Resume Rewrite Helps Navy Pilot Lock onto New Target as Program Manager

Resume Rewrite Helps Navy Pilot Lock onto New Target as Program ManagerResume Rewrite Helps Navy Pilot Lock onto New Target as Program ManagerSix years out of the Navy, Bonnie Adams, an engineer and project manager for a defense contractor, needed a resume that highlighted her civilian skills.Bonnie Adams (elend job seekers real name) advanced through the ranks for eight years as a Navy officer and helicopter pilot. She still flies helicopters in the Navy Reserve. But for the past six years she has worked full time as a project and program manager for defense contractors. She enjoyed the work but recently began feeling underutilized and wanted to exercise full spectrum of her leadership, engineering and operational expertise.Problem was, the resume (PDF) that helped her land her current job was not going to get her the next one she desired. It described her eight years of military experience in detail great experience, lots of promotion, lots of solid accomplishments all good mater ial, but not directly applicable for her current objective, namely, a better job in program management. If she wanted a job in project and program management that would rely on her engineering and operational skills, her new resume better make that experience clear. Her priority was to rebalance the content by shortening her older experience (military) and adding details and accomplishments from her role as a civilian program manager.Telegraph who you are and what you wantBonnies new resume (PDF) takes control of the readers first impression and quickly provides direction and context by deleting the word Summary and replacing it with a headline and positioning statement Program Manager, Defense and Aerospace Expertise.Bonnies old opening profile paragraph jammed six lines of hard-to-read, low-impact information into a solid block of text. The reader would probably skip this paragraph because its too much trouble to read. We broke that section into a three-line paragraph and three bullets that do a much better job of supporting her current objective.Develop stronger content by focusing on accomplishment bulletsThe old resume was too heavy with job description instead of accomplishments. It can be difficult to develop strong, quantifiable accomplishment bullets for process-intensive job such as program management. For Bonnie, we started each bullet with an active verb and focused on contributions she made for her employer or client, for example Created Achieved and Successfully managedSimplify the format. Use two pages, if possibleThe original format comprised three pages, which was totally unnecessary in Bonnies case (and rarely appropriate for any job seeker).We deleted an unnecessary monogram (the letter B). Using an image on a resume is a bad idea for two reasons It usually wastes space and can sow confusion for the applicant tracking system software that collects and stores resumes for menschenfreundlich resources managers and recruiters. We also consolid ated her contact information at the top of the resume because thats where readers are looking for it.Heres a final tip that helped this resume We used the So What? test to strengthen Bonnies content. Imagine an interviewer reading one of her accomplishment statements, looking up and asking, So what? This simple exercise shook loose a stronger result. We applied it to every accomplishment bullet and created a stronger resume.

