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Jo Harrington

Essay writing plagiarism

Hundreds of YouTube Stars Paid to Urge Millions of Students to Cheat on their Assignments

College students across the world are being encouraged to cheat on their assignments by an array of prominent YouTubers.

A BBC investigation found over 250 YouTube influencers were advertising the services of a Ukraine-based essay writing website called EduBirdie.

According to the BBC, the YouTube stars use their status and exceptional reach within specific peer groups to promote the website through their videos.

The group of vloggers included a 12-year-old boy—with 200,000 subscribers—whose mother removed his promotional video after the BBC approached her.

Google’s own research indicates that YouTube’s so-called social influencers are more influential than celebrities when it comes to promoting products.

Channels with several thousand subscribers are often offered hundreds of dollars for each promotion, which are not clearly labelled as video ads, says the BBC.

But, in a statement to ABC News, a YouTube spokesperson said: “YouTube creators may include paid endorsements as part of their content but only if the product or service they are endorsing complies with YouTube’s advertising policies.

“YouTube does not allow ads for essay writing and will be removing paid promotions for those services as they discover them.”

Paying to cheat

Passing off a custom-made essay as your own is a form of plagiarism known as contract cheating.

It involves a student ordering an essay, usually through a website, for a fee.

The fee usually depends on essay length, subject and deadline.

Known as ‘essay mills’, the sites that provide the service—including EduBirdie—claim the essays they provide are 100 percent ‘plagiarism free.’

But even if the essay does not contain copied material, the act of attempting to pass it off as your own is itself a serious form of plagiarism.

The upshots of plagiarism

Any student caught partaking in this form of plagiarism could face serious consequences—including expulsion.

While not illegal, essay-writing services are giving students across the world the impression that submitting commissioned work has no repercussions, cultivating a culture of cheating.

This cheating culture could seriously damage the validity of college degrees, consequently having a knock-on effect on those who study hard by trivializing their efforts.

Why do students do it?

There are many reasons. It could be as simple as laziness or lack of confidence or ability in writing.

An Australian study into contract cheating found three factors were likely to influence a student to cheat.

  • Students who spoke another language other than English
  • A dissatisfaction with their learning environment
  • Where students perceived there opportunities to cheat

The research suggests that universities need to support the development of teaching and learning environments that nurture strong student–teacher relationships, and reduce opportunities to cheat through curriculum and assessment design.

 

 

 

Fashion Statement

Making a Fashion Statement

London, Milan and New York fashion weeks adorned their models with a new-wave of back-to-the-90s fashion trends this year—and we’re excited.

Fashion statement earrings

Spangly statement earrings are not just the reserve of Christmas-themed gimmicks. Shoulder-sweeping and bold-coloured earrings add a touch of summer to your outfit well before the season gets underway. This year, leading fashion houses Balenciaga, Saint Laurent and Stella McCartney have reinvented the statement earring for spring/summer 2018 and while the humble student wallet may be too shallow to acquire such prestigious examples, decently priced imitations will be available on the high street.

‘Matrix’ sunglasses

Out with the old, in with the new (or so they say). Giant, face-obstructing sunglasses have had their time and ‘matrix’ sunglasses from the 90s are making a reappearance. One of America’s most revered supermodels, Bella Hadid, was snapped wearing these futuristic, slender lenses earlier this year. This soon-to-be accessory-staple gets a 10/10 from us.

Berets

The inner Parisian in us can finally have their moment because—and I can’t believe it either—berets are back in vogue. The French classic was a highlight at this year’s fashion weeks for both men and women. Brought back to the cat walk by leading designers, this chic accessory is a must-have for your 2018 wardrobe.

Platform shoes

When Balenciaga models strutted down the runway in platform crocs at Paris fashion week this year, it wasn’t necessarily the shoe of choice we were hoping for. They—rightly or wrongly—stole the show and left a few mouths gaping, but looking beyond the eccentric foam footwear, we can definitely make space for a pair of platforms in our lives.

See Also:

The Met Gala’s Best and Worst Dressed Highlights

Fashion Trends

Fashion Trends from Craving to Shop

Spring is the season of new beginnings. Fresh buds bloom, animals awaken and the earth seems to come to life again. Farmers and gardeners plant their seeds and temperatures slowly rise.

