details 1 Example like one of state in United States of America which is Massachusetts had given the penalty to the driver that has been found guilty. They will be fine for $100 for first offense and the second offence will be $250 and the third offence will be $500. †¢Supporting details 2 By doing this, I am sure people will not played their cell phones while driving because the price is to high! Transition to main point 3 Besides that, cell phone is a distracting thing while driving a car. †¢Main point 3 When we are driving, we are tending to be more careful or cautious about people around. But, when something distracting us we might lose focus on driving example when suddenly something happened, we have or tend to have slower braking time. †¢Supporting details 1 To curb this from always happened, the government can also make some changes to the road rather than we use the law to reduce the number of driver that doing this ‘crime’. The government need to install â€Å"Rumble Strips† along road to get attention of the driver. †¢Supporting details 2 Rumble strips can also be called as sleeper lines which are to alert the driver if they have drift from their lane on the road. Besides it is an economical and effective to the driver. Picture shown that the rumble strips in Hennikar, New Hampshire, US. (picture is shown) Transition to conclusion Be sure to keep this in mind that with using cell phone while driving will cause you to be in more high risk state. Conclusion †¢Summary of main point In conclusion, I am emphasise that using cell phone while driving will cause you more impact because your mind cannot focus on driving, and it will distracting you as a driver and we need to follow the law from government or else we might get into trouble.

Deceptive Advertising Essay -- Argumentative Persuasive Ads Essays

Deceptive Advertising As a consumer in a world of constant advertising messages being flashed before my eyes, I am always wary of the truth of those messages that I see. It is terrible when consumers see an advertisement, whether it is in a magazine, television or any other medium, and they decide to make a purchase only to find out they are not getting what they originally planned or have to pay more than they had expected. Deceptive advertisements have been a problem since the early days of media and consumers have needed to keep an eye out for them. Yet, with so many advertisements that consumers are exposed to each day, worrying about the truth of every line and every sentence of an ad is quite inconvenient. Advertisers must follow strict guidelines to stay clear of lawsuits resulting from deceptive advertisements. I will be focusing on automobile advertisements and how consumers have been deceived through their ads.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Deceptive advertising can be described as "advertising which is misleading in a material aspect.'; (Simon 256) This definition would include all the false and misleading advertisements that would appear in print, television, radio, outdoor and direct mailings. As well as more non-traditional forms of advertising like transportation ads along with the use of pictures, trade names, display materials, labels, sales talks, sales letters, price lists and catalogs. As any consumer can see, advertisers have many means by which they can "trick'; or deceive us consumers into buying products not planned for.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Unlike most tort cases that are decided in the courtroom by a judge, most deceptive advertisement claims are turned over to governmental agencies like the Federal Trade Commission. Agencies like the FTC are better suited to handle these cases because they have the necessary expertise to make proper decisions. So before an ad can be deemed deceptive, a complaint must be made to the FTC. From then an investigation can be made into the falseness and deceptiveness of the advertisement. The FTC tests to see the reaction from other consumers as to how misleading the ad is. These tests are done in the atmosphere and under the same circumstances as the actual consumer would be in. The test is based on the casual reaction of the consumer and the impression that they received from the ad. This public view of the "ordinary and truste... ...at the consumers should have understood it. This settlement will help consumers feel more comfortable when they go through the leasing process. Hopefully, consumers won't have to worry about deceptive advertisements because advertising agencies and automobile companies will have to clearly state all the costs and conditions in a clear manner.   Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  Ã‚  One day I plan on purchasing a new car and it is very likely that I will lease it. This settlement between Grey Advertising and the Federal Trade Commission will put some ease to the consumer because they know that the advertisements should be truthful and they should contain all of the information necessary to make an informed decision. It will still be necessary for the consumer to read through ads completely and carefully, not relying solely on the large, bold copy of the ad. Print ads, especially automobile ads, try to be visually pleasing to the eye but there is a need for the "negative'; information to be displayed. As a general rule to the consumer, always be as informed as possible before making a purchasing decisions. Buyers beware. Works Cited Page FTC DRIVES TO END THE BLUR IN CAR LEASING ADS, (August 28, 1998)

Cases on Contract Essay

