Do you have any siblings? If yes, do you ever fight? OK, silly question; what do you and your siblings fight about when you have conflicts?
Has the pandemic made you grow closer with your brothers and sisters — or intensified the strife? Do you think that sibling rivalry is a fact of life? Or are there effective ways to reduce it?
My 4- and 8-year-old are closer now than they were before the pandemic — I hear the sounds of giggling wafting from their bedroom several times a night. But the more time my girls spend together, the more they fight, too.
The most common battlegrounds for my kids are perceived injustices and jockeying for position. The most absurd instance of the latter was when we were waiting to get flu shots this past fall. The girls got into a brawl over who received the first shot. My older daughter “won” that argument, but it was only as she was walking toward the pharmacist’s door that she realized a shot was not actually a prize.
On days when we are trapped in the house together and their screaming matches reach operatic levels, their dad and I worry we did something horribly wrong as parents to encourage this volume of strife. But according to Jeanine Vivona, a professor of psychology at the College of New Jersey who has studied sibling rivalry, “competition with siblings is just a fact of life. And we, as people with siblings and people with children, can just try to manage it as best we can.”
Ms. Grose presents five suggestions to parents from the experts to handle squabbling sibs. Here are excerpts from three:
Figure out what sets them off. “Pay attention to what tends to happen before conflict breaks out,” said Sally Beville Hunter, a clinical associate professor in child and family studies at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville. If your kids fight every time they play video games, for example, make sure you’re in earshot when they sit down to play. Listen for the particular words or tones of voice they are using that are combative, and try to intervene before it escalates.
Help them learn to resolve conflict. Once tempers have settled, try to sit your kids down and discuss the problem “without blaming or accusing,” Feinberg advised. Give each kid a chance to talk, uninterrupted, and have them try to come up with solutions to the problem themselves. By the time kids are elementary-school age, they can “evaluate which of those solutions are win-win solutions and which ones are most likely to work and satisfy each other over time,” he said. They should also learn to revisit problems when solutions are no longer working.
Praise them in public and punish them in private. If your kids are being kind to each other, “praise really loudly all over the place,” Hunter said. For example, “I love that you let your sister go first!” But if you’re criticizing them, try to do it outside of the other child’s earshot, because she may use it as ammunition. Our older daughter will take every opportunity to boss her little sister around (“Remember, Mom said you couldn’t jump off the couch!”), so I took this bit of advice to heart.
Try to find moments where everyone can come together. Your kids’ temperaments and personalities may be similar, or they may not. They may both love dance, or one loves dance and the other just wants to play chess. One might be rigid, and the other is a free spirit. “Try to find common activities that allow everyone to be flexible, and to feel connected,” Vivona said.
How well do you get along with your siblings? What do you bond over? What do you do that gets on each others’ nerves? Do you agree that sibling rivalry is inevitable?
If you are an only child, do you wish you had brothers and sisters, or do you like being on your own? Do you have other family members or friends who fill that role? What kinds of conflicts do you experience in close relationships?
The article says that according to observational studies, sibling conflict may happen up to eight times an hour. How often do you fight with your brothers and sisters? How big a problem is sibling strife in your home? Has the level of conflict changed over your lives?
Ms. Grose says her daughters are closer now than they were before the pandemic, but they fight more too. Does that ring true for you? How has the pandemic affected your relationships with your siblings?
How do your parents respond to your conflicts? Do they help to resolve these situations? Or do they make them worse? What do you think of Ms. Grose’s advice to parents? Which strategies and approaches do you think they should use?
The author encourages parents to help their children to “come up with solutions to the problem themselves.” How good are you and your siblings at resolving conflicts on your own? What other strategies would you recommend to other parents and teenagers who might be experiencing sibling rivalries?
What’s one thing you can do to help improve relationships with your siblings?
Students 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
In a hidden valley on an Indonesian island, archaeologists recently discovered a painting of a wild pig that is at least 45,500 years old. It may be the oldest figurative art ever glimpsed by modern eyes.
In this lesson, you will learn about the process of discovering and analyzing the painting. Then, you will think about examples of visual culture in 2020-21 and what future societies may learn about us through them.
Warm Up
Watch this two-minute video from the researchers at Griffith University who discovered the cave art to learn more about the painting and how they found it.
After watching the video, write down two things you learned and one question you have about the topic.
Then, think more broadly about the meaning of this discovery. Why might researchers be interested in this painting? What might it tell us about the artists who created it? What might it tell us about humans in general? If you are in a classroom, physical or virtual, discuss your responses with a classmate.
1. The pig painting was discovered on the island of Sulawesi in Indonesia. What are some other examples of cave art that have been found there? Why were these discoveries significant?
