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lazarzlynch · 1 year

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10 Things You Need to Know Before You Hire an Agent

Not all real estate agents are the same. If you decide to seek the help of an agent when selling or buying your home, you need some good information before you make any moves.

An agent can cost or save you thousands of dollars

Picking an agent is one of those critical issues that can cost or save you thousands of dollars. There are very specific questions you should be asking to ensure that you get the best representation for your needs. Some agents may prefer that you don’t ask these questions, because the knowledge you’ll gain from their honest answers will give you a very good idea about what outcome you can expect from using this agent. And let’s face it - in real estate, as in life not all things are created equal. Hiring a real estate agent is just like any hiring process with you on the boss’s side of the desk. It’s critical that you make the right decision about who will handle what is probably the single largest financial investment you will ever make.

1. What makes you different? Why should I list my home with you?

It’s a much tougher real estate market than it was a decade ago. What unique marketing plans and programs does this agent have in place to make sure that your home stands out favorably versus other competing homes? What things does this agent offer you that others don’t to help you sell your home in the least amount of time with the least amount of hassle and for the most amount of money?

2. What is your company’s track record and reputation in the market place?

It may seem like everywhere you look, real estate agents are boasting about being #1 for this or that, or quoting you the number of homes they’ve sold. If you’re like many homeowners, you’ve probably become immune to much of this information. Afterall, you ask, “Why should I care about how many homes one agent sold over another. The only thing I care about is whether they can sell my home quickly for the most amount of money. ”Well, because you want your home sold fast and for top dollar, you should be asking the agents you inter-view how many homes they have sold. I’m sure you will agree that success in real estate is selling homes. If one agent is selling a lot of homes where another is selling only a handful, ask yourself why this might be? What things are these two agents doing differently? You may be surprised to know that many agents sell fewer than 10 homes a year. This volume makes it difficult for them to do full impact marketing on your home, because they can’t raise the money it takes to afford the advertising and special programs to give your home a high profile. Also, at this low level, they probably can’t afford to hire an assistant, which means that they’re running around trying to do all the components of the job themselves, which means service may suffer.

3. What are your marketing plans for my home?

How much money does this agent spend in advertising the homes s/he lists versus the other agents you are interviewing? In what media (newspaper, magazine, TV etc.) does this agent advertise? What does s/he know about the effectiveness of one medium over the other?

4. What has your company sold in my area?

Agents should bring you a complete listing of both their own, and other comparable sales in your area.

5. Does your Broker control your advertising or do you?

If your agent is not in control of their own advertising, then your home will be competing for advertising space not only with this agent’s other listings, but also with the listings of every other agent in the brokerage.

6. On average, when your listings sell, how close is the selling price to the asking price?

This information is available from the Real Estate Board. Is this agent’s performance higher or lower than the board average? Their performance on this measurement will help you predict how high a price you will get for the sale of your home.

7. On average, how long does it take for your listings to sell?

This information is also available from the Real Estate Board. Does this agent tend to sell faster or slower than the board average? Their performance on this measurement will help you predict how long your home will be on the market before it sells.

8. How many Buyers are you currently working with?

Obviously, the more buyers your agent is working with, the better your chances are of selling your home quickly. It will also impact price because an agent with many buyers can set up an auction like atmosphere where many buyers bid on your home at the same time. Ask them to describe the system they have for attracting buyers.

9. Do you have a reference list of clients I could contact?

Ask to see this list, and then proceed to spot check some of the names.

10. What happens if I’m not happy with the job you are doing to get my home sold? Can I cancel my listing contract?

Be wary of agents that lock you into a lengthy listing contract which they can get out of (by ceasing to effectively market your home) but you can’t. There are usually penalties and broker protection periods which safeguard the agent’s interests, but not yours. How confident is your agent in the service s/he will provide you? Will s/he allow you to cancel your contract without penalty if you’re not satisfied with the service provided? Evaluate each agent’s responses to these 10 questions carefully and objectively. Who will do the best job for you? These questions will help you decide.

Courtesy of: Dimitrios Lynch

You Home Sold Guaranteed or I’ll Buy It! P.S. If you are in the market for a new home or are thinking of selling your current home, we have a lot more knowledge to assist you.

#real estate #hire a real estate agent #questions to ask #tips #things to know

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ugly-crying-over-bucky-barnes · 4 years

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Burned Part 15

Summary: Alfie Solomons is in need of a secretary. Tommy Shelby mentions a young woman in need of employment. From there the two step into a dangerous dance together.

Part 15: Serious discussions are had.

Alfie had some experience with caring for children. He helped his mother as best he could with his younger brother. But he was a bad influence on Adam and it showed early on. His mother urged her youngest to pursue a more respectable life so she didn't have two sons stuck in a cycle of crime. Perle encouraged Adam to focus on education and was extremely proud when he joined the military. Alfie didn’t do anything to pressure his brother into the life he led. If anything, he agreed with his mother and steered Adam away from a life of crime. The last thing he wanted was to have his baby brother’s blood on his hands. His mother would never forgive him.

Adam Solomons was a family man. He loved his wife and son. He also loved his country and proudly marched off to war. His body was never recovered from Gallipoli. Alfie promised to look after Rose but she was distrustful of the gangster who was making his way through the ranks of the underworld. When he returned from the war, he had no family left aside from his nephew and sister-in-law. Rose, overwhelmed with grief and her reckless seventeen-year-old, took off. Goliath was dropped off on Alfie without any notice.

He didn’t raise the boy though and couldn't teach him anything of much use. He was already too set in his ways.

Alfie had been around Ollie’s children before. They all pounced on him the second he walked through the door screeching about lord knows what. They called him Uncle Fie and the oldest boy said he wanted to be a boxer, always trying to get Alfie to fight him. Aside from a tousle of the hair and the occasional piggyback ride, he was uneasy around them. Children were so fragile and vulnerable. He was accustomed to men who could survive a severe beating and get right back to it. Ollie’s wife would smack him if Alfie so much as uttered one swear around the kids. But Alfie saw the pride on his assistant’s face when his children were around. Ollie lived for them and he spoke so fondly about them. It made him wonder what it was like to be a father, lighting up at every mention of his pride and joy. To boast about their achievements and how they made him smile. To see Louise pregnant and thrilled to be a mother. It was tempting.

Inglewood needed work before they could have any function, especially their wedding. But Louise was thrilled to take on the project. She talked endlessly about the memories she had in each room. How she bruised her knee sliding down the banister, the first pony her father bought her, the stories her mother would tell her at night, and the chocolate cake made for her birthday each year. She wanted to bring those memories back to life as best she could by reviving Inglewood. Improvements and cleaning were left to staff that Alfie hired after a strict vetting process. But Louise wanted to be involved because she felt protective over her home.

Alfie had never seen her so interested in anything. She paid attention to the restoration process and even began gardening once the overgrown yard was cleared. He could fondly remember one of the early days they were there. Louise had gone out into the warm sunshine, clad in pants and one of his old shirts. She wasn’t afraid to get dirty in the soil and eagerly showed Alfie what she’d planted by the end of the day.

She was happy and that made him as happy as could be.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

One week, Alfie returned back to Inglewood from Camden Town. Louise had stayed, working from the office that had just been redone and furnished along with a portrait of her father proudly hanging by his original desk.

Alfie stepped out of the car and noticed a few kids bicycling down the driveway. There were three of them, a boy around fourteen, a girl about nine, and another boy that couldn’t be more than seven. They were dressed well, albeit most likely their play clothes, and he could guess they were from around the area.

When they saw Alfie, they screeched to a halt.

“Sorry, sir.” The oldest apologized. “This home’s usually empty so we ride up the drive and back.” He explained. The boy was the complete opposite of how Alfie was at the same age. Clean-cut, well mannered, and cautious.

“S’alright.” Alfie didn’t see the harm with the kids riding their bikes up the way.

“Are you moving in here?” The girl asked. Her blonde hair in a short bob with a silver clip parting her bangs to the side. “We live down that way.” She pointed past the front lawn of Inglewood where a foot-high stonewall divided the land.

“Erm, yes, just doing a few renovations.” He nodded and felt out of his comfort zone. He had enough sense not to act the part of the big scary gangster boss in front of children. So that just left him as plain old Alfie.

As if hearing his silent pleas for help, Louise stepped outside. “Alfie?” She had heard the car pull up and expected him to rush inside to embrace her. “Oh, hello.” She smiled when she saw the children.

“Do you have any kids our age?” The youngest boy asked hopefully. “I’m seven ‘n a half.” He beamed proudly.

“I’m afraid we don’t have any children, darling. We’ve only just got married.” It was a lie simply to throw a veil over the situation. Despite the distance between neighbors, word traveled fast in upscale country settings. None of the fashionable ladies of the manors would want to hear that Louise and Alfie weren’t married but still living together. It was the 1920’s but some people were still stuck in the past.

The little boy pouted. “That’s okay.” Even though he was disappointed, he managed to keep the politeness instilled in them by their nanny.

The eldest leaned forward, resting his forearms on the handlebars of his bike. “Mum will want to have you ‘round for tea.” He told Louise.

“That would be lovely. Alfie and I will come and visit once we’re all settled.”

Alfie furrowed his brow. Afternoon tea in Surrey was not on his to-do list. He cleared his throat and nodded. Whatever Louise wanted and whatever would make her happiest. “Yeah, we’ll pop on by soon. And don’t worry ‘bout us, you can ride your bikes wherever. We don’t mind, yeah?” He looked to Louise who was smiling.

“Of course not.” She agreed.

“Thank you!” The littlest shouted a bit louder than necessary and rode off. His sister followed, the wheels kicking up bits of gravel as they went.

The other boy lingered, glancing at Alfie for a moment. “Well, thank you. Have a good day.” He nodded and went to catch up to his siblings.

“So sweet,” Louise said softly and linked arms with Alfie to walk inside.

“Yeah, proper posh kids, aren’t they? You like that when you were that age?” He wondered.

“Well…I suppose.” She shrugged and led him into the office. “Wasn’t much else to do around here besides spending time outside and with friends.”

He sat down on one of the couches near the unlit fireplace. Louise happily sat beside him, tucking her feet under her. “Were a lot of things to do in Camden growing up.” He chuckled. “Bad things, yeah, but things all the same. Was probably robbing people at his age.”

Louise wrapped an arm around his shoulders and snuggled close to his side. “I think we might have gotten along. I got bored easily here.”

“And you would be the beautiful posh girl that I would do anything to win over.” He nearly laughed at how sappy he was being.

She watched the lines around his eyes wrinkle in happiness. Her fingers grazed over the nape of his neck, dancing along the edge of his hairline. “You wouldn’t have to try very hard.”

He chuckled and stretched his legs out in front of him. “Well, m’fraid I won’t be a very good socialite.” It meant to come off as humorous but he couldn’t ignore the passing look the neighbor’s son had given him. Alfie knew he didn’t fit into that society and part of him was perfectly okay with that. But the other part was guilty about not giving Louise everything she wanted.

“Alfie.” She sighed and turned his cheek so he was looking at her. “I don’t want you to change just because we have this home now. Where we are or who we’re around doesn’t matter. I just want you to always be my Alfie. And I never wanted to be a socialite and I sure as hell don’t want to be one now.” She wrinkled her nose in distaste. “All I want is to have a life with you.”

“Lou…” He rested a hand over hers. His blue eyes shining with adoration and a bit of relief. “I don’t want you to ever change either.” He agreed softly.

She smiled and touched her forehead to his. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He closed his eyes for a moment and let his thumb graze over the sapphire embedded in her ring. “D’you want kids?” He asked before he really thought about what conversation he was possibly opening up.