Not getting along with your spouse, or a coworker Heres why

Not getting along with yur spouse, or a coworker zu siches whyNot getting along with your spouse, or a coworker Heres whyMichele Gelfandis a Distinguished University Professor of Psychology at the University of Maryland, College Park. Her pioneering research into cultural norms has been cited thousands of times in the press, including inThe New York Times,The Washington Post,Harvard Business Review, and on NPR.Micheles latest book,Rule Makers, Rule Breakers How Tight and Loose Cultures Wire Our World, welches recently selected as a Finalist for the Next Big Idea Club. So we asked her to dive into the biggest ideas behind the book, what surprised her during her research process, and why conflict arisesbetween individuals, communities, and entire nations.1. In two sentences or less, can you sum up the big idea of your book?We often think about our differences in terms of Red vs. Blue, Rich vs. Poor, Rural vs. Urban, or East vs. West, but after studying hundreds of cultures - from Anci ent Athens to Alabama, Sparta to Singapore, and the Military to Silicon Valley - Ive found that there is a deeper cultural code driving our behavior which reflects the strength of our social norms, or what I calltight versus loosecultures. By understanding the hidden logic for why groups evolve to be tight or loose, and what trade-offs they involve, we can better understand and manage our differences- from parenting to politics.2. What surprised you the most in your research?In my research I discovered what I call theGoldilocks Principleof Tight-Loose, namely that groups that get too extreme in either direction are dysfunctional. Nations that are too tight or too loose have higher suicide rates and lower happiness. Likewise, organizations that get too extreme in tight or loose (think United versus Tesla) or parents who are either over- controlling or too laid back (think Helicopter or Laissez-Faire) are maladaptive. Amazingly, this principle even applies to our brains and the behav ior of birds and bees InRule Makers, Rule Breakers, I also describe how a lot of conflict and political shifts happening around the world stem in part from the Goldilocks principle, and how we can use it to anticipate and prevent them from happening.3. Did an event from your personal life inspire or affect the book?When I was a junior in college, I ventured off to London for a semester, my first experience abroad. A sheltered kid from Long Island, I was the classic New Yorker who didnt know life existed outside the Big Apple, as depicted in the famousNew Yorkercartoon. Overwhelmed by the strange accents, the cars driving on the left side of the road, and the British jokes I didnt quite understand, I experienced a quintessential case of culture shock. I remember phoning my father and telling him how strange it was that other members of my study-abroad group would just pick up and go to places like Paris, Amsterdam, and Scotland for the weekend. In his thick Brooklyn accent, my father responded, Well, imagine that its like going from NewYawkto Pennsylvania That metaphor gave me so much comfort, that the very next day, I booked a low-budget tour to Egypt. It was just like going from New York to California, I reasoned (much to my fathers dismay). That fortuitous phone call with my dad sparked a lifelong passion for exploring cultures around the globe, and caused me to pivot from a career in medicine to one in cross-cultural psychology.4. What would you like readers to take away from your book?I hope that the tight versus loose distinction will ultimately change the way readers look at the world and themselves. It illuminates differences we landsee across nations, states, social classes, and households all through the same lens it helps unlock clashes that we experience with our spouses, kids, friends, and co-workers on a daily basis and it enables us to understand puzzling dynamics that we see happening around the world, from the rise of populism to the assent of ISIS. Most importantly, by understanding this hidden dimension of our lives, we can use it to better our relationships, organizations, and the world at large. Culture isnt destiny. By tightening norms whenthey are too loose, and loosening norms when they are too tight, we can build a better planet.5. Do you have a favorite quote or motto that guides your life?Take the Road Less Traveled - explore as much unknown territory as possible.6. What is one book that you wish everyone in the world would read?I love Buddhist philosophy and rely a lot on writings of Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, especiallyJoyful WisdomandThe Joy of Living. These books give us very simple principles to become more content, grateful, and compassionate.7. What was your most humbling moment?After completing my Ph.D. and learning the tricks of the research trade, I took a tenure track position and realized that the most important job I had - namely mentoring brilliant Ph.D. students - was something I was completely u nprepared for. I felt daunted by the responsibility to help ansicht students thrive and succeed at the highest level, and I discovered that it was this task that was one of the most challenging but most rewarding part of my job. I love mentoring students and helping them to envision their future selves. When I get emails from my former students saying mentorship needed even after decades of them being on their own, I have a deep sense of gratitude.8. What trivial trick, talent, or feat can you do to impress people?Im known to have endless energy and passion for working with people who are coming from very different perspectives - whether it is neuroscientists, evolutionary game theorists, anthropologists, managers or policy makers- I can easily get to the gist that connects us and find ways to work together to discover new frontiers.9. Whats something that is really easy for most people that you find really challenging?Im a generalist and love to learn about absolutely everything. So I find it challenging to specialize on any one topic.Ready for more big ideas like this? Join the Next Big Idea Club todayThis article first appeared on Heleo.

