Do You Need a Cover Letter? - Job Searching - About.com

Do you really need a cover letter when you apply for jobs? Can you get by with just a resume? Or is sending a quick message to a contact on LinkedIn, for example, enough? Does it matter how you outreach to potential employers and how you promote your accomplishments - and yourself? How about if the company doesn't ask for a letter? Should you include a cover letter even when it's not required?

I asked several career experts for their take on cover letters. Susan Heathfield, About.com's Guide to Human Resources, says, "Your cover letter is particularly important. It's the job searcher's opportunity to help the potential employer see that the applicant's skills and experience match what the employer seeks. In the current economic climate, with the scarcity of jobs, a well-written cover letter distinguishes your application."

Career expert Heather Huhman notes that "Cover letters allow you--in narrative form--to tell the employer exactly why hiring you, instead of the numerous other candidates, is a good decision.

I agree. I'm of the school of thought that a cover letter is the best way to make a good impression on a prospective employer and a way to show that employer why you are a strong candidate for the job. What do you think? Do you need a cover letter or can you successfully connect with companies in other ways?

Read More: Cover Letters | Cover Letter Examples | How Long Should Your Cover Letter Be? | Should You Include a Cover Letter When It's Not Required?

Source: http://jobsearch.about.com/b/2013/05/13/do-you-need-a-cover-letter.htm

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This Genius Netflix Flowchart Will Tell You Exactly What to Watch

The going gets tough on Netflix sometimes. Between the eight people sharing your account it's just not clear who has been marathoning Grey's Anatomy, and the recommendations are all over the place. How are you supposed to find something to watch? With this brilliant flowchart, of course.

The "mad geniuses" at Silver Oak Casino want to help you figure it out for some reason. Maybe this flowchart will subtly entice you to gamble? Unclear. But it's fabulously comprehensive regardless of motives. The flowchart shouts out such gems as Miller's Crossing and Fawlty Towers, but will also guide you to more mainstream options if that is your destiny. Take the help where you can get it. This whole lying on the couch, balancing a bowl of ice cream on your stomach and trying to find something to watch routine is getting stressful.

[Silveroakcasino via Digg]

Source: http://gizmodo.com/this-genius-flowchart-will-show-you-exactly-what-to-wat-503497824

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New model to recommend media content according to your preferences

May 13, 2013 ? Researchers at the Technical University of Madrid (Universidad Polit?cnica de Madrid) have developed a model capable to recommend audiovisual content to each user based on their own media consumption and intrinsic features of images and videos.

The recommendations generated by the new model, developed by the Visual Telecommunications Application Group (G@TV) of the Higher Technical School of Telecommunications Engineering of the UPM, can be produced without prompting the user and without bothering them when they are watching and enjoying the content. The system has been tested with over 70,000 users and a million of content evaluations. According to the findings, the model has the highest precision so far.

The vast proliferation of Internet content, television and other media can prevent user from obtaining those contents which are interesting to them. In order to ease this selection, researchers at the UPM in collaboration with leading media companies, have developed a model that allows them to recommend highly reliable content. The testing was carried out with a high number of users in different scenarios such as the Olympic Games, online game catalogs or digital interactive television.

The traditional recommender system usually use: semantic techniques which result in products defined by themes, similar tags to the user interests, algorithms that use collective intelligence of a large set of user, in a way that this traditional system recommends themes that suit other people with similar preferences.

From this knowledge state, an applied model of multimedia content that goes beyond this paradigm has been developed, and it incorporates other features of whose influence, the user is not always aware and because of that reason has not been used so far in these types of systems.

Therefore, researchers at the UPM have analyzed in depth the audiovisual features that can be influential for users and they proved that some of these features that determine aesthetic trends and usually go unnoticed can be decisive when defining the user tastes.

For example, researchers proved that in a movie, the relative information to the narrative rhythm (shot length, scenes and sequences), the movements (camera or frame content) or the image nature (brightness, color, texture, information quantity) is relevant when cataloguing the preferences of each piece of information. Analogously to the movies, the researchers have analyzed images using a subset of descriptors considered in the case of video.

In order to verify this model, researchers used a database of 70,000 users and a million of reviews in a set of 200 movies whose features were previously extracted.

These descriptors, once they are standardized, processed and generated adequate statistical data, allow researchers to formally characterize the contents and to find the influence degree on each user as well as their preference conditions.

It is important to highlight that the recommendation does not feed from declared explicit preferences by the user, but these preferences are dynamically changing according to their consumption trends. To this effect, researchers created a probabilistic model that infers the patterns by using artificial intelligence techniques. The model were validated by doing tests with real users whose television consumption were assessed for a while and contrasted with surveys

After statistical analysis of the results and their relationship with the diverse content categories, they proved that these implicit methods that use consumption data are more reliable than the data from explicit ratings because they used objective measures and allowed them to remove social and cultural conditioning that affect some contents.