Louise drew back in surprise. “I-well I suppose we haven’t talked about it.” She agreed without outright answering him. She wasn’t in the mood to strike up a heated debate over the issue. Especially when they weren’t even married yet.

“I think we should.”

The admission came out fast and for a moment, Louise thought she hadn’t heard him right. “Well, I…yes I agree.”

They let the words sit in the air between them. They were thrilled that they were on the same page but both very worried in their unique way. The decision seemed much larger than anything else in their lives.

“I just know you’d be a good mum, s’all.” He shrugged sheepishly and looked down at her hand still resting in his. “Like to have kids of me own.”

“I think you’d be a wonderful father, Alfie.” Louise murmured truthfully. “You might not think so but I know how much love you’re capable of having.”

“I could protect you both.” He vowed. “Would fucking never let anything harm you. I’ve made mistakes that put you in danger but I-”

She pressed a finger to his lips. “You don’t need to explain yourself to me. I know you could take care of us, I trust you. You’ve earned my trust and I know we’ll be able to keep that as we create a life together.” Her voice was breathless with excitement. It was surreal to imagine Inglewood full of life again. Not the hollow, stone building that had been drained of the love it once held. But a child, maybe even more than one, running around the home and playing in the yard. A little boy or girl with Alfie’s beautiful blue eyes. She could easily picture the smile on her fiancée’s face as he picked up a little child that so closely resembled him.

It nearly brought tears to Louise’s eyes. “I can’t wait for forever with you.” She whispered and took his face in her hands to kiss him.

