Why Being Your Own Boss at Work Isnt Easy - The Muse

Why Being Your Own Boss at Work Isnt Easy - The MuseWhy Being Your Own Boss at Work Isnt Easy It must be so nice to be your own anfhrer.Thats probably the one thing thats repeated to me most frequently upon people finding out that I make my living as a freelancer. Well, either that or Oh man, I wish I could work in my pajamas or, Do you actually make money? I wont deny it- being your own boss definitely has its perks. I can manage my own schedule and workload without having somebody breathing down my neck and I dont have to worry about any clashing personalities or communication styles.However, Ive noticed that many of the people who seem to fantasize about how great my boss-less life must be are often missing a couple of the big downsides that come along for the ride. And, believe me, those really do exist. For starters, I feel the need to clarify the biggest thing that people tend to forget Just because I dont have a boss in a traditional sense doesnt mean Im floating along happily without anybody I need to report to. Remember, I make my living by keeping my various clients happy- which means I often wind up feeling like I have dozens of direct supervisors. In those situations, reporting to just one person seems like a leisurely stroll through the park. Im sure many upper-level managers often feel this same way. Theres this perception that once you reach the top rung of that ladder, you get to work in total isolation. You dont have anybody telling you what to do and when to do it- you have nobody expecting anything of you. But, its time for a major spoiler alert That simply isnt true. At all. You still have responsibilities to uphold and accountability to the people around you- whether thats your direct reports, your colleagues, or your clients. Trust me, not having a conventional manager above you in the hierarchy doesnt mean that your work life is stress-free. Secondly, I think that many people often see the fact that I dont have a boss. But, they fail to b ring together that other piece of the puzzle- which means that Im the boss. And, while that sounds fun and impressive, it can sometimes result in a lot of headaches.Those difficult conversations that Id prefer to delegate up to a superior that I feel is better equipped to handle them? Not an option. Those times when Id like to run a big idea by someone with a lot of industry expertise and sage advice? Well, unless my dog counts, I dont always have immediate access to somebody who can provide some much-needed guidance. When Im feeling completely stuck on a challenging project? Again, its either my dog or my dear friend Google. I definitely appreciate missing out on some of those annoyances that come along with needing to navigate a successful professional relationship with a superior. But, Ill admit that there are plenty of times throughout the workweek when I actually wish I had a more traditional structure that I could lean on for some help, inspiration, and mentorship- even if tha t meant I had to verstndigung im strafverfahren with a little bit of micromanagement or a few unrealistic deadlines (lets be honest, I still have to deal with those things anyway).So, yes, managing your relationship with your supervisor can be tough. And, yes, there will likely be times when he or she can really get under your skin and drive you up a wall. I even recognize that there are some horrible bosses out there who make the independent life seem that much more appealing. However, if you find yourself constantly gazing over at those boss-less pastures with hope and adoration, remember that the grass really isnt always greener on the other side. In fact, things can be just as tough on the opposite end of that fence. The only difference? You wont have someone who you can lean on to help you through it.Photo of person working courtesy of Mint Images-Tim Robbins/Getty Images.

