#Job Title: Business Developer/Marketer

[fr0mthefires]

haunted. - vampire!shigaraki x f!reader / part 1

In which you’re down on your luck, taking the first job that will have you after being laid off from Endeavor Dynamics. There, you cross paths with a certain mysterious, red-eyed individual who seems to be harboring a secret, and (un)fortunately find yourself tangled in a web of obsession and danger you’re not sure you can handle. Or stay away from.

cw: implied/referenced child abuse, implied/referenced drug and alcohol use, death, loss, not beta read

~5.9k words

Christ. What day is it?

You're barely awake, a lingering dream still blurring the edges between sleep and awareness.

You weren’t privy to keeping up with time much these days. It all seemed to bleed and blend into a blur now, minutes feeling like seconds, days feeling like hours or sometimes vice versa, the sunlight too hidden behind the thick black curtains you’d hung weeks ago to truly know whether it was day or night. You simply go through the motions, sleeping or gaming or watching whatever mindless content you click on and stare at absently to fill the overwhelming silence in your apartment.

Some would call it heaven to be holed up like this with no real responsibilities; you, however, have taken to calling it the Void. That’s what it feels like, anyway. A black hole of nothingness, chewing up time and spitting it out whatever which way it chooses.

You’d been laid off of your computer tech job a few weeks ago, Endeavor Dynamics having suddenly decided to do away with your particular position in the company in favor of funneling that money into lining their own pockets and beefing up their marketing, all in hopes of bringing in more poor, unsuspecting unpaid interns who were fresh out of college and hoping to make a name for themselves in the world of corporate greed.

You had enjoyed the newfound freedom at first after the initial shock and despair wore off. You could sleep in past 6am for the first time in ages, could spend all day grinding in your favorite games for legendary cosmetics and leveling up your stats, got to catch up on your anime watchlist and eat shitty takeout whenever you wanted. It truly felt like the life, until it didn’t anymore.

Your savings account had begun to noticeably dwindle after the first three weeks. No big deal, you’d told yourself. A new opportunity would come soon. You’d spent all that time and money grinding for that fancy college degree, after all. You had a decent resumé with slightly-more-than-decent references. But after your sixth application to various companies in the city returned no results, you began to worry.

As it turned out, employers didn’t really care all that much about degrees in Computer Science and Game Development. Not when they had to narrow down their options in the shit job economy to other candidates with flashier degrees like Business and Accounting. And now, nearly five weeks into unemployment, the pickings are slim. The amount left in your savings will likely only cover rent and necessities for this month if you’re frugal, and after that, you’ll have to make your way to the nearest dumpster and pick out a nice cardboard box to call home.

Unfortunately, you're not one of the privileged souls out there with family to rely on when you’re down and out. Life had sobered you up to reality at a young age. Your mom never did live up to her title as such; she never put in any effort to connecting with you, caring for you, or loving you beyond what was necessary to keep up appearances.

It was clear even at such a young age that she wanted nothing to do with you. You were a blight on her life, a responsibility she never really wanted, and she made it known in as many passive aggressive ways as she could get away with without your dad noticing.

Your dad, on the other hand, was the polar opposite of your mom. He loved you in a way that was loud and all-encompassing, and he made it known to you in any way your little mind could understand. Trips to the park, countless stuffed animals and toys, more books read at bedtime than you could count on your little fingers, bear hugs and kisses on your forehead as he tucked you in for the night. He made up for all the love you lacked from your mom ten-fold.

He was your safety blanket, the first and only best friend you'd ever had. But life was cruel, and it made sure you knew that. You'd never forget when your dad collapsed that first time during your sixth birthday party. The second of silence that followed that seemed to stretch for hours before the panic ensued. The sound of the sirens blaring as the ambulance screeched to a stop in front of your house.

He was always so tired after that day. The trips to the park went from three times a week, to one every other week, to none at all. The animated way he would read your favorite bedtime stories was replaced by your own little voice while he laid next to you, his eyes closed as he nodded his encouragement.

"The a- animals saw the tree and knew that Fox was still a part of them. Owl raised his gran- his gran-"

"Grandchicks, darling." His voice was barely there when he'd help you pronounce the words you struggled with.

"Owl raised his grand... chicks on the br- branches. The tree gave love to everyone who loved Fox."

"And so, Fox lived on in their hearts forever," he mouthed along with you, a shiny bead trailing down the side of his face. You traced it with your little finger, and he gave you one of his most tired smiles.

He was gone by the time you'd turned seven. His body was too riddled with cancer for him to withstand it anymore. He left the world with one final, unsteady caress on your cheek and a barely whispered "I'm sorry, pumpkin." Your mom left the room, left you as you cried and cried and cried. She made one of the nurses drag you out to the car.

It didn't take long for your mom to pick up habits after that. The kind of habits that made the house smell like chemicals and made her sleep for hours and hours, or the kinds that made her breath smell gross and sour when she'd yell at you for leaving your room. If she wasn't passed out on the couch she was gone for hours at a time, late and long enough that you learned how to tuck yourself into bed. You didn't really like bedtime stories anymore, anyway.

She met your stepdad around the time you turned eight, a wanna-be drug lord with a serious heroine addiction. You figured maybe him and your mom were meant to be in that regard. She needed someone to rely on, after all. The addiction made it impossible for her to function on her own, let alone raise you. A couple months after that, the neglect evolved into abuse.

Your mom was often too out of it to realize or care what she was doing, but on the rare days she was lucid, she made it a point to let you know it was all your fault. You’ll never forget the way she’d look at you, her eyes distant and slightly unfocused as they trailed over your cuts and bruises.

"He always loved you more than me," she'd murmur, almost sounding sad, before her eyes would refocus, sharp with anger and loathing. “This is your fault, you know. If you’d never been born, I could have been happy. Your dad could still be here. We would have been happy without you." Young, impressionable you believed it more and more each time she’d spit those words at you, right before her hand cracked against your cheek, your step-dad laughing as he watched. 

You learned how to disassociate by the time you were nine. It was a skill you valued a lot as you got older, made it easier to drift through your life however you pleased before you decided to get your shit together.

Now, freshly 24, you’re able to recognize that your mom likely just projected her own feelings towards herself and life in general onto you. You were an outlet far more than you ever were a daughter to her. But no matter what you know now, the facts don't always make reality easier to cope with, and they don't erase the memories. You didn’t go to her funeral when she finally died of an overdose a few days after your nineteenth birthday, and word on the street was your step-dad didn’t either.

Her death was what spurred you out of the life you'd been living up to that point, a glaring reminder that you were on a path to becoming just like her. It was maybe the one good thing she'd ever done for you.

Your fault. All your fault.

Your eyes fully blink open as the echoing remnants of those words die with your unconscious mind, quickly shoved in the box you keep locked away in the back of your mind with all the other shit you never really tried nor wanted to unpack and face.

***

Thursday. It's Thursday.

You notice the date displayed in the bottom right corner of the screen, absently taking note that it’s already the middle of October. You think that should be more impactful than it actually feels. Sighing, you shift your attention back to the task at hand, scrolling through the first page of job listings you’d filtered as “Sort New to Old” and unfortunately seeing nothing fucking new at all that you haven’t already applied for. You dig the heels of your hands into your eyes out of irritation, tiny little bursts of colors appearing behind your eyelids from the force.

“Fuck this,” you mutter to nobody but yourself and stand abruptly, a newfound determination born from nothing but the dejection and exasperation flaring up inside you. If you haven’t had any luck online, maybe you’re looking in the wrong places. Maybe good, old-fashioned face to face interaction is what you’re missing. Companies still did that in this decade, right? The possibility is better than nothing, you guess.

You peel off the sweatpants and baggy shirt you’d been wearing for a few too many days, take a much needed shower, and dress in something you feel is appropriate and fitting enough for a depressed and desperate individual searching for a job who is trying to look put together and not at all depressed or desperate. Whether or not you convey that, you aren’t sure, but you’re out the door without a second glance.

The sunlight feels like it’s cooking your retinas the moment you step outside, and for the first time in awhile, you wonder how long it’s really been since you’ve left your cave. The street you live on is right outside the main heart of the city, but it’s still alive and busy with people hustling back to their 9-5s after their lunch breaks, coming and going from the few cafes and restaurants, or just out for walks in the mid-October chill.

You take a moment to observe, let your eyes adjust, realize the world has in fact still been turning around you since you’ve been holed up, and then set off down the sidewalk in the direction of the busier part of the city. You start simple. Modest. Coffee shops, ramen houses, small stalls and tourist traps. You even try the lone fucking GameStop that’s somehow still in business.

You’ve resorted to the barest of minimums, all of which telling you they’re not hiring or you’re “over-qualified” for the job, whatever the fuck that means. Each bell chiming over your head when you exit leaves you feeling more dejected than the last. It’s not until you’re at a crosswalk waiting for the little green stick figure to pop up on your way back home, fully intent on spending another night buried in despair and self-loathing, that you see it.

A lone flyer haphazardly stapled onto the pole below the crosswalk indicator, the red color of the paper so faded and the words so hardly legible you’re sure it’s been out there awhile.

Now Hiring

Nine Lives Nightclub

Apply in Person Only

It doesn’t give you much to go by, like, at all, but you’re so desperate for any type of income at this point that you’ll try anything. You realize the word “anything” maybe shouldn’t literally mean anything though after you pull out your phone and google Nine Lives.

It’s located on the shadier side of the city, the area you wouldn’t dare be caught in alone without at least a can of pepper spray and your keys wedged between your fingers, even during the day.

You shift your weight from foot to foot, assessing your options, but it’s not long before you’re turning around and walking back the way you came, passing through the vibrant part of the city and eventually into the emptier, more industrial side. Your pace becomes more cautious, your attention more focused on your surroundings and the people inhabiting them as the welcoming, well lit ambiance is replaced by cracked brick walls and long, dark alleyways the deeper you go.

It’d be hard to miss it. Nine Lives is nestled in the corner of a dead end, the vibrant neon sign boasting the name flashing in a dark red the same color as the flyer. It’s almost blinding in the setting sun and sticks out like a sore thumb compared to the rest of the gray, dingy spaces surrounding it.

You can tell right away, all the other many red flags aside, that this place is seedy. Somewhere the people shunned from the main city go to do things that are heavily frowned upon a few blocks up the sidewalk. The type of place where everyone turns a blind eye to anything and everything because they’ve all committed sins of their own.

If you were smart, like you think yourself to be, you’d turn the fuck around and-

“Um, hello,” you murmur to what you assume is the bouncer at the front door with all the confidence you can muster. It admittedly isn’t much. His gaze is faintly disinterested as he tilts his head forward to stare down his nose at you, his eyes beady and black. His head seems too small for his ridiculously muscular frame, obnoxiously on display in the red tank top he’s wearing that seems to qualify more as a sports bra than a shirt. His blonde hair is short and chopped haphazardly, and the cold smirk he’s now leveling you with seems to say he knows you’re intimidated by him.

“What’s a little mouse like you doing in a place like this?” he asks in a tone that makes you want to shiver, his gaze unabashedly roaming over you from top to bottom. It makes your skin crawl, and you have to hone every bit of confidence you have left to answer him evenly.

“I saw a flyer about a job opening here. I wanted to see if it was still open.” He crosses his arms over his hulking chest and seemingly assesses you for what is longer than strictly necessary, his gaze hard and unrelenting before it shifts into something like amusement. It just serves to set you more on edge. “Still open, alright. Think the boss’ll love to meet ya.” He says it in a way that sets a faint alarm bell off in the back of your mind, but before you can dwell on it much, he’s shifting his huge frame out of the way of the entrance.