Alfie wrapped his arms around her, letting her take his breath away like she had done many times before.

~~~~~~~~~~~

Alfie stayed the night in Inglewood. Louise fell right to sleep but he was restless. The silence of the countryside was bothering him and his own thoughts were much too loud.

So, he decided to take a lap around the home just to clear his head. He cursed the draft in the large halls and crossed his arms over his chest. The stairs creaked under him as he made his way downstairs. He passed through the foyer and wove through the parlor, the dining room, the front hall, and to the office.

The large portrait of Mr. Barnes startled Alfie for a moment as he passed by the doors. He paused and decided to go in.

Henry Barnes was a younger man when the portrait was painted. He had only just met his wife-to-be, but he was still the son of a wealthy aristocrat. He stood tall and proud like in the foyer portrait with his wife, Lily. His gentle eyes appeared to be looking down right at Alfie.

The gangster faced the painting and took a deep breath. He felt like a Christian going into confession. “I know that…” He sighed as he realized he was talking out loud to a piece of canvas. Nevertheless, he continued on. “Maybe m’not the best for her. Could be better men out there, right, that she could be with. All I know is I would do anything to keep her safe and happy. Would fucking die for her in a heartbeat if I had to.”

Henry didn’t move. The placid expression on his face remained just like it had for decades.

Alfie ran a hand through his hair and nodded absent-mindedly. “Never loved anyone like I love her.” He mumbled. “Fucking hurts me chest when I think ‘bout it sometimes. Yeah, dunno if I’m enough. Or if I’ll ever be.” He swallowed hard and took a few steps back. “Fucking talking to myself.” It was enough to get the words out of his head though, and he felt a bit lighter as he left the office. No matter what insecurities he might have, he knew for damn sure he was going to marry the love of his life.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

While London was swarming with whispers of Alfie’s marriage, Camden Town had its own take on the matter. Simply put, Alfie was Jewish through and through. He was raised that way and despite his criminal activity, he would stay that way. Louise was not Jewish. Baptized in the Church of England, she had lost most faith in God. As far as Jewish law was concerned, they would not be allowed to wed.

Ever since he hit puberty, Perle would say Alfie needed to find a nice Jewish woman to marry. He never did, most fathers didn’t want their respectable daughters around the hellish Solomons boy. That didn’t bother him because he wasn’t interested in settling down. As a young man, he was more interested in laying out his empire.

Now that he had, Alfie only had eyes for one woman. Jewish law wouldn’t’ stop him. He tended to disregard all laws except his own.

Ollie and Alfie were inspecting areas of the bakery, making sure everything was running smoothly.

“Ollie, mate, can I ask you something?”

“Of course, sir.” The curly-haired man nodded. He looked up from his checklist.

“You said you and Shayna went to temple in Hampstead? What’s the rabbi’s name?”

Despite years working for him, Ollie was never able to guess what his boss was about to say. But they normally didn’t talk about religion. Alfie celebrated holidays typically with friends of his late mother or Ollie’s family. Camden embraced him because he gave to the Jewish community. Men tipped their hats and greeted him politely. Grandmothers often scolded him, saying he looked thin and promised to bring him heaps of food.

But they all knew what he did and how it conflicted with their shared beliefs. A busy man, Alfie attended temple when he had the chance. He sat in the back, a silent and domineering figure.

“Rabbi Mayer?”

“Right, you know him well?” Alfie continued to be cryptic.

“I suppose.” Ollie shrugged. “He married Shayna and me.” He reminded his boss who had been present.

“Thought so.” He scratched at his beard. “You think he’d be willing to overlook a few things?”

Well, Ollie had been asked stranger things before. “Like what?”

“Small bits ‘n bobs. Louise’s religion mostly.” He answered casually.

Rose had told her husband about what the other Camden women were gossiping about. How was Alfie, a Jewish gangster going to marry someone of a different faith? Certainly, no rabbi would conduct the ceremony. So would he neglect Jewish tradition? That was simply unheard of.

“And what if they have children?” Shayna had asked, throwing her hands up in disbelief. “It’s in his family. His brother did the same thing! He had some legal ceremony and never taught his son properly. Look at Goliath now.”

Ollie could understand his wife’s opinion. The community struggled to keep their traditions and identity. But he also knew Alfie would do as he wished. Hence, why he was asking for a rabbi who would break the rules.

“Sir, I’m not sure-”

“Look, I fucking know.” Alfie cut him off. “Not s’posed to do this but I ain’t going back on what I said. I’m marrying her.” His tone was firm and unyielding.

“Sir, even if he does marry you, everyone will know.” His assistant pointed out.

He grimaced. “Fucking gossips.” He grumbled under his breath. “Fuck it. You go to the rabbi, yeah, and let him name his price. If not, I’ll do it me own way.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~

Louise was back in Camden that same night. She was getting dressed for bed when Alfie arrived home. He entered the room with a smile.

“Love that color on you.” He admired the indigo nightgown she was wearing. It was one of many that Alfie had shipped in from Paris.

Louise smiled. “You say that no matter what I’m wearing.” She sat at the vanity to carefully undo the pins from her hair.

“Well, then.” He chuckled and stood behind her to rest his hands on her shoulders. “Maybe that’s ‘cause you’re beautiful in everything.” He murmured. “Also beautiful with nothing on too.” He touched his lips to her neck.

Louise rested a hand over his. She nuzzled his cheek lovingly. “How was your day?”

“Fine, nothing to write home ‘bout.” Alfie shrugged. He drew away and sat on the bed to remove his boots. Cyril curled up by his feet begging for a pat. He obliged, scratching behind the bullmastiff’s ears.

“Evelyn was talking to me about the wedding.” She informed him.

“Yeah?”

“Telling me about Jewish traditions.” Louise turned on the vanity seat to face him. “We can’t be married by a rabbi, can we?” Guilt hinted at her features.

“Well…” Alfie rubbed the back of his neck. “Not too sure yet.” He admitted.

She played with her engagement ring, circling the band around her finger. “Maybe I could convert, that way we won’t be breaking tradition. I don’t want people looking at you badly because you’re marrying me.”

Alfie frowned. “Lou, we just discussed this. I ain’t gonna make you change who you are for me.” He held his arms out for her.

She gladly curled up on his lap. His arms cradling her close and keeping her safe. She rested her cheek on his shoulder.

“I’m marrying you whether anyone likes it or not, yeah?” He kissed her hair. “Our wedding, our relationships, s’none of anyone else’s fucking business. If you want Jewish traditions then we’ll do them. Don’t fucking care if a rabbi’s there or not. Only care that you are.”

Louise frowned and chewed on her lower lip. “But your family…” Alfie came from hardship. Most of his family had been killed because of their religion. Perle had fought against all odds to deliver her sons to safety and provide for them. She raised them in a Jewish community to keep the culture alive even if they weren’t in their homeland.

“Lou, me mum only wanted me to be happy.” He assured her softly. “She probably would give me hell for it but at the end of the day, yeah, you make me smile. Not a lot of people can do that.”

She gently touched the corner of his mouth. “I want you to be happy.” Her eyes locked on his. “Whatever makes you happiest.”

Alfie could appreciate where he’d come from. He couldn’t neglect his past and what it took for him to get to the place he was. But of all the ways he had sinned, he decided that marrying Louise would be the least damning. “You make me the happiest.” He murmured and traced his thumb over her cheek. Her skin was warm, a faint blush forming under his touch. He briefly thought back to his monologue in front of her father’s portrait. “D’you ever get that feeling when your chest, right, when you love someone? S’like…” He scrunched up his nose in thought.

“It’s some sort of ache?” She suggested because she knew exactly what he was talking about. Her hand pressed to his chest, right above his heart. “It hurts because you had no idea you had the capacity to love someone so much.”

He nodded and let out a small laugh of fright. “Fucking afraid m’gonna wake up tomorrow and you’ll just be a dream.”

“One day you’re going to wake up in Inglewood, next to your wife.” She lovingly rubbed circles over his shoulders and the back of his neck where he held all his stress. His tense muscles started to relax after a bit of coaxing. “Your son or daughter will run into the room to wake you up and beg for you to come and play with them.”

He closed his eyes for a moment to picture the scene she was painting for him. “Sounds too good to be true.”

“It isn’t. Because you deserve peace and happiness, Alfie Solomons.”

He opened his eyes to find her looking earnestly at him. He tilted his head to the side and grumbled in protest. But he couldn’t argue with her. She held firm to her beliefs. “And that’s why no one can say anything ‘bout us getting married. ‘Cause you’re fucking perfect, ain’t ya? I’m going to marry you and our wedding, yeah, we’re doing it our way.”

She cuddled close to him. “Don’t tempt me with a good time, Captain Solomons.” She teased softly and tucked into the crook of his neck.

He chuckled and rested back into the pillows. “Go to sleep, love, we’ve got lots to do tomorrow.”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Evelyn was thrilled. Life seemed to be going so well for her and everyone she loved. Alfie and Louise were getting married, it was about time, and they had given her a hefty raise to come work at Inglewood every other week. She adored being in the countryside but she could still go back to Camden to see Ishmael. The young man's face always lit up when she came back. He'd tell her how much he missed her and asked when they could see each other again. Things just seemed to be going so well. She was completely oblivious to the threat that Alfie and Louise were well aware of.

That weekend, Evelyn was accompanying Louise to try on her wedding dress one last time and make sure everything fit. They were only going down the street, but Alfie insisted Ishmael and another young man go with them along with Cyril.

“We’re not going downtown, we’re going to Nessa’s.” Louise told her fiancee, as he was busy sorting through shipment papers.

“I know, I put a call into her this morning.” He didn’t look up from his work, his blue eyes peering from behind his glasses at Ollie’s slanted handwriting.

“So I don’t need Ishmael and Nathan to come with us.” She said and knelt down to clip the leather lead to Cyril’s collar. Of course, she wouldn’t argue against taking him along. The mastiff’s tail wagged wildly, thumping against Alfie’s desk.

“I’ll just be a block away, Evelyn and I don’t need to be escorted.” She argued and stood up.

Alfie paused and dropped his papers to the side and opened the top left drawer. He pulled out a telegram and handed it to her without a word.

Uneasy, Louise took the paper from his hand and unfolded it.

Dear Mr. Solomons,

I hope to hear from you. I will be arriving in London soon. Mr. Shelby and his family have been notified.

Luca Changretta

She swallowed and absent-mindedly folded the telegram back to its original form. Her hands trembled. “What does he mean by notified?”

Alfie’s jaw was tight from the worry he was attempting to conceal. He reached for his empty revolver and spun the barrel a few times to keep his hands occupied. At that point, he wanted to get rid of Luca himself just so the man didn’t interfere with his life. The gangster would be damned if that Italian did anything to disrupt his wedding plans. “I contacted Tommy, they’ve all received black hands in the mail.”

“I’m not sure I know what that means.” Of course, she could guess it was nothing friendly. Cyril sensed her anxiety and pressed against her leg and nosed at her hand. She stroked his ears a few times to try and calm herself.

“Death threat. Changretta’s marked them as dead, all of them.” He rubbed his eyes and placed his gun down. “Lou, m’not sure what he’ll do to get me involved.” He admitted wearily. The telegram had only arrived that morning but it had already drained him of his energy. “The Shelbys are fucking scattered ‘bout and aren’t speaking to each other like fucking children.” He sighed. “I need to play me cards right.”

Louise wasn’t sure she liked where his line of thinking was going. “You better not be thinking about helping him.” She whispered.

He put a hand over his mouth and averted his eyes. A clear sign of deception. “Didn’t say that, did I?” He muttered.

“You were thinking it.” She accused. “Alfie, just try and stay out of it. You don’t have to team up with the Shelbys but you can’t help to kill them!” Her hand was wrapped tightly around Cyril’s lead as she tried to steer clear of an argument with him. She couldn’t risk getting into a fight a week away from their wedding.

“Lou, I told you it weren’t that simple.” He stood up and walked around his desk to stand in front of her. He slipped the paper out of her hand. “Yeah?”

Louise pressed her tongue to her cheek and exhaled steadily. “What are you planning to do?” It was the same question she asked months earlier when Luca sent the first telegram. But things had advanced even though Alfie had been static.

“Wait.” He replied. “My focus is on our wedding. Changretta ain’t here yet so there’s no need to fret. The Shelbys will get their act together once they realize what they’re fucking up against. Whatever comes our way, yeah, we’ll handle it.” He lifted her chin gently.

“I’m worried that your judgment may be clouded if Luca threatens us.” She admitted.

A stormy look dashed across his eyes. “Sabini would be wise to inform them of the consequences.” His voice was low with anger. Even the thought of Luca going after Louise made his blood boil.

She sighed and touched his cheek to distract him from his obvious displeasure. “I may be naïve to a situation like this. But I urge you to talk to me about it so you don’t make any unnecessary sacrifices.”

Alfie had a feeling that she didn’t know how much he’d be willing to sacrifice if he was forced between a rock and a hard place. “There’s a Yiddish saying, right, ‘for a little love, you pay all your life’. I can leave this be.” He gestured to the telegram still in his hand. “You’ll go back to Inglewood tonight and get ready for the wedding.”

Indeed they had spoken about traditions and which ones Alfie wished to respect. When Louise got word of her fiancee trying to bribe Rabbi Mayer, she had to step in and stop him from extorting a man of God. After the weekend, Louise would leave Alfie behind in Camden Town and they would be apart for a week for Kabbalat Panim. Now that she knew about Luca’s message, she was hesitant to leave just in case Alfie decided to make a move without telling her.

“And what will you do?” She inquired.

“Nothing.” He tossed the telegram onto his desk. “Just keep listening for news and stay neutral. Focus is on you, love.” He promised softly. “We’ll get married and be off to Paris ‘fore you know it.”

“What about the Shelbys?”

“Not much I can do, can I? Fucking got themselves in this mess.” He shrugged. “Tommy clearly has a plan, don’t he?”

She nodded slowly. There was a knock on the door and Evelyn’s voice piped up from the other side. “Louise, are you almost ready?”

