Reasons Why Investment Trusts Trade at a Discount Free Essays

Abstract The fact that investment trusts and close-end funds in general trade at a discount has elicited debates among financial scholars and practitioners, often referred to as the closed-end puzzle. Based on this, this paper explores and explains some of the reasons that investment trusts trade at a discount. It also provides an in-depth explanation of characteristics of close-ended funds and conditions that lead to the classification of the share price as either a discount or a premium. We will write a custom essay sample on Reasons Why Investment Trusts Trade at a Discount or any similar topic only for you Order Now Investment trusts trading at a discount are those trading at prices that are below their net asset value. Those trading at a price higher than the net asset value are considered as being sold at a premium. Some of the main reasons that are explored in this paper include miscalculation of the net asset values of the investment trust, taxes on realized capital gains, agency costs, managerial abilities and investor sentiment. Even with the explanations that are provided in this paper, the closed-end fund prize puzzle continues to be debated upon and researched. Introduction The fact that investment trusts often trade at a discount is an aspect that has drawn interests from academics and practitioners in the field of finance. To have a better understanding of these reasons, it is ideal to provide an exhaustive definition of investment trusts. Investment trusts, which are typical to the United Kingdom, are defined by Barnhart and Rosenstein (2010) as types of investment firms that are formed with the primary aim of holding securities for other companies and the obtainment of capital from the public issue of shares trading on the stock market. They are also referred to as closed-end funds because they only offer a fixed quantity of shares that new investors can purchase from already existing shareholders (Hartzell et al., 2006). The prices of shares of investment trusts are determined by the forces of supply and demand in the share market. As a consequence, there are incidents where the price of a share may either be higher or lower than its net asset valu e. Whenever a share trades at a price that is higher than its net asset value, it is considered to be trading at a premium. On the contrary, if a share trades at a value that is lower that its net asset value, it is considered to be trading at a discount (Berk Stanton, 2007). In this regard, this report intends to discuss reasons why they trade at a discount. Reasons for discounting Investment Trusts One main characteristic of investment trusts and closed-end funds in general is the fact that they are permanent capital ventures and thus, the shares’ supply is fixed (Chan et al., 2008). Numerous attempts that have been made by researchers and practitioners to explain the investment trust discounts, and have resulted in conflicting results, commonly referred to as the closed-end fund puzzle. Even though these funds are known to trade at discounts, it is important to note that newly opened investment trusts and closed-end funds in general, usually begin trading at a premium of approximately 10% of their net asset value. After their initial premium trading, they shift towards trading at a discount that is at average rate of 10% within the first 120 days. After which, discounts remain substantial. In case closed-end funds are closed or terminated, there is an increase in their share prices, which in turn eliminates the existent discounts (Cherkes et al., 2009). Explanations for investment trust discounts that have been made by researchers include the risk of liquidity, the past and future performance of shares on the market and the miscalculation of the fund’s net asset value. Investor sentiment is also another reason for discount trading in investment trusts (Yanran Liyan, 2007). This section intends to provide a more in-depth discussion of these reasons. Misestimating the Net Asset Value (NAV) This reason has been pointed out by Halkos and Krintas (2006), who argue that such miscalculations of the NAV can result from a possible accumulation of capital gains illiquid assets that had not been realized. The reason why funds with high capital appreciations that have been unrealized ought to trade at a discounted share price is that potential holders of such funds will assume a potential tax liability. In a research that was carried out by Kousenidis et al. (2011) on the effect of liquidity on closed-end funds, he established that there is a possibility of illiquid assets to be traded at a discount to provide higher expected returns. In support of inaccuracy of NAV measurement as a reason for discounts in closed-end fund trading, Yanran and Liyan(2007)suggested that when closed-end funds own large amounts illiquid assets or restricted stock that are not fairly trading in the market, their NAVs can fail to provide an accurate reflection of their true value. As a consequence of this, the shares might either trade at a lower or higher value than the NAV. Investment trust discounts are also affected by restricted stock holdings. However, given that such holdings are often quite small or at a zero value, they do not hold as valid reasons for investment trusts trading at a