“Just go in and straight to the right, to the bar in the corner. Ask for Kurogiri.” You nod once and duck your head, unable to hold eye contact with him any longer. “Good luck, little mouse,” he chuckles as you hastily pass by, a harsh sound that grates your ears. “Hope they don’t eat ya alive.”

***

The first thing you notice, oddly, is there are no windows, and the next, more obvious thing is how busy it is even on a Thursday. The bass of whatever dark house mix they’re playing is loud and reverberates through your entire being, the ground subtly shaking beneath your feet. It’s completely dark, save for the red and white neon lights flashing in random strobing intervals over the surprisingly large space, and there’s a fog drifting through the room that adds to the already unsettling atmosphere.

It smells like a mix of weed, liquor, and smoke, not as unpleasant as you expected but not necessarily good either. It’s an onslaught on all your senses, unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before. You'd had your fair share of experience with nightclubs back when you weren’t a complete recluse and admittedly fairly self-destructive, but never anywhere like this. Only the types of clubs more upper-class people frequented, the kinds in the more upscale parts of the city. The safer parts that the men you once used for empty entertainment preferred to stick to.

This… This is fucking overwhelming, to say the least. Dangerous, if the people packed in like sardines are anything to go by. You’re pretty sure you’ve seen a couple of these faces on news broadcasts for various crimes of varying intensity.

You push through the crowd towards the bar after the initial stun wears off, ignoring the looks you get; some of annoyance, some of less than admirable interest, all of which set you even more on edge. Fuck, have you really stooped so low? Goddamn Endeavor Dynamics, goddamn Enji, you'd make him curse the day he ever decided to-

“What can I get you?” the overly cheery blonde girl behind the bar asks you, looking just old enough to even be in a place like this, let alone working in it. Her wide smile gleams as the strobes pass over her face, and you swear for a second her eyes glow yellow. “I- Um, I’m looking for Kurogiri?” It comes out more like a question, as uncertain and lost as you feel. “I’m here about a job opening.”

The girl perks up even more if possible, the messy buns on top of her head bobbing in time with the excited nod she gives you. “Ooo, yay! There’s way too much testosterone floating around in here!” She wastes no time maneuvering around the bar, abandoning the other poor bastard to man the bar by himself. He throws a disbelievingly panicked look her way, but she’s far too busy grabbing your hand and yanking you away from the crowd to notice or care, leading you towards a staircase in the far corner of the club.

“I’m Himiko Toga! Oh, you’re so pretty! I already know we’re going to be great friends!” You’re bewildered by her enthusiasm and seemingly immediate like of you but give her your name anyway, offering her an unsteady smile as she unclasps a red rope and then swiftly replaces it after you pass through.

She tugs you up the stairs faster than you think someone of her stature should reasonably be able to move, and as you hit the landing, you realize she’s brought you to what you think is some sort of VIP area. It’s far less crowded than downstairs, but there’s still a few shifty looking people lingering around. It’s quieter, which you’re grateful for, but still just as dark; the strobing lights below don’t quite reach up here, and the only real source of light is a couple of dim sconces on the walls that may as well not be lit at all.

There’s a balcony lining the entire top floor providing a view of the swaying crowd below and a few dark red leather couches scattered around the space. Black velvet curtains line the back wall, complimenting the surprisingly clean dark hardwood floor. There’s a small bar on the right wall with a few stools in front of it and a lone door in the far left corner that leads… somewhere.

Toga pulls you along too fast for you to really get a look at anyone, but you can tell the people milling around know her well based on the various hellos and nods thrown her way. You do manage to get a look at one person as you pass by, a tall guy about your age with jet black hair and the most shocking blue eyes you’ve ever seen. More shocking than that, however, are the angry scars covering the skin you can see. Burn scars, you think. You realize you’re staring when you notice he’s smirking at you, a gleam in his eyes that both unsettles and intrigues you as he raises his glass to you. You look away quickly, stumbling after Toga.

She doesn’t stop until she reaches the bar, only one man behind it. He’s wearing a white button down with a green vest over top and a black tie, something that strikes you as odd compared to everyone else in this place. Dated almost, like he came from a different era. “Kurogiri, my friend here is interested in our job posting!” Toga beams at him, her teeth surprisingly sharp.

Her volume has caught the attention of the few people lingering around, all of whom seemingly more interested in this budding conversation than you think they should be. You ignore them despite the eyes burning a hole in your back. You swallow dryly, offering Kurogiri your name and what you hope is a confident smile, but you can tell it doesn't quite hit the mark.

“I see,” he says almost robotically, his voice void of any emotion. The full force of his gaze turns to you, his dark purple eyes scrutinizing you in a way that makes you want to squirm. The color is so unnatural that you wonder absently if he wears colored contacts. You remain still with effort and meet his gaze head on despite the instinct to do precisely the opposite, your drive to not be homeless the only thing keeping your feet firmly planted on the floor.

“Do you have any experience working in a place like this?” Your already fragile smile falters slightly. You hadn't expected that question, but you push to keep your voice confident as you opt for honesty. “I don’t, but I’m a fast learner. I pick things up very quickly. And I have open availability.” You tack the last part on hastily to hopefully sweeten your chances. After a moment of hesitation, you continue. “I- Um, I really need the job. I promise you won't regret it.” It pains you to say, makes you feel as weak and vulnerable as you sound, a spiral already coming on and ready to suck you in. Failure, failure, failure.

Kurogiri stares at you for what feels like ages, and you can feel the spiral start to take hold before Toga speaks up again. “Come on, Kurogiri! She’s my friend, and we need another girl in our group! There’s too many of you guys skulking around, it’s depressing.” She almost sounds petulant, making you again question if she’s even old enough to be here. She nods her head toward the dark corner on her left and gives him a meaningful look, but you can’t make out what she’s looking at.

Kurogiri glances towards said corner and then returns to stare at you a moment longer, his blank expression giving nothing away, before he finally puts you out of your misery. “Very well. You’ll start tomorrow night. Be here at 8pm, and do not be late. You do not want to displease him.” He doesn’t clarify on who exactly he’s referring to, instead picking up a glass you’re sure is already clean and beginning to polish it, effectively ending the conversation.

Toga squeals, bouncing up and down in excitement. It baffles you that she's seemingly more excited about this than you are. “Yay! Oh, I’m so happy! You’ll love it here!” She grabs your hands and grins up at you, and you’d be lying if you said her enthusiasm wasn’t rubbing off on you a little bit. Maybe it won’t be so bad. You offer her a tentative smile of your own, letting her lead you over to one of the couches as she dives into everything she claims you need to know.

She rambles on about the basics; what you’ll be doing (a server, basically), who you’ll be reporting to (Kurogiri, who is apparently not the actual boss but the infamous He who is yet unnamed), and the people you should make it a point to get to know (her friends, who apparently are here every night. You ask how they don't get tired of it, and she just laughs like you'd told a very funny joke.) “Oh! And make sure you wear… well, not that.” She gestures vaguely at your current outfit of choice, the one you’d chosen with the expectation you’d be applying to places not like this. “Just take a look at some of the clientele if you need inspiration!”

You try not to grimace, having already seen what some of the “clientele” down there were wearing. You guess you should have expected as much, if her own outfit was anything to go by. She wraps up her rambling and offers to walk you back down but you decline, thanking her for all her help. She pulls you up into a hug, all but yells when she tells you how excited she is for tomorrow, and you think you’re already kind of getting used to her overt friendliness. Maybe you’ll even make a friend out of this gig.

You wind your way back the way you came, pointedly not making eye contact with anyone, and descend the stairs, your heart in your throat. You’d finally fucking done it. It certainly wasn’t your first pick by any means, but at least it was a job. A source of income. And it was only temporary, right?

You’re too caught up in your own mind, trying to ignore the fact that your mom would have frequented a place like this and hoping you’re not on a path back to your own self-destructive tendencies to notice the pair of eyes trailing after you from the balcony above.

***

He’d been watching you from his place in the corner since he’d heard Toga’s grating voice babbling about yet another incompetent fool interested in the opening. Kurogiri had put those flyers up weeks ago, and it had been a constant revolving door of rejected idiots ever since.

None of the ones that had been interested so far had been good enough. None of them had been special. They were all too excited, too bubbly or too loud. Too fucking irritating in every sense of the word. They all had one underlying thing in common - too much life left in them, an annoyingly glaring light in their eyes that told him immediately they had no place here, no place in his presence.

None of them would have been up to the job anyway, the true job behind the facade they were putting on. He's fine with that, if he's being honest. He still doesn't understand why Master insists on doing things differently now. They'd been just fine the way they had been for years. Sure, they've had to indulge a little more lately to keep up with the number they now have in their circle. And sure, maybe it's been a little more difficult to cover their tracks. And fine, he's mature enough to admit that the amount of missing persons cases in the area have increased enough as of late to maybe cause some problems for them if they aren't more careful.

But things were fine. Are fine. He doesn't want some nobody at his beck and call every time he needs a pick-me-up. He prefers sticking to the randoms below, the ones he can swoop in on in the midst of their drug and alcohol induced hazes and drag them away into the shadows before they can realize what's happening. Fast, easy, efficient, no brainless coercion involved. One and done and he's set for another week.

But Master says it would be safer to have a constant source, for now. A drip he can leave alive and take a little from each day instead of adding more numbers to the growing missing persons list in the area. Long enough for the news to die down a little bit, and then things can go back to normal. The others could travel to other cities if they needed to. He preferred to stay local.

He figures Master has been around long enough to know what's best, if he's to be rational. It's why he's blindly followed him for so long, not to mention he owes him everything. He wouldn't have what he does now if not for Master finding him when he did. Nine Lives had been built for the sole purpose of enshrouding him in the shadows while he adjusted to his new life and doubled as a base of sorts for Master’s hobbies, as he so elegantly puts it.

An easy way to get what he needed while he learned and grew into himself, somewhere he could easily prey on a few lives at a time that likely had no one at home to notice they'd gone missing. It just happened to be a plus when it ended up attracting certain individuals that he and Master could benefit from keeping around. 

The ones currently in his circle were handpicked by him alone before he'd brought them to Master for final judgement. He'd seen something in all five of them, something that told him they were just as ruined as he had once been. Desolate and empty, but still longing for a taste of the divine. An insatiable desire for something more than mere humanity could offer, an escape from the world that had wronged and abandoned them.

That was something he could understand more than anyone, and he'd given them what they’d wanted, in time. Only after they'd proven they'd stick by him, offer their servitude in exchange for the opportunity to have something grand.

But he'd somehow miscalculated somewhere along the way, and now five on top of himself, Master, and Kurogiri had become too many to remain as inconspicuous as they were before Shuichi joined. And now, here you are as consequence, a reminder of that rare failure, another worthless human he'd never see again once you're turned away like the last. It makes him itch just thinking about it, makes him want to claw at his own fucking skin at the sight of you knowing you'll be no different than the rest.

And then you speak, your voice so timid and quiet he would've missed it if not for hearing like his. "I- Um, I really need the job." The way you say it gives the impression that you're down to your last resort. Like nobody else out there wants you. Already, you're different than the others based on that sentiment alone.

He looks at you a little closer then, daring to shift partially out of the shadows, his head tilting to the side slightly as he eyes you. You look like you're trying to come across as confident, but he's been around long enough to know when someone's pretending. The slight tremor in your hands, the waver in your voice, that look of uncertainty in your eyes as you speak, it all gives you away. More importantly, you likely have nothing left to lose if you've willingly stepped foot in here when you look like you want nothing more than to be anywhere else.

You look like you're one more bad thing away from crumbling, like this is the last opportunity you have before there's nothing left. There's no light in your eyes no matter how long he stares. He starts to consider then that maybe he was wrong about you.