2. What can be learned from these examples of cave art? What new questions arise from these discoveries?
3. How were scientists able to discover the pig painting and then determine its date?
4. This art has opened a debate about who created it. Explain the positions on each side of the debate as you understand them. Do you agree with one position more than the other? Why?
5. What does Margaret Conkey, a professor emerita at the University of California, Berkeley, think is most significant about this discovery? Why?
6. Why is it so urgent that scientists locate and study other examples of early cave art?
Going Further
What role do images play in our everyday lives? In our society and culture? In our history?
In writing or class discussion, think of all the ways we use images. What kinds of images do you encounter in your daily life? Where? What purposes do they serve? What messages do they convey? How do you use them to communicate and interact with others? Come up with at least five examples.
Then, consider this question: What do you think archaeologists or historians would understand about 2020 or 2021 from studying the visual culture surrounding you?
Choose one image from 2020 that feels the most representative of this past year for you. It could be a meme, an emoji, a drawing, a photograph, graffiti or anything else. Once you have your image, do the following:
Describe the image in detail.
Explain what it represents for you.
Tell us: How do you think the image might be understood in 100 or even 1,000 years from now? What might it say about this period in time? What will it tell future societies about us? What might it reflect about the human race as a whole?
About Lesson of the Day
• Find all our Lessons of the Day in this column. • Teachers, watch our on-demand webinar to learn how to use this feature in your classroom.
Congratulations on completing your Coursera course or program! It’s now time to let the world know about your new skills and accomplishments.
The first thing to remember as you begin the process of determining how best to feature your achievements on your resume, is that a resume is a tool you can use to showcase your unique talents, skills, and experience. It is not some fixed and locked template that you have to figure out how to squeeze yourself into.
A resume is made up of different sections, each of which can be optimized to present yourself in the best light possible. Adding a new credential is a part of the process, but there are also additional ways that you can highlight your newfound skills and demonstrate the value you can bring to an organization. Here are some key things to consider about your Coursera training as you prepare to update your resume:
What did you learn? Be specific about the skills you learned on Coursera. Recruiters and hiring managers need to know exactly what functions you’re able to perform so they can determine if you’re a good fit for the job.
What are you proud of? Completing Coursera courses and earning credentials can be hard work, and the ability to persevere in the face of challenges is a very valuable skill. Make sure to communicate not just what you achieved, but what you had to do to get there. Demonstrating self-motivation, work ethic, and tenacity is a great way to show employers you’re the right choice for the role.
What is most important for the reader to know? Employers may or may not be familiar with Coursera or the specific course or program you’ve completed. Consider what they need to know about the program in order to be able to evaluate your learnings and accomplishments, and add additional information as necessary to make it clear what you learned, how you learned it, and how you applied what you learned.
Once you know what you want to communicate to employers about your Coursera experience, you can determine which resume sections are best suited to conveying that information. Below is a list of the major resume sections you’ll want to use, with guidance on how to optimize each section.
Education section
Depending on the type of credential you’ve earned, you may have questions about where to place it on your resume—should you list it under Education, or in a different section such as Training and Certifications?
Unless there is a specific reason not to, you should list Coursera credentials in your Education section.
One reason why you might want to make an exception is if your previously earned academic credentials are in a field unrelated to the role you’re pursuing. In that case, it can be advantageous to separately highlight your Coursera credential at the top of your resume, to make clear your current focus to anyone reading your resume. But in most cases, Education is the appropriate location.
When adding Coursera credentials to this section, you should follow the standard best practices for listing education on your resume and include the following information:
Name. This is the official title of the course or program you completed. Example: Big Data MasterTrack(™) Certificate, Digital Marketing Analytics Course, Master of Computer Science
Education provider. This is the name of the university or industry partner who created the course or program. Example: University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, IBM
Completion date
GPA (degrees only)
Summary. Here, you’ll want to include a short overview of the program so that those not familiar with Coursera will understand what was covered. Example: Four-course program covering health system development, policy and research, health service delivery, human resources for health; includes a hands-on Capstone project.
Skills section
The Skills section is usually located above the Professional Experience section of your resume. An employer should be able to read this section and easily determine that you’re qualified for the role, so make sure to include the job-relevant skills you’ve learned on Coursera.
For a non-technical role, the Skills sections can consist of 4-8 short bullets detailing your core skills (also known as Areas of Expertise) organized in two or three columns. Focus on quantifiable skills like copywriting, agile project management, Google Analytics, or sales funnel management.
For a technical role, the Skills list can be longer and be organized by type, i.e., software, programming languages, hardware, data analytics, or any other categories that apply.