What better time to renew your wardrobe with fresh, trendy jewelry and accessories? Craving to Shop is your source for the latest fashion trends, but without hurting your wallet at the same time.

What started as a hobby quickly turned into a full-time quest for the best rings, necklaces, bracelets and accessories the world has to offer. Craving to Shop source modern, beautiful jewelry and accessories from all over the globe. Our products are beautifully designed, elegant and durable, but also affordable.

Their motto is “Sometimes style says what words simply can’t”, and they intend to make sure people are speechless when they see you wearing Craving to Shop products.

Let’s look at some of the best fashion trends for 2018 and help save you some money with an exclusive College News discount code as well. Use the code COLLEGENEWS at checkout for 20% off your first order.

“Let your accessories do the talking” is the name of the game for the upcoming warm seasons.

Boho/bohemian

Boho is short for bohemian, a word used to describe a person who does not like to conform to tradition (be it behavior or dress code). If boho fashion is mainly characterized by patchwork denim, crochet tops, wide leg pants and flowing maxi dresses in multicolored paisley and floral prints, the bling that complements this style is equally eclectic and mesmerizing. Bohemian jewelry is actually a mix of different materials and colors designed in a carefree style. The only problem you may have is choosing your favorites.

The pieces channeled by boho are anything but subdued. They vary from statement pendants on long chains and multi-strand bead necklaces to important bangles and large dangle earrings. Boho jewelry often features large colorful tassels, leather fringing and oversized semi-precious gems, such as turquoise, agates, amethyst, amber, tiger’s eye and coral, and is stacked for an eclectic look adding diversity and texture in the most flawless way.

Check out our collection of Bohemian style here!

Bracelets/cuff bracelets

They say it’s inherent of women who had great influence in the world, not just a flash in the pan but an indelible mark on the history. Cleopatra and Nefertiti wore it on the upper arm, Coco Chanel made it iconic with the Maltese Cross motif embossed on it, while Wonder Woman can’t ever be depicted without it.

Cuff bracelets are one of the most powerful frequenters among the recent spring/summer 2018 jewelry fashion trends, but if the previous season’s force was to invest in a single statement cuff bracelet, the upcoming season sounds off to stack it up.

Check out our collection of beautiful bracelets here!

Do you have the Craving to Shop?

Craving to Shop are a 100% USA-based online shop, with 100% USA-based owners and customer service, ready to give you the best jewelry, accessories and fashion trends at the most affordable prices. They can’t wait to see you!

To celebrate spring, and to welcome you to the Craving to Shop family, they are giving College News readers 20% off their first order. Click the link below to apply the discount automatically or use COLLEGENEWS as the code at checkout.

Click here to visit Craving to Shop and automatically apply the COLLEGENEWS discount!

 

 

 

Interview Mistakes

Avoid These Interview Mistakes

Spring time is around the corner which means new jobs are almost ripe for the picking, however the interview process does all the choosing. Being a fresh face in the work force or even if you’re a seasoned veteran can have its intimidating moments when you’re looking for that perfect new job. It’s understandable that an interview isn’t as easy as one, two, three, but with a few easy reminder tips, that looming interview will be a simple stroll through the park.

1. Not doing your research

Doing your homework on an establishment before even applying for the role is imperative as it will save everyone’s time. Knowing the hours of operation, what some customer reviews say, or even asking an employee what a typical day is like at the prospective company is nothing to be ashamed of. Everything mentioned down to not knowing what you’re interviewing for can lead to a failed interview. Always remember that your time is as valuable as a potential employer’s.

2. Not knowing what you want

After investigating your potential opportunity always remember firstly what it is you want out of this job and second what you want out of this interview. As much as you’re walking in to the interview and hoping the employer chooses you, keep in mind that you should also be in a position to walk away from the meeting knowing more about this new venture than before you walked in. Generally not knowing the job spec could backfire and be a waste of time for both parties.

3. Don’t rely on your comfort zone

A group setting-style interview may mean that you will be interviewed alongside other potential candidates or interviewed by multiple senior staff members. Both scenarios are uncomfortable and not very appealing but both require your full attention and both need you to leave a lasting impression regardless. Don’t rely on your comfort zone during a make-or-break conversation.