So far, you've ticked none of the boxes that would have him wanting to throw you out the door himself. It helps that you're also not bad to look at. Unassuming, but not plain by any means. He'd maybe even call you beautiful if he wasn't so disturbed by that word manifesting in his mind. But that's what you are regardless of what he does or doesn't want to call it, the only word that fits the quiet way you carry yourself, the sadness that seems to cling to your soft, fragile features.

He shifts his gaze to Kurogiri, who has now glanced to him thanks to Toga's irritating ability to read anyone like a book. The exchange lasts a mere millisecond, just a simple nod of his head that would be imperceptible to anyone else, but Kurogiri understands. He always does.

You perk up a little at the good news, but it's overshadowed by Toga's incessant enthusiasm. He can tell you don't understand her yourself. If only you knew how long they'd all been waiting for him to come around and choose someone, then maybe you'd understand. He watches as she drags you away out of his current line of sight, surprised at the way his body twitches like it's primed to follow. He doesn't like that, the way his subconscious doesn't want to let you out of his sight. But you were his now, weren't you? Whether you knew that yet or not. And he's always taken care of his things.

It's not until you've disappeared down the stairs that he allows himself to leave his corner, scowling at Toga before she has the chance to make any comments. She just gives him a pointed, saccharine smile before she fucks off, mercifully sparing him from whatever bullshit she'd had primed to say.

He watches you from his spot on the balcony, observes you as closely as the distance and strobing lights allow. It’s not that difficult with sight like his, really. He again notes that wariness about you, more obvious now that you think nobody's looking, like the world has wronged you somehow. He banks on that, hopes for it. Maybe even preys on it, just a little.

There’s a slight downturn to your lips, a little v between your creased eyebrows. Your eyes are clouded over and your shoulders are slumped slightly as you move through the crowd, surprisingly graceful despite your absentmindedness.

He finds himself wondering what you’re thinking about so intently, what could possibly be bothering you, and then promptly wonders why the fuck he cares. Already, you’re making him notice you, and that’s not an easy feat to accomplish. Maybe Master was on to something after all.

Yes, he confirms, there’s something special about you. He can’t put his finger on it yet, but he knows something’s there, hiding beneath that demure air of yours. You’re like him somehow, the old him. Lost and forgotten, the weight of the world on your shoulders that he hopes you’d do anything to alleviate. His gaze tracks you all the way until you disappear out the door, and even then, it remains lingering on the spot you’d just been.

He feels something then that he hasn’t felt in a long time - anticipation.

***

The music continues to blare behind you even as you make it past the exit, the massive bouncer throwing a knowing smirk your way before he focuses back on the line queuing to get in. It’s a particularly haunting beat, one you could see yourself getting lost in if you were more like who you used to be and less like who you are now.

The lyrics echo in your mind and your bones long after you’d made it back home.

If I were you, I’d find a place to hide.

If I were you, I’d stay inside.

If I were you, I’d run for your life.

***

note: well, hello if you've made it this far, and thank you for sticking around to the end of this first part. this is the first major work I've ever posted, and I have high hopes for it. I have a lot of ideas swimming in my head for this story, so there's a lot to come for dear reader and our enigmatic red-eyed man.

I currently have the next part in the works as I post this. unfortunately, it is not beta read, so I apologize if there are any errors.

the song at the end is run. by arya x, if anyone is interested.

see you in part two.

[refigiowen]

Offices, Associations, Corporations

Klepto Corp., Asiyah Association, both are corporations at their core but they carry different titles (and in terms of who cares less about the well being of their workers they are one and the same).

The term "corporation" refers to every corporation in Eden, but it also refers to the type "corporation".

To understand this better we must look at Offices and Associations first.

Offices

Offices are small businesses, usually run by one person or a small group of people that one take on smaller jobs for easy cash.

Examples are: Kappa Office (specializes in machinery) and Dorothy Office (specializes in delivery work)

Association

When a corporation becomes an Association it means many smaller Offices and corporations melted into a single mega corporation. This can happen at any time and has to be approved by the Pale Garden.

An example is Asiyah Association.

Asiyah Association

"One who tends to the weak."

Asiyah Association is known for creating the best medications on the market. Bones melted? Brain exploded? Asiyah has some pill that can fix that. Do not think that this corporation has a clean plate. Asiyah loves to test their medications and work on their own workers, usually underperforming ones. They also sell their medication for insane prices that the lower class people can barely afford.

Despite focusing on healthcare, Asiyah Association also invented the Dimensional Rift technology. Because of this technology Executioner Gideon wanted his claw to be made by them specifically.

Corporations

"Corporation" refers to every entity on the market. But in this case it refers to the type 'corporation'.

A corporation gets that little "Corp." at the end of it's name when an Office gets so big that they can no longer be called an Office.

Examples are:

Klepto Corp.

"For a live worthy tomorrow."

Klepto Corp. is the largest entity on the market and does all kinds of work (actually just stealing and buying tech from other corporations). They serve as a intermediary for other corporations to get in touch with one another, build public transportations (only their workers get to use those!), plant trees (made of plastic), build air generators (except anywhere in the outer regions). They oversee all offices and suck up 90% of every worker's paycheck because in every fine print of every contract those small words: "property of Klepto Corp." are written.

Briah Corp.

"For your security."

The second largest corporation and the most ruthless one as well. They specialize in military operations and ensuring the safety of their clients.

Briah Corp. does not indulge in the scummy business that Klepto Corp. or Asiyah Association do and mainly focus on protecting their clients and developing new tech and weapons. This also means that during a large scale catastrophe Briah Corp. will only: Go in, safe their client, and leave everyone else to die. And their memberships are not cheap either, not at all.

But for the low cost of an arm and half of your organs you get the service of a corporation that, if you were attacked or harmed by someone, will take revenge for you and offer you the latest medical tech (provided by Asiyah Association).

Wipeout Taskforce "Apollyon"

When it comes to large scale operations and or the ocassional operation against Klepto. Corp, Briah Office's Wipeout Taskforce "Apollyon" is responsible.

Apollyon gets called when a premium client is in high danger and is tasked with saving said client and wiping out any and everyone on the scene, hence "Wipeout Taskforce". After they made sure the client is out of danger they immediately go after the one who put the client in said danger and eliminate them. This only takes a few seconds and happens through a long range missile. Ever since a premium client was attacked by a worker from Klepto Corp. Briah Office and Klepto Corp. have begun trading blows and are on the brink of a military conflict.

Taskforce members are clothed in pale white military suits from head to toe. Their scope like, tactical visor in the middle of their face makes them somewhat look like birds. People used to think of the grim reaper when the word "death" was spoken. These days Apollyon is the only thing that enters the minds of the people when they hear that word.

[tinybitsubby]

@amysubmits asked this question in the comments of a previous post: “How do you guys handle meta-talks? Do you announce them or just start talking about your dynamic and you both know that means you're on equal footing? Are they at a set interval or do you just have them as either of you has something to address?”

Thanks again for the interactions, Amy, you write my favorite Tumblr blog.

Because we started D/s well before finding Tumblr, we weren’t aware of the specific terminology “meta talk”. But for some reason the overarching idea of them doesn’t really apply to us either. My guess is because we are not high protocol.

If we used specific language, titles, postures etc., I would see the need for a formal way to break protocol and just be partners. We always treat each other with respect and kindness and so it doesn’t feel like much change is needed to address “Big picture” issues.

We have, somehow, developed the phrase “want to have an awkward conversation?” which means we need to talk about our D/s or sexlife (which are intertwined) in a very deliberate conversion. I wouldn’t say we completely drop our dynamic during these talks, it’s still there.

Lots of our best talks are in the car. His parents live about two hours away and we try to go see them at least once a month. If there are no teens in the car, we usually listen to a D/s podcast or I’ll read him something I found and then we will talk about our relationship: where we’re at, where we’d like to be, how’s everyone’s level of joy in the dynamic and so on.

If there were ever a time that it would maybe be needed to totally remove D/s, it would be around financial conversations and decisions. I handle the finances for our family and for a small business we own that is separate from, but adjacent to, his career. The topic doesn’t interest him at all, while I enjoy it and have become quite knowledgeable. I’m a saver, and I’m constantly moving things around, adjusting our retirement funds to make the most of them, finding new ways to make our money work for us, improving our credit scores, and studying the market for some day trading. He is not a saver. Years ago, he had asked that I just takeover the finances. He trusts me, knows I’m a smart woman, and he does not have time for this. So, I’m in charge of this department because he wants me to be. BUT, sometimes I have to adjust what he is doing. I might have to come to him and say something like,” please make sure you’re not using the business card for lunches, it screws up the books” or worse yet, ”I’m sorry, but I looked into it and I don’t think it’s the best time for that large purchase you wanted, the spring looks like a better time to free up the funds”. He’s a good leader and good leaders know how to put the best man on the job. When it comes to finances, I’m that man, but it does yield conversations where I’m steering the ship. I’ve always handled the money, even before we were married, so it doesn’t seem weird to us and our dynamic still feels intact. Maybe because after a discussion like that, he’ll thank me for taking such good care of our finances. It feels like it’s all in service to him.

In theory, I like the idea of scheduling talks, but with hectic schedules, it works better for us to just have the conversations as needed.

[theblogvibe]

5 Quick Tips for Effective LinkedIn Engagement for B2B Companies

LinkedIn has become an essential platform by which B2B companies expand their networks, build authority, and drive leads today. Given that there are over 700 million professionals on this site, it is no longer merely a job posting; it is a pivotal tool for business growth.

For B2B business companies, effective engagement on LinkedIn can promote reaching new markets, contacting decision-makers, and developing business relationships. Here are five actionable tips that will boost your LinkedIn engagement with the help of digital marketing.

1. Optimize Your LinkedIn Profile for Visibility

Optimize your company's LinkedIn profile. It represents your business and should make a very powerful first impression.

Why It Matters: A good LinkedIn profile is not a resume, but more of a marketing tool. It should clearly provide the value, expertise, and services your company offers its clients transparently and accordingly.

Key Areas to Concentrate On:

Headline: Clearly indicate what your company does and whom it serves while using industry keywords.

Summary: Include what differentiates your business and how those solutions alleviate industry pain points.

Media and Show Pages: Utilize case studies, whitepapers, and videos to prove your experience.

2. Share valuable content frequently

The secret to more engagement in LinkedIn is wonderful, high-quality content that is consistent. The more insightful the content, the higher the possibility of gaining attraction from your target crowd.

Why It Matters: Business-to-business buyers need credible, fact-based information to solve business challenges. Sharing thought leadership information based on industry insights places your company as an authority in its space and can generate inquiries and leads.

Content Ideas

Blog Posts: Develop in-depth analyses of your industry and actionable advice.

Infographics: Visual content, such as infographics, generates more users.

Case Studies: Establish credibility by showcasing success stories of clients.

3. Harness the Power of LinkedIn Groups for Targeted Engagement

LinkedIn Groups: Connect with professionals, share expertise, and generate leads.

Why It Matters: LinkedIn Groups connect you with industry trends and expose you to topics that help establish your credibility. Engaging continually will make you more visible.

How to Engage:

Join Relevant Groups: Participate in groups where your audience is most likely to spend their time or engage in groups that are specifically dedicated to your industry.

Engage in Discussions: Share insights and good practice advice.

Give Gorgeous Content: Provide material subtly for them to participate in the conversation.

4. Leverage LinkedIn's Advanced Search to Find Decision Makers

LinkedIn's advanced search allows you to find critical decision-makers in your industry.

Why It Matters: Advanced search lets you filter and target people depending on the key word criteria such as job title, company, location, therefore maximizing your outreach.

