More on Goldman vs the SEC

More on Goldman vs the SECMore on Goldman vs the SECThe Financial Times offers a version of whats going on behind the scenes in SEC case against Goldman Sachs that contradicts somewhat the one depicted by John Carney on CNBC and discussed on this blog here. The FT version is based, like Carneys, on anonymous sources. The FT version emphasizes the efforts Goldman is making to reach a settlement on a lesser chargeomission of a materie fact, rather than fraud. The prospect of a settlement being premised on Goldman neither admitting nor denying wrongdoing is treated neutrally as a plausible outcome. The piece cites Brad Hintz of Bernstein Research, who estimates that Goldman might pay a fine of $250 million and compensate investors by buying out their exposure to the notorious Abacus deal at a cost of $370 million.-posted by brian

Photographs as Creative Writing Prompts

Photographs as Creative Writing PromptsPhotographs as Creative Writing PromptsPictures and photographs implicitly convey a narrative- and that makes them ideal writing prompts for generating new short story ideas. You can use a picture as a writing prompt in a solo exerciseor with a class or writing group. If doing the exercise in a group, you can either have everyone use the same picture, or you can have a selection ofuniqueansehens foreach writer. Consider having each student or group member bring in a picture and trade with someone else. The picture can be a personal photograph, a clipping from a magazine or just about any image that that has the potential to inspire. Whether you do the exercise alone or in a group, itwill either stir your creative juices and get you to explore new themes, or, in a group, help break up the routine and build cohesion. Easy Writing Prompt Steps Choose yourimage. Whether you choose your image or trade with another member of the group, try to ens ure that the image is new to you and doesnt have any immediate personal significance (like a photo of a family member). In a group, consider using asystem for randomly trading images, so students dont know ahead of time what their prompt will be. (For example, have everyone pass their picture to the right.)Have everyone spend 10 to 15 minutes freewriting on the photograph.Choose one aspect (or theme) of your freewriting exercise as a starting point for a short story. The story does not necessarily have to explain the picture, as long as the picture has in some way inspired the resulting work. Have everyone share the stories (either that day or the next time the class meets) along with the picture, explaining how the picture resulted in the written material.For those who wish to continue developing their story, you may want to check out articles on plot, dialogue, and character. Tips When Using Images to Inspire Your Writing Dont worry about conforming to the photograph in a lite ral sense. The point of the exercise is to get you started writing and, ideally, to write about something you would not otherwise have written about.You can also do this exercise on your own by opening a magazine and randomly selecting a photograph or asking a friend to select a photograph for you. Or, select an image from something you saw that morning.Dont write about something youve written about before just because it fits the picture. The point of the exercise is to triggeryou to write something entirely new. Dont worry about needing a lot of supplies for this exercise. All youll need is an image, pen, and paper or whatever digital device you prefer.

6 ways to boost employee morale starting today

6 ways to boost employee morale starting today6 ways to boost employee morale starting todayAn unenthused team with high turnover rates should be a huge red flag to business owners and leaders, but a surprising number of bosses arent willing to go the extra mile to make sure their staff are happy and motivated.Employers who are finding that their staff are literally dragging themselves through the door every morning and can no longer recall the sound of laughter in the geschftszimmer should take heed you need to tackle low morale before it hinders your businessEmployee morale describes the overall outlook, attitude, satisfaction, and confidence that employees feel at work. It can quickly build or break a companys success, so managers have a responsibility to enlist simple and creative approaches to strengthen it before it leads to poor cooperation, low productivity and increased staff turnover.Things like giving regular praise and letting your colleagues voice their concerns are eas y to put into place, but the impact they can have is tremendous.We worked with the office experts behindLondonOffices.comwho revealed their six best tips for sparking positive change and boosting employee morale.1. Dont forget to have funWith mountains of work to get through each day and deadlines constantly looming, it can be easy to fall in to the All Work, No Play mentality but this is only going to take its toll on your employees.Ultimately, staff go to work to get a job done, but spending over 40 hours each week doing the same tasks day in, day out can get extremely dull.So, whether its a quick round of drinks on a Friday afternoon, or a big team building day out every quarter, your staff will appreciate the break in monotony.2. Be prepared to take the bulletWhen your people are facing challenges and morale is sinking, be willing to step up to the mark and tackle particularly difficult issues yourself.Whether its dealing with a challenging client or handling an awkward confron tation, showing your team that youre willing to put your neck on the line to save them hassle will undoubtedly increase morale and team spirit.3. Give praise where praise is dueEverybody loves a bit of positive recognition every now and then, so stop overlooking staff members good work.Regular positive feedback and recognition may just be the key to unlocking exceptional performance and improving employee morale and the key genau is here regular. Leaving it to yearly review meetings just wont suffice.4. Let them speakMeet with each of your team members one-on-one to allow them chance to vent any frustrations or voice any concerns privately. Take what they say seriously and make sure to act on anything within your power.Employees that trust you and feel able to talk and be listened to will be more willing to put the work in, knowing their opinions are valued.5. Authentic careWhether its a simple birthday card or a bunch of flowers for a staff member going on maternity leave, these r elatively inexpensive demonstrations show that you genuinely listen to your employees and care about their lives and not just within the office walls.This can go a long way towards making employees feel connected to their team and the business, and create a happier staff body overall.6. Make work meaningfulWhen employee morale is taking a bit of a bashing, take the time to return to the vision on which the business was built in the first place. Ask yourself why the business exists, and how the work of employees influences this purpose.Then, communicate this back to your staff. Emphasizing the importance of their work both as individuals and teams is bound to improve morale and motivation.This article was originally published on YourCoffeeBreak.co.uk.