“I’ll see you tonight ‘fore you leave.” Alfie kissed her forehead. “Try not to worry too much ‘bout all this. Nothing will happen until I decide what to do.” Of course, he couldn’t promise that. He had no control over what Luca did once he crossed the Pond. He could show up at the bakery door the same day he arrived with a proposition for Alfie. And he sure as hell didn’t have any clue what Tommy was planning. To say Alfie wasn’t worried about his wedding day being ruined would be a lie. He was desperate to make Louise happy and if his dealings interfered with that, he would be upset with the perpetrators, of course, but he’d also be upset with himself. She deserved a quiet life in Surrey with her husband. But with the danger looming, Alfie could only hope that they would have an interrupted wedding. After that, he could handle the chaos. He could take care of what he needed to and take care of whoever was in his way. Whether it was Luca Changretta or Tommy Shelby.

Permanent Tag: @sansajonsastark @giftofdreams

Tag list: @vehement-care @kimmietea @eleventhdoctorsangel @fire-treasure-iii

Masterpost

PB Masterlist

#alfie solomons #alfie solomonsxoc #alfie solomons x oc #alfie solomons imagine #ofc #oc #tom hardy #tom hardy character #peaky blinders #peaky blinder imagine #peaky fookin blinders #peaky blinders fanfiction #peaky blinder fanfic #ollie #cyril solomons #luca changretta #tommy shelby

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thatonelucky · 6 years

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Twist of Fate - Chapter 5

Chapter 5 is here! Sorry that it took so long! In case you forgot the previous few parts here’s the link to my A03 format of this and the very first one on here!

A03

Part 1

Jughead still couldn’t quite grasp the idea of conducting the interview normally. He usually scrutinizes his possible employees to see how well they crack under pressure. He didn’t want to do this with Betty, he already knew she was an amazing writer from all of the old Riverdale articles written about her. He did do his research before letting her live in his home, only a fool wouldn’t.

“So, Miss Cooper, what made you interested in applying for this job?” Jughead read the first question, clearing his throat slightly and leaning back into his chair with ease. Betty’s warm smile remained etched across her features. Opening the seemingly full binder she had brought in with her, she started to speak.

“I’ve had a passion for writing and journalism since I could remember. My parents own their own newspaper back in my home town. It was called The Register. Most summers I would intern there, learning the craft some might say. In between that I worked at a local diner and kept my grades up. Speaking of grades, here’s my GPA, grade sheet and certificates to prove that I didn’t just print off a random sheet.” Betty spoke fluidly and confidently, shocking Jughead in the process at how professional she really could be. “I also have some of my previous journalistic work in case that was needed.” I guess that explains why her binder is so full.

“Miss Cooper, I have to say I’m quite impressed. Speaking from a professional viewpoint, it looks like you have incredible potential. A few more questions and then I’ll be out of your hair. May we proceed?” Jughead swiftly grabbed the pile of papers Betty had slid across the desk, flicking through them promptly. “What would you say are the best features you can apply to a workplace?”

The interview continued like that for another 10 minutes before both roommates stood up and shook hands firmly. Betty had thought the interview had gone well, considering it was her roommate who was living a secret double life as a multimillionaire. Jughead too, thought it had gone well. He really wanted to hire Betty as one of his editors. It was a big job role that she hadn’t signed up for; she came to work as a basic journalist.

“Miss Cooper, I don’t want to step out of line here. But we have another job role available and I personally think it would fit your abilities a lot better.” Jughead paused briefly to examine Betty’s face. She looked happy but something in her features grimaced. “It’s not because you’re my roommate either. I would just like you to apply for the editor in chief position instead of just a reporter. You still get to write your own pieces.” Jughead rushed out. Betty instantly lit up.

“Of course sir, I’ll look forward to that call back.” Betty gathered the rest of his things and walked towards the door. Just as she opened the door she span around. “By the way, as Betty, what did you want for dinner tonight? I was thinking spaghetti Bolognese but I didn’t know if you liked it?” She said hopefully. Jughead smiled as he sat back in his seat.

“I like Bolognese a lot, Betty. I get off work at half 4, we can talk more then. I’m sure there’s a lot you’re confused about.” He spoke slowly, making sure to keep eye contact with her the entire time. Betty’s cheeks were flaming, it’s not every day your hot roommate/possible boss/best friend’s brother stares into your eyes for more than 3 seconds. Betty swiftly nodded and made her way out of the door.

“See you later Holden Caulfield.” Betty teased, shutting the door before he could respond. Little to her knowledge, those words made Jughead sit back in his chair and smile like an idiot. This mere interaction threw his mind off of schedule for the rest of the day. He reached over and pressed the microphone button to contact his assistant.

“Hey Lydia, yeah, could you cancel all of the editor interview please? I think we’ve found our girl.” He smiled yet again, dreaming that the next few hours would pass by in a blur. He doesn’t know why, but being with Betty is so easy. Even if he’s known her for less than a week, he feels like he’s known her forever. He practically has, Veronica blabbed nonstop about her ‘internet bestie’ being the walking example of perfection. Jughead couldn’t agree more.

Later on, sat at the table over steaming plates of Bolognese and mugs of hot tea, the pair sat in a comfortable silence. Jughead wanted to explain everything to Betty. The least she deserved was a bit of intel, but his mouth couldn’t form the right words. This is the first time he’s wanted to pour his heart out to someone. The damaged loner strikes back. Betty seemed to sense exactly what he was thinking.

“My parents were overbearing. My mother only cared to make me perfect and my father was a liar. My sister got knocked up and ran off with her ginger devil of a boyfriend when she was 17. After she left she never bothered to get a hold of me whilst my parents worked harder to ‘fix’ me. The only friend I had was Kevin, my gay best friend. My whole high school life I was bullied for being Polly’s sister and for being Elizabeth Cooper in general.” Betty said in one breath, not looking phased at all as she chewed on another bite of her dinner. Jughead’s eyes were wide with disbelief at her outburst. “We all have secrets we want to hide Juggie, but the sooner you say them out loud the sooner they’ll stop weighing you down.” Betty spoke, taking a long sip of her tea afterwards.

“My dad was an alcoholic and my mother was a selfish bitch. My baby sister was the only sweet thing in my world. My entire childhood consists of me holding my sister close whilst my parents fought nonstop. We both got put into the social system and separated. 6 years later I ran away from my 3rd foster home and went back to Greendale. There I saw my parents with my little sister looking happier than ever and my dad was sober. Hiram Lodge saved my life; he took me in when I had nothing. I was a malnourished kid freezing in the streets and he took me in like I was his own son. They cared for me. So, I got a name change and became a Lodge. Ronnie and I hit it off instantly. She might as well be my blood.” Jughead scrambled for a while, trying to find the right words to portray his story correctly. He avoided Betty’s gaze, scared senseless at how she would react.

“Juggie.” Betty cracked out, her voice wracked with emotion. He looked up shamefully to meet her warm and welcoming eyes. They were filled with tears, some escaping down the porcelain skin of her face. Her hands reached out to cup his face, bringing his head higher up. “You are so brave. You have nothing to be ashamed of.” Betty sternly spoke, the emotion still clear in her voice. Jughead wanted to believe her, but he was nothing. Before he could respond Betty got up from her seat and walked to him, wrapping her arms around him. She pulled him into a tight hug, rubbing his back reassuringly. Only then did Jughead start sobbing. He’s not a usual crier but when he does have the odd occasion, it’s a sob.

They stayed like that for a while, finding comfort in holding each other close. They could’ve stayed in that moment forever if not for the front door bursting wide open. The culprit was, of course, Veronica Lodge. This time, sporting a plaid red mini skirt, a regular black top, her pearls and cute heels that were probably worth more than a month’s rent.

“Hola, tis I, V Lodge.” She strutted into the kitchen, wavering slightly as she noticed Jughead and Betty’s teared up expressions. Archie followed her in suit, sporting a regular red shirt and black skinny jeans. “Wait what happened? Are you okay?” Ronnie rushed over, pulling her brother and her best friend into a bone crushing hug. Betty chuckled slightly, pulling back so she could speak to the raven haired girl in question.

“I told her everything.” Jughead mumbled. Veronica nodded lightly, pulling him in a little harder. She knew nothing more needed to be said tonight. As chairman of the fun committee, she deemed herself responsible for making sure tonight would be the funniest night of their boring lives.

It started off by getting into their comfiest pajamas and playing Just Dance on the Xbox. That, obviously, ended with Jughead falling gracefully onto the floor and Betty beating him by almost 2000 points. Veronica was the champion by the end, Jughead coming last. Betty wasn’t too caught up over being 2nd, she knew she would be Sing Star. Which she did, followed by Jughead coming last, yet again. His excuse was one he couldn’t say aloud, but he was so blown away by her angelic voice. He was entranced. Veronica noticed this and added it to the list of things she needed to ambush him about.

“Aha! Something I’m finally in the lead for. Have fun in the clutter zone you low budget Lewis Hamilton.” Jughead boasted, clearly winning at Mario Cart. The only talent he’s shown to possess so far is button smashing. Even if he had failed miserably at everything, he had an amazing night. Betty being there made it 100x better than any of the other game nights the 3 had before. She made everything better. At around 10pm Archie and Veronica had left for their apartment whilst Betty and Jughead cleared up the remaining dishes and stray pillows.

“Tonight was really fun Juggie. I’m glad I met you guys.” Betty spoke warmly to Jughead, leaning against the sink and watching him put the leftover food in the fridge. He turned around and smiled a genuine smile at her. The raven haired boy closed the fridge door and walked over to Betty, pulling her into a soft hug. Betty accepted with open arms, resting her head in the nape of his neck. Something about this felt right, they both felt it. The spark igniting in their hearts. Neither of them acted on it that night. Instead, they went to their respective beds and laid their heads. Both were dreaming of the endless possibilities in their future together, not knowing how true those thoughts would become.

#bughead #bughead fanfiction #bughead fanfic #jetty #betty and jughead #betty cooper #jughead jones #bughead au #riverdale #riverdale fanfiction #riverdale fanfic

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lindyhunt · 5 years

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10 Impressive Ways to Start a Cover Letter [+ Examples]

According to Addison Group, only 18% of employers rank cover letters as important.

But if you had to flip through a hundred cover letters a day, and each one began, "To whom it may concern, I am applying for the digital marketing position at your company," how important would you rank them?

A cover letter might not always be the most important thing to a hiring manager, but if your resume or connections aren't enough to get you through the door, a powerful cover letter could be the what gets you an interview.

For instance, a hiring manager might only read your cover letter if your resume raised questions about why you're applying for the position, or why you're leaving your current role. In these cases, your cover letter can be a crucial factor in whether or not you move forward in the hiring process.

Your cover letter is an opportunity to showcase your personality, display your interest in the job, and include relevant information that otherwise wouldn't be surfaced in your application. But there's a fine line between standing out and coming across as brash or gimmicky. An ideal cover letter leaves the hiring manager with a positive and memorable impression of you, something a resume alone won't always do.

So, where do you begin when writing a cover letter? More specifically, where should your beginning begin? Recruiters read a ton of cover letters -- especially if the company is growing quickly and hiring non-stop. What does this mean for you? You need to get their attention right away. To help you overcome writer's block, and hook your reader right away, take a look at some sharp opening sentences you can use for inspiration.

Creative Cover Letter Opening Sentence Examples

"This position has me written all over it."

"I've wanted to work in [your industry] since [this moment of inspiration]."

Although [current employee] suggested I apply for this position, I don't just want to work with my former colleague again -- I want to join all of you in transforming the industry."

"I like to think of myself as a round peg thriving in a square hole kind of world."

"Aside from the requisite industry bona-fides in my CV, I bring the following to the table:"

"Last year, I generated [this much money] in revenue for my company, generated [this many leads], and almost tripled our social media ROI."

You might not know me, but your client services team certainly does, and now I want to join the vendor that made me such a successful [type of professional]."

"When I discovered [name of company] was hiring, I knew I had to apply."

I considered submitting my latest credit card statement as proof of just how much I love online shopping, but I thought a safer approach might be writing this cover letter, describing all the reasons why I'm the girl who can take [name of ecommerce company] to the next level."

"You might compete with my current employer, but why can't we be friends?"

Read on to find out eight ways to grab an employer's attention with an exceptional cover letter introduction.

How to Start a Cover Letter

1. Start with humor.

Employers are humans too, and they'll often appreciate a good joke, pun, or funny opening line as much as the next person. If done tastefully and respectfully, starting your cover letter off with a joke can be an excellent way to stand out.

Plus, a joke can still include a powerful explanation for why you're the right person for the job, without coming off as boastful. For instance, think about something you love to do or something you're really good at, and then imagine how friends or family might make a joke about it -- if you're really good at analyzing data, for example, a joke or pun related to that might be a good way to exemplify both your skills and personality.

Here's a good example of using humor to bring attention to your skills, from The Muse (you'll notice this is one of our picks for most creative opening lines, earlier in this article):

"I considered submitting my latest credit card statement as proof of just how much I love online shopping, but I thought a safer approach might be writing this cover letter, describing all the reasons why I'm the girl who can take Stylight's business to the next level."

Right away, the personality displayed here grabs the reader's attention. Even better, this applicant uses humor to convey an important message to the employer -- she loves shopping, and she's well-versed in ecommerce as a consumer -- which might've otherwise not come up on her resume or phone screening.

2. Start with passion.

For an employer to know you'll stay dedicated to the role and company, they'll want to ensure you're passionate about what the job entails. Passion is more incentivizing than a paycheck.