How it works:

Identify Your Targeted Audience: Decide whom you want to connect with, such as CEOs or marketing directors.

Apply Filters: Use the filters on LinkedIn to narrow down your search.

Tailor the Request Messages: Tailor your request messages in a way that makes them relevant and beneficial to the other party.

5. Continuous and Sincere Active Participation

Active participation in linkd ine means continuous authentic interaction with the network.

Why It Matters: Authentic engagement, such as responding to comments or liking posts, builds more meaningful relationships and keeps your business top-of-mind.

How to Engage:

Respond to Comments: Engage your audience by showing you value their input: Reply to comments they make.

Engage with Others: Like and comment on connections' posts to strengthen your relationships.

Send Personalized Messages: Establish relationships by sending thoughtful messages - not sales pitches.

Conclusion

It is indeed a powerful social network for B2B companies who wish to expand their network, define a relation, and generate leads. The overall potential of engagement will surge with optimizing your profile, sharing content rich, utilizing LinkedIn groups, advanced search, and genuine engagement.

You can actually unlock the full power of LinkedIn for your business if you take your LinkedIn strategy to the next level by implementing these actions. Nevertheless, you can partner with a digital marketing agency that can help you in optimizing those efforts to yield fruitful outcomes.

[bishwasdo]

What are the latest trends in the IT job market?

Introduction

The IT job market is changing quickly. This change is because of new technology, different employer needs, and more remote work.

For jobseekers, understanding these trends is crucial to positioning themselves as strong candidates in a highly competitive landscape.

This blog looks at the current IT job market. It offers insights into job trends and opportunities. You will also find practical strategies to improve your chances of getting your desired role.

Whether you’re in the midst of a job search or considering a career change, this guide will help you navigate the complexities of the job hunting process and secure employment in today’s market.

Section 1: Understanding the Current IT Job Market

Recent Trends in the IT Job Market

The IT sector is booming, with consistent demand for skilled professionals in various domains such as cybersecurity, cloud computing, and data science.

The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the shift to remote work, further expanding the demand for IT roles that support this transformation.

Employers are increasingly looking for candidates with expertise in AI, machine learning, and DevOps as these technologies drive business innovation.

According to industry reports, job opportunities in IT will continue to grow, with the most substantial demand focused on software development, data analysis, and cloud architecture.

It’s essential for jobseekers to stay updated on these trends to remain competitive and tailor their skills to current market needs.

Recruitment efforts have also become more digitized, with many companies adopting virtual hiring processes and online job fairs.

This creates both challenges and opportunities for job seekers to showcase their talents and secure interviews through online platforms.

NOTE: Visit Now

Remote Work and IT

The surge in remote work opportunities has transformed the job market. Many IT companies now offer fully remote or hybrid roles, which appeal to professionals seeking greater flexibility.

While remote work has increased access to job opportunities, it has also intensified competition, as companies can now hire from a global talent pool.

Section 2: Choosing the Right Keywords for Your IT Resume

Keyword Optimization: Why It Matters

With more employers using Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS) to screen resumes, it’s essential for jobseekers to optimize their resumes with relevant keywords.

These systems scan resumes for specific words related to the job description and only advance the most relevant applications.

To increase the chances of your resume making it through the initial screening, jobseekers must identify and incorporate the right keywords into their resumes.

When searching for jobs in IT, it’s important to tailor your resume for specific job titles and responsibilities. Keywords like “software engineer,” “cloud computing,” “data security,” and “DevOps” can make a huge difference.

By strategically using keywords that reflect your skills, experience, and the job requirements, you enhance your resume’s visibility to hiring managers and recruitment software.

Step-by-Step Keyword Selection Process

Analyze Job Descriptions: Look at several job postings for roles you’re interested in and identify recurring terms.

Incorporate Specific Terms: Include technical terms related to your field (e.g., Python, Kubernetes, cloud infrastructure).

Use Action Verbs: Keywords like “developed,” “designed,” or “implemented” help demonstrate your experience in a tangible way.

Test Your Resume: Use online tools to see how well your resume aligns with specific job postings and make adjustments as necessary.

Section 3: Customizing Your Resume for Each Job Application

Why Customization is Key

One size does not fit all when it comes to resumes, especially in the IT industry. Jobseekers who customize their resumes for each job application are more likely to catch the attention of recruiters. Tailoring your resume allows you to emphasize the specific skills and experiences that align with the job description, making you a stronger candidate. Employers want to see that you’ve taken the time to understand their needs and that your expertise matches what they are looking for.

Key Areas to Customize:

Summary Section: Write a targeted summary that highlights your qualifications and goals in relation to the specific job you’re applying for.

Skills Section: Highlight the most relevant skills for the position, paying close attention to the technical requirements listed in the job posting.

Experience Section: Adjust your work experience descriptions to emphasize the accomplishments and projects that are most relevant to the job.

Education & Certifications: If certain qualifications or certifications are required, make sure they are easy to spot on your resume.

NOTE: Read More

Section 4: Reviewing and Testing Your Optimized Resume

Proofreading for Perfection

Before submitting your resume, it’s critical to review it for accuracy, clarity, and relevance. Spelling mistakes, grammatical errors, or outdated information can reflect poorly on your professionalism.

Additionally, make sure your resume is easy to read and visually organized, with clear headings and bullet points. If possible, ask a peer or mentor in the IT field to review your resume for content accuracy and feedback.

Testing Your Resume with ATS Tools

After making your resume keyword-optimized, test it using online tools that simulate ATS systems. This allows you to see how well your resume aligns with specific job descriptions and identify areas for improvement.

Many tools will give you a match score, showing you how likely your resume is to pass an ATS scan. From here, you can fine-tune your resume to increase its chances of making it to the recruiter’s desk.

Section 5: Trends Shaping the Future of IT Recruitment

Embracing Digital Recruitment

Recruiting has undergone a significant shift towards digital platforms, with job fairs, interviews, and onboarding now frequently taking place online.

This transition means that jobseekers must be comfortable navigating virtual job fairs, remote interviews, and online assessments.

As IT jobs increasingly allow remote work, companies are also using technology-driven recruitment tools like AI for screening candidates.

Jobseekers should also leverage platforms like LinkedIn to increase visibility in the recruitment space. Keeping your LinkedIn profile updated, networking with industry professionals, and engaging in online discussions can all boost your chances of being noticed by recruiters.

Furthermore, participating in virtual job fairs or IT recruitment events provides direct access to recruiters and HR professionals, enhancing your job hunt.

FAQs

1. How important are keywords in IT resumes?

Keywords are essential in IT resumes because they ensure your resume passes through Applicant Tracking Systems (ATS), which scans resumes for specific terms related to the job. Without the right keywords, your resume may not reach a human recruiter.

2. How often should I update my resume?

It’s a good idea to update your resume regularly, especially when you gain new skills or experience. Also, customize it for every job application to ensure it aligns with the job’s specific requirements.

3. What are the most in-demand IT jobs?

Some of the most in-demand IT jobs include software developers, cloud engineers, cybersecurity analysts, data scientists, and DevOps engineers.

4. How can I stand out in the current IT job market?

To stand out, jobseekers should focus on tailoring their resumes, building strong online profiles, networking, and keeping up-to-date with industry trends. Participation in online forums, attending webinars, and earning industry-relevant certifications can also enhance visibility.

Conclusion

The IT job market continues to offer exciting opportunities for jobseekers, driven by technological innovations and changing work patterns.

By staying informed about current trends, customizing your resume, using keywords effectively, and testing your optimized resume, you can improve your job search success.

Whether you are new to the IT field or an experienced professional, leveraging these strategies will help you navigate the competitive landscape and secure a job that aligns with your career goals.

NOTE: Contact Us

[accountsend]

Effective B2B Contact Management: Unveiling Strategies to Harness B2B Database Leads and Elevate Sales Growth

In the ever-evolving landscape of B2B sales and marketing, the art of effective B2B contact management emerges as a critical force shaping success. This comprehensive guide delves into the intricate pathways of nurturing robust relationships, optimizing communication, and propelling substantial business growth. At the heart of this strategic journey lies the meticulously organized B2B contact database – a powerhouse for precision B2B lead generation, strategic sales leads, and amplified business development. This illuminating article embarks on a deep exploration of the core strategies that unveil the true potential of B2B databases, catalyzing a transformation from mere data reservoirs into dynamic engines driving precision and growth.

DOWNLOAD THE INFOGRAPHIC HERE

Defining a Clear Database Structure

Central to unlocking the potential of effective B2B contact management is the establishment of a crystal-clear database structure. This architectural marvel sets the stage for targeted B2B lead generation and strategic sales leads, akin to creating a roadmap for successful business development. Contacts are carefully categorized based on pertinent criteria – industry, company size, job titles, and geographic location. The creation of separate fields for pivotal contact details, encompassing names, email addresses, phone numbers, and company information, facilitates a streamlined approach for accessing crucial data. This structured foundation becomes the epicenter from which personalized B2B sales prospects are cultivated and business development thrives.

Regular Data Cleansing and Updates

Much like tending to a thriving garden, maintaining an accurate B2B contact database involves nurturing and pruning. Through consistent data cleansing practices, redundancies are eradicated, errors are rectified, and outdated information is supplanted. This meticulous process not only sharpens the efficacy of B2B lead generation but fortifies the database's integrity. The adoption of data cleansing tools or the strategic outsourcing of this task ensures the accuracy and dependability of sales leads. A refined database lays the groundwork for triumphant B2B sales endeavors.

Implementing a Centralized Database System

Efficiency and organization take center stage in the modern business ecosystem, and the implementation of a centralized database system or customer relationship management (CRM) software exemplifies this ethos. This unified platform serves as the nucleus for storing contact information, tracking interactions, and orchestrating seamless communication. A judicious selection of a system tailored to organizational requirements, boasting features such as customizable fields, tagging, and segmentation, transforms B2B lead generation and sales leads into actionable insights. This integration amplifies the potency of business development initiatives.

Segmenting Contacts for Targeted Outreach

In the dynamic realm of B2B interactions, precision is paramount. Enter the realm of contact segmentation – the art of categorizing contacts based on specific criteria that enrich B2B lead generation efforts. By grouping contacts according to industry, job roles, interests, or engagement levels, the potency of personalized outreach escalates. Each interaction becomes a personalized symphony, every correspondence speaks directly to the recipient's needs. This strategic approach metamorphoses sales leads into symbiotic partnerships, heralding a new era in business development.

Integrating the Database with Other Tools

The essence of modern business lies in interconnectedness. The harmonious integration of your B2B contact database with other tools and systems encapsulates this ethos. Picture seamless fusion with email marketing platforms, sales automation tools, and customer support systems – this synergy propels the fluid flow of data, automates repetitive tasks, and nurtures cross-functional collaboration. The integration augments B2B lead generation, amplifies business development, and charts a transformative course for your database's evolution into a hub of productivity.

Implementing Data Security Measures

In a landscape defined by digital interconnectedness, safeguarding data is paramount. Robust data security measures form an impervious barrier around the B2B contact information. Enforcing stringent password policies, limiting access to authorized personnel, and maintaining regular backups fortify defenses against potential breaches. Staying vigilant regarding data privacy regulations is a testament to your commitment to maintaining trust with B2B sales leads and partners.

Providing Training and Documentation

Empowerment extends beyond technology, encompassing adept handling of the contact management system by your team. Comprehensive training ensures flawless data entry, accurate updates, and optimal utilization of database features. In tandem, detailed documentation fosters a culture of effective database management, augmenting the value of B2B lead generation and sales prospects. As proficiency spreads, every interaction becomes an opportunity, every engagement a step towards nurturing enduring partnerships.