discount. For investment trusts, there is usually no assurance that there will always be an available market. Therefore, this lack of an assured redemption of shares makes their valuation to be discounted. In addition to this, investment trusts that hold relatively liquid securities are valued lower than their net asset values (NAVs) at the marketpla ce (Cherkes et al., 2009). Putting appropriate measures in place to avoid miscalculation of the trust net asset value is vital to solve this issue. Agency Costs and Managerial Ability Discounts in closed-end funds could be a reflection of poor performance in the management of the fund or an overcharge of management fees (Bradley et al., 2010). Agency costs may also vary according to the agency issues or conflicts that may occur due to different interests between agents and principals. Managerial abilities have also been listed by researchers as being among the main factors that determine whether investment trusts can trade at a premium or a discount. The theory that investment trusts can trade at a discount if the managers charge a fee was originally proposed by Boudreaux in 1973 (Berk Stanton, 2007). He suggested that if fund managers charge investors a fee but fail to add value to their investments, then the value of the fund is likely to be less than its NAV. In a case where managers add value to the investment trust, the reason why it might trade at a discount is when investors are made to believe that the funds’ managers are not good at investing thei r funds. If investors believe that their money is being managed by people who are good at selecting viable investments, then the fund will trade at a premium. In a research carried out on the ownership of closed-end funds Cherkes et al.(2009) established that investment trusts with larger percentage of insider ownership are likely to trade at higher discounts. This is because investors of funds that are selling at higher discounts stand a chance of receiving windfall gains in case the funds undergo immediate liquidation at their net asset value. He also established that higher expense ratios lead to higher discounts of funds because management fees are considered as being deadweight losses. Thus, discounts are used to represent the capitalization of the management fees value. Management of trusts also affects their future performances in the market, which also determine whether investment trusts are to be traded at a discount or premium. Halkos and Krintas (2006) argue that in cases where investment trusts are managed in a highly professional manner and with a positive track record, investors may have the will to pay a premium for a share of the funds. This is also due to the fact that such trusts are often expected to maintain their superior performances in future. On the other hand, funds that are expected to underperform in the market are expected to be traded at higher discounts, mainly because of the scepticism that potential investors may have for the fund (Berk Stanton, 2007). Estimation of future performance of investment trusts can be done by comparing trends in the NAV, which are estimated on a frequent basis. It can also be done by evaluating the managerial capabilities of the fund. It can be thus argued that investment trusts whose management has a good reputation tend to perform well in the market and therefore, trade at a premium. On the contrary, poorly managed trusts fail to thrive in the market and therefore, are likely to trade at a discount. Taxes Another reason why investment trusts trade at a discount is taxes. According to Jin(2006), full taxes on the realized capital gains of a fund are paid for by the current shareholders, even though the highest percentage of their gains was accumulated before the investors bought the shares. Based on this, it can be argued that funds whose accumulated gains are large ought to trade at a price lower than their NAVs also suggests that investment trusts that have a high appreciation of unrealized capital sell at discounts because holders of such funds assume potential tax liabilities that depend on the holding periods of the investors. Berk and Stanton (2007) posit that discounts in closed-end funds are partially caused by the fact that investors usually lose valuable opportunities to trade tax because of holding shares in closed-end funds. Some of the tax trading approaches include individual portfolio movement. On comparing British and U.S. closed-end funds, Cherkes et al.(2009) establis hed that British funds do not have the freedom of distributing capital gains as the US funds do. In addition, shareholders have no liability in case the invested capital gains tax, except if they decide to put the holdings that they have in the fund up for sale. Yet U.S. and British closed-end funds behave in a quite similar manner. Thus, it can be concluded that discounts in investment trusts and closed-end funds cannot be explained based on country-specific tax factors. Investor Sentiment Many researchers have focused on the aspect of investor sentiment as a reason for discounts in investment trust trading. This hypothesis was proposed Lee, Shleifer and Thaler in 1991 (Yanran Liyan, 2007). According to them, premiums and discounts in closed-end funds are determined by the attitudes of opinions that investors have about them. To explain this