Resume Tips

Resume TipsResume Tips

How to be optimistic 4 best steps for better living

How to be optimistic 4 best steps for better livingHow to be optimistic 4 best steps for better livingShouldyou see aglass as half empty or half full?If you want to live a better life, and you care what research has to say, theres a clear answer to this question half full.Scientific research has come up with a longlist of benefits to being optimistic. Here are just a fewOptimism is associated withbetterhealthandalongerlife.Research has shownthat practicing optimism and gratitudecauses (not just correlates with) an increase in happiness.The army teaches soldiers to be optimistic becauseit makes them tougher and mora persistent.Being socially optimistic - expecting people to like you - makes people like you mora.Expecting a positive outcome from negotiations made groupsmore likely to come to a deal and to be happy with it.Optimists are luckier.Research showsby thinking positive they persevere and create more opportunities for themselves.Optimistic salespeopleare more successful.The li stgoes on and on. Being optimistic is one of theten things I recommend you do every dayand somethingassociated with great lives.On the flip side,UPenn professor and happiness expertMartin Seligmanexplainspessimismis very oftena negativeResearch has revealed, predictably, that pessimism is maladaptive in most endeavorsPessimistic life insurance agents make fewer sales attempts, are less productive and persistent, and quit more readily than optimistic agents. Pessimistic undergraduates get lower grades, relative to their SATs and past academic record, than optimistic studentsBut it turns out many of the common methods forbecomingmore positive are bunk. Standing in front of the mirror saying cheerythings doesnt help.ViaLearned OptimismPessimists can in fact learn to be optimists, and not through mindless devices like whistling a happy tune or mouthing platitudes (Every day, in every way, Im getting better and better), but by learning a new set of cognitive skills We have found that mer ely repeating positive statements to yourself does not raise mood or achievement very much, if at all.So are we doomed if were not naturally optimistic?Dont worry, Frodo, well get you back to the Shire.Here are the 4 steps that can turn pessimists into optimists - or even make mildly positive peopleverypositive.The 3 PsIt all comes down to whatresearcherscall explanatory style.When bad things happen, what kind of story do you tell yourself?There are three important elements here. Lets call them the 3 Ps permanence, pervasiveness and whether its partal.Pessimists tell themselves that bad eventsWill belastung a long time, or forever. (Illneverget this done.)Are universal. (You cant trustanyof those people.)Are their own fault. (Imterrible at this.)Optimists, well, they see it the exactoppositeBad things are temporary. (That happensoccasionallybut its no big deal.)Bad things have a specific cause and arent universal. (When theweatherisbetter that wont be a problem.)Its not their fault . (Im good at this buttoday wasnt my lucky day.)SeligmanexplainsThe defining characteristic of pessimists is that they tend to believe bad events will last a long time, will undermine everything they do, and are their own fault. The optimists, who are confronted with the same hard knocks of this world, think about misfortune in the opposite way. They tend to believe defeat is just a temporary setback, that its causes are confined to this one case. The optimists believe defeat is not their fault Circumstances, bad luck, or other people brought it about. Such people are unfazed by defeat. Confronted by a bad situation, they perceive it as a challenge and try harder.And when good things happen, the situation reversesPessimists think good things will be short-lived, are rare and random.Optimists think good things will last forever, are universal and of their own doing.Whats the ultimate result of this? Pessimists often quit. Life feels futile. And when life feels futile, you stop trying and frequently get depressed.So now we understand the kind of thinking that underlies these positions but how do you go from one to the other?Research shows you should act like a crazy person Okay, Ill be more specific.Argue With YourselfHow do you train a puppy not to poop on the carpet? It helps tocatch him in the act.When things dont go your way, that voice in your head is going to tell astory.Check which style its using.Is itsaying bad things are going to be permanent and universal? Are you blaming yourself? Thats pessimism.Watch your thinking and flip the script on the threeChange permanent explanations to more fleeting ones.Change pervasive responses to specific ones.Change personal reasoning to not-all-my-fault perspectives.This doesnt have to mean lying to yourself.Do you really alwaysscrew this up? Thats probably not accurate. Was it100%your fault? Almosteverythinghas multiple causes.By