The defendant made the highest bid for the plaintiff’s goods at an auction sale, but he withdrew his bid before the fall of the auctioneer’s hammer. It was held that the defendant was not bound to purchase the goods. His bid amounted to an offer which he was entitled to withdraw at any time before the auctioneer signified acceptance by knocking down the hammer. Note: The common law rule laid down in this case has now been codified in s57(2) Sale of Goods Act 1979. Fisher v Bell (1960) A shopkeeper displayed a flick knife with a price tag in the window. The Restriction of Offensive Weapons Act 1959 made it an offence to ‘offer for sale’ a ‘flick knife’. The shopkeeper was prosecuted in the magistrates’ court but the Justices declined to convict on the basis that the knife had not, in law, been ‘offered for sale’. This decision was upheld by the Queen’s Bench Divisional Court. Lord Parker CJ stated: â€Å"It is perfectly clear that according to the ordinary law of contract the display of an article with a price on it in a shop window is merely an invitation to treat. It is in no sense an offer for sale the acceptance of which constitutes a contract.† PSGB v Boots (1953) The defendants’ shop was adapted to the â€Å"self-service† system. The question for the Court of Appeal was whether the sales of certain drugs were effected by or under the supervision of a registered pharmacist. The question was answered in the affirmative. Somervell LJ stated that â€Å"in the case of an ordinary shop, although goods are displayed and it is intended that customers should go and choose what they want, the contract is not completed until, the customer having indicated the articles which he needs, the shopkeeper, or someone on his behalf, accepts that offer. Then the contract is completed.† Partridge v Crittenden (1968) It was an offence to offer for sale certain wild birds. The defendant had advertised in a periodical ‘Quality Bramblefinch cocks, Bramblefinch hens, 25s each’. His conviction was quashed by the High Court. Lord Parker CJ stated that when one is dealing with advertisements and circulars, unless they indeed come from manufacturers, there is business sense in their being construed as invitations to treat and not offers for sale. In a very different context Lord Herschell in Grainger v Gough (Surveyor of Taxes) [1896] AC 325, said this in dealing with a price list: â€Å"The transmission of such a price list does not amount to an offer to supply an unlimited quantity of the wine described at the price named, so that as soon as an order is given there is a binding contract to supply that quantity. If it were so, the merchant might find himself involved in any number of contractual obligations to supply wine of a particular description which he would be quite unable to carry out, his stock of wine of that description being necessarily limited.† Carlill v Carbolic Smoke Ball Co (1893) An advert was placed for ‘smoke balls’ to prevent influenza. The advert offered to pay  £100 if anyone contracted influenza after using the ball. The company deposited  £1,000 with the Alliance Bank to show their sincerity in the matter. The plaintiff bought one of the balls but contracted influenza. It was held that she was entitled to recover the  £100. The Court of Appeal held that: (a) the deposit of money showed an intention to be bound, therefore the advert was an offer; (b) it was possible to make an offer to the world at large, which is accepted by anyone who buys a smokeball; (c) the offer of protection would cover the period of use; and (d) the buying and using of the smokeball amounted to acceptance. Harvey v Facey (1893) The plaintiffs sent a telegram to the defendant, â€Å"Will you sell Bumper Hall Pen? Telegraph lowest cash price†. The defendants reply was â€Å"Lowest price  £900†. The plaintiffs telegraphed â€Å"We agree to buy †¦ for  £900 asked by you†. It was held by the Privy Council that the defendants telegram was not an offer but simply an indication of the minimum price the defendants would want, if they decided to sell. The plaintiffs second telegram could not be an acceptance. Gibson v MCC (1979) The council sent to tenants details of a scheme for the sale of council houses. The plaintiff immediately replied, paying the  £3 administration fee. The council replied: â€Å"The corporation may be prepared to sell the house to you at the purchase price of  £2,725 less 20 per cent.  £2,180 (freehold).† The letter gave details about a mortgage and went on â€Å"This letter should not be regarded as a firm offer of a mortgage. If you would like to make a formal application to buy your council house, please complete the enclosed application form and return it to me as soon as possible.† G filled in and returned the form. Labour took control of the council from the Conservatives and instructed their officers not to sell council houses unless they were legally bound to do so. The council declined to sell to G. In the House of Lords, Lord Diplock stated that words italicised seem to make it quite impossible to construe this letter as a contractual offer capable of being converted into a legally enforceable open contract for the sale of land by G’s written acceptance of it. It was a letter setting out the financial terms on which it may be the council would be prepared to consider a sale and purchase in due course. Harvela v Royal Trust (1985) Royal Trust invited offers by sealed tender for shares in a company and undertook to accept the highest offer. Harvela bid $2,175,000 and Sir Leonard Outerbridge bid $2,100,000 or $100,000 in excess of any other offer. Royal Trust accepted Sir Leonard’s offer. The trial judge gave judgment for Harvela. In the House of Lords, Lord Templeman stated: â€Å"To constitute a fixed bidding sale all that was necessary was that the vendors should invite confidential offers and should undertake to accept the highest offer. Such was the form of the invitation. It follows that the invitation upon its true construction created a fixed bidding sale and that Sir Leonard was not entitled to submit and the vendors were not entitled to accept a referential bid.