hypothesis, two kinds of investors are identified. These are the noise investors and rational investors. Whereas the expectations of rational investors on their asset returns are rational, noise investors’ expectations are influenced by sentiment. They have the tendency of either overestimating or underestimating the expected returns on investment. Therefore, when investment trust shares are traded, noisy and rational investors make their investments based on their respective judgments. Due to the risk associated with assets and the fact that every investor is risk averse, closed-end funds ought to trade at equilibrium pric es that reflect opinions of the noisy and rational investors, which are often discounts. A proposal was made by Halkos and Krintas (2006) that noisy investors tend to concentrate more on the closed-end fund ownership than on the ownership of the underlying assets of the funds. Pessimism by noise traders on the future of fund drives down its price to a value lower than its NAV. This causes rational investors to avoid the buying the fund’s shares because of the risks associated with trading the funds at a discount. Chan et al. (2008) also argue that the sentiment of noise traders is stochastic and, therefore, cannot be accurately predicted by rational traders. Particularly, it is impossible for rational investors to make a perfect forecast whether noise investors will either be pessimistic or optimistic at the time that they intend to sell their assets. Due to the fact that rational traders are careful about the prices with which they will resale their assets, the unpredictable nature of noise traders’ sentiment increases the level of risk on the assets they intend to trade (Kousenidis et al., 2011). The biggest risk associated with noise investors is that they will be pessimistic at the time when rational investors intend to sell their assets, causing a drop in prices. Since there is always a risk of an adverse sentiment shift, the possibility of trading shares at a discount is always existent (Yanran Liyan, 2007). Conclusion This paper has provided an in-depth explanation of some of the reasons why investment trusts usually trade at a discount. Apart from this, other aspects of investment trusts have been explained. One of the main characteristics of investment trusts that has guided the establishment of reasons discussed in this paper is that it is a closed-end fund. This means that supply of shares is fixed, regardless of the market dynamics. Therefore, fluctuations of these funds that result into premiums or discounts are mainly caused by demand factors. The main reasons why investment trusts trade at discounts include the attitudes that investors have on the fund, commonly referred to as investor sentiment, agency costs and managerial abilities, taxes and miscalculation of the net asset value of the fund. However, the factor that is contented upon by most researchers in this field of finance is investor sentiment, which is a behavioural approach of understanding this concept. Some of the other reason s that have been cited in several other researchers include the institutional ownership and performance of the trust in the market. In future research, a more specific research could be carried out by focusing on a specific investment trust in the UK. References Barnhart, S.W. Rosenstein, S., 2010. Exchange?Traded Fund Introductions and Closed?End Fund Discounts and Volume. Financial Review, 45(4), pp.973-94. Berk, J.B. Stanton, R., 2007. Managerial Ability, Compensation, and the Closed?End Fund Discount. The Journal of Finance, 62(2), pp.529-56. Bradley, M., Brav, A., Goldstein, I. Jiang, W., 2010. Activist arbitrage: A study of open-ending attempts of closed-end funds. Journal of Financial Economics, 95(1), pp.1-19. Chan, J.S., Jain, R. Xia, Y., 2008. Market segmentation, liquidity spillover, and closed-end country fund discounts. Journal of Financial Markets, 11(4), pp.377-99. Cherkes, M., Sagi, J. Stanton, R., 2009. A liquidity-based theory of closed-end funds. Review of Financial Studies, 22(1), pp.257-97. Halkos, G.E. Krintas, T.N., 2006. Behavioural and fundamental explanations of discounts on closed end funds: an empirical analysis. Applied Financial Economics, 16(5), pp.395-404. Hartzell, J.C., Sun, L. Titman, S., 2006. The effect of corporate governance on investment: evidence from real estate investment trusts. Real Estate Economics, 34(3), pp.343-76. Jin, L., 2006. Capital gains tax overhang and price pressure. The Journal of Finance, 61(3), pp.1399-431. Kousenidis, D.V., Maditinos, D.I. Sevic, Z., 2011. Premium/Discount Of Closed-End Funds As A Measure Of Investor Sentiment: Evidence From Greece. Journal of Applied Business Research, 27(4), pp.29-52. Yanran, W. Liyan, H., 2007. Imperfect Rationality, Sentiment and Closed end fund Puzzle. Economic Research Journal, 3, pp.117-29. How to cite Reasons Why Investment Trusts Trade at a Discount, Essay examples

Project Management Methodologies Processing-Myassignmenthelp.Com