In summation, the art of effective B2B contact management strategies stands as the linchpin of impactful B2B lead generation, strategic sales leads, and business development. From structuring your database meticulously to integrating advanced tools such as AccountSend, each component harmonizes in a symphony of success. By embracing these strategies, you orchestrate growth, cultivate relationships, and pave a path toward enduring success in a competitive landscape. Embark on this enlightening journey, revolutionize your B2B endeavors, and witness your contact database morph into an instrumental asset fueling triumphant B2B lead generation, strategic sales prospects, and exponential growth.

[airasilver]

Opinion: Here’s who should have won Time’s ‘Person of the Year’

Updated 10:07 AM EST December 8, 2023

Editor’s Note: Holly Thomas is a writer and editor based in London. She is morning editor at Katie Couric Media. She tweets @HolstaT. The opinions expressed in this commentary are solely those of the author. View more opinion on CNN.

Taylor Swift is Time’s 2023 “Person of the Year,” and apparently, I’m the only millennial woman on Earth who doesn’t feel seen.

OK, that’s an exaggeration. But since the announcement, it’s felt like a specific corner of Spotify Wrapped got bitten by a radioactive spider and attained superhuman powers.

I’m happy for her, I guess. I’ve nothing against a seemingly pleasant person having a lovely time, and there’s no denying she’s had a stellar year. As Time’s feature details, Swift’s now made more No. 1 albums than any other woman in history, has world leaders begging her to tour their nations and has reportedly become a billionaire. “Swift is the rare person who is both the writer and hero of her own story,” says Time. That’s great. I just don’t find that story especially compelling.

Ugh, I feel so mean. I’m well aware this will upset people, and I’d never want to rob anyone else of their joy. We’ve all had conversations with people who simply don’t “get” the music or TV we’re into. Typically, my response to such complaints is, “That’s OK, it wasn’t made for you.” But part of what’s making me so squirmy is the sense that Swift, and the stories she tells through her music, are basically aimed at me. If you lined me up alongside everyone I know who’s currently rhapsodizing over her success, I’d be indistinguishable. But I’m not biting. That’s not because I think there’s anything wrong with her. If anything, my choice for Time “Person of the Year” would be more problematic.

Historically, the title’s recipient has often been a provocateur. The idea isn’t necessarily that the “best” person wins — though that’s certainly been the case at times — it’s that the person who’s had the most influence, for “good or ill” over the previous 12 months, is recognized. Previous winners have included Adolf Hitler, Joseph Stalin, Greta Thunberg, Martin Luther King Jr. and Elon Musk. This year’s shortlist included the Hollywood strikers, Chinese President Xi Jinping, Barbie, Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, Russian President Vladimir Putin, the Trump prosecutors, King Charles III and OpenAI CEO Sam Altman. Time ultimately named Altman CEO of the year. I think he should have taken the top title.

In case he hasn’t yet crossed your radar, Altman is the 38-year-old chief executive of OpenAI, the tech startup responsible for creating ChatGPT. ChatGPT is a revolutionary generative artificial intelligence chatbot that was launched in November 2022. It’s since astounded observers by passing exams at law and business schools, writing effective job applications and computer code and composing part of a political speech for Israel’s president.

The implications of that tech alone are both miraculous and terrifying, particularly given the potential for disinformation campaigns to influence the presidential election in 2024. Many companies besides OpenAI are vying for a bite of the lucrative AI market, competing to develop newer, evermore sophisticated systems. Though the Biden administration recently introduced legislation to regulate the exploding industry, the pace of development is so rapid that it’s often difficult for governments to keep up.

The mysteriousness and speed of the AI race were evidenced in November, when, less than a year after ChatGPT’s launch, Altman was fired suddenly by his company’s board. Just days later, Microsoft, OpenAI’s biggest stakeholder, announced it was hiring Altman to head up a new AI team. This prompted a mass revolt among OpenAI’s staff, almost all of whom threatened to quit unless Altman was rehired. Within days, he was, and the board that’d fired him was replaced.

The circumstances around both Altman’s dismissal and rehiring were remarkably murky. In their statement announcing his sacking, the original board accused Altman of “being not consistently candid in his communications,” but didn’t elaborate on what that meant. Even more worrying, Altman’s return and the restructuring of OpenAI have been characterized as a victory for AI “accelerationists” — those who believe that the tech should be developed as fast as possible, unconstrained by safety concerns. The episode proved that Altman wasn’t just capable of spearheading potentially the most significant invention of the 21st century so far. He was able to upend the ecosystem that created it within days.

This, I think, is what’s lacking in Swift as Time “Person of the Year.” Her predominance in the entertainment industry is undeniable, but her story is essentially one of becoming mega-successful within an existing framework. As she told Time, we live in a patriarchal society fueled by money, so “feminine ideas becoming lucrative means that more female art will get made.” It’s not a million miles from, “If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.”

The impression that no one’s anticipating any controversy from Swift anytime soon was reinforced in November when Gannett, America’s biggest newspaper chain, hired the first-ever Swift correspondent. The journalist in question, 35-year-old Bryan West, is a self-avowed fan. Odd though some might find it to hire someone with such an obvious bias, West has argued that it’s no different than “being a sports journalist who’s a fan of the home team.” Whether you agree with that comparison or not, it’s undeniably in his professional interests for Swift to remain popular and relevant — and it seems unlikely that the appetite for stories about her will wane anytime soon.

This is why Altman, not Swift, ought to have been Time’s “Person of the Year.” His impact on the world could be exponentially more consequential, but not nearly enough people are aware of him or the implications of his technology. Every move Swift makes, however incidental, is the subject of feverish intrigue and speculation. Over in San Francisco, Altman is making moves that could change the fate of the world. And until a month ago, most of us were unaware he even existed.

© 2023 Cable News Network. A Warner Bros. Discovery Company. All Rights Reserved. 
CNN Sans ™ & © 2016 Cable News Network.

I don’t know about Sam Altman but I agree, it shouldn’t have been Taylor. She’s just a musician who is everywhere and in everything.

At least I’ve seen good and bad on the AI front. Good and bad from Hollywood and etc. Taylor? Just everyone praising her? For what? Her singing? Her tours? (Where people died but while they bitched at males for things out of their control, Taylor is praised for it….doesn’t make sense to me.) Her making us spend money we then complain about?

She’s not that good of a singer. I don’t like her anymore. She’s the same as any other singer out there.

[runwayrunway]

No. 49 - Discover Airlines

You know, 'Discover Airlines' is kind of what some readers on this blog do when I review an airline they're unfamiliar with. Anyway.

Earlier this week I talked about Eurowings. To be honest, that was me laying the groundwork for another post in response to a new development in Lufthansa's quest to kill Eurowings.

I'm sure some but not all of you are familiar with the fact that Eurowings is incapable of going too long without a subsidiary-of-a-subsidiary. They were probably still feeling quite full from their main course of Germanwings when, in 2021, Lufthansa said it was time for another one.

Yay, new subsidiary! Just one problem.

Well, okay, that doesn't look like all that much of a change. But zoom in a bit closer. That's...yellow. That wasn't in the Eurowings livery at all. A seemingly minor change of logo disguises an actual new livery. Despite this, it hasn't stopped being quite...Eurow, if you know what I mean.

This screenshot contains multitudes. The fact that they haven't even changed the page title from Eurowings Discover. The fact that they call it the new leisure airline of the Lufthansa Group - yes, the only one, and it's new, it just started existing now, cross my heart and hope to die. The generally awkward phrasing even though this isn't my browser trying to translate it from German or something, this is actually the way it's written. Chef's kiss.

Happy to announce it, are you? I'm sure you are.

I'm surprised it took them this long. Honestly, I'm surprised they made another Eurowings to begin with. (Especially since Discover Airlines doesn't seem to be low-cost, given it offers business class. 'Cheaper than Lufthansa' is not the same thing as low-cost.) It's a pretty laughable and pathetic admission of their own failure, but to be honest it was obvious from day one that Eurowings Discover would be short-lived one way or another. Even on the old logo the 'discover' is about twice as large as the 'Eurowings', as if begging you to forget what airline this is. That's a reasonable thing to want people to do, since you'd probably like to not be stranded in Cuba for 60 hours during which you are technically an unauthorized arrival. Only one airline has ever provided that particular experience!

I did mention last time that it's weird Eurowings doesn't use any of that cyan up front, but here's the thing: if you just put it on white it's downright illegible. They may have realized this in their initial design of the livery. They then immediately did it anyway for Eurowings Discover! Some real mind experts on the job here. Anyway, I'm not going to comment on the Eurowings Discover livery because it's just the Eurowings livery with a word added.

Discover Airlines (the former Eurowings Discover) is a long-haul vacation airline, and they'd love to fly you to sunny destinations like Funchal, the Maldives, Corfu...Halifax... Alaska...or Tenerife, or maybe Gran Canaria if you're not feeling Tenerife for some reason. Or Ibiza!

Unfortunately Venga Airways has had its Air Operator's Certificate revoked and the Vengajet is currently in storage.

Discover Airlines' main competitor in this market is another German airline, condor. I said this before and I'll say it again - condor is worth a billion examples of Eurowhite dreck. There's a legitimate sort of fishhook theory where while I prefer a good livery to condor, I strongly prefer condor to an unsatisfyingly average livery despite the fact that I do think their planes are truly poorly designed. Sometimes a good concept just overpowers bad execution. And, to quote a friend of mine's quip about Unfriended (2014), a film with way too many good qualities to be Unfriended (2014), "it sucks but at least it does it well".

Surprisingly given this is the Lufthansa Group, the website actually contains a bit of insight into their creative process. Worryingly, this implies that there is something of a creative process and it's simply had these sorts of results. But let's dive into this and see if they've made any changes that aren't worse. Discover Airlines, like Icelandair, condor, Riyadh Air, and others, have included a page dedicated to the inspiration behind their livery and brand. All upcoming images, unless otherwise specified, are taken from this website.

Let's begin with the color scheme.

This palette is pretty interesting. Blue and yellow isn't unheard of, and blue with a yellow accent is the most common variant of this, but it's still a pretty uncommon color scheme. It helps that they're not common colors for flags, and even the countries that have it in their flags don't use it. Sweden is part of the SAS throuple instead of having its own flag carrier; Air Astana doesn't use yellow; and Palau and Barbados do not have flag carriers. This leaves Ukraine International Airlines as the only flag-derived user of this palette. I don't like yellow on its own, but I actually like it with blue for its distinctiveness. If you pick the right shades it can look pretty nice. Actually...

image: lufthansa bildarchiv

The most prominent user of this palette, in my own mind, is Lufthansa, back when Lufthansa had a livery I actually approved of, which I thought stuck out and which I miss dearly now. We've fallen so far since then, lost so much, but I wonder if this Discover Airlines palette is an intentional nod to the thing we were robbed of. Indeed, they mention at least the blue being an intentional homage:

Despite the distinctive character of the new design, our connection to the core brand Lufthansa is subtly indicated by elements like the dark blue and the wordmark in the Lufthansa font.

...and they're using Lufthansa's proprietary typeface, Helvetica Neuer. Joy.

At least when you make it larger and lighter colored it's not quite as cramped and you can sort of forget it's a hideous font. Something about the all-lowercase styling also cushions the blow by making it look intentional instead of, like I said when discussing Eurowings, not bothering to change from the default font on your word processor.

...well, it also uses the exact same livery layout as modern Lufthansa, that's for sure. Booo. I've gone on a lot about the eponymous Lufthansa Line and how abominably bad it looks on longer planes despite seeming deceptively decent on shorter ones, so let me just show you Discover Airlines's various planes.