† Blackpool Aero Club v Blackpool Borough Council (1990) BBC invited tenders to operate an airport, to be submitted by noon on a fixed date. The plaintiffs tender was delivered by hand and put in the Town Hall letter box at 11am. However, the tender was recorded as having been received late and was not considered. The club sued for breach of an alleged warranty that a tender received by the deadline would be considered. The judge awarded damages for breach of contract and negligence. The council’s appeal was dismissed by the Court of Appeal. ACCEPTANCE Brogden v MRC (1877) B supplied coal to MRC for many years without an agreement. MRC sent a draft agreement to B who filled in the name of an arbitrator, signed it and returned it to MRC’s agent who put it in his desk. Coal was ordered and supplied in accordance with the agreement but after a dispute arose B said there was no binding agreement. It was held that B’s returning of the amended document was not an acceptance but a counter-offer which could be regarded as accepted either when MRC ordered coal or when B actually supplied. By their conduct the parties had indicated their approval of the agreement.

Impement and Monitor Marketing Activities Essay

Executive Summary The marketing plan reviewed in this report is for BBQ fun 2009. BBQ fun aims to be e leading outdoor†lifestyle retailer, catering to the growing need for furnishing new and renovated dwellings in the greater Brisbane area. The assortment offer of BBQs, outdoor furniture and BBQ accessories will position BBQ fun as best in class for outdoor†lifestyle retailing. BBQ fun will reinvent the way people shop for outdoor†lifestyle products. BBQ fun will build its reputation on offering the fullest assortment of products possible in their chosen fields, incorporating both local and imported goods with products sold on easy to manage long†term payment plans. Our after sales service and three†year guarantees will find traction with a market dominated by low†quality items. Strategies and Tactics BBQ fun will be operating with an advertising budget of $250,000 for the year. The advertising program will target: †¢Local letter†box drops †¢Radio advertisement and †¢Magazines with coupon inserts in the BrisNews magazine Stakeholders Briefing regarding their implementation roles Board of directors: the board of directors are required to approve the hence they will be briefed on details of the plan through a presentation conducted for them and also informing them their roles in the implementation process. Human resource staff: in order for the human resource staff to conduct the recruitment and training they will be informed through a report including need for recruitment, training based on the marketing plan which would be used to brief the stakeholders as well. Finance staff: these staff will need to set a separate cost centre for the budget associated with the marketing plan. A written request for a budget allocation, or similar, would be used  to brief this stakeholder group. Managers: managers will be informed of any possible impact of the marketing activities on their departments through a meeting with the marketing department, which would include new products and services. Marketing and non–marketing personnel briefing Objectives: †¢Increase sales from $15 million per year to $20 million per year in the next three years †¢Increase our loyalty customers list from 10,000 to 16,000. †¢Establish brand recognition in Brisbane so that at least two in three people recognise our brand in a random survey taken in 18 months’ time. Marketing department will have direct roles in relation to the implementation and hence they will require significant details about the overall plan as well as each of the strategies and the related tactics. Sales staff will need overview of the plan and the strategies or tactics to be used and will need detailed information of the activities that will affect them, such as new special offers/pricing or changes to sales processes. Staff directly responsible or accountable for activities listed in the action plan section of the marketing plan, an individual action summary will be used to record relevant information for later use in measuring their performance or contribution to the marketing plan. Performance Measures BBQ fun will adopt balanced scorecard approach to measure the performance will enable BBQ fun to monitor and manage overall business strategy by looking at the drivers of current and future success for the organisation. It will focus on the link between the marketing plan and the four critical areas of the business operations namely customer, financial, internal business processes and learning and growth. Sales personal will have a performance measure relating to the overall goal of BBQ fun which will be increase sales from $15 million per year to $20 million per year in the next three years. Marketing personnel will have performance measures that relate to overall marketing activities which is deliver all marketing campaigns on time and within budget. Prioritised list of marketing strategies  activity descriptiondeliverablesresources needed Local letter†box dropsLeaflets designed, printed and distributedCannon’s consultants Finances- $150000 Personal for distribution Radio advertisementRadio advertisement developed, slots booked and aired on radio.Cannon’s consultants Finances-$280000 Magazines with coupon inserts in the BrisNews magazineDesign and print coupon inserts, tie up with magazine and distribute in the