Question: Discuss About The Project Management Methodologies Processing? Answer: Introduction Project methodologies help in processing the project and ensure that all its requirements could get fulfilled. Methodologies provide a direction to the project manager with the effect of which he performs all the tasks in the way in which they are required. These methodologies helps in managing the work in a more refined way and ensures that risk of uncertainties could get mitigated which could occur in near future. There are various set of methodologies available in which it becomes necessary that the manager of the project should choose the most suitable as well as relevant one. Failing to do so will have a direct impact on the project and so the project will move in the wrong direction. Hence, a report is developed which will help in availing proper set of information related with various methodologies and which methodology should be used in which type of project. Project Methodologies The methods which help in providing direction to the project and ensure that the project could get completed within the budget and deadline are known as project methodologies (Edkins, Kurul, Maytorena-Sanchez Rintala, 2007). Project principles are being defined by the project methodologies also it helps sin providing a set direction to the team working on the project so that they could process the project in a smooth way and could provide quality to the same. Types Of Project Methodologies Project requires that an appropriate and relevant set of method should be applied so that it could get completed with quality and within the budget and time decided. In this it becomes necessary that a project manager should use appropriate project methodology (Crowder Friess, 2013). There are various types project methodologies available which helps in managing the project. Hence these methodologies are: Agile Method: Agile method is a traditional method which ensures that a collaboration of all the project requirements could be done and these appropriate resources could be availed to fulfill those requirements. Scrum Method: Scrum method is the method which helps in delivering all set of requirements whether they are small, cross functional, self managing (Rozenes, 2011). This helps in processing the project in a smooth manner as all the aspects are decided well in advance only and all the requirements get fulfilled. Kanban Method: Kanban method is used by the project manager so as to ensure that the project could get completed in a fast manner. It helps in increasing the visibility of the project and helps in completing the same in a fast way. Lean Method: Lean method is used to find the shortest way out to complete the project (Rasnacis Berzisa, 2015). This method helps in completing the project in lesser cost by using the best ways to complete the same. Waterfall Method: Waterfall method is a method in which a step by step process is developed which helps in fulfilling the requirements of the project. PRINCE2: PRINCE2 is the method in which control techniques are applied so as to manage the requirements of the project (Pathak Saxena, 2012). PMIS PMBOK: There are certain universal standards which are set; hence this method helps in ensuring that these standards remain maintained so as to manage the project. Comparison Between Agile And Waterfall Both the methods help in managing the project requirements and also are the traditional methods used to manage the projects. Deadline is determined in Agile as well as Waterfall method which helps in completing the project tasks within the prescribed time. Full proof plan is developed in agile method to complete the project and it helps in completing the same with quality (Layton, 2012). Waterfall method uses step by step process to complete the project Agile Lifecycle (Edkins, Kurul, Maytorena-Sanchez Rintala, 2007) Above is the lifecycle of agile methodology which includes all the steps which are being followed in it. It includes initiation stage of the project to its completion and development stage. Waterfall Lifecycle (Crowder Friess, 2013) The waterfall model shown in the above image helps in understanding that what are the steps which are involved in project process. Waterfall method is a very simple and effective method which could be applied to the project. Conclusion With the help of the report developed it could be concluded that to complete the project one of the most important aspects which is required to complete the project are the methodologies. Using appropriate project methodology will help in delivering quality and will ensure to provide better support with the effect of which project could get completed in an effective as well as efficient way. References Crowder, J., Friess, S. (2013).Systems engineering agile design methodologies. New York, NY: Springer. Edkins, A., Kurul, E., Maytorena-Sanchez, E., Rintala, K. (2007). The application of cognitive mapping methodologies in project management research.International Journal Of Project Management,25(8), 762-772. Layton, M. (2012).Agile project management for dummies. Hoboken, N.J.: Wiley. Pathak, S., Saxena, P. (2012). Hybrid Methodology Involving Scrum and Waterfall Model towards the Software Project Development in Academic Knowledge Centers.International Journal Of Evaluation And Research In Education (IJERE),1(1), 4-6. Rasnacis, A., Berzisa, S. (2015). Adaptation of Agile Project Management Methodology for Project Team.Information Technology And Management Science,18(1), 128-129. Rozenes, S. (2011). The Impact of Project Management Methodologies on Project Performance.International Journal Of Information Technology Project Management,2(2), 64-73.