For an employer, demonstrating how your passion matches the required skillset is a promising sign that you'd enjoy your job -- if you enjoy your job, you're more likely to stick around longer, help drive company growth, and become a dedicated member of the team.

Consider starting your cover letter with a few lines that showcase your passion: "I've been passionate about writing since I was ten years old. My love for writing has led me to write two personal travel blogs, get published in a local newspaper, and pursue two summer internships at publishing firms. Now, I'd love the opportunity to combine my writing skills with my interest in storytelling as a content marketer at Company A."

If you don't have extensive work experience in the industry you're trying to break into, but you've been unofficially preparing for years, let the employer know. In the above example, the candidate's resume would probably look weak, with only internships indicating professional experience. Her cover letter introduction, however, shows the employer she's been writing for audiences and advancing her natural ability for years.

3. Start with an accomplishment.

Employers like seeing numbers. It isn't enough to mention you're a "digital marketer with proven success in SEO strategies." Proven success? Okay, can we see?

It's more powerful to provide statistics. You want to show the employer you're capable of solving for long-term results. How have you contributed to your company's bottom line? For instance, did your Facebook marketing campaign grow your social media following, or has your blog content increased organic traffic?

Consider starting your cover letter with something like this: "Over the past year as digital marketing manager at Company A, I've generated $30k+ in revenue, increased organic traffic to our blog by 14%, and almost tripled our social media ROI."

Even if you don't have the work experience to report impressive numbers, you can still offer proof when opening with an accomplishment. Think about the qualitative feedback you've received from employers. For instance, how would your boss compliment you or tell you you're doing a good job? An accomplishment can be as simple as your boss sending you an appreciative email regarding your diligent meeting notes.

In this example from The Muse, the applicant provides an example of a skill for which he's been previously acknowledged: "My last boss once told me that my phone manner could probably diffuse an international hostage situation. I've always had a knack for communicating with people -- the easygoing and the difficult alike -- and I'd love to bring that skill to the office manager position at Shutterstock."

Even though the applicant doesn't offer numbers as proof of success, they do manage to highlight some proof of their past performance in the form of a former boss's praise. The candidate's candid and funny explanation -- that his last boss liked his phone manners -- is another good way to brag about accomplishments without, well, bragging.

4. Start with excitement for the company.

Employers want to know why you like their company, and they'll appreciate an explanation on why you're interested. But it's imperative your reasoning is thoughtful and considerate, and specific to the company. For instance, if you're applying for a financial position, don't write about your interest in finance; write about how your interest in finance relates to the company's goals.

You don't want to just say, "I'm excited to work at Company A because I'm passionate about finance, and I think my skills and experiences will be a good match." Sure, you've explained why you want to work in the financial industry, but you've done nothing to explain why Company A specifically suits your interests.

Instead, you'll want to mention something about the company and culture in correlation to your interest in finance. Take a look at this example from Glassdoor: "When I discovered Accounting Solutions was hiring, I knew I had to apply. I've been waiting to find a company where I feel like I can make a difference while working as an accountant. Not only are your clients awesome, but the overall mission of your company is something I believe in, too."

This candidate shows they've done their research and care about Accounting Solutions in particular. Remember, employers want to hire people who have a demonstrated interest in working at their company. They want someone who will enjoy the nature of the work, but just as importantly, they want a candidate who enjoys the work culture and the company mission as well.

5. Start with news about the company.

Mentioning company news in your introduction indicates you've done research on the company. Plus, including company news might give you the chance to incorporate your own values, as well. If the company just won an award for its innovative solutions in the computer industry, for instance, you might add how you value forward-thinking methods in technology, as well.

Here's an example of an introduction that uses a newsworthy event, from Indeed: "When I saw that Company ABC was featured in Fortune Magazine last month for its commitment to renewable energy and reducing waste in the workplace -- all while experiencing triple-digit revenue growth -- I was inspired. With my track record of reducing costs by 30%+ and promoting greener workplaces, I'm excited about the possibility of taking on the account executive role to expand your company's growth and work towards a more sustainable future."

The candidate does a good job demonstrating how Company ABC's news aligns well with the candidate's personal achievements. She shows she's done her research on the company, and also indicates she values similar environmental efforts in the workplace.

6. Start with what they don't know.

According to one seasoned hiring manager, a cover letter that begins, "I am writing to apply for [open position] at [name of company]" is grounds for nearly instant rejection. Of course you're applying for this job -- why waste your lede with something so boring and obvious?

Your cover letter should never directly state what they already know -- or restate what's already listed on your resume. Instead, start your cover letter by offering something new, expanding on what the employer already knows about you, and presenting new details about what you can bring to the company. Impress employers by telling them something about your skills or experiences they don't already know.

To offer new information not displayed on his resume, one of my colleagues at HubSpot wrote this cover letter introduction: "My resume will tell you I'm Content Marketing Certified. Your records will tell you I've interviewed for a few different HubSpot positions in the past. What neither one will tell you is that I've been working with your customer success team to build a new campaign strategy for my company--one of your latest (and largest) clients."

The candidate wrote an introduction that captured the reader's attention and demonstrated he wasn't interested in wasting anyone's time. This is a memorable and impressive tactic. Consider writing a similar introduction, where you provide information absent from your resume.

7. Start with what you can bring to the table.

A hiring manager here at HubSpot told me she always looks for cover letters to tell her how the company and applicant can benefit each other.

Any employer is going to want to know why you think you can grow from the position you're applying to. An employer is more inclined to hire you if she thinks you have a genuine, intrinsic motivation to work hard in the role.

A hiring manager is also going to want to know how you'll contribute to the company's larger vision and goals. It's important for the manager to know what you want to get out of the role, but it's equally important to know how you'll help the company grow. How will the company benefit from you, over someone else?

Here's an example: "I am seeking opportunities to improve my writing ability in a forward-thinking environment, while growing organic traffic and optimizing content to beat out competitors in search engines. At Company A, I believe I will find that match."

See how it works? In the example above, the candidate explained how she'd benefit from the role. She also explained what Company A could get out of the transaction -- increased organic traffic, and optimized content -- so the hiring manager is informed of the equality of the potential relationship.

8. Start with a statement that surprises them.

When applying for a role at HubSpot, one of my colleagues began her cover letter like this: "I like to think of myself as a round peg thriving in a square hole kind of world."

Doesn't that make you want to keep reading? It certainly kept me interested. Of course, you'll only want to include a bold statement if you can follow it up with some concrete supporting information. My colleague, for example, continued by writing this: "What does this mean? It means that my diverse background makes me a well-rounded candidate who is able to comprehend, develop and execute various functions in business."

While the rest of her cover letter veered on the side of professional, her opening line was casual, quirky, and surprising. Plus, you feel her personality in the line, and when an employer feels like a real person is behind the cover letter, she's going to want to keep reading.

Want to see some of the above examples in their final form? Take a look at some of our favorite cover letter examples in this blog post.

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mrsteveecook · 5 years

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someone is stinking up the bathroom by my office, I’m forced to use a nickname, and more

It’s five answers to five questions. Here we go…

1. Someone is stinking up the bathroom next to my office

I am writing this partially to check myself. Please feel free to tell me to grow up and that this shouldn’t bother me!

I have a senior level position at a non-profit organization. Our offices are in a renovated home and my office is the former master bedroom which is on a wing of the house that is slightly separate from the rest of the building. The master bathroom is also in this separate wing with a door right next to mine sharing a wall. There are no other offices in this wing.

I have a lot of meetings with donors and members of our executive board, which is part of the reason for my admittedly plum office situation. In the past few months, a woman who works on another floor of the house in another department has started coming to the master bathroom at least once (and often twice) a day to do her business. This business is often loud and always smelly. In addition to my annoyance, this has also been awkward when I am having meetings or bringing guests to my office. She has many other bathroom options (the house has four bathrooms for nine employees) and she literally passes two bathrooms between her office and mine, so this isn’t a situation where she doesn’t have a choice.

The idea of talking to her about this feels extremely uncomfortable, but all my other possible solutions (locking the door when I’m having meetings or loading it up with air fresheners) feel very passive aggressive. Do I need to just suck it up and have this conversation or is passive aggressive the way to go?

I actually do think you could lock it an hour or so before meetings, and in an office this small, you could let people know what you’re doing and why. Not naming the perpetrator, of course — but saying something like, “The bathroom next to my office has become a popular choice for more pungent activities, likely because it’s located away from the others, and this has caused problems when VIPs are here for meetings. To avoid that, I’m going to lock it ahead of those meetings. It’ll be unlocked the rest of the time.”

The rest of the time, though … well, it’s a bathroom! I can see why it’s annoying that she’s leaving her own floor to come use what probably feels like “your” bathroom, but it isn’t really your bathroom and she may prefer to expose one person to the sounds and smells rather than many (and if she doesn’t work closely with you, she may like the illusion of anonymity that she can’t get with people she talks to all day).

And there’s nothing wrong with putting a white noise machine and some Poopourri in there.

2. My office wants to make me use a nickname

My name is, let’s say, Jane Smith. I just received this communication on messenger from my office manager:

Quick question: do you have a fav nickname you like to go by? How do you feel about “JS”‘? lol On a scale of 1-10, how excited are you about Smithy?

I believe this is part of an overall strategy to improve office culture. How do I politely say I like to go by my first name/last name combination. Or just the former. Apparently everyone in the office got the same request and it’s mandatory. I have to submit a nickname by Monday! I honestly don’t have a nickname. My boyfriend suggested that I request to be referred to as “Your Majesty” but I’m a little worried that my coworkers might actually start calling me that.

“I feel strongly that names are very personal and I really don’t go by a nickname or want to go by one. So just Jane for me.”

If you’re pressed, “Really, I’m just Jane. In my family, names are a really meaningful and personal thing and I would feel really uncomfortable having a nickname.”

And if you’re up for it: “I appreciate that this is an attempt to make the culture here friendlier. By forced to go by a nickname I don’t like and don’t use would be the opposite of morale-boasting for me. If we want to improve the culture, maybe we can talk about (insert actually useful thing your office needs here).”

3. Being booked in “basic economy” on flights for job interviews

Is there a good way to push back on a company booking your travel for an interview as “basic economy”? I’ve seen plenty of times that basic economy travelers are the first to get bumped and forced to check their bags (in addition to being stuck in middle seats), and I always spend the extra money to avoid it myself. Now a company has booked me on a basic economy fare for my cross country flight to interview. I feel like there might not be anything to do now except suck it up for this interview, but is there a way to prevent this from happening in the future?

(I do want to point out that I’m totally fine with coach. That’s what I book for myself! The issue is the “basic economy” that makes you board last/not choose a seat/etc. On the last few flights I’ve been on, I’ve watched at least two passengers with this type of fare get booted to later flights, too, so part of my concern is not arriving on time. I’m also going to have to pay for my carry-on.)

You can absolutely say, “Would it be possible to put me in Economy rather than Basic Economy? That way my carry-on will be covered and I won’t be at as high a risk for being bumped off the flight.”

It’s possible that it’s their policy to book everyone in Basic Economy, but it’s just as likely that someone junior handling travel arrangement saw a very low fair and grabbed it, but will change it if you ask.

4. Can I ask to work from home whenever there’s dangerous weather?

Two weeks ago, I was in a bad car crash during a snowstorm on my way to work. I was not at fault, but my car was totaled, I was trapped in the vehicle for awhile, and I sustained minor injuries to my neck and shoulders. I live in the far north where driving conditions are frequently deadly in the winter. The crash was traumatic, and has remained traumatic because driving conditions have been consistently bad since my accident. I feel extremely anxious while driving because the roads have been so unsafe lately.

My boss suggested I work from home that entire week as I sorted out my injuries (which were thankfully minor) and found a new vehicle. I was so grateful she offered this option. The following week, driving conditions were still brutal, and I requested that I work from home two days, which was granted. My job has a formal policy that allows staff to telework with their supervisor’s approval.