local area.Cannon’s consultants Finances- $150000 Communication and team building strategies Before the commencement of the project a team meeting was be held with each team member present where they were provided with a summary of the overall project action plan with the goals and objectives detailed in a schedule timetable detailing implementation and points of measures. They were also provided with detail each team member’s area and tasks of responsibility. An interactive discussion was also initiated to discuss any issues of concerns. A half an hour will be scheduled on Monday morning of each week to monitor the overall campaign progress, discuss individual tracking and highlight any unexpected issues that need attention. During the initial meeting each and every employee will be made clear of where they fit in the organisation structure, their responsibilities and accountabilities. It was decided to organise a staff party at the completion of each milestone. Strategies for monitoring marketing activities and analysing performance The whole project will be monitored on a Gannt Chart which will illustrate the start and completion dates of each self-contained stage in the project. The chart will reveal the process sequence and highlight the dependencies of some processes on other processes. Week 1 Date:Week2 Date:Week 3 Date:Week 4 Date:Week5 Date: distribution Leaflet printing Inserting graphic enhancements Develop leaflet for letter box drops A separate Performances analysis will be conducted for each activity in following manner Task 2 Monitoring and implementing promotional activities A regular review of all the marketing activities is being conducted based on the Gannt chart to keep track, so that evaluation of any issue of concern can be carried out as soon as possible. †¢The regular review revealed that 70% of the people in the target market recognise the BBQ brand and what it represents, †¢sales growth target of Increase sales from $15 million per year to $20 million per year in the next three years has been achieved †¢gross profit margins are still 48% Monitor Product pricing and distribution decisions Product attributes: BBQ, outdoor furniture and BBQ consumables. Product benefits: easy manage payment plan. Product usage: All the products can be used in day to day household Product users: people residing in new dwellings, people renovating and people replacing their old BBQ. Product competitors: The Yard, BBQ’s R Us, Outdoorz. Product distinction from competitors: †¢BBQfun’s credit offer is backed by a top tier bank. †¢Imported products make up 33% of the assortment. †¢The three†year guarantee is unique in the market place. †¢Broadest possible range in chosen fields. Product classes: quality, fashionable and unique outdoor-lifestyle. Monitoring results against targets in the marketing plan Monitoring marketing performance is being done by looking at what has happened and why considering the results and how do they compare with our goals? To find the reasons for why it happened its being looked into by checking: Were the marketing efforts put in right direction? Was there any specific activity that contributed the most to boost the results? What part of the marketing plan did what? Monitoring process will be as follows Establishing standardsAchieving total sales of $11,000,000, Gross profit of 5,500,000 with a marketing expense of 180,000 by the end of 2009 Measuring performanceSales target of $11,000,000 has been achieved but the gross profit is $5,280,000 which is less by $220,000 Proposing measures to correct deviations from the standardSource a new manufacturer from overseas to provide products at cheaper prices hence increasing the gross profit margin. Monitoring marketing revenue and costs against budget Monitoring of marketing revenue and costs against allocated budgets is being carried out by analysing and recording variations. Detailed revenue versus expenses for all marketing decisions, will include, timelines involved in accomplishing the required goals and objectives. Budgets will clearly layout the spending requirements for †¢each decision †¢breakdowns by month †¢Breakdowns by year. It will be determined how sales vary between regions and where the resources are going. Marketing managers will analyse the information containing: †¢how marketing costs are spread †¢where the money is being spent: ï‚ §Is it on product development, promotion or customer research? †¢standards of how much should be spent on marketing †¢how much money needs to be spent on marketing in order for the organisation to be competitive †¢what results should be expected to result from marketing spending: †¢Is the revenue generated from marketing meeting budget expectations? †¢Are costs within budget? †¢Does analysis identify variations? Recording variations in revenue and cost against budget The budget figures for the revenue and cost would be compared with the actual figures and the variances will be recorded in revenue and cost variance template outlined below ItemBudgeted $Actual $Variance % Total sales11,000,00011,000,0000 Gross profit5,500,000$5,280,0004 Expenses Direct mail40,00040,0000 Magazine advertisement110,000110,0000 Radio Promotions30,00030,0000 Total180,000180,0000 Task 3 Section A Implementing marketing strategies and tactics Overview of the marketing activity to be implemented I am involved in implementing the following marketing activities for BBQ fun; †¢Direct mail †¢Magazine advertisement †¢Radio Promotions Strategies and Tactics BBQ fun will be operating with an advertising budget of $250,000 for the year. The advertising program will target: †¢Local letter†box drops †¢Radio advertisement and †¢Magazines with coupon inserts in the BrisNews magazine