Hmm, yeah. You can just see it getting less and less offensive from left to right. This is why this type of livery needs to adapt on different airframes to work, and airlines are so unwilling to do it.

This fuselage layout is so overdone I could probably end the post here, but I'm not going to, because I'm not done with their website. This is where this post actually gets a bit interesting.

Fittingly for an airline, it’s inspired by a view of the horizon. More specifically, by the various lines and color nuances that emerge when the blue of the sky meets the landscape. These “skylines” are the most important design element of our brand and arise from various blue tones as well as a sunny yellow. 

(Why is all the copy on this website so awkwardly written?)

So, this concept...this is really good. I like this. I like something about Discover Airlines. This is a great idea for a leisure airline. And, like condor, a good idea won't spare you my wrath, but in this case, when it's so similar to so many Lufthansa Line liveries it does earn a few points from me. There's not much else to comment on, so you could be fooled for not realizing this, but there's actual lost potential here. It implies the Lufthansa Group is capable of some measure of improvement over time, which is disturbing.

This picture, featuring the deeply generic and sort of frumpy Discover Airlines cabin crew uniforms, represents me giving them a condescending high-five as a teacher might give a student aged in the single digits. Good job, sweetie!

No, seriously. The uniforms are fine to wear to summer brunch but very poor for cabin crew. I think you can buy this off-the-rack from Vineyard Vines. Also, that is the most pre-tied looking scarf I've ever seen.

I do like the use of the colors as well. The circular highlight, which keeps the tail stripes from being as boring as they might be, puts me in mind of the sun, or a lens flare. The balance of light and dark is tasteful, and I love the hint of yellow. My issue really starts and ends at the Lufthansa Line, that ever-present ruiner of liveries.

I think the solution was fairly obvious. And I'll probably do a Project Runway Runway on it, because I think I can make it happen with a mouse and keyboard - it's genuinely that simple. And that's about where the meaning the website offers ends, so that means it's time for my rating.

I find myself conflicted, much as I did with Eurowings. There's definitely enough here that I don't want to give it a D, but at the same time I do. I've given Lufthansa Line liveries grades as high as C+ in extenuating circumstances, and I stand by those, but I don't want to do it for concepts that don't translate to visuals, and I don't want to give it to liveries that I don't think are exceptionally good examples of adding elements which mitigate the archetype's inherent flaws. Given its modern relevance, at this point I despise Lufthansa Line adherents more than the old Deltalikes, and I think I'm going to make it a policy that they're all going to get D+ or below unless they really demonstrate something different. Or unless they only fly really stubby planes that the livery looks okay on, but basically no airline has that excuse. Discover definitely doesn't with their A330s.

But given this tangible improvement, given the visual interest added to the tail, given that they have an actual philosophy this time, is a D+ really fair?

...what am I talking about? I gave Saudia and Eurowings D+ for doing nothing despite actively liking how both of their liveries look. Discover missed the most obvious idea ever in order to toe the Lufthansa Line. They're not special and they're getting no mercy.

D+, for Discover

That's it for today! If I have enough time, I'll fit in a redesign as a bonus post later this week. It doesn't take a genius to know how to make this good. Maybe if they read my reviews, don't send me a cease and desist, and learn from my critiques, in the future the Lufthansa Group can Discover some decent liveries.

[somwrita]

In a fast-evolving world, technology has transformed various aspects of our lives, including the workforce’s nature. Technology has advanced through artificial intelligence and automation to robotics and machine learning in reshaping the job. Given the growing company’s need for more output and efficiency, the job sector has not been spared. This article reflects on how much technology has impacted the workforce, focusing on the opportunities and challenges facing the same. We consider the job sector being disrupted by technology with new job titles being created and others becoming obsolete. Furthermore, we also consider the various skills and expertise highly sought in the digital economy and the value of any employee constantly learning and adjusting to more value provision.

Technology and job automation. The job market is also changing fast due to new job automation tools such as artificial intelligence, robotics, and other technological advancements. For example, automation, especially automation based on robotics, is replacing many blue-collar jobs due to efficiency and cost-cutting. This trend also extends to some white-collar jobs requiring repetitive work on an intermediate level. Nonetheless, automation is a two-sided tool. It also creates new jobs that require more creativity and technical skills. For example, businesses today are looking for many data analysts, artificial intelligence specialists, robotics engineers, as their current business success depends on these fields.

The conclusion would then synthesize these insights, offering a roadmap for navigating the changing landscape of work in the age of technology.

Footnote

#TalentServe is a company specializing in career development link to website. They offer various resources that can support individuals in navigating the workplace, including stress management techniques and career development opportunities that might lead to a more fulfilling and less stressful work environment.

[trendpulsewire]

15 Common SEO Interview Questions and Answers (Recently Asked)

Land your job with the help of 15 common SEO Interview Questions and Answers

SEO Fundamentals

What is SEO?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimization. It's the process of optimizing a website to improve its ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs) for relevant keywords.

Why is SEO important?

SEO helps businesses attract organic traffic (visitors who find the website through search engines), which can lead to increased brand awareness, leads, and sales.

What are the different types of SEO?

On-page SEO: Optimizing website content, structure, and code for search engines.

Off-page SEO: Building backlinks and online reputation to improve website authority.

Technical SEO: Ensuring website crawlability, mobile-friendliness, and speed.

Keyword Research & Targeting

What is keyword research and why is it important?

Keyword research involves identifying relevant keywords users search for and optimizing content around those keywords. It helps target the right audience and improve ranking potential.

What factors do you consider when selecting keywords?

Search volume: How often a keyword is searched for.

Competition level: Difficulty of ranking for a particular keyword.

User intent: What the user is trying to achieve with their search (informational, transactional, etc.).

What are long-tail keywords and how are they beneficial?

Long-tail keywords are more specific phrases with lower search volume but higher conversion rates. They target users further along the buying journey.

On-Page Optimization

How can you optimize a webpage for a specific keyword?

Include the keyword naturally throughout the content (title tags, headings, body text).

Write high-quality, informative content that addresses user search intent.

Optimize meta descriptions with the keyword and a compelling call to action.

Use relevant internal linking to connect related pages on the website.

What is the importance of title tags and meta descriptions?

Title tags and meta descriptions are like mini-advertisements for your webpage in search results. They should be clear, concise, and include the target keyword to entice users to click.

What is image optimization and why is it important?

Image optimization involves using relevant alt tags, compressing image size, and using descriptive file names. This improves website loading speed and user experience, and helps search engines understand the content of your images.

Technical SEO

What are some common technical SEO issues?

Slow loading speed.

Mobile-friendliness issues.

Broken links.

Website security concerns (e.g., not using HTTPS).

Duplicate content.

How can you identify and address technical SEO issues?

Use SEO crawl tools and website analysis tools to identify issues. Work with developers to fix technical errors and improve website performance.

Off-Page SEO & Link Building

What is the role of backlinks in SEO?

Backlinks are links from other websites pointing to yours. They act as a vote of confidence and improve your website's authority in the eyes of search engines.

What are white-hat link-building strategies?

Create high-quality content that others want to link to.

Guest blog on relevant websites in your niche.

Build relationships with other industry professionals and websites.

Participate in online communities and forums, providing valuable insights.

What are black-hat link-building strategies and why should you avoid them?

Black-hat strategies involve manipulating backlinks through methods like link buying or automated link building. These tactics are against search engine guidelines and can lead to penalties.

Content & SEO

How does content marketing contribute to SEO?

Creating high-quality, informative, and engaging content helps attract organic traffic, improves user experience, and establishes topical authority on relevant subjects. For Know More question visit here

[gradsiren]

𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬, 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

An organization is like a machine with many moving parts. For it to work efficiently, there must be the right people placed in the right roles.

This requires properly defining and documenting different jobs in the organization through job analysis, job descriptions and job specifications.

These tools form the foundation of key HR functions like recruitment, compensation, performance management and employee development.

In this article, we’ll provide an in-depth overview of what job analysis, descriptions and specifications are, why they matter. We’ll also discuss how to create them accurately for hiring and managing talent effectively.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬?

Job analysis is a systematic process of gathering, documenting and analyzing information about the responsibilities, tasks, skills, abilities, knowledge area, and work context associated with a

particular job. It forms the basis for defining the right requirements for successfully performing that job.

The key objectives of job analysis are to:

● Identify the core duties and responsibilities that a job entails

● Determine the specialized skills, credentials or competencies needed for the job

● Recognize the key performance indicators to measure outcomes for the job

● Understand the environmental/cultural context and physical demands of the job

● Identify machines, tools, equipment, and technologies used in the job

Information for job analysis is gathered in several ways – employee surveys, questionnaires, interviews with job incumbents, observation of workers, and review of policies and procedures.

Specialized jobs may also require analyzing industry standards.

The deliverable from job analysis is documentation that comprehensively describes the job – this is called job description.

𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

An effective job description concisely summarizes the key outputs, responsibilities, required skills and qualifications for a particular job. It serves as a guiding document for recruiting, onboarding, training and performance management.

Key elements that a job description includes are:

● Job title and department

● Overall purpose/objective of the job (summary statement)

● The scope of role and position in org structure

● Key duties and responsibilities

● Interactions with other jobs/departments

● Educational qualifications and specialized certification

● Technical/software skills needed

● Soft skills or behavioral competencies required

● Physical or sensory abilities required

A well-written job description is detailed yet easy to grasp for both job seekers and employees. It should describe both day-to-day activities as well as rare responsibilities that the role may

entail. The language used should be clear and use common industry terminology.

Here’s an example snippet from a job description:

Job Title: Sales Manager

Department: Sales

Summary Statement: Responsible for building and leading high-performing sales teams to drive sustainable business growth and achieve revenue targets for the organization’s products/services. Reports to the Head of Sales.

Roles and Responsibilities:

● Develop and implement strategic sales plans to achieve growth targets

● Manage end-to-end sales cycle for major accounts/partnerships

● Coach and mentor junior sales team members to build capabilities

● Work closely with marketing to generate quality sales leads

● Monitor competition landscape and market trends to identify opportunities

Notice how the summary provides an overview while the responsibilities dive into details of core duties.

𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Job specification is about defining the human requirements – the candidate profile with the skills, traits and experience needed to fulfill those duties.

Job specification details:

● Minimum or required educational qualifications

● Job-related certifications needed

● Hard skills and soft skills required

● Physical attributes like stamina if applicable

● Minimum years and type of experience desired

● Specialized knowledge needed

As part of job specification, you can also indicate “preferred but not required” qualifications to find candidates who may exceed expectations for the role.

The aim is to outline an optimal candidate profile that increases the chances of identifying the right people for long-term success in the job. Paired with the job description, the spec allows for informed hiring decisions based on merit rather than subjective impressions alone.

For example, part of a job spec for a sales manager role could be:

Required Qualification and Experience:

● Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or relevant field

● Proven experience of 5+ years successfully managing corporate sales teams

● Demonstrated ability to coach and mentor junior sales resources

● Strong track record of achieving revenue targets in past roles

● Subject matter expertise and network in the technology industry

Preferred Qualifications:

● Master’s degree in Business or relevant certification

● Background working with partners/alliances programs

● International sales experience

𝟖 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬, 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Here are some key best practices to create accurate and impactful job analysis documentation:

1. Get input from diverse stakeholders: Speak with not just incumbents but their managers and internal customers to get a balanced perspective on the job.

2. Focus on the job, not person: Document only the role itself rather than capabilities of the current person in the job which could be subjective.

3. Use clear, concise language: Write descriptions suited not just for internal HR but also external candidates. Use common industry terminology.

4. Standardize key elements: Use consistent sections and structure across job docs for different roles to enable comparison.