Projects section
This is where you want to feature any job-relevant projects you’ve completed on Coursera. Projects are a great way to demonstrate to employers what you can accomplish using your skills, especially if you are starting a new career and don’t have other professional experience.
When including a Projects section, always focus on what’s most important for the employer:
List out a maximum of 3-5 projects. You want to avoid overwhelming the reader with too much information.
Summarize each project, explain the context, and include numbers to show the scope. When applicable, link out to additional information on the projects, such as your Github repository.
Include measurable outcomes to demonstrate your accomplishments.
Don’t worry if you haven’t completed any projects as part of your Coursera coursework. It’s not a requirement that you have them. However, it is important to remember that any time you can demonstrate your real-world skills, you should try to do so. What you want is to convince a potential employer that you already have the skills and experience to perform the role you’re applying for.
Other sections
If the information you wanted to communicate to the employers doesn’t fit under the Education, Skills, or Projects sections, consider other existing or additional resume sections, such as Summary, Accomplishments, Hobbies and Interests, etc.
Remember that the resume structure should support the information you want to communicate. As long as you follow the standard best practices for resume writing, you can add and organize sections in whatever way allows you to clearly tell your story.
Conclusion
Learning on Coursera is an excellent way to master job-ready skills, earn valuable credentials, and advance your career. Your resume is how you’ll showcase these accomplishments to recruiters and hiring managers, as well as your network. It’s important to present your skills and experience in the best light possible, and in a way that makes it easy for potential employers to see that you’re the right candidate for the job. When you’re able to clearly demonstrate how learning on Coursera has prepared you for success in your target role, you can be sure to get the kind of attention you deserve whenever you apply for a new opportunity.
This guide is designed to help job seekers get more interviews. If you’re eager to increase the number of interviews you’re currently getting, we have some tips and strategies for you that can make a big difference in your results and help you overcome some of the challenges associated with job boards, such as out-of-date listings and heavy application volumes that can make it hard to stand out.
This guide will help you address the challenges of job boards through networking. Because the idea of networking can seem daunting for many, this guide will focus on four actionable steps you can take to make the most of your networking efforts. You’ll learn everything from how to find people to connect with and how to schedule and prepare for important conversations, to what to talk about and how to follow up. If some of these strategies and actions feel challenging at first, don’t worry; they get easier over time. Plus, you’ll be getting more interviews, so it will all be worth it!
The Importance of Networking
Learning how to network effectively is a really valuable skill with a wide range of benefits. It’s something you’ll want to continue to focus on, and the connections you make and maintain through strategic networking can have long-lasting positive effects on your career advancement.
For our purposes here, we want to focus specifically on how strategic networking can help you overcome some of the challenges associated with online job applications. Benefits include:
Getting accurate information about job availability. The fact that a role is posted online doesn’t mean that the hiring team is actively reviewing applications. There is often a delay between the time a role is open and the time it’s posted online, as well as the time it is filled and taken down from online job boards. At the same time, there are often open positions that are not (yet) posted online for a variety of reasons. Networking can help you ensure you’ve got up-to-date information.
Learning more details about the role. Job descriptions are not always precise. As a result, you might end up applying for roles that you think are a good fit but are, in fact not. Or, you might fail to properly tailor your application to meet the needs of the hiring team. Insider information via networking can help you understand what the team is really looking for.
Standing out amid the competition. Once a job is posted to a job board, there are often tens or even hundreds of people applying to it, so it can be difficult to stand out. Networking can help you get an early jump on a new opportunity before it’s posted.
The networking process described in this guide can help you address all these challenges.
Through a short and focused conversation with someone at your target company—who has insider knowledge of relevant opportunities—you will be able to:
Understand the requirements for your target role at that specific company. Jobs with the same title can vary greatly from company to company, and the actual requirements are not always obvious from job descriptions.
Gain insight into the company’s organizational structure and team culture to learn what’s required for success, and understand how best to position yourself in your application materials and interviews.
Learn about ways to monitor and apply for opportunities at that specific company, so you can know exactly what’s available and how to float your application to the top of the pile. You might even be able to get a referral.
Establish a relationship with a professional who might be able to help you in your current job search and be a part of your professional network moving forward.
Networking for Your Job Search: The Process
How to connect with the right people
The process of networking for your job search begins with identifying the right people to network with. Because you are looking for insider information on the role and its application process—as well as other relevant opportunities—you need to connect with insiders.
People you are going to network with must work in, or close to, your target role at a company you are interested in working for. These people will have the information you need, beyond what’s publicly posted online. They will understand the exact skills and qualities the hiring team is looking for. They’ll know the status of currently open roles and upcoming openings, and they might even be able to connect you directly to the hiring team.