Stakeholders Briefing Board of directors: approval of the board of directors is required hence they were briefed on details of the plan through a presentation conducted for them and also informing them their roles in the implementation process. Human resource staff: in order for the human resource staff to conduct the recruitment and training they were informed through a report including need for recruitment, training based on the marketing plan which would be used to brief the stakeholders as well. Finance staff: This staffs was required to set a separate cost centre for the budget associated with the marketing plan. A written request for a budget allocation was used to brief this stakeholder group. Managers: managers were informed of all possible impact of the marketing activities on their departments through a meeting with the marketing department, which included new products and services. Roles critical to the success of the marketing plan activities RoleResponsibilities Board of directorsProvide approval for the plan and its implementation, make available all resources required for implementation and monitoring of the plan. Human resource departmentProvide with all human resources required to complete the tasks to meet the requirements of the plan Finance staffMake available pre-approved finances as and when required by the plan Line managersTo accommodate any impacts by marketing plan and working around it Marketing managerPrimarily responsible for marketing activities and has the authority and responsibility over all company activities that affect customer’s satisfaction. This is in addition to his other responsibilities. Radio companyTo develop in conjunction with marketing manager the advertisement and air Printing houseTo design and print promotional material in conjunction with marketing manager distributorsTo distribute the promotional material Briefing of marketing and non-marketing personnel To brief all marketing and non-marketing personnel individual meetings with these groups were organised and their roles and responsibilities and performance measures were discussed and a written statement of same was provided to them. The documents used to brief the stakeholders were used again for briefing purposes. Prioritised list of the marketing strategies and the resources required for their implementation The following is the prioritised list of the marketing strategies and the resources required for their implementation: strategiesresources retain existing customers by providing excellent after sales service and three years guarantee on the productsTrained customer service representatives, good quality service centres to confirm with guarantee Develop customer base by providing wide range, quality and unique productsWell-equipped research and development department to develop wide ranging, quality and unique products Generate business through new customers by conducting advertisement and promotion activitiesContracts with Printing house, radio stations and magazines Evaluation of Communication and team building strategies Before the commencement of the project a team meeting was be held with each team member present where they were provided with a summary of the overall project action plan with the goals and objectives detailed in a schedule timetable detailing implementation and points of measures. They were also provided with detail each team member’s area and tasks of responsibility. An interactive discussion was also initiated to discuss any issues of concerns. A half an hour will be scheduled on Monday morning of each week to monitor the overall campaign progress, discuss individual tracking and highlight any unexpected issues that need attention. During the initial meeting each and every employee will be made clear of where they fit in the organisation structure, their responsibilities and accountabilities. It was decided to organise a staff party at the completion of each milestone. Pricing: While BBQfun will price at comparable prices for comparable quality, it will not be cheap. We pus h value over cheap and back this up with a three year guarantee. Distribution: BBQfun products will be distributed through a chain of retail stores which customers can access easily via the large car parking arrangements. Advertising and promotion: The most successful advertising will be ads and inserts in the Brizzy as well as a PR campaign of informational articles and reviews also within the Brizzy. Promotions will take the form of in store entertainment and competitions with prizes to exotic overseas destinations. Customer Service: BBQfun’s philosophy is that whatever needs to be done to make the customer happy must occur this investment will pay off with a  fiercely loyal customer base that is extremely vocal to their friends with referrals. Strategies for monitoring marketing activities and analysing performance The performance was analysed by comparing the current collected data with the set goals and determining whether the following goals are being achieved. Timelines: were all the actions completed within stipulated time frame Resources: were all the resources used efficiently and effectively. Costs: did the cost of implementing activities stayed with in the developed budget Sales: did the campaign achieve the desired sales figures. A brief feedback form was circulated to all appropriate personnel weekly for all employees to note customer satisfaction, events or problems that need to be addressed, as they happen each day. Employees were required to record action taken when customers aren’t satisfied with products or services. A summary of these internal feedback containing relevant comments on improving customer satisfaction (or solving customer