4. Remember! Try and always give an answer

Whether you’re about to take on your first interview or your fifth interview, it’s key to always answer the questions. During a “get-to-know-each-other” conversation, there’s not too may wrong answers you can give when the interview is all about you as a candidate for employment. Over-thinking questions can lead to a mind blank for answers but taking a few seconds to gather your thoughts isn’t something to shy away from.

5. Not having examples ready for behavioral interview questions

This one ties in with point number four, however, this can tend to be a bit trickier for those with not much work experience and those with plenty. In her 5 Biggest Job Interview Mistakes article on Linkedin, career coach Lori Bumgarner writes “Behavioral questions are asked not to see how you would potentially handle a certain situation, but instead to see how you’ve handled that situation in the past. This is because past behavior is the best predictor of future behavior.” This is a great question because it’s an opportunity to paint a picture of how you handle situations.

6. Do Not answer in generalities

Specific and definitive answers are the best and only way to go in to any kind of interview. You should be able to walk away from a talk knowing what answers you gave and what questions were being asked of you. Your personality shouldn’t be forgotten when it comes to a question regarding your interest in applying for the job.

7. Being distracted

The last thing you want is to be distracted—or distract your interviewer­—during an interview. Avoid fiddling with something in your hands, rambling, slouching, chewing gum, and not make eye contact. These things can make you come off as being uninterested because all of these things are, in one way or another, a distraction. A straight posture, a focused yet relaxed demeanor, and an on-topic discussion about why you’re there is the best path to stay on.

8. Not having questions or notes prepared

Lastly, a common mistake potential candidates make is to arrive to an interview empty-handed. A great and easy way to stand out and give you a better understanding of what you’re signing up for is to have a few questions of your own prepared. If needed, also be ready to take notes. Think of questions that no one is probably asking like what the company’s work ethics are or what opportunities will you be given to climb the career ladder. This is an effective way to get a genuine interest going in you as a possible new employee.

Further reading: Free Courses to Boost Your Resume

Bullet Journaling

Seven Effective Bullet Journaling Tips

By Rose Martin

College life can be extremely stressful. Balancing multiple responsibilities, projects, examinations, extracurricular activities, work and social life is an overwhelming experience for most students, often causing them to lose sight of their long-term aspirations. Every student struggles with effective time management and organization amidst the chaotic college schedule, which may contribute to stunting his/her career growth. If you are looking for a simple and effective way to organize your life, bullet journaling can help you manage your tasks and set your priorities right, putting you on the fast track to success.

A neat and organized bullet journal with intricately-designed pages and handwritten notes speaks volumes about your personality. Though bullet journaling isn’t easy, it is a quick and effective technique to get a grip on your life, inspiring you to stay organized, creative and productive.

Here are seven valuable bullet journaling tips that will help you stay organized and manage your time, enabling you to build a bright and successful future.

  1. Determine your objective

Before you dive into bullet journaling, it’s crucial for you find your motivation. Determining your expectations and motives for starting a bullet journal will help you document your life events and goals in an effective manner. Moreover, your primary and secondary objectives will determine the format of the journal, enabling you to include the necessary sections or collections.

For instance, if your primary objective is to organize your college life, your journal must give due importance to your lecture schedule, the study time, the extra classes and the examination schedules. You could have other objectives of starting a journal, namely planning your diet and workout sessions and/or monitoring your savings and expenses.

  1. Focus on the basic elements

The index, the collections, the rapid-logging, and the migration make up the basic structure of a bullet journal.

Index  

The index typically takes the first page of the bullet journal that helps the journalist to organize the various sections or collections, ensuring easy navigation through the journal pages. Make sure you include all the important topics with the corresponding page numbers and leave enough space for sections you might want to include later.

Collections

Every page in the bullet journal is given a topic that serves as a means to organize similar ideas. These topics are referred to as collections which may utilize several pages of the journal. The three main types of collections are –

  1. Future Log – This section is used to note down events and appointments in the future
  2. Monthly Log – This section enables you to organize your month using the calendar page and the task page. The calendar page must have enough space to enter short notes or events that you need to remember.
  • Daily Log – This section helps you manage your daily tasks, events, and notes in order of their occurrence.