11 High-Paying Marketing Jobs Open Now

11 High-Paying Marketing Jobs Open Now 11 High-Paying Marketing Jobs Open Now If you play your cards right, marketing can be a very lucrative career. Depending on your specialty, location, and experience, many marketing jobs pay handsomely - a figure that only increases as you climb your way up the ladder. In the marketing field and looking for your next opportunity? Check out one of the 11 open positions below. The Role: “This Product Marketing Manager role requires an understanding of all aspects of product marketing and marketing channels and has an uncanny ability to tell the world the story of Wufoo. Your primary responsibility will be driving growth for Wufoo through the execution of our go-to-market strategy, optimization of our customers experience and creating compelling product positioning.” The Role: “Zoosk (maker of the #1 online dating app) needs talent to grow its Digital Marketing Analyst team. The incumbent Digital Marketing Analyst will own customer acquisition campaigns across online and mobile marketing channels, such as Facebook, Google, Yahoo!, to hit monthly budget and ROI goals. This requires the set-up, optimization and analysis of multiple campaigns on a daily basis following a direct response marketing approach. If you don’t know how to do this, but it sounds cool, feel free to apply and we will teach you.” The Role: “The Senior Partner Marketing Manager is part of an innovative worldwide team and the key marketing point of contact between the VP of Partner Marketing, the Business Development Team and the Global Marketing Organization. As a Senior Partner Marketing Manager you are responsible for designing and executing a successful partner marketing plan and budget for the assigned partner/s, in alignment with global market objectives, global company positioning, and vertical strategies.” The Role: “Reporting to the Vice President of Marketing, the Associate Marketing Manager is primarily responsible for supporting the Marketing function and its initiatives to maximize guest transactions and revenue, and grow the business. This full-time position is responsible for the development and execution of marketing projects and day to day activities, including consumer marketing promotions and initiatives, business analysis, and special projects.” The Role: “Reporting to the BU President, Bank Solutions (BSD), you will be a member of the BSD senior leadership team focused on raising opportunities to drive growth for the Business Unit. Constantly asking, ‘What key relationships do we need to build, What’s missing from our solution set right now?’, you have strong consulting skills and bring a portfolio management perspective to the team. A broad-based strategist, you have strong teaming and communication skills that you skillfully employ to support the achievement of overall operational plans, financials, and strategic objectives.” The Role: “This position will achieve the overall sales goals of Georgia by providing a presence for Johnson & Johnson and JJPF in the Georgia property and casualty insurance market. Tasked with creating and maintaining business relationships with the independent agents in Georgia, this person will identify opportunities and capture market share while spearheading the growth of business in the Georgia market.” The Role: “SHYFT is seeking a seasoned Senior Marketing Programs Manager to leverage their expertise in designing, deploying and managing demand-generation and nurture programs. A successful candidate will have the ability to craft and evolve the overall programs’ strategy, while also being able to roll up their sleeves and execute the components necessary to launch, scale and measure those programs. This role works hand-in-hand with the Product Marketing Manager and other cross-functional groups within the organization.” The Role: “We are seeking an experienced Marketing Automation Specialist to join our marketing team. Were looking for a highly motivated and intelligent individual who can make an immediate positive impact. Your mission is to design, build, measure, and improve the effectiveness of our marketing automation using Marketo. In this role, you can have a significant impact in an already rapidly growing company. You will work closely with marketing, sales, and executive management teams.” The Role: “You will: Assist the Product team with ideation, development, and launch of innovative products. Assist in developing key messaging and strategy for DeviantArt’s suite of products and features. Plan and execute rollout strategies. Engage with the community and measure response after a launch. Create and execute innovative marketing campaigns to increase awareness and usage of specific products.” The Role: “The Email Marketing Automation Manager is responsible for creating and executing campaigns within a marketing automation platform. The EMAM is also responsible for fully managing a range of integrated digital marketing campaigns simultaneously.” The Role: “This position will report into the Sr. Director, HCP Marketing on the Neurology team and is responsible for assisting with the development and execution of the strategic and tactical plan to support the launch of APL into the Parkinson’s market.”