We’re now on week 3, and we’re expecting 6-8 inches of snow tomorrow and the same the next day. I want to ask for the option to work from home on days when conditions are bad, but I worry that maybe I’m pushing it. I don’t want my boss to think I am milking this or taking advantage of her thoughtfulness in initially suggesting I work from home that first week. I have a good relationship with my boss that allows me to be candid, so I brought this up to her last week when I asked for additional work-at-home days, telling her I in no way intended to take advantage of her flexibility to date but that I was genuinely concerned about safely arriving at work due to the conditions. She agreed and said it’s better to be safe than sorry.

Am I pushing it if I ask to work from home any time driving conditions are significantly dangerous? My boss herself works from home four days a week, so I don’t know why I feel oddly guilty asking for this accommodation, at least for now. I’ve been at this job less than one year and am still eager to reinforce that I am a good employee with a strong work ethic.

In theory, the answer should be that if driving conditions are dangerous, everyone should stay home and you shouldn’t worry about asking. In reality, if you live somewhere that routinely has bad weather conditions, you’ll generally be expected to find a way to get to work except in really extreme situations.

But you’re in an office where working from home isn’t uncommon and you just had a serious accident. You shouldn’t be pushing it if you say something like, “For the rest of the winter, would it be okay for me to plan to work from home when driving conditions are dangerous? I’m still shaken up by my crash and I’d feel a lot better being able to plan on doing that, but I don’t want to assume it would be okay without talking to you, and I don’t want you to feel I’m taking advantage of your flexibility.”

5. When should I start applying for jobs?

I graduate early May, and I’m not sure if I have begun applying too early. I won’t be able to start any jobs until after graduation, but I also don’t know how long the process usually takes or how quickly employers are looking to fill positions.

Go ahead and start now. Some employers will be looking to have someone start more quickly than that, but lots of hiring processes take months. You can’t always tell from the outside, but this is a reasonable time to begin applying. Most employers will figure out from the fact that you’re in school that you’re not available until May, but if for some reason one doesn’t, you can make sure it’s clear when they first contact you. (There are also some fields that hire a bunch of soon-to-be-grads even earlier than now, like parts of finance and law, but you probably know if you’re in one of those fields.)

Make sure that your resume lists your education this way:

University of Porridge, B.A. in Oatmeal expected May 2019

You may also like:

someone spends an hour a day putting on makeup in our shared bathroom

my boss follows me into the bathroom to talk about work

my coworker uses the office bathroom as her personal phone booth

someone is stinking up the bathroom by my office, I’m forced to use a nickname, and more was originally published by Alison Green on Ask a Manager.

from Ask a Manager http://bit.ly/2E71zYi

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blogparadiseisland · 6 years

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Nature A Coveted Lawyer’s Juggling Act May Be Good, and Bad, for Trump

Nature A Coveted Lawyer’s Juggling Act May Be Good, and Bad, for Trump Nature A Coveted Lawyer’s Juggling Act May Be Good, and Bad, for Trump http://www.nature-business.com/nature-a-coveted-lawyers-juggling-act-may-be-good-and-bad-for-trump/

Nature

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The lawyer William Burck is at the center of the two biggest dramas in the nation’s capital.CreditCreditTom Brenner for The New York Times

WASHINGTON — It was a typically hectic day for William A. Burck as he juggled the demands of managing one of Washington’s premier white-collar law firms while he was in Paris for meetings on behalf of a corporate client facing corruption charges.

But that was not all he was trying to manage from his room in a hotel near the Champs-Élysées last Wednesday. Part of the time he was on the phone dealing with the legal and political fallout from the abrupt dismissal that day of Donald F. McGahn II, the White House counsel, one of at least a half dozen of his clients who work for President Trump or once did.

And part of the time he was signing off on the release of a final batch of documents related to the time that Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh, Mr. Trump’s Supreme Court nominee, spent as a senior aide in the George W. Bush White House. Hired by the former president, Mr. Burck supervised a team of lawyers that examined thousands of documents, a process that has been bitterly criticized by Democrats, who say Mr. Burck is an administration ally and longtime Kavanaugh friend who cannot be trusted.

Democrats hope to use the fact that Mr. Burck oversaw a process that led to the withholding of more than 100,000 pages of documents to argue that they know too little about Judge Kavanaugh’s record to move ahead with his confirmation hearings on Tuesday.

The whirlwind multitasking captured the intensity of Mr. Burck’s behind-the-scenes role as the latest incarnation of the Washington superlawyer — a legal gun-for-hire like Edward Bennett Williams, the powerhouse of the 1970s and ’80s who liked to boast that he could represent everyone in the capital at once.

Mr. Williams had a catchphrase for his approach: He was not just a lawyer with a series of clients. He was “counsel to the situation.” And right now, Mr. Burck is playing a central role in two of the most volatile political “situations” in Washington, one involving the future of the Trump presidency and the other the future of the Supreme Court. And the situations could have very different outcomes.

In one of those roles, Mr. Burck is advancing a top priority of the Trump administration: putting another conservative on the court. But he could end up advancing the interest of Democrats in another way — by aiding the investigation of Mr. Trump by Robert S. Mueller III, the special counsel.

It was Mr. Burck who devised the legal strategy behind Mr. McGahn’s giving more than 30 hours of testimony to the special counsel, and that testimony may have provided investigators with a road map for an obstruction case against the president.

Mr. Burck has also counseled other current and former White House officials through their interviews with investigators, including Reince Priebus, Mr. Trump’s first chief of staff, and Stephen K. Bannon, his former strategist. Some lawyers representing other defendants and witnesses in the Mueller investigation have raised questions about how Mr. Burck is being allowed to represent so many important witnesses, saying it presents a conflict.

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Mr. Burck is the lawyer behind Donald F. McGahn’s decision to spend 30 hours with the special counsel’s prosecutors.CreditErin Schaff for The New York Times

While that work has attracted relatively little attention, his role in vetting the records related to Judge Kavanaugh, who was not only Mr. Burck’s boss when he was a young lawyer in the Bush White House but is also one of his closest friends, has made him a target.

“Burck and Judge Kavanaugh share something in common — they are both partisan warriors who have consistently been at the center of hard-right battles, and their impartiality is therefore very deeply in doubt,” said Senator Chuck Schumer of New York, the chamber’s top Democrat.

This article is based on interviews with a dozen current and former White House officials, lawyers involved in the Mueller investigation, friends of Mr. Burck and Democrats involved in the Kavanaugh hearings. Mr. Burck said in a short statement that he would prefer to regain some of his anonymity.

“I get the interest in my popping up in some of the big issues of the day,” Mr. Burck said. “But it’s a mistake to believe lawyers are interesting because their clients are.”

A lifelong Republican, Mr. Burck never embraced Mr. Trump and has told friends that he would never work for him. During the 2016 campaign, he initially supported Jeb Bush, the former Florida governor. And it was Mr. Bush, not Mr. Trump, who chose Mr. Burck to go through his archives for any documents related to the work of Judge Kavanaugh.

Mr. Burck and Judge Kavanaugh have known each other for years, and their biographies are strikingly similar: Yale for their undergraduate and law degrees, clerkships with Justice Anthony M. Kennedy and Judge Alex Kozinski, brief stints as prosecutors, and jobs in the Bush White House.

After Mr. Bush left office, Mr. Burck began building a practice in Washington, focusing on conducting internal investigations and representing witnesses and defendants in cases brought by the Justice Department. He was also hired by the former president to be his personal lawyer, putting him in charge of access to millions of his presidential papers.

In one of his more high-profile cases, he represented Maureen McDonnell, who was indicted on corruption charges along with her husband, Bob McDonnell, the governor of Virginia, shortly after he left office. A year later, Mr. Burck began representing FIFA, the international soccer organization, as it was being investigated by the Justice Department.

Colleagues describe Mr. Burck, who runs the Washington office of Quinn Emanuel Urquhart & Sullivan, as disciplined, driven, intense and passionate — especially about his beloved New England Patriots. (Mr. Burck flies to most Patriots games. In 2015, he spent many evenings with friends delivering a point-by-point evisceration of the “Deflategate” case against Tom Brady, the quarterback who was accused of purposely using a less-than-full football.)

Mr. Burck’s involvement with Trump administration officials began in the spring of 2017, when he got a call from Mr. McGahn, who knew that Mr. Burck had dealt with investigations under Mr. Bush, when that administration was under siege by Democrats. Mr. McGahn hired Mr. Burck as a lawyer to represent him in the nascent Russia investigation.

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Both Reince Priebus, left, and Stephen K. Bannon have hired Mr. Burck in the special counsel case.CreditAl Drago/The New York Times

Mr. McGahn had not even been called as a witness yet, but given his proximity to the presidency and the intensifying inquiry, Mr. McGahn needed his own, outside legal adviser. For months, no one — including the president — even knew Mr. Burck had been hired.

As the Russia inquiry mushroomed, other nervous White House staff members started looking for personal lawyers, too. Shortly after Mr. Burck began representing Mr. McGahn, Mr. Priebus, then the chief of staff, asked Mr. McGahn for a recommendation. A few months later, Mr. Bannon decided he needed a lawyer, too, and hired Mr. Burck.

“He’s on everybody’s short list as to who they want to get for bet-the-company cases,” said Richard Cullen, a onetime Virginia attorney general who has worked with, and against, Mr. Burck in courtrooms.

But the potential for conflicts of interest is high, and lawyers representing others caught up in the investigation have said that because Mr. Burck represents so many clients, he has too much power over what information is given to prosecutors.

Mr. Burck would have to stop representing one or more witnesses if one implicates another in a crime or has vastly different accounts of key events. Michael B. Mukasey, who served as attorney general under Mr. Bush, said Mr. Burck was a careful, disciplined lawyer who could manage the risks.

“It’s not as if something is going to come tumbling out his mouth that he wasn’t supposed to say,” Mr. Mukasey said. “He’s not that kind of guy.”

The immediate concern for Mr. Burck is the Kavanaugh documents. Before they vote on the nomination, Democrats have demanded to see more of them. But by insisting on a quick vote, Republicans have ensured that the National Archives cannot produce the documents in time.

Enter Mr. Burck, who hired a team of 50 lawyers from three firms, at Mr. Bush’s expense, to review the Kavanaugh documents.

In a letter to Mr. Burck last month, the general counsel of the Archives thanked Mr. Burck for his efforts, writing that “these documents will help us as we conduct our review.”

But publicly, officials at the Archives have described Mr. Burck’s effort as “something that has never happened before” and are distancing themselves from it. “This effort by former President Bush does not represent the National Archives or the George W. Bush Presidential Library,” they wrote in a news release.

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Mr. Burck has hired a team of lawyers to decide which documents from Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh’s time in the Bush administration can be made public.CreditErin Schaff for The New York Times

Democrats insist that the private process overseen by Mr. Burck is not governed by the same legal safeguards that the Archives has to follow. Most critically, they say they suspect that Mr. Burck is helping Judge Kavanaugh and the White House by making sure that potentially damaging documents do not emerge before the vote.

Late last week, when the White House cited executive privilege as the reason for keeping 100,000 pages secret, Democrats howled. Mr. Schumer called it a “Friday night document massacre” and accused Mr. Trump of orchestrating a “cover-up.”

In a letter to the Senate Judiciary Committee on Friday, Mr. Burck said Mr. Bush had deferred to the Trump administration on which documents to withhold. And in a separate letter to Mr. Schumer, Mr. Burck defended the process, pledging that it was not a partisan one.

“The lawyers reviewing the records have not been asked their political or party affiliation, nor have they been selected based on their support for or opposition to Judge Kavanaugh’s nomination,” Mr. Burck wrote.

In all, Mr. Burck’s lawyers evaluated 663,817 pages of documents. Of that total, they identified 267,834 pages that are to be made public, and 147,250 were just given to the Senate.

Democrats said that represented a small fraction of the total documents that could have been released, including hundreds of thousands of pages from Judge Kavanaugh’s time as Mr. Bush’s staff secretary. But allies of Mr. Burck say he would never purposely hide documents that he knows the National Archives will eventually release.

“Why would anybody, particularly somebody who has as much riding on his reputation as Bill Burck, play games with the production of documents?” Mr. Cullen said.

This summer has been a perfect storm for Mr. Burck, conspiring to dramatically raise his profile.

On the Senate floor earlier this summer, Mr. Schumer called Mr. Burck out by name, describing him as a “political operative” and a “longtime Republican lawyer,” and saying he was “hardly a font of impartiality. He’s a partisan.”

Mr. Burck declined to respond to Mr. Schumer. But Mr. Mukasey, who spoke to Mr. Burck in recent days, said he appeared to be shrugging off the newfound attention — at least for now.

“He didn’t seem to be weighed down by all of it,” Mr. Mukasey said. “He carries it lightly.”

Get politics and Washington news updates via Facebook, Twitter and the Morning Briefing newsletter.

A version of this article appears in print on

, on Page

of the New York edition

with the headline:

A Coveted Lawyer’s Juggling Act May Be Good for Trump, and Bad

. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

Read More | https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/02/us/politics/william-burck.html | http://www.nytimes.com/by/michael-d-shear, http://www.nytimes.com/by/michael-s-schmidt

Nature A Coveted Lawyer’s Juggling Act May Be Good, and Bad, for Trump, in 2018-09-03 05:39:43

#Nature of Business in the Current Market

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blogwonderwebsites · 6 years

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Nature A Coveted Lawyer’s Juggling Act May Be Good, and Bad, for Trump

Nature

Image

The lawyer William Burck is at the center of the two biggest dramas in the nation’s capital.CreditCreditTom Brenner for The New York Times

Image

Mr. Burck is the lawyer behind Donald F. McGahn’s decision to spend 30 hours with the special counsel’s prosecutors.CreditErin Schaff for The New York Times