Once the user preferences and the nature of content are set, the system is able to generate new recommendations by exploiting this data. To do this, it was important to take into consideration the conclusions drawn from the influence of the aesthetic and the need to create personalized statistic systems in a way that the criteria for recommendation can change for each user according to the influence of these features.

As this study has proved, some users show a special sensitivity to certain features, especially the ones related to mounting rhythm or the camera motion. The recommendation algorithm justifies its success by using information that the user is not aware that he knows, but it is able to determine a special aesthetic affinity with specific audiovisual contents.

The model was developed and validated in diverse real systems based on research on European projects (ARENA), national projects and applied to various scenarios: generalist television scenario (3SME), Web scenario applied to search engines (Buscamedia), TV and web hybrid scenario applied to the Olympic Games, and scenarios of multiplatform audiovisual consumption (Mireia).

Source: http://feeds.sciencedaily.com/~r/sciencedaily/top_news/top_technology/~3/P-9aP7P-QN8/130513083138.htm

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Watch The Arrested Development Trailer Here

Posted without comment because it really doesn't need a comment. I mean, it's the new Arrested Development trailer -- just watch it and count down the days to the Bluth family returns?on May 26.

Source: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/Techcrunch/~3/iGprhtDUSgA/

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Admissions at IIITM-K : Apply by May 22 - career on your finger tips

Applications can be submitted online athttp://www.iiitmk.ac.in/admission/till?22nd May, 2013, for admission to the various M.Sc Programmes, M Phil Programmes and a Post Graduate Diploma Programme for 2013-14, at the Indian Institute of Information Technology and Management-Kerala (IIITMK), Trivandrum an autonomous Post Graduate Institution established by the Government of Kerala.

The Programmes offered include, MSc Programmes in (i) Information Technology (ii) Computer Science and Information Security (iii) Computational Sciences (iv) Geo-informatics and Master of Philosophy (MPhil) Programmes in (i) Computer Science (ii) Ecological Informatics. There is also a Post Graduate Diploma in e-Governance offered by the IIITMK.

The eligibility for admission to the various Programmes are as under. M.Sc in Information Technology: Applicant should hold a Bachelor's Degree in any branch of Engineering/Technology or Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science/Computer Applications/Information Technology or Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics/ Physics/ Chemistry/ Statistics with Mathematics as a subject of study.
M.Sc in Computer Science and Information Security:Applicant should hold a Bachelor's Degree in any branch of Engineering/Technology or Bachelor's Degree in Computer Science/Computer Applications/Information Technology or Bachelor's Degree in Mathematics/ Physics/ Chemistry/ Statistics with Mathematics as a subject of study.
M.Sc in Computational Sciences:Applicant should have a Bachelor's Degree in Science/ Engineering/ Technology with Mathematics as subject of study.
M.Sc in Geo-informatics: Applicant should hold a Bachelor?s Degree in Science/ Engineering/ Technology with Mathematics/Geology/Geography as one of the Subjects in Graduation.
Master of Philosophy in Computer Science: Applicant should have M. Sc/M C A/
M.Tech in Computer Science/ Information Technology/ Electronics/ Computational Sciences/Geo-informatics or equivalent having minimum of three papers in CS/IT in the qualifying examination.Master of Philosophy (M.Phil) in Ecological Informatics: Applicant should have a M.Sc. in Natural (Botany, Zoology, Environmental Science, Plant Science) or Physical Sciences (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics).

M.Sc Programmes are of two years duration while the M Phil Programmes are of one year duration. All the Master?s Degree Programmes are affiliated to the Cochin University of Science and Technology

For all the M.Sc and M.Phil Programmes, applicant should have a minimum of 60 % marks or minimum CGPA of 6.5 in 10 points scale in the qualifying examination. However, SC/ST applicants need only pass marks in the qualifying examination. Those who are awaiting the results of their final year course qualifying for can also apply.

Post Graduate Diploma in e-Governance (One year):Applicant should hold a Bachelor?s Degree in any discipline and should have working knowledge of computer systems. Diploma / Certification in computer application will be an added advantage. Preference will be given to B.Tech / MBA / MCA Degree holders. Fifteen seats are reserved for Government employees for Post Graduate Diploma in e-Governance. The Post Graduate Diploma Course is approved by the Directorate of Technical Education, Government of Kerala.
T
here will be an admission test to be conducted on an all India basis as part of the selection process. The Test of one hour duration will have 60 objective type questions to test reasoning abilities, mental aptitude and communication skills as well the general awareness in mathematics, engineering and science. A separate module for each course will also be there.