Workers Often Lose Sleep Over Work, And Heres Why

Workers Often Lose Sleep Over Work, And Heres Why Workers Often Lose Sleep Over Work, And Heres Why WORKERS OFTEN LOSE SLEEP OVER WORK, AND HERE’S WHY Percentage of employees who lose sleep over work:* TOTAL GENDER MALE GENDER FEMALE AGE 18-34 AGE 35-54 AGE 55+ Very often 15% 19% 12% 26% 13% 6% Somewhat often 29% 31% 28% 31% 32% 23% Not very often 43% 38% 46% 35% 43% 51% Never 13% 12% 14% 8% 12% 21% Among those who lose sleep over work, the following were cited as the root causes:** TOTAL GENDER MALE GENDER FEMALE AGE 18-34 AGE 35-54 AGE 55+ Overwhelmed with work volume/hours 50% 51% 49% 56% 52% 39% Can’t get a business problem out of my head 48% 49% 47% 44% 49% 50% Strained coworker relationships 20% 21% 20% 26% 19% 15% Worried I may lose my job 18% 21% 15% 22% 18% 12% My boss is a nightmare 16% 18% 14% 21% 14% 12% Other 7% 5% 9% 5% 7% 12% Source: Accountemps survey of more than 2,800 workers in the United States

Working from Home Boosts Productivity and Satisfaction, Survey Indicates

Working from Home Boosts Productivity and Satisfaction, Survey Indicates Working from Home Boosts Productivity and Satisfaction, Survey Indicates Working from home may make you more satisfied and boost your productivity according to a new study by Porch. The survey included responses from 1,001 people who either work in an office, work remotely, or split their time between an office and home (“split workers”) and explored such topics as job satisfaction, work-location benefits, productivity and distractions, and downsides of remote working.Interestingly, employees who work from home are more satisfied with their jobs overall than those who work in an office by more than 8 percent. (Satisfaction between remote and split employees only differed by .7 percent.) Remote workers also reported greater satisfaction with their job opportunities and compensation than office workers and split workers. While you may think that remote workers would have the highest satisfaction in terms of work/life, it seems that split workers come out on top, reporting 78.3 percent satisfaction with work/life balance versus remote workers at 77 perce nt and office workers at 72 percent. Split workers also indicated the greatest satisfaction with their family life, while remote workers reported the lowest satisfaction. And when it comes to feeling valued by the higher ups, split workers and remote workers felt significantly more valued- 65 percent and 61.5 percent respectively- than office workers, only 51.4 percent of whom felt valued.Unsurprisingly, remote workers felt the most disconnected from their coworkers. And more than half of remote workers felt lonely during the work day. The top five aspects of office work that remote employers miss the most according to the survey are:1. Being around other people2. Office camaraderie3. Free coffee4. Office parties or social events, and5. Growth opportunitiesOf course, remote employees also noted a variety of benefits from working at home, including,1. No commute2. Flexible schedule3. Being home with kids or pets4. Less supervision, and5. Fewer interruptions.An added bonus is that rem ote workers from this survey reported greater productivity working from home, with 7 more minutes of productive time a day than office workers and 11 more minutes of productive time a day than split workers. Remote workers also reported greater efficiency, logging fewer minutes on the clock than their office- and split-worker counterparts but still achieving more productive time.When asked to compare productivity at the office versus at home, split workers gave a slighter edge to remote working, with 37.4 percent saying they are more productive at home and 33.6 percent indicating they are more productive at the office. Down the middle, 29 percent of split workers responded that they are equally productive at home and at the office.Whether it’s a productivity boost, job satisfaction, greater flexibility, or an enhanced feeling of worth, working from home- at least part time- may offer a range of benefits. And the convenience factor can’t be beat.