“I get the interest in my popping up in some of the big issues of the day,” Mr. Burck said. “But it’s a mistake to believe lawyers are interesting because their clients are.”

Image

Both Reince Priebus, left, and Stephen K. Bannon have hired Mr. Burck in the special counsel case.CreditAl Drago/The New York Times

“It’s not as if something is going to come tumbling out his mouth that he wasn’t supposed to say,” Mr. Mukasey said. “He’s not that kind of guy.”

Enter Mr. Burck, who hired a team of 50 lawyers from three firms, at Mr. Bush’s expense, to review the Kavanaugh documents.

In a letter to Mr. Burck last month, the general counsel of the Archives thanked Mr. Burck for his efforts, writing that “these documents will help us as we conduct our review.”

Image

Mr. Burck has hired a team of lawyers to decide which documents from Judge Brett M. Kavanaugh’s time in the Bush administration can be made public.CreditErin Schaff for The New York Times

In all, Mr. Burck’s lawyers evaluated 663,817 pages of documents. Of that total, they identified 267,834 pages that are to be made public, and 147,250 were just given to the Senate.

“Why would anybody, particularly somebody who has as much riding on his reputation as Bill Burck, play games with the production of documents?” Mr. Cullen said.

This summer has been a perfect storm for Mr. Burck, conspiring to dramatically raise his profile.

Mr. Burck declined to respond to Mr. Schumer. But Mr. Mukasey, who spoke to Mr. Burck in recent days, said he appeared to be shrugging off the newfound attention — at least for now.

“He didn’t seem to be weighed down by all of it,” Mr. Mukasey said. “He carries it lightly.”

Get politics and Washington news updates via Facebook, Twitter and the Morning Briefing newsletter.

A version of this article appears in print on

, on Page

of the New York edition

with the headline:

A Coveted Lawyer’s Juggling Act May Be Good for Trump, and Bad

. Order Reprints | Today’s Paper | Subscribe

Read More | https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/02/us/politics/william-burck.html | http://www.nytimes.com/by/michael-d-shear, http://www.nytimes.com/by/michael-s-schmidt

Nature A Coveted Lawyer’s Juggling Act May Be Good, and Bad, for Trump, in 2018-09-03 05:39:43

#Nature of Business in the Current Market

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deniscollins · 6 years

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Pregnancy Discrimination Is Rampant Inside America’s Biggest Companies

If you were a trading company manager, what would you do if a star performer told you that she was pregnant: (1) make accommodations or (2) inform her about pregnancy plateau in corporate advancement, tell her she’s getting old and having babies so there’s nowhere to advance, and announce on the trading floor that the most-read article on the BBC’s website was about pregnancy altering women’s brains? Why? What are the ethics underlying your decision?

American companies have spent years trying to become more welcoming to women. They have rolled out generous parental leave policies, designed cushy lactation rooms and plowed millions of dollars into programs aimed at retaining mothers.

But these advances haven’t changed a simple fact: Whether women work at Walmart or on Wall Street, getting pregnant is often the moment they are knocked off the professional ladder.

Throughout the American workplace, pregnancy discrimination remains widespread. It can start as soon as a woman is showing, and it often lasts through her early years as a mother.

The New York Times reviewed thousands of pages of court and public records and interviewed dozens of women, their lawyers and government officials. A clear pattern emerged. Many of the country’s largest and most prestigious companies still systematically sideline pregnant women. They pass them over for promotions and raises. They fire them when they complain.

In physically demanding jobs — where an increasing number of women unload ships, patrol streets and hoist boxes — the discrimination can be blatant. Pregnant women risk losing their jobs when they ask to carry water bottles or take rest breaks.

In corporate office towers, the discrimination tends to be more subtle. Pregnant women and mothers are often perceived as less committed, steered away from prestigious assignments, excluded from client meetings and slighted at bonus season.

Each child chops 4 percent off a woman’s hourly wages, according to a 2014 analysis by a sociologist at the University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Men’s earnings increase by 6 percent when they become fathers, after controlling for experience, education, marital status and hours worked.

“Some women hit the maternal wall long before the glass ceiling,” said Joan C. Williams, a professor at University of California Hastings College of Law who has testified about pregnancy discrimination at regulatory hearings. “There are 20 years of lab studies that show the bias exists and that, once triggered, it’s very strong.”

Of course, plenty of women decide to step back from their careers after becoming mothers. Some want to devote themselves to parenthood. Others lack affordable child care.

But for those who want to keep working at the same level, getting pregnant and having a child often deals them an involuntary setback.

The number of pregnancy discrimination claims filed annually with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has been steadily rising for two decades and is hovering near an all-time high.

It’s not just the private sector. In September, a federal appeals court ruled in favor of Stephanie Hicks, who sued the Tuscaloosa, Ala., police department for pregnancy discrimination. Ms. Hicks was lactating, and her doctor told her that her bulletproof vest was too tight and risked causing a breast infection. Her superior’s solution was a vest so baggy that it left portions of her torso exposed.

Tens of thousands of women have taken legal action alleging pregnancy discrimination at companies including Walmart, Merck, AT&T, Whole Foods, 21st Century Fox, KPMG, Novartis and the law firm Morrison & Foerster. All of those companies boast on their websites about celebrating and empowering women.

WOMEN’S BRAINS

As a senior woman at Glencore, the world’s largest commodity trading company, Erin Murphy is a rarity. She earns a six-figure salary plus a bonus coordinating the movement of the oil that Glencore buys and sells. Most of the traders whom she works with are men.

The few women at the company have endured a steady stream of sexist comments, according to Ms. Murphy. Her account of Glencore’s culture was verified by two employees, one of whom recently left the company. They requested anonymity because they feared retaliation.

On the company’s trading floor, men bantered about groping the Queen of England’s genitals. As Glencore was preparing to relocate from Connecticut to New York last February, the traders — including Ms. Murphy’s boss, Guy Freshwater — openly discussed how much “hot ass” there would be at the gym near the new office.

In 2013, a year after Ms. Murphy arrived, Mr. Freshwater described her in a performance review as “one of the hardest working” colleagues. In a performance review the next year, he called her a “strong leader” who is “diligent, conscientious and determined.”

But when Ms. Murphy told Mr. Freshwater she was pregnant with her first child, he told her it would “definitely plateau” her career, she said in the affidavit. In 2016, she got pregnant with her second child. One afternoon, Mr. Freshwater announced to the trading floor that the most-read article on the BBC’s website was about pregnancy altering women’s brains. Ms. Murphy, clearly showing, was the only pregnant woman there.

“It was like they assumed my brain had totally changed overnight,” Ms. Murphy, 41, said in an interview. “I was seen as having no more potential.”

When she was eight months pregnant, she discussed potential future career moves with Mr. Freshwater. According to her, Mr. Freshwater responded, “You’re old and having babies so there’s nowhere for you to go.”

A Glencore spokesman declined to comment on Mr. Freshwater’s behalf.

After she came back from four months of maternity leave, she organized her life so that having children wouldn’t interfere with her career. She arranged for child care starting at 7 a.m. so she would never be late.

But as her co-workers were promoted, her bosses passed her over and her bonuses barely rose, Ms. Murphy said.

When there was an opening to be the head of her department, Ms. Murphy said she never got a chance to apply. The job instead went to a less experienced man. Ms. Murphy said an executive involved in the selection process had previously asked repeatedly whether she had adequate child care.

Ms. Murphy said that after she missed out on another job, the same Glencore executive told her it was because of the timing of her maternity leave. Ms. Murphy has retained a lawyer and is planning to file a lawsuit against Glencore.

Glencore’s spokesman, Charles Watenphul, defended the company’s practices. “Glencore Ltd. is committed to supporting women going on and returning from maternity leave,” he said. He said Ms. Murphy was never passed over for promotions or treated differently because of her pregnancies. He said that she received bonuses and pay increases every year. Her lawyer, Mark Carey, said that Ms. Murphy was only given cost-of-living increases and was denied opportunities to advance.

Ms. Murphy’s problems are not rare. Managers often regard women who are visibly pregnant as less committed, less dependable, less authoritative and more irrational than other women.

A study conducted by Shelley Correll, a Stanford sociologist, presented hundreds of real-world hiring managers with two résumés from equally qualified women. Half of them signaled that the candidate had a child. The managers were twice as likely to call the apparently childless woman for an interview. Ms. Correll called it a “motherhood penalty.”

“There is a cultural perception that if you’re a good mother, you’re so dedicated to your children that you couldn’t possibly be that dedicated to your career,” Ms. Correll said.

VERY LONG ARTICLE CONTINUES

#Pregnancy #Sexism

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freewhispersmaker · 7 years

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1. Using the mechanistic and organic structure models, compare and contrast the management styles of Acme and Omega. How do the differences between the companies’ management styles explain the way they coordinated the production of the memory unit prototypes for the photocopying customer? Which company did better? 2. If Omega was so much more effective than Acme, why didn’t it win the final contract? How can you account for the photocopier manufacturer’s decision? 3. What changes would you recommend to Acme and Omega if they are to survive in the future in this increasingly competitive industry? Do you think Acme and Omega should merge to better compete in the future? What problems might be encountered in such a merger? Attachment Preview: The Paradoxical Twins: Acme and Omega Electronics Part I In 1955, Technological Products of Erie, Pennsylvania, was bought out by a Cleveland manufacturer. The Cleveland ?rm had no interest in the electronics division of Technological Products and subsequently sold to different investors two plants that manufactured printed circuit boards. One of the plants, located in nearby Waterford, Pennsylvania, was renamed Acme Electronics, and the other plant, within the city limits of Erie, was renamed Omega Electronics, Inc. Acme retained its original management and upgraded its general manager to president. Omega hired a new president, who had been a director of a large electronics research laboratory, and upgraded several of the existing personnel within the plant. Acme and Omega often competed for the same contracts. As subcontractors, both ?rms bene?ted from the electronics boom of the early 1960s and both looked forward to future growth and expansion. Acme had annual sales of $10 million and employed 550 people. Omega had annual sales of $8 million and employed 480 people. Acme was consistently more effective than Omega and regularly achieved greater net pro?ts, much to the chagrin of Omega’s management. Inside Acme The president of Acme, John Tyler, credited his ?rm’s greater effectiveness to his managers’ abilities to run a “tight ship.” He explained that he had retained the basic structure developed by Technological Products because it was most ef?cient for high-volume manufacture of printed circuits and their subsequent assembly. Tyler was con?dent that had the demand not been so great, its competitor would not have survived. “In fact,” he said, “we have been able to beat Omega regularly for the most pro?table contracts, thereby increasing our pro?ts.” Acme’s basic organization structure is shown in Exhibit 1. People were generally satis?ed with their work at Acme; however, some of the managers voiced the desire to have a little more latitude in their jobs. One manager characterized the president as a “one-man band.” He said, “While I respect John’s ability, there are times when I wish I had a little more information about what is going on.” Inside Omega Omega’s president, Jim Rawls, did not believe in organization charts. He felt that his organization had departments similar to Acme’s, but he thought the plant was small enough that things such as organization charts just put arti?cial barriers between specialists who should be working together. Written memos were not allowed, since, as Jim expressed it, “the plant is small enough that if people want to communicate, they can just drop by and talk things over.” Other members of Omega complained that too much time was wasted “?lling in” people who could not contribute to the problem solving. As the head of the mechanical engineering department expressed it, “Jim spends too much of his time and mine making sure everyone understands what we’re doing and listening to suggestions.” A newer member of the industrial engineering department said, “When I ?rst got here, I wasn’t sure what I was supposed to do. One day I worked with some mechanical engineers and the next day I helped the shipping department design some packing cartons. The ?rst months on the job were hectic, but at least I got a real feel for what makes Omega tick.” Most decisions of any signi?cance were made by the management team at Omega. Part II In 1966, the integrated circuits began to cut deeply into the demand for printed circuit boards. The integrated circuits (ICs), or “chips,” were the ?rst step into microminiaturization in the electronics industry. Because the manufacturing process for ICs was a closely guarded secret, both Acme and Omega realized the potential threat to their futures and both began to seek new customers aggressively. In July 1966, one of the major photocopy manufacturers was looking for a subcontractor to assemble the memory unit for its new experimental copier. The projected contract for the job was estimated to be $5–$7million in annual sales. Both Acme and Omega were geographically close to this manufacturer and both had submitted highly competitive bids for the production of 100 prototypes. Acme’s bid was slightly lower than Omega’s; however, both ?rms were asked to produce 100 units. The photocopy manufacturer told both ?rms that speed was critical because their president had boasted to other manufacturers that they would have a ?nished copier available by Christmas. This boast, much to the designer’s dismay, required pressure on all subcontractors to begin prototype production before ?nal design of the copier was complete. This meant that Acme and Omega would have at most two weeks to produce the prototypes or delay the ?nal copier production. Part III – Inside Acme As soon as John Tyler was given the blueprints (Monday, July 11, 1966), he sent a memo to the purchasing department requesting them to move forward on the purchase of all necessary materials. At the same time, he sent the blueprints to the drafting department and asked that they prepare manufacturing prints. The industrial engineering department was told to begin methods design work for use by the production department foremen. Tyler also