remembering the 3 Ps and flipping the script,researchshows you can make yourself more o ptimistic over time.But that raises an interesting question why would anyoneeverwant to be pessimistic? Theres a reason.Pessimists Are More Accurate ButPay A High PricePlain and simple, pessimists see the world more accurately than optimists do.ViaLearned OptimismOverall, then, there is clear evidence that nondepressed people distort reality in a self-serving direction and depressed people tend to see reality accurately.Wow. So when negative people say happy people are lying to themselves sometimes theyre right.The reason you predict your friends behavior better than they dois were allrealistic about others actions and too optimisticabout our own.And if youre in a job where seeing potential problems is vital and there are high costs to being wrong, pessimism can help you.ViaLearned Optimismjudiciously employed, mild pessimism has its uses.The company also needs its pessimists, the people who have an accurate knowledge of present realities. They must make sure grim reality continuall y intrudes upon the optimists. The treasurer, the CPAs, the financial vice-president, the business administrators, the safety engineers- all these need an accurate sense of how much the company can afford, and of danger. Their role is to caution, their banner is the yellow flag.Pessimistic entrepreneurs aremore likely to succeed. Optimistic gamblerslose more money. The best lawyers arepessimists.In his bookAuthentic Happiness, Seligman explainsPessimism is seen as a plus among lawyersThe ability to anticipate the whole range of problems and betrayals that non-lawyers are blind to is highly adaptive for the practicing lawyer who can, by so doing, help his clients defend against these far-fetched eventualities.But while it makes lawyersbetter at their job, it comes at a high price.Guess why lawyers are3.6 times more likely to suffer from depressionand more likely to end up divorced?While seeing bad things as potentially pervasive and permanent helps them do their job, it alsocarries over to their personal lifeThe ability to anticipate the whole range of problems and betrayals that non-lawyers are blind to is highly adaptive for the practicing lawyer who can, by so doing, help his clients defend against these far-fetched eventualities. If you dont have this prudence to begin with, law school will seek to teach it to you. Unfortunately, though, a trait that makes you good at your profession does not always make you a happy human being.Excuse the pun, but thereisan upside to pessimism. Sowhen should yoube optimistic and when should you be pessimistic?Ask Yourself Whats The Cost Of Being Wrong Here?If Im up for double murder I want a pessimistic attorney looking for all theproblemsin mycase.The engineer designing my car better be a rampant pessimist - his mind eagerly identifyingevery imaginablepoint of failure.But do I want to walk around all day imagining the worst that could possibly happen?No way.Whenever youre unsure if optimism is the right way to handle som ething ask yourselfWhats the cost of being wronghere?ViaLearned OptimismThe fundamental guideline for not deploying optimism is to ask what the cost of failure is in the particular situation. If the cost of failure is high, optimism is the wrong strategy. The pilot in the cockpit deciding whether to de-ice the plane one more time, the partygoer deciding whether to drive home after drinking, the frustrated spouse deciding whether to start an affair that, should it come to light, would break up the marriage should not use optimism. Here the costs of failure are, respectively, death, an auto accident, and a divorce. Using techniques that minimize those costs is inappropriate. On the other hand, if the cost of failure is low, use optimism.Seligman calls this balance flexible optimism.Pessimism is a tool. Have it in the garage like a snowblower.You dont need it every day but occasionally its valuable to have around.So how do we tie all this together?Summing UpWant to be more positive? Wh en problems arise, dispute negative thoughts by making sure your explanations areTransitory, not permanent.Specific, not pervasive.And the causes are external, not all-my-fault.Pessimism can be a useful tool when the downside is big, but used as your default it makes lifefeel futile and hopeless.And what does research say predicts achievement better than intelligence, grades or personality?Hope.Theres a reason pessimism brings us down human nature is designed to hope and strive, not to be fearful and defensive.Yes, pessimism might be slightly more accurate - but its no way to live a life.Join over 315,000 readers. Get a free weekly update via email here.Related postsNew Neuroscience Reveals 4 Rituals That Will Make You HappyNew Harvard Research Reveals A Fun Way To Be More SuccessfulHow To Get People To Like You 7 Ways From An FBI Behavior ExpertThis article originally appeared at Barking Up the Wrong Tree.