The online test will be held at Bhubaneswar, Calicut, Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad, Kochi, Kolkata, Imphal, Patna, Srinagar and Trivandrum on 2nd June, 2013. If sufficient candidates are not available at a centre, the candidate will be required to take the test at nearest centre to be allotted by IIITM-K.

Applicants having valid GATE score are exempted from the Entrance Test. Those with NET, applying for M.Phil admissions are also exempted from the Entrance Test. However, all such applicants also have to apply online and pay the application fee specified and appear for the interview.

Application fee is Rs.250/- for General candidates Rs.100/- for SC/ST applicants, which may be paid by way of a Demand Draft drawn in favour of ?Director, IIITMK?, payable at any nationalized bank at Trivandrum.

Application has to be submitted online at?www.iiitmk.ac.in/admission, latest by 22nd May, 2013. Prospectus can also be downloaded from this site.After submitting the application online, the applicant must take a printout of the same. This printout along with the DD towards application fee and passport size photos should reach ?IITM-Kerala, Techno park Campus, Trivandrum, Kerala 695 581?, latest by 31.5.2013. NRI & Foreign National students are required to submit the application online and forward print copy along with payment of US $ 100 or Rs.5000/- in addition to the application fee.

Those selected have to report at the institute for admission on July 3, 2013, with all necessary documents.

The course fee is Rs.2,00,000/- for the M.Sc Programme. It is Rs.1,00,000/- for the M.Phil Programme and Rs.75000/- for the PGD Programme. Fee can be remitted in instalments, the details of which are given in the Prospectus. Students having a minimum of 65% (7.0 CGPA) in the qualifying examination and joining the M.Sc/M.Philcourses will get Government Scholarships worth Rs.8000/- per month, under the Special Post-Graduate Education Expansion Drive in IT (SPEED-IT). Government Scholarships are also available to all SC/ST students admitted to Masters and M.Phil Programs. Details are given in the Prospectus and website.

The admission results will be announced by the Institute on the date of personal interview.Those candidates who get selected in the interview should pay the first instalment of admission fee for an amount of Rs.25,000/- (non-refundable) on the same date either by cash or by DD in favour of ?The Director, IIITMK?, payable at Trivandrum.

Second instalment of fees for the first semester, amounting to Rs.37800/- inclusive of Tuition fee of Rs.25,000/-,Caution deposit of Rs.5,000/-, Medical coverage fee of Rs.1,000/-, PTA fee of Rs.1,000/-, CUSAT University fee of Rs.5800/-), should be remitted on or before30thSeptember, 2013

More details about the Institution and the Programmes are available in the Prospectus and at the website?www.iiitmk.ac.in/

Source: http://issuddin.blogspot.com/2013/05/admissions-at-iiitm-k-apply-by-may-22.html

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Coastguard rescues 139 migrants off Italian coast

ROME (Reuters) - Italian coastguards picked up 139 people in two inflatable boats off the southern coast of Sicily, authorities said on Saturday, the latest in a series of arrivals of clandestine immigrants.

Hundreds of migrants, most from Africa, have been rescued in small, flimsy vessels while crossing to Italy since the start of the year, with numbers increasing since the beginning of spring.

The occupants of the two boats rescued in the latest incident were taken to Lampedusa, the tiny island off the coast of Sicily which has borne the brunt of the seaborne migration into southern Europe from North Africa.

An estimated 1,500 migrants lost their lives in the Mediterranean after the Arab Spring uprisings of 2011, according to Human Rights Watch. It estimated the death toll in 2012 at more than 300.

(Reporting by James Mackenzie; Editing by Janet Lawrence)

Source: http://news.yahoo.com/coastguard-rescues-139-migrants-off-italian-coast-191317219.html

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City School constituents discuss health insurance - Press-Republican

PLATTSBURGH ? Having undergone cancer surgery, Steve Bedard is grateful for?the Plan A health insurance available to him as a retired Plattsburgh City School teacher.?

?What I find is I?m slowly becoming a walking pharmacy,? Bedard, a city taxpayer, told the audience gathered at the district?s recent public health insurance forum.?

The event came after months?of urging from taxpayer Walter Chmura for the school to consider switching from Plan A to the less costly Plan B. The forum featured a presentation,?detailing the differences in the two plans,?by?Steve Locey of Locey and Cahill LLC, the consulting firm that works with the district?s health-care consortium.

PLAN DIFFERENCES

Plan B is currently about 18 percent less expensive than Plan A, Locey said.?

They also differ in that?Plan B carries higher deductibles and co-insurance maximums, and Plan B users are subject to?prescription?drug co-pays, which do not count toward fulfilling the deductible or co-insurance maximum.?

?Right now, I get?prescription?drugs, (and) it counts toward my $400 (co-insurance maximum and)?$50 deductible ... If that?s pulled away from me, I?ll tell you, I?ll be pretty nervous because any of us could end up bankrupt,??Bedard said during the public-comment portion of the forum, following Locey?s presentation.?