problems) were circulated each week to all employees to inform, educate, and improve total organisation problem–solving for customers. This assisted in improving communication. Surveys were sent to customers to gather their input on how well BBQ fun is satisfying their needs. A monthly or quarterly review with specific customers to determine: †¢summary of sales information compared to previous years †¢Current customer service problems, detailing what they were and steps that were implemented to resolve the issues. †¢customer service improvements summary The entire campaign was monitored on a Gannt Chart which illustrated the start and completion dates of each self-contained stage in the project. The chart revealed the process sequence and highlighted the dependencies of some processes on other processes. Section B Current progress of the marketing activities against the marketing plan and overall objectives Monitoring and implementation of promotional activities against communication objectives in the marketing plan communication objectivesImplementation  to position BBQ fun as the premier outdoor†lifestyle store in the greater Brisbane area, commanding a majority of the market share within five years In addition to radio promotion and magazine advertisement, direct mail campaign was one way to communicate directly with the consumer. BBQ fun also used ads and inserts in Brizzy magazine. communicate that BBQ fun offers the widest,  most exotic, easy access outdoor†lifestyle products in Brisbane Direct mail campaign was one way to communicate directly with the consumer. BBQ fun also used ads and inserts in Brizzy magazine. create customer awareness regarding  their services offered Grassroots PR campaign. This campaign invited people from Brizzy for lunch to get articles writte n about BBQ fun into the news  develop that customer base BBQfun’s did everything to make customer satisfied, this investment payed off with a fiercely loyal customer base that is extremely vocal to their friends with referrals. work toward building  customer loyalty and referrals BBQ fun’s did everything to make customer satisfied, this investment payed off with a fiercely loyal customer base that is extremely vocal to their friends with referrals. Monitoring of product, pricing and distribution decisions against organisational policy and the objectives of the marketing plan Marketing objectivesDecisions †¢Increase sales from $15 million per year to $20 million per year in the next three years †¢Increase our loyalty customers list from 10,000 to 16,000. †¢Establish brand recognition in Brisbane so that at least two in three people recognise our brand in a random survey taken in 18 months’ time.Product: The product will be wide ranging, quality and unique. It offers the house proud customer a different option from the cheap mass produced offer prevalent in the market. New products will be developed on a regular basis in line with changes in customer taste which is targeted at every 12 months. The plan for product testing is to engage market research firms. Pricing: All products/services were competitively priced relative to comparable high†end outdoor†lifestyle lines. While BBQfun priced at comparable prices for comparable quality, it will not be cheap. We push value over cheap and back this up with a three year guarantee. Distribution: BBQfun products were distributed through a chain of retail stores which customers can access easily via the large car parking arrangements. Easy to access stores with extensive choices in our chosen fields, that are sold on an easy to manage payment plan with a three†year guarantee are the keys to our customer’s needs and wants. Monitoring results against targets in the marketing plan Monitoring marketing performance was done by looking at what has happened and why considering the results and how do they compare with our goals? To find the reasons for why it happened its being looked into by checking: Were the marketing efforts put in right direction? Was there any specific activity that contributed the most to boost the results? What part of the marketing plan did what? Monitoring process will be as follows Establishing standardsAchieving total sales of $11,000,000, Gross profit of 5,500,000 with a marketing expense of 180,000 by the end of 2009 Measuring performanceSales target of $11,000,000 has been achieved but the gross profit is $5,280,000 which is less by $220,000 Proposing measures to correct deviations from the standardSource a new manufacturer from overseas to provide products at cheaper prices hence increasing the gross profit margin. Monitoring marketing revenue and costs against budget Monitoring of marketing revenue and costs against allocated budgets is being carried out by analysing and recording variations. Detailed revenue versus expenses for all marketing decisions, will include, timelines involved in accomplishing the required goals and objectives. Budgets will clearly layout the spending requirements for †¢each decision †¢breakdowns by month †¢Breakdowns by year. Recording variations in revenue and cost against budget The budget figures for the revenue and cost were compared with the actual figures and the following variances were recorded in revenue and cost variance template outlined below ItemBudgeted $Actual $Variance % Total sales11,000,00011,000,0000 Gross profit5,500,000$5,280,0004 Expenses Direct mail40,00040,0000 Magazine advertisement110,000110,0000 Radio Promotions30,00030,0000 Total180,000180,0000 Section C Evaluating and improving marketing performance Processes used to regularly assess marketing performance against objectives Evaluation of marketing performance was done by gathering information measuring customer reactions. This enabled us to analyse and gather invaluable information. This information was used to improve the targeting of our marketing activity. Further valuable information was gained by periodically assessing customers’ feelings and opinions of the organisation and how well their needs are being satisfied, which is collected by customer feedback survey. The information was gained by analysing: †¢customers’ feedback †¢Key focus of appeal? †¢Success in appealing to our targets †¢improvement suggestions available †¢product features promoted †¢benefits of the product promoted Interview questions 1.Overall, are you very satisfied with the way BBQ fun performed on this occasion? 