Depending on your objectives, collections can also take additional forms, namely meeting notes, shopping lists, expenditures and mind maps.

  • Rapid-Logging: Rapid-logging helps you make entries in the short-form notation using bullets and signifiers. You can use the task (indicated by a dot), the event (indicated by an open circle), or the note bullets (indicated by a dash) throughout the collections to signify whether they are scheduled, changed, or completed.

A few examples of signifiers are a star symbol (*) for priority tasks, an eye for ideas you need to explore, a dollar sign ($) for purchases, and an exclamation mark (!) for a new inspiration.

  • Migration: Migration helps you review your performance and filter out the tasks that haven’t been accomplished. It is typically done at the end of a month when preparing the next month’s log. Evaluate whether the unfinished tasks are still crucial and worth doing and migrate them between collections on a monthly basis.

Further reading: Six Helpful Time-Management Tips for College Students

  1. Use signifiers and doodles creatively

Embellishing your bullet journal with signifiers and doodles will make it look arty and appealing. Signifiers give the bullet points an additional context, enabling you to enter short notes in a creative manner. Elements such as dots, circles, dashes, stars or asterisks, crosses, right and left arrows and exclamation marks help you chart out the daily, weekly, or monthly plan quickly and easily.

  1. Invest in good-quality tools

For bullet journaling, you will require tools such as a notebook, pens, sketch pens, rulers, Washi tapes, and stickers. These tools will determine the life and the attractive appeal of your bullet journal. Moreover, good-quality tools will help you stay committed to the cause, motivating you to use them creatively in your journal.

Invest in archival-quality paper that is acid-free, enabling you to keep your handwritten records safe and fade-proof. Most bullet journalists seem to prefer notebook brands, namely Leuchtturm 1917, Moleskine, Rhodia and Essentials. Pigment and ink pen brands like Sakura Micron, PilotFriXion, Staedtler Triplus Fineliner and Uni-ball Jetstream can help add a touch of color and creativity to your journal.

  1. Don’t go completely off technology

Traditionally, a bullet journal involves penning down your daily activities, events and future goals. However, amidst your demanding schedule, you may miss out on some important events or deadlines. Use digital tools such as Google Calendar, Todoist and Evernote along with your bullet journal to manage your appointments, project deadlines and tasks effectively.

For instance, at the beginning of the month, enter your monthly plan in the Google Calendar and use your bullet journal as a daily tool to compile and monitor the tasks, the events, and the goals by referring to the digital calendar.

Using the best of both worlds (on and offline) will help you organize your life and focus on your professional and personal goals.

  1. Don’t be afraid to experiment with bullet journaling

Bullet journaling is a creative journey in which you constantly need to experiment in order to come up with the most effective organization style that meets your needs. Since you are new to this process you may be tempted to follow the various formats available online. Regardless of whether you try the original Ryder Carroll style or other contemporary ideas, remember to experiment and be open to change. Retain what’s working for you and get rid of formats that are not helping you achieve your objectives.

  1. Get inspired, but avoid comparison

The internet is full of inspiration with millions of Instagram and Pinterest users posting gorgeous bullet journal pages. It’s ok to refer to them for a few creative ideas, however, avoid comparing your journal with others. Every person has a specific objective for maintaining their bullet journal and the format will change accordingly.

Comparing yourself with others will disappoint you and stop you from trying new things. Your bullet journal is unique to you and must meet your requirements. For instance, if you like to express everything using symbols and doodles, nothing should stop you. Similarly, if you prefer scribbling your goals instead of using symbols, go ahead and do it.

College life is all about planning and organizing tasks, managing time effectively and setting objectives that help you realize your purpose in life. Use the above-mentioned bullet journaling tips to take control of your life and build a bright career.

Rose Martin is an editor at Book Siren. Book Siren helps readers learn about various book publications and authors. Rose likes to travel with friends and family. Her main interests are music, reading novels and fitness. Reach out to Rose at martinrrrose@gmail.com.