Stop Calling Yourself an #8216;Entrepreneur#8217; and Other Resume Keyword Tips From a #8216;Resume Psychologist#8217;

Stop Calling Yourself an 8216Entrepreneur8217 and Other Resume Keyword Tips From a 8216Resume Psychologist8217 Stop Calling Yourself an 8216Entrepreneur and Other Resume Keyword Tips From a 8216Resume Psychologist Dirk Spencer a recruiter and author whose insights have appeared in numerous articles on our site and others is serious about resume keywords. Hes so serious he runs a free class on them, and he recently turned that class into a book, Resume Keywords Decoded and Demystified Hack the Resume Black Hole.Spencer has every right to be concerned aboutresume keywords. In fact, job seekers would have an easier time landing jobs if they were as concerned about keywords as Spencer is. In todays technologically driven world, almost every single resume a candidate sends to an employer will have to get through an ATS first and that ATS will base its entire evaluation of the resume on keywords.Furthermore, in the increasingly rare instance that no ATS is present, the recruiters an d hiring managers reading the resume will also be looking for keywords that prove the candidate is connected to the industry and current in their skills and knowledge.I spoke with Spencer, an expert in what he calls resume psychology,aboutResume Keywords Decoded and Demystified and some of the major lessons the book holds for job seekers. Below is a transcript of our conversation, minimally edited for style and clarityRecruiter.comAs you point out in the book, we often talk about resume keywords, but we rarely explain the why or how of the matter. Why do you think that is?Dirk SpencerOne of my account managers once said to me, Our job is finding candidates bedrngnis resume education. Thatsounds harsh, but every recruiter has a story where they offered help to a candidate about their resume only to have the candidate complain to their management. This makes us reluctant to share what we know.RCWhy do so many career coaches, resume experts, andeven outlets like RecruiterTodayseem to gloss over this very important information?DSTwo words immediate feedback. We have access to hiring managers,ATSs, and job boards. We can test and retest keywords in less than a few seconds. In literally the time it takes to type a few words and press the enter key, we have immediate feedback. Dislike the search results? Bang out a few new words and press enter again. More immediate feedback.We never think to share this trial-and-error method of learning with people outside our profession.RCYou mention that resume keywords exist at the intersection of four areas. Three of ansicht areas are pretty self-explanatory, but there was one I was surprised to see Anthropology and History. Can you expand on that idea a little? How do anthropology and history factor into our resume keywords?DSI had a candidate say to me, Sales is sales sic. This statement, fair or bedrngnis, suggested she had not changed or evolved her sales methods during her career.My hiring managers tell me sales mechanics are always evolving. The evolution is the anthropology. The longevity of the industry is the history. Each will likely have different keywords This is likely true for most professions.Savvy candidates who express both sets of keywords (anthropology/history) demonstrate their passion and depth of knowledge for their profession without using empty words like passion or vague phrases like deep knowledge.Savvy hiring managers review candidate-speak for this changing terminology to assess whether or not acandidate knows their profession.RCYou mention that people can find keywords in a number of places books, articles, classes, etc. Most commentators only focus on finding resume keywords in job descriptions. What is the advantage of looking beyond job descriptions for your keywords?DSWe have hiring managers tell us to not to use keywords in job descriptions because they do not want applicants to reverse engineer them to create better resumes. Also, from a competitive intelligence standpo int, many companies post vague job descriptions deliberately.Collectively, this means the candidates must know their industry and skill norms by being connected to the community in bestellung to present the appropriate and relevant skills.RCYou suggest that people should focus on nouns and verbs in their keywords not on adjectives. Why is that?DSNouns and verbs engage the human reader and score higher inside the technology (the ATS). They can offer more specific data than adjectives can in most contexts. Conversely, adjectives are vague, and vague does not score or is scored lower withthe ATS.Which means, all other things being equal, the more adjectives on the resume, the faster the it can be rejected in a sea of competitive resumes.RC Thebook includes arejection pool a list of keywords that will landyour resume in the rejected pile if you use them. I found the list quite interesting, but a few of the words surprised me. Why do you recommend against using words like entrepreneu r, mentor, results-oriented, and utilize? These like some other words on the list are quite common in business conversations today. What makes them detrimental to a resume?DSFirst and foremost, these terms are lost opportunities for better resume keywords. Second, they are vague, and we know vagueness kills resume scoring in ATSs.Vagueness also kills readers attention spans. Third, no recruiter uses these words to find talent. Fourth, no manager has ever asked a recruiter to find an entrepreneur mentor who is results-oriented. Never happens. Its always about the skills to communicate expertise in the context of the resume.Master the art of closing deals and making placements. Take our Recruiter Certification Program today. Were SHRM certified. Learn at your own pace during this 12-week program. Access over 20 courses. Great for those who want to break into recruiting, or recruiters who want to further their career.