2.BBq fun’s service representatives (CSRs) are well trained. 3.Did service representatives (CSRs) adhere to professional standards of conduct? 4.How often do you typically use the product? 5.How did your Product performed? 6.Overall, how satisfied were you with your new Product? 7.Have you ever contacted customer service? 8.If you contacted BBq fun’s customer service, have all problems been resolved to your complete satisfaction? 9.Considering only your most recent purchase experience, how likely would you be to recommend the purchase of this product to a friend or colleague? Changes in business practices required to meet changing customer requirements 1.In addition to closely located retail stores an online store should be set up for the convenience of the customers. 2. To create provision for providing possible franchise as there has been lot of request for the same. Improvement plan ActionResponsibilityTimeframe Engage information and technology company to discuss, develop and host the retail storeIT Manager31/07/2010 Work out a complete business plan to make available opportunities for offering franchiseBoard of directors and Chief financial officer31/07/2010 Memo To: board of directors, finance department, human resource department, IT department and Marketing executives. From: John Smith, Marketing Manager Date: July 1, 2010 Subject: Changes to the Marketing Objectives Dear All It is to inform all that based on the analysis of the customer feedback process the following recommendations are suggested: ActioncostAdditional revenue Start online retail store$15000.00$45000.00 annually Engage in franchising opportunities$3000.00$5000.00 fixed monthly and 10% of the net profit A detailed modified marketing plan to reflect the actions recommended is attached here with for your kind perusal. You will be informed when a meeting to discuss the details will be organised shortly. Section D Self-reflection Strategies and tactics Direct mail: direct mails contribution was also substantially big. Magazine advertisement: returns from this form were not that high Radio Promotions: worked really well and got the expected revenue even though the cost was substantially higher Team leadership skills Respectful As a quality team leader I was respectful to all team members. A respectful leader I empowered them by encouraging them to offer ideas about decisions that affect them. This informed team members that the i respect their input and opinions. Fair I treated all my team members fairly. I was consistent with rewards and recognition, as well as disciplinary action. I ensured all team members receive the same treatment. Delegation I shared leadership through delegation. Delegating certain tasks to team members allowed me to focus on improving workplace functions and production. Confidence I was confident in my abilities, as well as confident in the abilities of my team members. I was secure in the decisions I made that affected my team. I also reassured team members of my authority within the organization. Integrity I was honest and open with his team members. I gained the trust of team members because I did what I said. I did and treated others, the same way I want myself to treat. Appendix 2: Workplace evidence Individual action summary Team memberJohn Smith Objective:To develop, get it printed and distribute Leaflets in local letter-box drops Description of activities: †¢Design and Develop leaflet †¢Collect quotes for printing †¢Place order for printing †¢Arrange man power for distribution of leaflets †¢Receive printed materials †¢Execute distribution Deliverables:†¢Final design of the leaflet †¢Collecting quote and placing order for printing †¢Receiving printed leaflets †¢Actual distribution of the leaflets Timeframe:01/07/2009 to 31/07/2009 Resources required:Designers, printers, $40,000 Review date:15/07/2009 Reviewed by:Mark BoerDesignation:Vice President Marketing Signature: Dated: 30th June 2010 TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN I have immense pleasure in stating that it should go without saying that John Smith is a remarkable marketing talent, with an eye for not only growing his traditional business, but also seeking out opportunities in to expand the business. John has always taken his role seriously and is passionate about his results. Beyond his passion on driving performance, Leif is a natural leader, and fights hard for his beliefs. He’s at his best in a group environment, and is consciously proactive at getting full involvement of all other team members to derive the best results possible. He has a very effective personal style, and will be looked to for continued executive leadership with our Marketing efforts. I have the deepest personal and professional respect for John, and sincerely belief he will bring his unique energy, optimism, passion, and tireless creativity to your class and classroom. He has my highest endorsement. If you have any questions about this recommendation or my endorsement of Leif, please do not hesitate to contact me and I will gladly try to help.