ASMEs Five Strategic Technologies Clean Energy

ASMEs Five Strategic Technologies Clean Energy ASMEs Five Strategic Technologies Clean Energy ASMEs Five Strategic Technologies Clean EnergyThis is the fourth in a series of ASME News articles on the Societys five strategic technology focus areasrobotics, bioengineering, clean energy, manufacturing and pressure technology. This article will focus on ASMEs activities related to the topic of clean energy.Of the many technologies under consideration during the process of identifying the Societys strategic technology areas, clean energy was seen as one particular area where ASME and its products and programs could have considerable impact.Traditionally, the Society had not been especially active developing programs and products for clean energy technologies, which ASME defines as technologies that generate electric power through means that reduce or eliminate environmental emissions and impact. These technologies include renewable energy sources such as solar, wind, hydropower and energy storage technologies that capture clean energy produced at one time for use at a later time, such as battery technologies, pumped hydro, compressed air, fly wheels, thermal storage and hydrogen, as well as other zero-emission sources such as nuclear energy.During the past year, however, ASME has raised its profile in clean energy considerably by establishing three new conference programs the Offshore Wind Summit, the International Offshore Wind Technical Conference and the Advanced Clean Energy Summit. The first of these, the Offshore Wind Summit program, launched last May in Houston with the successful ASME Offshore Wind Energy B2B Forum. The event, which brought together representatives from mora than 50 companies, explored the current trends and advances in the offshore wind industry a mature industry in Europe that is just beginning to gain momentum in the United States. A second event,the Offshore Wind Summit, which was held earlier this week in Boston, featured keynote pr esentations as panel discussions and presentations offering focused information and lessons learned from experienced developers, asset owners and operators in the offshore wind community. This program has been more business-focused.TheInternational Offshore Wind Technical Conference (IOWTC)program, which kicked off last November in San Francisco, continues with a second event slated for this November in St. Julians, Malta. IOWTC 2019, to be held from Nov. 3-6, will feature more than 100 technical papers presented across two tracks. A scientific track will explore such topics as new fixed offshore concepts, new floating concepts, offshore turbines and modeling, structural analysis and model testing, while a project development track will address areas including permits, environmental issues, fabrication and industrialization, operations and maintenance, and offshore wind projects in Asia, Europe and the United States. A goal for the IOWTC program is to be the leader in offshore wind technology.This September, ASME will launch a third clean energy conference program,the Advanced Clean Energy Summit (ACES). The inaugural ACES event, to take place Sept. 16-17 at the Curtis Hotel in Denver, Colo., will encompass a broad spectrum of clean energy applications including solar energy, nuclear energy, advanced energy systems, oil and gas, gas turbines, wind energy, material and energy recovery, environmental systems and energy storage. The conferences theme, Evolving Into a Balanced Global Energy Portfolio, will be explored during technical sessions, workshops, discussions and panel presentations that will offer attendees the tools and information they will need to help their organizations better address clean energys challenges and opportunities.Examples of other activities related to clean energy taking place at ASME include- ASME collaborating with Clarion-PennWell media to create a Smart Energy Pavilion at the 2019 Power-Gen Conference in New Orleans this November. This Smart Energy Pavilion is expected to have up to eight content providers-sponsors bringing forward current trends and hot topics in clean energy technologies, such as smart grid, energy storage, digital energy, and block chain.- ASME Standards Certifications recent issuing of a draft standard for trial use,FE.1-2018 Rules for Construction of Fusion Energy Devices, which provides rules covering fusion-energy-related components such as vacuum vessels, cryostats and superconducting magnet structures and the interactions of these components, and related support structures- ASME Government Relations convening of the congressional briefings The Role of Nuclear Energy in U.S. Clean Energy Planning this past March and the upcomingLarge Scale Energy Storage Road to Realization featuring panelists Paul Denholm and Brian Miller from the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, Jason Burwen of the Energy Storage Association, and Ray Hohenstein from Fluence, a Siemens and AES company on June 18- The presentation of the three-part Offshore Wind Webinar Series,Designing an Offshore Wind Farm, in April and May 2019 and- The 2020 launch of theASMEJournal of Engineering for Sustainable Buildings and Cities, the publication of the April 2019 special issue of the ASMEJournal of Solar Energy Engineeringonconcentrated solar chemistry, fuels and power, and the publication of special issues of the ASMEJournal of Energy Resources Technologyonthe ASME 2018 12th International Conference on Energy Sustainabilitythis month andpapers from the 43rd International Technical Conference on Clean Energynext month.Other products and programs related to clean energy are currently in the works at ASME as well. Be sure to check future issues ofASME Newsfor updates.

5 out-of-the-box tips from Barbara Corcoran on how to change your interviewers mind about you

5 out-of-the-box tips from Barbara Corcoran on how to change your interviewers mind about you5 out-of-the-box tips from Barbara Corcoran on how to change your interviewers mind about youBarbara Corcoran, real estate mogul and Shark Tank investor, took a question from a listener on her podcast who had been iced out of a job recently and just so happened to be 20 years younger than the other candidates. How could she prevent her youth from being a liability and more importantly, how could she quickly turn the situation around and change the interviewers mind about her?I dont believe you need to be older to be smart, said Corcoran, who started her real estate business at age 23.1. ) Slow down your speech. Dont sound overeager Speaking slower will make you sound more grounded and substantial.2.) Think of yourself as a caregiver. When Corcoran started her first business, everyone who worked for her welches at least 10 years older than her, but I thought of myself as a parent When you wa lk into the interview, you might think of yourself as a caregiver. Youre there to do a good job and take care of the responsibilities and the people, and speak from that vantage point.3.) Have a story ready to bring out in the interview to overcome anything you see as a hindrance. If the caller thinks her young age is a hindrance, for example, you have to develop a story that rings true and addresses the age objection before they even raise it. For example, Corcoran suggested an example that builds your backstory People think Im so young, but the fact is, Ive always taken care of my older siblings Ive always had a part-time job I always had to help my parents out.Theyll look at you as an older person for the rest of the interview, Corcoran says.4.) Dress for the part even if that means dressing older. So if youre wearing slingbacks that are appropriate for your age, said Corcoran, replace them with a solid shoe, a real dress, maybe even a suit Youre going to edit yourself based on what the person interviewing you wants to see. And if that means older, than by all means, go out and by that old outfit5.) But dont cripple yourself with sky-high heels. I never hire anyone who wears really high heels to any interview, confessed Corcoran. In fact, she doesnt even look at their resume. Her theory is that anyone who clumps into an interview on stilettos isnt going to work very hard once they get the job.Whether shes right or wrong, first impressions matter.