Leadership Skills

Develop Your Leadership Skills

Learning leadership skills while being a college student is an achievement that can set you up for life. By focusing solely on academic education, we fail to learn the practical problem-solving methods that we may need as we enter real life post-college.

As a community, we are facing tons of problems like lack of quality health services, failure to build a strong economy and maintenance of national security. Perhaps the best way to ensure that our future is better than today is to transform today’s college students into future leaders.

Things I learned as a college student leader

Fortunately, there are many instances of our college life where we can learn leadership skills to secure our future.

To bring about change, it’s essential to accept change. To become a successful leader, one should be prepared for the changes he or she is going to experience next. This is perhaps the best thing I learned as a college student and a leader.

The points below are my personal insights that could help any young college student develop successful leadership skills:

Confidence and arrogance are two different things

If you are confused between these two terms, it could guarantee your failure right at the beginning. Leadership does not make you better than others, but it may make you stronger. Using the powers you have as a leader or authority figure to satisfy your ego is not leadership. Instead, be responsible, speak only when you have to and learn to keep opinions to yourself. Whatever you do, though, do not talk without conviction.

Leadership is about setting goals

Without a vision, leadership is incomplete. Learn to give a unique perspective to things to distinguish yourself from others. Being able to translate your own interpretation and understanding and communicating your ideas to your team is what leadership is all about.

Do your research, collect more facts and figures before setting your goals, but never rely on others’ data to lose your vision.

You can’t expect others to perform without performing yourself

As a leader, you are expected to set positive examples. Your own actions, dedication and commitment towards your goal will keep your followers on foot. By taking steps yourself, you can easily convince and encourage other people to join forces with you.

Learn to take risks

A leader is always ambitious. If you really want your team to rally up for you, learn to take risks. A leader is idealistic. Risks do not always mean failure. Even if it doesn’t turn out the way you would have liked, it helps you recognize your limitations, your strengths and develops a learning environment around your team. When your team gets to know that their team leader isn’t afraid to learn a thing or two, they generally follow in their footsteps.

The best part about knowing your weakness is the ability to thoroughly test your maximum potential. With time and practice, you can deliver your best.

Don’t let people tell you “you can’t”

Oh heck, you can! Nothing is impossible. Don’t let people around you bring you down. It could be the people you are closely working with or the team you are leading. Not everything will be as favorable as you like. If there’s something you can’t find, create it but never let yourself down.

Organization is key

To develop leadership skills, you need to be organized. You must keep track of things to ensure that everything is running smoothly. For that, you must write down your goals to avoid forgetting them.

Work through your communication skills

Communication is one of the most essential traits of a leader. Reach out to your people, and address them the right way. Fortunately, communication skills will not only help you as a college student, they are essential for a successful career as well.

As a student leader, you are expected to speak with confidence and carry the right body language when discussing your goals. Persuasion techniques along with diplomacy skills are applicable for most careers you will seek in your future.

Become more responsible

In addition to fulfilling your own responsibilities, as a student leader, you have extended responsibilities to cater to. Your job goes way beyond just ensuring that the task is complete. You need to outline, dedicate, work along and follow up to ensure that the job is completed promptly.

Learn management skills

This is something you will need in all areas of your life during and post-college. It’s the second nature that makes you control how life moves forward. As a leader, you must make budgets, oversee operational tasks, build consensus, prioritize workload and assign tasks accordingly. If you practice your management skills in college, you can definitely earn more significant rewards in the future.

Final word

The role of a student leader is a great responsibility. Having said that, it pushes you to learn skills during your college years that you can proudly implement throughout your career and life. Don’t forget: part of having a successful student leader career also depends on how good you are in bonding with people around you.

Time-Management Tips for College Students

Six Helpful Time-Management Tips for College Students

College students are forever sprinting through their packed schedules, getting assignments done, meeting family and social commitments, working part-time and lots more. While they have the freedom and flexibility of college life by their side, it’s essential for them to be able to manage their time well.

If you’re going to be starting college soon, or are already overwhelmed by the buzz, here are six helpful time-management tips for college students.

  1. Use the Priority Matrix

It’s difficult to accomplish anything when you have too much to do in too little time. The best way out is to think about your priorities, identify the important ones, and approach them one-by-one.