Time And Fate In Romeo And Juliet Essays (963 words) -

Time And Fate In Romeo And Juliet Romeo and Juliet by William Shakespeare Time and Fate in Romeo and Juliet Romeo and Juliet, said to be one of the most famous love stories of all times, is a play anchored on time and fate. Some actions are believed to occur by chance or by destiny. The timing of each action influences the outcome of the play. While some events are of less significance, some are crucial to the development of this tragedy. The substantial events that inspire the conclusion of Romeo and Juliet are; the Capulet ball, the quarrel experienced by Tybalt and Romeo, and Friar Johns plague. A servant to Capulet, who is incapable of reading the list of guests, asks for Romeos assistance. Romeo notices that Rosaline, his lover, is among these names. Benvolio challenges Romeo to compare her with other beauties. Benvolio predicts, Compare her face with some that I shall show,/ And I will make thee think thy swan a crow. (I, ii, l 86-87) To show his appreciation, the servant asks for Romeos presence at the ball. Romeo should have considered the servants warning; if Romeo occupies the name of Montague, he shall not be permitted. Once at the ball, Romeo is searching for a maiden to substitute the unrequited love of Rosaline. Romeo happens to gaze upon Juliet, who charms Romeo. Romeo proclaims, Did my heart love till now? Forswear it, sight!/ For neer saw true beauty till this night. (I, v, l 52-53) Since Romeo declares his love for Juliet, she feels the attraction also. They believe that they are in love and must marry. However, it is a genuine coincidence that Romeo and Juliet were at the same place, at the same time. Some days after the ball, Benvolio and Mercutio are conversing, in regard to the quarrelsome weather. Benvolio declares, The day is hot, the Capulets abroad,/ And if we meet we shall not scape a brawl,/ For now these got days is the mad blood stirring. (III, i, l 2-4) At this point, Tybalt, who has challenged Romeo because of his appearance at the masquerade, enters, seeking Romeo. On Romeos behalf, Mercutio struggles with Tybalt, while Romeo, who is filled with love for his new cousin, tries to end their boldness. Before escaping, Tybalt plunges his sword into Mercutio, causing death to fall upon him. Mercutio blames Romeo and the feud for his fate. Romeo kills Tybalt, who taunts Romeo, upon his return. Romeo fears he will be condemned to death if he does not flee before the arrival of the Prince. Benvolio recalls the events that have happened, with some embellishment. The Prince declares: And for that offence/ Immediately we do exile him hence./ I hav an in your hates proceeding,/ My blood for your rude brawls doth lie a-bleeding;/ But Ill amerce you with so strong a fine/ That you shall repent the loss of mine./ I will be deaf to pleading and excuses;/ Nor tears nor prayers shall purchase out abuses;/ Therefore use none. Let Romeo hence in haste,/ Else, when hes found, that hour is his last./ Bear hence this body and attend our will./ Mercy but murders, pardoning those that kill. (III, i, l 185-195) Due to the disturbance of Veronas street and the losses of Tybalt and Mercutio, the Prince must penalize Romeo. However, the Prince agrees that Romeo was acting in self defense. Juliet, who desires not to wed Paris, asks for Friar Laurences assistance. The day before the wedding, Juliet is to drink the poison, which will make her appear to be dead. In forty two hours she shall awake, with Romeo by her side. Romeo will then bring her to Mantua with him. In the meantime Friar Laurence will convey a message to Romeo in Mantua, telling him the plot. When she gains consciousness, Romeo and Friar Laurence will be there. Friar Laurence says, Shall Romeo by my letters know our drift,/ And hither shall he come; and he and I/ Will watch thy waking (IV, i, l 114-116) Following Juliets intake of the poison, Romeo is anticipating news from Verona. Balthasar, a servant to Romeo, tells Romeo that Juliet has passed on. Romeo, who

The eNotes Blog How to Land an Internship (The RightWay!)