sent a memo to all department heads and executives indicating the critical time constraints of this job and how he expected everyone to perform as ef?ciently as they had in the past. On Wednesday, July 13, purchasing discovered that a particular component used in the memory unit could not be purchased or shipped for two weeks because the manufacturer had shut down for summer vacations. The head of purchasing was not overly concerned by this obstacle, because he knew that Omega would face the same problem. He advised Tyler of this predicament, who in turn decided that Acme would build the memory unit except for the one component and then add that component in two weeks. Industrial engineering was told to build this constraint into their assembly methods. On Friday, July 15, industrial engineering noti?ed Tyler that the missing component would substantially increase the assembly time if it was not available from the start of assembly. Mr. Tyler, anxious to get started, said that he would live with that problem and gave the signal to go forward on the assembly plans. Mechanical engineering received manufacturing prints on Tuesday, July 12, and evaluated their capabilities for making the chassis required for the memory unit. Because their procedure for prototypes was to get estimates from outside vendors on all sheet metal work before they authorized in-house personnel to do the job, the head of mechanical engineering sent a memo to the head of drafting requesting that vendor prints be drawn up on the chassis and that these prints then be forwarded to purchasing, which would obtain vendor bids. On Friday, July 15, Mr. Tyler called the head of mechanical engineering and asked for a progress report on the chassis. He was advised that mechanical engineering was waiting for vendor estimates before they moved forward. Mr. Tyler was shocked by the lack of progress and demanded that mechanical engineering begin building those “damn chassis.” On Monday, July 18, Mr. Tyler received word from the shipping department that most of the components had arrived. The ?rst chassis were sent to the head of production, who began immediately to set up an assembly area. On Tuesday, July 19, two methods engineers from industrial engineering went out to the production ?oor to set up the methods to be used in assembly. In his haste to get things going, the production foreman ignored the normal procedure of contacting the methods engineers and set up what he thought would be an ef?cient assembly process. The methods engineers were very upset to see assembly begin before they had a chance to do a proper layout. They told the foreman they had spent the entire weekend analyzing the motions needed and that his process was very inef?cient and not well balanced. The methods engineers ordered that work be stopped until they could rearrange the assembly process. The production foreman refused to stop work. He said, “I have to have these units produced by Friday and already I’m behind schedule.” The methods engineers reported back to the head of industrial engineering, who immediately complained to the plant manager. The plant manager sided with the production foreman and said, “John Tyler wants these units by Friday. Don’t bother me with methods details now. Once we get the prototypes out and go into full production, then your boys can do their thing.” As the head of industrial engineering got off the phone with the plant manager, he turned to his subordinates and said, “If my boss doesn’t think our output is needed, to hell with him! You fellows must have other jobs to worry about, forget this one.” As the two methods engineers left the head industrial engineer’s of?ce, one of them said to the other, “Just wait until they try to install those missing components. Without our methods, they’ll have to tear down the units almost completely.” On Thursday, July 21, the ?nal units were being assembled, although the process was delayed several times as production waited for chassis from mechanical engineering to be completed. On Friday, July 22, the last units were ?nished while John Tyler paced around the plant. Late that afternoon, Tyler received a phone call from the head designer of the photocopier manufacturer, who told Tyler that he had received a call on Wednesday from Jim Rawls of Omega. He explained that Rawls’s boys had found an error in the design of the connector cable and had taken corrective action on their prototypes. He told Tyler that he checked out the design error and that Omega was right. Tyler, a bit overwhelmed by this information, told the designer that he had all of the memory units ready for shipment and that as soon as they received the missing component, on Monday or Tuesday, they would be able to deliver the ?nal units. The designer explained that the design error would be recti?ed in a new blueprint he was sending over by messenger and that he would hold Acme to the delivery date on Tuesday. When the blueprint arrived, Tyler called the production foreman in to assess the damages. The alterations in the design would call for total disassembly and the unsoldering of several connections. Tyler told the foreman to put extra people on the alterations ?rst thing on Monday morning and to try to ?nish the job by Tuesday. Late Tuesday afternoon the alterations were ?nished and the missing components were delivered. Wednesday morning, the production foreman discovered that the units would have to be torn apart again to install the missing components. When John Tyler was told this, he “hit the roof.” He called industrial engineering and asked if they could help out. The head of industrial engineering told Tyler that his people would study the situation and get back to him ?rst thing in the morning. Tyler decided to wait for their study because he was concerned that tearing apart the units again could weaken several of the soldered contacts and increase their potential rejection. Thursday, after several heated debates between the production foreman and the methods engineers, John Tyler settled the argument by ordering that all units be taken apart again and the missing component installed. He told shipping to prepare cartons for delivery on Friday afternoon. On Friday, July 29, 50 prototypes were shipped from Acme without ?nal inspection. John Tyler was concerned about his ?rm’s reputation, so he waived the ?nal inspection after he personally tested one unit and found it operational. On Tuesday, August 2, Acme shipped the last 50 units. Inside Omega Jim Rawls calle

1. Using the mechanistic and organic structure models, compare and contrast the management styles of Acme and Omega. How do the differences between the companies' management styles explain the way they coordinated the production of the memory unit prototypes for the photocopying customer? Which company did better? 2. If Omega was so much more effective than Acme, why didn't it win the final…

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russiagate-blog · 7 years

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American Mindshare

As time moves on through the DJT Presidency, it's important to understand the dynamics at play in capturing the future mind of our nation. Below you will find recent and past excerpts from historically credible outlets covering the media giant Sinclair Broadcasting. May 9, 2017- "The name Sinclair Broadcast Group may not be as familiar to Americans as Fox News, Rush Limbaugh or Breitbart, but make no mistake: it has long been an influential force for Republican politicians and political candidates, including Donald Trump. Now, thanks in no small part to Trump's victory in November, it is poised to grow even more powerful. On Monday, Sinclair announced a $3.9 billion deal to acquire Tribune Media. If approved, that deal would add more than 40 local television stations to the roster of 173 Sinclair already has across the country. If Sinclair's history is any guide, these stations may become more conservative. As America's biggest local television owner, Sinclair's total household reach was already hitting the 39% cap imposed by the Federal Communications Commission, effectively barring it from further acquisitions. But the FCC, under chairman Ajit Pai, newly appointed to that post by Trump, has moved to reinstate an archaic rule known as the "UHF discount" that allows broadcasters to understate their overall reach. Industry expectations are that Sinclair's acquisition will be approved. That will no doubt satisfy David D. Smith, Sinclair's growth-driven executive chairman who is responsible for the company's meteoric growth over the last two-and-a-half decades. [CNN] -Craig Aaron, the president and CEO of Free Press, called the transaction a “scandal." "Sinclair — the Trump-favoring broadcast mega-chain — gets some FCC rules changed and expects others to be erased. All so that Sinclair can air its cookie cutter newscasts to nearly 70% of the country’s population in local markets across the country, he said in a statement." May 12, 2017 "Since November 2015, Sinclair has ordered its stations to run a daily segment from a “Terrorism Alert Desk” with updates on terrorism-related news around the world. During the election campaign last year, it sent out a package that suggested in part that voters should not support Hillary Clinton because the Democratic Party was historically pro-slavery. More recently, Sinclair asked stations to run a short segment in which Scott Livingston, the company’s vice president for news, accused the national news media of publishing “fake news stories.” [NYT] -April 2017, Sinclair hired Boris Epshteyn, a former Trump spokesman, as chief political analyst. [Variety] -Ephshteyn, the "Russia-born investment banker and attorney moderated a panel at an October 2013 conference in New York City called “Invest in Moscow!” The panel was mainly comprised of Moscow city government officials, like Sergey Cheremin, a city minister who heads Moscow’s foreign economic and international relations department. " Huffington Post 8/12/16 -Epshteyn’s LinkedIn [profile] says he provides “Consulting And Liaising Services For For [sic] Domestic And International Transactions With A Focus On Eastern Europe An [sic] Former Soviet Union.” Eric Hananoki at Media Matters Epshteyn ‘s LinkedIn profile includes other shady activity. He claims to have been Managing Director of Business and Legal Affairs at West America Securities Corp. from 2009-2013. The Financial Industry Regulatory Authority expelled West America in 2013; the firm’s CEO was barred for fraud. -March 18, 2017- "Circa News, a millennial-focused media outlet that launched only eight months ago, has been embraced by Republicans for aggressive reporting on Russian meddling in the 2016 election that runs counter to reporting in more mainstream outlet. For the past week, Circa has been dropping new exclusives on federal investigations into Russian influence on a near-daily basis. Their reporting has coursed through conservative media, where it has been held up as an example of fair and hard-hitting investigative reporting on an issue that has been a flashpoint of controversy between the White House, Congress and the press. [The Hill] Circa News was acquired by non-other than...Sinclair Broadcasting in the Spring of 2016 -Dec 16, 2016: "Donald Trump's campaign struck a deal with Sinclair Broadcast Group during the campaign to try and secure better media coverage, his son-in-law Jared Kushner told business executives Friday in Manhattan. Kushner said the agreement with Sinclair, which owns television stations across the country in many swing states and often packages news for their affiliates to run, gave them more access to Trump and the campaign, according to six people who heard his remarks. In exchange, Sinclair would broadcast their Trump interviews across the country without commentary, Kushner said. Kushner highlighted that Sinclair, in states like Ohio, reaches a much wider audience — around 250,000 listeners — than networks like CNN, which reach somewhere around 30,000." [politico] Note: Sinclair Broadcasting denies this claim despite Politico's 6 direct sources. -Background (published in 2005): "At Sinclair, the top of the food chain is David Smith. An imposing man with a pink complexion and a confrontational manner, Smith comes across like an overgrown frat boy who suddenly struck it rich. His father, Julian Sinclair Smith, launched the family's first television station in 1971, and in the last decade, David and his three brothers have expanded the operation into a broadcast empire with access to four in one American households. During a daylong tour of Sinclair's headquarters, on the outskirts of Baltimore, Smith repeatedly boasts about his wealth ("I bet you wish you were my son," he tells me. "It would put you in a different financial bracket") and proudly shows off his travel photographs, which are mounted and displayed in the hallways of Sinclair's five-story office building. He makes no secret of his support for Bush and describes Sinclair as one of the only bastions of objectivity in American journalism.Smith had some experience in the media when he took over the company from his father — but it wasn't the kind of work most conservatives would appreciate. In the 1970s, he was a partner in a business called Ciné Processors, which made bootleg copies of porn films in the basement of a building owned by another of his father's companies, the Commercial Radio Institute. "We had the film-processing lab in operation for, like, a year," recalls David Williams, Smith's partner at Ciné. "The first film we copied was Deep Throat, which had just opened in New York and was not available anywhere else." According to Williams, Ciné got involved with the mob and was busted by the police. "How David got control of the family company after that, I don't know," he says. "He was just a big egotist. He wanted attention." Smith's media connections came in handy in 1996, when he was arrested on suspicion of soliciting a prostitute who, police said, performed "an unnatural and perverted sex act on him" in a Mercedes owned by Sinclair. Charged with a misdemeanor sex offense, Smith cut an unusual deal: In lieu of doing community service, he ordered Sinclair to broadcast reports publicizing local drug programs. "The judge was outraged," former Sinclair reporter LuAnne Canipe told Salon. "He said, 'How can employees do community service for their boss?'" Smith was equally creative when it came to skirting federal rules that forbid broadcasters from controlling two television stations in the same market. The scheme was simple: Smith's mother, Carolyn, and Sinclair employee Edwin Edwards would buy a station in a market where the company already owned an outlet, and then promptly turn control of the new operation over to Sinclair. In 2001, the FCC ruled that the broadcaster had violated federal ownership laws and slapped it with a $40,000 fine — but allowed Sinclair to keep the stations. Today the company owns or operates affiliates of every major network in twenty states — including two stations in Las Vegas, Milwaukee, Columbus, Ohio, and Pittsburgh. "Sinclair is the most aggressive broadcaster in trying to increase the number of stations it controls," says Andrew Jay Schwartzman, president of the Media Access Project, a nonprofit law firm in Washington, D.C. "They figured out how to be a very big fish in some pretty small ponds." First, the company slashes news staffs at its local affiliates to as few as fifteen employees, compared to as many as eighty at its competitors. Then it produces programs at its headquarters, called News Central, that are designed to look like local news. As we tour the studios, Hyman calls my attention to the anchor desk and backdrops, which have been created to match those at Sinclair affiliates. That way, when the company's on-air personalities sit in Baltimore and banter with local anchors, viewers think the broadcasts are taking place in their hometown. "There's no indication that these pieces are coming from News Central in Maryland, no disclaimer," says Josh Silver, executive director of Free Press, a media-reform group based in Northampton, Massachusetts." [2005 Rolling Stone] Knowledge is Patriotic, feel free to share.

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freewhispersmaker · 7 years

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