If you are already connected to the right people, you can jump straight to Step 2 below. If you don’t currently know such people, begin with finding and connecting with them as described in Step 1.
Step 1: Finding the right people
To begin, put together a list of the companies you’re interested in. The more companies you have on your list, the more people you will be able to reach out to, and the more opportunities that will be available to you. Don’t be surprised if your company list grows to 50 or more companies. It might sound like a lot, but remember that not every company will have the right role available when you need it.
If you are not sure how to identify target companies for your job search, consider the following ideas:
Search job boards for openings. If a company has ever posted a relevant role, it’s worth exploring further.
Go through your existing contacts and research the companies where they work. Even if you don’t know anyone in your target role, your personal and professional contacts might be able to introduce you to their relevant coworkers.
Identify a target industry (e.g., online education, medical supplies, entertainment). If you know one company within that industry, you can perform a search for its competitors to expand your list.
Map out companies located in your area (or companies with a remote workforce, if you are looking to work remotely). You want to make sure you can definitely be considered for any opportunity you uncover.
Remember, your target companies do not need to have open jobs posted—you will find out exactly what is currently available there through your networking conversations.
Step 2: Connecting via LinkedIn
Once you know the companies you are interested in, you can start connecting with relevant people. The method described here uses LinkedIn because it is accessible to most people. You can also ask for introductions from mutual connections, attend professional events to meet people, post in networking communities online, or use any other way you prefer.
To find people through LinkedIn, begin with performing a LinkedIn People Search using your target job title as the search string, and setting a filter for “Current Companies.” See below for an example searching for a Data Analyst at Coursera.
Review the profiles that come up to identify people you want to reach out to. Focus on people you’d like to learn from and that you think you can build a rapport with based on their background, interests, and even their tone of communication. Keep in mind that people with well-developed LinkedIn profiles—that include profile photos, summaries, and other details—are more likely to reply to you than those who have very basic profiles, because they are likely to be more active LinkedIn users.
TIP:On LinkedIn, you can only access profiles of people who are in your network (i.e., your 1st-degree, 2nd-degree, and 3rd-degree connections), as well as fellow members of your LinkedIn groups. Expand your network by adding more 1st-degree connections and joining groups related to your interests. You should aim to have at least 50 connections on LinkedIn, but a few hundred will provide you access to a greater network.
Once you identify a person you might be interested in speaking to, send them a connection request with a note explaining why you are reaching out.
Here is a sample LinkedIn outreach message:
Hi , I discovered your profile because of the interesting work you do as a at . I’d appreciate an opportunity to ask you a few questions to learn more about what you do and what it is like to work at . Thank you in advance for connecting with me!
TIP:If you have shared connections with the person you are reaching out to, you can ask your connection for an introduction. If you are not comfortable doing that (for example, because you feel you don’t know them well enough), you can at least mention the shared connection in your connection request note, as this might be helpful.
Note that some of your connection requests may go unanswered. Don’t get discouraged or take it personally. Many people are too busy or simply don’t monitor their LinkedIn messages. The great thing is that LinkedIn provides you with access to a large number of professionals, and it’s a great idea to reach out to a lot of people.
Step 3: Schedule and prepare for the conversation
Once you’ve established the connection, you can ask your new contact for a time to speak. It is important to be open to communicating via the connection’s preferred approach (in-person, video, phone, in writing, etc.), but ideally, you want to schedule a live conversation. It’s generally a more effective way to build a relationship, and can often make it easier to get your specific questions answered.
Make scheduling easy by suggesting a specific time to speak, offering to work around their calendar, and sending out a calendar invitation with information on how you will connect (phone, video conferencing, etc.).
Here is a sample meeting request message:
Thank you for accepting my connection request! As I mentioned, I reached out because I’m researching and would really appreciate an opportunity to ask you a few questions about your experience in . Would you be open to scheduling a 15-minute video or phone call on ? I’m also happy to adjust to your schedule if you prefer another time.
Note that some people find it easier to provide information in writing. If you don’t get a response to your original request for a conversation, you can follow up by asking whether it would be easier for them to answer a few questions over email. Remember, everyone is different and it’s important to gauge and adjust to the style of the person you are reaching out to!
Don’t be discouraged if someone does not reply to you immediately. People are busy. Since you have already established a connection, it’s a good idea to follow up after a few days, and then again a week later to give them a chance to reply.
If you still don’t hear back after a couple of follow-ups, you can assume this person is too busy at this time to speak with you and move on to other potential contacts. Remember that while this is a process of developing personal connections, it’s also a numbers game, and you should plan to reach out to a lot of people!.
Before moving on, acknowledge your decision to your new contact—a quick note will help ensure there is no awkwardness so you can easily reconnect in the future.