How to Land an Internship (The RightWay!) For college students, the word  internship is one with a lot of weight attached. Everywhere you turn, it seems you can hear fellow students talking about/discussing/desiring/angst-ing over a coveted  internship. So what exactly is an internship anyway? According to  Vocabulary.com, an internship can be defined as a temporary position with an emphasis on on-the-job training rather than merely employment, and it can be either paid or unpaid. Its pretty easy to see why in todays economy  something like an internship might be considered of utmost importance. If you have friends or family  wading through the job market (or if youre looking for a full-time position), chances are you know that job requirements often include years of prior experience. Well, where do they expect prospective employees to have gained this experience, given that theyre likely coming straight out of school? Truth be told, that is a very good question and one with no clear answer- which is frustrating to no end (but a good example of a Catch-22!). While you may not feasibly have enough time to rack up years of experience before applying to an entry-level position, at least an internship can provide some skills and know-how when it comes to working in a potentially interesting field! Read on for top eight tips for landing yourself the perfect internship! Double, triple, and quadruple  check your resume and cover letter. We cannot stress this enough. In fact, we advise you even go further than relentlessly checking your own work and say that it may even be beneficial to have a friend, family member, or a well-educated stranger look over your work. Its actually proven that the more time you spend looking at something, the more likely you are to become desensitized to errors- particularly in your own work. Be sure to look out for spelling errors and grammar taboos, from the glaring mistakes to itty-bitty misuse of language. Further, employer, Samantha Burton would like to note that it is important to proofread not only for language mistakes, but also for bigger, certainly more awkward  errors, i.e. who the cover letter is addressed to. Ive been there, Samantha  said. Mass applying to dozens, if not hundreds, of jobs/internships hoping to land an interview, so I understand that youre applying to other companies- but dont send a cover letter meant for another company! Youd be surprised how often this happens, and you can guess it doesnt bode well for the applicant even with an impressive application. Experience can come in many forms. Even when applying for internships, there are some companies that look for related experience. Since its likely youre applying for an internship, its  probably fair to assume that the employer isnt necessarily looking for  work experience, at least, not in the traditional sense. Particularly when youre applying for your first internship, you may look at the phrase related experience with some trepidation, after all, youre a student, what kind of experience can they expect from you? But what about student experience? Have you been involved in any relevant clubs? Have you engaged in clubs/classes/group projects with any sort of leadership roles? Is there a project youve undertaken either through school or in your own time that lends experience to a relevant skill? If so, by all means put that information in your resume or cover letter. Even when youre applying to a full-time position, these little tidbits about your life outside of the workforce can serve to make your application  stand out from the crowd. Be mindful of application guidelines.   When applying for a job, pay attention to how the company requests you go about applying. That is to say, if the given employer requests an application, a resume, and a cover letter- dont just send in a resume and a cover letter, even if a lot of the requested information is already on your resume. Employers will assume that if you cant follow simple directions when it comes to applying to their company, chances are you cant or wont follow any other directions either *throws application away.* Unfortunately, we dont even look at applications that blatantly dont follow the application submission guideline process, Samantha said. It gives the immediate first-impression of, believe it or not: not [being capable of] following simple directions. For goodness sakes, be honest. Undoubtedly, youve heard the advise that stretching the truth doesnt count as a lie, at least not when resumes are concerned. Well, actually, thats not entirely true. Sure, everyone embellishes a little bit on their accomplishments and skills, we get it, but when it comes to work experience youve had and other crucial information, an unimpressive truth is better than a boast-worthy lie. For instance, if you worked as a cashier at Subway: by all means, play up the phrasing, its true that you handled monetary exchanges with customers! However, its probably not true that you were involved in financial management. This kind of truth-stretching may get your application discarded, or even get you fired if youre  fortunate enough to land the job, no matter how otherwise qualified you may be. Just Just dont be creepy.   Follow the cardinal rule that if you wouldnt say something to someone in person, dont write it in your cover letter either. You may think that this principle is common sense, but you would be mistaken. Not to name any specific examples, but has received some applications with questionable cover letter topics and inclusions. Maybe youre trying to be quirky in an effort to jump off the page with the force of your personality, but if youre saying too much about inappropriate subject matter, you make prospective employers, for lack of a better word, nervous. Research a company before you interview. Better yet, research a company youre interested in before even beginning your application. A lot of applicants simply send out the same resume and [pretty much] the same cover letter to all of the companies they apply to- this is a mistake. Yes, any company that is hiring is well aware that most potential employees are sending out countless applications to just about any prospective employer- but employers are interested in applicants who are interested in working for  them, so if you can be specific in why you want a particular internship right off the bat, youre already ahead of the competition. Often, a companys website will have an about us section that details some of the finer points of an organization and explains what it is that the company hopes to achieve. If you can tailor your resume and cover letter to (honestly) be consistent  with a companys ideology, you stand a better chance in getting an interview. Take a look at your social media, because you can bet that employers will. To a lot of younger people (I myself am a millennial, but as the one giving  this advice, I will take the liberty of generalization), the concept of potential employers checking out Facebook and Instagram to analyze potential employees sounds like something your parents tell you to try to keep you in line. As it turns out, parental meddling is only half the battle- employers really  do look at applicant social media pages, and they  do make personality judgments based on what they find. For example, if you have a bunch of pictures of you drunkenly dancing on a table or holding three beers and a margarita, theres a high likelihood that youre going to be overlooked for the applicant  all dressed up at their  grandmothers garden party.