Use Eisenhower’s Urgent/Important Principle. List all to-do activities and categorize them into any one of these four:

  • Important and urgent
  • Important but not urgent
  • Not Important but urgent
  • Not Important and not urgent

Categorizing your tasks this way will help you identify ones you need to focus on and ones you need to ignore.

  1. Avoid procrastination

Procrastination is the act of delaying or postponing tasks, and we’re all guilty of doing this—especially for things we think are going to be unpleasant or difficult. While you’re technically setting yourself up for more stress by putting off a tough chore for later (because you’ll eventually have to get it done and you could be underestimating the time or effort that the task needs) procrastination also makes you unproductive!

Called the Zeigarnik Effect, the tendency to experience intrusive thoughts about something that you pursued and left incomplete can keep you from accomplishing other tasks that you undertake. To avoid this, try this helpful time-management tip: break up your to-do list into smaller actionable items and refrain from jumping to another task until you complete the one you started off with.

  1. Join a study group

Joining a study group in college has numerous advantages and is brilliant in aiding time-management. By learning with other students, you can try out different learning methods and see which suits you best, fill in learning gaps by comparing notes, and break the monotony of studying alone.

Most importantly, joining a study group can help you manage your time effectively by serving as a motivator to stick to your study schedule. Also, since you’ll be committed to spending a certain amount of time studying, you’ll cover your syllabus quickly and efficiently.

  1. Use technology

There are several apps out there that can help you juggle through family and social commitments, work and coursework!

  • To-do list apps like Listastic, 2Do, and EpicWin are digital list trackers with varying features that can help you manage your time effectively.
  • With productivity apps like Evernote, you can keep your notes and ideas in one place; Remember the Milk helps you set up multiple-platform reminders, and 30/30 lets you understand how long you take to do things.
  • RescueTime and AutoSMS can help you reduce on-screen time, while stickK.com can keep you motivated to achieve goals.
  • Online calendars can help you collaborate on projects easily.

  1. Learn to say no

Saying “yes” can be crucial to success—but so is saying “no”. If you’re constantly saying yes to all ideas, opportunities and tasks that come your way, you’re not valuing your time or managing it correctly.

Of course, it can be difficult to tell your best friend that you can’t accompany them to the party they were looking forward to attending, or tell your professor that you can’t review their manuscript as you have to study for an exam. However, being honest about your commitments and schedules will help them understand your situation, and most of all, will help you achieve the more important tasks effectively.

Remember K.I.S.S.—Keep It Simple and Short! Be assertive and communicate your answer clearly, but also be respectful of others.

  1. Get rid of clutter

Clutter in your bag, on your desk, or in your wardrobe can build up stress, cause you to waste time looking for things you need, and make you unorganized. In addition to this, mental clutter can reduce decision-making skills and give way to procrastination.

Use the SPACE approach to help with time-management and do away with clutter:

  • Sort: Group belongings into categories
  • Purge: Do away with broken and useless items in each category
  • Assign: Give sorted items a permanent place to be stationed in
  • Containerize: Storage containers, bins, and shelves can make organizing stuff much easier
  • Equalize: Spend some time once each day or each week to go through your belongings, to purge, and to return items to their dedicated space

You now know what you need to do to stay on top of your assignments, work schedule and other commitments. Get started on implementing these six time-management tips for college students and you’re sure to see a positive change!

Author Bio:

Korie a full-time writer currently working with Only hangers and usually writes about living and lifestyle, she likes getting perspective on various topics of interest, which range from bullet journaling to creating the perfect terrarium!

 

Writing the Perfect Cover Letter

Writing the Perfect Cover Letter

As if searching for a job isn’t difficult enough, the most dreaded part of an application after writing a resume is writing the perfect cover letter. While it can be tedious, writing the perfect cover letter is also a very overlooked opportunity to show your prospective employer why you are perfect for a position.

No Experience?