Here is a sample moving-on note:
I’m sorry we haven’t been able to connect. I definitely don’t want to flood your inbox with requests, so I just wanted to thank you again for connecting with me, and if you do end up having some time to chat, please let me know.
Preparation
Once the conversation is on the calendar, it’s time to prepare. Remember, your focus should be on learning about your target role at the company and determining the best ways to connect to new opportunities. Things you’ll want to focus on include:
What is the day-to-day like in the role? What is the team structure, how are priorities decided, what do they like about their work, and what do they struggle with?
What skills and experiences do the hiring team look for? What is essential, and what is nice-to-have?
Do they think your skills and background are a good fit for the role, or are there ways you can improve your candidacy through education or experience?
What is the best way to monitor and apply for opportunities? Is there anything coming up that is not yet posted on the careers page?
Are there any other people they can recommend that you speak with?
To inform your questions, you’ll want to conduct thorough research on the person you are speaking with, the company they work at, and your target role. Consider the following sources of information:
Your contact’s LinkedIn profile, and any information it links to. Look for information to inform your questions as well as anything that can help you build rapport, such as shared volunteering interests, hobbies, school experience, etc.
Job descriptions for your target role at the company (if available). During the conversation, you’ll have an opportunity to clarify requirements and responsibilities.
LinkedIn profiles of people working in your target role at the company. You want to understand their skill sets and backgrounds to get additional insights into what it takes to succeed in this role.
Company website. You should have a good understanding of the company’s mission, business, and anything else they chose to highlight to the public.
Company reviews on platforms such as Glassdoor. It’s a great idea to see what people are saying about the company, so you can ask more specific questions about the culture.
News about the company. Just in case there is something significant happening at the company, you want to be aware of it.
Company careers page. Make sure you know which roles are currently posted so that you can ask about the status, and about applying to them directly.
Step 4: Speak with your new contact
Speaking with strangers does not come naturally to many people. If you are feeling uncomfortable before or during your first few conversations, that’s completely normal! It will get easier with time as you develop the invaluable skill of networking.
Remember that the other person is also going into a conversation with a stranger (you) and might not know what to expect. To make both of you comfortable and to help build rapport, be ready to set the structure for the conversation.
Remind them about who you are, why you reached out, and what your goals are for the conversation. By this point, you will have done extensive research in preparation for the conversation, but your new contact might not have had the time to look at your profile and doesn’t know why exactly you reached out. Help them out by starting with a brief overview of your background and the reasons for the conversation.
Monitor time. Conversations like this generally last 15–30 minutes. Make sure you respect the other person’s time by keeping the meeting to the length you had originally agreed upon, unless the other person wants to continue talking.
Make it about them. While you are there to learn, the person you are speaking to is being generous with their time, and it’s your responsibility to make them feel valued and appreciated. Explain why you wanted to talk to them and show the research you’ve done. Honest praise and genuine engagement go a long way.
Listen more than talk. Since you are there to learn about their experience and company, the primary focus of the conversation should be on the other person. Some people might be more talkative, while others may need more input from you in order to engage. Ideally, they should be speaking for 50% to 80% of the conversation. Don’t be afraid of short pauses, and be respectful and patient if they need time to gather their thoughts.
Take note of action items as you go along. There are many action items that can come out of a conversation like this: you might need to send the other person your resume, they might offer to connect you with someone else, either one of you might want to share articles or resources that comes up in the conversation, etc. It’s your responsibility to keep a record of these action items, so you can follow up on your promises and make it easy for the other person to remember theirs.
Close the conversation by clarifying what’s next. Thank them for their time, summarize what you have learned, and go over any action items from the conversation. The goal is to make the other person feel useful and appreciated—after all, they’ve been generous with their time.
Asking for a referral
Getting a referral is an ideal outcome for a networking conversation. However, not every conversation will end in a referral—sometimes there will be no role available, and sometimes the person might not be open to referring you for a variety of reasons. Make sure not to take this personally or push too hard—their reasons may have nothing to do with you specifically. It’s important to respect their boundaries and comfort levels. It is also important to go into the conversation without the expectation of a referral. Focusing on learning about the role and getting advice from your new connection will take the pressure off you and them.
If, during the course of the conversation, you confirm that there is a role available that you are qualified for, do consider asking for a referral. You should be able to sense from the conversation whether the person thinks you could be a valuable addition to their team and therefore open to referring to you. If you have any doubts about that, provide an easy way for them to say “no” to you to avoid an awkward situation. For example, you can ask, “Would you be able to refer me to this role, or do you recommend I apply online?”
If your contact agrees to refer you, make sure you understand exactly what’s required from you. Depending on the company’s system, you might need to apply through a special referral link, have your contact submit your resume internally on your behalf, or apply online and then have your contact reach out to the relevant member of the hiring team.