Why Nobody Is Talking About Resume in English and What You Should be Doing Right Now About It

Why Nobody Is Talking About Resume in English and What You Should be Doing Right Now About It The Foolproof Resume in English Strategy For instance, your private situation may be ideal for a Certifications and Courses Completed section. If your resume exceeds one pspeciesicular page, be sure your name and contact information are listed on top of every page. Typically, you can opt to compose References seen on request. You are able to write References readily available on request and give details at a subsequent stage. There are huge numbers of people that are looking for lucrative job opportunities. Finding a new job every year appears bad on a resume and will hurt your odds of being hired later on. Lots of people dont like their existing job or career. Always explain why you didnt work throughout that moment. Every small detail of your resume matters so as to impress the organization youre applying for. Based on the scenario, it may call for a very simple text message or a nuanced argument. As opposed to stating that youre searching for employment, be certain to include examples of what you could offer. The actual explanation is the resume. The Importance of Resume in English A simple resume template is going to be your very best bet. Use keywords chosen straight from the work description and in the precise format. You also only have one page to capture all the attributes you wish to share. Using templates may also make certain that the format is accurate. How to Find Resume in English Online Employers will request references ahead of time should they want them. Resumes are available in many formats, although they share typical classes of information and features. They can be used for a variety of reasons, but most often they are used to secure new employment. They can be used for a variety of reasons but most often they are used to secure new employment. Above all, it aids the hiring manager quickly grasp the reach of the applicants experiences. Transportation jobs involve a great deal of responsibility and your resume will want to reflect you can manage that. Include an array of distinct interests and make an effort not to include too many hobbies which you do alone (the employer might think that you do not have people skills). Hence, it must be crisp yet substantial enough for your prospective employer or recruiter. Several firms are now conducting their job searches on the internet to save costs. The health care industry can be quite competitive. Various kinds of work in the food service industry require resumes with a number of the exact skills. Company research is extremely important. Before you commence writing your CV, read the work advert carefully so that you understand exactly which requirements theyre looking for. Pick an Appropriate studienordnung Vitae Format Make sure you pick a curriculum vitae format thats proper for the position youre applying for. If youre looking for Pharmaceutical Cv Template youve come to the correct spot. Continue reading for some top strategies to take into consideration when writing a CV or a resume. The New Fuss About Resume in English As an English language learner, there are a few things you ought to do in order to make sure your resume really stands out. Maybe youve employed your listening skills to comprehend how you are able to employ your understanding and experience to enhance the operation of others on your team still attempting to learn the ropes. Writing a resume for employment in the art industry can be difficult. However much or what kind of work experience youve got, theres a resume format that is likely to make your qualifications shine. You might also have your communication and disciplinary abilities, in addition to highlight how patient youre with your students. The functional resume is utilised to concentrate on skills that are particular to the kind of position being sought. Whether youre a native or non-nativ e English speaker, applying for work in an English speaking country can be an arduous and scary endeavor. The best office assistant resume will exhibit many different talents, such as managerial abilities, organizational abilities and data analysis and processing abilities. Beneath, you might discover when to include your own coverletter and what kind of correspondence youve got to send to receive a specific individual or company. Writing a strong application is a challenging procedure and we would like to make it simpler. If you get a significant collection of honors or awards, a distinct category is most likely appropriate. The elements that you include will be dependent on what youre applying for, so make sure to incorporate the most relevant info to back up your candidacy in your CV. Get the Scoop on Resume in English Before Youre Too Late The area of information technology gets more important every single day. There are scores and scores of possible skills to think ab out using. Try to remember the idea of Less Is mora and filter the information that you put in your job program, only including the relevant specifics. Applications without the correct words and phrases will be filtered from the pool.