If you’re a recent graduate, you may not have much real life work experience for the position you are applying for. The perfect cover letter gives you the opportunity to explain your passion for the industry in question and to further detail some of the experience that you may not have included in your resume. For instance, I volunteered at SAG Bookpals where I read to underprivileged children in South Central Los Angeles and recently applied for a position with a church where I would be overseeing the youth program. It would behoove me to mention this experience in my cover letter. Volunteer work shows employers that you have passion and compassion. Steer clear of including experience that is not relevant to the position you are applying for. If you are applying for an internship at the William Morris Agency where you will be working in the mail room, for example, I wouldn’t mention my aspirations of being a filmmaker and my dreams of taking over Hollywood. I would instead stick to soft skills like strong attention to detail and my organizational ability evidenced in my stamp collection which consists of over 2,000 rare stamps that are all in mint condition—if you’re that way inclined!

While some HR managers may not be impressed with volunteer work or your hobbies they may be looking for evidence that you can do the job at hand. If the job requires writing, then mention your writing ability. Maybe this is the time to mention that you wrote for the school paper or that you published an award-winning article that was later picked up by a national publication. If the job requires handling social media, mention that you are familiar with Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter and Facebook.

Honesty

Be honest when writing the perfect cover letter. You have to know yourself and what attributes that you have that would be good for the position to benefit both you and your future employer. Spending time on a job application is a time to really take into account if you’re the right fit for a position. Some places are not the right fit for you and that is an inevitability. I recently applied for a position and interviewed but the employees seemed depressed and stressed out. While another position I applied for in the same field the employees were happy and upbeat and seemed to enjoy working for the company. These are all important factors to think about. Research the company and use the cover letter to discuss of what kind of environment you would like to work in.

The most important thing that I think that makes a successful cover letter is that it shows your personality and what you can bring to the position you are applying for. So often when applying for a job, we recount our qualifications and experiences but leave the most important part out of the letter: This is who you are and what separates you from the other candidates for the position.

Don’t get weighed down by the formality of the job process that you leave any hint of you out of your cover letter. If you want to find the perfect job, you’re not going to get it pretending to be someone else. This is why so many adults are miserable at the jobs they have. Find your passion.

Ask for help

If you need assistance writing a cover letter, visit your career center at school for some guidance. Your local public library may have some resources that can demonstrate how to write the perfect cover letter. Remember that practice makes perfect. I look at it as something that could possibly sway you being hired for a position but not the end all and be all. Finding a job is about numbers. The more positions you apply for, the more likely you’re going to get an interview—so get writing that perfect cover letter!

Further reading: Nail a Successful Job Interview

Mugabe

Political Uncertainty as Army “Takes Control” of Zimbabwe

Zimbabwean military has taken control of the country and put president Robert Mugabe under ‘house arrest’, plunging the nation into a period of deep political turmoil.

On Wednesday 15 November, troops and armored vehicles surrounded the Zimbabwean parliament and other key buildings.

In a live statement over the national broadcaster ZBC, Maj Gen Sibusiso Moyo, a member of the army, denied the military was carrying out a coup.

Moyo reported Mugabe and his family were “safe and sound” and insisted the move was meant to ‘target criminals’ around the president who are “committing crimes”. He went on to say that the situation would “return to normalcy” one that mission would be accomplished.

President Mugabe, 93, has been in control of the south African country since it became independent from Britain in 1980. Many argue his rule has been characterized by controversy, extreme nationalism and tyranny.

His wife Grace Mugabe, who was bidding to succeed him as president, has allegedly fled the country. Her whereabouts are currently unknown.

Local media reports the Southern African Development Community (SADC) bloc held emergency talks on 16 November. South African ministers and leaders have also been in Harare, Zimbabwe’s capital, meeting with the army and the country’s remaining political parties.

It is not yet known who will take over from Mugabe, or if the president will peacefully offer his resignation and legitimize the recent upheaval and political reshuffle.

Leaders of the opposition have urged for a return to a more stable form government: Tendai Biti told the BBC it is “urgent” that the country goes back to a more democratic climate through an appropriate transition period.

Despite this momentous event, life in Zimbabwe carries on. Although the military appears to be patrolling the streets of the capital, shops and businesses continue to work and there have been no substantiated reports of unrest.

Further reading: Is ‘El Chapo’ Guzman, the World’s Most Powerful Drug Cartel Leader, Dead?