Step 5: Follow up
Congratulations on completing the conversation!
Send a thank-you email
Always send a thank-you email within a day or two to the person who has been generous enough to share their time and expertise with you. Go beyond the basic “thank you” and reinforce the connection you’ve made by:
Reiterating what you have learned
Following up on your action items from the conversation. Include any materials you had promised to share and list out what else you are going to do based on the conversation (make sure to follow up on those as well when the time comes!)
Gently reminding then about any action items the other person had volunteered for
Offering to repay the favor by sharing any information that might be valuable to the person, or offering to connect them with people in your network
Here is a sample thank-you note:
Hi ,
It was great to catch up with you today and hear about the incredible work you are doing at , and I was excited to learn about our shared interest in . Here is a link to the article I had mentioned on that I thought you might enjoy.
Thanks again for sharing about the opening with me and sharing my resume with the hiring manager! My resume is attached. Please let me know if you have any questions or need anything else from me.
Again, it was great to speak with you. Thank you for your time and willingness to share your experience with me! Please let me know if I can ever be of any help. I have a pretty extensive network in and would be happy to introduce you to any of my connections.
Maintain the connection
Some conversations naturally lead to ongoing relationships where people find a lot in common and naturally stay in touch, while others don’t create enough rapport to solidify the connection. Even if your conversation falls into the second category, as long as you feel that you’d like to keep this person in your active network, there are actions you can take to develop the connection over time. The key to developing your new connection is finding natural touchpoints moving forward. For example:
Share updates on your job search. Follow up on any advice from the conversation once you have a chance to act on it. Your connection will appreciate that you valued their guidance and will be glad to know if it helped. Also, remember to update and thank them once your job search is complete.
Send interesting information as it comes up. If you come across an article or information that reminds you of the person, it is a great reason to send them a quick note.
Engage on LinkedIn. If your new connection is active on LinkedIn, commenting on their posts and updates is a great way to continue the conversation.
Add them to your celebrations calendar. Add them to your holiday mailing list. In addition, if any important dates, such as a birthday, come up in the conversation, make sure to mark your calendar and send your congratulations.
Do be mindful about your rate and volume of outreach, as you don’t want to overdo it. Make sure to establish a pace that feels right for the relationship.
Continue Growing Your Network
You now know how to find, reach out to, and develop relationships with people who can help your job search through insider information. Not every conversation you have will result in an immediate job lead, but many will. Networking is the most reliable way to get interviews, and it’s available to everyone with a LinkedIn account, effective strategies and some grit.
Don’t be discouraged if you don’t feel great about your first few conversations, or if they don’t result in referrals. It is normal to feel uneasy about speaking with strangers, particularly at first. It’s a skill you need to practice. Each conversation you have with an industry professional is a win. You are building one of your most valuable professional assets—your network—one person at a time!
“My name is Fred Marata and I from Zimbabwe. I am currently working at British American Tobacco as a Trade Marketing Representative. I learned about Alison through the internet and l enrolled on 25 September 2019. Since that date, l have managed to study 84 courses and gain 84 certificates! The knowledge and skills l gained through my study with Alison have helped me to achieve an average of 8% sales growth for the last 2 years. The networking and management skills I acquired have resulted in me expanding my customer base by at least 80% over the same period. Going forward, I am very eager to meet the challenge of developing new sales territories for the company l am currently working for.”
What was your first course on Alison, and why did you choose it?
My first course at Alison was Social Media Strategy for Small Businesses. l chose this course because l wanted to research and plan for a dynamic website. I wanted to learn how to integrate social media platforms into an e-commerce website so as to drive customer awareness of my brand and increase sales.
How have Alison courses affected your career?
Alison has affected my career by allowing me the opportunity to learn for free and gain industry knowledge and skills.
What’s next for you, in terms of education?
I am currently studying Hidden Secrets of Sales and Marketing and I’d like to pursue a master’s in Marketing Strategy and become a Marketing Manager.
If you could learn absolutely anything in the world from an Alison course, what would it be?
What would you say to someone if they asked you about Alison? Would you recommend it and why?
Alison is for everyone and offers online courses that one can do at any time, at your own pace, wherever you are, as long as there is an internet connection. l recommend any person who is interested in learning to enroll with Alison today.
Ms. Harris has also been the subject of picture books, including “Kamala Harris: Rooted in Justice” by Nikki Grimes, and a book by her niece, Meena Harris, “Kamala and Maya’s Big Idea.” (Maya is Meena’s mom.)
Simon, tell us a bit about yourself and how you discovered Alison.