* *The above examples may be gross exaggerations, but they are at least  based  in fact. Thoroughly prep yourself for your interview. Congratulations! Your resume and cover letter were interesting! An employer sees how qualified you are, and now he or she wants to meet you! *Gulp.* Okay, now its time to think about more than how you look on paper, and start thinking about how you come across in person. First, surely youve heard the expression, you only get one chance at a first impression. Well, its true, and interviewers tend to put a lot of stock into these  first impression when it comes time to make a final decision on who to hire. With that in mind, remember that the interview doesnt start when you open your mouth; it starts when you open the door. Dress appropriately for the position youre applying to- whether thats business formal or casual (and when in doubt, its always better to be overdressed than underdressed). Then comes the talking part. More important than how you look, is how you speak and what you say. Be prepared to not only answer, but also to  ask plenty of questions. Interviewers will ask you questions relevant to the job youre applying for,  but they most likely will hit you with a bunch of open-ended questions as well, (where do you see yourself in five years? What about this company is particularly interesting to you?). These types of questions are geared toward finding out more about you as a person to see if youll fit in with the company, not just the job theyre looking to fill. Interviewers are also expecting you to ask questions of your own. Not having any questions about the workplace or your specific expectations basically screams that youre just looking for any job you can get- and no company wants to hire an employee like that, even if it  is  true.

Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease...What do you know about them Essay

Diabetes, Cardiovascular Disease...What do you know about them - Essay Example Discussing gestational diabetes is relevant to me as the disease runs in the family. In addition, it has relevance to the goals that I want to take in the future: becoming an obstetric nurse and an endocrinologist. Health practitioners believe that prevention is better than cure and that pregnant women must be taught on how to improve their health and their baby through early prenatal care and regular prenatal visitation. However, I believe that educating them about risk factors and preventive interventions will not immediately create awareness towards action to prevent gestational diabetes. Instead of focusing on risk factors and preventive strategies, why not inform pregnant women of the complications of gestational diabetes to them and their baby? This may create fears or worries but surely, pregnant women will take immediate action to avoid complications and inquiry about risk factors and necessary interventions follow. Gestational diabetes poses some life-threatening and chronic conditions both on the pregnant women and newborns. Women with gestational diabetes and who are obese may develop type 2 diabetes later in life. They have also increased susceptibility and mortality to other illnesses such as pneumonia and influenza. Women with gestational diabetes have marked biochemical imbalances which may lead to life-threatening conditions diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA), hyperosmolar (nonketotic) coma, and high blood pressures. In addition, women with gestational diabetes tend to deliver babies via cesarean section and acquire birth injury (trauma) due to large infant size. Meanwhile, babies are also harmed if the mother has gestational diabetes. According to the CDCs 2011 National Diabetes Fact Sheet, 5% to 10% of babies suffered from major birth defects while 15% to 20% of fetuses are spontaneously aborted if women developed diabetes early in pregnancies (9). There is also a slight

Safety and health policy of the Unit operation laboratory Research Paper

Safety and health policy of the Unit operation laboratory - Research Paper Example Such a policy should be clear, easy to understand, guarantee a safe and healthy environment, and should relate to job requirements and responsibilities of any party in an organization. Additionally, it reflects in the way the management prioritizes and focuses on health and safety issues (Health, Safety and Environment Office). Management commitment Safety and health policy It is the core duty of the management to ensure high value of the safety and health of its employees and other stakeholders. This entails the provision of a safe workplace with better health conditions with an aim of preventing injury and illness. Actually, the safety and health policy is an initiative that involves the management, supervisors, and employees of a given organization seeking to curb, identify, and eliminate all safety and health risks that accrue in a working environment. The basis of the safety and health policy is the declaration by the management that the health and safety of all parties is supre me in an organization. ... loyees should take necessary precautionary measures, promote and maintain safety in the workplace, and take requisite actions towards eliminating any safety and health risks. Additionally, the management bears the responsibility of formulating and providing the necessary resources for the communication and implementation of the policy. Moreover, the management establishes a safety committee, trains employees, and supervisors on the provisions of the policy, and ensures unity of purpose in its implementation. At the same time, the management establishes a system for identifying and responding to safety risks and subsequently creates a disciplinary policy to guarantee total compliance to the safety and health principles as enshrined in the policy. Indeed, OSHA states that the commitment to safety and health starts with management. Indeed, it recommends a number of actions to the management to prove commitment to the health and safety policy in an organizatio n. It recommends that the management should clearly state and communicate the objective of the safety and health policy to all parties of a reference organization. The management should equally involve its employees in making decisions that will influence their safety and health in the organization. In addition, OSHA relevantly recommends that the management provide the requisite moral, technical, and financial support relating to the establishment and implementation of the policy. Furthermore, the management should involve, assign, communicate, and authorize respective safety and health responsibilities to all departmental heads and staff. In addition, OSHA recommends that the management should hold all employees accountable for discharging their safety and health responsibili ­ties.