5. Review and update regularly: Revisit docs as business needs evolve to ensure relevance. You can also build review cadence.

6. Collaborate with the compensation team: Align job analysis with pay scale considerations for competitive and fair compensation.

7. Leverage software tools: Use online templates and organizational collaboration tools to easily create, review and update descriptions.

8. Incorporate compliance needs: Ensure job documentation meets all the mandatory and other regulatory requirements.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Getting job analysis right has far-reaching impact across the employee lifecycle:

● Strategic workforce planning: The details help assess workforce capacity and identify skill gaps.

● Candidate screening: Job specs enable assessing if applicants have the required credentials and experience to shortlist.

● Interviewing and selection: Structured, standardized questions can be based on requirements in description.

● Onboarding/training: New hires understand role expectations right from day one. Learning is aligned to needs.

● Performance reviews: Measurable evaluation relies on key outputs and metrics captured in description.

● Succession planning: Required qualifications help identify and develop suitable internal candidates to fill critical roles.

● Compensation management: Job analysis enables pay to be competitive based on “going rate” for matching skill-sets and demands.

However, it is also important to choose the right platform to find experienced or fresher jobs. GradSiren is your destination if you are looking for IT jobs in India. The platform also provides you numerous opportunities for IT jobs in USA that fits your requirements.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

Job analysis, descriptions and specifications provide the strong informational backbone for managing your human capital in alignment with organizational goals. Getting it right does demand diligence and collaboration across teams, but pays off manifold in building a productive, thriving workforce.

As per best practices, incorporate input from diverse stakeholders, use clear and concise language, integrate regular reviews and ensure consistency across roles. By laying this robust groundwork, organizations can make smart, ethical decisions in acquiring and supporting talent.

[merrock]

CHARACTER INFORMATION

face claim: Raymond Ablack

full name: Jesper Hunte

nickname(s) / goes by: Jes

pronouns & gender: cis man & he/him

sexuality: demisexual

birth date: May 7, 1989

birth place: Merrock, Maine

arrival to merrock: local

housing: Historical downtown

occupation: Chef

work place: The Maine Course

family: older sister

relationship status: single

PERSONALITY

Jesper is introverted, easy going, and soft-spoken. He is a hard worker and dedicated to his job. He is oft accused of being a homebody and will proudly wear that title like a badge of honor. This quiet nature doesn't, however, exempt him from a snarky to downright sarcastic sense of humor. He's the type of guy that gets calls at night from drunk friends needing a ride. Firstly, because they know he'll always be there, and secondly because they know he won't be busy. He is a confidante to regulars at his food truck and has proven to hold his tongue in regard to gossip. 

WRITTEN BY: Kate (she/her) est.

BACKGROUND / BIO

triggering / sensitive content warning: childhood illness (heart issues; surgery), parental death, car accident

Jesper was born blue. There was a name for his heart condition and a bunch of complicated anatomy, but it all boiled down to a hole between two chambers. A tiny leak.

His parents were transplants from city life that moved to Merrock to start a family. They were, to the horror of their two children, both psychologists. Jesper's mother specialized in marriage counseling, his father in childhood development. Their eldest was a girl born some years earlier, and Jesper was brought in to round off the family. He did. He was made absolutely (and by the textbook) aware of that fact. But he was also what one might consider a sickly child. He tired quicker and grew slower. His first six years were a waiting game to see if his heart might mend itself. So, while other kids tumbled in the school yard, he spent them mostly indoors. He became his mother's helper, always there in the kitchen when she was cooking. He became his father's assistant, always there when he folded the laundry.

It was finally decided at seven that he would undergo surgery. Its success left him with a scar that would fade to silver as he grew. That same success granted him for the first time the chance to be more tactile with the world around him. But habits die hard, he would never be that type of boy. He was calm in the midst of this storm. His teacher's called him sweet, his sister a suck-up. In truth, Jesper realized early what people wanted from him. He could mold easily into that, slip by undetected in that sense.

As he grew it was obvious, he didn't have (as his parent's wished) any scholarly pursuits. He was a decent student with a small group of friends, but he certainly had no interest in further education. Instead, he gravitated toward cooking. He started making breakfasts for his family in middle school and graduated to dinners by high school. He was a homebody by nature though, content to settle. It was his sister that lit a fire under him and urged him to pursue culinary school.

For one brief window he was away, studying in Paris and living out of a studio apartment there but the life didn't suit him. After one year, he withdrew and returned to Merrock. He found a position at a local restaurant and moved into an apartment in downtown. He dated sporadically, adopted a stray cat off the street one lucky winter, and lived quietly. It was the kind of life his parent's tried to therapize a solution to, but then, he'd long since grown immune to their shrinking.

In time, he would grow to miss those conversations, because when he was twenty-eight, they both passed in a car accident. The grief struck hard, but their graves lie in Merrock and are well tended by him every weekend. With his inheritance, Jesper bought a food truck and opened his own idea of happiness. With a little tongue in cheek name of 'The Maine Course' it's open six days a week at the hideaway market. It serves both traditional samosas and non-traditional burritos along with rice wine and beers on the weekend. The space out front has picnic tables and firepits in the winter.

These days, he lives as he wants. Some (his sister) might call him hermit-adjacent but it's an easy existence. Good on the heart.

[gradsireninc]

𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬, 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

An organization is like a machine with many moving parts. For it to work efficiently, there must be the right people placed in the right roles.

This requires properly defining and documenting different jobs in the organization through job analysis, job descriptions and job specifications.

These tools form the foundation of key HR functions like recruitment, compensation, performance management and employee development.

In this article, we’ll provide an in-depth overview of what job analysis, descriptions and specifications are, why they matter. We’ll also discuss how to create them accurately for hiring and managing talent effectively.

𝐖𝐡𝐚𝐭 𝐢𝐬 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬?

Job analysis is a systematic process of gathering, documenting and analyzing information about the responsibilities, tasks, skills, abilities, knowledge area, and work context associated with a

particular job. It forms the basis for defining the right requirements for successfully performing that job.

The key objectives of job analysis are to:

● Identify the core duties and responsibilities that a job entails

● Determine the specialized skills, credentials or competencies needed for the job

● Recognize the key performance indicators to measure outcomes for the job

● Understand the environmental/cultural context and physical demands of the job

● Identify machines, tools, equipment, and technologies used in the job

Information for job analysis is gathered in several ways – employee surveys, questionnaires, interviews with job incumbents, observation of workers, and review of policies and procedures.

Specialized jobs may also require analyzing industry standards.

The deliverable from job analysis is documentation that comprehensively describes the job – this is called job description.

𝐄𝐥𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐚 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

An effective job description concisely summarizes the key outputs, responsibilities, required skills and qualifications for a particular job. It serves as a guiding document for recruiting, onboarding, training and performance management.

Key elements that a job description includes are:

● Job title and department

● Overall purpose/objective of the job (summary statement)

● The scope of role and position in org structure

● Key duties and responsibilities

● Interactions with other jobs/departments

● Educational qualifications and specialized certification

● Technical/software skills needed

● Soft skills or behavioral competencies required

● Physical or sensory abilities required

A well-written job description is detailed yet easy to grasp for both job seekers and employees. It should describe both day-to-day activities as well as rare responsibilities that the role may

entail. The language used should be clear and use common industry terminology.

Here’s an example snippet from a job description:

Job Title: Sales Manager

Department: Sales

Summary Statement: Responsible for building and leading high-performing sales teams to drive sustainable business growth and achieve revenue targets for the organization’s products/services. Reports to the Head of Sales.

Roles and Responsibilities:

● Develop and implement strategic sales plans to achieve growth targets

● Manage end-to-end sales cycle for major accounts/partnerships

● Coach and mentor junior sales team members to build capabilities

● Work closely with marketing to generate quality sales leads

● Monitor competition landscape and market trends to identify opportunities

Notice how the summary provides an overview while the responsibilities dive into details of core duties.

𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Job specification is about defining the human requirements – the candidate profile with the skills, traits and experience needed to fulfill those duties.

Job specification details:

● Minimum or required educational qualifications

● Job-related certifications needed

● Hard skills and soft skills required

● Physical attributes like stamina if applicable

● Minimum years and type of experience desired

● Specialized knowledge needed

As part of job specification, you can also indicate “preferred but not required” qualifications to find candidates who may exceed expectations for the role.

The aim is to outline an optimal candidate profile that increases the chances of identifying the right people for long-term success in the job. Paired with the job description, the spec allows for informed hiring decisions based on merit rather than subjective impressions alone.

For example, part of a job spec for a sales manager role could be:

Required Qualification and Experience:

● Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration or relevant field

● Proven experience of 5+ years successfully managing corporate sales teams

● Demonstrated ability to coach and mentor junior sales resources

● Strong track record of achieving revenue targets in past roles

● Subject matter expertise and network in the technology industry

Preferred Qualifications:

● Master’s degree in Business or relevant certification

● Background working with partners/alliances programs

● International sales experience

𝟖 𝐁𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐏𝐫𝐚𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬, 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐩𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Here are some key best practices to create accurate and impactful job analysis documentation:

1. Get input from diverse stakeholders: Speak with not just incumbents but their managers and internal customers to get a balanced perspective on the job.

2. Focus on the job, not person: Document only the role itself rather than capabilities of the current person in the job which could be subjective.

3. Use clear, concise language: Write descriptions suited not just for internal HR but also external candidates. Use common industry terminology.

4. Standardize key elements: Use consistent sections and structure across job docs for different roles to enable comparison.

5. Review and update regularly: Revisit docs as business needs evolve to ensure relevance. You can also build review cadence.

6. Collaborate with the compensation team: Align job analysis with pay scale considerations for competitive and fair compensation.

7. Leverage software tools: Use online templates and organizational collaboration tools to easily create, review and update descriptions.

8. Incorporate compliance needs: Ensure job documentation meets all the mandatory and other regulatory requirements.

𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐜𝐜𝐮𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞 𝐉𝐨𝐛 𝐀𝐧𝐚𝐥𝐲𝐬𝐢𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐞𝐬𝐜𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Getting job analysis right has far-reaching impact across the employee lifecycle:

● Strategic workforce planning: The details help assess workforce capacity and identify skill gaps.

● Candidate screening: Job specs enable assessing if applicants have the required credentials and experience to shortlist.

● Interviewing and selection: Structured, standardized questions can be based on requirements in description.

● Onboarding/training: New hires understand role expectations right from day one. Learning is aligned to needs.

● Performance reviews: Measurable evaluation relies on key outputs and metrics captured in description.

● Succession planning: Required qualifications help identify and develop suitable internal candidates to fill critical roles.

● Compensation management: Job analysis enables pay to be competitive based on “going rate” for matching skill-sets and demands.

However, it is also important to choose the right platform to find experienced or fresher jobs. GradSiren is your destination if you are looking for IT jobs in India. The platform also provides you numerous opportunities for IT jobs in USA that fits your requirements.

𝐂𝐨𝐧𝐜𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐢𝐨𝐧

Job analysis, descriptions and specifications provide the strong informational backbone for managing your human capital in alignment with organizational goals. Getting it right does demand diligence and collaboration across teams, but pays off manifold in building a productive, thriving workforce.

As per best practices, incorporate input from diverse stakeholders, use clear and concise language, integrate regular reviews and ensure consistency across roles. By laying this robust groundwork, organizations can make smart, ethical decisions in acquiring and supporting talent.

[disputeattorneysinhanoi]

Navigating Complexities and Safeguarding Property Rights with real estate litigation lawyers in Vietnam

The Crucial Role of Real Estate Litigation Lawyers in Vietnam

Real estate transactions in Vietnam are on the ascent, driven by expanding urbanization. Notwithstanding, exploring the complex legitimate scene of the Vietnam housing business sector can be trying for both homegrown and worldwide financial backers. Real estate litigation lawyers assume a basic part in this unique situation, offering master direction and portrayal to defend property freedoms and resolve questions really.