My name is Simon Furnivall and I live in Edinburgh, Scotland. Before I worked for Alison, I worked for a number of years in the publishing industry, as both a proof-reader and a copy-writer. I found out about Alison through a former colleague who said there were openings with Alison to work as a contractor and that seemed very interesting to me.
Why did you pursue the chance to become an Alison Contractor?
I knew of Alison, not through personal experience, but through family members who had done courses and spoke very highly of Alison, as did my former colleague. I was working freelance at the time and the opportunity for more work in the publishing field just seemed to make working for Alison a good fit for me.
How did you find the remote Contractor training?
The remote Contractor training for Alison is very comprehensive and it really does take you from having no experience of being an Alison Publisher to being able to put your first courses out. It teaches you every aspect of being an Alison Contractor that you need to know and really gives you the confidence to be able to create and publish courses.
What was the first course you published on Alison? How did you find the experience?
The first course I published as an Alison Contractor was a Diploma in Cryptocurrency. This is a subject I don’t know a huge amount about but because the content was provided to me, and because I had a good grounding in the Alison training, it made sense very quickly how to put the course together. I was helped by colleagues at Alison who gave me feedback and it ended up published on the site. It was a really enjoyable experience.
How has your decision to work for Alison affected your career path?
Coming to work for Alison has given me a really strong career path. Before, I was in a freelance position and, with the onset of the coronavirus pandemic, things had slowed down and work was difficult to come by. The opportunity to come and work as an Alison contractor fit perfectly. Now I’ve earned a career path within Alison because I’ve gone from being a contractor to setting up my own team of contractors. I have a path to move forward with Alison in this role. If you work and succeed with Alison as a contractor, then they are more than open to you progressing along a career path with them.
What’s the best part of working as an Alison Contractor?
I think the best part of working as a Contractor with Alison, aside from the career path, is the support that you get from them. You never feel like you’ve been left alone and have to solve problems by yourself. If you have issues, if you need advice on how to structure something then you can contact Alison. They’re wonderful, helpful people who will always have time to reach out to you.
If you could publish course that would teach the world, or yourself, anything, what would it be?
If I could publish one course that would teach myself anything, it would honestly be teaching myself how to sing. I would love to be able to sing but believe me when I say, you do not want to hear that sound. I would adore to just be able to belt out a tune but it’s just not within me and so I would love a course that would teach somebody completely tonedeaf like myself how to sing.
Learn how you could become an Alison Contractor here.
Use the video above to inspire the opening of a short story or poem — or tell us about a memory from your own life that this image makes you think of.
Consider writing from the perspective of one of the skateboarders. Where are they going? What are their lives like? How often do they travel by skateboard? Why is that their preferred mode of getting around?
Tell us in the comments, then read the related article to learn more.
Students 13 and older in the United States and the United Kingdom, and 16 and older elsewhere, are invited to comment. All comments are moderated by the Learning Network staff, but please keep in mind that once your comment is accepted, it will be made public.
1. speak unfavorably about or blame while employing false statements or misrepresentation
2. betray or go against
_________
The word traduce has appeared 15 times on NYTimes.com in the past year, including on May 11 in the Magazine interactive “The Comfort of Common Creatures” by Helen Macdonald:
In Britain, comparisons to the Second World War have become a refrain of the Covid-19 crisis. Myriad political commentators have praised that era’s heroism, the ability of the British people to cope with discomfort and hardship. They use the war to encourage us to approach the pandemic with poise and equanimity. Such exhortations traduce the terrible realities of that war, and tend to flatten the worst aspects of this crisis too, and this is why I’m hesitant to draw any parallels between the lives of young men confined in a prison camp and the minor inconveniences of lockdown. But something about the present circumstances made me remember those men and want to revisit the notes they took.
The House of Representatives has already voted to impeach the president, with 222 Democrats and 10 Republicans voting in favor; 197 Republicans voted against the resolution. In “Trump Impeached for Inciting Insurrection” Nicholas Fandos writes:
Donald J. Trump on Wednesday became the first American president to be impeached twice, as 10 members of his party joined with Democrats in the House to charge him with “incitement of insurrection” for his role in egging on a violent mob that stormed the Capitol last week.
Reconvening in a building now heavily militarized against threats from pro-Trump activists and adorned with bunting for the inauguration of President-elect Joseph R. Biden Jr., lawmakers voted 232 to 197 to approve a single impeachment article. It accused Mr. Trump of “inciting violence against the government of the United States” in his quest to overturn the election results, and called for him to be removed and disqualified from ever holding public office again.
The vote left another indelible stain on Mr. Trump’s presidency just a week before he is slated to leave office and laid bare the cracks running through the Republican Party. More members of his party voted to charge the president than in any other impeachment.