BIG SAVINGS SEEN

Other speakers, however, noted that the high cost of Plan A?makes it unsustainable for schools that are annually struggling to bridge budget gaps.

?Many local school districts have recently stated that their districts are in danger because (of) unsustainable benefits, and health care is one of the biggest parts of that,? said Nancy Allen, a city taxpayer and former?Excellus Blue Cross Blue Shield employee.?

Allen, who worked on the consortium?s account during her 12 years with Excellus and helped to develop and implement Plan B, stated the City School District could save about $900,000 a year by switching plans.?

?It seems the fiscally?responsible?action for the Plattsburgh City School District would be to move to Plan B for all active and retired employees, with a buyout option for Plan A,? she said. ?This would allow employees and retirees to choose to stay on Plan A as long as they pay the difference.?

Allen added that Plan B, like Plan A, is a ?Cadillac? plan.?

?Most taxpayers have plans that are nowhere near as rich as Plan B,? she said. ??Taxpayers are frustrated, and they?re looking for some common-sense solution, and they?re realizing they?re footing the bill of extremely rich benefits that have been around 30 years for a very select group.?

NEGOTIATIONS NEEDED?

Chmura also advocated for the switch to be made; however, he urged the board to do it unilaterally.?

?It can be done without collective bargaining, which means it can be done expeditiously,? he said.?

City School Superintendent James ?Jake? Short told the Press-Republican in a separate interview that according to both the Plattsburgh Teachers Association and Plattsburgh Civil Service Employees Association contacts, their health-insurance plan must be at least the equivalent of the Blue Cross Blue Shield Statewide Plan.?

?This brings the question forward (of whether) the School Board can or has interest in unilaterally switching plan options absent contract negotiations,? Short said.

When asked by a forum attendee if Plan B?is at least equivalent?to?the state?s plan, Locey responded that it is, and that, in his opinion, Plan B is better.?

NEED CITED

Retired City School teacher Arnie Burdo also spoke at the forum, saying Plan A coverage allowed him to receive quality care through open heart-surgery?and treatment of prostate cancer.?

?I?m asking for a situation which allows senior citizens like myself to be grandfathered into a good insurance like the one we have right now,? he said. ?I know there are some people who would like to cut down their taxes, but I pay taxes, too, and so do all of my relatives, and they don?t mind chipping in to keep me alive.?

RESEARCH URGED

Another speaker, taxpayer and ?Plattsburgh Teachers Association President?Mary Lou LaRocque-Megarr, stated that switching plans is a complex decision and should not be made without research and discussion.?

?No board member, no negotiating team wants the responsibility of someone losing their home because?we?ve?switched to Plan B,? she said.?

Both?LaRocque-Megarr?and?Rod Sherman, a retired teacher and former Teachers Association president,?also noted that the?union and?district?have a long history of collaborating and?achieving?compromise. ?

?I don?t see this issue as being any different,??LaRocque-Megarr said. ?It?s another issue that we will put on the table and talk about together, but?retirees, we?re not going to sell you out.?

MORE OPTIONS EYED

City School teacher and taxpayer Tim Mulligan also spoke,?questioning why consortium members can choose only between Plan A and Plan B.?

?Neither plan is working for both the district and its members ... Why can?t the consortium and the board work to put together a package that meets more in the middle?? he asked.?

Two days after the forum, the health-insurance discussion continued at a City School Board meeting, where board member Steve Krieg said he would support a unilateral insurance switch.

?We?re not taking away a good plan and leaving them with no plan,? he said. ?We?re taking away a good plan and leaving them with a good plan.?

He and fellow board member?Fred Wachtmeister?urged the public to share their thoughts on the topic with the board.?

Wachtmeister?added he would appreciate hearing from local workers, such as employees of the county, city, Georgia Pacific, SUNY Plattsburgh and CVPH Medical Center about the health-insurance plans offered by their employers.

During the public-comment portion of the meeting, Scott Waite, Plattsburgh Teachers Association negotiations chair, noted that?while it was Locey?s opinion that Plan B is?equivalent?to the state?s plan,??something like that would have to be settled by a judge.?

In addition, LaRocque-Megarr?spoke at the meeting, echoing Mulligan?s sentiments that the consortium should offer more plan options.?

?I would urge the board to put some pressure on the consortium,? she said.?

Email Ashleigh Livingston:alivingston@pressrepublican.com

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TO LEARN MORE

More information about health-insurance plans A and B, including a plan comparison, is available on the Plattsburgh School District's website: plattscsd.org.

Source: http://pressrepublican.com/0100_news/x326078982/City-School-constituents-discuss-health-insurance

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