Paid to Do Nothing The Art of Profitably Sitting Still

Paid to Do Nothing The Art of Profitably Sitting Still In economic hard times, when jobs are scarce and the search for one seems fruitless, at some point one may be tempted to give up and say, Theres nothing mora I can do.But in economically hard-hit Ireland, Galway street illusionists like Mr. Black ( the stage name of the seated statue, below) and his silently levitating saffron-robed neighbor (left) give that pessimistic thought a different, more hopeful, spin I can do more nothing. Thats the message implied in their less-is-more approach to generating income and artspecifically, through a kind of non-performance art.Earning More by Doing LessMr. Black does his non-doing by silently, motionlessly sitting on his self-constructed throne(which he created and has occupied since 2006 as a tribute to Irish writer Pdraic Conaire), unblinkingly peering at passersbyincluding me, completely taken in by the illusion in our first encounters with it and him.In fact, I wondered how I had overlooked the statue during my saunter past the same spot the previous day. (NoteMr. Black says his work replaces the real Eyre Square commemorative statue of Conairesh that was vandalized, decapitated and eventually moved to the Galway City Museum.)Working the street on a tacit for-fee basis, i.e., donations, Mr. Black and others like himnot only in Ireland, but all around the world, including in Tallinn, Estonia, where a couple of years ago I met another UK illusionist (shown standing below)earn or supplement their main livelihoods by literally doing nothing.In fact, the less they do, the more they make.Crouching Tiger, Hidden SecretsAny errant twitch, a sneeze or even a subtle shift in posture will ruin Mr. Blacks illusion and chances of making money. The closest analog in nature is the crouching tiger, silently leise, eyes on its prey, waiting for the right moment to pounce. One flick of the tai l and the game is over, because the game will be gone.But, despite the common element of motionless illusion (and therefore deception), the analogy is not perfect, since the illusionists quarry, quarters, euros and dollars come to him, well within mutual sniffing distance, to offer their money if not themselvesup, instead of being chased and pulled down.As for the levitation (captured in the unretouched photo, above), less-is-more is executed in two ways through a stiff-upper-lip motionless meditative pose and much less material stuff between the uplifted spirit and the solid ground below.In fact, apparently zero material stuff. (Wondering how its done? Think about it. Better yet, fly to Galway to take a firsthand look, and think some more, or cheat and look for the explanation on YouTube.)Silent Sitting vs. Collecting Unemployment BenefitsPaid for doing nothingsounds like collecting unemployment benefits? It shouldnt. Such a comparison between these illusionist careers and collecti ng unemployment insurance benefits (UIB) will not withstand scrutiny, even though some will argue that such benefits are paid for doing nothing and that some on the dole create the illusion of actively looking for work.(Actually, Mr. Black does a lot more elsewhere than sit He writes, directs, produces and teaches theatre, has his own theatre company called Colours Street Theatre and stages a one-man show called, understandably enough, The Statue. By the way, he chose his stage name, Mr. Black, to reflect the Colour Street Theatre groups color-oriented mission.)First of all, and in general, UIB recipients are still scrambling to find or create work, doing as much as they can to restore their full incomes and lifestylesincluding a lot of very visible footwork pounding the pavement to secure a career or a job, any job. Sitting still is the last thing that they try to perfect.Second, despite the appearance of effortlessness and of doing nothing, creating motionless illusion seems to me to be hard workas a daunting extension of the universal early childhood physiological challenge of sitting still for even the shortest time. To me, it looks like Yoga pose-holdingsomething else I have neither the discipline nor the patience for.Yes, it is doing nothing, but doing it masterfully, creatively and unflinchingly. (Regarding the fatigue factor, Mr. Black describes his statue non-performance as not tiringbut possibly only because, as he told me, he holds the pose for only five minutes at a time.)As for the levitationist, he pretty much silently held the pose in the photo all the while, maybe 30 minutes, except for when I interrupted him to ask my questions, during which time he conveyed the distinct impression that there was something else he preferred to do instead of the interview. What was that?To sit it out.