Speaker Nancy Pelosi of California, declaring the past week one of the darkest chapters in American history, implored colleagues to embrace “a constitutional remedy that will ensure that the republic will be safe from this man who is so resolutely determined to tear down the things that we hold dear and that hold us together.”
A little more than a year after she led a painstaking, three-month process to impeach Mr. Trump the first time for a pressure campaign on Ukraine to incriminate Mr. Biden — a case rejected by the president’s unfailingly loyal Republican supporters — Ms. Pelosi had moved this time with little fanfare to do the same job in only seven days.
“He must go. He is a clear and present danger to the nation that we all love,” the speaker said, adding later, “It gives me no pleasure to say this — it breaks my heart.”
The top House Republican, Representative Kevin McCarthy of California, conceded in a pained speech on the floor that Mr. Trump had been to blame for the deadly assault at the Capitol. It had forced the vice president and lawmakers who had gathered there to formalize Mr. Biden’s victory to flee for their lives.
“The president bears responsibility for Wednesday’s attack on Congress by mob rioters,” said Mr. McCarthy, one of the 138 Republicans who returned to the House floor after the mayhem and voted to reject certified electoral votes for Mr. Biden. “He should have immediately denounced the mob when he saw what was unfolding.”
Outside the House chamber, a surreal tableau offered reminders of the rampage that gave rise to the impeachment, as thousands of armed members of the National Guard in camouflage fatigues surrounded the complex and snaked through its halls, stacking their helmets, backpacks and weapons wherever they went. Their presence gave the proceedings a wartime feel, and evoked images of the 1860s, when the Union Army had quartered in the building.
The article continues:
The House’s action set the stage for the second Senate trial of the president in a year. The precise timing of that proceeding remained in doubt, though, as senators appeared unlikely to convene to sit in judgment before Jan. 20, when Mr. Biden will take the oath of office and Mr. Trump will become a former president.
The last proceeding was a partisan affair. But this time, Senator Mitch McConnell, Republican of Kentucky and the majority leader, was said to support the effort as a means of purging his party of Mr. Trump, setting up a political and constitutional showdown that could shape the course of American politics.
If you were a member of Congress, would you vote to impeach President Trump? Do you think the president committed “treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors”? Why or why not? On what pieces of evidence are you basing your decision?
In your view, what are the benefits of impeaching President Trump at this time? Is initiating the impeachment process important to protect democracy, either now or in the future? Is it crucial to signal that inciting a mob to overrun the U.S. Capitol is a violation of the president’s oath of office to defend the Constitution? Is it important for Congress to attempt to prevent Mr. Trump from holding office again? What do you think?
On the other hand, what might be reasons not to impeach President Trump? Do you think the president is not guilty of inciting a mob of loyalists to storm the Capitol? Might an impeachment trial “further divide the American people,” as Representative Tom Cole of Oklahoma asserted? Might it create a distraction from President Biden’s agenda during his first weeks in office, as some Democrats worry?
There is only one article of impeachment, and it’s not that long. You can read the text here. It includes the following charges:
In the months preceding the Joint Session, President Trump repeatedly issued false statements asserting that the Presidential election results were the product of widespread fraud and should not be accepted by the American people or certified by State or Federal officials. Shortly before the Joint Session commenced, President Trump, addressed a crowd at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. There, he reiterated false claims that “we won this election, and we won it by a landslide.” He also willfully made statements that, in context, encouraged — and foreseeably resulted in — lawless action at the Capitol, such as: “if you don’t fight like hell you’re not going to have a country anymore.” Thus incited by President Trump, members of the crowd he had addressed, in an attempt to, among other objectives, interfere with the Joint Session’s solemn constitutional duty to certify the results of the 2020 Presidential election, unlawfully breached and vandalized the Capitol, injured and killed law enforcement personnel, menaced Members of Congress, the Vice President, and Congressional personnel, and engaged in other violent, deadly, destructive and seditious acts.
Either based on this excerpt, or the entire resolution, which words or phrases can you cite to support your opinions about the impeachment proceedings? If you disagree with the text in the article of impeachment, why?
If you would vote to impeach President Trump, do you believe that he should also be barred from holding office again? Why or why not? How might disqualifying the president, who has hinted that he might run again in 2024, alter the future of American politics?
Do you think it is significant that 10 Republican representatives joined Democrats in voting to impeach President Trump? Do you think voters are more likely to reward or penalize Republicans who voted to impeach?
After a majority of the House votes to impeach the president, which happened on Jan. 13, two-thirds of the senators seated at any given moment must then agree to convict; otherwise, the president is acquitted. What do you predict will happen: Will the Senate vote to convict — or to acquit?