United States Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Course

United States Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Course United States Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Course If you are a college student and considering military service in the Marine Corps after graduation, you can test out the process with the Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Course (PLC). Sort of a military boot camp for officer candidates and part summer camp for those thinking about joining the Marines. However, come physically prepared as your physical fitness will be tested throughout the recruitment and PLC process. This is serious training that is designed to find officers for the Marine Corps and not meeting the standard is a sure-fire way to not getting accepted into the program. What is the PLC? The Marine Corps Platoon Leaders Course (PLC) is an alternative for NROTC or OCS for college students who wish to become commissioned officers in the United States Marine Corps. College students can enroll in PLC when they are freshmen, sophomores, or juniors in college. Those who enroll as freshmen or sophomores attend two 6 six-week summer training programs at the Marine Corps Officer Candidate School, located at Quantico, Virginia. Students who enroll in the program as juniors attend one 10-week summer course at OCS. PLC summer class sizes are typically 250 to 300 students, broken into four to six platoons. The platoons train in a physically demanding environment where sleep deprivation, military tasks, and memorization are constantly forced on candidates to test their ability to handle stress. The course of instruction is much the same as Marine Corps Officer Candidate School. Travel costs, meals, textbooks, uniforms and lodging, during the summer training sessions are provided by the Marine Corps, and students are paid for their time. Additional financial assistance may be obtained for participation in active duty. Participants may receive tax-free financial assistance of up to $9,400 for Platoon Leaders Class participation. In addition, participants earn up to $5,200 during the training. Most colleges will grant academic credit for the summer training. PLC Candidate are eligible to receive $2600 per semester in exchange for additional active duty. This is payable for the school year only, not to exceed three years.   For those who accept tuition assistance (up to $15,600 over three consecutive years), there is a military service obligation of four years. However, there is no obligation if you do not accept tuition assistance. A member of the PLC-Aviation option or PLC-Ground option (including a Selected Marine Corps Reservist) who receives tuition assistance may be ordered to active duty as an enlisted Marine for not more than four years, if the member: Completes all PLC program requirements but refuses to accept an appointment as a commissioned officer in the Marine Corps Reserve;Fails to complete program requirements; orIs disenrolled from the PLC program for failure to maintain eligibility for appointment under 10 U.S.C. 532. Following commission, Marine Corps officers attend The Basic School, six months (also in Quantico) of training in leadership, land navigation, weapons, small-unit tactics, and communications. Eligibility Must be a United States CitizenMust be at least 20 years old, and no older than 26 on June 30 of the calendar year expected to be commissioned (up to 30 years if prior service, depending on length of previous service)Must meet the moral standards for enlistment/accessionMust be eligible for a Security ClearanceMust meet USMC Weight and Fitness RequirementsMust be a full time student in an accredited college or universityMust maintain a C Average in order to be commissioned. Students are ineligible to apply if they have attained less than a C average in the semester/quarter prior to application. Students on academic,disciplinary, social, or moral probation are also ineligible to apply or receive any additional payments. Must have a combined score of at least 1000 on the verbal or math sections of the SAT, or a combined score of 45 on the verbal and math section of the ACT, or a minimum score of 120 (waiverable to 115) on the Marine Corps GT Composite Score of the ASVAB. Aviation Aviation guarantees are available in PLC. Those who qualify receive up to 25 hours of flight training while still in college, in order to familiarize themselves with general flight before going to military flight school, following commission. In addition to the other requirements for PLC, applicants must achieve a passing score on the United States Navy and Marine Corps Flight Aptitude Battery. Additionally, applicants must be able to pass the  United States Navy Flight Class Physical. Law School Those interested in becoming a lawyer may be interested in the PLC law program. Under this program, commission is delayed until completion of law school. After graduation from law school, applicants are commissioned in the JAG Corps. To be eligible for this program, applicants must score a minimum of 30 on a 50-point scale, or 150 on a 180-point scale, of the LSAT. Under this program, applicants must be no older than 31 years old as of June 30 of the calendar year they will be commissioned (up to 35 if prior active military service, dependent upon length of prior service).