Impact of Curriculum Definitions and Theories

Impact of Curriculum Definitions and Theories This essay will examine several definitions of curriculum, relating one to Education and Childhood studies and the impact it has on learners. In addition, the essay sets out to explore curriculum in relation to delivery and Curriculum is often seen as the main concern in the educational field however, the type of curricula to offer to learners is crucial. The concept of curriculum is sometimes characterized as fragmentary, elusive and confusing. Teachers are concerned about the choices to make about the teaching content and methods of delivery. While, caregivers and parents are interested in knowing what is going to be taught to their children. Learners are equally concerned about the content they are going to receive in class. The concept of curriculum is as dynamic as the changes that occur in society. In its narrow sense, curriculum is viewed merely as a listing of subject to be taught in school. In a broader sense, it refers to the total learning experiences of individuals not only in schools but in society as well. Su, (2012) views Curriculum as what teachers will teach and how well learners will learn, it also involves other issues like:ÂÂ   teaching the curriculum, testing the curriculum, ad ministrative curriculum and the hidden curriculum. However, Kelly (1999, p.83), suggest that curriculum is negatively viewed as a syllabus which may limit the planning of teachers to a consideration of the content or the body of knowledge they wish to transmit or a list of the subjects to be taught or both. However, (Braslavsky, 2003) considers the curriculum as educational foundations and contents, their sequencing in relation to the amount of time available for the learning experiences, the characteristics of the teaching institutions, the characteristics of the learning experiences, from the point of view of methods to be used, the resources for learning and teaching (e.g. textbooks and new technologies), evaluation and teachers profiles. A curriculum is an intended programme of learning and has three elements: a set of curriculum standards which set out the expected student achievements (what they know, what they can do and what dispositions they have acquired) at set points of time, the student having taken part in a programme of learning; a set of pedagogical standards; and a set of summative assessment or evaluation standards (Scott,2016 p.4). Having explored some definitions of curriculum, Scotts definition best fits the curriculum delivered on the Education and Childhood Studies programme. The curriculum covers several courses that ensures learners have an informed knowledge of the course to prepare them for the next step in their career. The curriculum covers a range of courses indicate; The curriculum has an intended programme of learning which learners are expected to complete at the end of the course. For each of the modules, the learning outcome is clearly outline which guides teachers to effectively plan and deliver contents to ensure learners makes progress, paying attention to teaching and learning strategies which will facilitate learners engagement and participation. Progress is usually monitored throughout lessons in form of formative assessment ensuring learners know what they do and what dispositions they have acquired. Furthermore, at the end of each module a set of summative assessment are used to evaluate learners achievement and progress. The curriculum delivered in the Skills Company on the Access for Higher Education, is a tailored towards the learner gaining a qualification towards a place to study in a university of the learners choice provided learners achieve the required grades. Ornstein and Hunkins (2009, p.15) contend that curriculum development encompasses how a curriculum is planned, implemented and evaluated, as well as what people, processes and procedures are involved When the phase in life is reached where education begins in earnest, it is vital that the curriculum is integrated, that there is no separation of theory and practice. By this Plato seems to mean that learning the theory of something is by itself of little value unless the student knows how to make it work.