The Vietnam real estate market is assorted and dynamic, incorporating private, business, modern, and rural properties. With the rising interest for land and properties, land exchanges include different partners, including purchasers, venders, designers, property managers, occupants, and government organizations.

Understanding the legitimate subtleties and complexities of land exchanges is essential to guarantee consistence with regulations and guidelines, limit gambles, and safeguard property privileges. Real estate litigation lawyers in Vietnam have top to bottom information on Vietnam land regulations, guidelines, and market works on, making them exceptional to direct clients through each step of the real estate process.

One of the essential jobs of real estate litigation lawyers in Vietnam is to give master help with drafting and assessing land contracts. Whether it's a deal and buy understanding, rent understanding, improvement understanding, or joint endeavor contract, these legal advisors guarantee that the agreements are lawfully strong, safeguard their clients' advantages, and line up with Vietnam land regulations. They fastidiously investigate legally binding terms, recognize expected gambles, and haggle in the interest of their clients to get good agreements. Moreover, real estate litigation lawyers in Vietnam exhort clients on consistence with administrative necessities, divulgence commitments, and the utilization of standard industry terms.

Before taking part in any land exchange, exhaustive property a reasonable level of effort is fundamental to survey the property's legitimate status, proprietorship, and likely dangers. Real estate dispute lawyers in Vietnam lead far reaching a reasonable level of effort examinations, looking at land titles, encumbrances, allows, and drafting guidelines. This persistence assists clients with settling on informed conclusions about the suitability and potential dangers related with a property speculation. Recognizing any lawful issues or inconsistencies in advance permits clients to proactively relieve dangers and address possible difficulties.

In Vietnam, land use privileges are a perplexing part of land exchanges. Real estate litigation lawyers  help clients in understanding the different sorts of land use privileges, like leasehold, freehold, and land use freedoms for unfamiliar financial backers. They give direction ashore use arranging, land designation, and transformation methodology. Moreover, these Real estate litigation lawyers assist clients with exploring land possession debates, limit questions, and issues connected with the obtaining of land-use freedoms. Their mastery in land regulations and guidelines guarantees that clients' property privileges are legitimately safeguarded, and they can unhesitatingly continue with their land speculations.

Questions in land exchanges are normal, and when clashes emerge, land prosecution legal counselors in Vietnam become significant supporters for their clients. These legal counselors are knowledgeable about dealing with an extensive variety of land questions, for example, break of agreement claims, expulsion activities, title debates, development debates, and requirement of property privileges. They help clients in investigating elective debate goal strategies, like exchange, intercession, and mediation, to arrive at neighborly settlements and keep away from expensive suit whenever the situation allows. Be that as it may, assuming suit becomes fundamental, land prosecution legal counselors in Vietnam address their clients in court procedures, introducing powerful claims and proof to safeguard their clients' property privileges and monetary interests.

Land projects frequently require different government endorsements and grants. Real estate litigation lawyers in Vietnam are knowledgeable in the administrative scene and help clients in getting the fundamental endorsements, allows, and licenses from significant specialists.

In conclusion, real estate litigation lawyers in Vietnam assume a key part in the nation's flourishing property market. With their profound information on Vietnamese land regulations, guidelines, and market rehearses, they guide clients through the intricacies of land exchanges, safeguard property freedoms, and resolve questions actually. Whether helping with contract drafting, an expected level of effort, land use issues, question goal, administrative consistence, or government endorsements, land case legal counselors contribute fundamentally to guaranteeing a straightforward and secure housing market in Vietnam. Their master direction and portrayal are fundamental for financial backers looking for progress and strength in this lively and quickly advancing area while carrying on doing business in Vietnam.

[businesslawyersinvietnam]

Navigating Complexities and Safeguarding Property Rights with real estate litigation lawyers in Vietnam

The Crucial Role of Real Estate Litigation Lawyers in Vietnam

Real estate transactions in Vietnam are on the ascent, driven by expanding urbanization. Notwithstanding, exploring the complex legitimate scene of the Vietnam housing business sector can be trying for both homegrown and worldwide financial backers. Real estate litigation lawyers assume a basic part in this unique situation, offering master direction and portrayal to defend property freedoms and resolve questions really.

The Vietnam real estate market is assorted and dynamic, incorporating private, business, modern, and rural properties. With the rising interest for land and properties, land exchanges include different partners, including purchasers, venders, designers, property managers, occupants, and government organizations.

Understanding the legitimate subtleties and complexities of land exchanges is essential to guarantee consistence with regulations and guidelines, limit gambles, and safeguard property privileges. Real estate litigation lawyers in Vietnam have top to bottom information on Vietnam land regulations, guidelines, and market works on, making them exceptional to direct clients through each step of the real estate process.

One of the essential jobs of real estate litigation lawyers in Vietnam is to give master help with drafting and assessing land contracts. Whether it's a deal and buy understanding, rent understanding, improvement understanding, or joint endeavor contract, these legal advisors guarantee that the agreements are lawfully strong, safeguard their clients' advantages, and line up with Vietnam land regulations. They fastidiously investigate legally binding terms, recognize expected gambles, and haggle in the interest of their clients to get good agreements. Moreover, real estate litigation lawyers in Vietnam exhort clients on consistence with administrative necessities, divulgence commitments, and the utilization of standard industry terms.

Before taking part in any land exchange, exhaustive property a reasonable level of effort is fundamental to survey the property's legitimate status, proprietorship, and likely dangers. Real estate dispute lawyers in Vietnam lead far reaching a reasonable level of effort examinations, looking at land titles, encumbrances, allows, and drafting guidelines. This persistence assists clients with settling on informed conclusions about the suitability and potential dangers related with a property speculation. Recognizing any lawful issues or inconsistencies in advance permits clients to proactively relieve dangers and address possible difficulties.

In Vietnam, land use privileges are a perplexing part of land exchanges. Real estate litigation lawyers  help clients in understanding the different sorts of land use privileges, like leasehold, freehold, and land use freedoms for unfamiliar financial backers. They give direction ashore use arranging, land designation, and transformation methodology. Moreover, these Real estate litigation lawyers assist clients with exploring land possession debates, limit questions, and issues connected with the obtaining of land-use freedoms. Their mastery in land regulations and guidelines guarantees that clients' property privileges are legitimately safeguarded, and they can unhesitatingly continue with their land speculations.

Questions in land exchanges are normal, and when clashes emerge, land prosecution legal counselors in Vietnam become significant supporters for their clients. These legal counselors are knowledgeable about dealing with an extensive variety of land questions, for example, break of agreement claims, expulsion activities, title debates, development debates, and requirement of property privileges. They help clients in investigating elective debate goal strategies, like exchange, intercession, and mediation, to arrive at neighborly settlements and keep away from expensive suit whenever the situation allows. Be that as it may, assuming suit becomes fundamental, land prosecution legal counselors in Vietnam address their clients in court procedures, introducing powerful claims and proof to safeguard their clients' property privileges and monetary interests.

Land projects frequently require different government endorsements and grants. Real estate litigation lawyers in Vietnam are knowledgeable in the administrative scene and help clients in getting the fundamental endorsements, allows, and licenses from significant specialists.

In conclusion, real estate litigation lawyers in Vietnam assume a key part in the nation's flourishing property market. With their profound information on Vietnamese land regulations, guidelines, and market rehearses, they guide clients through the intricacies of land exchanges, safeguard property freedoms, and resolve questions actually. Whether helping with contract drafting, an expected level of effort, land use issues, question goal, administrative consistence, or government endorsements, land case legal counselors contribute fundamentally to guaranteeing a straightforward and secure housing market in Vietnam. Their master direction and portrayal are fundamental for financial backers looking for progress and strength in this lively and quickly advancing area while carrying on doing business in Vietnam.

[accountsend]

10 ways to grow your business using AccountSend.com B2B decision maker data

Article by Jonathan Bomser | CEO | AccountSend.com

AccountSend.com is a powerful platform that provides businesses with B2B decision-maker data, enabling them to unlock new sales channels, generate more leads, and drive business growth. In this article, we will explore ten effective ways you can leverage AccountSend.com to grow your business and achieve your sales objectives. By utilizing the valuable B2B decision-maker data offered by AccountSend.com, you can identify potential clients, target specific industries, refine your marketing messaging, build targeted email lists, expand your network, enhance customer relationships, identify market trends, conduct market research, and monitor your competitors. Let's dive into these strategies in more detail.

DOWNLOAD THE 10 WAYS TO GROW YOUR BUSINESS

Identify Potential Clients

AccountSend.com's B2B decision-maker data enables you to identify potential clients who are likely to be interested in your product or service. By accessing comprehensive and accurate data, you can focus your efforts on the right prospects, increasing the efficiency and effectiveness of your sales and marketing campaigns.

Target Specific Industries

With AccountSend.com, you have the ability to target specific industries or verticals that align with your business goals. This allows you to tailor your marketing efforts and messages to resonate with the needs and pain points of your target audience, increasing your chances of success.

Refine Your Marketing Messaging

AccountSend.com's data empowers you to create targeted marketing messages that resonate with your audience. By understanding the decision-makers within your target companies, their roles, and their challenges, you can craft compelling messages that highlight how your offering addresses their specific needs.

Build Targeted Email Lists

Email marketing remains a powerful tool for lead generation. With AccountSend.com, you can build highly targeted email lists based on specific criteria such as industry, job title, company size, and more. This ensures that your email campaigns reach the right people, increasing the chances of engagement and conversion.

Expand Your Network

AccountSend.com not only helps you identify potential clients but also allows you to discover potential business partners, suppliers, or vendors that can support your business growth. By expanding your network and forging strategic partnerships, you can tap into new opportunities and leverage shared resources for mutual success.

Improve Your Sales Pitch

The B2B decision-maker data provided by AccountSend.com empowers you to create a sales pitch that directly addresses the pain points and challenges of your target audience. By customizing your pitch to their specific needs, you can capture their attention, build trust, and increase your chances of closing deals.

Enhance Customer Relationships

AccountSend.com's data enables you to identify key decision-makers within your existing customer base. By understanding their roles and responsibilities, you can develop personalized strategies to strengthen your relationships, provide tailored solutions, and uncover opportunities for upselling or cross-selling.

Identify Market Trends

Staying informed about market trends is crucial for business success. AccountSend.com's data allows you to stay up-to-date on industry trends, shifts, and emerging opportunities. This valuable information helps you make informed decisions, adapt your strategies, and stay ahead of your competitors.

Conduct Market Research

AccountSend.com provides you with the tools to conduct market research and gather valuable insights on your target audience. By understanding their preferences, behaviors, and buying patterns, you can refine your offerings, improve your marketing campaigns, and make data-driven decisions that drive business growth.

Monitor Your Competitors

AccountSend.com helps you keep a close eye on your competitors by providing valuable insights into their key decision-makers and business activities. By monitoring your competitors, you can identify areas for differentiation, uncover competitive advantages, and respond proactively to market dynamics.

AccountSend.com's B2B decision-maker data offers a wealth of opportunities for businesses seeking to grow and succeed. By leveraging this data, you can identify potential clients, refine your marketing messaging, build targeted email lists, expand your network, improve your sales pitch, enhance customer relationships, identify market trends, conduct market research, and monitor your competitors. All of these strategies can contribute to your business growth and help you achieve your goals. Take advantage of the power of AccountSend.com and unlock new avenues for success in your B2B sales and marketing endeavors.