Chocolaty Goodness †Creative Writing

Chocolaty Goodness – Creative Writing Free Online Research Papers It’s about 11:30pm. I am always tired but I have insomnia, so I have at least three hours before my eyes start getting heavy. My daughter, Ava, just went to bed. It’s Friday so I let her stay up to watch â€Å"Elmo’s Adventure to Grouchland† for the thirteenth time today. Now, it’s â€Å"me time.† The only problem is that I am bored. There is nothing on TV, I don’t feel like studying, my computer is broken, and the only food in the kitchen is baby food and milk. My brother, Erik, lives with me and mentions he is hungry. There is a Carl’s Jr. about two-hundred-fifty yards away, so I offer to grab a couple cheeseburgers as an excuse to get out of the house. Since it was late, and cold, I decided to drive instead of take my usual stroll. As I order two cheeseburgers I notice the new ice cream shake advertised. It was a â€Å"Chocolate Malted Crunch† for about four dollars. I always test the new shakes when they come out so I had to try this one. I wasn’t too excited though, because the pervious special shakes I have tried haven’t been anything to die for or even buy a second time. I order my food, pay for it, get back to the apartment, and park my car. After all, I don’t think it’s too safe to be driving around at this late hour. The heater is blowing at maximum force and temperature. The radio is on, playing Rihanna’s new hit. I push the straw out of its wrapper, put it in the shake, and take the first chug of my malt. It was unlike any of the shakes Carl’s Jr. has ever offered. The ice cream was so rich in chocolate flavoring. It was cold enough to eat fast, but not give me one of those â€Å"brain freeze† headaches. There are tiny pieces of crunchy malt balls mixed in, making it fun to eat. They weren’t frozen to the point of being rock hard like when you mix MM’s or gummy bears into ice cream. In my entire twenty-seven years of eating the same foods over and over, the world seems to have paused and I am now in a state of food euphoria. Erik is upstairs waiting for his cheeseburger but I don’t want to leave this moment. Having a child always leaves me anxious and feeling rushed to get things done as quickly as possible. But wait, Ava is inside sleeping. I have been gone for only about ten minutes. What is the rush? Erik can wait. He is not starving. So I take this moment to relax. I have found peace. No screaming child, no school books calling me, no bills to stress about, and no mess to look at. I love my brother, but I have got to admit, he is a lazy couch potato and seeing him day in and day out annoys me to the point I hide in my room for days at a time. With my car still running, I drink my shake. Tasting every bit of crunch I slurp up. I am so comfortable in my little car. The heater has made the perfect temperature. Its dark outside and no one is around making any noise or staring at me. I feel like I almost don’t exist. There is not a thought in my mind except how godly this shake is. I probably drank the whole shake in about five minutes. I have never eaten anything this fast in my life but I just couldn’t put it down. Finally, I am finished. I sigh knowing the moment is over. The car gets turned off; I grab the cheeseburgers, and walk inside the apartment. Life proceeds. I only hope next time is just as epic. Research Papers on Chocolaty Goodness - Creative WritingThe Spring and AutumnPersonal Experience with Teen PregnancyBook Review on The Autobiography of Malcolm XThe Hockey GameThe Effects of Illegal Immigration19 Century Society: A Deeply Divided EraUnreasonable Searches and SeizuresGenetic EngineeringWhere Wild and West MeetHip-Hop is Art